The stunning Ledesma Shiv

Ricardo Ledesma is an architect who loves bikes and that passion and his eye for design shows on the Specialized S-Works Shiv he modified with a variety of custom crafted components. But it is one thing to have a great vision, and quite another to actually put that vision into a real product. Ledesma modified a Bontrager draft box to fit the Shiv and then made a stem and brake cover from aluminum, hi-impact plastic, sand, bond and fill. Then all was painted to match nicely.

This is a Specialized S-Works Shiv Tri in size small, but at first glance it is not so obvious.

After the first plastic cover broke with cable movement, Ledsema crafted the black base out of aluminum and then finished it with the red plastic cover. Ledsema mostly wanted to clean up the whole cockpit.

The view from above shows the cover on the first generation Hed Blackdog bars. Plus the Garmin has a space too.

A broader view of the Hed Blackdog cockpit with the 3T extensions and of course that beautifully sculpted cover.

From the front you can also see the cover for the front brakes in place.

The cover looks like it was meant to be there in the first place and Ledesma might soon get a call from Morgan Hill to get this done for more of the Shivs, or help on future bikes.

The Bontrager draft box had to be modified to fit the Shiv Tri and Ledesma shared in our forum how he handled it.

The Selle Italia T2 saddle was re-upholstered to work with this project.

The clip for the Fuelselage hose comes from an aquarium supply and works very well says Ledesma.

Here is another perspective of this S-Works Shiv in all its glory.

Another close-up of the beautiful brake cover.

Plus a 3/4 shot from slightly behind.

Here is the link to the slowtwitch forum thread where Campled (Ricardo Ledesma) explains what he did to the bike.

Details:
Frame: Specialized Shiv Tri (Small)
Groupset: Shimano Dura Ace 10spd
Wheels : Zipp 808 & Super 9 (clinchers)
Tires: Conti GP4000 S
Saddle: Selle Italia T2
Crankset: Specialized 170mm with O-Symetric rings
Basebar: Hed Blackdog Extensions: 3T
Others: Modified Bontrager Draft Box, fabricated nose cone & stem cover

All images © Ricardo Ledesma