Tired of tires

After a frustrating series of tire problems, I finally threw in the towel on Saturday and took the bike to the LBS for a new set of tires and tubes. I'm having them true the wheels as well, and I'm switching to 28mm Continental Gatorskins. It's an expensive move for me, having just put on the Maxxis ReFuse within the last six months (and not many miles). But enough is enough. My rule, whether it's a bike or a car, is when I no longer have confidence in my ride, it's time to take action. I was happier with the 28mm width than the 25s, in spite of a little faster roll. I was really reluctant to ride the packed limestone trails, and that's what is nearest my house.

Since I won't have the bike back for a few days, I took my old Schwinn Sierra mountain/comfort bike out on Sunday. I did 38 miles, which is the longest ride I've ever done on that bike, and it wasn't all that bad. The wind was the worst part, and that was made worse by a bike with an upright position.

I also had some growing pains with the new Brooks saddle. When I got the B17 for my road bike it was comfortable immediately. The B68 is a little wider, designed for the more upright position of my Schwinn. It seems like it's going to take some breaking in. One possible factor is tilt; I'm now a complete convert to two-bolt seatposts, and the Schwinn is a one bolt, so getting the tilt perfectly set up is almost impossible. I think that's a real factor with Brooks saddles -- the tilt really has to be perfect or you're either pushing yourself back or sliding into the "hammock" or sling part of the seat. That puts even more stress on the hands and wrists.

While the Schwinn has served me well, I'm leaning more toward a new alternative bike. I get a lot of discomfort when I ride the road bike exclusively, and it seems really refreshing to switch back and forth between bikes. And I am leaning toward another upright bike of some sort.

I've studied the specs of several hybrids, including the Specialized Sirrus, the Cannondale Quick CX, the Trek 7.5 FX and the Fuji Sunbird series. I'm not that interested in a suspension fork, but I do like carbon. And I'd rather have an aluminum frame. I'd move over my Brooks B68 saddle and add some bar ends. Of the bikes above, I'm most interested in seeing the Specialized Sirrus Elite.