Babygirl arrived - Specialized Vita Elite 2010

Cafewanda
Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
edited December 2009 in Commuting chat
........... and after I'd struggled to get her out of the box (which was big enough to hold two of me :shock: ) I stroked her and drooled over her for about 20 mins - yes I've decided my bike is female :D She is very light and I can carry her up and down the stairs with only one hand - yay!!

Took her to my lbs where Steve attached the remaining pedal, adjusted the handlebars and put on a new computer, rack and transferred the lights from my previous bike (3 red and 1 white). I walked her home and drooled some more that evening.

Saturday morning I took her to Halfords at Tooting Bec to use the remaining £ of my C2W voucher and got mudguards and a stand. Fortunately the mechanic understood my desire to stand and drool some more, whereas the other staff had a little difficulty with it :oops:

This morning's commute felt smoother but not faster, as the panniers were very heavy and my left foot had issues with the toecage (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it) 8). It will take me a little while to get used to the gears as my previous one was a twister and I'm wondering if I should lose the cages and 'click' in instead.

I'll attach a pic this evening showing how she looks post transformation. The spoke beads may detract a little from her beauty, but they add a little quirk for the winter ride :D
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Comments

  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Excellent stuff. Getting a new bike is wonderful.

    Ditch the cages and get SPD's. They are the way forward.

    Happy cycling!!
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    'Click in' pedals are the future!

    Chapeau on the new ride. Hope to see you one her soon!
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    lovely have fun.

    most if not all roadie flats are a waste of time, get some clippless and wind it off so it's very easy to clip in and out and you'll find it's a great system.
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    BIKE BUDDIES!

    Well, not really, yours is a 2010 model and a couple of models 'up' from mine ('Elite' >> 'Sport') and therefore probably lighter and shinier, but still! Looking forward to pictures (which I daresay would be blocked from work anyway, bah) :D
    4537512329_a78cc710e6_o.gif4537512331_ec1ef42fea_o.gif
  • deffler
    deffler Posts: 829
    Congratulations on your new arrival, lol.

    Yeah ditch the cages & get some SPD's

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... delID=3759

    Bargain
    Boardman Hybrid Pro

    Planet X XLS
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    Great to here about the new arrival, I can see DDD quaking in his SPD-SLs as I type ;-)
    Will it be attending the Xmas drinks with you?
    Who's the daddy?
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  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    Get SPDs not SPD-SL, much easier to clip in and out in traffic and more durable.
    x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
    Commuting / Winter rides - Jamis Renegade Expert
    Pootling / Offroad - All-City Macho Man Disc
    Fast rides Cannondale SuperSix Ultegra
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    I gotta say I love my SPD - SL but the wide surface area seems to suit my feet that can morph from very narrow to very flat/wide as I have no foot arch.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    As I always say in this situation, get Eggbeaters for city riding! 4-sided entry makes ALL the difference.

    Nice work, S! Hope you love it :)
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    Bassjunkieuk wrote:
    Great to here about the new arrival, I can see DDD quaking in his SPD-SLs as I type ;-)
    Will it be attending the Xmas drinks with you?

    As much as I'd love to say 'yes', she'll be safer indoors and I'll be safer using public transport to get home :D
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    Cafewanda wrote:
    Bassjunkieuk wrote:
    Great to here about the new arrival, I can see DDD quaking in his SPD-SLs as I type ;-)
    Will it be attending the Xmas drinks with you?

    As much as I'd love to say 'yes', she'll be safer indoors and I'll be safer using public transport to get home :D

    :-D Riding home a bit tipsy after the Morpeth is half the fun (not that we condone that sort of behavior, in the same way Top Gear frowns upon speeding......) Last year I cheated and hopped on a train with CP back to East Croydon then did the shorter ride home in relevant peace and quiet - I have found that riding back from the Morpeth under the influence can lead to me making rash decisions that result in climbing more hills then is really necessary :-D
    Who's the daddy?
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  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    sarajoy wrote:
    BIKE BUDDIES!

    Well, not really, yours is a 2010 model and a couple of models 'up' from mine ('Elite' >> 'Sport') and therefore probably lighter and shinier, but still! Looking forward to pictures (which I daresay would be blocked from work anyway, bah) :D

    No matter Sarah. We still buddies :D

    I think I'm going to keep the cages (cos I'm skint) and put the clips on my birthday list for February.

    B-J, you are just mad, so I won't be following your example :wink:
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Yay new bike!

    SPDs are so much easier than toe-cages, effing bl**dy things... definitely one for the xmas/birthday list...
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • Aidy
    Aidy Posts: 2,015
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    'Click in' pedals are the future!

    Chapeau on the new ride. Hope to see you one her soon!

    They were the future 20 years ago, they're pretty much the present now :)
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    biondino wrote:
    As I always say in this situation, get Eggbeaters for city riding! 4-sided entry makes ALL the difference.

    Nice work, S! Hope you love it :)

    pervert
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
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  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Can we assume mother and child are doing well :lol:
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    PICS PICS PICS PICS PICS (PLZ)
    4537512329_a78cc710e6_o.gif4537512331_ec1ef42fea_o.gif
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    How do I get a pic in here? Anyone?
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Take it, pop it on flickr or photobucket or similar, then right click, hit 'copy image location' and paste between two clicks of the IMG button...
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    Thanks sweetie. I'll do that in the morning. Need sleep now otherwise there'll be even more wrinkles on show :roll:
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Cafewanda wrote:
    Need sleep now otherwise there'll be even more wrinkles on show :roll:

    Didn't think young ladies got wrinkles.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    You are such a sweetheart, but I'm 46 so well in the 'wrinkles are starting to show' segment of my life :D
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    I think I've managed to get a pic of Babygirl in here.


    4203741651_e2326d3ea9_m.jpg

    She's rocking 3 rear red lights, one white front light - soon to be two and my spokelit lights. I'm aiming to get two more spoke lights shortly.
  • hisoka
    hisoka Posts: 541
    Cool, she does look cool there.
    Though I am thinking red tyres, red pedals too and red grips. I don't know why :lol:
    "This area left purposefully blank"
    Sign hung on my head everyday till noon.

    FCN: 11 (apparently)
  • Buckled_Rims
    Buckled_Rims Posts: 1,648
    Arh, they're lovely when they're just born....but wait for the teething, then the rebellion stages...they'll put Grey hairs on you :wink:
    CAAD9
    Kona Jake the Snake
    Merlin Malt 4
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Should the rack not be level?
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Hurrah! Lookin' good! :)

    Yes, the rack should be level, but the rear fork is too low for the bits that need to attach to it to do so with the rack level. Did that make any sense?

    An alternative would be a seatpost rack mount. If I could find one online I'd totally link to it. Basically it's a clampy thing that goes around the seatpost and has bolts on it for the two bits of rack that attach to the fork.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    hisoka wrote:
    Cool, she does look cool there.
    Though I am thinking red tyres, red pedals too and red grips. I don't know why :lol:

    I'm thinking about them too :lol::lol:
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    edited December 2009
    biondino wrote:
    Should the rack not be level?

    Should be but my lbs didn't have the necessary bits and I've not bothered to try elsewhere so far. LiT, I'll check that out in the new year - thanks.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Hurrah! Lookin' good! :)

    Yes, the rack should be level, but the rear fork is too low for the bits that need to attach to it to do so with the rack level. Did that make any sense?

    An alternative would be a seatpost rack mount. If I could find one online I'd totally link to it. Basically it's a clampy thing that goes around the seatpost and has bolts on it for the two bits of rack that attach to the fork.
    One of these?
    mpart%20spt102.jpg

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