bikes. information about bikes. more bikes. test rides. more information about bikes. even more bikes. oy vey. i have learned more about bikes since Monday than i ever thought possible. really guys...so much information has been crammed into my head. i now know what "components" are, 105 vs. Ultegra vs. Dura Ace, the benefits of carbon vs. aluminum, seat angles, aggressive and forward positions vs. road positions, top tubes...and the list goes on. i finally signed up for slowtwitch.com so i could inquire about opinions to the three main bikes i was contemplating in my price range. my fellow triathletes successfully answered the call. i mean, i just never knew so many people were so willing to take the time to sit there and type out paragraphs of information for you, spend time to send you links and give you advice...and none of them know me! fantastic! i love this thing they call tri and i love this forum that is so quick to help!
on Monday i had a certified fit session that cost me way too much money and had i known it was going to cost so much, i never would have agreed to it. but alas, the time was spent, the money was handed over and now i have a bunch of numbers on a piece of paper that are to decide my riding fate for the next couple of months or so. i keep telling myself that it was money well spent. i guess if i end up buying a bike from them, it will be bc that money will go towards my purchase.
[i should now take the time to note that i don't have the money to buy anything over $15, much less a $2K tri bike, but i cannot stand to not ride anymore. this marathon is tearing up my body and i had no idea how much i had been missing the saddle until i got on the fit cycle...oh man, i need a bike. my credit card company is about to be really happy with me, they may even send me "thank you" flowers.]
so JT recommended the following based off of my geometry and the angles i prefer to ride(apparantly i like to "ride big" which i was told by a new buddy from slowtwitch means that i prefer to ride low and aggressive. deep set with a 78 1/2 degree post angle. this, i am told, is a really good thing for tri):
1) Giant Aeryn
3) Felt S22
now, JT doesn't let people test ride bikes. that's apparently not how his shop works. you fit, you buy, you like...if you don't like, you return and they get you something else. in theory i suppose that could work, but i have never even been on a "real" tri bike. my last two bikes were roadies converted to tri bikes, so this is not a good feeling for me, to blindly buy something i have absolutlely no experience with whatsoever. so i called up Hank and he has me set up to test ride three of his bikes:
2) Jamis Comet (they don't have the Trilogy in stock in my size)
3) QRoo Kilo
i ride at 530 tonight. i will let you know what i think. this is me VERY excited :)
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