A nice, albeit windy ride on the new bike:
I like it. It feels quite a bit lighter than the Bianchi, and I think it fits me a bit better. I do, however, miss the compact double cranks. I spent most of this ride in the little ring (39 teeth), but I think the nearly constant headwind had something to do with that. I also don’t like the brake levers (some Kraynick specials)–the Tektros on the Bianchi were far more comfortable. The ride is very solid, and the stiffness of the aluminum wasn’t uncomfortable at all. I appreciated the extra stiffness when climbing out of the saddle–the steel frame of the Bianchi paired with the carbon cranks meant a fair amount of flex, even when climbing in the saddle. I’m looking forward to logging more miles on this.
Posted on 10 February 2008