My new bicycle

With the car in the shop getting the bumper painted, we've had fun with the rental car...read that as unlimited miles and buying regular unleaded. Se we've been heading to San Diego and points between to find new places to eat. Over the Memorial weekend, I stopped by a triathlon shop (Nytro) in Encinitas to drool. I've been in there before and it's mostly high end stuff that is out of my cycling budget. I tease myself by looking anyhow. Hanging from their inventory rafter, they had one in my size. Being height challenged, finding off the shelf bikes that fit is tough. I asked them to pull it down and let me drool closer up.

Long to short, I went down yesterday and picked it up. Kinda hard to see, it is a Kuota Kharma with Shimano Ultegra. I had the compact crankset swapped out for the traditional 52-39 Ultegra cranks. (Minor up-charge and now it is basically complete except for the Dura Ace rear derailleur they put on it.)
http://www.kuotanorthamerica.com/cat...erie.aspx?id=6

This is a pic just before going on the break-in ride south along HWY 101 towards San Diego. This is a coastal route that runs along the beaches.

Nice bike.
Looks like Santa Barbara.

Checked out some races there a few weeks back. It was pretty tense.

Nice ride now pedal that badboy south to the B street pier and ferry across to Coronado. While you are there stop in at Island Pasta for a refuel then go across Orange Ave to Mc P's pub and well you know, re-up your carbs with a black & tan. :thumbsup:

kuotas' are sweet bikes. I had a hard time finding a bike with the proper top tube length to fit my body. I finaly had to opt for a Cannondale System 6, The bike shop I frequent upgraded the bike with a Mavic R-SYS wheelset. Enjoy your bike and keep looking over your left shoulder!:thumbsup:
~Shawn

Very nice bike. Wow, those cranks look long. Is it because the frame is a small and they're really not as long as they look, or are you just a super powerful rider and wanted extra long crankarms?

Since I'm in New England I have to comment how beautiful it looks there. I was born in La Jolla, but that way back when it was just getting its own zip code and after only a few fantastic years of never needing shoes my family moved to Pittsburgh and I never returned, except to visit once.

Lots of fun mountain biking in the muck out here, though. Mud, roots, boulders, puddles, and this summer we're looking at thick swarms of extra large mosquitos. If you can keep riding then you won't get bitten so badly.

The cranks do look longish, but they are 170's. It was weird that at this "S" size, it came from the factory with 172's and those did feel long.

Bugs...ugh...I suck down enough that they probably see me as one of them. Who needs gels and lunch breaks...just open up and gulp....yuck. :green: