So in Leadership we’ve been talking about ethical dilemmas, with right vs. right type decisions, and I’m afrad I’ve got a bike dilemma of the same magnitude.
It starts out all like this. I did my first triathlon this past year, but unfortunately, my 58cm Trek 2120 was too small. I claimed the fathers old Specialized Sirrus, a massive, for my 6’4" frame, decent, albeit old, road bike. It’s not really all that heavy, and the 105 down tuber’s still shift like a dream.
I’ve been planning for the last few months the purchase of a new bike when spring/early summer comes along. I can spare perhaps a little over $1000, but not so much. I read about the new Cervelo One and loved it- I could use it for both my tri’s and as a road bike, as I’d like to do some team riding in college(hopefully Rice).
The dilemma, however, was created this weekend when I started looking at cyclocross websites and pictures, and the description a roadie friend of mine had of it. The dilemma comes in where I begin to think I should get myself a 'cross bike, rather than the road/tri. I want to do both, tri and road and cross, but I can only split for one nice new bike.
A couple of the options I see are: Get the One (assuming it fits), and either convert the Sirrus over to 'cross or get a cheap frame and put the random assortment of road and mtb parts we’ve at the house on it, for cross. Get Kona’s Jake The Snake, or some other such machine, and put some Jammer’s on the Specialized, or, if it ends up being faster, on the Snake. Or, I could snag a road bike, maybe a Specialized, and use it for the tri’s as well…I’m all open. First, I should probably get fitted, to make sure I can get the bikes in large enough sizes. Unfortunately, there aren’t so many bike shops up here in Northern Maine, so I’ll have to wait until Feb break to visit Rainbow Bikes or some other such store.
I don’t really have to make the decision for quite some time, really until may or june, but I’m currently obsessing over this decision, and not really doing my homework. Another question, in the same category, certainly- if anyone has a 'cross bike, how much slower is it on the road, say with smooth tires on, than a road or tri bike?
Thanks!
Lying (awake at night) in Limestone
(Darrell)