To give you an idea, here's some of the drastic differences:
- The angle you are at between the seat and the handlebars.
- The shape of the handle bars and the position of your hands.
- The shifting.
- The narrow and more stiff saddle.
- The width of the tires.
Saying it is a completely different ride is truly an understatement. I walked into the bike shop feeling a bit awkward last night. I geared up and then walked in with my pedals in a Ziploc bag. "Hi J.D. I'm ready to try that new bike." I cannot even explain how strange it felt leaving the house without a bike this morning and then showing up to the ride with my pedals in hand and no bike. The mechanic attached my pedals to the demo bike, we did a quick saddle height adjustment and I was ready to start riding. Pete and I did some laps in the parking lot and I decided the seat height was too low. I had it raised and we were off for the group ride.
I immediately started shifting and trying to find the right ring and gears to easily keep up with the group. For what it's worth, I didn't really need to work on shifting to do that. I just pedaled and the light weight bike allowed me to move faster at the same cadence and I was keeping up. I struggled to take a hand off the handlebars to point out road obstacles, so I tried shouting louder and hoping the rider behind me heard.
I left the group in order to avoid an intersection that I don't like. I just didn't want to try it on a borrowed bike that I'm so unfamiliar with. Pete and I continued on the route and I was amazed at how smooth a ride it was. Not only that, but when I needed to shift there was a big kerchunk and the jerked legs. Shifting on this bike just happens. You push the lever and you're able to maintain your cadence and speed without physically feeling the chain move on the gears. That's smooth!
The triathletes caught up with us at the usual intersection, but the re-group point is further out. I headed out to see how I did on the rolling hills and boy am I glad I did! Not only was I able to keep up with the triathletes, but I pedaled up a hill at 22 mph! That's amazing! I didn't get winded on the rolling hills and I didn't slow down either. Talk about a sense of improvement!
We had to head back so I could return the bike before the store closed, so I didn't get to tackle the major hill. I don't think it would have been much of a problem though. Pete kept me moving at a good clip so get us back in time. I had a bit of a struggle at an intersection as I had down-shifted to stop, then Pete told me we were clear to pedal through. As I cleared that intersection, I was trying to clip back in and watch the next intersection to be clear, Pete clears it and turns around (just as I begin to signal my intent to turn left) and hollers, "There's a cop behind you." I quickly stop at the stop sign and wave him through. Now I have to start in a higher gear than normal and turn left. I managed to get through and it wasn't as much of a struggle as I'm used to on my current bike.
I got back in time to return the bike. The mechanic took off my pedals and I was ready to go. We waited for the rest of the group to arrive and gabbed in the parking lot for a bit. The whole time, I'm dreaming about what a nice ride I had on this amazing bike. They say the metal of the frame and the components make a difference. Now I know just how much of a difference they really make. I'm ready to buy my new bike and take it home now, but I know I have to order it and wait a week or two. So for now, I'll continue training on my heavy bike.
Goals
Today's Miles: 8
Total Miles Achieved: 358.1
Financial Investment: $972.39
Total Weight Loss: +0.8
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