raffy

Congrats Vicki!

x2. You rock Aunt Shelly!

Happy birthday Jeff!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have a safe and awesome long weekend!

I thought so. The Venge I tried on Saturday had one and it was actually very comfortable for me, much more so than my Toupe. I'm actually thinking of getting one.

Very nice Chris!!! What saddle is that?

Congrats CJ!

Yay Chris!!!!

Happy Birthday JP!

Happy Birthday Alex!

You have no idea how often people tell me that!

Went the the Specialized Demo Truck event earlier today. I took out a Venge Pro with 60mm carbon clinchers back to back twice with a S-Works Tarmac SL4 with 40mm carbon clinchers. I ended up riding the 2 bikes around 6-8 miles a each a at as stiff pace as traffic dictated. The Tarmac was a very stiff and fast bike with a lot of feedback but I felt that the Venge (unlike the Tarmac this was not a S-Works frame) was faster in that it wound up quicker and felt like it was noticeably easier to hang on to speed. It was also unexpectedly comfortable while not feeling numb like I feel my Roubaix is sometimes. It might have been the 60mm deep wheels that helped it edge out the Tarmac but I walked away from the event very impressed with the Venge which I previously thought as just a gimmick bike by a large scale manufacturer. Also learned that the new SRAM Red grouppo is really nice with decent ergonomics. It was confusing at first but the double tap system quickly grew on me. I think I still prefer Campy ergo-wise but wouldn't feel bad at all if I had to go Red. If I could do it all over again but had to stick to Specialized I would get the Venge Pro or S-Works frame and built it up with whatever Campy grouppo I could swing at the time. Pics:

Full Red with cranks? What length?

Actually I need a super short head tube

My deal with the C59 is that it has a slightly tall head tube for me. I have really short legs and a long torso for my height. To get the fit I want without cutting a significant amount of steer tube I need a HT of around 100-110. I can make the C59 fit properly but I will probably end up with only 15 mm of spacers under the stem which means I will have to chop a good amount if steer tube. It'll end up with a nice fit albeit a little "slammed" and my worry is resale value for a really small slammed bike. However, I realize this may be a moot point as the C59 should be a lifetime bike (or at least a very long time bike). OTOH, the Dogma will give me a lot more flexibility fit wise and will require minimal steer tube cutting if any.

I approve of this statement. The mission is to turn the Roubaix into a backup bike in the next 2-3 years (or sooner) and get a "lifetime" bike. So far, I've been lusting over the Colnago C59 or the Dogma 65.2. Truth be told I secretly prefer the Dogma but it's not Made in Italy nor does it have the prestige associated with a Colnago.

True but only because I do not like riding alone esp. in unfamiliar places. Btw the Specialized demo truck will be in town tomorrow. Hopefully they have a small Tarmac or Venge for me to try.

In that case, I will escape during the last few miles and make sure you can't catch me

So the cable guide that was rebonded to the carbon on my downtube has come undone again today. It doesn't really have much of an impact right now as the tension on the cables keeps it in place but it is obviously a frame defect so I decided to drop if off again at the LBS so they can send it back to Specialized. Hopefully they'll give me a new frame this time but I doubt that because I think they should be able to rebond this piece properly just like it was done so when they first manufactured it. Looks like about two weeks without a bike again but I should be able to ride at Sebring. On a positive note, I'll be well rested and dangerous come the Sebring ride

Yay, great news Chris!

Sorry again about your ankle, Vicki. I didn't realized you're on crutches. Nate, I'm also challenged in finding daylight to ride my bike that fits my work schedule during the week so I've resorted to riding my bike on the trainer. I personally recommend getting a few Sufferfest videos as they give you a structured workout and more importantly makes riding on a trainer MUCH less boring and unbearable. I have the Fight Club and There Is No Try videos and I'm probably gonna buy a few more soon. You can even load them to your iPad but I've never done so. I watch them on my TV via my PS3.

Ugh, sorry to hear about the Vicki, that's truly a bummer. Maybe you can still join us for moral and SAG support for Sebring in December?

Happy Birthday Dinny!

Happy Birthday Mikey and Chris!!!!

Awesome Nate! Did you get the shock issue sorted out?