Mar.12, 2011
First ride on the Neuvation FC500. Not a great first test as I had 20 mph head winds with gusts from both sides.
The bike: The current offerings of mid-range road bikes seem to be going to dramatic paint schemes. I see the attraction but I am in a brand-name funk right now so the muted graphics and clearcoat/black/gray carbon finish of the Neuvation is exactly what I wanted. I think it is gorgeous but I am sure others feel the opposite. The finish on the carbon is near perfect but there are a few very minor blemishes if you look hard for more than 10 minutes. It is suited up with SRAM Red, not because I am capable enough to need it, but because I buy a bike about every 10,000 miles so the mile/$ justifies better stuff. I selected the Neuvation M28 AeroX wheels as I have been really happy with the last set on my Cannondale. I fitted the bike with Speedplay Zero’s, two Forte Carbon cages, my trusty Garmin Edge 500 and my wedge seat pack of tube and air. I am probably sitting at just over 15 lbs rolling down the driveway.
First reaction: I am moving to this bike from a 2003 Cannondale R800 aluminum sport bike. The frame geometry for the bottom bracket/stem/seat triangle is almost identical… maybe off by less than 1 cm in each direction for the 58cm size. One thing I really appreciate is the lack of toe overlap with my size 12 feet. I have a full inch or more of clearance. Sure, I am giving up a bit of sportiness in a longer wheelbase but the safety is worth it. The FC500 seems like half the weight even though it is probably just 3 lbs lighter. I am running M28 wheels on both so the difference is all in the frames and components. The carbon gives much less vibration in the bars and seat than the aluminum but also seems stiffer especially when you stand and accelerate or climb. The light weight bike does seem to blow around easily but that could just be my early season, post surgery jitters. Acceleration when standing for a climb or post-stop-sign start is surprisingly quick. 27 to 29 mph cruising with the tailwind felt like I was riding on glass… perfectly quiet, smooth and strait… except for the big gusts from the side, then the glass felt like ice! So far, nothing negative to report. I will need to get used to downshifting with the SRAM shifters but that is to be expected.
The ride: The ride out was like climbing a steep hill… small chain ring and big gear in rear and struggling to get above 11 mph. There were a few gusts that caused me to briefly question if I was going to get the next pedal stroke over the top. Two entertaining car encounters on the return… First a car full of kids pull up and give a collective yeeooowwww! Not sure how to translate that one. Second, a Mustang GT pulls up and “pipes” me. I am pretty sure the only way to interpret that is he wanted to race. I was doing around 27 at the time. Maybe when I am in better riding shape… but for this one, I just let him go.
As for the reattached biceps… It did just fine. I don’t put much weight on my arm anyway. For this short ride, I didn’t feel any pain or even weakness and didn’t need the strength that isn’t there. I kept the ride short just for this reason… and the wind that just made parts of it tough under any physical condition.
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