Merry Christmas!

Ride #2

Hayden does science!

A new start

Afternoon Walk

I was really anxious to take the new bike out for it's maiden voyage—after getting rained out yesterday it was going to happen today rain or shine. Fortunately, the skies cleared and I had nothing but dry tarmac to deal with. For its first test I wanted to take it on some tough climbs, so I shot south to tackle the climbs up John's Cabin Rd, St. Paul Rd, and Ries Rd before working my way north back to the office.

I loved the feel of the bike from the very start, but I also had some pretty stiff headwinds to deal with. Got a nice warmup on the climb up Shepard, but it wasn't until John's Cabin that I really started gave it an effort. It didn't turn out being the best climb for first impressions, as the ultra steep section lower section veered straight into the headwind, and even worse I didn't realize I was in my 23t and still had the 25t available. Once I got into the 25t and turned out of the wind, however, things went better, and I ended up taking 15 seconds off my previous best time—not insignificant! I took time off the next two climbs as well (St. Paul Rd and Ries Rd), and during both climbs I noted just how nimble and light the bike felt. One more climb up Schoettler Valley Rd resulted in another PR. I guess it's no coincidence that I PR'd every climb I targeted today—I'm certainly not getting any younger (I'll be 59 in two days!).

So yeah, I expected the bike to climb well—so did my LOOK 585 (which actually weighed 6 oz less). What really surprised me, however, was that the bike is also a wicked descender. It felt like a razor slicing down a narrow track—super stable and true, not a sign of chattering or any other movement. On the flats and rollers as well the bike actually felt more like my other LOOK (KG486), a heavier bike that I love for its ride quality but which I avoid taking on climbs because of its weight (and its higher gearing). I didn't expect this either. In reality, the ride quality of the Tarmac is every bit as good as the 486—smooth, stable, rock solid.

Needless to say, I love this bike. But what I really love about it is not any particular thing that it does well, but rather the fact that it seems to do EVERYTHING well!

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Merry Christmas!

Ride #2

Hayden does science!

A new start

Afternoon Walk

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