Introducing my new Cervelo P3

My first time in the saddle of a triathlon bike, in the summer of 2007, was an embarrassment. I was unable to clip into the pedals, even with the professional assistance Mark Cote (who was well on his way to being an industry-leading aerodynamicist at the time) at my side. I'm not sure whether or not Mark remembers that afternoon, but I was a mess. I rode my new bike, Mark's rebuilt Guru with a custom flamed paint job, through Wells and Kennebunk using plastic platform pedals and sneakers for 20 or so miles. Too nervous to use the aerobars, I sat up the entire way and fumbled my way through the gears. Looking back now, it's amazing that I even kept the thing upright the entire way. 

My cycling abilities have come a long way since that first ride. That bike has taken me to some amazing places. For four and a half years, I have spent more hours than I care to count riding. To date, every triathlon experience I've had connects back to that bike: my first race, my first win, my first major crash (it still amazes me that it went down at 35mph and came away with just two minor scratches while I lost about 20% of my skin). Though the bike has tremendous sentimental value and represents so many accomplishments, I've known for a few years now that it's lifespan as a race bike was fading. When I learned of Cervelo's "Share the Ride" limited-time offering, one that essentially offered $2000 off a pair of bikes, I figured I couldn't afford not to look around. As luck would have it, my dad was also in the market for a new bike. My focus up until this December had been on the new Shiv, the one built by Mark and his team at Specialized. To be honest, I was set on placing an order this winter. But $1000 off a P3 which had already been reduced by a few hundred dollars was a deal I had to explore. 

Once Eileen and I had finalized the purchase of our new home and moved in, I got down to business on the bike front. Aware that the Cervelo deal was expiring at the end of January and supplies were dwindling, I cast my social media net in the direction of Fit Werx 2 in Peabody, MA. Marty was extraordinarily helpful and went out of his way to accommodate our every need. In just hours (and a few tweets, emails, and phone calls) a fitting appointment was squeezed in and the bikes were placed on hold. Exciting stuff. 

My dad and I ventured out on a snowy Saturday for the fittings. Dean, Marty, and Geoff were amazing to work with. I'm sure the conditions of the Cervelo deal were stressful for shops, but you wouldn't have known it working with these guys. The fitting was incredible and the guys absolutely went out of their way to set us up with everything we needed. Dean even took a solid 45 minutes just to sit and talk with me about bikes and racing. The entire experience was exceptional. 

A week later the bikes had been built up and were ready for pickup. Again, the shop went out of it's way to accommodate us as we made the return trip to Peabody. Based on the original trip it should have come as no surprise that we were treated to top-notch service during the delivery of the bikes - The first time the snow had left the shop rather deserted, but this time we arrived in the middle of a very busy Saturday morning. Still, I felt as though I was the only customer in the store the entire time. Dean got us set up and made a few last-minute changes to my new ride as I contemplated a number of upgrades (I ended up with upgraded Rotor cranks for free and a new Cobb saddle at an deep discount - thanks, Dean!). The whole process, from the first inquiry via tweet to delivery, was extraordinary. An hour later we were back on the road, new bikes tucked securely in the back of the cars. I might as well have been driving a newborn baby home for the first time. I was nervous, cautious, and went out of my away to avoid any sort of turn, twist, or bump in the road.

The excitement of my first ride, though, was postponed when I got home and found that my Kurt Kinetic trainer needed a smaller part to fit the bike. I owe a HUGE thank you to the people at Kinetic for providing and shipping the part at no cost to me. (I also owe Marty a thanks for offering to do the same!) Again, phenomenal customer service. Once the part arrived, I put the bike to work immediately. In my first ride I managed to bring myself to the point of dry-heaving. There'll be much more of that over the next few years, I'm sure. It was the perfect way to introduce myself to the bike.

Once again, thank you to Marty, Dean, Geoff and everyone else at Fit Werx 2. You guys are incredible and I couldn't be happier with the fit or the bike. If you're looking to get a professional fit, buy a bike, or just need to pick up a part, get in touch with Fit Werx. The customer service these guys provide is phenomenal. 

The first (and to date, the only) picture of my new ride. 

More (and better) pictures to come in the next few weeks.

Details

Frame - Cervelo P3 (2012)

Cranks - Rotor 3D TT (53/39)

Components - Ultegra

Aerobars - Vision TRIMAX Team

Pedals/Cleats - Look KEO 2 Max

Shoes - Sidi T2

Saddle - Cobb V-Flow