The Empella is done(ish)!

(ish) because let's face it, a bike is rarely "done." There's always something extra to add, or some little bit to swap out. Just this weekend I traded out a QR rear wheel on my Salsa Casserole in favor of a bolt-on wheel. With stainless steel horizontal dropouts, the Casserole is not ideally equipped with gears, a derailleur and a regular quick-release rear wheel. In fact, the folks at Salsa recommend that one use a "old-style" steel QR lever so as to provide a more secure wheel attachment. Having blown apart a BOB quick-release employed in just such a act, I decided enough was enough and tore apart a Tiagra 9-spd hub replacing the axle with a solid one. Now, bolted down, let's see that rear wheel try and slip under pedal load.

Now, after sufficiently distracting myself with that tangent, I present to you a few photos of the completed(ish) Empella -- ready for racing!