# My first road bike!!



## tdietz87 (Apr 19, 2011)

At the beginning of this spring I decided I would like to get in to road bicycling. I now finally have bought my first road bike and could not be more excited. I got a great deal on it and also managed to pick up a kenetic trainer off craigslist for $200 bucks to keep me going through the winter.

I am 24, in school, and hoping to fill my spare time in the saddle! Here are a few quick pictures, crappy iphone ones. First two are at the bike shop with the fitter. The other in my bathroom. (the coin jar you see on my sink counter is ALL the money I have left, lol)

I managed to get the reflectors off wheels and rear brake, does anybody have a suggestion on how to get the front brakes off to remove the front brake reflector? Same size as rear? My current wrench isn't long enough to find out!

This is an awesome forum! I will let everybody know how awesome the bike is as soon as it stops raining!!!

Troy


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## redvespablur (Aug 23, 2011)

Send it to me and I promise to get reflectors off and will send it right back.....


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## trussdude (Jul 8, 2011)

Why do you keep your bike in the bathroom?

Nice first bike!


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## MiamiHeat (Aug 12, 2011)

Congrats -)


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## smartyiak (Sep 28, 2005)

*Trainer*



tdietz87 said:


> At the beginning of this spring I decided I would like to get in to road bicycling. I now finally have bought my first road bike and could not be more excited. I got a great deal on it and also managed to pick up a kenetic trainer off craigslist for $200 bucks to keep me going through the winter.
> Troy


Very nice bike. 

You might want to consider keeping that bike OFF the trainer. Trainers put different stresses on a frame than regular riding does. Some mfgs recommend not using their bikes with a trainer (IDK if Cervelo is one).

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/beginners-corner/trainers-does-matter-bike-you-use-260489.html

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/bikes-frames-forks/carbon-bikes-trainers-=-259483.html


-Smarty


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## Jrmccain (Apr 11, 2007)

Congrats!! Great bike, you'll love it!


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## Doolab (Feb 13, 2008)

trussdude said:


> Why do you keep your bike in the bathroom?
> 
> Nice first bike!


He probably bathes himself and washes the bike at the same time using a top secret hybrid degreaser/shampoo mixture. It's a great way to get to know his bike, umm, intimately.
It's also what you'd consider efficient time management :thumbsup:


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## tdietz87 (Apr 19, 2011)

trussdude said:


> Why do you keep your bike in the bathroom?
> 
> Nice first bike!


It was late at night and my girlfriend was sleeping so I snuck the bike into the bathroom to remove the reflectors  I did manage to get the front reflector off. Found out if I turn the fork I could get the screw easier, lol!



smartyiak said:


> Very nice bike.
> 
> You might want to consider keeping that bike OFF the trainer. Trainers put different stresses on a frame than regular riding does. Some mfgs recommend not using their bikes with a trainer (IDK if Cervelo is one).
> 
> ...


Thanks for the heads up, I dont think I'm going to use it anymore. I cannot begin to fathom how I would feel if anything should happen to my precious!

It's still rainy, but in between the rain I saw some water evaporating off my driveway and decided to go for a ride. I couldn't handle waiting any longer. It was a lot of fun. Without a doubt worth every penny. I don't have a computer hooked up to the bike yet, but I do have a garmin 305 forerunner that tracks speed and distance. I wore it, but of course didn't press the start button :mad2: Oh well, next time I will be sure to do so. It was a very short ride at about 5 miles, but it was getting misty and I was nervous about getting her too dirty. Of course when I got home I took warm paper towel and cleaned off every surface!

Thanks everybody for the kind words! I ordered a set of Conti 4000s tires off PBK, seems everybody online likes them so I figured why not?


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## tdietz87 (Apr 19, 2011)

Well I went out for what I would consider my first ride. Kind of embarrassing stats :blush2:
10.59 miles, Avg Speed 13.7 Top Speed 29.9mph

In my defensive I attempted a huge hill, there is a sign that says 15% grade, I made it over the first hill, then 85% over the second hill but had to shamefully unclip and walk the rest. So I believe this affected the overall speed average. I felt like I was cruising most of the time. It really was fun. Finally got to ride the road I've been wanting to all summer! Beautiful bridge, water view, etc.

Here's a few more pics for fun  I don't want to be that annoying guy who always posts 5 big pictures, so this will be the last set of pics since I'm sure you have all seen plenty of pictures of a stock r3! It's fun to share the pictures though!


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## teflondog (Aug 23, 2011)

Very nice bike. I have the same wheelset on my S2 and they're tough (I weigh 200 lbs). I've gone over potholes and bumps and they haven't come out of true yet.


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## enellch (Jun 15, 2011)

Nice bike...stem seem to be upside down though..Ride it for one yr and you will eventually find that it's as comfy as the living room couch! Bike looks great.


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## tdietz87 (Apr 19, 2011)

Just a quick update. The bike is going well. I have improved in the past month or so. My best stretch currently is 12 miles at 19mph average including stops. My longest ride is 43 miles at 15.5 mph average including all stops. Aside from some shoe issues my riding experience has been a pleasure.

I have looked all over the internet for the stock weight of a 2011 r3 rival build and couldn't find it anywhere. So for anybody wondering...I stopped by the LBS for cleat adjustment and hung the bike on a scale. With bottle cages (plastic elites) and shimano 105 pedals EVERYTHING else stock bike weighs 17.09 lbs (size 58cm bike) I was quite happy to see if I upgrade those +1800gram fulcrum racing 7 wheels I can get into the sub 15's or mid 16's very easily without upgrading any of my drivetrain. For comparison I also weighed a 2011 Specialized Roubaix Elite and without cages it came in just over 20lbs (size 58cm bike as well).


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## Pangpang77 (Aug 27, 2011)

Nice!


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## cerec (Oct 8, 2009)

Just a word of advice, as I learned the hard way, Make sure you pump up your tires before every ride as it is easy to get a pinch flat, don't go by feel alone. Enjoy and be safe!


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

Edited


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## diegogarcia (Apr 29, 2010)

Great to see young guys getting into road cycling. Welcome to our world and enjoy, no going back now. You look like a roadie already and have a great shape so in a matter of no time you'll be flying. 

Diego.


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## tdietz87 (Apr 19, 2011)

cerec said:


> Just a word of advice, as I learned the hard way, Make sure you pump up your tires before every ride as it is easy to get a pinch flat, don't go by feel alone. Enjoy and be safe!


I read your message a little to late! I got my first flat going over railroad tracks. I thought I was fine, checked tire pressure with my thumb, and apparently my thumb is not calibrated for accurately measuring PSI. When I got home I checked my front tire, which felt the same as the rear before my rear deflated, and it was around 60 psi. Now I am definitely going to check before every ride.



diegogarcia said:


> Great to see young guys getting into road cycling. Welcome to our world and enjoy, no going back now. You look like a roadie already and have a great shape so in a matter of no time you'll be flying.
> 
> Diego.


I appreciate the kind words! I'm excited to be a roadie!

Quick picture update. Managed to squeeze in a quick ride between a test and class. I actually didn't have to work today!  Here's what she looks like! Now with matching water bottles and a properly cut steerer. (iphone pics)


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## EastCoastNova (Nov 20, 2011)

smartyiak said:


> Very nice bike.
> 
> You might want to consider keeping that bike OFF the trainer. Trainers put different stresses on a frame than regular riding does. Some mfgs recommend not using their bikes with a trainer (IDK if Cervelo is one).
> 
> ...


I just bought an R3 myself and I going to put it on a trainer as well but this statement worried me a bit. I emailed Cervelo support (I got a reply in less than two hours :thumbsup: ) and they basically said the frame is more than up to the task if you follow the instructions and if proper care is taken to ensure that only the rear wheel skewer and dropouts are clamped (not any part of the stays or the rear derailleur) there are no issues to be concerned about. I am going to give it a whirl on my TacX. The support guy said they get this question alot this time of year,


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## defy_adv_3 (Mar 3, 2011)

Congrats. Nice Bike!!!


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## TTigg (Sep 9, 2011)

Very nice bike indeed - congrats!


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## sprintbom (Jan 10, 2012)

Great bike! But why not a "3T Arx Team" stem?


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## tdietz87 (Apr 19, 2011)

sprintbom said:


> Great bike! But why not a "3T Arx Team" stem?


I agree the 3T Arx Team stem would look much better, matching the red, white, and black theme, but the stem on the bicycle came stock. Upgrading to the 3T Arx Team would be outside of my budget for that particular upgrade.

With spring now in sight I am thinking about what I would like to purchase next. Right now I'm between a Garmin and some entry level wheels. 

Does anybody out there know if a $500 wheelset would be a big enough improvement over the stock fulcrum 7's to justify the purchase? Subjective I know, but any opinions appreciated! 

Thanks!


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## BBW (Jan 1, 2009)

Congratz on that new bike; I just got mine 2 weeks ago and I already put 240 miles!!!
Wheel is where you will feel the biggest difference. You could sell those 7s and get some money to put towards a decent wheelset. There are many sales if you shop around. You could loose 1 pound easily and that will make a huge difference in the acceleration
Cheers


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## Clay L (Jul 3, 2010)

Forget the bike.....what's that fitters name?


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## C6Rider (Nov 15, 2008)

I use my Fulcrum 7s as training wheels on my P2C. The wheels weigh over 4 pounds and the hubs are so noisy. Saving up $$$ to buy a lighter set of training wheels.


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## config (Aug 16, 2002)

tdietz87 said:


> I agree the 3T Arx Team stem would look much better, matching the red, white, and black theme, but the stem on the bicycle came stock. Upgrading to the 3T Arx Team would be outside of my budget for that particular upgrade.
> 
> With spring now in sight I am thinking about what I would like to purchase next. Right now I'm between a Garmin and some entry level wheels.
> 
> ...


I purchased a set of Revolution wheels and am very happy with them (both product and support). The hubs on the ones I have spin forever (even lighter than my $2K+ Reynolds wheels). Those wheels are within your budget. Still true after almost 2 years of use. The only thing better on my Reynolds is they look cooler. I was contemplating on the Rol wheels but their prices have increased since then.


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## Jeff1959 (Dec 24, 2011)

It's nice to see a newcomer to the sport come from their LBS with a ride that actually fits and one that isn't two sizes too big. Nice adjustments flipping that stem and removing a few spacers so you now look the part


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

tdietz87 said:


> Does anybody out there know if a $500 wheelset would be a big enough improvement over the stock fulcrum 7's to justify the purchase? Subjective I know, but any opinions appreciated!
> 
> Thanks!


It depends on the wheels of course. What are you trying to achieve in "upgrading" your wheels?

I love my carbon/aluminum Shimano RS-80's (1521g) which I already owned as a significant upgrade from the 2200g wheels on my previous bike - shaved a pound and a half. Ribble has 'em right now for $409 through end of the month. They are 10oz lighter than the Fulcrum 7s. Not sure how big a difference you'll see weight-wise from that. Are you doing much climbing or mostly flat riding?


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## Cignal_20 (Jan 11, 2012)

Nice bike! And glad you're enjoying it.


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## tdietz87 (Apr 19, 2011)

Clay L said:


> Forget the bike.....what's that fitters name?


 Her name is jess. She just made it to the specialized website!

Specialized Bicycle Components

Specialized BG Fit - Ally Stacher - YouTube


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