"And So It Begins"

It feels like training doesn't really begin until you start riding outside.  It was a damn late start this year, but I finally got my butt out there today.  And of course it was on the new black beast!

Let me tell you a little about it...

It has this cool little storage cubby behind the seat.  To my knowledge Trek is the only manufacturer that incorporate this into the bike.  That's where I put my spare tube, my CO2 cartridges, my emergency tool, and even my phone.

If you've followed my bike chronicles over the years you will know that I have tried ever seat under the sun.  This may be the best one yet.  The width is actually adjustable, with that nice space in the middle to ease the pressure on my important parts!

This is the rear derailleur and of course it's electric.  Believe it or not, I actually opted for Shimano Ultegra, instead of the top of the line Dura-Ace.  Last time I bought a bike this more reasonably priced option was not available.

This is the brains of the whole electric shifting system.  I can't show you a picture of the battery because it is actually hidden inside the frame.  Very, very cool!  My old one was externally mounted on the chain stay.

Of course my  GPS connected computer.  It tells me speed, cadence, power, distance, elevation, grade, time, and even my heart rate!  

The aerobar shift buttons.

And the alternate base bar buttons.

And this is probably my favourite part of the whole bike.  The brake pads are nicely tucked away, but more amazingly the cables are completely hidden inside the frame.  Both front and rear brakes.  Amazing!

11S  52-36 means that it 11 speed (times 2) and that the front chain rings have 52 and 36 teeth respectively.  The net result of this is that I have 2 extra speeds than my old bike, one higher, and one lower.  For my old engine, the lower one is the important one!

The "torpedo" hydration system. 

And of course some extra bottle cages.

The wheels are 100% carbon fibre without even an aluminum braking surface.  Very light, and they look cool.

And last but not least my Vector pedals, which I actually transferred from my other bike.  These pedals send the power data to my computer, so I can tell how hard I'm working irrespective of wind or hills.

So I still have some adjustments to make but after my initial ride today it all feels great.  Of course I admit that the old engine is indeed wearing out a bit, but I'm coming to terms with that. 

I love my bike!

Ride 62 kms, 5 km transition run/walk.

"To begin, begin."---William Wordsworth

Love

Peter