So with the arrival of the 2015 models in shops, it seemed rude not to take advantage of the Ride 2 Work scheme at work. I’ve been feeling the disparity in weight between myself and my Madone 3.1C, and with the arrival of the Autumn, I felt it was a good idea to get something a bit better suited to the wet conditions.

On the evidence of the above I think I need to lower the saddle a bit and adjust the handlebars up and in slightly. The reach is noticeably longer than the Madone, and that’s the opposite of what an “Adventure Road” (Cross Bike as was last year, before they invented a new fancy term for them) should probably be. Stability not flat speed being the aim.

So I waited patiently until they arrived at Evans and then went for it, getting a lovely matte black Crossrip Elite 2015. In Aluminium, it is of course noticeably heavier than the Madone, and I’ve yet to tweak the riding position fully to my satisfaction, having only ridden on it so far for two commutes. So a full brain-dump of my impression will hopefully be forthcoming in due course. But it’s a lovely bike with some great attention to detail.

Aesthetics are great – black matched with blue detailing (anodisd hubs and seat clamp) which I matched up with blue Crank Brothers pedals (easy to clip in and out on London roads, I run them on the Madone too, just to offend roadie purists). Cables are routed internally through the down tube. Extra brake levers on the tops of the handle bars in addition to the brifters. For descending (how much aggressive descending I do remains to be seen, although I’ll take her out in Kent as soon as I’m able).

Clearances for mudguards and braze-ons for a panier rack should I ever wish for one are on the frame too, which adds to the flexibility. I’ll be the first to say she won’t see much off-road action, and is perhaps overkill for a commute bike. Here’s hoping I manage some winter distances. The standard 27km a day will bore her.