The Latest...

Jess's b-day is coming up, and she's getting a new bike. The local bike shop had a "demo day" put on by Serotta Competition Bicycles, so they had all these cool bikes, most of which exceed $5000 in price. Actually, they had one set up to ride that's $7000 for just the frame. No fork, no wheels, no nothing else. Mind you, custom geometry is included in the price (this is where they measure every aspect of your body and cut the frame tubes based on your measurements), but still!

Jess rode a Coeur d' Acier, which is made of high-end steel with carbon fiber seat stays (the tubes that run from under the seat to the back wheel). She liked it a lot, and then she rode a full carbon fiber Trek to compare it.

My first ride was on a Legend Ti, but it fit pretty poorly. My second ride was on a La Corsa - a much cheaper bike, but since it fit properly, it felt MUCH better. Don't think I'll be buying one soon though, as it's still over $2200 just for the bare frame. Still it would be cool to have a 100% custom-fit bike though. If I'd liked the bike better, I could always sell my Trek and use that money toward the new bike, but it didn't knock my socks off enough to go that route.

So now Jess will have to decide which bike she likes best. No hurry though. I just mounted up a new pair of tires on her current bike, so that should keep her happy for a few more weeks.