What happens when you are a typical road racer that believes it’s not the bike is the engine and you start working at Shama Cycles? You just don’t drink the Kool-Aid; you start to make your own!
Brian is a Cat 2 and a very strong rider who has always fought his bike positions but just thought everyone did. As a racer over 6ft tall it’s tough to find what fits in the stock world. So one day we put Brian on the Dynamic Fit Unit and while hooked up to the Retul and SpinScan we found a position in which he put out an amazing pedal stroke and was relaxed in his upper body.
The numbers don’t lie and the drawing from Guru showed a VERY improved option than what he has ever ridden. It included a 615 top tube making it the longest frame he has ever ridden. We chose the Guru Photon for its amazing ride qualities, picked the paint and asked for a small Canadian flag to be on the bottom of the down tube near the BB since Brian was “made” in Canada just like the custom frame.
By the time the frame came in we had amassed all the parts to build it up. In each part we first looked for reliable performance and fit. Looks and weight were secondary.
Sram Red shifters, Front D, rear D, TRP 970 brakes, Deda Zero 100 bar and stem, Thomson Masterpiece seat post, Fizizk Aliante saddle, Rotor BB30BSA XD-15 bottom bracket, Rotor SRM 3D+ cranks, KMC chain, Power Cordz cable, Lizard Skin bar tape, Arundle Mandible Shimano DuraAce pedals, Enve 6.7 Clincher wheels with King hubs….15lbs 6 oz.
A bike this big to be this light without trying to make it light shows the true quality of the frame and parts we selected for this rolling work of art. It is among the nicest builds to ever roll out of Shama Cycles. The best part? Brian loves the bike and position, is sold completely on custom and cannot wait to race it on the road next season. At least now when he drops me quicker than before on training rides, I can crack a prideful smile…after my heart rate gets below 200bpm.