Due to one thing and another it's been a week or two since I last rode on road, as it were ...... And with the Twin Lights Ride looming next weekend, I really needed to put a few miles under my belt.
Discretion played the better part of valour, this morning as I set out on a C+ ride from Etra Park.
Well, things weren't too bad, and I rode quite strongly considering. It was nice to see a couple of acquaintances and catch up. We pootled on a circuitous route down to New Egypt where we stopped at a local deli for coffee and muffins, or whatever your poison is.
I settled for a regular coffee ... fair ... and a blueberry muffin ... middling ...
Anyway, the thing is; how is the migration to a SRAM compact double chainset from triple fairing on my gleaming Giant OCR C2?Actually, I quite like it. I was apprehensive at the thought of losing my granny-gear and being reduced to claiming I had stopped to pick blackberries half-way up the hill, but in reality, this hasn't happened.
Now this is partly due to my new-found hill-climbing ability, but more likely to the fact that central and south New Jersey do not have a climb which can even compare to the most modest Devon hill. But whichever, it hasn't really impinged on my ability to get to the top.
The big difference has been in the snappy and positive gear-changing, and slight weight benefit.
Coincidentally, another rider had just taken delivery of a Cannondale with a Shimano compact chainset. He wasn't quite convinced but I hope I was able to allay his fears. Certainly we were amongst the strongest riders on the way back.
I know too there has been a deal of controversy on the 50+ forum on BikeForums.net, but I think anyone of a certain age who is riding regularly, without any motor issues will adapt well to a compact drive.
Now all I have to worry about is 75 hilly miles on the Twin Lights Ride ...
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