My New Bike

To do this ride, I had to move from my mountain bike to a road bike. I had not ridden a road bike in about 14 years and a lot has changed in biking technology since then: Lycra pants, carbon fiber frames and components, clipless pedals. All quite daunting.

I opted for what is the generally considered to be a low mid-range road bike. That statement seems like an oxymoron, especially considering the price tag of the bikes today. I test rode the Trek 2.1, Trek 4.5, and the Specialized Allez. The Trek and Specialized are aluminum frame with carbon fiber forks, seat stays, and seat posts. Component gear like shifters and derailleurs were mid-range, though the Specialized had a couple of upgraded components compared to the Trek. The Trek 4.5 offered a completely carbon fiber frame and was a little bit lighter.

Since I had not been on a road bike in years, I did not know how to judge what felt good, what felt bad, what was quality and what was not. I was mainly going on rule of thumb and gut feel. The Specialized seemed to feel better and I took solace in the fact that one of the main moving parts of the bike, the rear derailleur, was an upgraded component. That's better, right?

So I chose. I selected the Specialized Allez Elite. With all of the gear it weighs 22 lbs. That doesn't sound too extravagant but it is a step up from my 30 pound mountain bike. So far I have really been enjoying it.