She's here!

[Jo-n-NY]

Oh that is a beautiful bike. I could not believe the change in colors from one pic to the next. I must look gorgeous in the sun.

I wish you enjoyable and safe miles with it.

~ JoAnn

[7rider]

Oooooo...Pretty eye candy! Serottas are such beautiful bikes.
Thanks for posting the pics.

Is that one of those color-shifting paint jobs that looks one color at one angle, but then the color shifts to something different at another angle?

Linus looks like he's saying "You got the camera out. Obviously, you want to take a picture of ME."
Enjoy the ride!!

[pll]

The bike and Linus are beautiful. I thought those dog ears and eyes meant "What do you mean 'get out of the picture'? I'm ready for a walk!"

[ace]

Yup, the colors change in the light, sort of purple/blue/copper.

Now I just have to get comfortable on it!

[KSH]

Beautiful bike ACE!

The dog... HAHAHA! Too funny. It's like he posed and everything for the pictures.

[KnottedYet]

Gorgeous bike!
(and handsome dog!)

[pooks]

That is a GORGEOUS bike!!!

And I think Linus looks very protective. He's guarding your bike and trying to decide where to bite the asinine guy who asked you about the divorce settlement.

Good dog!

Great bike!

[Ninabike]

That is absolutely one beautiful .... dog ...er.., BIKE!! Congratulations.

[rij73]

Gorgeous bike! You must be so psyched... Your dog looks like an absolute sweetie-pie. My dog has a similar expression!

[Bikingmomof3]

Gorgeous bike, fabulous colours and the dog is adorable.

[ace]

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

[maillotpois]

Wow - thanks for taking that picture from the top because you really get a good sense for the color changes. VERY cool.

I like the art shot of Linus in the foreground and the bike slightly blurry behind him.