For months I've been looking around for a new bicycle. I bought my current bicycle (a Cannondale Synapse) back in 2018. According to my Strava Statistics I rode 31,226 kilometers with it over the years. It has been my true companion on the road for 8 years. But now it's time to say goodbye.

Growing maintenance costs

As you might know I'm riding my bicycle all year round. That means that it has to deal with all weather conditions. Especially the Dutch winters with a lot of rain, mud and road salt (when it freezes) take it's toll on the bicycle parts. I clean my bicycle frequently and can do some replacements myself (like gears and the chain), but recently my bicycle started to develop more issues. I had an issue with the front brake. I could still brake a bit, but I couldn't adjust it anymore. I also think some of the bearings could be replaced. And finally last week the cable leading to my rear derailler snapped.
Unfortunately these are replacements I'm not able to do myself. The new parts and labor costs would cost me at least a couple of hundred euro's.
With the purchase of a new bicycle in mind, I didn't want to spend this amount on my old bicycle anymore. So I had to speed up my process to look for a new one.

The Bicycle Shop

A friend recently recommended a bicycle shop nearby that is specialized in road bicycles, so I decided to pay them a visit yesterday. The shop owner indeed confirmed that repairing my old bicycle would be quite expensive. After discussing my wishes for a new bicycle he told me he might just have the right bicycle for me.
There were two things I wanted my new bicycle to have; electronic shifting and hydrolic disc brakes (instead of mechanical).
The bicycle he had; a Bianchi Oltre Race, has both. Since it's not the newest model, it was on sale. Despite it being on sale, the price was still high.
But I was really enthousiastic about the bicycle. The technique, the aerodynamic look and of course the typical celeste mat color Bianchi is famous for.
I took an option on the bicycle and headed back home to do some more research on the bicycle and the price.

The research

After arriving back home I started my reasearch and it didn't disappoint me. This bicycle had a lot of good reviews and could be a great successor for my old bicycle.
One of the cool things of living in The Netherlands is that many employers have regulations for financing bicycles. Employers do this to stimulate employees to get out of the car and come to work by bicycle. And so does my employer. Last year, my employer even raised amount because many people want to buy electric bicycles which can be very expensive.

The decision

Today I went back to the shop to make a test ride. I brought my pedals and shoes and tried out the bicycle. After the first few meters I was sold. What a great bicycle. The electronic shifing is really easy and fast and the hydrolic disc brakes give a lot more control over the bicycle.
After a few rounds around the block I drove back to the bicycle shop and bought the bicycle.

My first real ride

Unfortunately it has been raining the rest of the day, so I had to wait before I could go for my first real ride. So I decided to the parts from my old bike, such as my water bottle cage, mount for my navigation device and my repair kit.
My bicycle is ready for it's first ride, which I hope will be tomorrow.

I will surely keep you updated!

For the nerds, here are the specs:
Bianchi Oltre Race
Full carbon frame
Shimano 105 Di2 12-speed groupset (electronic shifting)
Front: 50-34
Rear: 11-34
Hydrolic Disc brakes

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these images. Feel free to share your perspective in the comments.

Friendlymoose