Road Fan

Fantastic, John! You're still riding that little rocket!

WT21

I ended up getting a used CF Domane, because I wasn't ready to commit funds until I figured out what I want. I immediately flipped the stem down and dropped some spacers, and outside I'm riding it more in the drops. One thing, though - while my back and hips are flexible enough, I've hit the limit of bringing my head up to see the road. So, I'm somewhere between a racing bike and an endurance bike. I think I'm going to look for a slightly more aggressive geometry with fatter tires (maybe up to 32) than what this 2019 domane will take.

Road Fan

At the moment I'm happy with my 2005 Mondonico with the bars 2 cm below the saddle top, and with its monostrut frame. I think I'll be raising the saddle about ⅛" to reduce how much my knee bends at TDC. On that bike the saddle has been a barely new Brooks Swallow Select, which is too stiff and threatens to remain so for quite a while. I put on one of my Ideal 80s, which is more flexible and a bit wider across the 'bones, than the Swallow. 28 mm Vittoria 320 tpi tires are on it and feel very good, but the fork won't allow for any more tire cross-section. I don't see going more toward the "gravelly" side of the spectrum on this bike.

I'm also looking at "softening" my 1980-ish Mondonico which has another few mm of fork and chainstay clearance, and it should accept tires up to 29 or 30, on a tubular rim. To start with I can go with Challenge P-R 27 mm cotton tubulars, while I look for a nice fat pair of 30 mm. After that I'll again fine-tune the saddle and see where things stand. The bars will be narrowed from 42 mm Nitto 110 mm reach, to 40 mm wide 3T compacts with 80 mm reach. Those small steps should together help this bike help me on less travelled roadways.

For both bikes I'll keep the Campy 50/34 chainrings and 12/30 10s cassettes controlled by Ergopowers, as well as drop bars and the relative positions of the bar/pedal contact points and the saddle locations.

So I'm older and I want a bit more comfort, but I also need my gear range, ease of shifting, clean braking, and saddle degree of comfort. I'm riding and fine tuning to become again set up for longer rides. 15 miles last Monday, and perhaps again this Saturday. My cross-training has been gardening, hauling crap around, and 90 minutes Iyengar yoga per week. Hill climbing HR up to 132 bpm last Monday!

For me the Endurance bike will be, like for Iride, a bike that enables me to go my distance with comfort, however long that distance, with appropriate training and tuning, turns out to be. If I crunch another Mondonico frame, maybe I'll make good my old (I intended this about 20 years ago!) threat to buy a Specialized Roubaix - it still seems to have the right spirit for this kind of riding!

Road Fan

No doubt, more chain rollers flexing at the same time is more lossy than with a shorter chain. Bur the same length and overall vehicle aero treatment reduces losses due to aero factors, mainly reduced frontal area. I would bet that the low profile design saves a lot more power than is lost in the extra-long chain.

GhostRider62

No Compromise there or No Com.....that is the model, right.? Rare bike.

I was going to post my lowly M5 CHR, which let's say is akin to an F15 knowing full well an SR 71 was in town.

BlazingPedals

I have an M5CHR too. I don't ride the NoCom much anymore, not because I dislike it. I love it. But it's always been just a tad too long for me and my older body is becoming intolerant of the position required to reach the pedals. I keep thinking I need to cut the boom and rebuild it an inch shorter; but that's such a big job! Besides, the M5 is essentially just as fast (barely slower on flat ground, but faster in climbs.)

Road Fan

It just needs lights, a bag, a rack and a gearhub, and you are all set for the Monday morning commute!

Road Fan

Congratulations on having some real learning about how your body wants to ride!

IcySwan1 

I ride a Madone, a Torelli, a Mondonico, and a Bianchi regularly. (Well, the Mondonico is not quite ready yet). I suppose they are race geometry bikes. I also ride a Domane which I like. The Domane does have wider tires but I kind of like the 23s on the steel bikes.

Mike

Road Fan

The term "race geometry" or "race-type" is essentially meaningless. Even if there were well-agreed criteria on what bikes a person may race on and shall not race on, the criteria are different for different types of event and different meanings of just what it is to race. I own several of what we might call road racers, today, and they are all different: Masi, two Mondonicos, a Woodrup, a Peugeot, and a Rudge. They are all different.

1989Pre 

I'm 65 and this will be my top dog until I abide in my heavenly home: Bought April 1990:

EJM73

I'm 50 and still ride these 2.

Fredo76

I turned 65 this year and am again riding my old racing bike, which turned 47. It has been slightly modernized, and substantially geezerized, and gets about a third of my mileage these days.



I guess you could say I'm still on a more-or-less race type bike...