#compass cycles

[bikedweeb]

(via COMPASS CYCLES / SON Dynamo Kit | shinya suzaki | Flickr)

[kinkicycle]

650B brevet bike, mockup build – side view by Snapcase Via Flickr: 

[kinkicycle]

Compassfamilie by David Via Flickr: Five different pairs of Compass tires in one ride ... Left to right: Babyshoe Pass, Switchback Hill, Barlow Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, Bon Jon Pass.

[bicycleway]

So I had the exceptional pleasure of taking a Domane SLR for a 135-mile test ride from Eugene to Portland last week. I went with my friends Gravity and Lucas, who rode an older Madone 5.2 and a steel track bike, respectively. 

From this experience, I learned three things:

1.) A “century-plus” is not the ideal ride to gauge one’s fitness after a winter without any consistent training.

2.) An MTB’r on a carbon road bike and a messenger on a track bike are tricky pace-mates.

3.) The new Domane SLR is a like big, comfy carbon fiber recliner that clears 38c tires.

Though my legs felt like overcooked spaghetti at the end of the day, the joint fatigue and numb extremities that I typically expect after a too-much too-soon ride were strangely absent. Chalk it up to Trek’s new rear decoupler and the Compass extralight 38c tires. 

-Al

[bloganlive]

I set out to ride gravel logging roads on Galbraith Mountain, and ended up descending gnarly, technical singletrack that was clearly meant for modern mountain bikes.  I’m happy to report that my “road” bike handled this shockingly well. No pictures of the singletrack, because I was busy trying not to die.

[bicycleway]

A few photos from two weekends ago at the Ochoco Gravel Roubaix, where BWOL staffers Al and Sean both rode Compass tanwall tires to strong finishes on the 119-mile course, which featured 8,730ft of climbing, 50 percent gravel/pavement, and strong headwinds.