Yesterday I purchased a new Trek 4300 from Cycling Spoken Here. It was a great price and comes with free lifetime service at the shop. I also picked up an under-the-seat saddlebag. And then, gore and I hit the road.
We started at Maynard at road up the Black Creek Greenway. The Dynasty hill was tough, but I made it up without stopping and walking. Being able to get down into a low gear really helped. I didn’t stop till I got to Crabtree. That’s a small victory for me and it’s all because of the bike. It felt good, I wasn’t exhausted at that point like I used to be with my old bike. We pressed on into Crabtree trails so I could get a taste of the offroad. I enjoyed it a lot. And by the time I got halfway back home, I was finally starting to feel my energy waning. Though, I made it back with just a small stop before hitting the Dynasty hill once more. After the ride, I noticed a few things that were bothering me. So we stopped by Cycling Spoken Here and they trued my front wheel and adjusted the front derailer for me.
I wasn’t too sure about front suspension. It just didn’t exist when I was younger and it made the front end feel mushy. But going down any rough trails, I clearly felt a smoother ride and I felt the front wheel stayed on the ground better at higher speeds.