My frame came in! My frame came in! My frame came in!!!

[Aggie_Ama]

I have a Synapse Carbon Women's Specific Design. She only has 105 but shifts great and rides like a dream (well now that she is fitted properly).

[Fredwina]

You've got some serious luggage on that thing.

helps when you do the insane mileage rides. for real hauling , I use my Bike Friday:

[mimitabby]

You've got some serious luggage on that thing.

.

YOu mean that blue shark?

[Jiffer]

Ohhh! WSD is Women Specific "Design". Thank you muchly. Cool bike! My next question is, what do you mean by "she only has 105"? I'm a newbie, so enlighten me, please!

Fredwina ... how far are your "insane mileage rides"? I defenitely plan to do a century within the year. The farthest I've gone on the tandem is 52 grueling miles with lots of elevation. However, we just did a casual 48 to the beach and back and it felt very easy. I still can't wait to compare what it's like on the tandem to what it's like on a single.

TOMORROW! TOMORROW! The sun'll come out TOMORROW!! I guess hubs will have to pick up my bike without me. But at least I'll have it when I get home at 6:00 p.m. and can do a mini ride. I'll be completely exhausted, but I HAVE to ride my bike immediately ... if not sooner!

[mimitabby]

they're not going to fit you to the bike first?

[Jiffer]

they're not going to fit you to the bike first?

I have to set up an appt to do it. They do it on specific days. My husband said to tell you I have a smart husband who can get it close. But yes, I'm definitely getting it professionally fitted. Probably next week.

[SouthernBelle]

I would like to hear your comparison of riding tandem to alone when you get your new scoot. I'm guessing riding alone will be tougher as you must provide all the power by yourself.

[Fredwina]

Cool bike! My next question is, what do you mean by "she only has 105"? I'm a newbie, so enlighten me, please!

Fredwina ... how far are your "insane mileage rides"? I defenitely plan to do a century within the year. The farthest I've gone on the tandem is 52 grueling miles with lots of elevation.

well, iv'e compeleted one 300k brevet. That's 190 miles. I cut another one short at 170. These start at 4AM, so you need to tote extra clothes (tights, jackets, reflective vests)- hence the pack. I've also done 3 200K brevets - only 125. will probably be doing another this month. I was going to do to Utah, but I need to but car tires sooner rather than later
The people in the club nicknamed me "the sharK" - (I thought about changing my name her to La Tibourn) but i need to figure out how to get on my new bar - they're Carbon fiber with flat sections
only 105
Shimano , Campy and SRAM make various levels of component. from Top to
Bottom
Shimano Road
Dura-Ace
Ultegra
105
Tiagra
Sora
2200
Shimano MTB
XTR
Deore XT
Deore LX
Deore
Alivio
Acera
Altus
Tourney
Campy (road only)
Record
Chorus
Centaur
Veloce
Mirage
SRAM Road
Red
Force
Rival
SRAM MTB
i'm not sure about their hierarchy
Please feel free to correct or add to the list (I think Campy had some between Centuar and mirage)
Also, mines only 9-speed (Yes, I'm an antique)
Jiffers, you live in Rancho, you need to Come on down to Day Creek and Baseline and do the Saturday ride with us! we had 40 folks today! the short one's only 20 miles (i'll be gone ext week)

[Fredwina]

I keep on telling them they need to send the REST of the fork

[mimitabby]

yeah, don't forget Veloce!

I didn't know Campy made SRAM!

[Fredwina]

thanks, mimiTabby!
And Campy and SRAM are separate companies- let me rework the formatting

[Jiffer]

I GOT MY BIKE! I GOT MY BIKE! I GOT MY BIKE!!!

And I even RODE it. I thought I had a commitment all day, but turns out I didn't, so I got to go with hubs to get the bike. It's SWEET! The pink handlebars are PERFECT. Can't wait to add all the other pink goodies I ordered, but I don't want to over do it. When I get them, I'll post pictures.

So, it was my first experience going out on a "real" bike. Not the basic and very heavy ten speed I had in High School or the basic cruiser I had for a while. And not the nice Burley tandem we have, which is what inspired me to get the single.

I went out on the very road, unclipped in the left hand turn lane and acted like a real live cyclist person! I was with hubs every step of the way telling me how to shift and all that. We didn't go very far at all. Just enough to get my feet wet, and I only had like 30 minutes anyways. Sure is different having to think about steering, shifting, stopping and unclipping, watching the road, etc. A lot to get used to, but FUN!!!

Hubs is a little bent out of shape because he thought I was getting the exact same frame he used to have, but turns out he had a CAAD 8 and I got a CAAD 9, which is made a little differently and is lighter. We weighed it at the store and it was 16.60 lbs! It will go up a little when I change out the "man seat" for a little comfier "woman seat" and add the saddle bag and bottle cages. It also didn't have the Speed Play pedals on it yet (which weigh next to nothing). His new Cannondale SystemSix STILL weighs slightly less, but if he had known the CAAD 9 was as light as it is, he might have gone with it. His goal was to reduce weight and change components for better climbing, which he did.

Yay for new bikes!!!!!!!

[Jiffer]

I would like to hear your comparison of riding tandem to alone when you get your new scoot. I'm guessing riding alone will be tougher as you must provide all the power by yourself.

Well, after my one short ride, I'd have to say that I think riding tandem is physically easier for me, for the reason you guessed. However, the thing about the tandem is, you get what you put into it. I can ride hard and he can take it a little easier or I can take it easy and he can do all the work. Or we can both push hard and simply go faster. He says riding the tandem is defenitely more work for him. Heavier bike, with another person on it and, although I'm pushing, over all I think he's been working harder. It's sometimes hard to tell how hard I'm pushing compared to him. He's a strong rider, so it's been easy for me to just "go along"! Not even really knowing how hard I'm working verses him, though I try to make a point to put my share into it. The first time I realized I wasn't working as hard as him we were going up an incline and I noticed he was huffing and puffing and I was pretty comfy! I thought, "Hmmm, I guess maybe I ought to start pushing harder!"

I have been wondering all along how riding the tandem would compare to riding a single. Now I sort of know and the harder I work to improve on the single, the stronger I'll be on the tandem. My husband loves that we can tandem and he can get a good work out because he'll probably never get as good of a workout when we ride singles together. I'll just never be as strong as him. Some friends of ours who tandem say the same thing. It's something they can do together and both get the workout they want while staying together.

[Jiffer]

Jiffers, you live in Rancho, you need to Come on down to Day Creek and Baseline and do the Saturday ride with us! we had 40 folks today! the short one's only 20 miles

So, you're in Cycling Connections! Cool! My husband rides with them sometimes and we road the tandem with them a couple of weeks ago up to the gas station at Lytle Creek. My first time with the club. I don't know if you know who my husband is. His name is Alex. He's bald on top and the hair he has left is super short. He used to ride a bright blue Cannondale. His new bike is black. Tom and Sue are our neighbors. They just rode along side Alex today at the Fontana Half Marathon. They were with the lead girl and Alex was running right with her for the first 7 miles.

I asked if he knew who you were and he thinks he does. (Based on the long mileage rides you've done and there's only one woman he can think of that does those.)

I can't do any Sat or Sun rides with the group until Aug. I'm in a musical at church. (Water of Life). There are rehearsals every weekend until then. But I might start doing their Tues and Thur rides when I feel more comfortable and get a little stronger.

Thanks for all the education on components. I knew Ultegra came after Dura Ace and, now that I saw your list, I remember seeing 105 on the Shimano site, but didn't remember when I saw Agie's post.

Maybe I'll see you at Cycling Connections sometime! I'll look for the red and yellow Cannondale with big luggage!

[Aggie_Ama]

Jiffer- I think your husband may have had the CAAD 8 my DH still rides, that is one light frame. His is blue, but darker. Don't tell your husband the Liquigas cycling team is riding a Prototype of the New System Six. It is all carbon but stiff for racing, not sure how it will compare to the System Six that is out now. I think DH is going to want one, but he will have to find a money tree.

Fredwina set the heirarchy straight for me. I said she only has 105 because some people seem to think it is inferior. I honestly really like it and have no problems with the shifting. But maybe it is because it was an upgrade from Sora. Or maybe it is just that I am happy to ride, I didn't have problems with Sora.

Where are the pictures?????