GREAT WEATHER IN PITTSBURGH!?!

  The big game is over and the Black and Gold came home with the trophy. Now that the excitment is out of the air, the weather in steeltown has taken a turn for the worse. (Think horizontal snow, icy roads, and single digit wind chills) But in the prior week we had a couple of days in the mid 40s and I used this time to try out my new FP 60's. And I'll admit it. I was pumped. Really pumped. More so than for any bowl game that is super. Blasphemy? No, just reality.
 For in the techno-nerd world of cycling we often admire the moisture-whisking lycra shorts more than the fit body part that it covers. We live for speed, a flawless gear shift, and deep muscle burns raging away in the marrows of our quadriceps. Less weight equals freedom. Fast is sexy. And deep-rimmed carbon race wheels are like a young Pam Anderson in a skintight leather jumpsuit.
 When my flashpoints arrived at my doorstep I tore into the box like a ten year old opening presents on Christmas morning.  And these wheels are a pair of beauts. The aluminum rims trim the carbon like chrome on a 1955 cadillac. Image wise they are beyond compare. But I do have two tiny nitpicks.
As before mentioned by another blogger, the hole for the tube valve is poorly drilled. Sure it's straight and of the proper size, but it filled with carbon shavings. As this is my first set of carbon race wheels, I do not know if this is a common problem. I do know that it makes pushing the valve through the hole a bit agitating.
My second problem is not with the wheel at all, but with the supplied valve extenders. I just didn't trust them. Do what I did and grab some tubes with 80mm stems. It just makes life easier.
Now onto the road test. This gave me a BIG smile.
In western PA hills are the name of the game. So there are lots of ups and downs. The key is to find a long ride that won't murder your heart and legs in the first 30 minutes of riding. Luckily there is a park near my house with a rolling 5 mile path. With a long downhill, some steep inclines and one sharp bend, it's the perfect place to spin a new wheelset.
And four laps later that is what immediately caught my attention. The hubs on these wheels just want to spin. Compared to my training wheels these babies roll forever. It felt like I could coast a mile. A truly superior performance compared to the wheelsets that came stock on my two bikes.
The day itself, while warm for February, was quite windy--gusts around 25mph. I was riding the FPs on my triathlon bike (a P2k) and noticed absolutely ZERO problems with handling. In fact they handled no differently than my conventional non-aero wheels. I weigh 160 pounds and am a less than stellar bike handler.
So onto the big question: Are the FP 60's fast?
Yes. Absolutely. But the issue of how fast may not be truly settled until the weather warms up another 20 degrees compared to the day that I rode. For my test run took place with me garbed in some warm, but decidedly un-aero clothing. I also haven't been on my tri bike since October. Despite that, over 20 miles, I was within ten seconds of my fastest time ever for that course. Nuff said.
Peace out. Next post: The feel of the road