Of course in one corner of the room stood the mighty Madone all done up in Team Astana colours from the 2009 race seasons and supposedly it was one of Lance Amrstrong's machines. An autographed replica Tour De France yellow jersey was folded neatly in a picture frame sitting at the base the bike display. All very impressive but the Madone was way out of my league both in price and experience level. (I am no pro-racer).
The salesperson steered me to where a couple of Trek 2 series bikes where hanging and with one hand pulled a 2.1 off the wall and held it out at arms length. I was again impressed. This was an aluminum bike and all I've been hearing about lately is carbon carbon carbon...
He pointed out how the shaping of tubes, which truly resembled a lot of carbon layups that I have seen, was done through hydro forming (high pressure water stuff) and then he challenged me to distinguish it from a carbon racer even with weight. Having recently tested a Giant Defy Advance machine that was made out of carbon fibre I was hard pressed to feel the difference in weight and stiffness. The only thing that gave it away was the badging on the down tube that gave the fact away that this was aluminum.
"So what you have here for $1000 less then most carbon entry level bikes and thousands less then some elite machines is a perfectly capable and competitive bike. In fact if you place in beside the Madone you'll see that it has the same race geometry. It is the same bike just built in a different medium"
He handed me the machine and I set it down on the floor of the shop and ran my hand over the shiny paint
"You wanna take it out for a ride?"
5 minutes later I was spinning out of the parking lot and onto a side street. I clicked into the pedals, shifted through the gears, and in no time I was at speed. The 2.1 begs to be pushed and I could feel the smooth transfer of power from my legs to the back wheel. Things of mechanical beauty are where art, engineering, and effort are united in a singular experience... such is the 2.1.
20 years have passed since the last time I swung my leg over a true racer and experienced the thrill that has been a personal addiction ever since. Some may note that if one was to sum up the time that I actually owned and rode a bike, (including era 1 where I had my road racer and era 2 when I had my urban commuter) the span would only be about 4 years. So in reality I spent a relatively short time in the saddle and still consider myself very much a novice.
As I returned the 2.1. to the shop and thanked the salesperson for his service, I realized that even though I loved the machine, it wasn't really what I was looking for in a bike. When I owned my Specialized Sirrus the bike served as more than just a recreational vehicle, it was my main mode of transport for nearly 2 years. Once I had it in full Thomson gear, it was a bad ass urban street fighter that could take the beating of riding through the streets of downtown Toronto.
Only one other machine could come close to replacing my steed and that would be the 2010 Cannondale Bad Boy Disc. Other than slapping on some Shimano 520 SPD pedals, a centre mount cycling computer, and maybe a bottle cage or two, this bike was setup exactly how I would my former Sirrus. In fact I might even consider getting the 26' model because I could easily switch out slicks for knobbies and have a competent trail bike as well... (I am not sure they sell 26' on North American soil...).
I know Bad Boys (and yes that is really what it is called) are hard to find so I did some calling around and apparently the only shop who is willing to order one in is a bike store based out of Edmonton. But the price they quoted me was well under the price of the Trek and definitely a huge drop from the Giant. With some disciplined financial planning, this guy could be mine...
When I shared a bit of how I lost my Sirrus online, my old friend Mark Aguila, the last guy to go with me on an extended bike ride during my last days in California, related to me that he understood my pain and also the bond a man can have with a machine. How appropriate for him to be the one to share this thought because it was while riding with him and his brother Shem that I developed the love for riding during those long ago days in Clovis and Fresno.
A bond was servered and I have felt the loss ever since. It is wrong that has nagged me for the past 3 years and I think I have never let go. I need to set it right. It might seem crazy to some but it is the only thing I truly want that is material at this point in my life.
You riders understand...
No comments:
Post a Comment