Anyone who has ever taken up a new sport or hobby has almost certainly suffered from it. Equipment envy is a weird mix of jealousy, intrigue, consumerism and, I think, a natural desire to have the best possible equipment to help you succeed in whatever sport/hobby you are pursuing.

OK it is at least 50% pointless, but it’s also part of the fun and yesterday I spent hours learning about various bike parts, upgrades, customzations and accessories.

It was clear from my first journey on Saturday that my new bike was good but not good enough for one month of almost continuous cycling. This is why:

The seat is a little bit too far forward meaning I either have to hang my arse off the back of the seat or sit forward in a less-than-perfect cycling position.

I don’t like the black seat post (superficial I know, but I have to maintain my cool).

The width of the handlebars (drop bars) is a little bit too narrow. It feels crampt and there is no room for ‘stuff’ like maps, mirrors, mobile phones etc

I don’t like the ‘drop’ (racing style) handlebars.

…and finally, I’m not a big fan of the front brakes.

Basically I need to upgrade the drivers seat and the dashboard and as I learnt yesterday, there are five million ways to do this. The question is: which way?

The dashboard problem is almost certainly a result of the fact that I’ve never ridden a road or racing bike. I grew up in a village and spent my whole childhood riding over bumps and jumping/falling off things. I like bouncing over holes and pavements and riding offroad and preferably downhill. Aging 30+ years has apparently done very little to change this, and so, road bikes have always looked uncomfortable and boring.

My roadbike needs to be a little bit ‘more mountain’ – starting with a new seat post.

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