Day 6

Today was all-around awesome. The husband and I test-rode a variety of bikes, including:

  • Surly Cross-Check - I was convinced I wanted this bike until I test-rode it.
  • Bianchi Volpe - We both LOVED this bike. It has a steel frame (after today I don’t understand why anyone would ever want an aluminum frame) and is responsive. It’s 99% that the hubs will be getting this bike. 
  • Surly Long Haul Trucker - The is, by far, the most comfortable of the bikes we tested. Until I tried out the LHT, I was positive I’d get a Volpe, too. Now, I’m not so sure. I have a bit of a neck issue, and even though I sacrifice a bit of get-up-and-go with this bike, it’s uber comfortable. Dilemma!
  • Bianchi Imola - The husband tried this, and he did not like it.
  • Fuji something-or-other - They put me on a Fuji aluminum frame with road tires, because it was the only other bike in the shop that was my size. It turns out I’m a men’s XL frame, on account of my super long legs. The problem with this bike (other than the aluminum) is that it’s more of a racing bike, so the positioning is aggressive. With my short torso, this made for a very uncomfortable ride.
  • Giant TCX1 - Another aluminum frame. This bike was set up with thicker, cross-style tires than the Fuji, so I didn’t mind the stiff frame as much. And I far preferred the shifter to all the others we tested. Still, it’s a racing bike, so it can’t be outfitted with racks and panniers — and the positioning is relatively aggressive. Not for me.

Decisions, decisions! I’m really torn between the Volpe and LHT. We’re going to go back and take each for a 30 minute ride (we maybe took each for 5 mins tops), and then I’ll have a better idea which is the right bike for me.

And this didn’t even count toward the challenge! At most, I rode a cumulative 30 minutes on the bikes, over the span of 2-3 hours. 

So………

Stats

Yoga: 40:53

Conditions

Surya Namaskar A & B plus some standing poses (prasarita padottanasana, virabhadrasana II, utthita parsvakonasana and utthita trikonasana).

the Surly Cross-Check  I went to see this bike today. Dear lord is it lovely…and yet it’s tough as hell. Methinks that’s an aspirational statement. The husband and I are both in the market for a new bike. In Chicago, we rode cheap-o (relatively speaking) hybrid bikes. This was perfect, since the main goal was to avoid taking a tumble in a city where potholes abound. I still chuckle when I think of Lucus riding home with 3 gallons of paint in a backpack (we lived car-free for a year and a half). Now, however, we’re in an area of the country where cycling is serious business. I’m excited to go on longer rides than the 20 miles we’d sometimes fit in on a sunny weekend. Hybrid bikes just won’t cut it. Too heavy, wrong handlebars. I also need something faster and easier to ride for the triathlon. My top choice is a cyclocross bike. Cyclocross is a cross-country style race that looks awesome. I’d love to be tough enough to get on board with the sport. But the main appeal of a cross bike is that you can fit it with road or off-road tires. And they’re very minimal in design, so there’s a lot you can customize. Even though they’re primary purpose is off-road racing, cross bikes are just fine for longer rides, although they certainly can’t match touring bikes for long rides. The Surly is my top choice. I had hoped to ride it tonight, but the shop was closing, and we decided to head back over the weekend. The super helpful dude at the shop, Phillip, also showed us the Bianchi Volpe. Another solid option. Since the basic setup for both these bikes is just over $1,000, I want to make sure I test ride a variety of bikes and really understand the pro’s and con’s of different styles and models. For instance, I already know that if I buy the Surly, I’ll need to customize some of the components. That adds up. It’s going to take patience to find the right bike. This is sooo not something I am good at. I am ready to start training for the bike portion of the triathlon now!  But I also know that riding 20 miles won’t be a problem, so it’s not the area I should focus on just yet.  That said, I cannot wait to test-ride the Surly this weekend!
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the Surly Cross-Check 

I went to see this bike today. Dear lord is it lovely…and yet it’s tough as hell. Methinks that’s an aspirational statement.

The husband and I are both in the market for a new bike. In Chicago, we rode cheap-o (relatively speaking) hybrid bikes. This was perfect, since the main goal was to avoid taking a tumble in a city where potholes abound. I still chuckle when I think of Lucus riding home with 3 gallons of paint in a backpack (we lived car-free for a year and a half).

Now, however, we’re in an area of the country where cycling is serious business. I’m excited to go on longer rides than the 20 miles we’d sometimes fit in on a sunny weekend. Hybrid bikes just won’t cut it. Too heavy, wrong handlebars. I also need something faster and easier to ride for the triathlon.

My top choice is a cyclocross bike. Cyclocross is a cross-country style race that looks awesome. I’d love to be tough enough to get on board with the sport. But the main appeal of a cross bike is that you can fit it with road or off-road tires. And they’re very minimal in design, so there’s a lot you can customize. Even though they’re primary purpose is off-road racing, cross bikes are just fine for longer rides, although they certainly can’t match touring bikes for long rides.

The Surly is my top choice. I had hoped to ride it tonight, but the shop was closing, and we decided to head back over the weekend. The super helpful dude at the shop, Phillip, also showed us the Bianchi Volpe. Another solid option.

Since the basic setup for both these bikes is just over $1,000, I want to make sure I test ride a variety of bikes and really understand the pro’s and con’s of different styles and models. For instance, I already know that if I buy the Surly, I’ll need to customize some of the components. That adds up.

It’s going to take patience to find the right bike. This is sooo not something I am good at. I am ready to start training for the bike portion of the triathlon now!  But I also know that riding 20 miles won’t be a problem, so it’s not the area I should focus on just yet. 

That said, I cannot wait to test-ride the Surly this weekend!