MallyG
05-28-2006, 11:22 AM
I've just come back from a five-day ride in Italy - based in Riccione with some epic daily rides including some good climbs (Verucchio, San Leo & San Marino in one route!).
This time I took my Storck Scenario CD 1.0 (as reviewed in this months Cycle Plus btw).
It's an incredibly light carbon bike, but also very stiff. I have it fitted out with carbon 50/36 rings at the front and full campag record elsewhere. The wheelset is Zipp 303.
There's no doubt that this is a mean racing machine, extremely fast. It's swift in transmitting increased pedal power to speed on the flat.
On hills, the lightness of the bike and the 36 small ring took the severity out of most climbs (even a few 15% stretches).
However, I prefer the climbing position on my Legend with a slightly higher head tube (I find that climbing is as much about position and breathing as it is about weight of bike).
I'll be honest - I found descending pretty scary at times. The lightness of the bike, coupled with the deep rims of the Zipps meant that I often felt less secure going downhill on the Storck than I do on the Legend. The road surfaces in Italy can be a bit shabby and I felt every bump, which didn't help my confidence going down. However, by day 4 I was getting more used to it and realised that by gently steering with my backside the bike would pretty much go where I wanted.
The real difference was at the end of each day (and indeed at the end of the whole ride). My shoulders and upper arms were in so much pain. Whether that was from the stiffness of the bike, the more aggressive positioning or the narrower handlebars I don't know. But for a ride consisting of five long days in the saddle, I'd have to say the Legend was more comfortable.
I suppose I could start making changes to the Storck - shorter stem to bring the handlebars closer to the saddle, etc - but the bike shop would accuse me of compromising.
There's no doubt that the Storck is a great bike, but I'll probably use it for shorter faster rides and take my Serotta on the long tours.
This time I took my Storck Scenario CD 1.0 (as reviewed in this months Cycle Plus btw).
It's an incredibly light carbon bike, but also very stiff. I have it fitted out with carbon 50/36 rings at the front and full campag record elsewhere. The wheelset is Zipp 303.
There's no doubt that this is a mean racing machine, extremely fast. It's swift in transmitting increased pedal power to speed on the flat.
On hills, the lightness of the bike and the 36 small ring took the severity out of most climbs (even a few 15% stretches).
However, I prefer the climbing position on my Legend with a slightly higher head tube (I find that climbing is as much about position and breathing as it is about weight of bike).
I'll be honest - I found descending pretty scary at times. The lightness of the bike, coupled with the deep rims of the Zipps meant that I often felt less secure going downhill on the Storck than I do on the Legend. The road surfaces in Italy can be a bit shabby and I felt every bump, which didn't help my confidence going down. However, by day 4 I was getting more used to it and realised that by gently steering with my backside the bike would pretty much go where I wanted.
The real difference was at the end of each day (and indeed at the end of the whole ride). My shoulders and upper arms were in so much pain. Whether that was from the stiffness of the bike, the more aggressive positioning or the narrower handlebars I don't know. But for a ride consisting of five long days in the saddle, I'd have to say the Legend was more comfortable.
I suppose I could start making changes to the Storck - shorter stem to bring the handlebars closer to the saddle, etc - but the bike shop would accuse me of compromising.
There's no doubt that the Storck is a great bike, but I'll probably use it for shorter faster rides and take my Serotta on the long tours.