a productive day and a test
After a productive day at work, I ventured over to Performance Bike at 6:30 pm or so to test drive a Fuji bicycle. Somehow, Team Performance can put a Dura-Ace, carbon fibre bike under your backside for less than $2500.
This called for an investigation. The first conclusion I reached is that it's not really a Dura-Ace bicycle. The shifters, front, and rear derailleur are indeed DA. Yet the cranks are Trutativ, the brakes are Ultegra, and, gasp, the wheels are Cane Creek.
I was suspicious of the wheels. A mechanic, who was at least 50 pounds overweight, assured me that the wheels were top notch. Take no advice from a heavy man in a bicycle shop. This is like accepting the word of a bolemic in a bakery.
But there's nothing like an experience to put all doubt aside. Chris, the glorious manager of Team Performance allowed me to put my pedals on the rack bike, and we pumped up the tires. As I shoved my Trek 5200 onto the rack, I felt a pang of guilt. The Trek has served me well, and deserves better.
Ten minutes on a road test is better than an eternity with a windbag. The Fuji frame is nice, although the finish work is a bit primitive compared to the Scott. The tubes don't fit together as sweetly. The shifting is crisp and the cranks feel good. Yet the wheels, which set off the alarm bells, are as soft as warm butter. Flexy, flex, flex, creak, creak. Not good.
There is no free lunch. I believe the Scott CR-1 Pro, full Ultegra, with Kysrium Elites, is a better value.
That said, I feel guilty about the Trek. My co-workers have all rented cars, and I have used my Trek to get me everywhere. Last night, I pulled up to the restaurant where a bike rack stood next to the valet stand. The valets all looked at my veteran Trek and gave it a nod of approval. With my new Team Performance $15 cable lock, I secured the trusty mount and went indoors.
The restaurant scene in Los Angeles is funny. The women walk in the door and it looks like they were getting ready for at least three hours. They are washed, polished, painted, waxed, tweezed, exercised, surgically enhanced, and above all, camera ready. The guys all look like they just rolled out of bed, grabbed a pair of dirty pants off the floor and dashed out the door.
At 10:00 pm, I was starting to fall asleep in my small dish of interesting food, so I grabbed my backpack, sauntered out to the sidewalk, and saddled up. The beautiful people were waiting in line at the valet stand for their beautiful cars and I was gone in the blink of a red tail light.
A quick stop at a pizza shop, WildFlour filled the void left by the designer restaurant, Primo Tivo.
This called for an investigation. The first conclusion I reached is that it's not really a Dura-Ace bicycle. The shifters, front, and rear derailleur are indeed DA. Yet the cranks are Trutativ, the brakes are Ultegra, and, gasp, the wheels are Cane Creek.
I was suspicious of the wheels. A mechanic, who was at least 50 pounds overweight, assured me that the wheels were top notch. Take no advice from a heavy man in a bicycle shop. This is like accepting the word of a bolemic in a bakery.
But there's nothing like an experience to put all doubt aside. Chris, the glorious manager of Team Performance allowed me to put my pedals on the rack bike, and we pumped up the tires. As I shoved my Trek 5200 onto the rack, I felt a pang of guilt. The Trek has served me well, and deserves better.
Ten minutes on a road test is better than an eternity with a windbag. The Fuji frame is nice, although the finish work is a bit primitive compared to the Scott. The tubes don't fit together as sweetly. The shifting is crisp and the cranks feel good. Yet the wheels, which set off the alarm bells, are as soft as warm butter. Flexy, flex, flex, creak, creak. Not good.
There is no free lunch. I believe the Scott CR-1 Pro, full Ultegra, with Kysrium Elites, is a better value.
That said, I feel guilty about the Trek. My co-workers have all rented cars, and I have used my Trek to get me everywhere. Last night, I pulled up to the restaurant where a bike rack stood next to the valet stand. The valets all looked at my veteran Trek and gave it a nod of approval. With my new Team Performance $15 cable lock, I secured the trusty mount and went indoors.
The restaurant scene in Los Angeles is funny. The women walk in the door and it looks like they were getting ready for at least three hours. They are washed, polished, painted, waxed, tweezed, exercised, surgically enhanced, and above all, camera ready. The guys all look like they just rolled out of bed, grabbed a pair of dirty pants off the floor and dashed out the door.
At 10:00 pm, I was starting to fall asleep in my small dish of interesting food, so I grabbed my backpack, sauntered out to the sidewalk, and saddled up. The beautiful people were waiting in line at the valet stand for their beautiful cars and I was gone in the blink of a red tail light.
A quick stop at a pizza shop, WildFlour filled the void left by the designer restaurant, Primo Tivo.
posted by joe berkeley at 8:56 AM
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