I've put 1300 miles on my Dame and have upgraded some parts along the way. This bike has exceeded my expectations out of the box but the more and more I rode it, the more I felt that it deserved some upgrades. I live in Marin and ride a variety of road/gravel rides between the Marin Headlands and surrounding area. I also ride all over Mount Tam and have tackled some single track. I recently took the bike up to Oregon for some bike packing on the Deschutes River Trail loaded up with a rack and some Ortleib panniers.
I recently added the SRAM Apex 12 speed groupset which had me pedaling at a much more efficient cadence due to the additional gears. The hydraulic brakes are also a very welcome upgrade with a noticeable increase in braking power. I'm also running the Mason X Hunt 650B wheel set which have a noticeable difference in acceleration and overall rolling speed.
Both the groupset and wheel set were purchased on sale. Universal Cycles in Beaverton sells the SRAM Apex groupset for $567.99 with no sales tax if you pick it up. The Mason X Hunt wheels were on sale for $400 after tax. All in all these upgrades have transformed the Dame into a next level (for me) shredder. Another few things to note, the stock tires have been great. I didn't feel the immediate need to swap them out since they pair up well with my current setup. Also, the Microsoft Sword setup now lives on my Fairdale Weekender and has completely transformed that bike into a speedy every day commuter.
by caferacer73
3 Comments
This is the only correct way to start a Hawk Hill decent. Gotta do the whole thing or it doesn’t count.
I like how you went and picked up the groupset all the way from Marin to Beaverton to save on shipping. You about that lyfe. (And sounds like you turned it into a whole bikepacking trip haha).
Apologies if assuming but this is what I’d like to imagine anways.
these bikes are just so cool. if I didn’t have my surly, I’d get one of these for sure