An unexpected twist on the bike upgrade. As I went in for my fitting on Thursday evening, the owner of the bike shop proposed an alternative model. A 2008 Specialized S-Works Roubaix SL dressed with the SRAM Red group. SRAM Red is a top of the line groupset that comes in under 2,000 grams. The whole bike weighs 15 pounds without pedals. Amazing.

The S-Works factory builds the best-of-the-best bikes and the Roubaix SL is definitely way out of my price range. However, the 2008 model was the owner’s bike. He used it last season but did not log much in the way of miles on the frame. It looks new. And he was willing to offer the bike to me for a few hundred more than the Roubaix Expert.

An absolute no brainer.

I will fit the bike this afternoon and bring it home just in time for some spinning this evening. Still indoors for a couple of months yet.

And the bike is red. I like red bikes.