SURPRISE! I got a new road bike!

SCREAMS! JUMPS UP AND DOWN!

So, I come home last night... and notice that there is something behind my curtain in my bedroom. Something large.

I look... and there is my dream bike... 2006 Specialized Tarmac Expert Double!

My dear, sweet boyfriend... Jonny... was VERY KIND and GENEROUS... and bought me my bike... just because!

DAMN! I can't believe it. A *dream* come true. I can't wait to post pictures!

And yes, I feel horribly guilty that he bought me something that is so expensive. I wish I could pay him back... but unfortunately I can't.

I will just put many miles on my sweet new ride to show my sincere appreciation for such an amazing present.

Specs on my new roadie:

FRAME Specialized FACT 6r carbon, triple monocoque construction, compact race design, Zertz inserts

FORK Specialized FACT monocoque carbon fork; full carbon legs, crown and steerer w/ Speed Zertz

HEADSET Specialized Mindset Plus Carbon, 1 1/8" integrated threadless, cartridge sealed bearings, alloy 20mm cone w/ one 10mm and two 5mm alloy spacers

FRONT BRAKE Shimano Ultegra

REAR BRAKE Shimano Ultegra

BRAKE LEVERS Shimano Ultegra, 10-speed STI, flight deck compatible

FRONT DERAILLEUR Shimano Ultegra, 31.8mm clamp, bottom pull

REAR DERAILLEUR Shimano Dura-Ace, short cage

SHIFT LEVERS Shimano Ultegra, 10-speed STI, flight deck compatible

CASSETTE / FREEWHEEL Shimano Ultegra, 12-27t

CHAIN Shimano Ultegra, 10-speed

SEAT POST Specialized Pavé FACT carbon w/ Zertz insert, 27.2mm

SEAT BINDER Specialized, forged/CNC'd, double wedge

WOW!!!! BEAUTIFULL BIKE!!!

Now.. where can I get one of those... I don't mean the bike, I mean the nice boyfriend!!! :D :D :D

YOu can pay him back in a dozen ways. and never spend a dime. believe me.
Congrats on that new bike! how cool is that!

I was getting ready to google it... and then I saw you thoughtfully included
photos. Nice colors, that new fab shape/style.

happy new bike to you!!

WOW, what a bike! :D (And your boyfriend is pretty great, too ;))

Hopefully you get to take it out for a spin, soon. It looks beautiful.

Thanks for the wonderful comments ladies.

The boyfriend- Not sure how I got this one! But we have been together 3 years...and it looks like he's not planning on leaving me anytime soon... :p And I have my ways of "paying him back"... ;)

The bike- It's my dream bike. I seriously looked all over, test rode different bikes... and when I rode this bike, I KNEW I wanted it. There was no doubt in my mind, that it was the bike for me. Unfortunately, my wallet could not afford my *dream*.

I am honestly shocked, and blown away by this overly generous gift.

I hope to get it setup this weekend with my seat, pedals and carbon handlebars... so I can ride it soon.

Wow!!!!! Congrats on your new wheels. What a great bike and what even greater boyfriend.

Now, that's love if I ever saw it! Congrats on both the bike and the great boyfriend.

Happiness is a warm puppy, new bike, and generous boyfriend!

Enjoy your new ride---wishing you lots of nice miles and good riding weather!

Very Pretty. Wishing you many miles of happiness....let us know what you name her.

Wow that is a beautiful bike. From another rider who got an amazing bike from her husband I say enjoy and dont worry about the cost it was a gift and just the joy he sees on your face when you ride it will be payment enough...well maybe a few extra hugs wouldnt go astray.:D

It's a beauty, you will make happy miles on it :)
By the way, can they clone that bf of course? ;)

what a bike :D :D what a man :D :D :D

WOW KSH!! I'm jumping up and down in excitement for you. I am a total Specialized fanatic. All of my favorite bikes have been Specialized. I'm so happy for you, for your new bike and your dear BF.

I soooooooo wanted to get a new bike this year but DH and I are building a house. Every dime we have is going into it, and then some. So, no new bike for me. Shakespear said that jealousy is the green eyed monster, and I have to admit, my eyes are a little green right now.

Congratulations and enjoy!!

WOW!!!! Very pretty! And what a nice bf!!

Oooh, perty. Glad to see pics of your new ride. :D

Hi KSH!

WHAT A GORGEOUS BIKE!! :D

A beautiful gift from your wonderful boyfriend :)! He will enjoy seeing you smile everytime you ride her. I'm very happy for you!!

HAVE FUN!!

Peace & Love to you and yours,

Denise

Congratulations! That is one beautiful bike. Excuse me while I get a paper towel to wipe the drool off my keyboard. KB

very nice bike!!! have fun!

btw does he have a brother just like him that is in the alaska area?

WHAT A BEAUTY!!!!!

What an incredible bf you have!!!!!! Wow- drooling all over the place. You have fun!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again ladies!

My bike is so pretty! I love it!

I told my boyfriend I was scared to take it on this group ride next weekend, because we are going to go inside somewhere and eat... downtown... and chain our bikes up (probably 50+ bikes!).

He said, "Well, I am sure there will be more expensive bikes or wheels theives can steal"... and I replied, "Yes, but MY BIKE is the PRETTIEST!". :p

I am taking her in today to get my carbon handlebars, pedals and computer put on. She should be ready by mid week and then I can get fit. I can't wait to RIDE her! So frustrating... no pedals and all!

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Originally Posted by Wahine

WOW KSH!! I'm jumping up and down in excitement for you. I am a total Specialized fanatic. All of my favorite bikes have been Specialized. I'm so happy for you, for your new bike and your dear BF.

I soooooooo wanted to get a new bike this year but DH and I are building a house. Every dime we have is going into it, and then some. So, no new bike for me. Shakespear said that jealousy is the green eyed monster, and I have to admit, my eyes are a little green right now.

Congratulations and enjoy!!

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A house is way cooler! Enjoy the new house! From the sounds of it... you are going to have a real show piece.

What a beauty!! I told my DH and he started rattling about how sweet the Gerolsteiner paint job is. He was quite impressed, don't think he would be following the lead though. :rolleyes:

You now have a great fleet of bikes, happy riding!

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Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama

What a beauty!! I told my DH and he started rattling about how sweet the Gerolsteiner paint job is. He was quite impressed, don't think he would be following the lead though. :rolleyes:

You now have a great fleet of bikes, happy riding!

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Hee-hee.... it didn't make him run out and buy ya one... eh?

Yea, I got my bike put together and fitted yesterday... and had a ride scheduled for today. But it's 32 degrees and with the wind blowing... it feels like 22 degrees. Not sure if I can motivate out the door, even though I want to ride my new bike really bad!

OK you're off the hook for today, but please post about your first ride on her. Awesome machine!

That is such a magnificant bike. I am such a fan of Specialized bikes, particularly because they fit me well but also because of the attention they give to WSD. You must be tall-ish as this is a men's bike. I have the WSD Ruby Comp and I think the men's S-Works Tarmac and Roubaix are so much more visually appealing, although the women's Ruby Pro is super nice looking. It looks like they now offer S-Works Ruby for women but it doesn't have that same "look" likely because of the structural considerations. I need a triple for where I live so if I buy out of the box I can go as far as the Ruby Expert. I love my Comp but I sure envy you for your components.

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Originally Posted by mudmucker

That is such a magnificant bike. I am such a fan of Specialized bikes, particularly because they fit me well but also because of the attention they give to WSD. You must be tall-ish as this is a men's bike. I have the WSD Ruby Comp and I think the men's S-Works Tarmac and Roubaix are so much more visually appealing, although the women's Ruby Pro is super nice looking. It looks like they now offer S-Works Ruby for women but it doesn't have that same "look" likely because of the structural considerations. I need a triple for where I live so if I buy out of the box I can go as far as the Ruby Expert. I love my Comp but I sure envy you for your components.

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Tall-ish? Ah... not really. I am 5'4". I do have a long torso though. I have heard that WSD bikes cater to a body type with long legs and a short torso. Although I'm not 100% sure that is true.

I did try the Ruby and liked it as much as the Tarmac... but it was $400 more... so I had to not like it :p .

I tried the Roubaix too... but didn't love it. It wasn't as peppy as the Tarmac. And I wanted ALL Ultegra components... and the Roubaix was a mix of 105 and Ultegra.

My tri bike is a double and now so is my roadie. I think I like having a triple better... but I guess I'll see how it goes. All I know is that climbing ANY type of hill on my tri bike is 100 times more work!

Specialized does rock though! I can't wait to put some MILES on her! Oh, and post a picture of baby... it would be nice to your ride!

I've never posted a pic of my bike before. I have a couple outside shots but couldn't resist taking a pic of my bike in front of my couch for not only is the bike somewhat similar but so is the couch. Very funny. This is such a nice ride. I came from a steel Lemond Tourmelet that was about 12 years old. I do like steel but I wanted carbon this time. With this bike here, I actually frequently stand in the pedals and sprint up the short hills and I like it; the bike is very responsive and I think sprinting up hills is fun now and I never thought I'd say that.

Hi KSH & mudmucker!

I LOVE both of your bikes AND I also really like both of your couches. :)
We're hoping to purchase a couch within the next month.
Can you please let me know where you bought them?

Thanks!

Peace & Love,
Denise

Mudmucker- Our bikes are twinkies! Cool! Too bad we don't live near each other.

Yea, I can't wait to take my girl out on the open road... to see what she can do. I hope I am FASTER on it, than I was on my Trek 1000. If I can just gain a 2 mph average, I can ride with the intermediate group and not get dropped!

The couch- Is not mine. It's my boyfriends. He took pictures before giving me the bike.

His couch... don't laugh... is from the Cindy Crawford collection at Rooms to Go. It's HUGE and comfy. I can lay out and sleep on it and he still has room to sit on the other end.

As usual, I'm way late . . .

Congratulations!!!

It's just beautiful. What a wonderful boyfriend you have, that is such an amazing gift. You must be in agony not being able to go out and ride. Keep us posted when you get a chance to take her out.

Several days late, but the sentiment is just as strong:
Woo-Hoo!!! Nice bike, no, nice boyfriend, no, nice bike, no, nice boyfriend--BOTH!:D

Wishing you good weather soon, and many happy miles together!

Anika and JuJu... better late than never! Thanks so much! Yes, he was wonderful to have given me such a generous gift.

Here is a picture of her after putting my carbon handlebars and saddle on it.

That is an amazing bike.... Hope she treats you well.

Here is a picture of her after putting my carbon handlebars and saddle on it.

I am going to put black bar tape on mine as well. I don't care for the white. I love my bar phat and hadn't ever used it before - very cushy. What saddle do you have on there? The saddle that came with mine was the Specialized BG Jett and it was just too harsh for my sitbones. I love the way Specialized saddles perch you up off girl parts so I switched to the Specialized Avatar which has some gel. The verdict is still out as I got it late in the season - I've only gone 54 miles in it.

I LOVE both of your bikes AND I also really like both of your couches.
We're hoping to purchase a couch within the next month.
Can you please let me know where you bought them?

I notice you are in Massachusetts so you're in luck. I got it at Danish Inspirations in Hatfield, MA. There are only about 4 stores in the U.S. but we have one close. (http://www.danishinspirations.com). It's an Italian-made couch by Natuzzi. I don't actually see the same couch that I have on the web-site but the last time I was in the store there was one in the showroom, and they have many others not on the website. I got a teak dining room table (the Ansager) also, with chairs. I like the quality and the lines of the wood furniture in the store although I am not a fan of all Danish furniture, especially the stuff that looks real uncomfortable. I had looked all over for a couch - I live so close to the self-proclaimed "Furniture Capital of New England" in Gardner, MA (yes there is a sign on Rt. 2 heading west) at about 8 stores but they all had that huge overstuffed furniture.

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I am going to put black bar tape on mine as well. I don't care for the white. I love my bar phat and hadn't ever used it before - very cushy. What saddle do you have on there? The saddle that came with mine was the Specialized BG Jett and it was just too harsh for my sitbones. I love the way Specialized saddles perch you up off girl parts so I switched to the Specialized Avatar which has some gel. The verdict is still out as I got it late in the season - I've only gone 54 miles in it.

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Yea, white gets dirty too quickly. It's so pretty... but not practical. Plus, my carbon handlebars are black, and the bar tape doesn't cover them completely. It would look silly to have black showing.

I put a Terry Butterfly saddle on it. I went with that color, because it matched and looked better.

The saddle that came with it... was like sitting on wood. I go credit towards buying a new seat by trading it in to the LBS.

I am not sure I will like the saddle... as I haven't ridden on it at all. But my other saddle hurt my sit bones, so it can't be any worse I suppose. And I do have a Butterfly on my tri bike... and it seems to be fine... although your sit bones don't dig into the seat when you are in areo position.

Originally posted by KSH:

Quote:

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The couch- Is not mine. It's my boyfriends. He took pictures before giving me the bike.

His couch... don't laugh... is from the Cindy Crawford collection at Rooms to Go. It's HUGE and comfy. I can lay out and sleep on it and he still has room to sit on the other end.

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Hi KSH!
Thanks for letting me know where your boyfriend got his couch. I really like it a lot. I've never heard of the store you mentioned. Oh.....I'm not laughing... I like Cindy Crawford; I never knew she had her own furniture line ;) .


Originally posted by mudmucker:

Quote:

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I notice you are in Massachusetts so you're in luck. I got it at Danish Inspirations in Hatfield, MA. There are only about 4 stores in the U.S. but we have one close. (http://www.danishinspirations.com). It's an Italian-made couch by Natuzzi. I don't actually see the same couch that I have on the web-site but the last time I was in the store there was one in the showroom, and they have many others not on the website. I got a teak dining room table (the Ansager) also, with chairs. I like the quality and the lines of the wood furniture in the store although I am not a fan of all Danish furniture, especially the stuff that looks real uncomfortable. I had looked all over for a couch - I live so close to the self-proclaimed "Furniture Capital of New England" in Gardner, MA (yes there is a sign on Rt. 2 heading west) at about 8 stores but they all had that huge overstuffed furniture.

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Hi mudmucker:
Thanks for all the info & the link to the furniture store. I checked it out real quick and it looks like they have lots of beautiful things. I 'thought' your town was around the Gardner area. The last time I went to the "Furniture Capital of New England" was approximately 20 years ago. Even way back then, I remember that most of the living room furniture in the stores "looked wicked puffy" :p
I'll spend more time on the "Danish Inspirations" site later tonight. It'll be worth the drive (and maybe an over-night trip ;) ) if we find a couch that's similar to what we want :) !

Thank you both again for your help.

I hope that you both are enjoying your bikes :D :D !! They REALLY are soooooooo gorgeous.

Peace & Love to you and yours,

Denise