http://i12.tinypic.com/4yg6894.jpg
After riding only a tri bike for the past 10 years I finally decided to get a road bike. After much research it seemed a custom from guru would be the best for me as I also wanted something I could ride as a tri bike a few months out of the year. While I’m still getting used to riding without aerobars (and using SRAM) I have to say I love this bike and I now love the hills here in so cal. Thanks to jeff at ladera cyclery for putting up with my craziness and taking the time to make sure I got exactly what I wanted from guru…his shop is fast becoming the best bike shop in the OC. While guru’s paint really needs to be seen in person to fully appreciate what a great job they do I think this pic does a good job of highlighting the angles of the bike as well as the paint.
Sorry about the neighbors vines appearing to grow from my stem.
kelli
Hot bike, cool colors!
Sweet bikes…
However, I am not a big fan of the handlebar you have for whatever reasons. It seems to somehow clash with the rest of the bike as “unfinished business”…
Cheers,
Fred.
Yeah, I’m not sure about the bars either. They’re definitely taking some getting used to but, for now, they’re staying.
kelli
Very sweet looking bike!. I am curious why the spacers and upturned stem if it is custom? Why not a taller headtube? I am not a member of the spacer police either, so please don’t take my question the wrong way.
Actually, I was wondering the same thing but decided to leave everything as is until I get used to riding in a road position since it really is pretty comfortable set up this way. When I switch it over to a one piece aerobar for arizona the spacers and upturned stem won’t be there. Since I know Jeff reads the forum maybe he can respond as to why it’s built up that way.
Jeff are you around to answer fit questions???
kelli
“becoming the best bike shop in the OC.”
I would disagree with that statement. He has a good shop though.
Love the bike! Love the colors! I have a Guru Crono, so I am bias, but still, great looking bike! I agree with two previous comments:
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Handlebars - Not sure what, but, you need to do something with those. Maybe a different color tape (but, not sure what color that would be). Something looks unfinished.
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Spacers - I was surprised to see that on a custom Guru. When I first got mine, I had 2 spacers. The theory was to get me used to the new bike in a more comfortable position, then dial me in. I have no spacers now (on the Crono tri bike). Took them out after a couple weeks on the new bike and cut the post. So, I can see a couple spacers on your new bike, but, you have quite a few and an up-turned stem. Very surprised to see that. Could be a completely asinine question, so excuse me if it is, but, did they install the stem up-side down? New stock road bikes are quite often sold with an upturned stem. Did they accidently install it that way?
boy oh boy are you lucky
very very nice bike
I hope you don’t have to work for a while so you can put some big miles on it
if not use a few sic day 
Thom/dirt/cheyou.
I like the colors of this bike too and think Guru makes nice bikes. But to me the frame looks a bit too “beefy” compared to the forks, bars and wheels.
Wouldn’t that answer Jeremy’s question. Part of your request in the build was a bike that could accomodate some aero bars to to ride as a “tri bike” some months out of the year. to get low enough in an aero position with clip ons, you’d have to have some rise on the stem and some spacers in the road position, no?. I know when I take off my clip-ons, but don’t put the spacers back in and flip the stem back (out of pure laziness), the resulting position is extremely low for your average road position. I end up riding on the tops for large portions of the ride.
Not to enter into a battle but I’ve used edge, rock and road, and a few others and would definitely say he’s surpassed them. When he first opened I didn’t think much of his store (just a normal neighborhood bike store) but his employees were great. Now’s he got the great inventory with a hugely expanded store to go along with his great employees. Of course being walking distance from my house might have me somewhat biased.
As to the other post about the stem it is upturned correctly and, I’m guessing that since this is my first time on a road bike the fit was done so that I could get used to riding in an unfamiliar position…all of my previous riding was on a tri bike. Also, I asked guru if they could make the bike with more of a crono geometry so I could swap out the road bars for some HED aerobars for arizona and a half IM or 2. Now that I’m (gulp) over 40 my flexibility isn’t what it used to be and being tall with very long arms I’m sure adds some fit issues semi-custom, full custom, or stock.
The plan right now is to keep everything as is and then in january to swap everything for a more aero fit. Nine to ten months of the year this is going to be a road bike only…no clip ons even just strictly road.
kelli
Ouch…I used to like you.
kelli
while “best” may be subjective, with what has happened at other notable OC tri shops (lack of bikes, product lines dropped, etc.), Jeff is definitely on the way UP.
We don’t need a “best”…but if we have 2 kick a$$ shops that carry just about everything tri (and I’m talking inventory - not “I can get if you want it”)…then we’ll be better off than we were 5 years ago (as consumers).
Hey thanks for the link from the other multi use bike discussion. I think part of the fork match perception may just be Gurus shadow paint job, but, who cares, they make a beutiful bike. How do you feel it rides from a road dampening and accleration on flats and hills standpoint? When you said you had it designed as a tweener’ what did that mean in terms of seat tube angle and head tube? I love the idea, can I check back with you after your first few tris and see how you like the decision?
Good for you, I need to get over to Jeff’s and see the shop since he expanded. It is in a cool little strip mall. As far as tri shops, there are only Hank and Jeff. Rock N’ Road (within 2 minutes of my house) is not a tri shop. We have a ton of cool bike shops in So.Cal, but Ladera Cyclery and Edge Cyclesport standout in the triathlon world.
Great bike. I have heard they are very comfortable from everyone who has ridden one.
The bike is amazingly comfortable and climbs like a dream…I am not worthy…yet. To do the bike as a sort of dual jeff had to take a few more measurements than he normally would for just a road bike. The seat angle, I believe but could be wrong, is 76 and the top tube had to take into consideration my getting as low as possible when the areo bars are on while still comfortable when the road bars are on.
I’ll update how this goes in january when I make the switch.
kelli
Jeff’s expanded shop is really great and the same great people are working there with a new face or two. Jeff has really impressed me with his vision and growth into the tri scene. It’s great to have the competition between ladera and edge…it’s all good for us consumers.
kelli
I might be biased as well, but Jeff and his staff are always helpful and friendly. Jeff/Ladera Cyclery have helped the OC Tri Club tremendously.