This summer, my bike seemed to suffer more mechanical issues than ever before. The cranks stripped out...in the middle of a ride. I'm sure TruVativ makes good products, most likely it was carelessness on a tune-up. So after having to call my girlfriend to come and get me, I invested in the trusty Shimano Ultegra numbers. After a trip to the LBS to get them installed (I can be a neanderthal with tools sometimes), I'm happy to say that these are "tons" better than the TV "Rolleur" model that they replaced. They're a ton stiffer, a bit lighter (I'm too fat for that to matter as much as the stiffness), and a bunch sexier looking. I'm also much happier with the BB and how much more easily they spin. Again, the TV's BB was just not as nice, but still perfectly adequate for the 4000-5000 miles they saw. That, in conjunction with the ultegra wheel set, an upgrade from the Giant's stock Xero set, made a big difference in the quality of the ride. The hoops were a lot lighter, stiffer (again I'm a big guy so I like sturdy stuff), and smoother rolling than the Xero models they replaced. I love them. I'll ride all of this through the winter, at which time it will get donated to my girlfriend as a starter bike. I just got my new trainer (Kurt Kinetic), so I'll review that as soon as I get enough time in on it. In the meantime, my goal for the winter is to pedal enough of my a$$ off to make purchasing a new Giant Defy Advanced a legitimate purchase. If I'm ever that 300lb guy jammed into sausage casing (I mean spandex)riding a 5k+ bike, someone do me a favor and put me out of my misery.
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