Originally Posted by
texaspandj
...Later Irongents....lets see C-Cat top that for length.
Don't get me started. I have a keyboard and I'm not afraid to use it.
BTW, I took the Ironman for a casual group ride Wednesday night, something I rarely do. I mostly use the Ironman for "workout" rides and take my Univega Via Carisma for casual rides. But the Univega's rear wheel needs work (squeaky spokes, just annoying).
So I took the Ironman. I immediately noticed how much quicker it feels in stop and go city riding. Not just the overall weight but the lighter wheels and tires. It's not that my overall average speed was faster than usual. But I was less tired after 45 miles because it takes less effort to get the Ironman spun up to speed than the heavier Univega with heavier wheels and 700x32 tires.
My only concession to keeping it casual was to wear regular running/walking shoes rather than my Scott clipless shoes. The Look pedals will jab my feet painfully if I try to push too hard, or stand to stomp the pedals on climbs and sprints.
Usually that's enough to keep my competitive nature in check, but not Wednesday night. My friend Ted was the ride leader and he's a natural cyclist/athlete, gifted with a climber's physique -- small, lean, naturally strong with great stamina even when he doesn't work out often. And he rides a hybrid with 8-speed IGH, no front derailleur (he says derailleurs are the devil's tools
), and flipped North Roads bars, and 700x32 or so touring or cyclocross tires, like a modern take on a path racer. The bike probably weighs 30 lbs but I can't convince him to get a road bike. He's only in his 40s and considers himself a cycling enthusiast, not competitive. He doesn't want to jinx the fun with a road bike.
Too bad because he'd crush us on a road bike. Heck, he'd probably own KOMs on many regional climbs. On some climbs Wednesday night I tried to keep up with Ted but couldn't do it. I'd be okay for a few hundred yards but on the longer grades I'd fizzle while he kept churning. These are sprint-climbs, like 1%-5%, pretty much full gas, no strategy, just whoever has the legs and lungs.
I'm gonna blame the lack of my proper clipless road shoes. But the fact is my legs and lungs gave out before I even noticed the Look pedals jabbing my feet through the soft soles.
Now I'm daydreaming again about another Ironman to hybridize for those casual group rides. Put on some albatross or North Roads bars, maybe bar end shifters, platform pedals. But I suppose all I really need is a beater or fixer upper, a stealth hybrid. I don't think I could do that to a pristine Ironman.