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scoober

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Wow

You ready?

I can't wait to hear about this

I am not ready, in fact I dropped out of the race and I'm just doing the ride. Had some serious fit challenges with the bike I got for the event and was off the bike for 2 sick as fuck, so I'm just doing the Gran Fondo (which is actually a few miles longer).

I think I'll be mostly fine at a relaxed pace, but we'll see. I'll try to take some photos.

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That's a killer deal. You can get a few year old (still new, though) 105 bike for $1500 + tax. A few year old bike w/ Ultegra would probably run you closer to $1800. If I were looking for a new bike, I would get this.

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Ehh, that's still a piece of shit Kestrel. I've owned and worked on them. Super mehhhhhh

For a couple hundred more you can get on a bike shop bicycle with a fit, real warranty, and genuine support. LBS has a Cervelo for $2k right now, full 105, and I'm sure they would come off that price.

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Ehh, that's still a piece of shit Kestrel. I've owned and worked on them. Super mehhhhhh

For a couple hundred more you can get on a bike shop bicycle with a fit, real warranty, and genuine support. LBS has a Cervelo for $2k right now, full 105, and I'm sure they would come off that price.

Not too familiar with Kestrel. Are the frames bad?

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Kestrel is solely an internet brand, BikesDirect sort of stuff. Heavy (heavier than necessary), no physical dealers or reps, share bike designs with parent company Fuji, annoying proprietary parts that are especially cheap. Anecdotally, my personal Kestral had some poorly finished carbon (really rough around the edges of internal routing and things like that) and the paint was bubbling off within 500 miles. But it's still more about the rider than the bike; local 2014 Ironman was won by a guy on a Kestrel.






Anyway, I did a little ride today...

11073400_1090408437642908_35509652300720 My girlfriend surprised me and was waiting at the finish line.

10277730_1090408624309556_75896582227328 Just some beautiful scenery that I had a chance to snap.11070521_1090408667642885_25300347806432988899_1090408700976215_4569006671152977 Miles of this.11058417_1090408744309544_73546438213693 You know what happens when you get so much mud in your front derailleur that you can't get in your little chainring for one of the steepest climbs? You nut the fuck up...and then after several steep hills, you walk.

10996267_1090408844309534_57606630498350 Particularly pretty gravel climb.

1924500_1090409114309507_237151735097549 I didn't think it could get any dirtier than it was - I was wrong.

11069427_1090409170976168_4098157088283510524746_1090408560976229_24077496243036 RELIEF

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Rouge Roubaix was fucking amazing, you have to do it. Best ride I've ever done. 6:30, 103 miles, 3 big stops (my group slowed me down :glare: ). Some really hairy, really fast gravel descents. More punchy hills than you can count. There were a few tough asphalt climbs, but the gravel had the worst. I had to unclip and walk 3 times: guy came to a complete stop right in front of me (yelled at him), climb was too gravel-y and standing just spun the tire - unclip or fall, and then the front derailleur got stuck.

The whole ride was supported by Mavic, and they did an awesome job when I flatted and mile 20. They kept apologizing for not having a disc wheel for me - I was elated to get a brand new tire and tube. They wouldn't even let me change it! Super cool experience. I definitely missed having my 700x28 later - you notice being on a 23.

The weather was perfect, although it did rain lightly for about 30-45 minutes (which is awesome because now I can say I did one of the toughest road events in the rain).

The bikes were nuts. I was expecting stuff like mine; disc and canti brakes, Ti, aluminum, or steel, and fat tires (25-28). Everyone was on serious road bikes, and many were full carbon with carbon wheels. I can't even imagine hitting the stuff I hit with 700x23s on a full carbon rig.

Biggest takeaway was, although I wasn't racing, winning an event like this is really circumstantial. I was in the lead group, first 3 riders, when I flatted. I never saw those guys again. Even if you've got the legs and prep, the Rouge Roubaix is made to fuck your chances up. My advice to my friends' racing was, "It's an easy ride if you can avoid flatting, crashing, unclipping, dropping, pulling, and bonking."


1551698_867500749973065_8807102350848753

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