Finally...I test

A cold yet lovely weekend. Sure enough Jason hooked me up with a set of X Lite Aero tubulars to try out for the weekend. And I must say...just standing still the 5900 never looked so good!




I got in a solo ride of 35 miles on Saturday. And a training ride of 60 mi today with some teammates.

Impressions:
1) Great road feel. The tubular tires IMO felt better than the regular clinchers. A little less "bouncy" and I felt more connected to the road.
2) Super comfy wheel. Its carbon...so it soaks up the vibrations...
3) Although comfy...they are very stiff. Standing up gave a slightly different feel...but a good one. Not sloppy at all...
4) Braking with the cork pads was a bit sketchy. Not sure if its the pads, the wheels, or the pads not being broken in. But I new of this issue beforehand...
5) Could be a bit lighter. IMO they are indeed light...1400g. But some other comparable wheels are 150-200g lighter. But then again the others cost a few hundred more $ as well...

For the price...they are a good deal. I loved them...and in a way dread going back to my clincher rims, haha. But hey...thats what everyone does :)

On my mind...

Well...still taking it all in from my recent trip to Japan. Such an amazing experience...especially the hospitality of a Japanese corporation. A lot to think about. We shall see what the future holds...

Anyway...found some recent pics from a race a few weeks ago. Super cold day! Me in the white helmet...


Coming in for second place...


Pretty excited about this weekend. Just found out Jason at Sussex Bike has a pair of Bontrager Xlite carbon aero's to try out. Can't wait to finally experience the tubulars. Hope the weather stays nice for the weekend...so I can put in some good training miles with the wheels. Interested in noticing a difference (both aero and climbing) when compared to my standard Race X Lite clinchers. Some say the clinchers have less rolling resistance...but the tubs have a better road feel. The speedo will tell the truth...

Erik-san!

Well, back from my unplanned, quick, but thoroughly enjoyable trip to Japan. A truly amazing experience thanks to the people at Matsushita MEW. Wow. Although I have been there twice before...this proved to be a memorable learning experience in terms of how a Japanese company works. We will see what the future holds. Onto the pics!

First order of business when I arrived...Okonomiyaki with Yamauchi-san!

The city of Osaka from my hotel room..

After two days in Osaka...a trip to Tokyo via Shinkansen...the VERY fast train...

A view of Tokyo from the Panasonic building in Ginza...

Shrine on a Saturday morning...

A view from Roppongi Hills...The two towers of expensive apartments...

Entry to shrine number 2...

The Edo/Tokyo museum. Which, in a way...kind of looks like a giant robotic dog...don't you think?

Cameras in Akihabara we will never see here...

Rice cookers we will never see here...

Beauty products we will never see here...

The view from the Abiko balcony...

Weekend training

My random pic of the day...


This weekend turned out to be pretty nice. Could have been a bit warmer (high 40's), but then again it is November. Anyway...managed to put in 35 miles on both Saturday and Sunday. On Sat it was hitting the hills of Fairview Lake, Mt, Benevolence, etc...basically to stay warm, haha. No real intervals...just enjoying the ride at a decent tempo. Today I stuck to the rolling/flat terrain of Allamuchy for some interval workouts. A few 5 minute hard efforts with recovery in between. Bumped into a teammate who was also out for a spin...providing a little extra motivation.

So maybe the rollers tomorrow...but then I'm outta town till next Sunday. I will have pics from my trip to Japan!!!

Greed

Couldn't ride at all last night due to my teaching responsibilities...which, by the way went well. Thankfully the flourescent lights weren't killing my eyes like usual.

Anyway, got back on the rollers tonight for an hour session. So I wanted to continue analyzing my current equipment and note any upgrades/changes that I can make for the upcoming season. To start off I have an '03 Trek 5900. Well, more like a 5700 because of my Ultegra drivetrain. Anyway, its been bombproof and superb over the last 3.5 years. The RaceXLite wheels have been just as durable...aside from that Chrysler Crossfire snapping my rear in half.

So I want to make it clear that this bike is not/will not hold me back in ANY WAY. If I do get something new...its due to my own greed and desire to just have something new and different. Granted, there are lighter and stiffer frames now...but in a real world race how much difference will that really make. The bike has 12,000 miles on it and will get sent back to Trek for a new headset this winter.

The current ride...


One thing I would like to upgrade is the stem. I had weighed this one time and it was a whopping 198grams. Thats an effin' pig. Especially when there are Easton or Deda stems like this that shave off 70grams.


More room for improvement would be wheels. The RaceXLites are great...but investing in some Reynolds Stratus DV's would be killer. Lighter, more Aero...

And then there's always the temptation of a new bike altogether. Do I need it? No. Do I want it? Yeah, kind of. So we have two candidates. There's nothing to say I wouldn't want to stick with Trek...but honestly I don't really dig the Madone's.

Tested by Tour Magazine to have the stiffest bottom bracket (along with the Canyon F10) is the Cannondale SystemSix. Carbon front triangle mated with an Alu rear. $4700 (with DA...pic shows SRM)


And then there is the Specialized TarmacSL. All carbon...lighter than the 'Dale. Placing second to it in that same Tour Mag stiffness test. Probably a few hundred more in price...same componentry and wheels.


Its a toss-up. The SystemSix is a little cheaper...The Tarmac is lighter. Both have similar geometries with the top tubes being a .5cm difference. And contrary to a lot of riders, I totally dig the Tarmac curvature. Would be nice to have leave the Trek at work as my main training/crit bike...and have another for road races.

Ah well...a new 5K bike would certainly be money wasted in the eyes of some. But when I consider that I'm young, have no debt, no bills, etc...I can treat myself :)