Last-minute advice for Chaparral newbie? (Page 2)

I commute on the bike 4 days a week usually, but because in the morning I only go from the Southland dog walk area (16.5km) it's not so bad.  Seems that you always have a head wind coming home which just becomes exhausting after a while.

I know what you mean by them tearing up the path, its been a gong show this year with all the road work the city has been doing.  I curse the city each time a new detour sign comes up.  I've had to change my route a few times now just to get out of town.  No way will I take 9th ave out of downtown I did that once and won't ever again.  Since the Edmonton Trail closure I've been crossing the river and taking the path out along side Memorial and coming back over on the 12th Street bridge.  I always avoid going through the weir area and take 8th Avenue and then hook onto 9th ave (couple days ago they ripped up the sidewalk here so now I have to walk my bike over that...it never ends) to the bird sancutary where I'm back onto the pathway system.  After I go through Carburn park I hang a left into Riverbend and onto 18th Street which now extends through into Douglasdale.  I cross Deerfoort at 24th Street and take that road which I think is Douglasdale Blvd to McKenzie Lake Blvd which leads right to Cranston.  27.5 clicks.  My best time has been 51:15.

Yes, the new bike will be for racing and some training only.  I wouldn't mind a new cyclecross bike just so I can go through that gravel area by lafarge and shave a kilometer off my commute, but it's not too bad avoiding that.