Failed this morning on the Krapf. Shut 'er down at the 25 mile point with an avg speed of 18.9. The last 2.5 miles is uphill, usually windy, and has the one busy intersection to navigate. I never make up time on that section.
I think this failure helps illustrate just how good the C40 is even though it pains me to admit that, LOL!
Legs felt ok today for the most part and I was moving fast early on. But even then I could feel some occasional lactic acid build up in the quads. I think the 6 speed cassette in back is a hinderance to me with my legs still being not that strong. There's a section from 8.6 miles to the 15.6 mile turn around that is pretty much all a minor uphill. I'd say it averages less than 1% but it's still enough to reveal how my quads are still so down on power. I lost 1.3 mph avg over this section and just couldn't make it up on the return leg. Normally I can muscle through this section to maintain a decent pace but really struggle with it since the surgery. I guess the lighter weight and more gears with the Colnago last week really helped me. I spent a lot more time in the drops today than I did last weekend but it still didn't give me the edge I needed to pull this off.
Now for the bike itself, man a great little rider. The drivetrain is sooooooooooooooo quiet, I love it! Shifting is very precise after the first couple of shfits. I always have to get a feel for how any given DT setup works since I'm always out on a different bike on any given day. The FD was pulling inward a bit when I stood to muscle up some short hills. I didn't bother trying to tighten it but will next ride out on this. The cockpit on this suits me well and I am totally comfortable doing miles in the drops. It feels like it's accelerating well and sticks pretty well in tight turns. Some of the bigger hits from rough road conditions do feel a little rough on the front end when I'm in the drops. The back never feels harsh despite how tight the rear wheel is tucked in. A usual, the Vittoria Control G 2.0 tires feel like they roll slower with the Conti GP 4000s II or 5000s I run on most bikes. Maybe they were the difference today and maybe I could have snuck in a tenth of a mile faster on GP 5000s.
Such a beautiful 41 year old bike!
