New Bike Day! + Greenville Training Trip
All the fun details about my new Cervelo P-Series.
Triple Threat Life is an email newsletter with practical triathlon tips and mindset techniques to help everyday athletes succeed. Some installments are free. Some benefits are for paid subscribers only. Sign up here.
I HAVE A NEW BIKE!
I can’t quite believe it. For my entire triathlon career, I’ve had one triathlon bike- my Felt. And while I love it, Matt and my coach thought it was time for an upgrade. The timing worked perfectly with my 40th birthday, so here we are!
While I’m not the most technical when it comes to bike-specific stuff, Matt loves it. So I’ve asked him all the necessary questions so I can explain all the fun details about my new Cervelo P-Series.
But first, we had to get the bike, which was an adventure in and of itself…
Fourth of July Roadtrip
We left town after work on Wednesday and drove four hours to Tampa. The plan was to pick up my new bike at 10:00 am on Thursday at the Perfect Fit Bike Shop that’s owned by our friend, Paul. In the morning, we managed to squeeze in a quick swim at the Morningside Recreation Complex in Clearwater.
After getting the bike, we hopped back in the car and started the 9-hour drive to Greenville, South Carolina. We figured this would be a great opportunity to get Matt some experience climbing and descending ahead of the 70.3 World Championship.
The race is in Marbella, Spain with some big climbs, and we don’t have any mountains here in Florida.
My new bike! Cervelo P-Series
Here are all the fun details about my new bike. It’s a Cervelo P-Series, which is an updated version of Matt’s bike so we match! (Except his is matte and mine is glossy).
Matt has the Cervelo P5, and while it looks similar to the P-Series, there are a few differences. The P-Series has a fork with a D-shaped steerer tube and round stem. That means you can use whatever basebar and aero extensions you want, which allows for greater flexibility when making fit changes, which is great for me!
There’s also increased wheel and tire clearance, neater cable routing, and reduced aero drag. All of their TT bikes come with a top-mounted bento box, which is helpful for storing gels and snacks.
My cockpit is Profile Design, and I have the X-Lab Torpedo Versa mount for my bottle and bike computer. The aerobar cups are a bit larger than my previous ones, and I really like how secure it feels.
The bike has Shimano Ultegra Di2, which is an electronic shifting system. If you’ve never experienced the joy of shifting gears by simply pressing a button on your aerobars, it’s magical.
I have a 11-34 cassette with a 52-36 chainring. I’m excited about this because it means there’s a slightly smaller space in between gears. In the past, I’ve felt a bit restricted at times with gear selection.
A big change is a switch from a 170mm crank to a 160mm crank. This was one thing my coach definitely wanted on this new bike, partially because of my size (I’m 5’6”) and to help with better efficiency when running off the bike.
Apparently, a shorter crank arm can enable a more open hip angle and lower body position, which helps with aerodynamics. Also, it allows for reduced knee bend and hip flexion. Reducing the leverage can help with higher cadence, and the reduced range of motion can make for a smoother pedal stroke.
I was a bit hesitant at first, because I don’t like big changes made to my fit, but I love these cranks! My initial impression was a smoother, more fluid circle that felt natural, without the dead spots that can sometimes happen, especially when doing harder efforts.
The saddle is a ISM PN 3.1, which I’ve had for a while and love.
The Reserve carbon wheels with DT Swiss hubs are different sizes with a 52” on the front and a 63” on the back. They also have different tires. The back tire is what I’ve always used- a Continental GP 5000 S TR, but in a bigger 30 mm. The front tire is the new Continental Aero 111 in a 29 mm.
The front tire is very interesting. Matt’s been riding it for a while now. It has specially designed aero cavities in the tread that function as “vortex generators.” These small indentations create turbulent airflow on the surface, which allows the air to stick to the shape of the wheel. That means they’re fast!
Another new feature on this bike is tubeless tires. Matt has been running tubeless tires for a while, but I’ve always had traditional tires with a tube. Basically, a tubeless tire doesn’t require an inner tube to hold air. Instead, they have a tight seal on the tire and the rim with sealant inside that prevents any small punctures.
It allows for improved puncture resistance, better ride quality, and the ability to run lower tire pressures. For example, with the same tire- Continental GP 5,000 S TR- with tubes, I would run about 90 PSI. Now with that same tire set up tubeless, I can run 60-65 PSI! This helps with a much smoother feel over any bumps in the road. I noticed a big difference right away.
The last new feature of my bike is that we switched from a traditional lubed chain to a waxed chain. Because the wax is dry, it keeps your drivetrain clean, rides smooth, and helps extends the lifespan of your expensive components. Living in Florida, we often come back from rides with bikes that are wet and dirty from the grit you pick up on the road. Even after cleaning the bikes and scrubbing the chains, there’s still a bit of sand and dirt leftover when you use a traditional oil-based lube, because everything sticks to it.
One of my favorite new features on this bike is something cool my coach gave me for my rear bottle cage. Because my tires are tubeless, I won’t need to carry an inner tube. However, in the case of a large puncture, you can use a Dynaplug (small rubber plug) and re-inflate the tire with a Co2 cartridge. But where should I put it? Check out the small plate by my rear bottle cage with a screw-in attachment that holds the Co2 and adapter in place!
The only thing not on the bike currently are the power pedals, which are still in transit. They will be the Favero Assioma power pedals that work with my Look cleats. They’re very lightweight, accurate, and have an internal charging system instead of batteries.
One more thing. Although not specific to my bike, Matt was able to get the new Boyd Cycling disc wheel! So now we just need to set it up.
While we were in Greenville, my coach took Matt and I up Paris Mountain so he could practice climbing and descending, so that was my first ride on my new bike! The next day, we did a 3-hour ride through scenic farmland that was a bit hillier than we’re used to… I think it was over 3,000 ft. of elevation in 50 miles. Then, we capped it off by riding up Paris Mountain again.
I can’t believe how much better the second day of climbing went. After some helpful reminders about keeping a much lower cadence than I’m used to, it was like night and day, and I actually enjoyed it!
Then, we did a short run off the bike at Furman University, which is a beautifully maintained private college with a running path around a lake. The next day was an 80-minute run that we did on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, which is shaded with lots of tree cover.
We had to stop by the Swamp Rabbit Cafe, an amazing grocery/farm store on the trail, where we picked up dill sourdough bread, basil chicken salad, pickles, peaches, pastries, lemonade, and heirloom tomatoes.
On our last day in town, we got to swim long course (50 meters), which is always a treat, because our pool at home is typically set up short course (25 yards). Then we drove six hours back to Florida.
We had a lot of fun on our 4-day whirlwind adventure, and I’m so excited to ride my new bike! A big thank you to Matt, Paul, and Karel for helping to put together this special bike just for me that fits perfectly!
Club Discount Reminder
Today, July 8th, is the last day to take advantage of deals from partners: Rudy Project and Zealios.
As a subscriber to this newsletter, you always get 20% off Zealios sunscreen and shower products with code: TRIPLETHREATLIFE. But today, if you use code: SUMMER30, you get 30% off shower products.
(Zealios makes my favorite sunscreen and chamois cream that lasts all day. They have shower products for the pool, recovery gel, and lip balm.)
All subscribers also get 35% off Rudy Project helmets and sunglasses, including prescription eyewear and 50% off sale items with code: triplethreatlife. But today, the discount bumps up to 40% off. Create a free account at this link. Then, when you browse the website, discounted prices will show up automatically.
To unlock access to all the partner discounts from awesome companies like ROKA, Synergy, Never Second, Running Warehouse, Firefly, Cool Mitt, Torege, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and more, join the Triple Threat Life Club.
July Expert Chat- Everything You Need to Know About Sweat Testing
Another benefit of Club membership is access to our monthly expert chats. We’re excited to have one of Precision Fuel & Hydration “Sweat Scientists” Lexi Kelson join us to talk about sweat testing.
The chat will take place Tuesday, July 22nd at 6:00 pm EST. If you attend live, you will have the opportunity to ask your own questions. If you can’t make it, a replay will be available for paid subscribers.
