A Trek Madone 6.9 SSL with Compact Double
In my March 31 entry, I showed how my Trek Project One mountain bike came apart. I was never happy with the Shimano XTR on that bike, or the suspension, or the ride in general. That, plus the fact that the parts would not be entirely compatible with a replacement current frame led me to a decision I’m quite excited about:
- Put off a replacement mountain bike for now, since I’m doing very little mountain-biking.
- Trek offers as an alternative a 25% discount— use that towards a 2nd Madone 6.9 SSL road bike, but this time in black, and with a compact double 50 X 34 to complement my existing white Madone 6.9 SSL with standard 53 X 39 chainrings.
- Sell my existing Trek Madone 5.9 SSLX and my other ZIPP 303/404 wheelsets to raise the cash for the 2nd bike (FOR SALE).
- Use the already on-order Lightweight Obermayer wheelset for my 2nd bike and thus have the ability to swap wheelsets between two bikes that match exactly except for the front chainrings.
Two bikes are very handy to have, because somedays I feel light, and some days I feel heavier, and I want my clothing to match. And the compact double gearing will be one gear friendlier to my legs on this September’s Everest Challenge stage race. Anyway, it’s a lot better than wasting money eating out for a year. That first sentence is a joke, BTW.