The bike is a race geometry aluminum frame with a carbon fork/steerer and carbon seat-stays. There are "Zertz inserts" in the seat-stays and fork to help dampen vibration, soften the ride, and increase comfort. The components are a Shimano Tiagra/105 mix; the rear derailleur is where the 105 comes in (and I honestly think that Tiagra is far underrated). The drive-train is composed of 50x34T chainrings and a SRAM 11-28t cassette, a perfect compact combination for the flats and the climbs.
This is a great road bike, but I also added my share of upgrades to personalize it. I swapped the brake pads for Kool-Stop Salmons, an incredible and necessary change from the stock pads. I now use Michelin Krylion Carbon tires, I find them to be a perfect balance of race-performance and durability. These tires are wrapped around my new Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels for added stiffness and reduced weight. Lastly, thanks to my lovely wife, I have Ultegra SPD-SL pedals.
This is actually a big change from the stock appearance of the bike, as seen to the right in one of my first pictures of the bike, before I really knew what I was getting myself into. The stem is pointed to the sky, the wheels are the stock Jalco/Specialized blend, and my pedal choice was odd with a platform + SPD hybrid that used mountain-biking cleats. The bike rode VERY well like that, but hopefully my newer additions and changes will carry me farther and faster!
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