I Bought A Road Bike

For the last three years I've been commuting and doing other riding on a Diamondback hybrid. Last year I put more than 1,500 miles on, including my first long-haul charity ride, a 75 mile ride to raise money for MS. Being 42, and since I plan to do some even longer rides and some tours, having one hand and sitting position was starting to kill me, so I decided to go for a road bike.

After weeks of research and test riding six bikes at two different shops, I bought a 2011 Bianchi Vigorelli at a local shop today. It was a close decision with a couple other bikes, but I wanted to buy from this shop because they offer a year of free service and a 10% discount on all accessories at time of purchase; this particular model takes a rear rack, also, and the next closest contender did not. This was also already equipped with Shimano SPD pedals, and they knocked $100 off the purchase price because it was last year's model.

Thoughts, opinions? I took it out for a short spin tonight (in chilly 40F Cleveland weather) just to start getting used to the feel, which is obviously a lot different from a hybrid. The cornering will take some adjustment, but the shifting and crankcase on this have me in love already. I really want to put in more than 2,000 miles this year; I'm doing the same ride for MS this year, but I'm going to do both days for 150 miles, and there's another century in June that I'll probably sign up for.

Anyway, I know there are some super serious riders here, so I just wanted to share!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/420245_3241767839779_1134308060_3245431_216441512_n.jpg

Nice.

I had to read your post 3 times to determine you weren't cycling's Rick Allen.

Ditto. Took me a second to figure out that you meant "one hand position." Out of curiosity, what were the other bikes you tested?

Two or three other Bianchi models, including the 2012 Via Nirone 7, which was terrific but would only take a seatpost rack; a couple of Giants (Defy and Trinity, both amazing but much pricier and no service plan at that shop); and a Surly Long Haul.

looks cool to me. that is a good, versatile road set-up.

i like those steel bianchis a lot - you don't see them much in shops here now (apart from the pista). they had a singlespeed CX bike out that was about a year before CX fever really hit it big here.

I took this out last night for an 8-mile spin just to get more used to it. Loving it so far, though I have not ridden a bike with drop handlebars in over a decade so there's a lot to get used to. (Esp. when coming out of the saddle for a climb.) At one point when I had a long stretch of open road, I really opened up, and assumed I had topped out only to find I had two more gears at hand. I was like o_O. (I checked the Cyclemeter app on my phone afterwards, and I had been going 26mph on that stretch.)