First ride on the road bike

September 27th, 2007

Finally had a chance to ride road bike to work. First thoughts on commuting on a road bike: It’s fast. I took it easy on the ride into work, but on the way back, I opened it up a bit to follow an old guy down Harvard, and I realized how fast I can actually go on this bike with not nearly as much effort as on my other bikes. The bike fits well, except for the stem length. I feel like I have to stretch a bit too far to reach the hoods. I ordered a shorter stem this morning, so hopefully that’ll take care of the fit.

I’ve been wondering how the bike will hold up in wet weather with winter around the corner. I rode my fixed gear in the rain with skinny tires, but the level of control on a fixed gear is far superior to that on a road bike, so we shall see. I’m also unsure if I’d ever lock this bike up to a tree like I’ve done with my other commuters…probably not, and that could be a problem. It’s different commuting on a pricey bike rather than on a $500 and under bike. But it sure is fast! Oh, and you should see/hear me walking around with those roadie shoes. I’m clacking away down the hall at work and walking like a freakin’ chicken on drugs.