Yesterday was my first ride on my Gunnar Crosshairs outdoors of any consequence. It was only about 5 miles long on a fairly flat circuit, but I felt like I got enough info from that ride to post my feelings. The fit is from the legs and saddle are good, but the bars may need to be turned up a bit, as the ride in the drops is not flat. I also felt the hoods could come up a bit which might help my wrist angle and elbows from locking out. The WTB Rocket saddle was very comfy and should be great on long rides.
The ride itself was very slow, mostly because it was a long winter and I am completely out of shape, but I also felt the wheels were sluggish for some reason. I have 28mm gatorshins on for commuting which might account for that. Since they are the same wheels as were on my R3, except for t he tires, It must be the case.
The ultegra 11 speed shifted like a dream, and will make life on hill with the 11-32 / 50-36 combo a fat man's delight. The brakes stopped well in dry conditions, but I will report more when off road.
The bike itself felt extremely stable with no swaying or lateral give, which is good at my current weight. Although I only took one corner at speed, and it was my first one, the bike felt at bit slow on the response to the corner. We shall see on that one. That could also be the 28mm tires on lower pressure than I usually run.
As far as ride quality goes, it felt like an old friend come to visit. The was not chatter on the MANY bumps and road imperfections found this time of year, smooth as silk. This is an all day rider on the road, with maybe a tire adjustment of two. This should also be true on dirt roads and cyclo events later in the year - off road. I will report then about that...
First Thoughts....LOVE MY GUNNAR!
