New Family Member

So, I’ve been pretty quiet about this on the internet, but I’m ready to share my new relationship.  Meet Jude.

Named for the patron saint of hopeless causes, Jude is my new tri bike.  A Felt B14.  In size tiny.  Because I’m short.

It’s been a period of adjustment, and I’ve barely ridden outside.  I’m going to finish out the racing season on my road bike, then really work in the trainer all winter to get good on this new bike.

Why a tri bike?  A few reasons.  Number one, who doesn’t want a new bike?  Number two, Ethel, my beloved road bike, is actually too big for me.  The store who sold her to me basically wanted to get her off the floor.  After a really great bike fit, I can ride my road bike, but it starts to get uncomfortable after a few hours, and it’s the sort of discomfort that comes with fit issues.  So I knew if I wanted to tackle a 70.3, I needed something different.  Sure, I could have gotten a new road bike, but if I’m buying a new bike, why not go for a tri bike?

And no, I’m not getting rid of my road bike.  I love her too much.  You can never have too many bikes.

It’s been interesting getting fitted because I am short and chubby, and aero bars are totally incentive to work off the spare tire, but it’s surprising how comfortable the bike really is.  Of course, it did require a lot of saddle experimentation.  Thank goodness for bike shops with saddle trials.  I understand how people spend thousands of dollars hunting for the perfect saddle.

So that’s the big news.  Fancy new money pit that I need to accessorize.  There are so many hydration and fuel storage options out there!  At least I have some time to figure that all out.