A New Bike!

Total for this ride: 7.7 miles

Total for this year: 52 miles

Well, I finally broke down and bought a new road bike - my first in 25 years.  The old Trek 420 is still rideable but definitely showing its age.  The paint's scratched in several places, the chain stays are gouged where the chain slipped off the chainring, the bearings rattle, and another spoke or two breaks every season.  She's served me well - I tell everyone that buying that bike was by far the best investment I ever made.  But after thousands of miles on the road, it's time to move up.

I'd originally hoped to get another steel bike.  The old Trek, with a cro-molly steel frame, really gives a comfortable ride, but steel bikes are getting harder to find, and those that looked like they might work for the kind of riding I do - mostly day trips and light touring - cost more than I wanted to spend.  In the end I decided on another Trek, the Pilot 2.1.  It has an aluminum frame, which I was trying to avoid, but it comes with carbon fiber forks and seat post, which are supposed to dampen the vibrations.  I arranged with one of the local Trek dealers, Full Moon Vista Bike and Sport, to come in today for a test ride.  After getting fitted for the bike I hit the road.

I'd originally planned on making a quick two mile circuit of downtown Rochester.  But the bike was so responsive that with the first push on the pedals the thing just took off.  I knew after riding just a block that two miles wasn't going to be much of a ride.  I wanted to keep going.  So I changed my plans on the fly and decided to head south of town toward the University of Rochester.  I was riding through the Corn Hill district, and was about to make a right turn along the Genesee River on Exchange St. when I noticed a guy on skates waving to me from across the road.  It was my son, AJ (black t-shirt on the left), out with a few of his skating buddies, grinding some ledges and enjoying the weather.  I crossed the street to say hi and chat for a few seconds, then took off again for UR.  I made one loop around the campus, then headed back up the river toward the city.  I turned right on Court St. at the Blue Cross Arena and crossed the Genesee near Dinosaur Barbecue, kept going until I hit Chestnut, went up Chestnut to Andrews, and then back to the bike shop.  What started out as a quick five minute ride ended up lasting over a half hour.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the ride.  It took no time at all to get used to the indexed shifting, but it seemed like the left shifter (the one which controls the front deraileur) was a little rough.  One of the guys back at the shop put it on a stand and checked the adjustment.  That was the only mechanical issue.  Other than that, my only concerns were that I didn't seem to be as far forward as I normally am when I was riding in the drops on the handlebars.  And when I was out of the seat the bike handled differently than I'm used to - normally when I'm out of the saddle on a climb I can get a nice side-to-side rhythm going with the bike.  It didn't come quite as naturally today, but I think that's probably because of the different weight and geometry.  I suspect it's just a matter of time until I get the rhythm back.  In the end, I decided to get it.

I didn't bring the bike home today - I wanted to have the guys put different (bullet proof kevlar) tires on it.  They would have done it right then and there, but since my old Trek was laying down in the bed of the pickup, I didn't want to just throw this one over it for the bumpy ride home.  I told the guy to hang on to it until I could come pick it up.  Maybe tomorrow.