I got a new bike!

[Triskeliongirl]

So, I started a thread in the bike section as I was investigating a purchase but I think many of you may have missed it. Bottom line is I am the proud owner of a new Cervelo RS w full Dura-Ace build (except my custom crank of course). My local dealer made me an amazing 2008 closeout deal, and the XS 48 cm w 650 c wheels fits me like a dream. (I attached a low res pic from my camera phone, as my kids borrowed my camera). She is the most amazing bike I have ever ridden! Climbs like a dream.

But here is my quandry. The guy who sold it to me, and seems really knowledgable thinks the reach is too long and wants to order me a short reach bar. The reach is 1.4 cm longer than on my current bike, but I rode her today and my body feels amazing and she handles perfectly, so I am a little worried that a short reach bar will mess that all up. Should I listen to my body, or the bike fitter?

Right now she just has the stock stem and bars (9 cm stem, FSA gossamer bar w 9 cm reach). With that being said, I don't like how the drops feel so I am going to be in the market for a new bar. But which one?? I want something w smooth drops but that is really flat on top. Or is he right and the drops feel bad cuz I am too stretched out? I go on a longer ride tomorrow morning, so maybe that will give me more insight.

[Ana]

Congratulations! :D

[ASammy1]

Great bike!

As far as the bar dilemma goes... listen to your body. You'll know what to do!

[Pink Diva]

I say listen to your body! Great ride :cool:

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks guys. I'll see how I feel after a really long ride tomorrow.

[Becky]

Nice bike! As for the bar, I would ride it for a couple of weeks before making a decision. You can always order it later if you start having discomfort that can be attributed to the longer reach that you have now.

[Chile Pepper]

absolutely beautiful!

[OakLeaf]

I say listen to your body too. And, the tilt of an ergo bar has a huge impact on how the drops feel. Maybe try changing that.

Beautiful bike!

[alimey]

Love the bike and the set-up. As a similarly vertically challenged biker I thoroughly recommend the FSA compacts - the one w/ a flat top is particularly comfy. They do it in carbon & ally. If you think of your proportions vs a man's you'll see you could probably do w/ something which has less reach & also less drop. I've also tried the Ritchey biomax & the Salsa poco & short & shallows. None of them have been as comfy as the FSA. You worked pretty hard to get a short bike, so I think you should make sure the reach is perfect.

Good luck

[RoadRaven]

As for the bar, I would ride it for a couple of weeks before making a decision. You can always order it later if you start having discomfort that can be attributed to the longer reach that you have now.

Almost word for word of what i was intending to write
:)

We have had great value for money from our cervelos
Congrats and enjoy

[eclectic]

congratulations on the new addition to the family!

She is Beautiful and you are so lucky you can be outside w/ her already! :D

[derailed]

That looks lovely, may you have many wonderful miles together!

[Selkie]

bella!

Enjoy!!!!

[Blueberry]

She is a beauty! Hope you enjoy many happy miles together!!

(out of curiosity, are you keeping both old bikes or getting rid of one - I seem to recall you had to get a crank made for each bike, so just curious:)).

CA

[Miranda]

First of all...

CONGRATS! She looks sweet:cool:... hope you have many safe and happy miles together.


Second of all, this is one of my bikes I'm seriously considering buying right now (wipes drewl off computer key board:o). Gheez, between you and the pics of fidlfreek's Look Elle, I might just blow a gasket:rolleyes::p lol.

OK, off to pm you a couple questions if you don't mind:).

[fatbottomedgurl]

Niiiiiice! Another shortie here (I ride a 50cm and carry all might height in my torso). I've ridden my bike about 250 miles and decided I definitely want to get a compact bar. I was noticing some elbow problems, plus I just couldn't reach the levers well. I ordered one at the LBS today. Full size bars for us little gals doesn't make sense.

[Trekhawk]

Congratulations on your new bike.
Enjoy!:)

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks so much everyone!

I road this morning, and the fitter was absolutely right. I felt too stretched out and couldn't ride in the drops. Spent most of my time in that position behind the drops or on the tops. I also talked to the people at the ride that were fit by him, and they all looked great on their bikes and raved about their fits. I was definitely faster. I hadn't mounted a computer yet since the bars were temporary, but judging my time rel. to DHs I was definitely faster. Just sailing up the hills. It really accerlerates well. This is the first bike I ever head that was BOTH responsive AND stable. JUST AMAZING!

So, after lunch I went to the shop and told him how the ride went. I also looked at the bar he proposed (called the 3T ergonova team, colors even match my bike, as its spec'd on the cervelo R3, my bikes sister but with more aggresive geometry: http://www.thenew3t.com/details.aspx?i=Dropbars&p=ergonova&d=TEAM ).

First, he let me try it on another built bike in the trainer to see how it felt. The feel was great. It has rounded drops that felt good in my hands, and not just a short reach to the hoods, but also to the levers from the drops, and shallow so I don't have to go too low which he though was causing me problems on the temporary bar. It felt great so then I committed and he put the carbon one on my bike. Then he set the levers up in different positions, and went out riding as he made adjustments. He was also trying to assess whether I needed a stem change or not but we decided I didn't. It took all afternoon, and he only wrapped the bars when everything was finalized.

Everything feels wonderful, I can ride on the hoods, drops or tops. So, ITS ALL DONE! And I finally found a shop (and fitter, the owner) I trust.

I can't wait to go for a long ride tomorrow with the new bars, but I know its just perfect now.

[Triskeliongirl]

She is a beauty! Hope you enjoy many happy miles together!!

(out of curiosity, are you keeping both old bikes or getting rid of one - I seem to recall you had to get a crank made for each bike, so just curious:)).

CA


Indeed I have two custom cranks. One was installed on my terry titanium isis and one on my s/s coupled terry steel isis. I decided to keep the titanium isis as my commuter/in the shop back up bike and to give the steel bike to my daughter as a college graduation present. The s/s couplers are nice, but she is quite heavy, so I had them just intall the custom crank on the new bike, and the crank that came with it on the old bike. My duaghter wants to tour in europe so will benefit from the s/s couplers.

[silver]

your new bike looks awesome! I'll be joining the Cervelo family soon.

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks Silver! What model are you getting? I am very impressed with the cervelo engineering. They are the only company I have found that puts the same level of high performance engineering into a 48cm frame as into a 58cm one.

BTW, I decided its a HE and HE has a name, SPOCK, after the logic and engineering that went into his design. It came to me on yesterdays ride.

I'll try to take a new pic w the final bars and give a ride report later today.

[silver]

I love Spock's team color scheme, the the wheels look great too.

Just curious.....have you weighed him? I bet he is ILLEGAL! That would be awesome!!! And what would be the weight savings from the bike that you were riding? I'd bet there is quite a difference.

So they y'all left the 9cm stem and put on the new bars. And the new bars are carbon?


So I have ordered the '09 P2 carbon with Ultegra SL. I was fit on a 56cm, so I am near the other end of the size spectrum from you. I am really impressed by Cervelo. One of my riding buddies bought one last year and he's loved his. Although they didn't have a ton in stock for me to sit on, we looked at geometries for Cannondale, Scott, and Felt and none of them came closer to what we decided I needed and none of them give as much bang for the buck. (as good a component level for the money). I didn't get a discount on the bike....actually I didn't ask for one. But they didn't charge me for 3 hours of fitting and I'll need a bit of customizing when we get the final product together. I feel that I'm getting my money's worth. Should be here in 2 weeks.

[spindizzy]

Cervelo-rama!!

Trieskiliongirl, Silver and didn't Kelownagirl get one last year...

veddy nice!

[spokewench]

Sweet bike - hope you enjoy her; I'm with trying to ride her a little with the bike as is and see how it feels. A new bike always feels alien to me at first since there are small differences everywhere.

Do you still have your old road bike? If so, do some measurements, like length from tip of seat to middle of handlebar. Take a long level and see if it is the same kind of drop from seat to handlebar that you are looking for. You may want it closer to your old bike if it is not. That is if your old bike was dialed in for you. I take all my old bikes' measurements and try to make the new bike as similar as I can; since I have my old bike dialed in an comfortable.

spoke

[Triskeliongirl]

OK guys, here is a picture of the final setup with new bars I took outside a starbucks at todays ride start.

If I liked him on the ride yesterday, after the fitting I had yesterday he was 100% even more amazing today. The fitter was right on about the new bars. I am very comfy in the drops, hoods and tops, and used them all in the brutal headwind. I was 10% faster on the same course I road a few weeks ago, with stronger headwinds and no drafting since I road alone today. He also made some saddle adjustments yesterday, so overall what impressed me today was the feeling that my body was positioned to optimize power transfer. I just felt so much stronger, like more energy was going into motion, as well as the most comfortable I've ever felt on a bike.

I decided to really take advantage of the fit that came with the new purchase to let him set it up as he thought best (but keeping my saddle height and KOP position as set by the guy that made the custom crank the same). Because I never could find a set back enough post, I used to sit on the back end of the saddle. But he was able to set it further back so that while my KOP stayed the same, I am now sitting inside the frame like I should. He also was able to tilt the nose a tad more down than my other seatposts It made all the diff in the world, in terms of power transmission AND comfort in the drops.

But the most amazing thing, is when I got the bike home, and measured the tip of the saddle to where my hands contact the hoods, the reach on my new and old bike are identical! But I still feel more powerful on Spock.

The only final change is we have some shims on order to bring the brake levers in a tad.

Yeh, he could weigh 15 lb, but my custom crank and brooks saddle that I need cuz of my accident injuries put him at 16.3 lb (that's with everything, saddle, pedals, water bottle cages).

Yes, Silver, we started with stock parts, but substituted out the seatpost for a carbon Look ergopost 2, the bars are the carbon 3T ergonova team that come on the 09 R3, and kept the original stem since its as light as any carbon one and stiff enough for me since I am not a large rider. He also subst. the 12/25 casette for a 12/27, and of course put my custom crankset on. I believe the wheels are also an upgrade. Everything else is full Dura-ace.

For now the bars are wrapped in black tape, but I saw a bike on the cervelo owners site wrapped in red that looked nice, so maybe when I need new tape I'll try that.

[celerystalksme]

that bike is pretty hawt!!!!!! congrats!!!!!!!

[Aggie_Ama]

Oh red would look nice. I don't "man handle" my bars enough to ever really need new tape so I just decided every girl likes a change now and then so every year my bike gets new tape. It is so cheap both tape and labor (too lazy to do it myself). This year I may do white, which would look nice on Spock if you can stomach the dirtiness.

[Triskeliongirl]

Oh, I decided on yesterdays ride that it really is a she, not a he. A powerful strong female, but alas a she. I always name my bikes after greek goddesses (Isis, Feronia, Athena), so I found this one just feels right - Rhea -

Rhea is an ancient goddess, the daughter of gaia (earth) and uranus (sky), the mother of zeus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhea_(mythology)