March 2023 – Gravel Upgrade for New Jersey
I took the Crux to Colorado and wanted a new gravel bike for NJ. I bought a Santa Cruz Stigmata
November 2022 – Gravel Upgrade
In November 2022 I decided I wanted an upgrade to my gravel bikes. I love the gravel experience for getting out of traffic but still being able to cruise along. I have been riding a Diamondback Haanjo Trail (mentioned farther down in this page) since 2015 and have made various upgrades but at this point “gravel” has evolved into some amazing bikes and the hottest part of the bike world.
So I placed an order at my LBS (Pedal Montclair) for a Santa Cruz Stigmata, but they really aren’t available. In the meantime I found a Specialized Crux Expert at a not-too-far LBS and snatched it. It is said to be a gravel version of the Aethos which I love (see below.) It is an Expert model with SRAM Rival AXS electronic shifting, brakes, and drivetrain. I bought it from Strictly Bicycles in Fort Lee NJ. I transferred over all the gee-gaws like computer mount and sensors, mirror (yes, I know,) Shimano XTR SPD pedals, new saddle (I hate the Specialized saddle, it is really uncomfortable.) Now I wait for some weather over 45 degrees to ride this beauty in the woods. I will probably take it to Colorado and wait for the Stigmata for New Jersey. I can even imagine having 2 sets of wheels for it – gravel AND road. First ride review forthcoming.
January 2022 – if one is good two is better
The Specialized Aethos Expert I bought in January 2021 is so great I decided to get one for Colorado. They raised the prices, changed around the specs and made it hard to compare the old and new Aethos Pro. But I found one on the Specialized website, ordered it to be delivered to the LBS in Conifer that is a Specialized dealer: Evergreen Mountain Sports that assembled it for free. Being February in the mountains of Colorado I wasn’t able to ride it until I returned to Conifer in the Spring. It is as great as the first one. This is a “semi wireless” 12 speed Ultegra Di2 which is a bit different from the 11 speed 2021 Di2.
January 2021 – lighter than air
As 2020 ended I had more problems with my Pinarello Rokh (see the bike below) – during the summer the Di2 battery went dead – understandable since the bike has over 16,000 miles in 6 years of riding. Then in December the front derailleur broke. I decided it was time to get a new bike.
Because of the pandemic bikes are hard to find but I started looking. I did some research reading my bike porn magazines and searching the internet. Some of the local shops were completely empty except for strange super small or extra large bikes. My favorite shop had a sign on the door – “No bikes available under $5000.”
But when I went back to Montclair Bikery (where I got the Pinarello) they had some bikes. The owner discouraged my interest in the newer Pinarello Prince – which would have to be ordered – because it is not as well made as the Rokh and is overpriced. I kept looking around and read about the Specialized Aethos and decided it might be right for me. I was first considering the Roubaix for the comfort but when I saw the actual bike it seemed too relaxed and upright even for me.
In January I decided to see if Montclair Bikery could order an Aethos for me. It turned out they had a selection of them in various models and sizes. I arranged for a demo ride on an unseasonably warm January day. It was like a dream riding such a light weight bike. I pulled the trigger and now it is mine. After adding pedals (Shimano SPD XTR), bottle cages, computer mount and sensor and a mirror (yes I know, but I love having a mirror) it weighed in at 16lb 4 oz.
It is such a joy to ride – we had a few unseasonably warm days in January and I was able to ride. Smooth and stable and light. One of the most comfortable bikes I have ever been on.
July 2018 – a real mountain bike
So…. the correct number of bikes to own is N+1 where N is the number you currently have.
After riding the resurrected Trek 8000 (see below) around Cape Cod and realizing it is different from the gravel bike experience and better/more fun for some things I took the plunge on a new mountain bike for Colorado. I bought it from my favorite LBS in NJ – Pedal Montclair because I know Lou will help me get the right bike. He got me onto a Santa Cruz 5010, aluminum frame and the “C build” – and boxed it up to take to Conifer. I sent it as a checked bag on Southwest Airlines and they charged me only $75 for the oversize bike box unlike the dreaded United Airlines which charges $200 each way. I arrived in Colorado and reassembled the bike. First ride: Staunton State Park where in the past I have ridden the gravel bike and the old S-Works bike. I had a great ride and realized that the suspension needed tuning, probably because of the change in altitude from sea level to 9000 feet. I’m thrilled with the new bike – THANKS LOU!!!
Santa Cruz 5010
June 2018 – fixing the old Trek 8000
Last fall when riding at Cape Cod on the old Trek it became obvious that the Manitou 4 fork front shock was slammed all the way down to metal on metal. The elastomers were completely gone. No shock absorbing going on here and the fork was completely compressed. I did some research and found Suspensionforkparts.com – it seemed like a joke ForkParts-R-Us, but it turned out to be real. I ordered the replacement elastomers and downloaded the instructions from their website. After about an hour’s work the fork was rebuilt. Not plush by any means, pretty stiff even on the softest settings, but at least it wasn’t metal-on-metal any more, and the fork height was more as it was designed. The bike should be good for a few more miles. Here is an old photo of the bike.
Trek 8000
November 2017 – A new old bike
I bought (was given almost) a probably 15 year old Specialized S-Works mountain bike from a friend. It has lots of miles on it but has been well cared for. I took it to Wheat Ridge Cyclery where they cleaned it up and replaced all the cables and housings and made it look damn nice. So far I have ridden it once – with the original owner and had a blast. It may not be state of the art but it is relatively light and handles beautifully.
Spring 2016 – More gravel
Trek Crossrip 3
I finally got my dream getaway cabin in Colorado, and I sent my old trusty Giant TCR road bike there but I needed a gravel bike to keep there too. I love the Diamondback Haanjo Trail I have in NJ but the cost of shipping a bike back and forth makes it sensible to just keep a couple of bikes in Colorado. So I shopped around in the metro Denver area. There is probably no better place on earth to shop for a bike. Not only are there the usual chain stores like REI and Performance, but there are a zillion LBS’s and some of them stock lots and lots of bikes. In CO gravel bikes haven’t caught on as much as in other places. mountain bikes and road bikes rule, and fat bikes are popular in the winter. But asking for cross bikes got me a bunch of options. After looking at a wide variety of bikes in a half dozen shops I settled on a Trek Crossrip 3. It has an aluminum frame and carbon fork with a relaxed geometry so it can be more comfortable than a CX bike. Shimano 105 drivetrain including the crankset and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. The gearing is better than the Haanjo, wider range with a much lower bottom gear – something I knew was important. The staff at Wheatridge Cyclery where I bought it was superb.
Summer of 2015 – Grinding Gravel
Diamondback Haanjo Trail Bike
I got a Diamondback Haanjo Trail bike. It is meant to be ridden on dirt roads, but I have found that it is almost like having a hardtail mountain bike. It is set up like a cyclocross bike but with 40mm wide tires. It has Ultegra derailleurs and shifters, FSA crankset, and TRP HYRD disc brakes. HED wheels and Kenda Happy Medium tires are a nice durable set. I added Shimano XTR SPD pedals. It is a blast to ride. If I can change one thing it will be to put on a smaller chainring for a lower gear.
Mick the Pinarello Rokh
My new ride is “Mick” named for Mick Jagger, the ultimate rock & roller.
The 2014 Pinarello Rokh is a “classics bike” with a more forgiving frame geometry providing a more comfortable ride. I upgraded it to Shimano Ultegra Di2 electronic shifting. Spring 2015 I changed the derailleur to a long cage version of the Ultegra Di2 and the cassette to a 11-32 tooth model. A great improvement for climbing.
In September 2015 I upgraded the wheels to a pair of Ritchey WCS Zeta II with Continental GP4000S tires. A great set – they simply feel better, climb better and handle better.
After six years of riding and over 16,000 miles in the summer of 2020 the Di2 battery went dead – it would work intermittently even after being fully charged. December 2020 the front derailleur linkage broke. While my local bike shop had to back order the derailleur I was able to source a new one from bikeparts.com (for $260! kaching) and Lou from Pedal Montclair installed it.
March 2018 update: I ditched the Garmin and got a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt. $250 and it works right, no more connectivity issues! Wahoo! Read all about it: https://billwest.com/bike/get-lost-garmin/
January 2015 update on the Garmin Edge 510: It has not been good. The bluetooth connection is flaky at best. The live track feature rarely works correctly. And there was one firmware update which made the damn thing shut off unexpectedly. I do NOT recommend this device.
Along with the new bike I got a Garmin Edge 510 bike computer. The main reason for the upgrade is that it can transmit my location real-time via my cell phone so that Lisa – “my ball & chain” knows where I am. In some ways it is improved over the Edge 500, but is larger and more complicated. I figure that the real-time tracking is valuable since most of my riding is done solo. In theory it will also upload to the Garmin Connect website automatically, but with the crappy cell service at my house it usually fails.
2010 Giant TCR Advanced 3
Until late June 2014 my main ride was a 2010 Giant TCR Advanced 3 with Shimano 105 components. It is equipped a compact crank and an 11-27 cluster in the rear.
I have since upgraded the shifters/brake levers to Ultegra when the old Shimano 105 parts began to wear out and were shifting sloppily. This bike has about 10,000 miles on it. The summer of 2015 the rear wheel began to screech at high speed. Lou at Pedal Montclair overhauled the bearings of the Mavic wheels and all is well.
Trek 8000
My mountain bike is an ancient Trek 8000 – bonded aluminum frame, Manitou fork, Shimano Deore LX components.
This one has been retired. The elastomers in the front shock are destroyed and I may try to fix it if I can find the parts.
I am totally in love with Carmen the Garmin Edge 500 GPS bike computer. She is my riding companion and keeps me honest. No lying about my speed with Carmen around. She motivates me to push a little harder without nagging too much. And I am compulsive about uploading the ride ASAP. If Carmen is sick and isn’t working I feel like I can’t ride either. Some people say it is all TMI.