I always knew I was a slacker

It's no secret that I have chronic issues with my bike.  From mysterious cysts that make me want to scream to quads that burn like fire as soon as I get on the bike, I've put up with more than my fair share of bike related crap.  I've had three "professional" bike fits in three years-- two of which cost more than a week's worth of groceries (and we eat a lot around here).  In training and racing, I've always been one of those people who are up & down in the aerobars and scooting from side to side to find some saddle relief.  In addition,  I can't hit my target HR zones during intervals because my burning quads fail before I can even get into zone 3.  That's pretty much my day-to-day bike experience in a nutshell.  I've pushed through the discomfort and pain for three seasons worth of triathlon.  I've made great progress in terms of racing, but really, for how long can one torture themselves before a white flag is raised?

I don't hate the bike.  Actually I'm pretty certain that if I could find comfort, I'd truly enjoy cycling. One thing I have always known is that when I sit up on my tri bike and ride on the horns, my sit bones fall into place on the saddle and my quads stop burning.  When I return to my aero position... the pain returns.  Answer = road bike.

I've been tossing around the idea of getting a road bike for months now.  Furthermore, I've been tossing around the idea of going custom.  I figure that if I'm going to fork over some more dough for another piece of bling, that the bling might as well fit like a glove.

Last Wednesday I met with Paul Tobio of Ryder Bikes in Sarasota.  I had contacted him earlier in the week about having a Guru Evolo built for me.  He asked me to bring in my P3 so that he could grab some measurements from it and then he would fit me on the size cycle.  The plan was to come up with road geometry that provided me with comfort AND a smooth transition from one bike (road) to the other (tri).

After collecting some data about my goals, injury history, issues, etc... it was time to get on the size cycle.  I had previously been set up quite aggressively on my Cervelo (maybe around 79-80 degrees or so) and so I thought that maybe we'd end up with "tweener" geometry around 76 degrees.  Not so!

My body is a slacker!  I am a 74 degree seat tube angle girl all the way!  Paul hooked me up to the Computrainer and SpinScan program (which I had never been hooked up to before) and we observed my data.  He told me that I had one of the smoothest pedal strokes he had ever seen.  My SpinScan numbers in the road position were in the low to mid-90s.  Evidently, this is very good.  I was also sitting comfortably on my "real" sit bones and frankly, I felt terrific!  After we dialed in the coordinates for the road bike, Paul said that he would help me try to find some additional comfort on my tri bike.  He proceeded to hook my P3 up to the computer and I hopped aboard.  My SpinScan numbers immediately dropped into the low-70s.  Paul and his shop manager, Rich, then made some saddle set-back, seat post height and bar adjustments.  They dropped my seat post, flipped my stem and (warning for P3 purists) moved my saddle to the rear position on the seat post.  I pretty much went from riding at 79-80 degrees to riding at 76 degrees.  End result = more comfort than I have ever felt aboard the P3.  See, I'm a total slacker!  My SpinScan numbers improved a bit after the adjustment, but were still not even in the same zip code as when I was in my road bike position.

Total pedal/size cycle time for ridiculously comprehensive bike fit = 3 hours.  Total time spent listening to my concerns, providing feedback, actual fit, etc. = 4 hours.  Rich also threw in a freebie mini tune-up for the P3 as well.  Ryder Bikes gets some MAD props from me!  If you live in the state of Florida, heck even if you don't live in the state of Florida... GO!!!

Paul pretty much flat out told me that my P3 doesn't really fit me well.  My body wants to ride in a more slack position due to my personal anatomical make-up, but now that my legs are in the right place, the top tube of the bike is slightly long.  I'm already riding a short, squirrely 70mm stem, so there isn't much more that I can do to "shorten" things.  I'm also clean out of usable steerer tube since the previous shop that fit me sliced some of it off.

At the end of the day, I was pretty much left with a couple of choices:

1.  Continue on as intended with a custom road bike build.  Continue to make-do with the P3.

2.  Sell the P3 and create one multisport "tweener" bike to be used for both road & triathlon

3.  Sell the P3 and build up a new road bike & a new tri bike

4.  Sell P3 as frameset, put the components on a new, custom tri frame AND build a new road bike

When I left the shop, I had pretty much decided to go down route #2.  I was frustrated that previous fitters & bike salesmen were more than happy to take my money, but never once flat-out told me, "this bike doesn't fit you."  I was pissed that despite grumbling about the pain in my quads and saddle issues time and time again that not one other fitter ever opted to put my saddle in the rear seat post position.  Good grief, if that wasn't ever a viable option, what the heck did those fitters think Cervelo punched a hole in the seat post for?!?  I was pissed that I had been riding in a ridiculous-for-my-body position for so long, when I could have been trying to build some power behind the the only genetic gift that I might actually posses.  I just wanted a simple, quick solution and going the one-bike route seemed to be that solution.

Until yesterday... and then again today.

Yesterday I did the most comfortable 50 mile ride of my life on that P3.  Yes, the reach could ideally be a bit closer.  However, my legs... oh my legs... wait! Did I even ride 50 miles yesterday?  Did I ride another 40 today?  Did I?  I did!  And I feel well enough right now to go out and run 10 miles (okay, maybe only 8)!  That's how much difference a GOOD fit can make!  It's absolutely mind blowing!

So, as far as the new bike is concerned,  I'm reserving my final decision until after this Saturday.  At the moment I'm leaning towards option #1 with a possible continuation on to option #4 after tri season is over.  Since I now know that with a good fit I can actually ride comfortably on a dedicated tri bike, I would like to continue to own one.  I also still desire to own a road bike for group, recovery and leisure rides.

All I know is that for the first time in nearly 3 years, I feel very positive in regards to my future relationship with cycling.  I even had thoughts during yesterday's ride about going on one of those cycling tours through CA wine country!