Picking a fight on the Trek EX7 WSD

Well ladies and gents... I finally bit the bullet and purchased a new tri bike. I went with the Trek Equinox 7 WSD because of the 700cc wheels. I have taken it out once and am looking forward to a ride this afternoon.



It is a 47 cm and definitely doesn't fit on our bike rack. The cool thing is that with the front wheel removed I could slide it standing up into the backseat of a Dodge Neon. Now that is small. (Note the difference between my Trek and Patrick's road bike).



I absolutely love the bike but I am just as impressed with the fit that I had done. Being in the aero position helps and having a more aero frame probably helps a bit too but being in a comfortable yet aggressive position is awesome. My average speed increased by 3-4 mph and what is even cooler is that my quads weren't on fire. I am assuming that I am using my gluts more to extend my leg and that is saving my other muscle groups. Can't wait to see how I feel on my brick today.

Now, that all being said, apparently this bike makes me feel braver too. My husband went on that first ride with me to make sure everything was going well mechanically. We were less than a mile from our house on a fairly busy street near our neighborhood. It was about 8:00 pm and so traffic was minimal. I was ahead of Patrick tooling towards home and a big black SUV lays on its horn. They buzz by us and my husband gives them a few choice words. They hit their brakes for a second but then took off. About 25 ft later they had to stop at a red light. I shifted up (what was I thinking) and pulled up next to their window. It was of course two 16 or 17 year old boys in daddy's SUV and I said, "What is the matter?"

I don't think they were expecting one of the cyclists to be a girl because it took them a moment to say, "You were in our way."

Now really, my bike is about a foot wide at the handlebars and we were as close to the side of the street as we could be without riding through the gravel and sticks littering the road. Ironically, there is a bike lane just on the other side of the intersection, the paint just isn't extended.

My husband (a much larger person than I am) then pulled up beside me and the conversation quickly became less than mature. He told them that it would be nice if they would consider sharing the road with cyclists and the kids said they couldn't hear anything we were saying. Some explicit language was exchanged and we were on our way. What in the world was I thinking? What cyclist takes on a vehicle. Not the smartest thing I have ever done. In fact, usually I just ignore the ignorant drivers who intentionally or unintentionally disregard those of us with pedals.

You know, I really wish I would have challenged him to a bike race. Think how ridiculous he would have felt when a girl kicked his butt from here to Timbuktu on a bike. I can just see it now, quads burning and lungs gasping for oxygen. A beautiful sight.