The Bike

I have wanted a racer for as long as I can remember, and moving down to London only increased that desire. I originally cycled to and from work on a mountain bike, which for me now resembles something of a tank whenever I resort back to it for a quick cycle to the shops. On a fairly flat 3.7 mile route I would be overtaken by cyclists on road bikes, with such ease I often had to reassure myself they werent smoking a cigar, and reading a copy of the FT. Being the competitive individual I am, I knew in order to compete in this city, I had to have a road bike of my own.

I wont bore you with the details of the cycle to work scheme, but in my opinion it is incredible value. I went to Evans Cycles in Wimbledon, explained my situation, and was pointed towards two bikes. A Fuji of some sort, which was a classic racing blue, and the Cannondale. Both looked amazing, but to me there was only ever really one option. I took the Cannondale for a test spin around the streets of Wimbledon.

    Copyright note - I do not own any of the rights to the image above. It is used purely for presentation purposes only. 

Having not ridden a racer before, my initial thought was "Jesus this is quick" and tears were streaming down my eyes, not through emotion, but through the wind that was pounding my face as I zipped down the highstreet. It should be noted, that for about a month, I was lugging a heavy mountain bike around the streets of London, so my quads werent really prepared for the beautiful sensation that was a lightweight frame, and slim tyres. I was flying, and quickly realised I would need to supplement the purchase of my bike, with some "cool" cycling glasses in order to prevent tears from blurring my vision and slowing me down in the future.

Additional note - An added benefit of these glasses is that it also stops the crap that comes from vehicles rear ends, most notably buses also getting into your eyes, which I have since found to be a real nightmare especially in and around the centre of London.

Bike specs (upgrades highlighted in orange):

Frame	CAAD 8 - 61 inch (I am 6ft 4)
Forks	Cannondale Ultra Carbon
Rear Derailleur	Shimano Sora Long Cage
Front Derailleur	Shimano Sora Triple, Clamp 34.9mm
Shifters	Shimano Sora Triple
Chainset	FSA Vero, 30/39/50
Bottom Bracket	FSA Vero
Chain	KMC Z9000
Freewheel/cassette	Sram PG-950 12-26
Headset	Cane Creek CAAD8 SI, 1¨û"
Stem	Cannondale C3, 31.8mm
Handlebars	Cannondale C3, 31.8mm
Front Brake	Cannondale C4 w/ Cartridge Pads
Rear Brake	Cannondale C4 w/ Cartridge Pads
Brake Levers	Shimano Sora
Rims	Shimano R500
Front Hub	Formula RB-51
Rear Hub	Formula RB-52, 32h
Spokes	Stainless Steel, black
Tyres	Continental Gatorskin, 700x23c
Saddle	Cannondale Stage w/ Steel rails
Seatpost	Cannondale C3 Alloy, 31.6mm, 350mm