Happiness is a new bike

Last week I bought a Cannondale Synapse from Infinity Cycles of Durham. As I was leaving the shop, the sales guy took a photo to post on their Facebook page. Looks like they do this with all of their customers when they pick up new bikes. It's probably a good idea for building customer loyalty and makes a talking point when the phones come out back at work. I didn't know I'd been posted until a colleague asked me about my new bike; he follows Infinity and had spotted the photo.

I should look happier - the bike is exactly what I wanted. Over the winter I've been thinking about a new road bike and had come up with a desirable spec.

Carbon frame - obviously - set up for comfort on long day rides
Shimano Ultegra group set
Shimano disc brakes and wide rims for running 28mm tyres
Good on-line reviews
Preferably a local supplier and a good financial deal

I'd narrowed my preference to 3 or 4 bikes but wanted to see something which would grab my attention. The Cannondale Synapse was probably my favourite but this year's colours are an eye-popping neon yellow and what appeared on the website to be a fairly uninspiring plain black. I'd gone into Infinity hoping to see a couple of other bikes when the Cannondale caught my eye. The plain black frame and tyres, offset by a clean white top tube and decals, gives the bike a cool, uncluttered look. I fell for it immediately but wasn't sure about making the deal. Do I have too many bikes? Could I justify owning another one? I resisted the sale but took a photo of the bike to think about later.

With this image on my phone there was no way I could possibly resist; the whole point of temptation is to enjoy the delicious anticipation of giving in to base desires. The next morning I rang Infinity, discussed deals and the bike was mine. Sunday morning saw me out on a club challenge ride, resplendent on the new bike. It rides really comfortably, better even than my titanium tourer. The carbon frame and 28mm tyres dampen down the road buzz and the disc brakes allow for very confident and positive handling on turns and descents. Sitting in Fletcher's cafe, soaking up the post-ride coffee and bacon sandwich I was a very happy man. This Cannondale is going to keep me smiling all summer.

Cannondale Quick: a carbon commuter

Cannondale Quick

Last September I swapped my commuting bike for a beautiful new Cannondale Quick carbon hybrid.

For the last three years I'd been riding a 15kg steel-framed Thorn touring bike with Rholoff hub gears. The bike was solid and reliable, ideal for commuting but not very exciting. I wanted something lighter, faster and more fun to ride. Matters came to a head when a friend rode away from me on the commute home and texted to ask why I hadn't been on his wheel when he looked around. The only possible response was that my bike was too heavy; the alternative explanation, that he's a stronger and fitter rider than me couldn't be contemplated. Anyway, at that point I started looking around for a new bike.

I wanted a light-weight hybrid with carbon frame, disc brakes and mounts for rack and mudguards. Once I'd set those parameters it was very easy to choose the bike. My local bike shop, Westbrook Cycles in Stokesley, showed me a Cannondale Quick hybrid and offered to get hold of a better specced version with Shimano 105 compact groupset, 12-28 cassette and hydraulic disc brakes. Within a couple of days I was the happy owner of a brand new lime green and black bike. As it only cost about £100 more than I got for my Thorn tourer it was an almost free upgrade,

I rode the Cannondale to work the same afternoon and decided it needed some adjustments to the set-up. The handlebars were very wide but a few minutes with a hacksaw shortened them by 2cm on both sides. The medium frame felt a little cramped compared to my road bike but this was easily corrected by fitting a longer stem. Over the winter I've replaced the original 25mm tyres with Michelin Endurance 28mm and feel more confident riding on wet, muddy roads.

The Cannondale makes my regular 40 km commute so much quicker and more fun than the Thorn. I've used it on steady club rides when the weather's bad and enjoyed the stability and confidence of running disc brakes and 28mm tyres. My next road bike will have the same set up. I'm even hoping to take it touring at some point over the next couple of years. I really like this bike.