Had my first ride on it today. It’s my first ever road bike, so I’m afraid I can’t really give any meaningful feedback for experienced riders, but it felt bloody great to me. :mrgreen:

The steering was obviously much sharper than I’m used to and it’s also my first time riding clipped in (I thankfully managed to avoid any embarrassing ‘timber’ moments when trying to unclip), but I was surprised at how natural it felt. The fit is absolutely spot on – in all honesty, it fits me better than my MTB – and I even enjoyed riding in the drops.

It did make me realise how much I take for granted on my MTB, like disc brakes and suspension – going back to rim brakes was quite a shock, and even what looked like perfectly smooth roads felt quite jarring through rigid forks and skinny tyres inflated to 100psi.

As you might expect, I also found the ride a bit twitchy at times – particularly when riding standing up, which is certainly going to take some practice – but my overriding impression was MY GOD THIS THING IS FAST. I know everyone says how much easier it is to pick up and hold speed on a road bike, but I’d never have believed the difference was so great. Compared to my MTB, it felt almost like riding downhill. It was quite an addictive feeling! :D

So, in summary, I couldn’t be happier. Looking forward to getting some proper miles in over the coming weeks.

Here it is:

Oh, and in anticipation of a flood of comments, I am already aware that:

1) It is a big frame.
2) The stem is not slammed.
3) The stem is not inverted.
4) The dork disk is still fitted.
5) The bar tape is white.
6) The kitchen needs renovating.

:D

Obviously haven’t had a chance to ride it yet, but the fit feels good and the frame seems nicely made. Feels pretty heavy, but then it is a 62…

So on Monday, you ring them again. “I waited in all day and my delivery hasn’t arrived again” Free bike !

I like your thinking. I just checked the online tracking again and apparently it was signed for by ‘Landey’. That’s definitely not any of the other tenants in my block, so it’s either the driver’s name, or he tried to write ‘landing’.

Not ordered a pair of sram split links off CRC have you? It could be them that’s in the box

In a box that small? They’re good, but they can’t cheat physics.

They left a bike box outside?!?!?

Sorry, I should have been clearer – they left it in the hall outside my flat, but inside the block.

what is it????

if it’s not one of these http://road.cc/content/news/80725-just-canyon-ultimate-cf-slx-2013 I’m not interested

Not one of those, sadly.

EDIT: Hang on, so you’re saying you wouldn’t be interested if it was one of these?

It’s not one of those either, but still… :D

I placed an order with Canyon on 1 April. Got an email confirming the order on 4 April. Was told by Canyon today that the order is ready for dispatch, and that it will be handed over to UPS within the next two days.

Judging by the timings listed above, I guess it will be here early next week. So, about two weeks from clicking buy to first throwing a leg over it. Seems reasonable to me.

Max cadence 192 rpm

Wowzers. I’m not even sure I could get my legs to spin that fast.

Bloody hell. Really puts the gulf between normal-person-fit and pro-rider-fit into perspective. Amazing.

Just thought I’d provide an update, in case anyone else is in a similar position.

I tried a Sportful jersey and it was pretty close. The fit was fantastic in the body, but again it was ever so slightly short. I ended up getting a Castelli Prima, which was slightly longer than the other Castelli I had tried previously and so fits perfectly. Really pleased with it.

I once had a tubed MTB tyre burst in my hand and almost shat my pants – and that was only 32psi! I can only imagine what it would be like at 100psi! 8O

Lifa warm merino mix are my favourite warm base layer but only good for the coldest days so looking for thinner pure merino for the rest of the season.

Ah, okay. I wear my Howies Vail merino t-shirt during the summer – picked up three for £20 each in a sample sale a few years back. Really like them. That said, the way things are looking at the moment, you’ll probably be fine wearing the HH Warm for most of the year… :(

Thirded. I sound a similar size/shape to you and find that the HH Lifa Warm Ice Crew fits perfectly in Large. Amazon had them on offer for £25 a while ago, which was a ridiculous bargain, but they’re still good value at £35 IMO.

there’s a good chance that your banks anti fraud system will block payment too so it mught be worth informing your bank of the transaction in advance.

Really? I paid by credit card and it seemed to go through okay (I’ve had the confirmation email), or is this something that crops up later in the process?

That’s a no on the bar tape and saddle colour change, sadly. Canyon say they can change bar width, stem length and gearing – for a small fee – but can’t change anything else.

I guess I’ll just stick with white until it needs replacing.

Anyone know how long Canyon bikes tend to take to arrive when they’re listed as being in stock?

Will Canyon not configure to do the black saddle and bar tape? I thought they were amenable to small changes – worth an ask?

Really? Hmm, okay. Just sent them an email to ask – will let you know what they say.

Thanks all – just ordered, in white.

Will post pics and a ride report once it arrives. Exciting! :mrgreen:

Thanks all. Having looked into it a bit more, it seems Don Julio, Herradura or Cazadores would all be safe bets. Would obviously like to get anejo, but may end up going with a reposado just to keep the cost down.

This one looks interesting: http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodid=5879

Stories like this really make me question whether I should be about to start road cycling…

Canyon?

That does look nice, but I think XL is going to be too big. I normally take L in clothes, and the L was certainly the best fit in the Endura and Castelli.

I’ve heard that Sportful might be worth a try?

if you own a hardtail, how about just fitting skinny slicks and clip on tri bars to it?

I would go down that route, but I only own one bike – a Transition Bandit. Part of me does think it would be funny to fit it with skinny road tyres and clip-ons and just ride that, but I think the joke would probably wear off within the first few km. I’d also need new wheels to fit narrow tyres (currently have Stans Flow), so I don’t think it’s a sensible option.

You mean you commute? or your train with a specific target derived training plan?

Well, I’m not sure what I do would constitute a ‘target derived training plan’, but I do mean pushing myself with the aim of increasing my strength and fitness – either through laps of Richmond Park on my bike, or 70-minute sessions on a spinner I have set up at home. I’ve no doubt I could be doing things differently to train more effectively, however – that’s something I’ll be looking into. Again, any tips would be appreciated.

If you’re set on getting a road bike, then consider buying second hand. You can get a decent road bike for £500 if you trawl the classifieds and know what you’re looking for. And if you get it cheap, then you can sell it on for not much less after the triathlon if you hate the bike.

I think I will end up buying second hand, though I really don’t know what I should be looking for. I also don’t know what size I need. Given my height, I guess I’m going to be looking at 61-63, which might limit my options when it comes to second hand.

The other option, which I’ve just seen, is that there is a bike hire scheme for the event. You can get a Giant Defy 4 from now until August for £125. Might be the most sensible option? (Link here.)

There’s a risk with buying a road bike – you might enjoy it and end up marveling at how smooth lycra feels against your shaved legs

I may well end up enjoying it and I have no problem with wearing lycra, but I absolutely draw the line at shaving my legs. Not going to happen. :D

It does look nice, and I like what Kingdom are doing, but I can’t believe anyone would pay £2,750 for an untested (in a real world consumer sense) frame that requires a pre-order. That’s £400 more than a Mojo HD at full RRP…

Pretty much any shot from Champery:

This track in Russia is also pretty steep:

Brett Tippie, doing what he does best:

Dolomites:

Laguna, CA:

Minus the dogsh*t Hans Dampf’s now though

I thought they got pretty good reviews? What didn’t you like about them?

As said above, it really depends on what sort of trails you ride and what you’re looking for. But if I could have any one bike, money no object, it’d be either a Tallboy LTc or one of the new S-Works Enduros.

I was wondering what wheeze they’d come up with to get rid of all the old Livestrong frames.

Apparently Lance was running on premium unleaded…

I broke the knuckle on my left-hand index finger in a few places playing football – a fingertip save and it bent backwards at the knuckle (ie. the wrong way). I didn’t think anything of it, so went to the pub and just sat it in a pint of iced water. I then went into work the next day, when my horrified colleagues suggested that I went to hospital to get the now giant black-and-purple sack looked at.

The consultant said that the break wasn’t really a problem, but unfortunately the process of the knuckle bending back the wrong way also completely tore the tough ligament that runs underneath the knuckle, which took a lot more work to fix.

It took about 6 weeks of painful physio, and I still can’t bend it fully and it hurts on cold days (arthritis to come, no doubt), but it’s more or less fine. Certainly doesn’t stop me from riding. (No more than my complete lack of talent, anyway. :wink: )

Clicked the link thinking ‘meh, it’s just a paint job, how bad can it be’.

Actually shocked by just how godawful that is. I mean, where do you start? 8O

This should give you some idea of how capable the current Enduro is

In fairness, Brendog and Curtis Keene would manage to make pretty much any bike look impressive, but that new S-Works Enduro does look very, very nice. If money was no object and I could only have one bike, that would be a serious contender. (Or maybe a Tallboy LTC.)

I have a Rab Stretch Neo jacket for hiking and couldn’t be happier with it. The quality and fit are superb – as mentioned above, the sleeves are a really decent length, which suits me at 6’5 and slim. Also been really impressed with the customer service. Would buy again.

I personally prefer the more definite ‘click’ you get with SRAM shifters. I have X0 shifters and love them. The rest of my drivetrain is just X7, but I definitely think the shifters is an upgrade worth doing.

I bought a Mavic Stratos H20 at a huge discount in the January sales and it’s fantastic.

Not sure I’d pay full price, and I don’t think I’d want to wear it off the bike (it’s a bit, erm, Euro, and the tail has quite a drop), but as a riding jacket it’s really very good indeed.

Thanks to a STW post to the ebay ad I got this delivered this morning…

You BOUGHT it? 8O

Emmelle Cheetah, Margam Park, circa 1993

Heh. I had an Emmelle Leopard when I was younger. I now realise it was an absolute dog, but I love it at the time. Must have been made of pig iron, judging by the weight, and the multi-coloured neon paintscheme was awesome hideous. I even fitted an aero disc cover on the rear wheel that had neon yellow lightning graphics all over it.

Oh yeah, I was pretty cooooool. 8)

What about the magazine bidding on them and doing a review of them, it would make a brilliant article.

This +1000000000000. And then interview the seller. Best. Article. Ever.

I’d resubscribe for that alone.

I used to get this during the winter until I bought an ex-gym spin bike. I’m now probably fitter than I’ve been at any point since school.

Set it up in front of the TV and now do 70 minutes a day, six days a week – unless I’m out on the actual bike, obviously. Don’t need to worry about weather, getting kit ready or washing mud off afterwards. Works for me.

The plushest forks I have owned.

I had a carpark test on a Scott with DT forks and this was very much my reaction. Almost ludicrously plush. Light too. Shame I couldn’t give them a proper test – I’d be keen to see what they were like out on the trails.

xtr shifters are fantastic

That’s where I’d spend the money too. I personally can’t justify/afford a top-end drivetrain, but think it’s worth spending extra on the best pair of shifters you can afford as it makes a really noticeable difference.

I just went for a X7 drivetrain on my Bandit but splashed out on some X0 shifters – the difference over the SLX I was used to is night and day. Doesn’t make me ride any faster and probably doesn’t even make the gear change any faster, but it sure makes it feel a LOT nicer, which as a non-racer is more important to me.

Seat angle looks a bit funny, but otherwise it’s very nice indeed. Not seen that green before – it’s lovely. I even think the wheels look good, which is odd as I normally hate white rims. Nice work! :-)

Some pics of mine on the other recent Bandit thread: linky

Here’s a newer one:

EDIT: Barbs – those are some lovely wheels. Would love a pair, but even at 30% off they’re still a bit steep for me!

Chromag are lovely but expensive. Otherwise you really can’t go wrong with Shimano.