Road Ride (Seriously)

I can't believe I'm typing this but I rode my road bike for the first time in 1.5 years today. Nothing big, just a nice 35 mile square.

Here is some of what I learned today…

1. I really like the way my Campeon feels: Narrower bars, the compact frame fit and the position of my levers.

2. I REALLY love the way the Shimano Ultegra crank feels. It makes the FSA crank on the Jake feel like a wet noodle.

3. 105 shifters are good. But still not Ultegra. Love me some Ultegra shifters.

4. It seems no matter how hard I try and how many maps I follow I still end up on dirt roads! Ended having to take a 2 mile gravel detour.

5. 700 x 25c tires aired up to 100 psi (vs. 400 x 40c cross tires aired to just under 60) does NOT feel good on the gravel. Doable, but in no way preferred.

6. I am inching towards switching my road components (crank, shifters, bars, derailleurs, etc.,) over to my cross bike (or a cross bike to be named later).

7. While I would never rule out a cross bike (AKA gravel bike) with disc brakes, I have NO idea why someone would want a road bike with disc brakes. The 105s i have on the Campeon have some SICK stopping power.


8. While parts of doing today's ride were cool (i.e. going faster!) I am WWWAAAYYYYY more comfortable riding gravel and dirt roads. Not saying I won't ride the road bike again…. but I could go another 1.5 years easy.

9. Riding rolling farm roads at 25 mph is really fun, but being passed by semi trucks loaded down down with bales of hay at 70 mph is NOT that fun. Again, gravel roads win.

10. At least no one yelled "go Lance!" or anything else for that matter.

Day off tomorrow, so chillaxing tonight. Then Saturday brings 60+ miles of gravel, dirt and sand at the 2012 Barry-Roubaix. Might be fast... might be a mud fest. Either way it's my first race of the year and fun. GEEKED.

Later.