# I Tried An EPS Today



## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

It was sweltering hot and humid, at least by my standards. The noon temp was 94F or about 34.5C. 

I'm impressed in some ways and underwhelmed in other ways. Its a mixed bag and I'm not fully enamored. I like it enough to want to buy the bike if I need a bike, but given that I have bikes to ride, I can take it or leave it. Why am I so harsh? The bottom line is that bikes are individualistic. Read on if you like.

I have a wealthy friend who just got his EPS a couple days ago, and I scammed him into going for ride, with every intention of riding his EPS. Anyway, I was greeted with a 48 cm sloping EPS in TWBK (white and black) with Dura Ace DI2 and Cinelli RAM Bianca and Lightweight Obermayer wheels. God knows how much that costs. And my God, he wants to order a Dogma 60.1 as well? 

My first impressions regarding appearances were not all positive. I loved how light the bike was, and how the carbon weave looks. The Lightweight wheels had me in a trance. However, I'm highly bigoted when it comes to bikes. The sloping top tube didn't sit well with me. The white color scheme is conservative and elegant but also rather bland. Sorry that I'm a prejudiced Campagnolo fan-boy. Anyway, I was staring at the bike grimacing slightly.. Italian frame, Japanese components, German wheels and German tires, French pedals, American computer... WTF va' fangul lol  just kidding... The first part of curing a disease is admitting you have it lol. Hey, I'm allowed to be a little jealous aren't I? 

Anyway, I took a little 10 minute spin around the block while he got ready for the ride. Firstly, his stem is a 12cm, and I need a 13cm. His bars seemed too high up for me because of spacers, so I was a little bunched up and my center of gravity was not spot on. His saddle was too low, even though he looks like he has a longer inseam. I didn't want to be rude enough to adjust his precious shop fit. 

A slow (13mph to 15 mph) around the block did not impress me at all. Gone was the liveliness of my beloved steel frames. The handling was soggy and I even found it imprecise. The frame soaked up the bumps and was butter smooth like a high end German sedan, and I guess that's what carbon lovers call comfort, but I didn't really like it. I'm used to what I call "road feel" and I guess the carbon fork is stiffer, but it just didn't seem to me to be as good as my Colnago steel fork (sorry). I remember taking the Force carbon fork off my MXL long ago, but it was purely cosmetic and I hadn't even ridden it. Anyway, I decided that this bike is not good for club touring and the low speed (under 18 mph) centuries I often ride with the B/C group. In my day, I thought I was hot snot and I managed Cat 3, but I'm pushing 50 years old now, and club riding is what I mostly do.

Learning that Du-rah Arc-chay DI Due was a hoot, after a few moments of swearing about the shape of the hoods on that thing. 

Anyway, we went for a group ride, and it was pretty darn fast. This is where the bike really really shined and blew me away. There wasn't and true climbing, but it was mostly rolling hill terrain, complete with big teenage and 20-something Lance-bike egos in the group. I was shocked at how easy it was not just to accelerate to speed, but also to maintain speed. I guess the deep Lightweight wheels had something to do with it, but I swear I saved so much energy riding in the group. Speeds got up 30 mph on the flats, and I couldn't believe myself that I could even hang to the group. At high speed, the bike is razor sharp and super stable. Precise and confidence inspiring. 

Hate to admit it, but the Japanese components are first rate awesome (ok.. repent.. repent!) and ahem... the shifting puts my Record 10 to.. ahem.. shame. The finish of the crank.. heh... was pretty darn good. The shifting was spot on every single time. The front derailleur trims itself!

So, I guess riding an EPS slowly would be like driving around town from traffic light to traffic in a Ferrari in 5th gear. Pretty to look at, but absolutely boring. Take it to a track and the beast comes alive like a flesh eating T-Rex. Otherwise, it might just be a domesticated house cat. For a fat slob like me, its questionable whether I'll ever need something like this.

I still love my all-Italian steel Colnagos (MXL, ML/Olympic, M Piu.. Italian down to the tires, pedals and water bottle cages.. and the funny thing is that I'm Asian lol) but I guess I'm a sucker for this EPS beast. Err.. I still think I'll pass on the Japanese components. Time to go convince my wife!


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