Editors Note: This report was filed by Captain Bob, who is testing the Soul Cycles Dillinger for Twenty Nine Inches.

It’s been about a month and a half since we installed the BBB components and San Marco Caymano saddle onto the Soul Cycles Dillinger frame. We have logged a few miles now and wanted to report back.

First off is the UltraForce Stem and the Skybar riser handle bar. The appearance of the combo still satisfies me. I like the smooth lines of the stem and the discrete logos. The stiffness of this pair still impresses me. They help keep the bike tracking straight. Still no problems and the finish is still like new even after a few run-ins with some sticks and other hazards of the trail. I have moved the brake levers a couple times and the black anodizing has not rubbed off. None of those silver marks yet. No creaking noises from the stem either, which makes me happy.

The Aluscraper 400mm seatpost is trucking along just as it should. Never had to adjust it since installing the saddle. No creaking noises here either. On one ride with my buddies we had three different people riding the Dillinger which required three different saddle heights. I thought for sure with all that sliding that some marks would appear on the post, but to my surprise the anodizing is still nice and black. I am a little picky when it comes to anodized parts. I like a good tough ano and the BBB parts seem to be of good quality anodizing. And I must say it again, this post is stiff and makes me think it will withstand some abuse.

Even the TurnAround head set is still spinning like new. I have logged quite a few single track miles and many more gravel road miles with it and it spins freely. Any dust that may have entered the headset has not contaminated the bearings at all. I hate to admit it, but I did ride the bike on some pretty muddy trails one day, and that didn’t contaminate the bearings either. Must have a pretty good seal. It is still holding tight and looks like new. I have wondered why they chose to put the “www” logo on there. It doesn’t bother me but it did make me wonder.

This nice little chainring is holding up very well. BBB calls it the “RoundAbout” chain ring. We have the 34 tooth size. I am not sure, but I would guess to have about 250-300 miles on it, and it really looks like a new chainring. Still true after a few log smashes too. If you remember from our “First Impressions” post, we reported that the chainring has a few smooth ramps that are barely noticable so it looks good as a single speed or a 1x something chainring.

The kind folks at Bike Mine who distribute San Marco products were also nice enough to send us the San Marco Caymano saddle. My first immpressions of the saddle were pretty high. After logging the miles we have on the saddle I have to say that my impression have only changed a little bit. The cover of the saddle is starting to show some wear. Not much but some. Mostly on the edges where my thighs rub and some on the nose of the saddle where the pieces of the cover are sewn together. It is just starting to wear little, almost suede looking marks. Nothing too bad right now, but we will be keeping an eye on it. It’s a bit of a concern since I consider the saddle to still be new. On the comfort part of the saddle for me is still just about perfect. I still go on rides and am pretty much numb free for most of the ride. However, when I start getting a little rowdy in the single track I have noticed more that I have to be extra careful when landing back on the saddle. The nose is pretty pointy and almost sharp. I have also received some pretty nasty bruises under my groin in the inner thigh area. This was from the widest part of the saddle. When I hang off the back of the saddle while riding in the technical stuff I have been poked or scraped by the sharp sides of the saddle. Hurts for a bit and leaves a mark but nothing too serious. It does make me appreciate my old San Marco M saddle a little more when this happens. But, I would take a bruise every now and then to obtain the comfort of not having numbness that I achieve with the Caymano. I plan to slap the saddle onto my newly aquired vintage Tomassini to see how it works for a nice long road ride. I think this is where I will see this saddle shine.

We’ll be back in a few weeks with a final rundown on all the BBB Components we are running. Stay tuned.