2018 Felt IA16 - First Test Ride

Just a random picture of a guy heading toward the fog.
Thought it was cool enough to post.

Green Cobb 55 JOF test saddle will be replaced soon.
It passed the test so a black saddle will be on the way.

The extension bars were moving around on me today.
Stopped by Try Bike Shop and had them readjusted and tightened.

Route and Ride Data Links:

Strava - Today's Route

Ride Metrics:

Distance (mile): 59 miles total
Speed (mph): 18.3
Cadence (rpm): 71
Time Moving: 3:00:21
Time Total: 3:27:11
Work (kj): 1357
Normal Power: 142
Average Power: 126
Max Power: 538
VI: 1.13
TSS: 167.7
IF: 0.75

Goal:

Test Ride Only

Ride Description:

I had planned to go to the Budweiser plant for this test ride until I heard some stern warnings of thick fog in that area so I headed south to the Comet where there is no car traffic and it was supposed to be fairly clear. Rolling out from the zero mile marker there was a light fog.

The one thing about testing this bike at the moment I realized it would not be a fair comparison because I have in memory of the B10 and how it performed while I was in good shape. Right now I am in terrible condition coming from the crash this summer and then going through a period of working long hours. My training fell way off and so has my fitness.

My hamstrings were getting tight at times, but that could have been totally because of my poor fitness. My first thoughts of this Felt IA16 as I started rolling in those first miles, "This bike is fast." It felt like I was in a draft of a fast paceline being pulled along, but I was solo. Tiago has the bike setup in a little more aggressive position than my previous fit. I felt like I was on a junior bike and all compacted. I was also concerned that with my neck issues and being a bit more muscular in the shoulders and neck that I would have good visibility. I could see up the road just fine, but I did have less visibility looking back. Even sitting upright I am down lower. For the three plus hours my neck did not get uncomfortable. I just hope that will also be the case with five hour rides.

I was somewhat anxious before this first ride with the fit and function of the new bike, but I believe overall I am going to like this upgrade. Even the Cobb 55 JOF saddle is going to work for me so very soon that green test saddle will be replaced with a black Cobb 55. 

Fit: 

Pretty good and I am not sure how much could be improved. Maybe a slight tweak here and there, but for now I plan to build my fitness and see what happens before I make any adjustments to the fit. The Cobb 55 JOF was excellent for riding off the front of the saddle.

Function:

The bike and shifting performed very well for be on the low end side of components. Shifting was a little stiff, but most newly built bikes and drivetrains are a little tight at first. Every shift was precise and the chain was never thrown off or need for trimming a gear. The bar extensions and pads moved a little on me so I had to access the mini tool from the CALpac and both it and the BSTpac seemed to clean up a lot of items that were strapped, taped and Velcro to the frame. In the BSTpac there are 2 tubes, 1 Co2 cartridge and some money. In the CALpac there are 1 Co2 cartridge, 1 Lenzyne mini tool, 1 small pepper spray, 2 tire levers and 1 gel packet.

Stability:

The route today is a straight out and back bike path. There were no T-intersections to see if I could go fairly fast through a turn while in aero and no "S" turn descents to see if I could zoom down and trust the bike to hold. I will have to wait another day. I do know with sitting down lower in aero that I could not ride with others. At least not for a while or maybe it is just never worth the risk. Short light sprint actions will also need improvement. I did not feel as stable with a hard sprint and going across a couple of overpass bridges felt a little more challenging, but the bike steered where I wanted. I just think it is going to take me some more hours in aero to get my confidence up with this more aggressive fit. The bike seems good though and I can say stability was me and not the bike.

Performance:

I will have to come back to this when I have better fitness. It feels fast and I feel like I am in a fast position, but I also struggled at times. Was it the position/fit or the fitness? I am not sure and I need more time to understand.

Weather:

Temperature Start (F): 64
Temperature Finish (F): 71
Wind: Calm
Sky: Fog and heavy clouds.

Nutrition Intake During and Immediately After:

Bottle #1 24oz. Water, BSN Amino X, Maltodextrin, Trace Mineral Drops
GU gel at mile 25
Post Ride: 30 gram protein drink

Gear:

 Felt  IA16