A Year and One Elephant later.....

My Elephant is officially not the smallest in the herd. This honor now belongs to Maddie, I knew if I waited long enough I would be surpassed.

One year ago today I posted about how owning a custom bike made by Glen would be rad. A bit of bike magic happened, and the bike fairy came for a visit. I thought it time to weigh in and do my own post about my Elephant cross bike. You have all been introduced to this bike via a post John did back in Nov when it was rolled into the world, out of Glen's shop and into its first cross race.




John covered the radness of this Elephant with flashy centerfold type pics and gave it a ton of props....Now for the rest of the story.



I have never, ever, in my entire bike existence ever ridden a bike that fits as well as my new Elephant. The first ride was the last race of the cross series in Cd'A what a ride. I exerted very little effort and that bike moved, and moved me right into 3rd place. I was riding with those fast girls...I was a fast girl for just a moment.
Its really quite amazing what a difference material makes and what a few tweaks to the geometry will do to one's riding. First and foremost its steel, I mean how can you beat steel?! It has a bit lower bottom bracket, a fraction more standover, a resized triangle allowing me to actually sorta shoulder my bike on the run ups and overall just more control. There is of course also the coolness factor, and now I am cool I have an Elephant! I love this bike, I mean love it, small and brown, like me (my bike's name) lives inside protected from the scary garage and the elements. No bike mingling yet, not till its older....

My old cross bike, the Novara Pulse did me very well for nearly 2 seasons of racing but what a tank! It was a great bike to figure out if cross racing is what I wanted to do, and I put it through its paces, wore out the drive train, and it still performed. It was well worth the money! And one of the few bikes that I could find that fit, which is how Glen got involved in all of this.

I am looking forward to better riding weather, although I was able to get out on the Elephant some in December for some longer rides. My homework also was to ride enough to make sure my WSD Bontrager saddle was up to snuff to keep. The guys at 2 Wheel Transit hooked me up with a great saddle. Saddles like my former bikes have always been whatever comes on the bike or whatever is on sale. 2 Wheel has a very scientific fickle foam pad that you sit on that takes impressions of your sit bones which in turn helps them pick a saddle from the Bontrager line that is best suited for your butt. So far, so good, and it can go through the car wash when rinsing after cross racing and come out looking new.

I am uber happy with the whole setup.

My number one fan Barney and I are looking quite forward to next cross season.