Well, after 25 years I finally broke down and bought a new bike. Several months of shopping and I got what I thought was the best deal....a Dark Blue Kestrel Talon.....$1599 delivered. The FSA Gossamer crank was a compromise but I fugure I can upgrade later. I just don't do retail anymore....the local bike GURU acted like he didn't need my business and the Trek dealer was so trendy and pushy it turned me off...I can do this myself....kind of...
This thing is beautiful!!! Wonderful functional TECHNOLOGY!! I will be knocking off record centuries in no time. And I'm in a hurry to get riding! Putting the bike together was no problem but setting it up and DIALING it in was another story. Is work involved here?.....patience? I hope not. After several days of making hasty and random adjustments to every screw, nut, cable and bolt on the bike I REALLY had it messed up! Nothing worked...nothing. Could I have done this?....NO WAY! The bike began to take on a completely different persona..the technology was OLD....the bike was UGLY! I should have bought the TREK! There is NO WAY this Kestrel could work....it's a BAD DESIGN!!! Maybe I should give up biking and Lay Down?
Hold It! How about going back to the website and checking all of that advice so freely given? Could doing it right step by step actually work? How about Shifty Brown and Park Tool....how about the combined experience of Cycling Forums....this is going to take some humility....but trial and error is very painful.
OK...zero it out and start over...just like they say to do it! Stop screws and indexing....Oh that's what that stuff is for...it makes it work...that is really slick...this is neat...BOY THAT WORKS WELL!!! What a gorgeous bike...can't wait to get out there....and work off some of this HUMBLE PIE!!!!!
Thanks for the help all...great traveling