I used to think the bike didn't matter...

I forged this idea over the years that the quality of one's bike didn't matter beyond obvious basic functionality. I believed that once your tires were aired and bearings adjusted and gears and brakes fully operational that all bikes basically went down the road the same. Sure lighter bikes went uphill faster just like lighter riders do; but all the fuss over equipment was basically that... fuss.

Now I need to admit that was some time ago. Nowadays with technology being what it is, the world of high-end bicycles is a brave new one. Today, my previous assumption that the bike doesn't matter was completely and unceremoniously destroyed. Today was my first full day with my new bike, the Paris-Roubaix-winning Cervelo R3. And let me tell ya, it was a fun one! No, this gorgeous piece of featherweight machinery (16 pounds!) doesn't come cheap ($5000) but it doesn't ride that way either. I managed a personal best time for 90 miles through the eastern Colorado towns of Greeley and Brighton at an average speed about a full mile and hour faster than I was on my previous bike.

Now five large is a lot of scratch to spend on a bike and honestly, you can get a lion's share of the Cervelo's performance for half as much. For instance, my previous ride retails for about $2200 less.

Does this matter? Am I making a big deal over nothing? Well consider this. The bicycle, 120+ years on continues to be the most efficient device ever conceived to move a man, woman or child across the globe under their own power. The bike is 98% efficient! So the only thing left is to eliminate that 2% waste of precious human energy. I think Cervelo did just that! Say hello to my new baby...

Topics: bikes , cycling , Colorado , Greely , Cervelo , R3 , Brighton