By Lars Hundley
One of my favorite parts of a group ride is checking out what other cyclists are riding and quizzing them about bikes and gear to see why they ride what they do. There’s such a huge variety of options, and it’s always fascinating to hear why someone has chosen a particular tire, frame, gruppo, saddle, etc. You’ll see some guys who always ride the very newest tech, and others who still pedal steel Italian bikes with down tube friction shifters and six gears in the back.
It’s hard to imagine the variety of road bikes that all the readers must be riding.
Wouldn’t it be cool to see what some of the readers are riding?
Got a bike you’d like to show us? Hit reply to the newsletter and show us a photo of it. Tell us why it’s special to you, and how you have it set up.
I’ll pick some to share in future newsletters and on our Facebook page, which you should also be following. (This post about Schwalbe’s new airless tube insert was our most viewed post of the week.)
I’ll start with my current bike — a 2017 Felt FR-2 road disc bike that I purchased last September.
There are three big reasons why I chose this bike. 1. It included Ultegra Di2 electronic shifting, which I had never tried before. Dura Ace Di2 was out of my price range, as was the new SRAM eTap or Campy EPS. 2. It had road disc brakes, which I was also curious to try, even though it meant making all of my other wheels obsolete. 3. It had plenty of frame room for wider tires. (I’m running 32mm Compass Stampede Pass tires on it right now!)
So far, I’m really enjoying the bike. I had it professionally fitted at my local bike shop, so it’s dialed in with just the right seat height and stem length to make it quite comfortable.
I love the Di2 electronic shifting. It’s everything I hoped for and more. It shifts much better than my previous SRAM Red and mechanical Ultegra bikes.
The road disc brakes are also outstanding so far. I was worried that they would stop too powerfully when I was riding in a group and feel dangerously mismatched, but they feel very similar to rim brakes and I’ve had no problems with that at all. I can easily match the braking of everyone around me without having to eventhink about it. But I no longer have to worry about the poor braking in the rain that I would get before riding carbon rims.
What’s all that stuff on the handlebars? I’m using a Wahoo Elemnt bike computer, and a Niterider Lumina 750 headlight and there’s even a Knog Oi bike bell. I often ride before sunlight at 5 a.m., but I also use my headlight during the day so I can be better seen by cars.
What’s up with those super wide 32mm tires — is that a road bike or a tractor? The tires are new and I’ve only had them a few weeks. I was pleased to discover that the theory that wider tires roll just as fast really pans out in real life. I’m able to run these tires at just 65 psi, but they roll just as fast as 25mm tires and I have not struggled in group rides. And the additional comfort and grip that comes with more air volume and a better contact patch is a game changer.
I look forward to hearing about your bike and sharing some of my favorite submissions with readers.
Hit reply to the newsletter and show me and tell me about what you’re riding when you get a chance.
Lars
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