October 2021 felt like a double win day—first, I joined RAW’s group ride along the Tai Pu River and walked away with my very first medal. But the real excitement hit after the ride, when I hopped back on my 4-year-old steel road bike and felt it: every pedal stroke felt cramped, the handlebars too close, and my knees brushed the top tube. At 170cm tall (I’d hit that growth spurt in 8th grade), that old bike—once my pride—was finally too small for me.
Then came the best news: I could get my first carbon fiber road bike. It was a German-made Storck Aerfast, and when I first lifted it, I almost laughed—it was so light. Weighed in at less than 7kg, a whole 2kg lighter than my clunky 9kg steel bike. On my first test ride, I felt the difference instantly: it glided over small bumps that used to jolt the steel frame, and when I pushed hard on the pedals, it picked up speed like it was eager to keep up. No more hunching to reach the bars, no more feeling like I was “fighting” the bike—this one fit me, like it was made for my body.
