Kuota Kharma

deekreid

Just goes to show moan enough at your other half and she will give in loll.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49883811@N06/5319798975/
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flasher

Nice 8)

twotyred

Snap- apart from the wheels and bar tape.

deekreid

Nice too, What do you think of it as a bike? Loving mine . oh and my wife likes your garage door(typical woman)

glasgowbhoy

Nice, I have the 2010 Ultegra. Just a different paint job. I think you'll love it. Can't wait for the spring to get back out on it again. Don't see many about and always commented on when I'm out on it. I didn't get on with the San Marco saddle and now have a Fizik Arione CX (white with red stripe) saddle on it now.

Here it is last summer when I got it.

ElLawro

Had mine for 3 years now, my pride and alot of joy

TMR

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

Nice, I have the 2010 Ultegra. Just a different paint job. I think you'll love it. Can't wait for the spring to get back out on it again. Don't see many about and always commented on when I'm out on it. I didn't get on with the San Marco saddle and now have a Fizik Arione CX (white with red stripe) saddle on it now.

Here it is last summer when I got it.

Nice! How do you find the geometry on that? It's supposedly more relaxed than the KOM & Kebel isn't it? What's the ride like on UK roads?

Lagavulin

Class bikes all three of those. 8)

glasgowbhoy

[/quote]

Nice! How do you find the geometry on that? It's supposedly more relaxed than the KOM & Kebel isn't it? What's the ride like on UK roads?[/quote]

Cheers, it's certainly marketed that way but having never ridden a super stiff, aggressive race bike over any distance I couldn't give you an answer. I did ride the Kebel and didn't notice enough of a difference for the extra money and preferred the paint job on the Kharma anyway. The bike is very response and I'm really happy with it. Comfort wise I think that has a lot to do with the bike fit and the wheel/ tyre choice. The hand built wheels on hope hubs and the Michelin pro race III tyres are a big factor on how well it handles IMO.
Would recommend the Kharma to anyone at that price point,

TMR

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

Cheers, it's certainly marketed that way but having never ridden a super stiff, aggressive race bike over any distance I couldn't give you an answer. I did ride the Kebel and didn't notice enough of a difference for the extra money and preferred the paint job on the Kharma anyway. The bike is very response and I'm really happy with it. Comfort wise I think that has a lot to do with the bike fit and the wheel/ tyre choice. The hand built wheels on hope hubs and the Michelin pro race III tyres are a big factor on how well it handles IMO.
Would recommend the Kharma to anyone at that price point,

Interesting, thanks. Where did you have the wheels made?

deekreid

glasgow bhoy: That is a quality bike it was the one i was after just before i heard the 2011 was out so ended up goin with that, Sure i had your bike as my screen saver for a while when i was doin some research on google pictures , cheers

glasgowbhoy

The Mad Rapper wrote:

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

Cheers, it's certainly marketed that way but having never ridden a super stiff, aggressive race bike over any distance I couldn't give you an answer. I did ride the Kebel and didn't notice enough of a difference for the extra money and preferred the paint job on the Kharma anyway. The bike is very response and I'm really happy with it. Comfort wise I think that has a lot to do with the bike fit and the wheel/ tyre choice. The hand built wheels on hope hubs and the Michelin pro race III tyres are a big factor on how well it handles IMO.
Would recommend the Kharma to anyone at that price point,

Interesting, thanks. Where did you have the wheels made?

Made by Alistair Gow at wheelcraft.

http://www.wheelcraft.net/

Was worth it for the experience and knowledge alone.

The wheels were just over £300 + tyres and tubes. Very impressed given what is available at that price from online factory builds.

twotyred

Nice too, What do you think of it as a bike? Loving mine . oh and my wife likes your garage door(typical woman)

Hi Deek. Liking it. Decently light, compliant comfortable ride without being "dead" and losing responsiveness to power inputs, looks the part. Better than the Bianchi Infinito and Scott Addict I tested at the same time. Geometry like a proper race bike rather than a more upright sportive bike. My first ride on it was a 107 mile sportive which I finished feeling fresher than usual.

Only issue I have with mine is a creak I sometimes get from what sounds like the BB area when pressing heavily on the pedals going up hill. If I can get that sorted out the bike will be perfect.

PS Tell your misses I think the garage door is a Hormann

deekreid

hi twotyred

mmmm you got me wondering now, I also have the exact same noise coming from bike when applying weight to the cranks. noticed it yesterday but not enough to have got me worried up until your post, Maybe pop it in to lbs tomorrow see what they say . Will keep you posted

P,S dont think i,ll tell her about the garage door , more money for the bikes that way .

bulkydaddy

Lovely looking bikes!

I had a similar creak on my Wilier. Bugged me for days, stripped everything down. Turned out to be the rear q/r skewer not being tight enough.

Hope this helps.

twotyred

Hi Deek. I've greased and tightened the seatpost, lubed and tightened the seat clamp, made sure the chain ring bolts are tight, taken out the BB and put thread seal tape on the threads and done the same to the pedals. These noises can come from some strange sources like bulkydaddy found. I'll be interested to see what your bike shop say.

adukeofkent

I really like this bike and would have saved for it if I hadn't bought myself some Mavic ksyrium Elite SL's. I think they look goog and are well specced for price. I'm a little envious

bikestewy

Very nice bikes! Good choice on the reynolds wheels too!
www.kuota.it

amnesia

Gorgeous !

Tempted by the Kebel at my local LBS...

deekreid

My original preference was for the kebel to be honest ,but one i,d ridden the kharma i much preferred that . Plus got the kharma with the reynols assaults for same price as the kebel at the time so thats what swung it for me. Good choice though if your looking at the kebel

twotyred

Hi Deek. Thought you might like to know I took the Kharma out last week and the creak had gone.

deekreid

cheers, Had mine out today still had creak but not as bad , Will keep my eye on it, will check all things you mentioned, Whilst i,m on does anyone know where i could purchase the white kuota aero seatpost? I have the black but seen the white on another kharma and thing it looks the part . Just boys and there toys as my wife said .

twotyred

Whilst i,m on does anyone know where i could purchase the white kuota aero seatpost?

I'm almost as big a bike tart as you are I think. Recently paid more for a black, white and silver Garmin Edge 500 because it matched the bike better than the standard blue one

I wonder if Kuota do black and white jerseys.........

lucan

Only if you'd buy the stuff from China. Search "Kuota" on ebay. The thing that put me off is the ProCycling logo on the front. They've managed to spell it 'ProCycing'

Lempod

Hi! Love the bike. Got a 2010 one myself and yep it has also been creaking!!! I've only been out on it about four times (creaking started on fourth ride) because of the weather so reckon it will be fine after it's first service and everything gets tightened up! Still loving it though!! A big step from my old Giant scr 3!!

kingrollo

I have a 2009 Kharma - although its a great bike I can't agree with some of whats posted here:-

IMO - this is definitely a sportive bike - with quite a relaxed geometry - compared to full on race bikes - previous bike was a Pinarello - and the Kuota is signficantly more upright - and lacks the explosive acceleration of that.

If any of you are riding this without decent race tyres you really are missing out. I put pro races 3's on mine - and what a difference - it transforms the bike. Not the tyre for this time of year - but come April the PR3 will be back on.

The big plus of this bike is how it looks - and how comfy it is. It looks mean enough to be a racer - buts its comfy enough for a 47 year old geezer with a dodgy back !

bexley5200

*****************WOW************************************************************************************************************WOW************************************************************************************************************DOUBLE WOW***********************************************************

deekreid

glasgowbhoy, Couldn,t agree more with you regarding the san marco saddle , after a few rides im feeling the pain in the rear end , Feel like ive done the rounds with colin and justin when i get off, Another purchase required i think(thats really going to please the wife lol .

twotyred

I must have a San Marco shaped bum as I find it really comfy

glasgowbhoy

Fizik Arione CX seems to work for my boney ass. Worth buying something 2nd hand on Ebay. I got mine for £60.