Looks really cool! What kind of material did you use this time? Some sort of vinyl?

it's a color changing transparent tape layered on top of a piece of reflective

Where did you source the tape and reflective material? Links would be great if you have them.
This might work well for a project I'm working on at work. Thanks.

finally built up...

https://vimeo.com/206305008

That is pretty sweet, especially the nighttime video. Did you do the decals yourself?

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Do you have links to what you used?

Dang, that is hot.
Seriously.

Bring on the night !

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Thanks for the kind words. I did all the decals myself with the exception of the S-Works and logo's which were cut on a plotter. Everything else was layered and cut by hand, piece by piece. I stopped counting after about 60 hrs or so. Then I had Ron from Specialized clear the frame.

I actually did quite a bit of testing and research on my own. Some reflective materials don't do well once they have been cleared over. They will lose a lot of their brightness when they reflect. I used reflexite material and experimented with a few different color changing tapes. If you search color changing tapes, some hula hoop website will come up. They actually have a ton of stuff that's pretty cool.

If you get a chance, can you take a picture at a distance 50m+ of the bike in your headlights?

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Awesome work.

Why the decision to clear coat the frame, were you worried that the decals would peel?

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Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
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I'd bet cleaning will be much easier with the clear coat.

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Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

ya just to prevent wear and tear over time on the vinyl. I also wanted the gloss black look. Plus it can get wet now, easy to wipe down, etc. The first version I did with the grey vinyl was more of a pliable and bendable tape, so every time I grabbed the bike or picked it up, put it on the stand etc, the edges would get caught and begin peeling ever so slightly. Nothing drastic, but I really like the way clear looks. Worst case, if I ever really wanted to I could still sand it all down and remove the vinyl and start over with some other idea.

I will try to get some more good shots of it soon in different lighting conditions and also weigh it.

looks great!

Very nice.

How do you like the new brakes? I've had my new brake calipers since last fall and while they are definitely better, I still find myself riding my Tarmac over it.

I actually think the new brakes are pretty nice. I never really had any issues with my first pair, I think so much depends on how it's set up. New ones are broken in yet but they do seem to bite a little better.

When you say set up, what specifically do you mean? The new ones definitely bite better, but it didn't really fix the travel issue.

I've had mine examined at 2 different dealers (before and after the new calipers) and they can only get the brakes so close to the rims without there being rub from the wheel when out of the saddle since part of the brake pad doesn't move. From what they showed me, only one side of the brake gets clamped down when you actuate the brakes and the other doesn't really travel. So basically, they can't get it even remotely as close as I have it on my Tarmac and it's not like I only have it with a few mm clearance on my Tarmac. It's just I like to be able to tap the brakes with 2 fingers. The level travel is just much greater on the Venge and I find myself needing to engage the brakes with more fingers and force.

Just the amount of heel and toe with the pads and how they are set up. Sometimes based on the cable routing, I have heard of cases where the brakes will actually slightly lift up and pivot or rotate when the tension is applied. I don't travel with mine where I completely take apart, so I can't help there. I am sure Mark and Chris from Specialized could help with some travel tips. I just throw the entire bike in the back of my car.

https://vimeo.com/208181079