I got a new bike! (Long)

[melissam]

My Bianchi has served me well for the past 20 years (notwithstanding the broken femur incident), but lately I've been thinking that I'd sure like to have a triple chainring. In order to convert the Bianchi to a triple, well, we're looking at a very slippery slope. The chainring, the front derailleur, the shift lever, the chain, the rear derailleur and shifter, etc., etc.

So, I started shopping for a new bike. Since I tend to keep my bikes for a while, I decided to get something that I wouldn't be tempted to upgrade in a few years.

After doing a bit of research, I decided that I'd really like to try the Trek 5200 WSD. The challenge was finding one to test ride in a 47cm. My LBS had one coming in this week, so I put a deposit down, and waited for THE DAY to arrive.

That day was yesterday.

My strategy was to ride my Bianchi and the Trek back to back on the same route. Here are some of my observations (in no particular order):

1. The Trek is waaaaaay lighter than my Bianchi (which is no heavyweight.)

2. The Shimano Ultegra brakes on the Trek are phenomenal. What I considered feathering on my Bianchi would pretty much bring the Trek to a halt. Both bikes had short-reach brake levers, but the new ones are even more comfortable that the ones on my Bianchi.

3. I love STI shifters. Still have to get used to which lever shifts which way, but it's still nicer than the shifting on the downtube (friction, no less!)

4. The paired spoke wheels sure look cool! Bonus points: the spokes are bladed.

5. A triple chainring -- I can try all those hilly roads that I've been avoiding because my legs just aren't strong enough yet.

6. The bike just goes. During my test ride, I came across one of those radar things that tell you how fast you're going. I was "lollygagging" on the Trek, and the radar showed I was going 19 mph?!?

7. Very comfy over road imperfections. My steel Bianchi wasn't bad, but this is even better.

8. My Local Bike Shop took plenty of time to make sure I was fitted properly to the bike. The changed out the stem, and kept stressing the fact that I could come back any time for adjustments, or to try a new stem.

9. I thought I'd buy a Terry Butterfly saddle, but during my fitting I found that it was really uncomfortable for me. We ended up going back to my Performance Contour Women's saddle from the Bianchi.

10. Even with a 10% discount on accessories, it sure is easy to spend $$ at the bike shop!

11. (Last, but definitely not least.) The Trek WSD fits me like a glove! I'd test ridden a non-WSD Trek about 10 years ago, and I felt very stretched out.

My debut ride will be at the Cinderella Training ride this Saturday, and I plan to do the Portola Loop on Sunday. Here's hoping we don't get rained out!

Sorry this is so long. I'm so excited, I had to tell SOMEONE, and thought you all would understand.

-- Melissa

PS Anyone know of someone who's looking for a nice, 18" road bike? (Preferably in the SF Bay Area so they can check it out in person.)

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by melissam

After doing a bit of research, I decided that I'd really like to try the Trek 5200 WSD. The challenge was finding one to test ride in a 47cm. My LBS had one coming in this week, so I put a deposit down, and waited for THE DAY to arrive.

I have exactly that bike!! Trek 5200 WSD. 47CM! I thought I was the only one with such a tiny frame! But mine is 2003 (all gray). If yours is a 2004, it has the little splashes of red on it. Also, mine doesn't have a triple.

And yes, it is scary fast! I am primarily a mountain biker. On my mountain bike with knobbies, it takes lots of work to get over 25 MPH on a flat road. But on the Trek you get going so fast effortlessly!

Here's your bike:


Here's mine:

[kelrunran]

Ahhh...a new bike. That is what I am planning on buying this year. I am going to forgo a tropical vacation for a new bike.

Glad you shared with us because I need a 47 cm bike.....now I know exactly what to look at first.

Congrats....and.....enjoy! Kelly

[jobob]

Oh that's great, Melissa!

Of course, now I won't recognize you, I'll have to remember not to look for the burgundy Bianchi. I remember people by their bikes, everyone looks the same to me in their helmets and shades. Thanks for posting the photo, A.G.!

Looking forward to seeing it on the training ride tomorrow! I checked the route sheet and it looks like we're doing "Le Tour de Fremont / Newark". Those Niles/Mission district hills should be a snap for you

I too hope we don't get rained out ! Though I suppose Snapdragen is doing a raindance in the hopes of getting to sleep in again

- Jo.

[snapdragen]

Harumph!!!

I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow, I keep checking the weather. I played hooky on Wednesday and got my "sleeps" in already.

Course, I've still not gotten around to having someone look at my wayward shifters.......

Cheers all!

Oh!!!! Congrats Melissa! I can't wait to see the bike!

[missliz]

Merry Christmas! If you got a new bike it must be Cristmas, right? Comparing twenty year old technology to current stuff is mindboggling. remember when the Berlin wall fell and a lot of aerospace and defense contractors downsized? All those engineers had a lot of time to ride, and then a lot of time to tinker, and the bike world was suddenly awash in cool new stuff! The bike will continue to amaze you. Right off the bat you've moved from cup and cone headset and BB to sealed high speed bearings, and that alone will jack up the performance.
Sounds like you've got a good shop- bake them cookies!
Happy Mardi Gras!

Lizzy

[melissam]

I'm back online.

The bike's in my room -- probably gonna spend the night with me before we go off to the Cinderella Training Ride tomorrow morning. At the crack of dawn. ;-) (I'm with Snapdragen -- it's hard to get up early!)

Anyway, I've calculated my new gear chart. I know, what a geek!

Misliz, you bring up some good points about the techies needing something to do. Someone told me that we got the titanium and carbon fiber from the defense industry. Makes sense. And yes, I should definitely bake a batch of cookies for the good folks at my bike shop.

Jobob, yes, everyone does look the same in their helmets & shades. OK, look for me with the teeny tiny Trek -- grey with red accents. I'll try to keep an eye out for you and say Hi!

Snapdragen, one good thing about getting up early is that you can usually avoid that nasty headwind that picks up in the early afternoon.

Kelrunran, definitely check out the Trek. You might also check out the Aegis Swift -- I've heard very good things about it. By the way, the Trek measures their frames differently -- I think center of bottom bracket to top of seat tube. This means that a 47cm Trek is equivalent to some manufacturer's 44cm frames.

Adventure Girl -- you have excellent taste in bicycles! :-) Loved your pics -- the new Beetle is very practical for hauling bikes.

OK, back to staring at my bike. Gotta figure out how the flight deck computer works....

Hope to see Jobob & Snapdragen tomorrow on a SUNNY Saturday morning.

-- Melissa

[missliz]

Oh no sweety- aerospace geeks brought a WHOLE lot more than that. Just the aluminum alloys alone set the industry on it's ear; but the gizmos and the quality control are astonishing. Wait 'till you put some miles on the new bike and really find out the difference. I still have my 20something Raleigh as a K&B bike, and it's a whole different thing than the good bikes. In a few weeks you'll wonder how you ever lived without indexed shifting.
I meant what I said about cookies- they'll remember you for it. It's a sweet gesture as well as a most politic tactic; girls who bring food get good service! Brownies are always a hit too. Racers who normally never talk to you (they're messed up shy guys, a lot of them) will bounce right out of their shells for a dessert treat
You'll have fun! And you know what? We all keep a bike in our room LOL
Happy Mardi Gras!

Lizzy

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by melissam
Anyway, I've calculated my new gear chart. I know, what a geek!

Be sure you factor in the small wheels. My bike's wheels are 650 x 23. What size wheels did your old Bianchi have?

Here's an interesting site where you can plug in all the data and get more geek data out.. Gear inches, Gain ratios, and certain MPH's at certain RPM's. Total geek stuff, but fun when you have a new toy to play with...

http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by melissam
Adventure Girl -- you have excellent taste in bicycles!

Right back at you!!

[snapdragen]

Saw M's new Trek this morning - sooo pretty, and cute too!

I rode with the Cindy's for about an hour, then decided I'm too cold, my knee hurts, I wanna go home. How was the rest of the ride Jo? And no, I won't be dropping out - just me being a little hot-headed because of Miss Squirrel.

[jobob]

Yeah, we took turns lifting Melissa's new bike with our pinkies! And everytime I saw her she had a big 'ol happyface grin.
( <-- kind of like that )

The rest of the ride went fine ... we all survived and my urge to revolt dissipated over time. And the weather cleared up nicely.

We did some pretty righteous hills! Alltogether I rode about 45 miles, counting my ride to and from home, and I felt really good afterwards.
( <-- me feeling proud )

I might take hubby out tomorrow on the Alum Rock ride we did last week, if the weather cooperates.

See you next week!
- Jo.

[melissam]

MissLiz -- Happy Mardi Gras to you too! Interesting stuff about aerospace's contribution to cycling. I think you can start a whole thread on this. Oh, and the cookies are definitely on my todo list.

Adventure Girl -- Calculated the gear charts with the 650 wheels. And yes, the Bianchi had 700's.

Snapdragen -- good to see you & JoBob today. Sorry you missed the rest of the ride.

Everyone, this is my week! The weather held out for us, so we got our training ride in this morning. All I can say is....WOW!

We did a couple of climbs, and I felt like I had an unfair advantage. I joked with a couple of people that the bike shop had put helium in my tires. No joke, though, it was practically effortless.

The bike absorbed a lot of the rough road -- just like they promise that carbon frames do.

The components worked flawlessly. Just love the STI shifters.

Oh, and here's some irony -- I bought the bike so I could have a triple, and I didn't touch the inner chainring all day.

Here's hoping tomorrow's weather holds out too....

-- Melissa

[melissam]

Jo,

You must have posted while I was doing my long-winded typing.

Yep, that was me, grinning like a fool today!

Good to see you @ the Bagel shop today. Hope the weather does hold out so you & hubby can do the Alum Rock Ride on your twin Riv's.

-- Melissa

[snapdragen]

Dang, now I'm depressed.. That's it, I'm packing the vitimin I(buprofin) in my seat bag! That and do the streching my coach/trainer has told me to do!

Originally posted by jobob
The rest of the ride went fine ... we all survived and my urge to revolt dissipated over time. And the weather cleared up nicely.

We did some pretty righteous hills! Alltogether I rode about 45 miles, counting my ride to and from home, and I felt really good afterwards.
( <-- me feeling proud )

I- Jo.