My first century was done on a Trek Pilot 5.0. Very nice riding bike but sold it because I wanted a more durable frame. Another bike I have been riding long distances on is my '93 Trek 520. Very stable and enjoyable ride. Heavy as hell though. I think with the fenders and rack it is like 34 lbs. My newest build is a Eddy Merckx Titanium AX. It's a light one at 17 lbs and doesn't take fenders or racks, but damn it's fast. Very comfortable over the long distances. Will be doing a majority of my centuries on this bike this year.
Question: My Eddy Merckx has a compact double (50/36) with a 13/26 cassette. I haven't ridden it on any long rides yet or over any large hills. Most of the centuries that I've got planned are mountain centuries this year. Does this gearing make sense? I've also got a triple (53/42/28) that I could put on, but because of the bottom bracket the granny can only be used on the large cog on the cassette. I loved the 520 gearing (48/36/22) (12/34), I could climb anything on it.
Eddy Merckx
Trek 520
Trek Pilot 5.0 (regret selling this)
