I’ve been fighting my new bike, trying my best to fall in love with it, but its playing hard to get. First my crank fell off on its first ride, then it suffered from terminal creaking on a recent jaunt to Mallorca.
So I bought some new (ceramic) bearings, fitted them, and reread the instructions for the chainset. Turned out I used a spacer that was way to large (BB30 v BB30A) . So all refitted, added a stages power meter and out I went – 6 hr Ride, first 2 hrs with the missus, then on I went with a sneaky bit of night riding at the end.
I’m starting to feel good again! Power is a long way down, but the garmin showed some 200+w at my hr cap of 130, rather 100-200 🙂
My New Bike
So my baby is a Cannondale Synapse hi mod from 2015 – I picked up the frame for £900 last year. Its colour scheme is a bit dull, (grey metallic with some blue bits of trim), but its growing on me.
I’ve bought/ fitted ultegra di2 and shimano hydraulic disks, (160mm front and back) – not my usual job of discounted kit, but hey ho – time to push the budget for a dream bike. I bought another set of 3T team flippy tri bars, and a very expensive carbon stem – unfortunately its too long so I need get a shorter aluminium one. I also added a set of narrow 38cm bars – I ride with my palms splayed so hopefully this may help with hand numbness by keeping my hands straighter.
I pushed the boat out with a cannondale sisl2 crankset (ouch! – how much??) but its lovely.
Titanium bottle cages are a bit silly, but I’ve always wanted a titanium bike – this is the closest I’ve got to it.
I’m re-using last years wheels – pacenti rims, SON dynamo and tune rear hub. This will get me through winter / spring
I still have cash in the budget for a pair of carbon 40mm deep disc wheels, (from dcr wheels) inc dynamo hub, so will buy those is I get into tcr no5.
The bike is fast, responsive, accelerates really well. I’m loading kit on it, but its still pretty light, (better than the steel beast I had last year. Most importantly, its fast, comfy, smooth, responsive, connected. Its the most expensive bike I’ve owned and it feels it – I love it
Its a 56 – the largest frame I have ever had – maybe a bit large in hindsite, but the bike fitter was adamant it would be OK. I’ve already dropped the front a bit by replacing the 20mm high front spacer. I have a 100mm stem on it, and I am a little stretched on the tri bars, (which are quite unforgiving/inflexible in their adjustment – there is none- so a shorter stem has been ordered. I’ve got plenty of room to drop the stem some more if my back takes it.
Oh and the missus has a new bike too! We are now broke.
Job Change
Had a couple of days off at the start of the week, being a bit ill… the duvet won. Was that just cba, or stress – I just could not face going in. On day 3 I pushed the button, and stepped down from my role as a scrum master, (IT dev team manager / coach).
I was originally a developer in the same team, and my problem is that I find it very difficult to let go. I feel totally responsible for the team and their output and how we are viewed. I want everything I touch to be successful. Add in a couple of weak team members, merging 2 teams together and I am suddenly working 10 hr days, (plus 3 hrs commuting). Training stopped after last year’s tcr and just never restarted. I staggered to the weekend, got drunk on a friday, and just tried to recover from the week over saturday and sunday. I was unhappy.
Add in the fact we are transferring our work to a new team up north / closing the team – i’ve been in a bad place.
Finally, I have a bit of inheritance money from my Dad passing away – not life changing but it makes things easier.
So – I will be going back to become a dev again – starts in 2 weeks time, and I am currently dumping everything I’ve been responsible for for the last 18 months. It feels great!
A Pirate takes on The Transcontinental Race, again... 