Papa's Pontifications: Short Ride on Some New Wheels

Monday, August 26, 2013

Short Ride on Some New Wheels

A Short Ride on Some New Wheels

My good old LiteSpeed-Tuscany was 14 years old last March. The Shamino 105 9-Speed parts are only available on EBay these days. And I was not opposed to hunting down some new shifters so I could get it running again.

However, each time I go to the bike shop they recommend that for the price of replacing all the components on my old LiteSpeed I could probably go a long way toward a new bike.

So on Sunday I took my old LiteSpeed over to the bike shop and left instructions to see what they could do about the shifters. They promised to call today and they did an the discussion went pretty much like it alwasy does.

However today I dedcided to go with the new bike option: A Giant Defy Composite I. The link is the 2014 11-Speeds and mine is a 2013 10-Speed with a compaq double chain ring. All the parts are Shamino Ultegra (sweet).

The ride is a bit stiffer than my old LiteSpeed and the handle bars on this bike are wider, which takes some getting used to. The gear-inches are really close. I loose a little on the top end and a little on the bottom end but I really can not tell much difference. The weight is almost exactally the same as the LiteSpeed.

Before purchasing it I did do a 'ride-around-the-neighborhood' of the All Star Bike Shop At Quail Corners. And when I got it home I transferred my lights, odometer, frame pump, and bell over from the LiteSpeed and went for a twilight spin on the greenway about 20 kilometers in one hour.

I love my old LiteSpeed but I expect once I get used to the new bike I will like it as much if not better. The parts and feel of the bike really do represent a quantum leap as far as bikes go.

Here are some pictures.