Specialized

I am Phil Cianciola.
And I am "Specialized"

I always liked those TV commercials for Specialized bikes that I would see while watching the Tour de France.
Now I too am Specialized.

When I wrote here last week that I had completed an historic ride I wasn't kidding. In ten years of cycling I have never thrown my leg over anything other than a Trek bike. That all changed the day I jumped onto my new rig.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The back story here goes something like this...

Someone at Specialized read of my frustrations and came up with a creative offer. The next thing I knew I was visiting Crankdaddy's on Prospect for the first time since they, pardon the pun, specialize in Specialized.

After a complete, high-tech fitting session I was presented with not only a bike but the Specialized shoes to go with it. "Just go try it all out and tell us what you think," they said.

Well, the rest as they say, is history.

May I present my new Specialized Roubaix!

From the moment I rode this bike I was impressed. The Roubaix delivers a combination of comfort and performance, with no sacrifices on either end. The combination of the fitting and the bike was so amazing that for the first time in 10 years I was actually riding on a new saddle that felt like I was in an easy chair.

This being my first experience on a compact crank made things interesting too. So much was different that I had to soak it all in on some of my usual routes to compare and contrast the bike to what I had. The Roubaix passed my every test. That's what all the secret experimenting has been about for the past week.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Specialized for working with me to make this switch possible, not an easy thing for me to do until I felt the quality of the product. Then making the switch became so much more easy.

And these shoes. These shoes! As I described them to someone earlier, they're sex, drugs and rock 'n roll all wrapped into one!

These are like wearing soft wings on your feet.

Not to mention they're just drop-dead sexy too. As I always say, if you can't BE fast then at least LOOK fast!

Steve at Crankdaddy's took painstaking time to make sure the fit of both the shoes to my feet and my body to the bike were just perfect. I'd recommend a fitting like this to anyone who rides on a regular basis. Fit is everything folks.

When I visited there today my jaw almost dropped as I waited for my new computer to be mounted. Guess who mounted it? The dude who blew past me on a Specialized that I wrote about earlier this week. It's true. A random meeting while on a ride on the south side...an exchange of info about Specialized while we were riding...and who would have guessed he ended up being one of the guys working on my new bike! He was pretty amazed at the story himself today. Thanks Mike. Crazy. Just crazy the randomness of it all.

I took the Roubaix out on three very different rides on tried-and-true long-time routes of mine to really get a feel for her. Each ride I became more comfortable and realized the potential of the bike. I first rode long and flat. Then it was laps on the Whitnall Crit race course. And finally some climbing. That's where I still need some work and bonding with the gearing. I look forward to not only continuing to learn about and bond with the Roubaix, but writing about the entire experience here.

Having this sexy sports car-like bike has lit the fire in my belly to not only ride out this season, but to ride harder and faster too. Because I don't think you should be out there on a bike like this just taking in the scenery, although you could. No sir, I'll take that combo of comfort and speed that the Roubaix has nailed.

It wasn't something I took lightly at all. But as I round out my tenth year of cycling since my total hip replacement I can tell you this:

I am Phil Cianciola.

And I am Specialized.