One hobby for another

With my goal of entering the Tour to Tanglewood, I knew that I would need a bike better suited to road rides than my 29" mountain bike.  Honestly, I didn't have a clue what I wanted, or even what I needed.  What I did know was that I was working way too hard making that monster move down the road, and I could tell that 30 miles was going to wear me out.  I was told by a friend that I should get a cyclocross bike and put street tires on it....I smiled and nodded.  Not having a clue what a cyclocross bike was, I went to a well known local bike shop called Paul's Cycling and Fitness.  It was here that I talked to Dale Harrell who seemed to be pretty knowledgeable about things bike related....perfect, cause I wasn't!

I started out looking at a Canondale CAAD10, but started to get freaked out by the price ($1500) and decided to look at this cyclocross thing I had heard about.  Dale showed me a Specialized Crux which was also expensive, but I liked the feel of the bike, and how it was put together.  It was expensive too....just under a grand.  I started to feel out of my element quickly as I had never even considered spending that kind of money on a BICYCLE!

My mind got to spinning.  How in the world can I come up with that kind of money....and before September so I could have it in time for the Tour to Tanglewood?  Well, as it turns out, I had given up my side business of photography some months before, and had a nice collection of Canon camera equipment gathering dust.  I decided that I would exchange one hobby (lets face it, it wasn't really a business) for another.  I put my feelers out and managed to get it sold.  I only made a fraction of what I had invested in it, but considering I sold everything all at once, I got a pretty fair price....and enough to get a bike, and some accessories.

I had the money, now it was time to get serious about what I wanted to ride.  I went back to Paul's and looked at the Canondale Synapse which is a comfort bike.  I figured if I was going to be riding 30 miles with a goal of one day riding 50 I would want a comfortable ride.  I talked with Dale again, and told him that I didn't want to go with the cyclocross bike because I was going to be a pavement pounder.  He listened to what I wanted and we started to look at the Synapse.  It was a nice bike, but Dale pointed out something I had not thought about.  My 238LB self would cause the bike to flex more than it should which would affect the handling.  Well crap!!!  I'm too fat for a real bike....the truth hurts sometimes.

But wait.....Dale said that a stiffer frame (on a race bike) would carry be much better and would maintain the proper geometry while I was hoisted atop the seat (he didn't put it that way).  Back to the CAAD10 which was my first choice from day one.  I took it out on a test ride with the full Ultegra drivetrain since my research had led me to understand that drivetrain components could make or break a bike.  This second tier setup should provide all the performance I was looking for.

I was amazed at the quality of the ride on this bike.  After coming from a hefty 40 pounder, the 17ish pound Canondale seemed to almost explode when I mashed the pedals.  I did notice that the steering was very twitchy, and caused me a certain amount of concern as I was still not all that stable on two wheels.  However, this was the bike I wanted.....until I got back to the store.

I told Dale about my excitement over the bike, and the concerns I had.  Without missing a beat he said there was a bike he wanted me to try.  I said there was no reason to, the CAAD10 was a blast to drive, and I could see me reaching my goal of riding 50 miles on that bike.  However, when Dale showed me the shiny red Specialized Tarmac Expert, I had to ride it.  I knew I wouldn't be buying this bike.  It was too expensive at $3300, but I had read about these carbon framed race bikes, and wanted to try it out.  I'm glad I did.

I was instantly connected to the bike, and it was every bit as quick as the CAAD, but the steering was much more stable.  I felt more confident on this bike than I did on the CAAD...so much so that I came into a corner too hot on my test ride and the rear tire broke loose.  Even my inexperienced self was able to capture the loose tire, and keep control of the bike.  This thing was HOT!!!

I told Dale just how much I liked.....no....loved the bike, but that it was quite a bit more than I was wanting to spend.  He shared with me that it was a 2010 model, and he would give me a huge discount on it so he could move it off the shelf.  So, for not much more than I was planning on spending, I was the proud new owner of a Specialized Tarmac Expert with a full Ultegra group (pictured above).  Not bad for a newbie rider!

Now it was time to really train for the Bike MS, Tour to Tanglewood.....