Are Some Bicycles Better than Sex?

Well, no.

But I just returned from the shakedown ride for my new Felt F2:



Wow.

Here's how the ride went:

Mile 1: Point the bike down Avalon Way - a short, fairly steep hill near my house. Ride is smooooooooth. So smooth, in fact, that I noticed cars going backwards as I zipped by them. I look down at my cycle computer. I'm going 45 mph. Whoa. I tap the brakes and nearly flip over. Mental note: Dura Ace brakes are better than Shimano 105.

Mile 5: Rolling along Beach Drive in Alki, I shift into a bigger gear and wind it up a bit. At least, as much as a semi-pudgy 38-year-old with allergies and a bad knee can wind it up. Suddenly, I'm keeping up with traffic. In fact, I'm rolling along at 25 mph (with a mild tailwind). I start grinning like an idiot.

Mile 9: The Big Climb up Admiral Way. I fully expect that, without the tiny gears my old bike had, I'm either going to have a stroke or end up hitchhiking.

Mile 10: Nope. I'm huffing and puffing big time by the time I get to the top of Admiral, but the lighter wheels and bike really do make a difference.

Mile 11.5: Home. Yes, it was a very short ride. But it's convinced me to lose some weight and continue working out. Otherwise, owning this bike is like buying a NASCAR certified stock car for your daily commute.