Having sat on this frame for a year, I have finally built it.
I decided on this bike after hiring one on holiday in Corsica last year. After all this time, it’s now ridable. Fitting cables into he hidden cable routes was the most fiddly part. I had no reason to rush so I took plenty of time. It looks like a good job, I’d say.
There remains a shopping list: Speedo, longer stem, another bottle cage, pedals. All the local bike shops have closed for lockdown so my only recourse is online.
27°C, 0 cloud, light breeze.
Thought I was getting tired of cycling yesterday but then did this fun short route this morning. Everything was right, felt fit and happy with the bike. The photo above is the stop at Aregnu spring to fill up. There follows a steady climb and a thrilling descent.
Ideally, this bike needs a longer stem; the 175mm cranks felt right though. I’m saying that considering that frame in the box at home. 180mm cranks are hard to track down, so perhaps I should settle with 177 5mm instead.
31°C,full sun.
This one left me tired. The route extended into the next valley east and came down to the coast via Montecello.
27°C, bright after this morning’s thunder.
Good distance for an end of afternoon outing. Postponed this morning’s outing because of slow persistent thunderstorms. It was exciting, however, to watch the lightning bolts strike the sea from bed.
That poor Kona is getting creaky once it’s warm. The bars are slightly bent but the handling is great. I can only look forward to my own Kona Zing’s first rides.
27°C, patches of thick cloud clearing later.
The trunk road was mostly clear and cooler this morning making the climbs easier. A blast down from Lumio was a scream!
This year I have 2x 750ml bottles and made full use of the springs at Zilia had Aregnu. Wonderful.
30°C, fierce sun and thunder at end.
It’s that bike again. I’ve hired this one before but.some bits have changed. The gears and.wheels are new. It handles very nicely apart from a bent bar and slightly too short stem. The reach is a little short for me such that my knees can knock on the bars on steep climbs. 12cm would be better than this 10.
I have a frame the same at.home which remains unbuilt. This will spur on to get that project finished.
I’m encouraged by the handling, the bike holds true on straights and corners and feels light at the front end. No doubt this is helped by the Aksium wheels (which I will use at home also).
33°C, sunny nil breeze.
I rode Zing with MapMyRide+! Distance: 50.40km, time: 02:38:59, pace: 3:09min/km, speed: 19.02km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/2375533769
Roaring got cut I’m managing hydration better now. A big drink before I go and a top up at Corbara. The loop round the back of the valley passed Zillia and Calenzana soon looked more appealing. They have newly tarmaced the road too, so progress should be quick.
34°C, hot sun.
I rode Zing with MapMyRide+! Distance: 27.49km, time: 01:18:48, pace: 2:52min/km, speed: 20.94km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/2373286736
Set off early into to rising run. This works well because much of the climbing is in shade here.
31°C, still and clear blue.
I rode Zing with MapMyRide+! Distance: 41.74km, time: 02:09:25, pace: 3:06min/km, speed: 19.35km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/2368525580
Much better hydration management today. I tanked up more to start and stopped at a spring in Corbara for a top-up. Temperatures are forecast to rise slightly, whatever it does, it’s damned hot.
33°C, brisk westerly, 0 cloud
I rode Zing with MapMyRide+! Distance: 27.60km, time: 01:22:27, pace: 2:59min/km, speed: 20.08km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/2360194439
I’ve rented a bike for the second week. It’s a Kona Zing, an aluminium road bike of about the same age as my Jake. However, it has some B’Twin kit fitted. I suspect that a B’twin bike was cannibalised for parts after a crash. I bet it was the same bike I rented last time. The Kona frame is far superior though. It’s lighter and feels better climbing= and fast cornering on descents.
Nice route anyway, a familiar one from a few years ago, just to test the setup.
Micycle 