NEW BIKE!!! It’s awesome, I love it. But first a little update on my marathon training – it fizzled out after the race was cancelled and I lost motivation to keep running 50+ miles/week, especially with all future running races being postponed/cancelled in wake of the pandemic, I changed my focus to biking. I shifted some things in my budget to purchase a new tri bike a bit early (I was planning on buying one next year). And it is a super bike.
I was disappointed after the marathon was cancelled, but it was understandable amid the pandemic. Luckily as a triathlete I have another two sports to fall back on, unfortunately all the pools are closed. But the roads are still open! I was planning on getting a new bike sometime in 2021, so it wasn’t much of a stretch to purchase one this year instead. And it’s a beaut:
That’s my new bike! It ticked all the boxes I was looking for in an upgrade including all carbon, electronic shifting, and deep wheels. Carbon fiber bikes are lighter and can be shaped more aerodynamically than their metal counterparts. They also have a stiffness to them when riding that isn’t present in metal bikes. Electronic shifting uses electricity to shift gears rather than the traditional cable tension, there are numerous advantages to this, but paramount is reliability. Cable tension changes over time and can become worn out, requiring adjustments and leading to skipping gears or shifting not happening. With electronic shifting, I push a button and the gear changes, always (unless the battery dies!). I do have to now charge my bike to change gears, but I’ve read you only have to charge it every 10,000 shifts – which depending on riding style is about 1000-2000 miles, which means once or twice a year for me. I can live with that. The wheels also have deep rims, which makes them more aerodynamic, and they are also pretty light, all which helps me go faster.
I got bike back in May, and so far have put about 1800 miles on it (most indoors – another post on how that happens soon). I’ve also been riding outside for my long rides. And I have been riding longer, I’m gearing up to get a 110mile ride in from Riverhead to Montauk and back.