I got a new bike!

I made it to a second year of triathlons and decided to upgrade my bike to celebrate my now established hobby. See, the first year I went to the bike store proclaiming I had no idea how I'd like triathlons and that I didn't want to spend a lot of money, just in case. Bike stores are used to this, and a good store will steer you towards something that will get the job done, not set you back and arm and a leg, and won't be so hard to ride you never want to come back for an upgrade. 

I got my first bike from Spokes Etc. They were great, listened to me and my needs and gave me a few suggestions.  I bought a Trek FX 7.5 WSD (here's a more recent model for you visual folks). In plain English that means a Trek fitness hybrid with a women's specific design.  A fitness hybrid is more rugged then a road bike, with a bigger frame, slightly bigger tires and a more upright posture.  I was coming off months of physical therapy from a pinched nerve in my neck and it made sense to sit upright. The bike was wonderful for a first triathlon bike. I felt safe riding down steep hills with it, I didn't worry that I'd break it being a little larger then the average biker, and if I crashed it I wasn't upset (and I did crash it thanks to my clipless pedals).

This year, however, I was ready to get what I keep calling my "grown up bike".  My FX worked for me, but really it might as well have had a basket on the handlebars for all it's performance capabilities.  I did some research, returning to Spokes Etc, to tell them my needs and find out about what I should expect to spend.  At my current skill level, which is uber-recreational, there reaches a point where bikes cost significantly more but won't make a huge difference in comfort or race times. Let's face it: a 2 minute improvement on the bike doesn't do much when you are in the middle of the pack, and as long as my hiney isn't hurting I'm feeling pretty good. I knew I wanted a carbon frame for it's lightness, and 105 components, which were explained to me as bottom of the top tier. I looked at quite a few brands, and at quite a few shops and settled on another Trek.  Why? Well it was light and speedy, had great handling and shifting and was at the bottom of my price range. That meant I could get all the accessories I wanted up front without having to save up more money. Oh did I mention I saved up for this bike for the better part of a year so I could pay cash? Yep, no credit cards in my house! In any case, here's a picture of the new baby:

It's a 2010 Trek Madone 4.5 WSD, so you probably won't see it in stores now that they are releasing the 2011's, but if you do and you are in the market, snatch it up! It's price point is really good for a carbon frame and it's probably on sale now :). I do have to admit I got this bike from Revolution Cycles, not Spokes Etc. There's not good reason for the switch other then I found the right bike at the right time there. Spokes Etc would've had it too, I'm sure! Both are great stores with great staff who take time to answer questions and make sure you are happy. I will say I never got a professional bike fit with Spokes Etc. I sort of stumbled into one when I upgraded my seat and pedals on the FX.  At Revolution Cycles a professional bike fit came with the bike, which was also another chance to get questions answered. In any case, I love my bike!!