Ms. Silque has arrived

[Crankin]

17457

First ride will be tomorrow. Luckily, it will be a balmy 50-55 degrees.

[Blueberry]

Snazzy! May you have many happy miles together:) Can't wait for the ride report!

[azfiddle]

Beautiful! Enjoy!

[OakLeaf]

Nice! Happy riding!

[Pax]

Ooooooo spiffy!

[cosc]

Enjoy your new beauty. She looks very sleek and comfy.

[Crankin]

No, I did not name it. It's a Silque, so I just put the Ms. before the name. I will conveniently call it "my bike," or "the Trek" as opposed to "the Guru." Don't worry, I will never name a bike.
Only downside is that since I have to have side entry bottle cages because of the small geometry, and I need the left entry ones, due to my lack of ability to drink with my right hand, I only have the back bottle cage on the bike. They had to order the other one, as I didn't tell them this when I ordered the bike. So today's ride will include a lot of stopping to drink. I could wear my Camelback, but DH said he doesn't mind stopping for me to drink. The other cage won't be here for about 10 days.
I'm signed up to my club's annual day before Thanksgiving ride (have to sign up due to the catered meal after the ride), so I probably will use the Camelbak for that. Thankfully, this group is full of Freds and Freddettes, so no one will scorn me.

[Crankin]

Yeah, I've heard the term Wilmas.
It's not so much carrying water; I have some small bottles from my running belt that I could carry. It's more being able to access while riding. Since I am already challenged in this department, the Camelbak is my option, until the cage arrives.
Today will be fine, as DH and I stop way more than most, anyway. And I think the ride Wednesday is a moot point, as there is now a 75% chance of snow at 10 AM. We'll still have the party, though.

[roo4]

Oh my. She is gorgeous. Wishing you thousands of happy miles together.

[Jolt]

Looks nice--enjoy!

[IBrakeforPastry]

Congrats! Looking forward to this evening's ride report :)

[Catrin]

She is beautiful, can hardly wait to hear how the ride wen!

[Crankin]

Got back from the maiden voyage about 45 minutes ago.
We intended to do some hills in Harvard, eat lunch at the General Store, and return home. But, we had made like 5 stops in the first 5 miles, so we altered our plan and ended up riding maybe 5 miles less than we would have. No big hills, but some small ones, all around Acton, Boxborough,, back into west Concord, where we ate lunch and then rode the 6 miles home. First, our stops were to shed or change our our gloves, head coverings, etc. Then, the back gears had to be slightly adjusted. Then, I wanted my saddle raised a teeny hair, like half a mm.
The verdict is: This is the first road bike I've had that fits me. Sad that it took 14 years, but true. Some of it is change in technology and the way they build bikes now. The pain in my shoulder is gone. My hip doesn't hurt right now, either. Of course, other things I do annoy it, but if I can have one less thing that does, it's good. The Oura saddle (one in my size miraculously appeared in the shop yesterday) was great on the soft tissue, no pain at all. I did feel my sit bones, which the fitter warned me about. Not terrible, but by the end of the ride, I was noticing it more and more. He said it would take some getting used to. The ride is smooth, just like, well, silk.
The biggest thing I had to pay attention to is shifting. I have the same gearing (well one more lower gear) on my Guru and except for commuting, I don't ride it much on local roads, except for when I am going to do really hard climbs. But this past summer, I made myself ride the bike with fewer low gears, to prepare for my trip. Hence, I just have to remind myself I will be in the small ring of the compact a lot more than the granny gear of the triple. There's just more shifting involved, overall. I remember having trouble finding my sweet spot, when I got the Guru, but I didn't feel like that today. Just sort of playing with what felt good. My average was really, really slow today, with all the experimentation, stopping, etc.
Overall, I am thrilled. And, what's sad is, that this bike cost less than either the Kuota or the Guru. Very glad engineering has caught up with the needs of petite riders.

[Bones8]

Great looking bike! The geometry looks very comfortable. Did you have to play around with it much to get it to fit right?

[Crankin]

Pretty much, except that the stem/bars are more specific to me. And, of course, the components are 1-2 steps up and it has the inserts. But the geometry feel is the same. I think the wheel base might even be a bit longer. This bike does not feel sluggish at all to me. I pushed it on a small hill near our lunch stop, where, on a good day I am going 11-12. Today I was going 14. So, I can accelerate if need be. But, don't worry, because basically, I am a lazy rider, unless someone gets me mad!
*I* did not play around with the fit; I had an extensive 2+ hour fitting on the Guru fit machine, plus another 1/2 hour of anatomical measurements before ordering. The bike is a Project One Trek, which means you can customize certain things. And even yesterday, when I went back for the last extra fit for the bars and saddle on the actual bike, I had 3 guys (2 fitters and a sales rep) plus my DH watching me on the trainer and making minute adjustments. I laughed and told them that this is the way it should be, 4 men standing around just asking me what I want...
Seriously, this time, I knew exactly what I wanted and needed. But, I don't have the time, mechanical skill, or patience to do this myself. After I did the initial research and found a newer Trek model with the same geometry that the bike Irented had, it was in the fitter's hands. And both of them listened. Maybe because now I have the knowledge I didn't have 10 years ago, but I was treated perfectly.

[Catrin]

Congratulations, sounds wonderful, and like my experience with the Gunnar. So glad it was so positive!

[Crankin]

Nope, I did not end up with the zero offset seat post. I can't remember what they did, but it feels fine.
When we were riding home, I felt like riding by and showing the "other" LBS my new purchase, but it was really just a mean impulse. I might need them for something in the future.
However, I will be taking my Guru in to the new LBS and see if they can approximate the same geometry with bars on the Guru with a change of stem and position.

[OakLeaf]

Yay!!

What was the issue with the brifters, they're not selling the 11-speed short reach shifters in the USA at all?

Did it come with 165 mm cranks, or did you have to swap those out?

You're making me want to test ride one ...

[Crankin]

They basically stopped making the R700 short reach brifters sometime in the last 3 years. Because of my new position and my short and shallow bars, I can reach the brakes OK. It is not as good as with the short reach ones, but if I am in the curve of the drops, I can reach them.
I ordered it with 165s (this was one of the customized parts of the Project One). They thought it would take much longer to get here, as apparently there is a shortage of 165 cranks.
DH is going to get shorter cranks on his next bike, too.
You should test one, Oak. I can't believe how different this bike is from my Trek 5200, which I bought in 2004. That was a great WSD bike for that time, but times have changed.

[OakLeaf]

Yeah, I just saw the newer Ultegra levers have a screw adjuster for reach. Don't know why they didn't do that a long time ago.

[Bones8]

I mean fitting. Its so slow typing in my phone that I get muddled up lol

[IBrakeforPastry]

Wow! That sounds like an amazing bike riding experience. I may have to look into that in a few years.

I'm thinking of a trip to Boston...

[Crankin]

To ride?? Or are you talking about the fitting? There are Guru certified fitters in a lot of places. But, it's more the way they listened to me. That, I am afraid you have to ask around and get recommendations. The shop I went to knows me, because 12 years ago my son worked there, when he was in high school. I've bought a minimal amount of stuff there, but over the years, I've kept the relationship up. I always thought they were weird, but when my closest friend had a fitting there last winter and said they really listened to him, my mind was set. The other shop I bought my custom Guru and my Kuota from is way more race oriented and they have a rep for being snobby. They patronized me because one of their woman employees found out/read some not so nice comments I wrote about them here on TE. They figured out that everytime I went in there, I knew most of the other customers. And, I lead rides. I belong to 2 clubs, and I know people in the racing community, too, from when my son raced. I have a big mouth and they knew I would use it. So, when the original Kuota frame they sold me was way too big, they exchanged it for a smaller one, almost a year later, with no cost. The place I bought the Silque is more of an all around shop. They do a lot of community work, sell high end and regular people bikes, lots of commuter stuff, and (a plus for me) cross country skis, too. Every high school kid who loves cycling gets hired there; they were wonderful to my son.

[BlessedB]

Congratulations on Ms. Silque!
I went back and forth between a Silque and a Domane 4.7 - Ended up with the Domane because it was there in the shop and I could ride it; was afraid to order a bike I had never ridden, and no LBS's had a 56cm Silque in stock.
Wishing you many happy miles.
Oh, and the Domane feels like riding silk - no pun intended. :)

[Bones8]

Oops I meant fitting not riding :o

[IBrakeforPastry]

To ride?? Or are you talking about the fitting?

Oh I don't know. I love Boston (as a city - not a bike destination) and I love New England in general. I used to live on Cape Cod and have been considering relocating back to Mass, somewhere. But specifically I meant it sounds like you have a nice shop there. The shop where I bought my Dolce does fittings on this big contraption thing that you ride on for an hour or two. Or three. They no longer sell Specialized and seem to be almost anti-Specialized now - they went from gung-ho enthusiasm to very negative. I want to take my Dolce in there, but not with their current attitude. Basically, I'd love to find someone who will listen to me, and understand my concerns, and not just give me some generic answer.

[Bones8]

What part of Cape Cod did you live in? I was stationed in Woods Hole (Coast Guard) for a few years. Prior to that I was in Newport, RI.

[IBrakeforPastry]

Mid Cape. I had three addresses in 2 1/2 years. I worked at the Hyannis airport and so had some dealings with the Coast Guard. After a couple of Nor'Easters I really developed a lot of respect for those crews. It was nice riding my bike to work :)

[Crankin]

I spent every summer of my first 18 years in West Yarmouth. This was even after I moved away from MA. Then, when I moved back here, I did the same thing with my own kids, until they were in middle school.
I only go to the Cape in off season now, although I didn't go for the past 2 years; it's not really conducive for riding in the summer. I now love the Berkshires!
Come visit!

[IBrakeforPastry]

I still have a friend in Eastham. I visited in September and will hopefully go again next year. I was thinking if I ever moved back, I would stay there in the off-season, and rent out my house in the summer. I would spend my summers elsewhere in New England, or upstate NY.

When I worked in Hyannis it was faster to ride my bike to work in the summer than to drive.

[Crankin]

I love Eastham. Spent a wonderful 2 weeks there, the summer before I moved back to MA. A very good friend of mine has a second home in Orleans, but that is so crowded, mostly with very old people! I don't know how she stands it. She is very different from me, even though she is a rider.
My 35th anniversary is the 8th. We are thinking of going away next weekend. Maybe we should go to the Cape.

[IBrakeforPastry]

8th of December? Do some of the villages still do a Christmas Stroll? We went to the one in Chatham and it was fun. I guess it was the first year they did it and the shops opened, the one off-season restaurant was crowded, and the bank, not having any merchandise to sell, handed out free punch. Spiked. It was a silly, jolly, old time.

My friend in Eastham also owns a rental house, and it was available for a week in September. It was fun to ride my bike to the Bay, turn around, and then ride to the ocean. And back.

I pretty much hibernated in the summer. Just too crowded, and I'm not much of a beach-goer, anyway. September and October were nice.

[Crankin]

The Cape is pretty much open all year round now, especially places like Chatham. I went to a conference at the Chatham Bars Inn, around 2003 and the town was in definite celebratory mode. There are some places that close for January and February and a few that close for the whole winter, but it's not like the old days. Chatham has a very busy First Night celebration, too.
I loved staying on the Bay in Eastham. Of course, being the New Englander I am, I had never even been to a beach there. It was great when my kids were small; the tide goes out really far and there's lots of tidal pools and marine life. The water is warm, too, just like the south side. I have enjoyed riding on the Cape in the fall and early spring. Even the rail trail is OK then.
Yes, the 8th of December. Still not sure what we will do. The trip to Portugal was our gift to ourselves, but we feel that since most people don't make it this far, we should do more to celebrate!
Back to the Silque; not sure about the Oura. The cut out/soft tissue is perfect, but my left glute is hurting today after an 8 mile hilly ride at lunch yesterday. I want the saddle to work, I hate dealing with this stuff. It looks like the snow is not going to be quite as bad as predicted, so I may be able to ride Sunday.

[IBrakeforPastry]

Forgot to wish you a Mazel Tov. 35 years is beautiful!

[Crankin]

Yes, Murienn, I am uneven! Everything always wears on the left, my left hip is lower. And no, it is not on the inside. One thing, I did not have them put the saddle to the exact angle as my Falcon. I like the nose tipped up a tiny bit. And yesterday, I did feel like I was pushing back a little, not because I needed relief on the soft tissue, more like I was just sliding forward. So DH is going to put the saddle exactly how my others have been. Right now, as I sit and type, I can feel my left sit bone aching, still.
Hoping I can ride Sunday. I will ride right to the LBS and discuss.

[Crankin]

I had a shim in my left cleat at one point.... one made by the former LBS and one made by DH (can't remember why I switched). It resulted in me not being able to clip in very easily. This was with my Sidis and now I have Shimano shoes. Anyway, the fitter is very knowledgable and knows about this. If he has to make a shim, that's OK, except I do have winter cycling shoes that I am more apt to be wearing at this time of year, though I wasn't on Sunday and Tuesday.
Rear end is fine today. Of course, it's a moot point. It looks like January outside right now.

[millefolia]

After I did the initial research and found a newer Trek model with the same geometry that the bike Irented had, it was in the fitter's hands. And both of them listened. Maybe because now I have the knowledge I didn't have 10 years ago, but I was treated perfectly.

What shop did you go to? I'm in the Boston area and thinking of getting a new road bike...

[Crankin]

Pedal Power on Great Rd in Acton.

[millefolia]

Thanks! I like Trek, but I don't like the Trek dealers nearest to me.

[Crankin]

Yup, do not go to Landry's, IBC, or Belmont Wheelworks.
The Cycle Loft in Burlington is good, too.

[millefolia]

Yup, do not go to Landry's, IBC, or Belmont Wheelworks.
The Cycle Loft in Burlington is good, too.

Nor Ace Wheelworks, sigh. I had good service a couple of times but then both my housemate and I had noticeably patronizing service (different visits) so I don't go there anymore. I love Broadway Bicycle School, though!

[Crankin]

Ace and Belmont are the same company.
My son goes to Broadway Bicycle School for maintenance.
I find that smaller shops usually are better, but only if it's not a super race oriented shop. Even some with women employees suck.

[Crankin]

No pictures, no rides. I rode last Sunday, for 11 miles and that was the last ride outdoors. We had a warm day, but I was at work and even if I commuted, it would not have been on the Silque. Hoping to get out Sunday, even if it's 35 degrees.
Here is the picture from my first ride.

[Crankin]

Yes, very comfortable. I just want to keep testing the saddle. DH was at the auto parts store near the LBS, and took it upon himself to go in there, to report my saddle issues to the owner/fitter. This, in itself pissed me off, but I know he is just trying to be helpful, as he was asking about the Romin. The fitter said I need to do 7-8 rides, and was questioning DH why I tilted the nose up. I just had forgotten to tell him that my saddle is always like this. It doesn't look pointed up, but it is, a hair, which keeps me from sliding back. But, I highly doubt I will get 7-8 rides in, given the weather. Truthfully, I am kind of "done" for the season, but it seems like the warm days we are having are rainy, or I am at work, and the dry days are not just cold, but windy. Or, it is snowing.
We shall see.

[IBrakeforPastry]

What a happy photo - thanks for sharing! Quite frankly, I'm impressed you can stretch your season out so long. I give up much sooner ;)

[Crankin]

I think I have my Kuota sold. A fellow AMC leader is coming over Sunday to test it out. I don't know her well, but she is the new-ish girlfriend of the guy I lead a lot of rides with. She is a little taller than me, but our legs are exactly the same length. She's coming at 2:45, so I can get at least a good 20 miles in on the Silque before she comes.

[Crankin]

My Kuota is sold!
It's going to a good home, to someone who is very active, an AMC bike and hiking leader. She went out and rode it about 6 miles, including up and down my street and Strawberry Hill, so that's a good test of just about any kind of condition you could have.
Murienn, I sold it for $500.00. I may have been able to get a bit more, but I just wanted it done.

[Catrin]

Congratulations Crankin! Now if I could just sell my lovely Gunnar frame...

[Crankin]

You will, Catrin. Maybe through people you know at the gym or your mountain biking connections?
I didn't have to do any work for this one. We went to a leader's party on Tuesday and DH just mentioned I was selling my bike. This woman perked up and said she was interested. The bike she had is not crappy, but definitely too big for her.

[IBrakeforPastry]

That's lucky to sell a bike this time of year. ��

It's the strangest thing. The Sunday before Thanksgiving I listed my Cannondale on Craigslist, thinking "this is a waste of time". The next day I got a reply. A few days later a really nice woman came by. It was 28 degrees, snowing, and the road wasn't plowed. She had been doing research and this was the bike she wanted. I was sorry to see it go (it was basically unused - too big for me), but really happy it went to such a nice person. And hopefully it will have a more exciting life than just sitting in my garage.

Congrats Crankin, on the new bike and the successful sale.

[Catrin]

The thread where you listed it on TE ended up so long that it's possible anyone interested was not quite sure if it sold, or just gave up because they didn't want to read it. Maybe you should repost?
I will when I've a chance, tomorrow or Wednesday evening. Since there is no actual size it is challenging to post just enough info rather than too much.

[Crankin]

Wow, this thread has evolved to bike selling.
I felt a little sad to see Kuota go, but she's in a good home. DH was actually encouraging me to not sell her, but I don't need 3 road bikes.
Hoping the weather cooperates and I get to do my 37 mile club ride tomorrow.