Do carbon bikes have a shelf life?

[kacie tri-ing]

I ended up buying the 2004 carbon tri bike I was drooling over. The previous owner was the original owner and the bike was very well cared for. I'm loving it so far but it's taking some time to get used to the new gearing: double and bar end shifters.

I didn't realize that you really JUST bought that bike! Have you posted pictures??

Edit: I just found them! SO cute! Did you keep that cool bartape??

[HillSlugger]

I didn't realize that you really JUST bought that bike! Have you posted pictures??

Edit: I just found them! SO cute! Did you keep that cool bartape??

I hated that bar tape. It was gone in an instant!

Here's an updated photo but it doesn't show it with my Zipp 303 race wheels.

[aicabsolut]

Friction shifters in the front mean you get more trim for the FD. This is a good thing. I think that's pretty common for TT/tri bikes.

[kfergos]

I hated that bar tape. It was gone in an instant!

Here's an updated photo but it doesn't show it with my Zipp 303 race wheels.

Ooooo that red bar tape is really sharp! Much better than the other speckled stuff. Ick.

[HillSlugger]

Ooooo that red bar tape is really sharp! Much better than the other speckled stuff. Ick.

Thank you. I think so too!

[kacie tri-ing]

I think it looks fantastic how you have it set up How is is riding for you?

[HillSlugger]

I think it looks fantastic how you have it set up How is it riding for you?

I had to do some tweaking of the cockpit with the aerobar fit but it feels pretty comfortable now and feels much more stable than my road bike with clip ons. I switched out the standard crank for a compact; my biggest "problem" right now is getting used to the shifting, both with learning how to ride the compact double (as compared to the triple I'm used to) and how to use the bar end shifters. Right now I still have to think a bit about which way to move the lever for each shift. Also, the front derailleur is not adjusted quite right and has a tendency to drop the chain off the outside. For these reasons I opted NOT to ride this bike in the tri I did yesterday. Still, it's way fun to ride! Can't wait to get more used to it and use it for the next tri!

[Cataboo]

I've been getting used to a compact double in the last couple weeks... so far I really like it.

Shifting up 2 in the back if I shift up one in the front when going up hills seems to work really well for not losing momentum.

[aicabsolut]

I had to do some tweaking of the cockpit with the aerobar fit but it feels pretty comfortable now and feels much more stable than my road bike with clip ons. I switched out the standard crank for a compact; my biggest "problem" right now is getting used to the shifting, both with learning how to ride the compact double (as compared to the triple I'm used to) and how to use the bar end shifters. Right now I still have to think a bit about which way to move the lever for each shift. Also, the front derailleur is not adjusted quite right and has a tendency to drop the chain off the outside. For these reasons I opted NOT to ride this bike in the tri I did yesterday. Still, it's way fun to ride! Can't wait to get more used to it and use it for the next tri!

That should be an easy fix with the H limit. It's not an indexing / cable tension issue (which is of course good for you since your FD doesn't have an index shifter). If it's a clamp-on FD, you may want to check that the cage is installed correctly--not too high.