A Little Change of Plans...

If you have been following me via my blog or my Facebook pages, you are well aware that my plan was to build a mountain bike that was light enough, and fast enough to keep pace with a pack of road bikes.  Additionally, I would need to be able to make some relatively quick component changes that would allow me to race the bike off road as well...sort of like a Transformers bike, and possibly just as expensive.

The project was going to be somewhat cost prohibitive, therefore I was trying to secure corporate sponsorship to help offset the cost.  Unfortunately, I was unable to secure any assistance, and have elected to purchase a road bike instead, for the Ride 430 Challenge in October 2013. I recently blogged about my decision not to sell my replacement mountain bike frame from Ellsworth, so I thought it appropriate to share with you what I will be riding on the road.

I found the perfect bike for me at my local bike shop, Swiss American Bikes...a 2013 Trek Domane (pronounced Doh-mahn-ee).  I've always wanted to use phonetic spelling in one of my blogs...and now I have!  Any way...the Domane is new to the Trek line, and was designed to provide both comfort and performance on rough roads such as the Pave' in Flanders and Robaix, within the Tour de France.  In fact, pro rider Fabian Cancellera rode the Domane in the 2012 Tour.

The bike is the first of its kind, boasting a seat tube that is completely separate from the top tube and seat stays.  There is a pivot point where the three sections of the bike intersect, which allows the seat tube to move slightly when riding on rough surfaces.  What does all that mean?  It means a more comfortable ride for an old guy like me who has three damaged vertebrae.

Check out a video explaining the technology that will help my back, here.

Trek's Iso-Speed decoupler system

I am excited to get this bike on the road and begin training for the challenge that lay ahead.  First however, I need to do well in my Dawn to Dusk Race, and hopefully achieve both of my goals...ride 6 laps for a total of 96 miles, and raise at least $1000 for injured U.S. Marines and their families.

If you haven't pledged your financial support yet for my mountain bike race, there is still time.  You have a number of options to do so.  If you have already reached into your pocket and sacrificed some of your hard earned cash, to help those who have sacrificed for us...then I thank you!