Button Pushed

It took a while to get there but I’ve just pressed the button on a new bike.

In my last post I was gushing about the Dolan Tuono and how I’d been looking at it for quite some time. Well, when I did my final geometry checks I realised that everything was fine except the seat tube. My current bikes have 51cm and 52cm seat tubes with quite a lot of seatpost poking out the top. A symptom of an ex-racer with long legs and a short reach. The Tuono had the same reach but a tiny 46cm seat tube, so I faced an almost ridiculous 5-6cm more seatpost sticking out. I just couldn’t get past it not withstanding question marks over how much fast road riding I do or will I do. I rarely do events, I don’t race and I ride on my own. The more I thought about it, the less it appealed so I sacked it off.

I did the rounds again looking at road bikes from various manufacturers but either the geo was off or the money was too steep. Then I began asking myself what I was going to commute or tour on if I got the road bike and sold the Ribble CGR as was the plan. I came to the conclusion I either stay as I am or get a better bike to do the same job. So I have.

I’ve ordered a bike with exactly the same geometry as my Dolan GXA, it’s carbon and has the best groupset Shimano have ever produced. Shimano GRX. I considered Ultegra but it’s GRX equivalent offers a better gear range (48/31) rather than 50/34 compact that I hate.

It’s a Dolan GXC. I can tour with panniers. I can bikepack without. I can commute. I can swap the wheels off my GXA and vice versa. Every single box is ticked. I’m just crossing my fingers I get it now before I go to The Trossachs in Scotland in June