I went for a 25 mile ride yesterday in 11 mph winds, so was really able to test her out well. First, the SRAM shifting is SO much smoother than my old Tiagra set up. I love it.

I got a compact double (after a good test ride on a hilly road), and have no regrets there. I had plenty of gears for some challenging hills and head wind. The carbon definitely absorbs a lot of the vibration and is a more comfortable ride.

It is hard to tell about improvement in speed since it was so windy yesterday, but I was not nearly as tired afterward as I usually would have been after fighting such strong headwinds. I am very happy with my choice

I will need to switch out the stem and put the less aggressive one from my 2.1 on the Madone. I wanted to try the new set up, but after 20 miles, my lower back started hurting. I think I just need to duplicate my old set up, which worked well for me. I also need some toe warmer cover things immediately!

I am looking at the calendar and am dismayed at all the stuff on it that is going to interfere with riding for the next month! I will just have to fit in some short rides when I can instead of waiting until I have time for longer ones!