Giro is finally off for a respray so the pampered Cotic has come out as the everyday commuter. Given he's usually spotted halfway up a wooded singletrack you can be sure this pounding the streets thing would be well within his capabilities, but for me the difference is marked.

The weight difference might be marginal, but the hum from the tyres gives away the added rolling resistance, and I run out of gears a full 7 or 8 miles per hour early. Cruising on the flat is 4 or 5 miles per hour more difficult, and my average speed has tailed off dramatically. All in all I can't wait for Giro to be returned safe and sound, fit his new carbon fork, and retake the easy path to work.

Mind you, after the resistance training on the Cotic I'd fully expect my average speed to have improved to at least a squillion miles per hour on the road bike.

As for the Cotic. Most definitely a mountain bike.

anth