I’ll come straight out with it. I’ve been loaned one of those there road bikes. This one to be exact…
Focus Cayo Team Replica 2010
Price: £1999
From: wiggle
There are may reasons/excuses that I can come up with for getting a road bike.
Some are vaguely work related: “cashing in” on the current Tour De France fever and giving a dyed in the wool mountain biker’s take on things, satisfying a curiosity about The Dark Side blah blah blah.
Some are even vaguely mountain biking related: I want to get fitter for a series of Gravity-based Enduro MTB events that I’ve signed up for (starting with the Fort William 6hr Downhill Enduro later this month).
Some are vaguely domestic related: my other half likes to ride on the road occasionally.
But I suppose the main honest reason/excuse is that I just think that modern road bikes look cool.
I’ve never particularly taken with the retro skinny-steel-and-wool-jersey “good old days” aesthetic/fashion. I can see why some people love that sort of thing but it’s not for me. I suppose it’s similar to owning a “classic car”.
Just looking at this modern day road-going carbon fibre dart of a bike makes me slightly excited. Balls to having a leaky MG. This is like having a bit of Formula One in the shed. It looks fast standing still.
It’s only in fairly recent history that road bikes (and a new generation of road riders) have started to look cool (to me). I don’t doubt that some of you will still think they look a bit silly or whatever. But stepping back a bit, in my eyes, it’s mountain bikers who desperately need some styling advice. Roadies are looking cool, BMXers are looking cool, flipping urban hipster FixieTw*ts are looking cool. Mountain bikers are letting the side down. Baggy and drab.
Anyway. Where was I? Oh yes, first ride…
The first ride on the Focus Cayo was only a short 5 miles and back (to where my other half works). The outward journey somewhat predictably nearly killed me. The sheer lack of any resistance is amazing. I quickly found out that the only limiting factor was going to be my body. Needless to say I was soon sweating my face off and vomiting my heart out of my nose. I was also not ready for how well modern road brakes work. I did an accidentally very impressive “stoppy” at the first set of traffic lights. Eep!
One pleasant surprise was how un-scary the handling was. Yes it was quick but it wasn’t sketchy or twitchy. It felt graceful and fluid. Despite riding on the rough roads of Manchester it wasn’t that uncomfy or harsh a ride either.
After waiting around for a bit for my other half to finish work and get on her bike (I had arrived much quicker than I had anticipated!) it was time for the return journey. The ensuing enforced slower pace of riding with someone on a £300 steel commuter rather than a £2000 carbon race bike made me realise how effortless it was to cruise along on the Focus Cayo. If I can resist the temptation of heart-vomitingly pinning it all the time, I think it might be nice to tap out a leisurely 50 miler or something.
What is happening to me?
• New Focus Cayo carbon frame with BB30 bottom bracket and tapered head tube.
• Focus carbon forks.
• New SRAM Force drivetrain.
• New SRAM Force chainset (50/34).
• Fizik Arione saddle.
• DT Swiss R 1900 wheelset.
• Continental Grand Prix tyres.
• Tapered head tube.
• BB30 bottom bracket.
• SSPS (Stable Stiffness per Size) – adaptive increase in tube diametre for maintaining equal stiffness in all frame sizes.
“If I can resist the temptation of heart-vomitingly pinning it all the time”
Good luck with that – it’s not something I’ve ever managed.
I’ve had to stop riding my road bike to some places as turning up at social events gasping for breath and sweating like a pig puts you on the back foot a bit.
It’s true – when I’m out on my roadie on my own I just can’t help setting the dial to 11 and getting all hot and sweaty. But when I’m out with others I’m happy to pootle. They just seduce you when they’ve got you on your own.
I got the Cayo 105 last year, it just makes you want to push harder until…..Vom you’re doubled over in the ditch. They do look fantastic though. Think my downtube on the Cayo is fatter than any of my mtbs.
A T L A S T !
You’ll love it :^)
That is beautiful … can I say that about a bike?
You’ll be buying white licra to match before you can hum … “tour de france tour de france”
If I can resist the temptation of heart-vomitingly pinning it all the time
As wwaswas says, that’s your problem right there. Multiply this problem by ten if you fit a speedo – every outing will become a balls-out time trial to increase the average speed, no matter how benign the intention. Don’t say you weren’t warned!
Bloody hell matt and benji both have a road bike now, don’t get me wrong some of my best mates are roadies 🙂 but this sounds a worrying new direction for inhabitants of STW towers, is a name change in the offing? B-Road-World?
Yet another mountain biker discovers that road bikes go quite fast because they don’t have knobbly tires…. Yawn
As for road bikers looking cool, have you seen the average club run going out on a Sunday?
As the disease seems to be spreading, when can we expect to see Sim and Dave parading their skinny tyred contraptions? 😉
Sounds like my first road ride. Blowing out my ass from red lining it from the off and also assuming the brakes would be shit. 🙂
Welcome to the dark side young Haworth!!
I have to confess to loving my road machine!! As much as I love my Orange, sometimes the need for sheer speed takes over & I have to go to the Dark place!!
beautiful bike and a very good value one as well.its addictive this road biking lark.