So, I bought a new bike… but not a new bike… it’s an old bike… probably from the the late 80’s… it’s a Raleigh Technium Pro.  I went to look at it for a friend.  It’s was listed on craigslist.com as a Raleigh 50cm with Shimano 105 and the owner wasnt sure of the year.  When I saw it the bikewas so cool I had to have it.  The frame is a butted mix of aluminum and steel.  It has a 53/42 front and 7 speed rear cog.  Gum wall 700×20 tires and some crazy funky Specialized handle bars with a lower flat area.

Anywhoooo…. I decided to get the bike and if the person I purchased it for didnt want it I would use it for myself… by the time I got home that day I decided I was keeping the darn thing!  I rode it last night on the Pungo loop for the first time.

What a ride, the bike was SMOOTH!  The aluminum/steel combo made for an awesome ride.  New Bridge road was nice, I felt good, then a little further in to the loop the weight of the bike started to settle in.  The bike is HEAVY!  The “trail of tears” was hell!  A steady cross wind made the bike feel like it was filled with lead.  What is even sadder is that the wind wasn’t even that bad!!!!  I slowed down a bit through the ride and just enjoyed the old school retro ride.

When I got home I picked up the Technium Pro and my Felt F5C and was amazed at how much of a weight difference there is.  My Felt felt like it weighed 1/2 as much as the Technium, but in reality it was probably 1/3 as much.  One of these days I’ll have to weigh the bikes.  In the meantime I am going to enjoy the retro ride and get some good training in!

Oh… Kyle’s wife posted some great pics from the Jeff Cup this past weekend: http://amyjones.zenfolio.com/p746541536