I have an 05 Saber that I decided to update recently. It’s amazing what a difference some new decals, bar tape, tires and a different saddle make. That’s one of the things I love about titanium. A new looking bike at a fraction of the cost.
Before:
After:
BTW, I was out of Roundup. Thus the weed. Another positive was that I was able to place the decals where I wanted. I stuck the “saber” one towards the back of the top tube so my gel flask holder wouldn’t scratch it up. Also, I didn’t use all the decals so I wouldn’t be a riding billboard.
Re: your surgery, have you thought about potentially setting the bike up like a Soloist - aero-road frame with clip on bars. It might be more comfortable for you, since you’d probably take some of the weight of your 'taint. With the aerobar pads above your saddle, you don’t get quite as much weight onto the front as you would if you are lower, which can make the setup a bit less comfy than it should be. It’s possible you’d be happier riding this with road-bars/STI_or_Ergopower/clipons at like 74-75~ish degrees. You also might end up a fair bit faster, since your weight would be distributed better. You don’t really get much of an aero benefit with your current position, so if you could get more power in a bit more of a road position, you’d probably go faster. Just something to consider. Just because it’s a tribike, it doesn’t mean you need bar-end shifters. Just a thought…
Very nicely done! I’ve been considering doing the same with my '01 Ultimate. She’s still a beauty, but the yellow decals are showing their age - saw a guy with an ‘00 Ultimate at the Horribly Hilly 200K who’d replaced his decals with the new ones - looked brand spankin’ new. I’m partial to the red/black of the Saber decals vs. the black/orange scheme of the Ultimate decals - figure I’d go red/black and just take an Xacto knife to remove the “Saber” on the downtube decal.
Rappstar, thanks for the suggestions. I’ve just recently switched over from my Vortex road bike to the Saber and generally lower the front end as I put more miles on it. Right now it feels like I’m putting a fair amount of weight on the front and I’ve not had any issues with my lower back or taint.
The pictures are kinda misleading. My aerobar pads are about the same height or slightly lower than the saddle. For me, it’s all about comfort. I’m going to lower the front end a tad this week and see how everything plays out. When I do that, do you think it would help to shorten the cockpit by bringing the pads and bar end shifters in closer?
Yes, I think if you go lower, you probably will want to shorten the cockpit. Measure the saddle tip to pad back distance, and keep that constant. Remember, it will be easier on your back to have a bit of a shorter cockpit, since your spinal erectors will not have to do work to support your body (nor your lats, which connect at your lumbar verterbrae), which will be a good thing. Make sure you are really supporting your upper body skeletally, as that will make a big difference.
