Introducing my new set of wheels...
Me and my bike right after I brought it home
I think it's safe to say that when you're an engineer and your name
is "Vroomen," you were meant to make something fast.
My cool new aerobars with bar-end shifters
(and my wife's artsy picture)
Specs:
Cervelo P2 2012
| ULTEGRA | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fork | Cervélo FK26 | |
| Headset | IS-3 | |
| Seatpost | Cervélo Aero TT | |
| Shifters | Shimano Dura-Ace | |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano Ultegra | |
| Front derailleur | Shimano Ultegra | |
| Brake calipers | FSA Gossamer Pro | |
| Brake levers | TRP RL970 Carbon | |
| Crankset | FSA Gossamer (50/34) | |
| Bottom bracket | FSA Mega EXO | |
| Aerobar/Extensions | 3T AURA PRO with alloy extensions | |
| Stem | 3T ARX PRO | |
| Saddle | fi'zi:k Arione Tri2 | |
| Cassette | Shimano Ultegra (12-25) | |
| Chain | Shimano Ultegra | |
| Wheels | Shimano R501 | |
| Tires | Vittoria Rubino Pro Slick | |
| It should be noted that the information above doesn't mean much to most people. It still doesn't mean a heck of a lot to me, but I'm getting there. I've asked lots of questions at Bike Mart, and I've done tons of research online to get to the conclusion I came to on choosing this bike. And always being one for a good sale, the current discount didn't hurt either. |
It was not the easiest decision I've ever made...
First, it's a good chunk of money which leads me to (over) think and (over) analyze a lot. In fact, I think my purchases (highest dollars spent) over the years where I end up with a tangible item at the end (meaning not remodeling a kitchen or something like that) go like this: House, New Car, New Bike....ouch. It's possible I'm forgetting something (whatever it was, it probably wasn't something that was any fun :-)), but you get the point...this was a big deal.
Second, this wasn't the only option available at a similar price point. A good problem to have, for sure, but it did put my mind in flux for a couple of days as I tried to make a final decision somewhat worrying about whether someone would come and snatch either bike up. I mean, this other bike I was choosing between was NICE. It was a 2011 model and the last one they had and marked down SUBSTANTIALLY (most bike sales are somewhere, I've seen, around 5-10% off...still a good amount of money off since the starting prices are usually so much, but this bike was marked down over 25%). I tend to get a little guilty when I start spending money on myself (and it feels like that's all I've done this week and not with just small purchases as you're seeing, so guilt is mounting), but when the wife actually says that if I'm going to buy a bike, I should strongly consider the more expensive if it's really that much better, then I should really do that . Both guys that helped me at Bike Mart, when they came across this better "spec"ed bike, did a triple take on the price and couldn't believe how unbelievable of a deal it is (and it happened to be a great fit for me, too). I was trying to remain impartial and just wanted to leave with the bike that was the best for me.
What it finally came down to was that I actually found the Cervelo to be a slightly more comfortable bike for me, and they assured me that I wasn't giving up dependability through the lesser components on the bike (the difference is mostly weight, so they say), and this particular model of the Cervelo is universally considered in the Tri world to be some of the best bang for the buck available (even at full price). Cervelo likes to point out that this bike has been ridden to 2 Ironman World Championship victories in Kona and has led the bike count at the World Championships each of the last number of years despite being even this company's bottom of the line carbon tri bike. The point is that it's a good, proven machine that experienced and elite triathloners use. I had told myself before I entered the store that if I had any reservations, I would go home and sleep on it. However, I felt so confident in my decision (and I already had permission from the wife to take as much time as needed), though, that I didn't think this was necessary and went ahead and got it.
A few comments...
As an adult, this is the first bike I've actually purchased. The bike I had been taking on my triathlon adventures was actually a gift/bonus from my bosses a few years back for my efforts in moving our team/business over from our previous firm to our current one. A very nice gift indeed. The funny thing about this is, without this gift, I probably would've never gotten into triathlons in the first place. First of all, it had never occurred to me to do triathlons because of the financial barrier to entry (I had all the running gear, but that's the cheap part). I find it highly unlikely that I would have made the dive of buying a bike (even the Trek 1.1) and spending a good amount of money on something that I wasn't really sure I would like anyway. But with this bike in hand, one barrier was eliminated (mostly :-)). This coupled with the fact that I already belonged to a gym that has a lap pool, and all the components were present to give triathlons a go!
My Trek 1.1 treated me well. We definitely had some good times (my last sprint triathlon, I broke the 20 avg. mph barrier which I was really excited about (and placed my 7th in my age group on the bike...I guarantee the other guys had tri bikes :-)) and some bad times (how about when my chain broke about 3 miles away from my car on a training ride at White Rock three days before my A race for the year and I had to walk, barefoot because cycling cleats aren't meant to be walked in, until a good Samaritan, probably a mile and a half away from the car still, was nice enough to pick me and my bike up and take me to my car). However, this previous bike just wasn't designed to absorb the rigors of long rides from a comfort standpoint. Does it get me from point A to point B? Yes :-) Is it a nice beginner's bike? Yes, in fact, more than a couple have said it's more than a nice beginners bike (but a beginner's bike nonetheless). With the amount of time I'm about to spend on my bike, it just seemed like now was the time to take the dive if I was ever going to with the price being probably about as "right" as it was ever going to be. It's not as though I will do my half IM and IMTX and just call it quits with triathlons either. I really enjoy them and expect to continue on with this for years to come (just not at the longest distance)...I might as well have some equipment in advance of these big races that I know will make the experience more enjoyable, improve my performance, and will be a great bike for any of my races in years to come.
A final note...I would like to point out that this post was drafted starting at about 4:30am (I woke up at 3:30 and couldn't go back to sleep). I think my brain is in overdrive mode with excitement from what has occurred this week. I need to remind myself of this feeling during the dog-days of training...we'll see how well that works!
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