Instrument of Punishment: 2006 Fuji Roubaix SL (SOLD)

(Yes, I know the cellphone photo is terrible. Better photos to come.)

This is the most modern bike I've ever owned, and it's very different from all my other stuff. For one thing, it's the first aluminum bike I've ridden for more than a mile; every other bike I've owned was steel. You really do notice the stiffness of the ride, and feel the vibrations right up your spine. It's a very tight geometry - basically a crit bike, which increases the roughness of the ride. There are broken-asphalt roads on my normal routes that definitely give you the Het Volk feeling.

Second, it's super-light; double-butted aluminum. The center of gravity is a lot higher on this bike than my other normal rides, simply because there's less weight (relatively) in the bike and more in my lard ass. Over the last few days when I've been road-testing it, crosswinds off San Francisco Bay have been sliding me around all over the place.

SCARY!

However...

This bike is very quick. Even with the compact gearing, a little extra push on the pedals and I take off. And when I can find a straight, traffic-free run long enough to get up into the big ring, it goes like a bat out of hell. Maybe this will finally get me up some hills...