Need some guidance....(long)

[nscrbug]

One way to smooth out the ride of a bike is to get a nice compliant wheelset. The Zipp 303's (2010 version) are an awesome choice (they are used in the Paris Roubaix race over the cobbles). If you must have a new bike, stick w/Cervelo and try the R3 line.

Yikes, those Zipp 303's cost well over half of what my entire bike cost... Nice looking wheels, for sure...but I just can't afford it. And yes, I have thought about staying with Cervelo...however, I believe the better bike for me would be the RS model. The R3 is a racing geometry (small headtube)...the RS is a plusher geometry with a taller headtube.

And Oakleaf...thank you for mentioning Cannondale...another option I missed. I just looked at their website. Wow...that Synapse 3 is gorgeous...and the 1 is just "drool city"...would love to have Dura-Ace, but don't think I could swing the cost of it.

[nscrbug]

Soloist is a very nice bike.

is the front wheel on your soloist radially laced spoke instead of 2x or 3x? 3x cross lacing is slightly heavier and tends to be laterally more stiffer, it tends to be bit softer in terms of the ride. It has bit more give than a radially laced wheel.

Similar thing with the rear wheel. instead of radial lacing on one side with 2x on drive side, again try 3x laced wheels.

Another thing you could try is going to a gel seat instead of light weight bare bone racing seats. The gel padded seats are bit heavier but it does absorb lots of shocks and can make a difference.

I use a padded handle bar tape. It doesn't add much bulk but sure beats the old style bar tapes from the '70s in terms of comfort. And also wear gloves with padding in the palm.

These things may be enough to make it fun for you to ride the soloist.

Gosh, I have no clue how my wheels are laced...I'm pleading total ignorance on this one.

As for the seat...I've tested out my share of saddles lately. Right now, I'm running a Selle Italia SLK Lady Gel Flow and it's just "ok". My main issue with saddles is sitbone pain, and the SLK has not entirely eliminated that for me. Of all the saddles I've ridden recently, I have to say that my favorite one is, oddly, a "bare-bones" Specialized Phenom MTB saddle. It's pretty firm and quite minimalist, but it causes the least amount of sit bone pain.

My bike came with padded bar tape, so I'm good there. And I have tried just about every padded glove on the market...seriously. I have a growing glove collection that includes - PI, Castelli, Giro, Descente, Specialized, and Spenco Ironman gloves. I have yet to find a pair that work for more than an hour or so.

Thanks for your feedback!

[nscrbug]

If I remember what I read correctly, the 2007 or 2008 Cervelos had a harsh ride because the seat stays were so thick. It's not so with the 2009s. I've ridden for years on this horrible chip sealed road on my steel Rivendell. The Cervelo totally made that road smooth as butter.

Don't blame the material for the harsh ride, blame the geometry.

Veronica

Wow...that's very interesting and would explain a LOT. When I get home from work, I'll check my seat stays to see how thick they are...I don't often look at them, so I don't really know off the top of my head. Thanks for posting this.