First ride: S-Works Tricross ultimate cool guy build

I just rolled the S-Works Tricross for an hour in my dark, icy neighborhood. Real quick:

Build: Value-conscious but sweet. Highlights include Sun Accelerator wheels (pretty light, very strong), Ultegra SL drivetrain, Avid cantilever brakes and Vittoria Cross XG Pro tires. The whole bike, with pedals, is 19 pounds.

Cockpit: I’m trying a short (90mm) stem with a high bar position. Right now the bars are just above the seat. I’m trying to find the right balance of a comfortable sitting position, a powerful pedaling position and an athletic descending position. This will be interesting.

Terrain: Some pavement, some dirt. Some dry, some wet. Some snowy, some icy. A perfect shakedown for a cyclocross bike. I rocked a helmet-mount headlight.

Feel: This bike is quick! This bike is smooth! The canti brakes work better than I remember. The tires roll fast and grip surprisingly well. I was nowhere near their limit, even in the snow. The packed dirt was heroic. Quick! Smooth!

To do: 1) Move the saddle a bit lower and farther back, to match my Stumpy. 2) Find the right place for those bars — and those infernal levers. 3) Gradually turn up the dial and figure out what this baby can do.

Stay tuned for photos, specs and Big Adventures.

Drop-bar braaap!