Originally Posted by
samsation7
how do you like the ride? specialized has some very innovative designs, sometimes at the expense of aesthetics. However, your bike looks great and I'd like to know how it rides.
don't wanna derail the thread too much from the scenic photos (although i guess it's my fault for putting that photo in there...some folks asked for one), but i'm really loving the new bike.
i test-rode a number of other "top-end" carbon + Ti bikes and can appreciate what they do well; however, they were not for me.
i was specifically looking for a bike that was:
(a) light (i do lots of climbing);
(b) comfortable enough to ride for 200 miles;
(c) responsive, but not stiff for stiffness's sake (they recently chip-sealed a favorite ride (with the coarse stuff, no less!), which turned an awesome 25-miler into an unenjoyable ride on an alu+carbon bike; this bike didn't make me feel like i was riding on glass, but it made it enjoyable enough that a few times i've ridden it twice in succession);
(d) a better bike than i am a rider, so i can push myself/improve and keep the bike for a long, long time.
i personally don't care about brands or looks (though i do prefer low-key and am actually thinking of putting electrical tape over some of the logos -- i'm sure that's not cool around here), so as long as the bike met my needs above.
it helped that i got a deal i couldn't refuse (no way i could afford the full prices of these things).