03.05.11 -- After lots of staring at the Marsupial, getting feedback from our fans, and test riding, we decided to implement a few changes:

- Switch from .9/.6/.9mm tubing to .8/.5/.8. This will make the frameset a bit lighter. And, since it's not a full-on touring bike, the minor loss in strength is negligible.

- Increase the bottom bracket drop from 65mm to 70mm. Road bikes commonly have 60-70mm, and touring bike commonly have 70-80mm. We want it to right in the middle, giving the bike mildly less aggressive geometry, a little more suspension, and a slightly lower center of gravity for stability while carrying weight.

- Shortening the fork from 390mm to 383mm. This will allow for long-reach caliper brakes if you really want them.

- Changing the direction of the hole on the brake bridge from vertical to horizontal. This is also to allow the possibility of switching to caliper brakes.

- Upgrade front cranks to a Tiagra triple. The Sora cranks feel a bit "gritty". The more precisely machined Tiagra cranks will allow the chain to interact with the crank more smoothly.

- Change cassette from 11-32 to 11-28. Originally we thought the ultimate granny gear was a good idea, until it wasn't compatible with the 105 rear derailleur.

- And a few other minor accessory changes. Like finding a nice rear cable hanger.

Our plan is to build Marsupial Prototype #2 next week, paint and components the week after, and then send it to testing. This means we'll be ready for full-on production in less than a month.