I started the process of shopping for a new bike by taking three models out for a ride today after my morning ride of 55 miles. Thought it would be good to try something new after being on my own bike for a while. The first was a Bianchi 928 with Campy Veloce and I thought it rocked, but the reach (from seat to handlebars) was very far. The second was a Scott CR1 with Shimano. The third was a Look 565 or 555 (whatever) with Campy Chorus.

This try-out simply made me more confused about what bike brand to purchase. It did cement my decision to purchase an all-carbon frame as well as the highest quality of Campy that my money can buy. (And, like my current bike, a compact crankset.) What I discovered is that Campy gives me a feeling of security during shifting. Shimano has that resonant ping! sound when shifting from the big ring in front to the small. And each gear change on the rear cassette is kind of noisy (I've been using an Ultegra/Dura-Ace mix, so quality is not the issue.) Campy's shift from big to small and back in the front is elegant and quiet.

What I will do next is get a computerized fitting done at the bike shop this week, and then they can start ruling out brands/frames that don't fit.

The components are the easy part to spec out. The frame will be the challenge.

The responsiveness between the stiff carbon frames and my aluminum Specialized was huge. Also I could tell a significant difference in the way the carbon frame minimized the vibrations from bumps in the road.

Consistent with the recent performance of my bike, my computer kicked the dust. I decided to ride without it for a while, for a change of perspective. I have an engineering-type personality, so I love numbers. I find security and comfort in quantifying things. I realize, though, that numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. Perhaps they mean something at the moment or in a specific context, but are meaningless otherwise.

On my ride this past Thursday, I mentioned to someone that I must not be feeling well because I was having a difficult time keeping up with the group. She told me that the group was going 30 mph up a gradual incline, so my health wasn't the problem. Had I seen that on my computer, I may have become excited by the speed, or perhaps intimidated and then decided to drop off. On the other hand, if my computer said something like 6 mph while going up a hill, I would certainly be discouraged. I'll definitely go back to using a computer, but this reminds me to take a break from the numbers every once in a while and pay more attention to how I'm feeling rather than the distance I've covered or the speed at which I'm traveling.