I just got a new cyclocross bike from Expert Cycles. What a Christmas present to myself! Unreal.
Firstly – the excitement – I got a call from Alfie (thanks to Alfie for all his work on our bikes, and teaching our kids to cycle this year, and to Scott and Robin too for all the great work and advice) to come pick it up yesterday – so the team converted the wheels to tubeless and added some new (really clicky – you forget just how clicky new pedals are!) SPDs. When I got to the shop Max-Powerface-Power of the Yeti Tribe fame was there – my bike was in the stand. He says something like ‘Cyclocross is shit, (then pausing as he sees the tears building in my eyes) is that your bike?’ ‘Yes’ I answer – ‘my brand new focus mares’ Quick as a whip Max says ‘cyclocross is brilliant’ we all laugh like the Famous 5 at the end of every episode.
Anyway – I take hold of the reigns (handlebars) and pull on the brakes, things I can’t believe – disk brakes, unreal. Really light levers on the brakes – superlight – feel unreal. Wider bars than on my road bike, no toe overlap. Too excited to stay in the shop I try to run off without paying. But I don’t. Happy as I ever was on Christmas morning I face the drive at 5, from Expert (Rathfarnham) to Loughlinstown D18. Boo.
Santa must have thought I was being a good lad all year, as I flew home with traffic seeming to part in front of me, another bonus – no one home, no kids to mind, all out! Bonus! And living beside Cherrywood park where Bray Wheelers play on their CX bikes I knew just where to head, Jumped on the new steed (bike) and rode to the park. Firstly – the bike is stiff, real stiff I thought reading forums that cranks stiffness and feeling that was a load of old cobblers – but no; it’s a thing, every pedal mash resulted in acceleration; I felt like a champion! The gears – what the heck – zero pressure to change – I have a road bike with gears and it’s crap. You could breathe on the shifters on the new bike and you’d be away! Loved it, was shifting just for fun! Ha ha ha! Ho ho ho!
Tyres – strange one this; first time on a CX’er the tyres look fat road tyres and like they have little grip – but this isn’t the case – it’s like the bike and tyres laughs in the face of physics – I was heading down some off camber leafy groove in the park and the bike didn’t budge! Hahahah! Unreal, then it started to rain a little and as we all know in the lights it can look a little like snow, it was incredible. I did about 5 laps laughing all the way, and then went home buzzing like a chimp after a mars bar (don’t give a chimp a mars bar).
Happy Christmas everyone – now go get yourself a CX bike – you’ll feel like that child on Christmas morning once again!
Firstly – the excitement – I got a call from Alfie (thanks to Alfie for all his work on our bikes, and teaching our kids to cycle this year, and to Scott and Robin too for all the great work and advice) to come pick it up yesterday – so the team converted the wheels to tubeless and added some new (really clicky – you forget just how clicky new pedals are!) SPDs. When I got to the shop Max-Powerface-Power of the Yeti Tribe fame was there – my bike was in the stand. He says something like ‘Cyclocross is shit, (then pausing as he sees the tears building in my eyes) is that your bike?’ ‘Yes’ I answer – ‘my brand new focus mares’ Quick as a whip Max says ‘cyclocross is brilliant’ we all laugh like the Famous 5 at the end of every episode.
Anyway – I take hold of the reigns (handlebars) and pull on the brakes, things I can’t believe – disk brakes, unreal. Really light levers on the brakes – superlight – feel unreal. Wider bars than on my road bike, no toe overlap. Too excited to stay in the shop I try to run off without paying. But I don’t. Happy as I ever was on Christmas morning I face the drive at 5, from Expert (Rathfarnham) to Loughlinstown D18. Boo.
Santa must have thought I was being a good lad all year, as I flew home with traffic seeming to part in front of me, another bonus – no one home, no kids to mind, all out! Bonus! And living beside Cherrywood park where Bray Wheelers play on their CX bikes I knew just where to head, Jumped on the new steed (bike) and rode to the park. Firstly – the bike is stiff, real stiff I thought reading forums that cranks stiffness and feeling that was a load of old cobblers – but no; it’s a thing, every pedal mash resulted in acceleration; I felt like a champion! The gears – what the heck – zero pressure to change – I have a road bike with gears and it’s crap. You could breathe on the shifters on the new bike and you’d be away! Loved it, was shifting just for fun! Ha ha ha! Ho ho ho!
Tyres – strange one this; first time on a CX’er the tyres look fat road tyres and like they have little grip – but this isn’t the case – it’s like the bike and tyres laughs in the face of physics – I was heading down some off camber leafy groove in the park and the bike didn’t budge! Hahahah! Unreal, then it started to rain a little and as we all know in the lights it can look a little like snow, it was incredible. I did about 5 laps laughing all the way, and then went home buzzing like a chimp after a mars bar (don’t give a chimp a mars bar).
Happy Christmas everyone – now go get yourself a CX bike – you’ll feel like that child on Christmas morning once again!