A long winter of illness, injury and no racebike (I.) The thing with the bike.

After a crack emerging in the downtube of my Tarmac SL-4 and handing it to Sigma, who handed it to Specialized UK, I waited for 6 weeks to get the same frame back. I was told that the frame was structurally sound and the crack only a cosmetic scratch in the paint. I was promised this diagnosis in writing, together with a guarantee that it was safe for riding, even on 75km/h descents. I was happy to have my frame back and buggered off. Meanwhile I had acquired a power2max powermeter and was eager to test where my form was. After two months on my 12kg and 23 years old commuter steel bike my confidence was shredded but my hope was high that being back on the Tarmac I would fly up the hills of Surrey. I wasn't too wrong with that, but soon I got sick with chest problems again, muscular pain syndrome and a cold or two. The bike though still had the problems on the descent and riding freehanded on the straight was almost impossible. Something was definitely not right, there. A chat with Rusty, our London Dynamo race secretary was followed by conversations in the background and our ever so kind and supportive Dynamo President Paul made a phonecall or two to Specialized and three days later a had a completely new frame and fully built with all my kit. Wow! The first ride on the replacement frame, the first minute actually, confirmed what I always knew, my previous frame was damaged, because this new frame filled me with this same awe inspiring feeling of "Jeez, whawhawhaats thaaat?" amazement as when I rode my old Tarmac for the first time. You go out of the saddle and the power generated by your legs is being translated so effectively into forward acceleration that you almost get frightened that your bike wants to throw you off and move on without you...Thank you so much Paul and Rusty and Alex at Specialized UK.