Getting Race Ready: 11 Days...

I had a good ride on my older bike today...the one with full suspension. It's funny how you can get used to something so quickly, that you didn't think you would get used to at all! I'm talking about my race bike. If you remember, I had commented that my race bike felt completely different than my other bike, and I wasn't sure I liked it...or if I would get used to it. Well, the jury is out, and I actually think I like the way my race bike handles in comparison to the other. Yep, that's right, I think I now prefer the race bike! "What's the difference?" you ask. The frame geometry (the angles of each specific tube in relation to the other tubes that make up the frame) is different. The two main differences are the head tube angle and the length of the chain-stays.

The what? What the heck is a head tube...and a chain-stay? Today you get (for free) a little bicycle education...whether you want it or not! I guess you could always just 'x-out' of my blog if you don't want to read it...but why not take a moment to learn something new?

The head tube is the part of the bike where the front fork fits into (at the bottom of the head tube) and the handlebar stem sits (at the top of the head tube). The head tube angle refers to the angle of that particular piece of the frame, compared to an imaginary line that runs perpendicular to the ground. The steeper the angle (closer to vertical) the more responsive the steering will be. The slacker the angle (less vertical) the less responsive the steering will be. My bike has a steep head tube angle, which provides for quick, very responsive steering as compared to my full suspension, non-racing bike. At first I didn't like it...it felt very twitchy, but now I feel that I just might prefer it.

The chain-stays are the horizontal frame components that, when combined with the seat-stays, make up what is known as the rear-triangle of the bike. The rear wheel attaches to the point at which the chain-stays and the seat-stays intersect. Typically, the shorter the chain-stay, the better the bike will climb, and the longer the chain-stay, the better the bike will handle on steep descents. My full suspension bike has longer chain-stays than my race bike, which means it is less efficient at climbing (I have to work harder!) than the race bike.

I haven't ridden my full suspension bike for a few weeks now, as I have been getting used to the race bike. Today when I rode, the difference was really obvious! I have always heard people talking about how they could feel the difference from one bike to another...how it handled, or how it climbed, etc. To be honest with you, I always thought they were full of...well, let's just call it bull. But now, I have to admit that I was wrong...there absolutely is a noticeable difference when it comes to frame geometry. Hmm...you learn something new everyday.

The reason I rode my older bike today is because my race bike is all packed up, and ready for New York! I wanted to get it packed ahead of time because I knew it was going to be a bit of a chore to pack it up securely, the first time. Some of you may remember that I wasn't sure just how this bike was going to fit into the case. You see, the case is actually made for a road bike, not a mountain bike with 29" wheels. The owner of the company that makes the cases, wasn't sure just how well it would work either. In fact, he asked if I would mind taking some pictures of the packing process so that he could use them in the literature for the cases. I decided to pack it up a few days ago, just in case I ran into some trouble, and needed to swap it out for another type of case. After a about an hour, I had it packed up...snug as a bug in a rug! Here are a few pictures of the process: