Saturday afternoon I took the bike and I onto U-Bus from Linkou-林口 to Taichung-台中 to meet up with Michael T and Drew K for a bike fitting and testing out some Salsa, Surly, Specialized and other custom rides. As I’m looking to buy or build up a new road bike soon, this trip to visit a few bike shops was time well spent.
Point 1, Sora integrated shifters are not worthy. That little plastic nub use to downshift is horrendously stiff and makes me worry about it breaking off not to mention wondering how many seconds I’ll lose when having to pound hard to catch someone.
Point 2, Tiagra rear derailers aren’t that bad.
Point 3, I’m not crazy for wanting a triple crank with 50/38/26.
Point 4, finding a steel frame with disc brakes takes work.
Point 5, the next time I go home by U-Bus on a Sunday. I’ll ride longer and go home in the late evening. The lines and traffic are long…
In case you’re wondering, I’m considering a Salsa La Cruz frame with triple crank as my probable buy. Alternately, I’ve been thinking about a Bike Friday Pocket Rocket for traveling and riding on.
The more I look and try out other bikes, the more I’m realizing how unstiff my current bike is, what an improper ride position I have and how much more I want a bike that better fits how I ride and what I do ride.
Yeah, I like that La Cruz too. With the crankset you propose above, and maybe a 10 speed cassette with like a 32 or 34 tooth as the biggest gear. I spent some time yesterday ogling SRAM gearsets. Yeah, they are for mountain biking, but that’s essentially what we do.
Maybe look at some of the 9-speed cassettes, those can be from 12-32 easily and be tighter than my current 10-31 8-speed.
I’m figuring that if I can get my inner chain ring low enough, I’ll try for a 11/12 to 27/28 9 or 10 gear rear cassette.
Those roads around Sinshe are quite lovely. I was on the same road from Taiping City to Sinshe in the late morning. Too bad I missed you guys!
For a rear rack, Drew recommended the Old Man Mountain Sherpa, but I’m leaning towards the Axiom Streamliner Road DLX. I like the Axiom for it’s pedaling offset, cleaner fit, easier installation and 50kg carrying capacity.
Great post.
I haven’t splurged yet, but a bike company (Velocite) is sponsoring me, so I’ll be splurging on a carbon fiber road bike and a titanium one after CNY. Maybe I’ll upgrade my ’07 Giant Anthem aluminum frame to a ’10 Giant Anthem Advanced SL frame and upgrade components during next year to SRAM XX. I took a few falls in my Anthem and the components haven’t been the same. One of the hydraulic brakes is done for and the shifting hasn’t been the same. I’ve got SRAM XO on it.
Dream bike is a Pinarello Dogma frame w Super Record 11, though that might have to wait for a while.
I’ve got one gripe with long rides though. I find that my elbows and wrists get numb after an hour or so. It’s annoying.
I like the LaCruz, looks like a solid cyclocross bike, which is basically what you guys are doing. Those would cut down on some weight.
Thank you. On your wish list is some great rides. With doing some more shopping recently at the better bike shops, I’m really going to have to build up a bike the way I want. Nothing is really close, basically a light touring, triple-crank road bike with disc brakes. So the La Cruz is looking ever more fantastic.
If your elbows and wrists are getting numb, then your body position is definitely off in some direction. I was suffering the same thing till a combination of glove, stem and handlebar grip changes were made. Now I have to suffer the first 20 km’s with a sore butt till it’s numb and then I can ride. To offset the aches and pains though, I do find that a 5-minute break for every hour of riding works really well for keeping me going instead of bonking after 3 hours of solid riding.
Ciao!
Hey!
I’ll ask my bike dudes about my riding position. I’ll probably splurge on a Pinarello Dogma this year. I’m looking forward to receiving my sponsored bikes in January or thereabouts. The titanium frame is supposed be extremely durable and perfect for training and hard riding.
That bike looks interesting, but the charges for bikes on planes is pretty low. I paid $50 to get a mountain bike from Canada to Taiwan. Anyway, happy new year!