Baby on the way...

No, not that kind of baby. I'm adding a new bike to the family soon -- yeah! After last weekend's incident with the Giant I realized it's time for a bike upgrade. I paid $400 for my Giant and it's been a great bike but I think it's time for something lighter, faster, and a bit newer. My poor Giant got pretty beat up with the winter riding this year and it seems the components are just not handling racing very well.

After test riding a ton of bikes the winner hands down was the Specialized Ruby. I normally don't buy the most hyped things but this bike is phenomenal. I knew the minute I took it out it was the one. The ride is silky smooth, it fits like a glove, and I can reach the brakes and shifters in the drops without even trying. I can barely get my hands around the brakes on the Giant which is a little scary for crit racing. I took the Ruby for a test spin and nearly didn't bring it back.

Unfortunately the shop only has my size in the Ruby Comp model, which is the entry level model with Shimano 105 components. Since I'm racing I'd prefer the Expert model with Ultegra components and a stronger, lighter wheelset. The bike shop put in an order for me and expects one in early August. I guess I have to wait a few weeks.

After test riding some new Specialized and Cannondale bikes I hopped back on my Giant and it seriously felt like I was pulling around bricks. Now I know what everyone means when they say "Wow...that bike sprints well!" When I sprinted on the Ruby it felt so light and responsive. What a huge difference from what I'm riding now. I always thought people were smoking crack when they talked about fast bikes, but now I can feel it!

Since I've tackled this big decision the only one left is figuring out if I want to head to Spokane for the weekend for the State TT Championship and a 65-mi road race on Sunday. If I had the new bike it'd be a yes for sure. Why can't these races be somewhere other than Spokane, which is forecast to be 100 this weekend? I suck at time trialing but I figure the more I do them the better I'll get.