Fuji Silhouette:looking for the good, the bad, and the ugly (or pretty!!)

[KathiCville]

I bought the Fuji Silhouette about two months ago...from Performance, for better or worse. Got a great deal on it: @$1350-$1400. Which in turn allowed me (or I should say allowed my wrench-wielding BF) to upgrade some of the components immediately, while still keeping the overall price below $2000. I have a mix of Ultegra and XTR components. The original 105 drivetrain is sitting pristinely in a box in the basement while I decide whether I can put it to use on another bike or sell it. I wanted a triple because I'm not a strong rider and I live in the Blue Ridge where hills and mountains are the order of the day.

At any rate, so far, I *love* the Silhouette! I was riding an "OK" Schwinn that was much heavier and more of a touring bike. I immediately gained an average 2mph in speed by moving up to the Fuji. Now the challenge (for me) is to grow into the Silhouette by getting even stronger.

The only major thing that I'm still 'playing with' is the handlebar---I might switch out the one that came with the bike for one of the short-and-shallow varieties. I have small hands, small reach. The bar that came with the bike is just fine--it's even the 'right' width for me. But if I find a better bar at a bargain price I'll nab it.

One thing I've noticed on the Fuji is that I'm a bit less confident flying down steep hills, I think because of the lighter weight of the bike. I've never been particularly brave or talented about descending, but on the heavier Schwinn I did OK. I'm sure it's just a matter of improving my bike-handling skills and getting more comfortable with the feel of a lighter bike going really fast downhill. I HAVE hit 36mph (while gritting my teeth, LOL!) on a straight-no-curves descent on the Fuji, so I know I can do it under the right circumstances. On the Schwinn my max going full tilt was 33mph.

In an earlier post about the Silhouette I mentioned that while I was sitting on the bike in Performance, debating whether to take the plunge, I noticed a woman hovering a little distance from me, watching. She finally spoke up. She had ridden a Silhouette for about a year, I think. Loved it. And told me I wouldn't regret the decision. Her words alone wouldn't have been enough to sway me, but it was great to get a thumbs-up from someone who had been riding it for a year or so.

KathiCville