Shimano R700 Compact Crank

Okay, so it doesn't say Dura-Ace on it, but after a short 42 mile ride and 4500 feet of climbing (Three Bears from my house), I'm sold.

I'm running the 50/34 with a 12/27 in the rear, so I've got a lot of low end, but despite a head cold coming on (and hitting in full force today), I bested my previous round-trip time by two minutes.

More importantly, the climbs weren't a grind. I was working, but spinning. There's too big a jump from the 24 to the 27 in the rear, and I still think an 11/25 would be ideal for a compact front-end (I spun out at around 36 miles an hour), but I'm very happy with the setup. Better than spinning out at 26 mph last weekend when I lost the top 10 gears at the Century.

The only caveat, which I imagine applies to all compacts, is that one needs to shift the front from the 34 to the 50 a tad more patiently. Shifting is great. I'm glad I didn't spend the extra dough to go with the FSA, which has very mixed reviews.

I had to run my mountain pedals yesterday with my old Dominator 5 Sidis, and I really noticed the lack of float in the pedal (my cleat is not in alignment with my natural pedalling stroke). Nonetheless, a completely enjoyable ride. I'm looking forward to further climbing...