Here is my first real road bike!
Ok. Looking back a couple years, the last thing I thought I would be is a roadie. However, if I was ever going to ride a bike in a triathlon or a bike race such as a century, my mountain bike would very inefficient. Plus it would put more wear and tear on my knobby tires riding it around on pavement. So, I looked around for a good deal on a road bike.
Again, I didn't want a bike that was super expensive, but I also didn't want a discount store bike. I have found that those disenegrate fairly easy. Whenever I get around to writing a report for my Wal-Mart bike, you'll understand, plus discount store bikes simply cannot be upgraded. The bad news is that road bikes are generally more expensive than their mountain counterparts. So this posed a problem. Enter Golden Bear Bikes. I walked in and Mike (the store owner) gladly showed me the good deals he had on some previous year models. I instantly fell in love with a little red bike that was a 2002 Trek 2000. I put it on layaway and began making payments on it. A month later in July of '03, it was mine.
Trek 2000:
Here is a picture of my bike.
When it comes to road bikes, you can get many different frames. Steel, Titanium, Carbon and Aluminum are probably the most common with each having their own set of advantages and disadvantages. I went with Aluminum. They say it's stiff for riding, but that makes for good acceleration. However, the part that I was most concerned about was that it was light and cheap. While Titanium and Carbon probably provide the best ride, they are also the most expensive, which in my case was the deciding factor.
Frameset and Controls:
Frame: Alpha SL Aluminum. Super Light aluminum. Double-butted, seamless drawn round tubing. Custom butted 1-1/8" head tube. Stiff powerful elliptical chainstays. Cold forged replaceable derailleur hanger. Trek Pro geometry. Handmade from the ground up in the Waterloo, Wisconsin. 2.85 lb.
Color: Candy Red
Size: 56cm
Headset: STR w/ steerer to 1 1/8" head tube adapter
Handlebar: Ritchey Pro Biomax w/ ergo bend
Stem: Profile Design, reversable, 10.5deg 100mm
Shift Levers: Shimano 105 STI
Brakes: Shimano Ultegra, dual-pivot
Fork: OCLV Carbon Classic w/Cro-Moly steerer
Drivetrain:
Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105 GS
Crankset: Shimano 105 52/42/30
Cassette: Shimano HG-50 12-25, 9spd
Front Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra T
Wheelset:
Rims: Welded, machined sidewall, Matrix Aurora rims
Hubs: Shimano Tiagra, quick release, 32h hubs; 14G stainless spokes
Tires: IRC Red Storm tires, 700c x 25mm front and rear
Other:
Pedals: Shimano SPD M515 clipless pedals.
Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Genuine Gel Titanium. Alloy micro-adjust seatpost.
Add-ons: I've added a rear blinking red light and a front headlight to make myself road compatible in the night for the city of Boulder. Also, added two water bottle holders and a Vetta RT77 computer with cadence.
Final Thoughts:
Again, this bike may be a little bigger than ideal, but I got a great deal on it. The fit isn't that bad, as I initially replaced the stem with a shorter one, but then returned it and put back on a 100mm stem and moved the seat forward a little. This bike can move! In fact, my only "complaint" is that it goes faster than I feel comfortable downhill! Hehe. Right now my record coming down NCAR is 45mph. I would sure hate to hit a pothole and have a tire blowout at that speed! I replaced the standard saddle that Trek puts on their aluminum models with the Flite and I absolutely love it. Another component that I replaced was the handlebar. I slapped on a Ritchey Pro Biomax and now my hands love me! It's extremely comfortable.
