Just received my Sofrider late last week. I am approaching my mid-sixties and never had a reputation for exceptional athleticism. I am transitioning from a Raleigh hybrid. My first moments were scary, and I admittedly thought that I had made a costly mistake. I spent the next 15 minutes or so in the alley maneuvering slowly. I felt too shaky to tackle even lightly used roads so I transported the bike to a bike path and road about 3 miles...things improved dramatically. Day 2 I tackled the same hard surfaced bike path for about 10 miles...the first 1/2 against a 20 mph headwind gusting to 36. I routinely avoided winds like this on my hybrid. I live in S. Dakota so there isn't much in the way of protection from the prairie winds. It went extremely well. I no longer have problems with numbness in my hands. I was able to maintain a higher speed against the wind than I ever could achieve without considerably more effort on the hybrid. The last two rides were through town and included 11-12 miles on bike paths (hard surfaced and groomed gravel).
I am improving significantly. I still feel a tendancy to yaw when at speed and pedalling hard. For the time being, I am keeping my speed to a minimum. The three issues where I see the greatest difference are: lack of hand numbness, ability to deal with headwind, and comfort. I have done only little climbing but that has gone well thus far. I do avoid having to start uphill; otherwise, I am a happy customer.
Dave in South Dakota
I am improving significantly. I still feel a tendancy to yaw when at speed and pedalling hard. For the time being, I am keeping my speed to a minimum. The three issues where I see the greatest difference are: lack of hand numbness, ability to deal with headwind, and comfort. I have done only little climbing but that has gone well thus far. I do avoid having to start uphill; otherwise, I am a happy customer.
Dave in South Dakota
