Festka Scalatore: My Dream Bike Build

The search for a dream bike started with a fundamental question. Which bike works the best for me? This was not an easy question to answer. As it often happens, even after the search to fulfil a need begins, it is not surprising to find that the mind is as yet unclear about the parameters of the search. My case was no different when I started asking myself some fundamental questions. Should I buy one of the mass-produced mainstream brands? Is it better to go in for a frame or a completely built bike? How about aero vs light weight? Will electronic groupsets be better than mechanical? Rim or disc brakes? And the list kept on increasing. There is no dearth of information on the internet. There are channels galore that bring out reviews with unerring regularity. But as I devoured the content in giga byte loads, certain things became evident. There seemed to be some kind of hesitation amongst websites and channels to go against the grain of thinking of big brands, with a few exceptions.

It all started with the desire to buy my dream bike. For those who are brave and if I may add rather presumptuously, foolish enough to tread on such paths – Beware. For such journeys can prove to be quite the adventure. An expensive and treacherous adventure. This is obviously not true for the thoroughbred cyclist geeks, who can all at once embarrass the procurement and engineering department of bicycle companies with their knowledge. I intend to address the larger majority that aspires without the requisite experience. That hopes for redemption without equipping themselves with the necessary understanding that is needed to make the right choice. That prefers to focus on cycling as a hobby rather than pour over heavy engineering gibberish that confuses more than clarifies. That has long divorced simple English and is in a lifelong relationship with jargon. The world of social media has been rather helpful in cutting through the clutter. There are videos explaining most facets of bi