She's here!

It's true love, at last.

I took new bike out to meet Bikerz yesterday (and to do a 20 mile ride on the Bay Trail). It was great riding with Bikerz, who tutored me on the ways of riding a road bike, adjusted my saddle, and just generally kept an eye on me. The verdict? Woo-hoo! The bike feels like it was made for me (not surprisingly, because it was made for me). It's very smooth and stable. My speed instantly picked up- it was just so freakin' easy to zoom along at 15-16 mph. I found myself going 19 mph at one point, and it did not require much effort. And, best of all, going up hills is a about five million times easier than on my hybrid, much less knee involvement. I am completely amazed at the difference between my hybrid, and the road bike. It makes me want to ride hills, I can't believe it.

A few things need tweaking- I don't have a big enough gear, my biggest ring is a 48, and I'm pedaling air on any decline, find myself cycling in the highest gears a lot. I think lbs guy didn't realize that even though I'm big, and have trouble with hills, I'm strong and have a lot of power on the flats/declines. Bikerz suggested a 53 ring, so I will talk to lbs guy.

Also, the saddle mashed my delicate bits in a painful way I had not yet experienced, only read about on these boards. Ow. We tried tilting the saddle forward, and that helped a little. Bikerz recommends a firmer saddle.

Also, my carpal tunnel started acting up- I'm cocking my wrists when riding, gotta stop that. I'm not sure if I can control the pain with position, or if the handlebars need repositioning or if I need a different stem. Further investigation is warranted.

But, in general, I am thrilled. In fact, I'm thinking seriously about getting the road bike instead of the hybrid they offer on my bike trip to Italy in two weeks. They have Bianchi custom road bikes, and I'm not sure how well they'll work for me. My lbs guys said Bianchis tend to work better for long torsoed/shorter legs people, and I have a short torso and long legs (I'm 5'4ish). But if the Bianchi is anything like as easy to get up the hills as my Serotta, it would really help preserve my knees. Plus their Bianchis have Campy ergo shifters, which is what I have, and which hurt my hands less than Shimano shifting.

Anyway, thanks for listening. Just wanted to say I'm over my case of buyer's remorse. This bike was definitely worth the expenditure for me.

Happily,
Amy