New Outside Column, Plus Bike Tech Analysis!

I've got a new Outside column published on the World Wide Internet and it's about how just because you don't see something that doesn't mean it's not happening (and yes, that's a double-negative, or maybe even a triple negative):


And no, I don't know why the image they used is an ebike in the desert, so don't ask.

Moving on, this past Friday I engaged in BIKE TEST SCIENCE!  First of all, after a solid couple weeks of riding my new-to-me titanium bike on an almost-daily basis, on Friday I switched to my almost-brand-new plastic Fred Sled and was thus able to make a back-to-back comparison:


Before I go any further, I do realize this isn't really science, because:

1) I didn't use any deflection-measuring apparatus (although arguably my highly calibrated perineum might qualify);

B) Both bikes have different wheels and parts, in that the titanium bike features sort of a "greatest hits" of early 21st Century Fredness, whereas the plastic bike is all OEM aluminum and crabon save for the Dura Ace group.

Nevertheless, both bikes have tires of similar width, and both tires just happen to be from Specialized, though the plastic bike has Turbo something-or-other and the titanium bike has Roubaix something-or-other.  And, aesthetic considerations aside, the two bikes are actually pretty similar in terms of size and geometry.

Anyway, after comparing both bicycles back-to-back, I have drawn the following highly scientific conclusion:

The titanium bike definitely rides better.
That doesn't mean the plastic bike rides poorly; in fact quite the opposite.  It's a light, smooth, and great-handling bike, and I feel super-duper fast on it, even though I'm slow as a leaky GU packet on a cold day.  The titanium bike however is quite noticeably smoother on rough pavement, of which there is a lot around here.  So while the plastic bike is absolutely ideal for riding fast around the park in circles (which is precisely what I got it for), when it comes to choosing a bike for a long, meandering ride the titanium bike is a total no-brainer.  (I mean the titanium bike would also be great for riding around the park in circles I'm sure, but I'd need to change the cassette and chainrings for that at the very least, and I'd prefer not to do that since I'm enjoying the low gearing that's on there now, plus from what I can tell the new Campagnolo chainrings are both expensive and hard to find.)

But again, it's always possible that the parts are helping to inform this impression to some degree, and to know for sure I'd have to equip both frames with exactly the same parts, which I'll never, ever bother to do.

And while I was deep in the throes of science, I also briefly switched wheels on the titanium bike:


This I did for three (3) reasons:

1) I'd been hearing a troublesome noise, and I wanted to see if was coming from the wheels (it looks like it was, and so far ditching the dainty Mavic skewers for some proper ones seems to have done the trick);

B) I wanted to see if Campagnolo 10 speed will indeed shift a 10-speed Shimano cassette (It shifted with about 90% accuracy without my making any adjustments, so I imagine with a couple turns of the barrel adjuster it would work fine);

III) I wanted to see if the titanium bike had room for 28mm tires, which indeed it does:


I'd been worried about the rear brake as the spring protrudes beneath the caliper arms, but in practice it appears that won't be a problem.  This made me happy, because it means this 18 year-old titanium bike just happens to be pretty much exactly what I'd want if I were ordering a custom road frame, in that it has a threaded bottom bracket, a standard head tube, and adequate tire clearances.  (I mean sure, maybe I'd consider disc brakes since it's all going that way anyway, but in the meantime I'm more than happy with my primitive rime breaks.)

Then over the weekend I confirmed my test results by racing the plastic bike on Saturday and enjoying a peaceful morning ride on Sunday:


Well, peaceful apart from the goose attack.  See, all the mother geese were out with their goslings:


And at one point, on a narrow section of path where I had no choice but to pass a family of them somewhat closely, an enraged anatid came at me, hissing like a puncture.  Fortunately it didn't make contact, but as I closed my eyes and ducked this was all I could see in my mind:


The horror, oh the horror.