Monday, April 25, 2011

Time to take this show on the road

Time to take this show on the road again! A group of friends and I will be headed to Los Osos along the Central Coast on a 10-day tour just as great spring weather is about to make a showing. After the wet winter, I've got my fingers crossed. As a member of the Sacramento Small Wheel Society, I've decided to ride my 20" wheeled bike. Compared to traditional sized bikes, using a small wheel bike like my Bike Friday for loaded self-contained touring does have its small benefits. For example, the small bike usually looks so overloaded with all the panniers that it invokes a response from people who see it. Thus, it's a great way to start interaction with locals along the way. In addition, the smallish bike is easier to store in crowded motel rooms, storage rooms, cellars, and trains; or in a vehicle should the unexpected occur. From past road experience, it's easier to get a great draft off another bike because the small front wheel allows you to get right up on their tail. Just hope they didn't have beans for lunch. The small wheel bike handles the weight of heavily packed panniers better due to its lower center-of-gravity. Also, with my Bike Friday, I can easily swing my leg over the top tube when mounting and dismounting; a real godsend after a long long day in the saddle. Finally and not the last, it's so cute and you look like a clown on a little bike.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

What's New

It must have been a subconscious desire, my coveting a new carbon bike. As of late, I had been encouraging Geno to purchase one of these new high-tech carbon bikes with statements like; “Life is short”, “You deserve it”, “You’ll climb even better”, “You can afford it”, etc. while denying any personal interest. But, unbeknown to me or at least I’ll not admit it, deep inside I wanted and envisioned a new carbon bike in my future. So when the time finally came to start window shopping for carbon bikes, I didn’t hesitate for one moment to tag along. After all, I was just going to help Geno make the right choice. Yeah, that’s what I told myself. I’m sure my eyes were as big and wide opened as Geno’s and Mike’s when we finally walked into Davis Wheelworks which is known for their great selection of high-end carbon road bikes with names likes Felt, Pinarello, Scott, Cannondale, Look, Kestrel, Ridley, Seven, Colnago, etc. It is the dream shop for cyclist with numerous colorful, curvaceous and lustrously finished road bikes nicely displayed throughout the floor space. Image a car enthusiast walking into a showroom filled with Porsche’s, Ferrari’s, Jaguar’s, and Mercedes to name just a few. Fortunately and thanks to recent glowing reviews of the Cervelo bikes, we had a starting point in mind. We wanted to talk Cervelo and Tim at the shop did not disappoint nor did he dispute the reviews; they were “great bikes” where all others are “good”. And so our road toward the Cervelo’s began. To conclude and in the interest of brevity, after more research and reading as well as one awesome test ride in region of Cantelow Road, I offer the picture below of three new happy owners of Cervelo Bikes. For the complete story of our inaugural ride, go to Geno's blog by clicking on the image below.