Bringing this one back from the dead -

Shortly after the last post last November, I went out for a 21 mile loop, that involves a couple of shortish cat 5 climbs, and came back with a very sore IT band. I wound up spending the winter resting and rehabilitating the IT band, and getting used to a different set of orthotics. Come March, I hadn't ridden all winter, and couldn't run more than a mile. I put more effort into the running part, and worked exclusively on running until mid June, when I added limited swimming and riding. Finally got to where I could run a 10K in mid July, and was able to start swimming in earnest, and riding a hybrid with super low gears to avoid re-injuring my knee. Sprang for a new road bike, a Giant Defy Composite 2, because I realized I was afraid I was going to injure the knee on one of the hills on the steel bike. After I had the new bike for a few weeks, I rode that same 21 mile loop, and on the first time on that route on the new bike, I shaved five minutes off my previous best, even though it was 50 degrees hotter than the day I set my previous best, and I had less than 200 miles on the new bike. The following week, I shaved another three minutes off the same loop.

The tri was last weekend, and I did finish it, albeit slowly. The swim was fine, though about 90 meters longer than regulation. The ride was great, rolling terrain and quiet roads, with a couple of small climbs. The run was just tough, hot, humid, and hilly. It didn't help at all that I was getting over a cold, but I'm satisfied with the results, especially considering that five months ago I couldn't run a mile and a half, and could only really train all three events for two months.

Is there a performance difference? Yes, absolutely. The new bike is five pounds lighter, which helps on the hills, but not nearly as much as having all those gears at hand. It's more comfortable on descents as well, there's no flex to speak of and no twitchiness. I'm going much faster with less effort, and that's on an endurance geometry bike. If I'd wanted something more race oriented, there'd be more gains to be had. I'm not fast enough or serious enough about triathlon to justify a more performance oriented bike, but I'm loving live on the new Giant.