Quick Spin on new Dawes Audax

Tony B said:

So far then, so good. Further afield then next time I hope.
Now, how can I get out to darkest Cheshire without doing 20
urban miles beforehand?

Ha! You must be in Bury or thereabouts...why not go North?
Ok, it's hilly, but it's not THAT bad...unless you follow
Watling Street up to Darwin.

On second thoughts, you could be North of Warrington...what
am I talking about...wibble wibble.

Anyway...just meant to say : glad to hear you're enjoying
your cycling!

Thanks! I'm actually in Hyde - to my left I have the Snake
Pass or Woodhead, to my right I have
Manchester/Stockport/Warrington to get through... oh and the
train to Crew is actually a bus for the foreseeable as the
line is out of service.

While I'm on, well done to the other nobbers/lardies/duffers
like me that also seem to be enjoying their riding.

Together we will get better....

bfn,

Tony B

"Tony B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just got back in, a quick spin round my hour route
(which is now

apparently

Quoted message said:

a half-hour route!!) on the Audax I bought on Saturday.

Now, I'm a long way off qualified to give a reasoned,
balanced judgement

on

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a bicycle, but even after a half hour I can see I'll be
very happy with my new Dawes.

It seems very light, (relatively) easy to pedal and wow is
it fast! It's also a very comfy, springy ride. The
shifters work great, I was soon used

to

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them. It's a real treat climbing up on the hoods and
stomping - can't do that with my MTB! Also on a long
downhill, getting down on the drops and pummeling my rib
cage with the new bumpy bits on the front of my thighs.
Last Christmas it would have been the other way round ;-)
I even kind of

ran

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out of gearing on the downhill, I'd estimate about 40 mph?
The way the

cars

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were passing me on this 50 section, it must have been
sommat like that.

Wow.

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Only problem was trying to use the strapped pedals with my
SPD shoes. Not particularly comfortable, maybe they'd be
OK without the cleats on but I rather fear the SPD fairy
will be paying a visit sooner rather than later.

I think it speaks volumes that, doing the same route
(almost, barring a

bit

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of unadpoted road) as I have done, I wanted more at the
end. On my MTB

I've

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pretty much had enough of tarmac after seven miles/700 ft
climb/700 ft descent.

I feel like I did when I first started motorcycling!

So far then, so good. Further afield then next time I
hope. Now, how can I get out to darkest Cheshire without
doing 20 urban miles beforehand?

bfn,

Tony B

I've never got mine past 39mph as I spin out, but then there
aren't many really long or steep hills in SE London (so I
can see if it will freewheel quicker) and my touring tends
to be Norfolk. A couple of times I thought I might hit the
40 mph but the traffic lights changed to red.

I've often wandered about all the people who regularly tell
me they can do 50mph!

I find my SPD touring shoes work well with double sided
beginners mtb pedals. It only takes a moment to swap
pedals around especially if there's a bit of 'Copper-ease'
on the threads.

Paul.