A good way to ride

I overtrained a bit for the Tour de Cure, so I took a little time off the bike. Between the overtraining and my current work schedule, I was only getting out once a week.

Another thing I've done is spend more time on my Specialized Sirrus. I love this bike. It's perfect for bike path and rail trail adventures where stability and comfort are more important than speed.

This bike just eats up the bike path. I'm only about a mile an hour slower on it than I am on my Allez, which one can't really open up on the path.

I am a firm believer in buying a bike with a specific purpose in mind. The Allez is for road riding, the Sirrus is for path and rail trail use. The Allez was fine on the bike path when it was the only bike I had, but I've retired it to road use. The Sirrus is great for what I do, and it will work as a commuter. It remains to be seen whether it will make sense at some point to buy a commuter-specific bike.

A few words about the Sirrus. If you are in the market for one, go with the base model or maybe one step up to the sport. It's an excellent bike, and quite frankly it shifts a heck of a lot better than my Allez with Shimano STI shifters. The frame is the thing, and it's plenty sturdy with tires that are just fine for bike path use. I have a rack on the back of it and it will work just fine as a grocery getter too. And, perhaps most significantly, while I would be upset if it got stollen while I'm in Price Chopper, I would get over it. I'd be pretty upset if my Allez got ripped off considering the upgrades I've done and plan to do.

Anyway, the bike path is a good way to ride. If you are a roadie, don't forget the joys of an early morning bike path ride dodging runners and dog walkers.