Toys R Us

Well, I went crazy over the weekend and bought a new bike.

I'm so excited about it, and I think it's a great buy (I got a 2008 Specialized Tarmac SL2 carbon fiber with carbon fiber race wheels for a great price, totally new) and I needed a new bike badly. I've been happy with my old Trek 2300 and it was an excellent starter road bike (which is now for sale, minus the wheels) with Ultegra components and it was very forgiving and stable. A hard bike to make topple over (although I did do that). A great bike when you are first starting out, white knuckled as all get out when you are zooming down a big hill or riding in a crowd. I've loved it for the last 4 years but it was time to upgrade. The Trek was not carbon, and I wanted a bit more comfort for those long, long rides that are upcoming in preparation for my 70.3. In addition, I also didn't mind the thought of gaining a wee bit of more speed (even though at my level, the wee is very wee).

However, I dithered around before I bought the new bike wondering if I was spending more money than I was worth. I don't mean as a person, but as a bike rider. I'm pretty slow (14-16 average speed), I am no great shakes on big hills, and I still sometimes have to chant to myself "you are all right; you are all right" when I hit 29-34 mph going down a big hill on my areobars. Great bikes are for great riders, right? Within reason, of course. Otherwise, I would be doomed to a banana seat bike with a flowered basket up front.

Yet I really, really wanted an upgraded bike. Biking is my weakest sport, and anything that was going to make me more comfortable and happy was going to make me go out and ride more often and ride further. I looked on line a lot, and ended up buying this one new at a great price (thanks to my bike guru, Todd, at Texas Triple Threat) after only a little bit of internal wrestling.

It's simply an awesome looking machine! So light I can lift it with two fingers (no more asking Patient Spouse to put my bike up on the hook for me). I've only had time to ride it once, about 12 easy miles 'round the hood, and it is like riding air it's so comfortable. I'm not even fitted on it yet (hopefully this week) and have not put on the areobars yet either, but I can tell this baby is going to a lot of fun. I had to get used to three things: the lightness makes it a bit more "twitchy"--I simply think left and I'm turning already!--, the gears are different than what I am used to (double click to take it into an easier gear), and finally, my old Trek had a 'granny gear' ring that was a bit easier (hey, I started out on this bike, okay? I was definitely doing granny for a long time. Now I've moved into auntie gear). This one has a standard ring set and so finding my "sweet spots" on certain roadways has to change a little bit.

Still, my first ride was a lot faster than I thought (I haven't put on the bike computer yet). I thought I was going really slowly, trying to learn the bike and the gears and for heaven's sake trying not to lay it down on the first ride out, but the Patient Spouse's computer says we did 14.7 average pace and I thought I was simply crawling along around 13 average at most. It's going to be like driving a fast and new model car--you THINK you are going slow and then the nice policeman tells you otherwise.

The only thing I'm going to change out is the seat (not comfortable, even though it's a nice one) and the handlebar wrap. The wrap is white. Come on. How many times do you get on your bike with clean, unsweaty hands or gloves? Already I've gotten the wrap dirty (the brake hoods are white, too, but I may have to live with those). I've already put on my pedals, bottle cage, and lights.

So did I buy a bike more than I am worth? I don't think so. If I love it, and I will ride it a long time, why should I worry if it's a type of bike the Big Boys and Girls also ride? When I wheel into transition, I may even scare them a bit (until they see me start my swim, that is).

I'm looking forward to some long, long rides this fall on my new toy. Assuming it cools down here--it's supposed to be 106 today. I love Texas in August.

Buying toys is fun! Using them is even more so!