I'm a roadie: Part 2

I now own 2 pairs of white cycling socks and one pair of fingerless cycling gloves.

Don't worry. I still ride with a helmet that has a visor on it. I can't afford a fancy-pants roadie helmet. Those things are expeeeensive. ;)

Love,

Pete

I'm a roadie!!!;)

I usually get to a point in mountain biking season where I need a break.  I burn out pretty easily when I'm doing lots of long rides.  This year it has been easier because I've been mixing it up during the week.  I've been commuting on my road bike for a few months.  Nevertheless, I think I hit burnout on the mountain bike this weekend. 

 

I was so exhausted after Saturday's ride and movie night, that I cancelled the Sunday morning ride and slept in.  Dang that felt good.  I've been working and doing so much other stuff that I haven't had 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep in a long time.  It felt damn good. 

 

Yesterday I went out with Jason for a ride on the road bikes.  After bonking hard on the mountain bike ride on Saturday, I figured I'd be pretty toasted on Sunday.  Not so!  We did about a 50 mile loop at a very good pace.  Grumpy is definitely getting his endurance and strength back.  The pace was higher and we changed off on our pulls at the front pretty regularly.  It was nice to have someone to trade the draft with. 

 

I'm now contemplating building some new road wheels that would lighten up the bike a little.  I've got the old school, bombproof wheels on the bike now.  I'd drop a fair amount of weight just by getting off of straight gauge spokes and going from something designed in this century.  Eventually I'll get some fancy-pants wheels.  For right now I'm happy with just lightening up what I've got a little. 

 

Other upgrades will be a carbon fork so I can put a new bar and stem on the bike.  The ones I've got are definitely past their prime and probably not the safest things to be riding at the moment.  Wound-up has an awesome fork that rides well and holds up to carrying a klydesdale like me with no sweat.  They're a little pricey, but not too bad. 

 

I should probably think about upgrading my drivetrain sometime too.  My 16 year old rear derailleur is probably ready to be replaced.  Now I have to figure out what I want to change it with.  :D  Time will tell.

 

Pete

 

My new favorite bumper sticker...

Oy oy.

 

I'll go political for a moment...  I saw a bumper sticker on a pickup truck today that I liked.  The guy had a gun rack in the back window with a composite hunting bow hanging in it.  I don't know what that ads to the meaning of the bumper sticker, but I liked the aesthetic. 

 

"We're creating enemies faster than we can kill them."

 

 

EEnteresting. :)

 

Love,

 

Pete