First Ride on new Pocket Gnu
I did 20 hilly miles along the Hudson River road midway up the NJ Palisades on Sunday and I am completely blown away by this bike. The fully suspended ride, even with a new, unbroken-in leather saddle, was smooth and comfortable, even when I took a shortcut across a bumpy grassy field. No sore rear end the next day.
The shifting (after some initial fiddling with the adjustment) was instinctive. The grip-shift combined with the three-position lever is incredibly easy to use.
The bike is fantastically maneuverable due to the little wheels (some wise-gal roadie called them "mini-Me wheels") and the only drawback is the twitchiness at high speeds because of the lack of gyroscope effect from the wheels. But otherwise it felt solid and stable.
The brakes are marvelously smooth and light compared to the ancient Campy sidepulls on my Pinarello. And the gears are so low I went up a mile-long steep climb from riverside to clifftop without even breaking a sweat on my first ride out since last September. This is one lovable bike. And on top of that it folds up into a suitcase!!
It's like my first bike all over again.
For those of you who like to put a face to the type, here's a photo of me and my "money-pit" for when I don't ride my BF:
http://www.thesambaforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=55491&highlight=love+bug
Cheers, all!
First ride of a NWT
I did about 25 miles this morning on a NWT with Capreo, drop bars. I started out riding like I was on my six/13 then eased back a bit. I am still trying to get the fit tuned and learn the gears. Last night riding around the neighborhood the bike felt too light but it handled well on the ride. I am riding the seat a little low to avoid pain so I am missing some power. I think I am going to like the bike as soon as I get out of zoom mode.