I think I’m coming down with the flu but I’ve been itching to take the new roadie out for a spin so today I pumped up the tyres to 100psi and just rode down to the beach and back (and I’m huffing & puffing, damn so unfit HAHA).
I put my XTR pedals and Shimano shoes on and damn I’d forgotten how explosive being clipped in is. Being able to pedal up as well as down feel like cheating. I just felt like doing some hills so I hit some back roads and a pinchy hill that caught me out once on my fixie was like a walk in the park.
Gears shift nicely but what’s more awesome are the brakes. My 80’s Paino roadie just doesn’t stop (it takes a lot of muscle to press the brake levers in) but on this thing it’s light and powerful at the same time.
I’ve come back and tilted the bars a little more towards me as I feel a little stretched out but not by much. Lowering the stem wouldn’t do anything but look better and as it is I can actually grab the drop bars and feel quite comfortable in a tucked down position so I’m going to leave everything as is.
Not sure on the saddle yet. My bum still hurts a little from Monday’s epic 3hr Menai ride (lame I know) but so far so good and I’ve got plenty of time to get used to the new bike before the 90km Gong ride in November.
Justin, waaaay too many spacers, your at risk of damaging the steerer tube esp as its carbon – plus your just adding unnecessary flex.
I know its looks not as nice, but get a stem with a bit more of a rise, and lower it a bit.
I don’t know Saad. Yes it’s damn ugly but I doubt it’ll do any damage. It came stock like this too and Ash (head mechanic of MC Cyclery) says it’s all good so I’ve got to trust the guy (he’s the man!).
Hmm maybe – i used to, and still do, work at a bike shop, as a mechanic and sales person, and my boss who is a gun mechanic (he knows how to build shimano shifters – a task that is meant to be impossible) said you shouldn’t have any more spacers than the width of the steerer tube – and ive read this on a lot of forums too.
Hot bike though!
Steering will be damn tricky with the bar that high too…..and hard to weight the front.