What I go through to buy a bike

I fell in love with this bike from the first time I saw it late last year in a Velonews ad. When it became a reality (financially) to buy a new bike I hem-hawed between the Transition and a Trek TTX. I don't remember the exact model, but it was the blue one. I kind of forgot about buying a bike until the prologue of Paris-Nice was on tv and the Transition was under Quick Step and Gerolstiener. It reminded me how much I liked how it looked and the process began.

Trying to pick the right model became the issue. I chose the lowest end bike (Comp) and figured I would swap all the gear from my current time trial bike to it. Phone call after phone call after unsuccessful phone call, it looked like all my key races would be over before I would even own the bike due to supply/demand issues.

After a post last week on SlowTwitch, I found out that Fraser's bike shop north of Detroit had the Expert model in my size. A couple of phone calls and an internal debate later, I put a hold on it. I had to sit there for an hour with pictures of both the Comp (carbon/yellow) and the Expert (white/red) to determine if I liked the white one as much or better. The Expert has better components and therefore was more expensive by about $800. The Comp was a mix of Ultegra and 105, whereas the Expert is a mix of Ultegra and Dura-Ace. The wheels were also an upgrade, but that doesn't matter as I plan to sell those as soon as I find a buyer.

Tuesday morning started the 4 hour drive to Detroit. I also scheduled a FIST fitting and thought that would take 2 hours or so. Once at the shop, they started the dynamic fit as was asked "did you plan on taking the bike home today???" I explained my situation and my lack of desire to repeat an 8 hour round trip of driving and they worked hard to get my bike ready for me. Typically, they do the dynamic fit, then after the customer leaves, they make all the bike modifications (cutting aero bars, seatpost, swap stems, etc). Then the customer comes back to finish the fit days later on the bike and dial in the cleats. Well, we did that all on Tuesday.

4 hour drive, 4 hour fit, 4 hour drive home. All that on just one Venti Americano.

Yesterday morning I swapped the wheels out, changed cassette and installed the power tap and took it for it's first ride. Since there was a wind out of the south, I headed to my favorite 20 minute interval spot that mostly to the north. Unfortunately, due to the crazy seat stay my install didn't go so great and the power tap kept dropping out on me (fixed that later that night). Regardless, it didn't hamper the ride. The main thing I noticed was that I was more aero than on my other tt bike, but not at a comfort cost. That was weird. MORE aero and MORE comfortable?!? This bike is pretty fast. Too bad there's no time trial this weekend!

Hopefully, the power tap re-install will keep the dropouts from happening. I'll find out today.

I'm tired

so I'll write more about this later...

#8 April's Colavita time trial

Heading straight into a 25mph wind when it's 40 degrees out isn't as much fun as you would think. At least the return trip was nice.



Since I decommissioned my time trial bike, I raced my Orca in the standard bike class. Nothing aero. Not even booties to warm my feet. Notice my clashing red and blue shoes.


This is as aero as I can get without aero bars. I've been practicing this position quite a bit lately and can generate a decent amount of power from here.

Anyway, I finished 3rd in the road bike category, mustering up a 19.8 mph average. Not bad considering the "out" section was longer than the "back" section and it was all into the wind.

This week I get a new bike AND a new aero helmet! Too bad all the money in bike bank is gone and I have to keep waiting for the 808 front and Easton Attack TT bars...nutz!

Items of note 4-11-08

Tomorrow is the next Greenville time trial - 40 degree expected high and windy. I'm taking the Orca and racing the stock bike class.

Sunday is the pan flat Lynchburg, my first category 4 race in1.5 years. Pray for no snow.

Monday is my wife's birthday.

Tuesday I'm driving to Detroit to A) Pick up my new bike, and B) Get 3d FIST fitted to it. I'm looking forward to that!

Wednesday will be spent ogling, fondling and riding my new bike. Plus I have to set my Powertap up on it.

Just riding a bike

Yesterday I just rode my bike. No intention of training. No intervals. No set training route. Nothing but riding. You know what? It was great! Damn, every now and then I need to take a step back and remember why I ride in the first place. I think it was my slowest average in about forever, covering 22.85 miles at a pace of 15.5mph. It took me an hour and a half to ride what would take an hour on a very bad day on my time trial bike. But I loved every minute of it. Not staring at the power meter constantly, I was able to take in the sights and hear the sounds that I usually block out. My "big ring" was used only once while heading north as I had a tail wind pushing me along.

Before I started racing (read: training), I would go out for long rides and basically solve all the world's problems in my head, have conversations with myself and wave or smile to drivers, people doing yard work, etc. Lately, it's been a non stop quest of power. Now I love the power meter and don't intend to ever ride without one again, but it gets in the way sometimes. Struggling to get the last interval at the right wattage, blowing a great 20 minute interval because if that dog that jumped out of the ditch. Dammit, doesn't that dog understand the importance of FTP??

After my latest DNF Sunday at Vandervort's corner (10th OVR DNF in a row I think), I called it quits to category 3. Monday morning I submitted my latest batch of results - which was pretty easy, at just three letters repeated over and over again D N F - and a request for downgrade to category 4. It felt like I either needed to do that or just quit road racing entirely. Paying $30 to get dropped on a overpass 10 miles in is not exactly fun. My request was approved by Monday afternoon. I attributed last year's suck fest as just being married and trying to get used to that. One year later, no luck. Then I attributed it to my training program and overhauled it entirely. Same result. I'm lighter and stronger and STILL getting whacked on any bump in the road that's greater than a 0.0001% grade. Will category 4 be any/much/totally different? I'll find out Sunday.

Regardless, it was a great ride yesterday.

#7 Vandervort's corner

Pictures here
Jeff took some great shots!
Ok. You see me riding by myself in this picture. Do you THINK I had a good day? I'm going to be a damn good time trial rider this year.

#6 Green Tour

Oh the life of a Yellow Springs resident. I haven't heard the phrase "Yeah, man" this much since, well, whenever. And that all came from one guy who was having a conversation with someone else as I walked by. His attire? A tie-died shirt and a hat meant for covering dreadlocks (of which he didn't have). I'm guessing he wasn't even alive during the 70's, let alone the 60's. I won't discuss the peace rally going on either...

Notes on the race:
The good - Rodney Sauser appeared to line up with the cat 1/2 field.
The bad - The cat 1/2 were merged with the 3/4 due to a small field.

The good - I had an all time high 1 minute AND 5 minute power readings.
The bad - The one minute was inside the five minute
The worst - It was on the first lap up devil's backbone

Needless to say, I was dropped and spent the next two hours time trialling. 40 miles by myself, 4 laps up devil's backbone, 20 mph average.