ABOVE: Bike Diva Riding CX Bike at Oleta Felt Breed Cyclocross Bike
My mom got into town on Thursday afternoon from upstate NY. She comes down to visit for a couple of weeks every Xmas. After my husband and I picked her up from the airport, we went straight to the On Your Mark bike shop in Palm Beach Gardens. My Felt Breed single speed cyclocross bike arrived earlier in the day, and it was ready to be picked up. I was like a kid in a candy store!
Oleta River State Park
My husband and I went down to Oleta River State Park, in north Miami Beach, yesterday morning so I could try the bike out. Oleta has some awesome mountain bike trails. I stayed off the main trails, and got a feel for what it was like to ride a cross bike on pavement, gravel, sand, grass, mulchy dirt and small roots. AWESOME bike!!!! I still don't know if I'll want to race it or not in January cause I think it will be awhile before I will learn how to do a proper cx mount/dismount (I'm uncoordinated). See my post from yesterday about the Miami Cyclocross race which takes place at Oleta River State Park on January 4th.
Great Single Speed Bike
I really like the single speed. I don't even have to worry at all about which gear to be in - I only have ONE!!! I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to ride very fast on flat ground, but I was able to get up to 18-20 MPH on paved roads and hard packed dirt roads - SWEET! Besides being a nice entry level cyclocross bike, my Felt Breed will also make a really cool urban bike. I had been using my full suspension mountain bike, with slick tires, on the urban rides. But now I will FLY on the urban rides on the cx bike.
I would like to get a second set of wheels for the bike though, that have slick tires on it. The slick tires would be a much better option for the urban rides, but my husband says the knobby tires will be just fine. The urban ride is about 75% pavement, with sections of grass, dirt and mulched trails. So I guess slicks wouldn't be the best option. Curious to see if I can get up to the top of the parking garage with a single speed bike - might have to run the last few yards!?! But coming back down the parking garage is always fun - WEEEEEE!!!!
Crank Brothers Pedals
I definitely want to change out the pedals on the bike. I'd like to get a pair of Crank Brothers pedals, either their egg beaters or their candys. I currently have a pair of half & half pedals on the Breed. They are flat on one side with clipless pedal on the other side. They sucked, my feet kept slipping off on the flat part and I was having a heck of the time getting the pedal flipped over to the other side and clipping in - did I mention I'm uncoordinated? I applied for sponsorship with Crank Brothers, but I'm not holding my breath. If I'm going to do any of the remaining Florida cyclocross races, which take place in January, I'm going to need to get a different set of pedals ASAP.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
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