Tri-Stryke plus computer update

Just wanted to say that the new computer is doing great. I've been on a few rides with it now, and I haven't experienced any of the wireless interference issues I've read about on a few forums. I also haven't had to deal with some of the less attractive qualities of the Garmin GPS - ie, waiting for satellite link-up, losing the signal in the middle of a ride, or the wild variations in speed that it sometimes displays. I haven't missed any of those. All in all, so far, I think I made a good purchase - the computer seems quality. It's accurate, reliable and easy to use (once you figure it out).

But you may have noticed that "computer update" wasn't the only thing in the title. It's true - I got a new saddle - again. Now before you start to see my bike for what it really is (a money pit), let me just point out to you that using the aero-bars is less than comfortable on the Bontrager Inform R saddle. The reason? The Inform R is a road saddle, designed to support you on your sit-bones. When you're in the aero-position, however, the bulk of your weight is supported by the soft tissue between your legs which rests on the nose of the saddle - hence the need for a triathlon/time-trial specific saddle with extra padding in the nose. This all may sound a bit silly to you if you've never spent two hours on the aero-bars on a hard road saddle, but I can assure you that the discomfort involved in such an endeavor will quickly convince you that you're not as committed to saving money as you might have thought previously.

Having said that, if you've read my previous posts you'll know that I'm a deal hunter, and I did quite a bit of hunting for the best deal on this saddle. In the end, I got it brand new, in the color I wanted, for about $30 less than the average going price. Saving money always makes spending money a little bit easier for me, but I digress. I've only put about 20 miles on the bike with the new saddle, but the increase in comfort was immediately noticable when going aero. So it's off to the spare parts box for the Inform R for now, but I have a feeling it will be back on the bike at some point. Till next time.

Profile-Design Tri-Stryke Titanium

Bike before test ride with the new saddle. I angled the nose down a bit after the ride.

Jittery Joe's Computer

Jittery Joe's is a coffee company based in Athens, Georgia, which sponsors a professional cycling team. While I've never actually had their coffee (although I do have one of their mugs) I've seen their team in action more than once, and have spent some time on their website. The website (http://www.jitteryjoes.com/) just happens to have a store, and the store just happens to have a $60 Cateye Strada Wireless bike computer on sale for $24.99. Now, I've known about this deal for quite sometime - almost a year - but I've been using my Garmin Forerunner GPS in lieu of a computer since I got my bike. This has always worked fine (for the most part) but with the aerobars on my bike now, there really isn't a place for the Garmin. So I figured hey, what's thirty bucks - I mean otherwise I'm just out there with no idea how fast I'm going or how far I've traveled, and I can't ride that way! It's all about the numbers, right?! Anyway, the computer arrived today and although it's a different color than advertised on the website, it looks pretty cool. I haven't ridden with it yet so I can't tell you if it sucks or not. What I can do is put up a few pictures and tell you I'll get back to you on the computer's actual performance - deal?