And so, it ends...

Nothing serious, like, I'm just talking about the lengthy saga of actually getting a road bike!

I decided to get one about a year ago, but, due to financial constraints and there never being any bikes in my size in any shop in Dublin, I held off. Finally, I placed my order about two months ago or so. However, when it arrived last week, there was a small issue;

However, this was easily solved by the addition of this to the equation.

Finally, we have a wheel sitting nicely in its dropout and a new mech hanger to attach :)

Giving us something that looks like this.

And a little more aero-barred up.

I have little intention of using the aero-bars that much for the next while, I just wanted to try them out. I got them for longer distance stuff so I'd have some more hand positions and something to collapse onto when I get particularly tired :D They'l also come in useful if I do any time trials or triathlons, both of which I intend to do at some point. Cos, you know, I can't get enough punishment from doing 3p...

On the road it's... strange. Very strange, in fact. I've gotten very used to my fixed gear with 175 mm cranks. Now, I have about 15 usable gears, and 172.5 mm cranks. And yes, those 2.5 mm actually make a lot of difference. It just feels like I'm not putting out the same torque with each turn, which is correct. And changing gears doesn't quite compensate either. It'll certainly take some getting used to. Forgetting the initial shock of having a freewheel and not actually having to compensate for this when starting off, it's a damn nice bike. It rolls really well, and I can really tell the weight difference between that and the fixie (it's about 2.5 kg lighter, with pedals, cages and computer). The first time I took it out, I didn't feel like I was going that fast, but with the same feeling the second time, I was doing my usual 30+ kmph speed, into a horrible headwind, in driving rain.

On that second time I did one of my usual 20 km loops slightly slower than the fixie, but the fixie ride was done pushing for a time, in good conditions. Given the same incentive, I reckon I should be well able to blow it out of the water. I'm looking into finding a nice 16 km stretch of road that I can use for some prolonged higher intensity stuff (16 km being 10 miles, which is a standard time trial distance).

More pics of both bikes and of the room they now have (well, for a week) can be found here. 

Didn't get out for a long spin on it this week, due to being knackered and fed up of getting soaked, but should get out a fair bit during this week. There's a large conference on that most people form work are gone to, so it'll be a nice quiet week for a change!

Interim Update

OK, so the bike arrived, but with some in transit damage :( Nothing that a file and a new part that Planet X are very nicely supplying won't fix, but it's keeping me off the road for the moment.

Also, I received my first heart rate monitor today! It cost 20 euro or so, which is pretty decent. I'm gonna be testing it out tomorrow evening, hopefully, after my talk (eep!) so I'll see what I can start to do with a HRM then :) More next week, probably once I get the new bike up and rolling.

Arrival of the fixie

It finally arrived! After a month of waiting my singlespeed/fixie finally arrived :) This is my first actual road bike, and I have to say I'm very impressed.

I got a rather confused call around half 10 from the warehouse in work asking if I'd ordered a bike. When I got down there, they were incredibly nice, and more than a little curious, so they let me build it up in the workspace down there. I was initially quite surprised at the size of the box; I had convinced myself that it wound't be that big and I'd just be able to carry it back to the office and then home. I was very very wrong.

It came with the front wheel off and the handlebars bubble wrapped and taped to the downtube. I put these on and that was about it, really. Good to go. Apart from the lack of pedals. Despite taking some time to actually send it, Evans Cycles are incredibly good with what you get. I received a little folder thing with information books, a (very useful for building!) multi-tool and a pedal wrench. I did order other stuff with the bike, so I assume they're coming then, whenever that package arrives... Luckily, there was a bike shop open in town that I got some cheap plastic deals while I wait for some better ones to arrive (I've got spds on the way anyway, which I preemptively bought for the road bike). I was, however, almost shouted out of the shop for putting cheap plastic pedals on such a nice bike... The dude calmed down when I told him I just needed these for a few days :D

Once I got home, I couldn't wait to take it for a spin. I spent a few mins getting the saddle height and setback roughly set and then hopped on. First impressions;

1. Incredibly responsive. When I put the hammer down, it can really move, also making a really cool whistle-like sound when going really fast.

2. Very different to a hybrid bike. This is mostly in terms of position, which will take some getting used to I suspect. However, all three main positions: on the hoods; in the drops; and what I call on the drops (hands away from the brake levers, but on the lowest part of the bars) are quite comfortable, though I have a bit of a reach for the hoods. I suspect I will have to get a slightly shorter stem, but I'll wait for another while first.

3. Great handling. I didn't try any sharp turns, but it felt very stable at all times, including going over and through ice and snow, something the rental bike I was using failed miserably at. Even going over these patches at speed was no problem at all.

In general, I'm well happy with it. Light, responsive and pretty damn nice in general. The perfect commuting/training bike. Though most people seem to think it cost well over a thousand to look at. Which is good, meaning it's a nice bike, but bad in that it makes people want to steal it. I may get a better lock for it :D Also, I will try it on the fixed cog and see what it's like. Stay tuned for pics when I get some nice pedals for it. As I was emphatically told, plastic pedals are no way to grace the cranks of a bike like this!

Long time, no chat

It has indeed been a while, probably longer than I've left it before. There are good reasons though. Yeah.

I've been getting some running in the last few weeks, getting out two or three times a week, which is good. I have a rough progress plan made out, which will hopefully build up a kilometer or so a week and start throwing in some interval sessions as well. It's been hard enough going, though, what with the snow, the ice, the not being arsed getting out of bed in the morning (I really don't do before 8 in the morning). You know how it is.

I got bored of walking to work, and the rental bikes we ordered over here weren't forthcoming, so when I got my first payment last month I was a little bold and ordered this for commuting and some other fitness stuff. I ended up getting an amazing deal on it, almost 50% off the RRP due to a bit of a stock mix-up with another bike I ordered, so happy days :) It hasn't arrived yet, but it should within the next week or so. Of course, the day after I ordered it, the rental bikes came... Not that I'm annoyed, since my one has a saddle that's a few inches too low and can't be changed, due to using an archaic half inch bolt. Also, the front brake pads are just the plastic at this stage, which isn't so much fun over compacted snow :0

Again, once the new bike arrives, I shall be getting myself oh so quickly to a range. It's been two months since I've shot at this stage, this is getting ridiculous! I don't think I took this much time off for my exams... Of course, if scores jump like they did the last time, I'll be well happy :D