Time to Write

Saturday, May 23, 2015

road biking

I've switched to a road bike after using a road bike for several years. My wife convinced me to get this Swiss-made XS-sized carbon fiber BMC bike from a friend. It was pre-loved for a few years and he offered it at a good price so I decided to buy it. The obvious difference between my old sub-P25K MTB and this sub-25 pound bike is the weight. My wife can comfortably lift the whole bike with one hand (not that I'd want her to do it on a daily basis). I originally intended to purchase something less-expensive (like a Cannondale from Bikedilla or a Tommaso online), but that didn't happen.
I have been riding it occasionally for the past three months. It took a while to get used to in the beginning, since I had to try fitting it myself and adjusting the seat post and seat. I also had to adjust to the way I sit on the bike. It's a lot more relaxed with a mountain bike (although the fit still needs adjustment). With the road bike, the stance reminds me of a pounce-running pose - a more aggressive position since the purpose is to go fast. This is the most fun part of using this type of bike. The lightness and the acceleration. I have to stop myself sometimes from enjoying the sprints on flat roads.

I'm currently trying to get used to the shoes and pedals which require using cleats to clip onto (and stay on) the pedals while riding.  I used to own clipless Shimano 747s which required smaller SPD cleats so it wasn't as big a deal as the Keo cleats which I wear now. It's difficult to walk around in these shoes with clunky cleats. They're slippery and feel like a hard misplaced shoe heel. The solution should be cleat covers, although I haven't seen any available stock lately.


Another problem I have is that my right toe comes into contact with the front tire when I make a wide turn. I'll have to keep this in mind while I don't have a solution because the farthest thing on my mind is to have an accident caused by a right shoe at the wrong time.

I wish I could bike to work everyday like I used to.