Due to the Orca still being in the shop, I rode the Giant for "Fred's Ride" last night. This bike has been sitting in the garage since I've been married and I don't remember the last time I rode it (well, I rode it Tuesday night on the trainer but that doesn't count). Last season, I was on the Fuji that Team Dayton gave me so when I gave that bike back, all the components were put on the Giant. With a mish-mash of components and wheels (and tires), we took off for a 30 mile ride. First thing out of the gate, I remembered how stiff this bike is. Second thing out of the gate was remembering how much I HATE Ultegra 9 speed STI hoods. They are so uncomfortable since I've gotten used to the Dura Ace 10 hoods that the Orca has. I really like stiff bikes for crits as I don't feel any power loss when sprinting or coming out of corners. This is the only advantage the TCR has over the Orca as the Orca is not a sprinting bike even for the (low) quality of sprinter I am.
Anyway, I wasn't sure going out how my body would react coming off Sunday's wreck. I was happy to find out that my body felt great. The only thing that slightly bothered me was my bib straps rubbing over the road rash on my left shoulder but it really wasn't that big of a deal.
We ended up with a 30.5 mile ride in 1 hour and 24 minutes, give or take. I felt good on the flats and ok on the rollers. I may not have my Orca back by Saturday's race so it was nice to get out on the TCR and test it out just in case. I kind of wish I could "rebadge" this bike and race it in crits all year due to the stiffness. Putting the Orca in crits is somewhat scary due to the cost of the bike.
No power data since the TCR is 9 speed and my American Classic Powertap wheel is in the shop with the Orca.
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