So I was talking with a friend of mine out in KC, who recently got the biking bug and then was promptly mowed down by an inattentive motorist. Fortunately he escaped - miraculously I might add - injury free, but his bike was destroyed. He's been looking at replacements, and happened upon the 2010 Cannondale CAAD9 4. Upon investigating this bike, I decided that I too must have one:
It's the legendary CAAD9, after all! Reputed to have astronomical stiffness, light weight, and a comfortable ride. This model happens to have a mix of SRAM parts, making it all the more enticing. And to make matters worse, this is the last year these frames will be made in the USA.Do I need one? Absolutely not. The sizing isn't even quite right for me. But I will inevitably buy one. I already have the justification all worked out. If I decide to enter a race or two next year, most likely I will participate in what is known as a criterium race or "crit". Short, fast races. Since I'm new to racing, I'll be among other people new to racing, and undoubtedly we'll be crashing a lot. I can't risk the Trek in that environment, can I? And the rain bike - which may or may not exist - is clearly not a race bike with its triple chainring. I could deploy one of my many other bikes, and get beaten on all of them. But if I'm going to get beaten, it might as well be on a nice new bike, right?
Oh, well. it could be worse. I think I'll go ride a bike, and mull over the possibilities. Fortunately I can choose from among a wide array of options, selecting the bicycle best suited to my anticipated ride parameters.
No comments:
Post a Comment