Today’s bike ride was “New Bike First Ride” day. I figured out a way to attach my Elemnt computer (without the PowerPod though) using the stem mount that comes with the Elemnt. A couple of black cable ties and a piece of old tube to protect the the handle bar and the Elemnt was in place.

Next problem was the water bottle cage. I borrowed one from the Stradalli which is black and goes with the Canyon Endurace CF SLX color scheme. Along with the bottle cage the frame pump moved too.

The speed sensor was an easy move though the hub diameter and width required me to stretch the rubber holder longer than on the Stradalli. The cadence sensor presented a problem in finding a place with enough room. The first location was on the inside of the left crank arm but this was too close to the rear stay with only a milometer of clearance. Then I tried the outside of the right crank arm but the sensor hit the front derailleur. As you can see in the picture above I settled on the outside of the left crank arm. This may need to be moved because my shoe is right beside it. I will have to think about this before moving it again.

Riding a new bike for the first time the legs and body put out more energy and speed goes up from the excitement of the new bike. I had to stop and make a small adjustment to the handlebars to center them with the front tire. Fortunately I had the right hex wrench and it only took a minute to fix.

I selected the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route for the first ride but in the first mile I began to wonder if I would go very far. A few rain sprinkles came down but I kept on pedaling and by the time I crossed back over Northpark Drive no more came down despite the overcast sky. Rain was not what I wanted to have for the first ride. As the ride moved south the wind was strong which I found out after the bike ride was from the south at 22 mph with 29 mph gusts. Maybe starting at 12:44 pm gave the wind time to build up. The temperature was 72 then and I dressed like yesterday: shorts, long sleeve thermal jersey, short sleeve jersey.

The Canyon Endurace CF SLX rode smoothly and lightly. In the wind the wheels caught the wind like the Stradalli’s wheels but not quite as much. The handlebars are “ergo” and oval but comfortable as was the Fizik saddle. Many times the saddle that comes with bikes are not very good but I will ride more on this one. Because my bottom has not regained long miles condition yet the Prologo saddle on the Stradalli and Bellwether shorts have left some soreness after I complete a ride. No so with the Fi’zi:k saddle so far. The 28mm wide tires moved easily over the road surfaces and didn’t seem as harsh as the 23mm tires on the Stradalli. Hopefully the Continental 4000 tires are as durable as the Continental Gatorskins on the Stradalli.

When I bought the Stradalli Red Pro 14 it was a solid improvement from the Motobecane carbon bike it replaced. The improvement from the Stradalli to the Canyon is noticeable but not as drastic. The Canyon handles better in the wind as I learned today. One place where the Canyon handled the rough road surface better was on Atascocita Shores Drive north of FM 1960. This section has many bumps and uneven pavement from numerous concrete patching. The Stradalli goes through this but the Canyon was not as harsh, Probably the wider tires make a difference. I tired to put 25mm tires on the Stradalli and they would not fit.

Finishing the ride at 3:14 pm the overcast sky had transformed to mostly cloudy with some sunshine and the temperature improved to 80 degrees. The thermal jersey was not needed by then but I was home.

With today’s bike ride I passed my February mileage goal of 345 miles (I am at 375.8 miles) and made up 30 miles of the January goal shortage. The weather looks favorable for biking on Wednesday so I should makeup more miles from January.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

Link to Strava Ride Summary