With 500 miles, this bike is running smoothly and without problems. My favorite bike trail was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Fort Hancock (Sandy Hock, NJ) had a great paved trail along the ocean. Its now covered by sand. I hope it can be in riding condition for the spring. Can't wait to ride this bike again at the ocean.

Fresh out of the box the bike needed adjusting after opting on the genius build. rear derailleur was actually hitting the rim when you spun the wheel also the rear wheel was out of true pretty bad, and the bars are taped pretty poorly. All of these are minor fixes especially since the white tape will get so filthy soon that it will need to be replaced with black. after getting all that taken care of aside from the tape. this bike has performed greatly.
I have gotten many compliments on this bike. it climbs like a beast and is super lite and controls very well. i am very glad i opted on this bike with all of the sram components instead of equally priced bikes from other shops with minimal components and seemed to be a step down from the tommaso. the colors are super bright and pretty much glow.
All in all I def recommend this bike. cant beat it for the money. unless you wanna pay for a name brand bike with downgraded components! just make sure you go over it with a fine tooth comb after the genius build. although another bike i purchased with the genius build was put together perfectly, so maybe someone's day was a little off. no major problem though.

Recieved my Velocita in July 2012. I enjoy this bicycle more and more each time I ride it. The left hand Sram shift was a little stiff at first but works well now. I have had two front tire flats but they were road related problems. Replaced tubes with Slime inner tubes and have not had another flat. The down side of the Slime tube is they produce road noise to an otherwise quite bicycle. With this bike I average 2 MPH faster than on my older Trek bike.

I've had my new Velocita about a month now. It's so hot in Kansas City that I've only put about 100 miles on the bike, but each time I ride I like it better. This bike replaces a 21-year old Trek 1200 with shifters on the downtube, so you'll understand why I'm so enthusiastic about the SRAM Force and Rival components. The bike has been smooth with flawless shifting.
I bought the Genius Build which means I should have been able to assemble it in 10 minutes. I think a trained bike mechanic could do it in 10 minutes with ease, but I'm such a clutz that it took me 2 hours before I was comfortable taking in outside on the street. I was so afraid of doing something wrong or breaking something. After about 50 miles I took the bike to a hot-shot mechanic in KC and he made it hum for only $39. I don't think he had to do much because the Genius Build was quite good. He just went over it with a fine-toothed comb and made sure everything was perfect.
I've got about 100 miles on the bike now and it's a dream. Looks good, rides good, heck, even the saddle is comfortable - I wasn't expecting that. Shifting is quick and crisp. I swear it's at least one-half to one mile per hour faster than my old bike. to elaborate on the ride, it's a smoother ride than my old Trek which had an aluminum frame but probably not as high quality as the Velocita frame. I'm giving this bike 5 stars because how can you beat it for the money? A similar Trek would run me close to $2,000 if not more.
I'm 60 years old, have been cycling since I was 38, and I ride 500-1,000 miles per year. I average 15-17 mph on my fitness rides (riding alone). My normal route has rolling hills, a few short, steep climbs, and a few too many stop signs.

Quick background: I've been riding a Giant OCR1 for the past two years. Great bike, Ultegra components, perfect setup, etc...

Anyway, onto the Velocita:

It arrived yesterday. I opted for the Genius Build — which I somewhat regret. It was easy to setup, but the brakes needed some serious adjusting and the rear tire was somewhat out of true. No big deal. After about 20-30mins of setup, which included adjusting the handle bars, putting on the front wheel, adjusting seat height, messing with the brakes, putting on clipless pedals, etc. it was time to ride! Bike feels very solid, the SRAM components took some getting used to (especially coming from Ultegra). Also noticed a few "odd noises" here and there. First hill felt incredibly easy, the bike was responsive and nimble.

Overall: It's early in the game, but it's a solid ride thus far... 8 out of 10... Will post an update soon.

I broke down this review into 3 parts.
1- The bike itself
2- Pre-delivery confirmation & Order/shipping
3- Post-delivery and setup
This is my 1st Roadbike. Coming from Mtn. Biking, it's quite a different experience. So I can't really compare it to other bikes. I went ultimately with this one over the volo because I figured I wouldn't know what the road feels like, so I wouldn't know what the benefits of a carbon frame would be.

Glad I made this choice.I went with Genius Build. The Bike itself gets a 5. Beautiful. Just friggin' amazing for eye candy. The first day I took her out for a ride, I got a couple of compliments. From people who were on $4000 bikes.
I was worried only 2 front gears would hurt on the hills because I'm used to riding 30 speeds. But reading about the double compact, I figured this would be the best shot. This bike can charge up hills. It's very light. Maybe less than 20lbs. I am VERY glad it had SRAM components. I LOVE SRAM. Had the aggraziato come with the Force or Rival setup combo, I would have gotten that.

I have since added a Wahoo Fit Package cadence/speed wireless sensor for iPhone, and I gave the stock tires to my cousin, and I threw on Continental GatorSkins.

Looking at the website picture, the product looks cool, but being a dude, you wonder if it looks too feminine with the red. I took the risk, and it just looks really hot. I haven't seen other Tommasos on the road yet. Most everyone here in MB looks like they ride Trek, Specialized, or Fuji. so I guess for now, I will enjoy standing out and standing alone :D

A week into riding, I just love the fact that I am now one of those guys who can fly by other bikers instead of being the one passed constantly on my Mtn Bike. This bike is light, fast, beautiful, and powerful.

2. If you only want to read about the bike, stop reading now. The rest is about the shipping/delivery process.
Now for the process from ordering to deliver.
3 star. (I only marked 5 for the bike, but I feel everyone should know the shipping story)

1- When a product is assigned an expected delivery date, you have 2 choices. 1... deliver it on that date. or 2... WARN the person well in advance that it won't be there that date, and set a proper expectation. That's it. You let them know, and it's all good. I had to get it shipped to my parent's house. Long story short, my dad could have made other plans for work etc. instead of waiting around all day for it on the 3rd. Had he known 2-3 days before, he could have made plans for July 4th and left town. I didn't get a phone call until the day before July 4th that I wouldn't get it until the following Tues. The phone rep was nice, and I didn't give them a hard time or ask why it didn't ship. Working in customer service myself though, I could see really angry customers screaming and demanding things for an expectation not being met because it was set improperly. But I do want Giantnerd to understand that if you can't ship it by a certain date, don't submit that process for pickup. I used 3 of my lunch breaks calling FedEX and holding on line to talk to Giant nerd the days trying to find out what the status of my package was. It was disappointing to call FedEX 2 days into the process only to find out a pickup call was never initiated.

Now for the delivery. Finally got the bike the following week.
The box looked like it had gone through war. So naturally, you think the worst. The box wasn't even the nice cool looking box you see on the website here. It was a soggy, beat up, generic box and one side of it was opened up. The staples busted out and it wasn't even taped. So now I'm thinking... great. Something probably fell out during transit. All parts were there though in 1 piece and un-damaged.

Put the handle bars on, the front wheel, put some air in, loaded up my bindings, and the relationship between me and the bike was made. The box came with the needed allen wrenches. Something didn't feel right in the shifting though. Everyone I know who bikes, told me that it just needs to be broken in. After three 8 mile rides, I wound up taking it to a LBS, and they adjusted both the front and read derailleurs for $10.00 I Guess there was some stuff that was really off. Once they fixed it, I haven't had a problem since, and have been in Cloud nine for the last 2 weeks.

I recommend this bike to anyone.
I leave the genius build up to you to order. I suggest it, but be prepared for a possibility of minor adjustments that need to be followed up with.
I will buy from GiantNerd again.
Phone rep was nice over the phone and helped out. But, it was a call that could have been made MUCH earlier in the week.
Only ask to consider this feedback though... set a proper expectation, especially for delivery date. Everyone knows that when you wait, time slows downs by 90% and everything feels like forever. Then when you wait that long, and it's not coming, it doesn't settle well, then all the negative comments start to arise and all the sudden you have a bandwagon of negative people in the same category.

So If I could rate the service... 3.5-4 stars.
Other than that, yes, I'd say I'm a going to keep ordering from GN and I recommend this bike to all.

Great bike for the money I've been ridding this bike since Nov. 11 put around 700 mile's I plan on upgrading frame, cranks, rims/hubs/spokes in the future. its pretty much a the best bike to start with for the money. the Groupo will easily fit a new frame when ready.

Pros:
ready to ride if you choose nerd build
Other riders notice the good componant's and say WOW for How much?
Ride's Smooth, Shifts Smooth, turns crisp.
Pedal's with ease
I love and look forward to riding and cleaning my bike. i've got bitten with the bud.

Cons:

Cheap Bar tape, I upgraded to SRAM red Bar Tape for comfort
Cheap Inner rim liners, I've had more then 6 tubes go bad in 1 Week! because the spoke holes where slicing my tubes, turned out the tire liners where shifting around, i have since became a pro at changing tubes.

Complaints:

My rear triangular hanger was a little off, rear tire does not sit completely flush/level, hard to notice i didnt make a fuss i just want to ride.

I had extra spoke nipples clanging around within the rear rim, some of those must have been dropped in by accident during rim construction, I found them when I changed the cheap rim liner out for a better one.

Missing middle crank bolt either from factory or fell off during a ride (LBS say's that's impossible btw, so It must have been missing int he first place.)

I noticed the when pedaling the creaking coming from the crank, it has since stopped after finding a replacement center crank-bolt from LBS.

Conclusion,

Don't let this review sway you from getting this bike, I would buy it again in a heart beat. the only reason I'm adding complaints/ cons is to inform anyone else who might have any issues and what to look for, I am not a season professional and just started riding in November 2011.

I waited and researched a long time and have nothing but great things to say about my Velocita. I upgraded to Bontrager tires and that made it durable and comfortable for a 6'1 , 250 lb guy to ride 80 to 120 miles per week. I get nothing but compliments on the bike and it is so smooth and agile. Great investment and best bike for the Money on the road! Tommasso for LIFE! Taking on the MS150 next week.

This bike has been a dream. I even had the a bad air pump that was only filling my tires to half pressure and this bike still rode like a dream. I've got a new pump now tires to full pressure and this bike flies! I hadn't even rode a bike with SRAM components before and I can safely say I'll never own any but SRAM. Buy this bike!

Just went on my first ride! The OBE (out of box experience) was great. Just adjusted the handlebars, put in the seatpost, and mounted the front wheel. Took it for a 25 mile ride on Friday (March 2nd, Buffalo, 50 degrees!) Great shifting, smooth braking, luxurious ride. Really enjoyed the upgrade from my mid 70's vintage Time Trial frame, and the modern shifting.

At first, I didn't know how to upshift. Push in gently to downshift, and push in far to upshift. It took me about 1/4 mile to figure it out.

The wheels have a machined braking surface that makes for very secure and smooth braking.

So far so good (and the value can't be beat!). I'll check in again in 1000 miles.

I got this bike last summer when I first started training. At first I rode only around 50-70 miles a week. During my time on the flat smooth roads in northern Indiana I had no problems at all with the bike. When I went back to school in the fall I began riding more often on a lot more hills and much rougher roads. For the most part the bike has held up great. My only complaint on this bike was the wheel set. After I started training more (riding150-200 miles per week) the wheels simply could not support me. I am a large guy so these wheels just didn't cut it for me and I decided to upgrade to a set of Rols which I love. The addition of a better wheelset really turned this into a great bike. I train on a team and everyone spent a lot more on their bikes buying fuji's and other bikes of similar weights but I got much better components for my money. Overall I would say this bike is a great value.

I received my Velocita in early November 2011 and am closing in on the first 1000 miles. I had the Velocita assembled with the Giantnerd Genius Build option and, therefore, the only thing I had to do was mount the front wheel, adjust the handlebars, and mount the seat...something that took me all of 20 minutes to do. In any case, this Velocita is still impressing me with the way it rides, how quick this bike can be, and how well it handles windy biking days because it is lightweight. As I'm closing in on my 1000 miles ( I have over 800 miles on it currently), I have had absolutely no adjustments to make yet. The SRAM Force deraillers and shifters are working accurately...in fact, now that the bike is worn in, I find the shifting of gears even smoother than when I first rode the bike. The Hutchison Equinox tires are holding up very well (this is the first bike I've had equipped with those tires. My previous experience with road bike tires was with Continental Ultra Sport tires). I can now say I got my money's worth and more in choosing the Tommaso Velocita with SRAM Force components. It's a great bike!!!

I've had my Velocita for about 3 months and I could not be happier. The wheelset is super smooth and tires are great even at speeds up 50 MPH. I got my bike with the genius build and still haven't had to do any tuning of my own. DO NOT buy this bike with out the genius build. SRAM Force components are great! I was only familiar with Shimano Components and I love the quickness of the shifts and not to mention I save around a pound the off the weight of the bike compared to Ultegra.

I went with this bike after researching for about 8 months and after many trips to LBS's. There is just nothing better out there for the money.

I am so happy with this bike! Hope to get the Tommaso Team Kit next. Everyone should have a Tommaso!

I just received my velocita and love it. After much research I decided this deal was the best bang for the buck. I went with the genius build and everything works and looks great. Overall I am very happy with the bike and shopping experience with

After reading all the reviews and comparing prices online, I decided to go with the Tommaso Velocita from Giantnerd with GeniusBuild. Ordered on December 28th and the bike arrived on January 4th. Arrived too early; I did not have time to gently tell my wife I bought a new bike. Anyway, it arrived today and in minutes I had the front wheel and seat on and the handlebars properly adjusted.

A few minutes later my new Shimano shoes were ready to connect to my pedals. Now I just need to build up the courage to ride with my feet connected. I have ridden all my life with regular pedals, so this is a big step. One thing for sure, this has been the most surprising experience; from the price, to the quality of the set-up and of the bike. Stay tuned for my first sojourn to the road. All new experience with a bike that weighs less than my laptop and with shoes and pedals that work as one. I will keep you posted.

A very big Thank you to Chris for the assembly and to Giantnerd for the tech support during the purchase as well as for the product and price. Chuck

First of all I reviewed alot of different bikes from Fuji, Giant, Specialized, Litespeed and other off-brand bikes and with the help of my brother , we felt very confident in choosing the Velocita. Boy was this a great choice! I was really pleased with the Sram Force components and Gossamer Crank setup out of the box, because I was looking for high end components without the large price tag. I ordered the bike the week of Christmas and received it on Christmas Eve w/ the genius build! Way to go Tanner and the Crew! It was shipped in a nice carton that is definately reusable. Very beautiful and nicely built bike that had me very excited to ride after opening it up. Very simple to assemble as descibed in genuis build. I would recommend setting bike up on a bike stand with an experienced rider and check wheels, brake adjustment, gear shifting, seat height, handlebar set up. I did those and the only adjustment needed was slight tweaking of front brake and setting the seat height and feel. Very pleased with the genius build and the price, it was excellent. I have ridden twice, because i had to wait on the pedals to arrive. All I can say is WOW! I didn't think riding could be anymore fun! Man you can fly on this bike and the power transfer is smooth and crisp! The Sram force gears click in very quickly while being quiet. Rode past a hoard of cyclists and got several big smiles and waves. Can't wait to keep riding and get better and faster!

It's been five months and more than 1000 miles since i've gotten this bike. I still can't get over how light and fast it feels. Especially out of the saddle. The shifting is still doing really well after the initial adjustments and the wheels are staying remarkably true despite having some slight wobbles out of the box. (I haven't actually trued them yet.)

Of course there have been some needed adjustments and hiccups. Having ridden steel all my life, i'm still getting used to the sometimes jarring bumps that the aluminum frame doesn't absorb, it's especially the case on bumpy corners when the rear wheel doesn't track very well. That is likely the case with all such alu frames though i don't have a good sample to say. The bike's already broken a front spoke (on a 45 mph descent!) and it's gotten twice as many flats as i used so get (4 or 5, i lost count). I am finally upgrading three pieces that will give me some piece of mind: tougher tires, a carbon seat post and a 42 cm handlebar (the 56cm came with a 44c). Some might say, "i got what i paid for," but i think i still got MORE than i paid for.

Hi,

Received:

I just received my Velocita via fed-ex, a complete 8 Day's early. I will be taking it to my LBS for assembly I did not order Pro-Build.

Updates Soon.

I Love it!!!! I got this bike in May/June and have ~500 miles on it. It rides nice and the gearing is smooth. I had a little problem with the Genius Build but after contacting customer service, it was all fixed. Customer service was very helpful and I couldn't ahve been happier about how they handled my problem. The packing/shipping of the bike was great. Even the Fed Ex driver complimented the shipping box and how nicely the bike was packaged. Great Product!!!

Since getting my new Tommaso Velocita Force a couple of weeks ago, I have already accumulated over 200 miles on this wonderful bike. So far, the Genius Build assembly has been excellent. The gears and deraillers switch over very smoothly and everything is sound and tight...I have already checked various bike parts for tightness and everything is excellent. As far as the speed I get from this bike, I am impressed at how easily I can gain speed even against the wind. In short, currently I'm very happy with my purchase.

I received my Tommaso velocita after only 4 working days... Tracking was easy through fedex.
Communication through the entire transaction was above average, very good... Kudos Giantnerd.com
Geniusbuild is just that, open the box, put on the seat and front wheel, rotate the handlebars around, DONE! 10 minutes max..
Now for the details... Tanner did an expert job assembling, drive train and cabling very very good...
Wheel trueness, another story... A short email to the giantnerd service and within 30 minutes, I had my solution. These folks at giantnerd refunded that genius build to cover the cost of a trip to the LBS and a wheel true job on both...
WAY TO GO GIANTNERD, I am sharing where, what etc with my group and will be sending more folks to shop @ giantnerd...
See you on the road... o.O

I received my bike (Genuis Build) on November 8, 2011...exactly 5 working days after the order. As a result, I am very pleased with the delivery. Amazingly, once I got the bike out of the packaging, there were no missing parts and I had the bike ready to run in about 15 minutes...installing the front wheel, installing the seat, adjusting the seat and handlebars was very easy. I checked for tightness of every screw and bolt before I rode it, and so far, everything is sound! I have already ridden the bike 25 miles since getting that bike yesterday and, of course, of this distance I made few minor adjustments to the seat position and handlebar level. Everything else was great and this bike is fast. My old road bike is a french Peugeot, 10-speed 1970's model and it was a great bike, but getting old. The Velocita is more than half the weight, and the speeds are so easily changed through the brake shifters, which work great. I don't know what the next several hundred miles will do, but if anywhere close to the wonderful experience I enjoyed in the first 25 miles with my Velocita Force, I will be extremely happy. So far, it's a great bike for the price and Genius Build did a great job of pre-assembling the bike.

Update to my initial review after about 2 and a half months and roughly 300 miles give or take a few miles. Sadly downgraded from a 5 star to a 4 star [would rate 3.5 stars if I could]

So far the bike seems to be holding up okay. No problems with any of the SRAM components; no mis-shifts, no over or undershooting when changing, etc. I did, however, have problems in the first few days of ownership because the left shifter for the front derailleur felt rather stuck, but for some reason, loosened up and began operating normally after a few days. [At first, the left shifter had so much resistance that it felt like the shift lever would snap right off, but when I called in, was told that it was normal, though what it feels like NOW, feels normal to me... not what how it was in the beginning]

PROS:
-Bike still looks good
-I get compliments
-SRAM components work great

CONS: [Issues that have caused much worrying prior to having pinpointed them as a result of several hours of riding and listening carefully]
-After the first month, I began hearing immense "clicking" around the headset area, and was worried something might have broken within, but found out later [myself from thorough checking] that it was due to the spacers and from me having flipped the stem to the low riding position. I'm assuming it's poor quality of spacers and/or maybe even poor stem build quality because in the "LOW" position, the stem isn't flush with or without the spacers in, and leaves about a 1mm or so gap from the headset cap, which was causing the "clicking" when I had my hands with any amount of weight/pressure on the bar. I have since flipped the stem back to the higher position, but even in the raised position, there's still a gap, though not as much as the flip side, and causes clicking occasionally when I'm riding unseated with more weight on the bars.

- After the above "clicking" problem due to the stem and spacers was, for the most part, remedied, I started hearing another louder "clicking" noise, and this time I really thought that something was wrong with the headset and had a friend ride my bike, while I followed behind riding his bike. While following, I noticed that the rather loud "clicking" was coming from the back of the bike [which I hadn't noticed before], and saw that it went away when I asked my friend to ride unseated, and came back when he sat back down. I thought it was because the seatpost nut wasn't tight enough but even after tightening slightly more to assure it was secure, the clicking hasn't gone away completely, though still.. not as bad as before. I assume it may be because it wasn't greased enough from the Genius Build, or there may be far too big a difference in size between the seatpost and the dimensions of the frame within causing the seatpost to move around far too much from the weight of my body [165lbs].

Hopefully, the clicking isn't caused by a crack in the frame or anything severe, and hopefully the clicking will go away once I get some lube for the seatpost and re-install the seatpost, because at this point.. the clicking can still be heard even from the front of the bike from it reverberating through the frame.

This is my first new bike experience so I'm unsure how long you're supposed to be able to go before having to get a bike inspected and tuned up, but I'll definitely need to take the bike in to my LBS just to make sure nothing else is wrong or loose, even though I had purchased the Genius Build for the bike.

I purchased My Sram Velocita Bike in the first part of July 2011 and was pleased when i recieved the bike 5 days later. I had spent the extra mony to get the GENIUS BUILD so i would not void the warranty and that i would have the peice of mind knowing the bike was ready to ride. 1 Month later I've had to spend money to get the bike tuned up since most of the Sram parts were loose and causing the bike to mis-shift. Took it to my local REI and the told me the rear derailer was bent and the rear tire was noticeably out of true out of the box, and the front wheel just slightly. the rest of the bike works fine for now. to me the Genius Build was a waste of money.

So this my first road bike , with just a beat up mtn bike i used for years.
I went around and rode different name brand bikes up to 4k
and with the higher end models i did notice the difference but also the price.
so I decided to go with the Velocita. I purchased it to do a sprint tri and also just to
learn to ride. I purchased the genius build but after the 1st couple of rides things became loose quickly.
i do not recommend. shipping was a little slow. but the the bike arrived in tack and and in that huge box which gave me confidence that nothing was damaged.Since receiving I ride at least 3 times a week and am now going for a olympic tri and am satisfied with this bike.

I've read a lot of reviews (here and elsewhere) about GiantNerd customer service taking good care of issues that come up and my situation is a case in point. They sent a new chain hanger which did the trick and are also swapping my cassette and refunding my Genius Build costs after my hassles with the shipping damage and Genius Build (see below). In fact, they offered to send me a whole new bike already built up if the hanger replacement didn't do the trick - minus the Genius Build cost for my trouble. Luckily, i don't think i have to box this one up and send it back. I really like that they have been forthright and honest about how their system works and take responsibility for mistakes on their end. What it means in the end is: i have a bike that runs better and is a better value than if i'd just been left to figure it all out and fix it on my own.

I've ridden 120 miles on this Velocita now and done some hard stomping with stiff, responsive results. The SRAM Force derailleur and shifters were fairly easy to reset and that's from someone whose never worked with brake shifters before. The component set is really a sound package apart from the tires although sure, it's not all top end - it's still light and seemingly solid stuff and gets the bike's weight to a very respectable weight well under 20. The carbon fork is a beaut and absorbs shock definitely better than my old steel fork/frame, though the Velocita frame does transmit more road shock... 85% of the difference is still in how you ride (if you lock your arms/shoulders/back and have a stiff upper body, you take all the vibrations). After inspecting the bike closely over the past weeks, i also found a sloppy spot on one of the bottom bracket welds (a little extra material, not compromising cracks or anything). But for the price, the service and for what i'm getting with it, i really like this bike! I give it 5 stars to counter-weight my 3 star rating last week!

I got this bike a week ago, with after much deliberation, the Genius Build. I like the bike overall and was impressed with the speed that it arrived (four days to PA using free shipping!). Alas, i was disappointed on a number of fronts, especially the build. I should add, i have a fair amount of cycling experience (60K miles), 5 years of racing and working on my own bikes all that time. But this is my first SRAM (or STI) bike with integrated shifters/brakes, so i expected the Genius Build would save me a lot of hassle. Worst of all, the chain hangar was apparently damaged in shipping and i shifted it into the rear spokes on my first spin around the parking lot. I chatted with a BikeNerd guy (Michael) the next day who sounded like it's something they've dealt with before, but then it took a few days for to ship the replacement which i'm now waiting for. Meanwhile, trying to bend the hanger back temporarily (as per recommendation), i've not been able to get it to align low enough on the cog, leading me to believe that the entire dropout was bent (which it appears to be). THEN on the "Genius Build" in particular: 1.) the rear wheel was noticeably out of true out of the box, and the front wheel just slightly, 2.) the rear hub is tightened way too hard against the bearings, producing excessive resistance and wear - this makes me wonder who these Geniuses are; 3.) the cassette was 11-26 not 12-26 as advertised. Oops! Most folks wouldn't notice, but i could definitely use the 50x16 on flats and slight grades; 4.) the handlebar wrap seemed incomplete, as if they assumed i was going to put some clip-on aero bars on the bike (a minor thing really though). You can guess that i'm a little annoyed to have correct errors and wait for replacement parts for which i paid $80 specifically to avoid.

Overall, i do like the bike itself. It's strong, agile and responsive. I was worried about excessive road vibration after riding steel for 20 years, but it wasn't an issue over the first 35 miles at least. Unlike most posters, i even found the saddle to be a half-decent stock saddle considering the beating it got on reviews.

But a few other aspects of the bike were disappointing: 1.) the front fork dropouts have annoying "safety" tabs to keep me from riding off with an unattached wheel; would i spend a thousand bucks to be treated like an idiot? 2.) the Hutchinson slick tires are the most chinsy tires i can remember riding, but i'd hate to add them to the landfill without getting some miles on them; 3.) based on the wheels being out of true from the start, i'd guess that they will not be the most durable but time will tell. As far as preferences go, i would've preferred a 42cm handlebar and 110mm stem for my 5/10" body size, and i found the handlebar itself both too skinny and with little drop. I also found it odd how few upgrade items were either reasonably priced or in-stock at GiantNerd, making it hard to use my Nerd Dollars.

Overall, a good bike but put together a little bit sloppy for my taste - esp. to be paying $1,000 PLUS the disappointing Genius Build.

I just received my Tommaso Velocita Force and I must say it has worked very well overall on my first few rides. The Genius Build was quite good, wheels are true, brakes adjusted properly, rear deraileur works like a charm, the front might need a tiny bit of end adjustment but nothing major. So far I have to agree with people who complained that the brakes seem very weak, I attribute this entirely to break in and expect them to work much better after I put some miles on them. The bike is very fast and efficient, little energy is lost in the compact frame. That being said this bike has an aggressive frame geometry and is a little more race-oriented than I had imagined; the wheelbase is fairly short. The welds and paint look good, I love the style of this bike, it is beautiful. Overall great bike so far I am very satisfied with my purchase and my buying experience with GiantNerd. I would definitely recommend Tommaso and GiantNerd to my friends.

I NOW HAVE OVER 1200 MILES ON MY BIKE. NO MAJOR PROBLEMS STILL VERY HAPPY WITH PURCHASE OF THIS BIKE. THANKS GIANT NERD.

I decided to get a road bike. I have a lot of messenger friends that recommended giantnerd to me. For cost and convenience. So far, those that have recommended my purchase of the Tommaso Velocita - are now jealous of my new ride. lol. I have gotten many compliments on my bike and it's components.

I bought my Tommaso Velocita on Friday 6/24, I received it on Wednesday 6/29. In my opinion, that was fast.

Yes, yes, yes...do the genius build. It definitely helps get you on the road quick. There will be some other necessary fine tuning you will need to do on your own. But the major stuff is done for you - gears, cabling,brakes etc... I have read other reviews mentioning wheel not being trued correctly, as an avid "weekend road warrior" I could not tell. I guess, maybe those other reviews are from those more intense road riders.

I will admit, I was skeptical of giantnerd when I first came across the site. I mean...a road bike, nearly more than half off listed manufacturer retail price. You can't beat it.

My only regret, which the site did mention...make certain you buy your pedals. I forgotten to add that to my original purchase. I had to wait 2 extra days to ride, staring at my ride in my office next to my desk. Just made me more anxious.

An update:

I've now had my Velocita for about 5 months and have probably put 300 miles on it. I am upping my ride time and mileage (started out at 10-20, now up to 50-60) and the bike is still holding up great.

I repeat, the SRAM Force components are pure gold- shifting is so easy. I still get compliments all the time on the bike's sexiness and weight (can lift it so easily which definitely helps with the hill climbs). Some random guy told me he wanted my bike and asked where to get it...I definitely directed him here and told him how much I loved the bike. Maybe he'll see this review. Giantnerd, do I get commission?

On the neutrals and cons I had commented on previously- the saddle is still not great, but it works. The Probuild was okay and now 300 miles later I probably need to get a tune up. Also I had thought that the stock tires were not of high quality (busted one tire) but the remaining stock tire has held up very well.

Overall: The Velocita is currently my favorite toy (sorry skis, sorry backpack). I would not hesitate to buy it again.

Oh, after my last review here I received personal notes from both Giant Nerd and the head product manager of Tommaso! Gotta love the service provided by these great companies.

I was shopping for a bike with the SRAM Force or Rival component group and was floored by the prices of other assembled bikes. Tommaso has put together a great combination of components especially for the price. This set-up has nearly everything I wanted and the striking red and white color scheme helps to. I am satisfied with the quality of the Genius Build. The shifting of the SRAM levers and derailleurs is perfect I can now see why so many pros are riding with SRAM. I loved my first ride on this bike last night and I am looking forward to writing another review after I have put some more miles on it.

This is a follow-up to my initial review when I first got this bike.
So impressed with the value of this bike!

Pros -
-Nice and responsive for those club rides and attacks : )
-Climbs wonderfully and flex much when really pushing it hard.
-I was new to Sram components, but I'm loving them! No maintenance or adjustments needed after initial set-up and I definitely noticing less rattle and NO missed or skipped shifts! This tended to happen with shimano gear on rough roads...

Cons -
Not too much to this point, but here are nit-picking points:
-Saddle fit is highly personal, but I don't care much for this one. Could use a cut-out for pressure points.
-Bars are smaller than all my other road bikes (Trek, Giant, Quintana Roo). Takes some getting used too, but not a deal breaker.
-Carbon seat post would help take the edge off this aluminum frame.

Overall, very impressed with the build and quality of this bike. Would not hesitate to buy again : )

The looks on this bike are great. This is my first bike, so I don't really understand a lot of shifting and all that, but I rode for an hour and a half and it feel great, I think I'm going to upgrade the saddle but lets see how it feels after a few rides, other than that nothing else.

If you ever buy this bike and you are a noob like me, make sure you buy all the extras like, water cages, pedals, gloves, tubes, tools, air pump, CO2 Pumps, that will make your life easier.

I'll get more involved with this topic and give another review later on.

I have been waiting to write this review until my wife got a few miles on the bike. After owning the Velocita for about two weeks and logging about 250 miles, she can't be happier.......neither can I because the price is right! Starting at the front side of the purchase, the shipping was a bit slow, but tolerable. I guess we all get a bit anxious with a new purchase! The pro build was very good. The wheels were true, shifted nicely out of the box. After some adjustment on the seat/seat post and stem she was ready to roll! We have always rode shimano components, but I gotta say she loves the positive engagement of the SRAM. Definitely a high quality component for a bike in this price range. In a nutshell if you are not a "brand" freak, this is a great value bike. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great value in this price range.

I was eye-balling this bike for a good week or two after randomly stumbling onto Giantnerd.com. I was iffy about ordering but with the urgency of needing/wanting a bike for an upcoming ride, I went ahead and pulled the trigger. I called in, and placed my order on Monday 6/6/11, and mentioned to the rep (who I can't remember) told me that he couldn't guarantee that I would get the bike before the ride the coming Sat (6/11/11) because of backed up orders from the Memorial Day/Week sale.

To my wonderful surprise, the guys here at Giantnerd, took my order, and completed the Genius Build and shipped it out THE night of the day I ordered it.

I actually JUST received the bike roughly 2 hours ago through FedEx, box fully intact. [That comes out to only 3.5 days I had to wait from ordering to receipt; mind you I live in Southern Cali] I quickly took the bike out along with all the added papers, certification, tools, etc. and assembled a majority of the bike and gave the whole bike a look over. And I do have to say, so far.. I haven't found any blemishes or anything that might be off. I won't know until I actually get to ride the bike to know for sure, but my first impressions of the bike AND of Giantnerd are A+++!!

I'll make an update to my review once I'm back, hopefully myself and the bike fully in tact, from my 100ish mile ride to San Diego this coming weekend, and will give a better review on the overall feel, ride-ability, etc of the bike.

Thanks Giantnerd for getting my bike to me before the longest single day ride I hopefully will be able to complete this weekend!!

Just got my Velocita with the Genius Build.
Shipped to Ottawa, Canada in 7 working days. Ordered on Tuesday and it arrived next Wednesday, including a long weekend!
Very happy with the Genius Build. After minor tweaking, bike was good to go.

First impressions: This bike looks beautiful!
With that out of the way, I love the Sram shifters. I was hesitant to move from a lot of miles with Shimano but the difference isn't that drastic. Nice shifting action, louder than 105 but more precise shifting.

Will check up after the first few club rides...Stay tuned

This is my second Tommaso bike and I will continue to Buy Tommaso bikes as long as I ride. I've put over a 1000 miles on this bike in 5 winter months. I've done about everything to hurt this bike including running it into my garage when I had it on my roof rack on my car. Its bomb proof!!! Pro built is worth the extra money if you ask me, especially if you have not put a bike together before. The sram force is a super awesome deal on this bike and works well after you get use to the differences from Shimano. This bike climbs well and get up to speed very well. If I could say anything bad about this bike it would be the wheels engage slower but I have a really nice set of carbons so I may just be super spoiled... What other company can you go on Facebook and ask the Project Manager a question and have a answer back with in 24 hours?. TR is a awesome guy and I had over 2 years to get to know him... Awesome Bikes and unbeatable prices!
-TC

I've had my Velocita for about 3 months now and have put approximately 150 miles on it. Nothing major, mostly just 10-30 mile rides on the weekends in SF and the surrounding areas (Marin, Berkeley hills). This was my first road bike purchase and I had been debating for a long time in terms of budget and brand. Prior to finding Giantnerd and Tommaso I had been looking at BikesDirect, but I am so glad I found the Nerdy Tommaso community here with reviews/questions etc (and since I am a nerd myself!).

Pros: (1) SRAM Force components are pure gold- shifting is a breeze and I love the simplicity of the DoubleTap; (2) Extremely lightweight- all my friends are SUPER jealous of how light my bike is (and they have Trek, Novara, Specialized). Sometimes I can't even believe it myself...it is so easy to carry around (e.g. up and down subway escalators/stairs) and this translates into easier hill rides; (3) Sexiness- this bike is damn sexy. Period. I get stare downs all the time (at stoplights etc.) and I am pretty sure they are for the hot red bike and not my spandex. It looks even better in person than online and I have received numerous compliments on it; (4) Value for price- people cannot believe how much I paid for this. I have a friend who competes and she could not believe I got a light SRAM Force equipped bike at this price point; (5) Giantnerd customer service- love this business model, enough said. The Nerd Dollars are amazing; (6) Tommaso Nation- check out their facebook page, they have a very loyal following. (7) Packaging- came in a reusable box and was packed tightly and safely.

Neutrals: (1) Saddle- not the best but not the worst- I generally expect road bike saddles to bring the pain; (2) Pro Build- while I have been generally happy with the money spent on the Pro Build, a few things have not been so great, as others have mentioned...wheels are not quite true and the headset was loose. The rear derailleur seems a little out of whack occasionally as well; (3) FSA crank- again, not the best, but not the worst. Ideally it would have been the SRAM Force crank, but at this price I cannot complain, perhaps I'll upgrade at a later point.

Cons: (1) Stock tires are not high quality- I have busted one tire already (going downhill at a fast pace...yeah, not so good)- so I plan on upgrading my remaining stock tire to a Gatorskin soon; (2) Not very strong braking power- going downhill is a little nerve wracking but maybe that's just me and my newbie fear of going fast. Maybe I need to get them adjusted.

Overall assessment: I would buy this bike again in an instant. I highly recommend it for its components, price, sexiness, and the Giantnerd/Tommaso business model. I have been telling all of my friends about Giantnerd and Tommaso and the value for the money. Keep it up guys!

PS> I'll upload a picture when I get home to my camera.

other than not being able to keep the wheels true and routine cleanings I don't have to mess with this bike at all. still lovin it.

We finally got a ride in today...weather came around. Bikes performed wonderfully. Road 20 miles and experienced no issues. Shifting was smooth and precise. I had read where others were having issues with lack of braking power. Did not see that with our bikes and that includes coming down some very steep hills. Overall I am extremely pleased with the bike. I will probably upgrade the saddle but I can live with it for now. I will eventually upgrade the wheels also but like I said for the money you can't beat this bike.

My bike arrived today and so did my wife's Mondial. I can't believe how quickly they arrived...ordered 5 days ago and they are already here. That's free shipping!!! Well packaged with no issues in transit. Assembled the bikes in about 15 minutes time, each bike. Only problem is with the front reflector nut that is housed in the plastic reflector assembly, it spins and will not tighten. No biggie to me..at this price I can deal with it!!! Pro-build definitely worth the $$$'s. Bikes look wonderful and "feel" top-shelf. Could not ask for a better deal. Have a decent ride scheduled for this weekend so I will update after Saturday. I am totally satisfied, well beyond actually, with my purchase and totally recommend this bike and the Mondial!

So the bike has developed a weird tick near the bottom bracket when pedaling under load (won't tick when in a stand and pedaling with no load)- not sure if its coming from the bottom bracket, a micro-crack in the frame by the bottom bracket clicking, or a pedal click, either way it is a minor annoyance for now and one that I hope doesn't turn into a serious situation (such as a crack in the frame). Outside of the tick, I did have to replace the seat. The saddle that came with the bike either didn't fit me right and was too narrow or didn't have a deep enough cut in it to keep my lower body parts from becoming painful after more than 30 minutes on the bike. Outside of those minor issues, the bike has worked great so far.

Just the component group is worth the dough. Solid frame. Only got a few miles on it before the Chicago winter came, but it felt fast and comfy. I'll write more about it when I can put more miles on it in the spring. Oh yeah, it looks really nice too.

Recieved my bike today. Put it together and took it around the block just before dark. Love the bike, the sram force is great. Can't wait to take it out for a real ride tomorrow. The pro build was great, the only adjustment I had to make was to center the brakes on the wheels. The shifting seems to be in good order. Thanks Giantnerd for a great purchacing experiance.

Well I can honestly say that this is my very first road bike. I got the bike last week, because of some family issues tonight was the first time i rode the bike. YES! I said tonight! It was pitch black on the trail that rides along side the San Diego harbor and beach, but it was worth it. I cant wait to ride during the day when i can actually see instead of freezing in the fog.

The shifting on the bike was very smooth, again this is my first road bike so i guess I guess i dont have much to compare it to. I'll see in the next few days when i go riding with my friends who all have road bikes and before i was huffing away on a mountain bike behind them! I especially liked going up a small hill, even i didn't need to shift to make it easier i did want to use the SRAM gear jumping and it worked like a charm! it instantly jumped 3 gears!

The guy at my local bike shop was amazed at the components i got for the price.

And yes i think this bike is very sexy!!! Bright red! It is just gorgeous! I cant wait to show it off to some friends

Just got my bike in mail. Ordered the 56 cm frame. With no pedals it weighed in at a whopping 18.4 lbs *big grin* Yeah, its no carbon sub-16 lb bike, but I'm impressed and quite pleased to get that weight out of an aluminum frame. The frame looked in good order and the welds seemed pretty smooth. The pro build was adequate, and I haven't noticed any issues with it so far....I plan on keeping an eye on it though since this seems to be a major complaint on any site I've read reviews of this bike on.

The bike was very smooth on the road...i really don't get all the hate on aluminum frames, it really felt no worse to me than a a few carbon frames I tried while shopping around. The shifting is AMAZINGLY smooth!!! Sram really hit the nail on the head with the force group. I have to say it kicked the crap out of the shimano 105 and ultegra that I had tried on other bikes. As with other folks, I experienced a very noticeable lack of braking power with these brakes. Perhaps its because I'm accustomed to hydralic avid Codes on 8" downhill rotors, maybe its because the pads need to wear in some -either way, they really felt like they couldn't stop me very well. The gearing on it feels like a good mix for a variety of terrain (we will see how long this opinion lasts on my first big hill!).

The fit out of the box just felt off. I'm really not sure how to describe it, but it wasn't as comfortable as other bikes I had tried at my LBS. My body felt like it was really just positioned wrong in several ways over the frame. I tried adjusting the seat height and seat forward backwards positioning, but didn't have any luck getting it to feel very good. Trying to sprint or pedal while standing was very difficult compared to other bikes I had tried. I imagine this has something to do with my stem length and handle bars and a few other things. I guess I'm going to have to fork out the cash and have it fit to me by a local shop and hope they don't tell me I bought the wrong frame size for my body.

Not going to give it 5 stars due to the brakes and the fit out of the box (both which i hope can be easily and cheaply remedied), but overall I'm giving it a very solid 4 out of 5. I will post an update after getting the bike fitted and a few hundred miles under it

Forget the local bike shops! No one can come close to the deal you get with this. After 500 miles i still cant believe what a deal it was. i looked for months in LBS around town and for a thousand dollars, you get the most entry level bike components made. a bike with the Velocitas set up would cost at least double elseware. I love it and love riding again because of this bike. the shifting is amazing and the bike handles great. the only issue ive had so far is people questioning the name. Spread the word Tommaso is a hell of a bike and hell of a deal! you wont be disapointed!

Note: this is a first impressions review. I'll do a more in depth review after 500 or so miles.

Wow, just wow. That's about all I can say at this point. The Velocita is really something.

I originally purchased this bike mostly just because of the Force groupset at such a low price (great deal). I wasn't expecting much more than an average, mid-level ride out of the fram but I was proven very wrong. This frame is supple, yet it responds very well to the road. The carbon fork just sucks up road inconsistencies. Climbing, the bike is very responsive. On descents, this bike is monstrous; I fly down hills and carve like you wouldn't believe.

All in all, this bike cannot be beaten for the price My only complaint is that the brakes are a bit light, but I'm sure they'll wear in some more.

This bike is amazing. After 200 miles it still brings a smile to my face. The frame and fork make for a comfortable yet efficient ride. Very responsive with little frame flex. The SRAM components work very well and to have the Force model on a bike in this price range is phenomenal! I find the Tektro brakes powerful and responsive with ease of modulation. I have heard complaints about the pads, but I don't see the problem. No creaking or flex that I can detect in the cranks or bottom bracket no matter how hard I am pushing.

Two thumbs up!!

I have had my Velocita for a few weeks now and like it more every time I ride. Changed the bars to some narrower Salsa Short and Shallow and am much happier. In my earlier review I said that the brake pads were not very good. They have improved, perhaps they just needed to 'break-in'. I will keep them until they are worn out.

The pro-build was good and worth the money.

The bike is very nice and a really good deal. Can't recommend it enough.

I just received my velocita today, and I must say my first impression is very favorable! Honestly, I'd had some pangs of buyer's remorse after I found a handful of very negative reviews about giantnerd and the probuild service. I'm happy to report that my experience has been very different. The bike really was ready to ride right out of the box. All I had to do was put the skewer in the front wheel and snap that puppy on and fiddle with the seatpost and pedals and I was out the door! i am amazed. the wheels apear to be true and the shifting is flawless--at least for a trip around the block. It is beautiful and light as a cough! I love it already.

This bike is a steal at this price. Great components and the ride is just as good. Only downsides are the brakepads, tires, and there was a slight blemish on the top tube where there is some paint scratched off. Overall a great bike, though. I received it and within two days I was out riding in a race. The bike and I survived the race, and it has been working great ever since. I would definitely recommend this bike to anyone looking for good components at a very reasonable price.

The pro assembly was good. Rear shifting was off slightly but that is an easy fix. They even installed my cyclometer for me. The bike rides beautifully. Handling is quick w/o being unstable and the components are awesome. With one exception. The brake pads SUCK. Pretty normal for Tektro. New set of Koolstops makes all the difference.

I found the stem to be a bit long and I will probably change it out for the 90.

Overall I am very pleased.

my initial bike was slightly damaged in transit the exchange process was quicker and easier than any i've experienced even at local stores thanks to mike at giantnerd i had my replacement within 4 days of shipping off the original. the techs at the local pro shop all agreed that it was a great bike worth much more that the giantnerd price

Received my Tommaso Velocita bike three days ago. The bike is an unbelievable bargain. The frame is light and responsive. Along with the carbon fork, it absorbs road shock for a comfortable ride. The SRAM components are amazing. It arrived in perfect condition with no damage to the paint or components and was easy to assemble.

The "pro assembly" was below par. The derailleurs are not well adjusted and the rear wheel not true. This should have been found and corrected during the assembly and test ride. This would not dissuade from purchasing the bike again, but it does decrease the value a little. I will have to have my local bike shop redo the setup.

So I received this Tommaso Velocita SRAM Force bike two weeks ago and I am BLOW AWAY. I've shopped like crazy at all my LBS and you simply cannot approach the value this bike represents if you buy locally. I am not disappointed with any aspect of the bike - it was pre-built, easy assembly of seat post and front tire. ... Remember though, you need to get your own pedals!