Week one impressions: Bikefanclub.com

I wrote last week about getting my Calfee Dragonfly, and then a few days later penned a very long addition to my post about the ride and my thoughts on it. That was swallowed when I closed the window after previewing the post, before submitting it. Doh.

So, several days and rides later, here's a compressed version of how I have gotten on with my new baby.

First ride on my Calfee was very strange for me. I've been riding a Litespeed Classic (98 frame with DA 9 tripple, Easton CF bars, look CF stem, Thompson seatpost, Terry Men's Fly Ti saddle and Spinnergy Race Lite wheelset) and generally love the bike, though have never felt entirely comfortable on it. When I got the frame it was the only Litespeed that accepted a triple (aside from their heavier touring bike) but the older classic (and maybe the new one) is a bit twitchey, and a very hard ride. Speedy acceleration was always hampered by the flex of the frame, and I've climbed many a hill on the bike where my pedal stroke caused the frame to flex enough for chain rub on the front derailleur.

So moving to the Calfee (with DA 10, Zip 303, AX Lightness bars, Easton cf stem and post and Aliente saddle), at first I had a hard time getting a good feel of exactly how fast the bike was going, and what it was capable of. The carbon and the design really dampen the road shock, and so without a cycle computer (my DA 10 flight deck mount is backordered, though I just picked up one on ebay) I had strange time trying to figure out my speed on solo rides. On my Litespeed I always could tell within about .5 mph my speed, because of the ride characteristics.

At first I described the bike like this: If you've ever gone nice solid car like a Nissan Maxima or something and then driven a BMW or Mercedes, there's not exactly one thing you can put your finger on as being better. It's just better in each of a bunch of little ways.

My second ride I suffered from a strange issue which I later figured out. The DA 10 speed chain separated on a ride just when I was downshifting for a climb. The plate basically came apart from the chain, caught a spoke, and trashed my rear derailluer. Luckily I had just had shifting problems (because of the chain breaking) so I wasn't going quickly and stopped the instant the D bent. At the time we thought the derailluer had just had spring/limit screw problems and caught a spoke.

On another ride I was still having some shifting problems, which I thought were chain stretch. It was a group ride, so I'd stop every so often for a second and try to tweak the adjustment barrel, to no avail. At the rest stop I noticed that this chain was coming apart as well, but on the outside edge not inside (no danger of hooking spoke). There was a pro shop about 2 miles away, and I got a new chain. Shifting problems gone. The return 23 miles of that ride were significantly better than the first.

At this point, my legs have recovered from about a 2 week lack of riding and I'm back up to speed, the mechanical issues are solved, so I finally have a real appreciation for the bike.

Wow, sweet jesus god, wow.

Our club's Tuesday night ride is a fast one. We usually hit hills and do some sprints trying generally to go too fast to let each other draft off of us. It's a fun, playful ride and we stop enough to let the back end catch up. We started off on a climb, then climbed again. The bike was a rocket. Really it's the first time I've felt that the bike I was on was a significantly better climber than I am.

Flats were taken in the high 20's without a wobble or flinch on the bike. Every time i wanted to sprint it was a quick press of the pedals. The descent was rock steady too, although the dura ace brakes are so powerful that I had to take the long downhill at about 25-28 instead of a normally higher 35-38 for fear of pulling a bit too hard and endoing.

The bike is really all I could hope for. I was worried on my first few rides, there was a sensation that things just weren't right, and that I couldn't get any power on the bike. But since my chain was essentially delaminating I'm not surprised.

So there is my longwinded ride description for y'all. I hope this helps someone make a purchase choice.

And if any of you forgot, here's the gallery of pics of the Calfee being built.