After 3 years I have finally completed my new bike. I picked up a Bianchi frame with Dedeccai steel frame and some carbon chain stays in the winter of 2008. Well, my wonderful Dad picked it up for me in winter 2008 driving through a foot of snow to get it; I was in Malawi, sweating. I repo-ed the frame from my Dad when we returned in 2009 and moved to St. Louis. Eager to build it up, I quickly bought a wheelset, a lovely Reynolds Ouzo fork, a handlebar, a stem and a headset. But, after school hit, as well as the realization that the old components from my Cannondale were not going to function well on a new frame (since they barely function on my old one), the project languished and halted.
It wasn’t until this last spring (2011), that I found a groupset for a reasonable price: Dura-Ace 7800, pristine condition, $450, 11-pieces including new chain, new brake pads, new housing. After a grueling Spring semester, and a wonderful trip to Zimbabwe to teach, I returned home invigorated to build. Today I finished my third ever bike build; and its the best yet.
Can’t wait to ride it, though I may need to upgrade my security.