I went joined the Thursday evening ride that starts in Holmdel Park. Riding my single speed Langster with a bunch full road bikes is a real challenge. I notice that my rythym is much different than the other riders. With 20 plus gears the other riders can smooth out the terrain. With my one gear I have to look a head and I often have to make a charge so that I can keep pace on uphills. Since I do not like to get dropped and I do not want the other riders spending a lot of time waiting for me (it is a no drop A ride) it is a more intense workout than when I ride by myself.
Since Thursday isthe hill climb day it was easier for me to stay in line. On Tuesday's ride I lost steam at the end and got out of line. I could not get on to the back of line and it was all over for me. On the the rides I get dropped on some of the longer down hills because I spin out. However, on the climbs the other riders cannot line up as easily and I tend to be able to keep the pace or even lead.
However, as I write this I am debating whether I should run over to the Peddler and purchase the 2008 Tarmac Comp that is sitting on the sales floor (at least I think it is still there). The problem is that I am also thinking I might be better off with the Giant TCR A0. The other part of me thinks I should just stay with the Langster.
Making things worse was the fact that one of the riders showed up on Thursday with a brand new Specialized Tarmac Pro SL2. He had picked the bike up on Wednesday and only had 48 miles on the bike. A very nice bike. There is just something about the Tarmac that appeals to me. However, I would like a full Campy Record on an Italian frame but I have other things to spend my money on these days.
Now if I could only justify using the gas to get over there.
4 comments:
there was an article on the news about riding to work on a bike to save gas money. It would be great if more people were able to do this. toesanp
As gasoline heads toward $5 a gallon there will be a market for alternative methods of transportation. However, the general feeling is that the price of Oil will drop once the dollar strengthens and commodities are no longer being used as a hedge.
No-one is better off with a Giant... I've owned a TCR, a Tarmac, and now the Roubaix, and the Giant made me feel less than human.
The Tarmac is available now. I would have to wait for the TCR A0. The Peddler has a good selection of bikes in my size. Unlike a lot of other shops that seem to only have large frames available.
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