Z-Bone Report

So today I took the Z-Bone out for the first time. I've got it all set up how I want. I did my standard 20 mile ride around BWI. It was 32 degrees out and calm. The roads were all dry, there was no ice to be seen.

I need to get in shape for a mini-tour I'm doing in a month, so Friday, I did the same loop on the Trice (1:55), and on Saturday on the T-Bone (1:30, with a 20 mph wind). Today the Z-Bone took 1:20, which was mighty impressive. I am not in a state of fitness at all, although I felt a lot stronger than I did the last couple days.

Here's the MotionBased page for the Z-Bone loop.

Here are some pictures of the Z-Bone as I have it set up. I hear on the BROL message board that George only made 25 Z-Bones.

Side view. Note the Q-Rings on a new Ultegra crank, new lightweight mirrors, new 10 speed Wipperman 10 speed chain, and an 11/34 10 speed cassette. This gives me 23 to 127 gear inches. Ilchester will be barely doable when I am in shape. The shifters are now Dura-Ace bar ends on Paul's Thumbies.



Here you can see I've got double-Ti Eggbeaters for pedals.



Rear view showing the Fastback water carrier. You can barely see the seat mount.



Here is the cockpit. The GPS works great on the main tube behind the stem. I'm a little dubious of that stem. The steering feels a little flexy. The handlebars are good, and they could go a couple inches lower and a bit forward if necessary.



Closeup of the drive train.



Here are all four of my bikes. Front to back, Cobrabike Royale, Reynolds Weld Lab T-Bone, Reynolds Weld Lab Z-Bone.



And here's another with the Inspired Cycle Engineering Trice S.



The trike is for touring, the Royale is for randonneuring (it's set up with very wide gearing so I can climb anything with ease, even at the end of a brevet). The T-Bone and the Z-Bone are for going fast, and not so much for very steep hills.