Introducing Forge CTS 1000—the newest addition to the Forge family of affordable, quality bicycles. Designed for road performance, the CTS 1000 combines high-quality components, creative design and affordability. Shimano Sora 24-speed front and rear derailleurs with Shimano Total Integration(STI, integrated shifters within break leavers), Truvativ triple-crankset, Alex Alloy rims and Kenda Kontender 700×25c tires enhance performance, while the compact road design frame allows for superior speed and handling. Your adventure begins today—start putting the miles behind you. I have had this bike for about 2 weeks and I have put about 80 miles on it already. I decided to purchase this bike after more than a month of research because I really wanna try out the STI shifter. Turns out I am loving it. The system itself, if anyone wanna install it, can cost you more than $[...] as I found out from a couple of local bike shops. This bike is light enough to get you to speed up pretty easily. It weighs about 25lbs. The front derailuer must be adjusted before you go for a good ride. It did slip off when I changed gears in my test ride. So I brought it to the shop and got it done for $[...]. I have changed the seat to a GT since my butt has already gotten used to that one and does not want to use any other seats. The WTB seat that came with the bike is not a bad one seriously, and it is not a cheap seat, however my bottom just told me to go back to the GT. Living in NYC with a bike like this can be stressful because of the traffic and the bumpy roads. You can’t go too fast because you will need to stop pretty frequently with the traffic. The city streets are all cracked and cyclists are being very careful. These AlexRims though, are actually very good on the street since they are the durable ones. Road shocks from the fork to the hands and shoulders can also be something unpleasent in the city and my hands could get numb from the shocks and vibration. I am planning to look for something that can absorb the shocks like the previous reviewer did. However that requires $$ and I am working on it. Overall, this is a good bike with the quality parts. I am pretty happy with it. Worth buying. The aluminum frame was excellent. The triple crank is great as you hit those steep inclines. Be sure to have your shimano front derailleur “stops” adjusted properly to reduce the chance of chain slipping off the chain ring when shifting from larger ring to a smaller ring. Mine came off when I shifted from “granny” ring to middle ring when chain didn’t seat correctly because low stop was off a tad – all bikes need to be adjusted properly to prevent this. Also all riders need to anticipate the incline and shift in advance of placing pressure on the crank/chain which keeps pedaling smoother and reduces the chance of chain slippage or worse – chain breaking. The bike included road pedals (no toes straps) but most riders will want to upgrade to clipless pedals and shoes, i.e. Look (or why are you riding a bike like this in the first place?) The bike has only one size and is designed for someone 5′ 8″ to 5′ 11′. This bike will introduce you to shifters that are integrated into the brake levers – a great value at this price as these shifters alone start around $200!

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Authoritative sources within the bike industry are claiming that the 2013 bicycle model year - that's this time next year for actual shipments - will feature an 11-speed transmission for Shimano's flagship Dura-Ace Di2 groupset along with... The disc brakes won't be any surprise to anyone who's been watching the development of carbon forks with disc mounts over the last few years with all the talk so far being of racing cyclo-cross. first that with the free availability by then of the less expensive Ultegra Di2 components - and possibly an even cheaper 105 version on the horizon - the Japanese manufacturer will be looking to reassert Dura-Ace's differentiation at the top of... But it does raise the question of how relatively simple it would be to redesign a carbon fork for smooth tarmac after the rigours of 'cross. More on Ultegra Di2 availability in a moment, however.

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