Thinking about taking this in a new direction.

This started out as me talking about me for me but that's not really advancing the cause of the Tween Spaces. There are things going on and people riding around that are interesting. I want to talk to them, get their stories. I want to let people know about what's going on in these parts. There is a guy who rides a department store cruiser every day all year. It looks like he hasn't lost a pound. I want to talk to him. There is a high-end bike products company in town. I want to talk to them. There is amazingly talented and interesting mechanic in town, I want to talk to him (officially). There was a 50-something year old guy on the bike path with his commando-commuter MTB on the bike path and that made no sense to me. I want to know why. More importantly, I want others to know about these things, these places and these people. Now, how do I do this? I'm shy. I'm untrained. Any thoughts? Any advice?

Velo Frustrato Revisito!

Wow. And I thought that I was frustrated then! Lets sum up my Biking so far this year.

First, I put the DB up on the stand to swap out the toasted back-d and put on some spikey tires. Done and done and stopped. I never got tot he phase where I installed the new chain. It just sat there until two days ago when I need the stand for something else. So I took it off an propped it up in the corner of the basement, spikey tires, no chain and all.  And that is where I stand on that, no pun intended.

Heck, I have done so amazingly little riding this year that I haven't even bothered with this blog! I have lumped in my riding posts in my general Outdoorsy blog that you can see here. It's a funny thing though, after just one really nice ride with the kids, I kind of "have the bug" again. I really like riding. My list of resolutions has dwindled to just one: ride more.

Velo Frustrato!

Oh look! I just made up a Harry Potter spell! Magical. What is NOT magical is the frustration that I feel when it comes to my cycling endeavors. No, 2011 is not off to a roaring start.

First, there is the whole winter weather and holiday season thing. Last year I had no trouble suiting up and heading out to battle the elements on the old Diamondback. This year? Not so much. I feel slightly silly and pretentious. Like I think that I am more hardy than my fellow New Englanders. I know that's not true because every time I go into The City it seems as if every one in Boston who OWNS a bike is still riding it. It could also have something to do with the fact that that trusty old Diamondback has never worked right after riding it in the crud last winter. Which brings me to point number tow.

I am a sucky wrench. I just don't seem to have the skills or the patients to develop them. Or the tools. Tools are an important part of the equation. I have an old English Three Speed and while every one on the Internet will tell you that they are "the answer", this bike is an answer to a question that I never asked. I have been tinkering with this thing for what: two years now? It STILL isn't right. Not only does it not function correctly, it will not work well for me, in my environment. Sitting bolt upright on a three speed bike isn't cutting it for me. There are simply too many hills that are too big for me to conquer on this bike (or any other for that matter) in my fitness shape, right now. So why do I bother? I do not honestly know. Every one makes such a big deal out of these things that I feel a need to follow along with the crowd and, if not actually ride one, to at least have one. I don't know what to DO with it though. Do I tear it apart and keep tinkering with it in the vain hope that I will "figure it out" and get it working right? OR, do I ship it off to be fixed up by a pro. It's more money and less knowledge. It would also be quicker and safer and I could use that bike as a winter beater if I DID want to venture out to run an errand or something. "I plan on doing a tweed ride next year". And a century. Not on the three speed of course!

And, sadly, the century IS more likely than the Tweed ride. Although I am not in any kind of shape at all for such a ride, my riding preference clearly leans toward the "fitness" end of the spectrum. I just can't seem to get motivated to cruise around town and see the sights or run to the store. Tell me I have to meet a new mile or time goal and I'm all over it. By the end of the summer not only do I hope to be able to do regular 40-50 mile weekend rides but I want to be able to do the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs. Less if I can train hard.

So, what are my resolutions?

1. Train. Burn calories and fat. Ride The Basement.
2. MTB. I like it. Its fun. There are way to many variables involved in doing it. It's too hard for me to measure "progress" on a daily basis but over time? Perhaps a race?
3. Road bike. Make the time and get out there. I bought myself a nice used Trek 1500 and it works like new. No tinkering, no excuses. Road riding IS something I can quantify quite easily. I want to do this at least three times a week once spring comes again.
4. Commute? Twenty miles each way. I might be awake and active for the whole 24 hours previous. This might be stretching the goals a little bit but it's out there.
5. Cross! This is "The Goal". The reason d'etre for all this other stuff is that I WANT TO CROSS next fall! I need to cross!
   

The Hajj

I made the pilgrimage to The City today. My destination was, of course, Harris Cyclery, the forever spiritual home of the Great Sheldon Brown, may Alla bless his name. Even though this shop is "conveniently located" right off the Mass Pike, I had to drop off some one in Camberville and so decided to take the overland route which just happened to pass right through the Broadway Bicycle School.

First, I want to note a few things that I saw about The City. There were a ton of bikes everywhere. There were tons of bike lanes everywhere. There were also TONS of cars and stoplights everywhere! That, and the fact that there were no real "hills" to speak of made me think that it would be nuts to get around and way BUT bike if I lived in The City. Of course I don't. And that sucks. I think that I would like living in the the City much, much more that I like visiting it, or, more to the point, driving into it! Blech!

Secondly, BBS is fricken tiny! I thought that it would be so much.....more. Initially, I strode boldly into the "shop" only to realize instantly that in this case "Shop" really meant shop and not "store"! The floors were wooden and well worn. The walls were lined with tools and the place was full of cold but happy cyclists and workers, who were much less cold but still appeared to be quite happy. It was cozy. There were very, very few things for sale there, other than a big rack of bikes that I assumed to be refurbished whips. I spoke briefly with a nice man with a beard, smiled inside myself, took a schedule of up-coming repair classes that I will doubtfully attend and left. The overall feeling of the place, to me, was a combination of my grandfather's garage and a ski lodge.

Then, it was off to the "big event": Harris! I drove over filled with a sense of anticipation that seemed appropriate for this season. Had I been on a bicycle I might have made it on time. Sadly, the shop was closed. Even though all I could do was press my nose against the glass and drool a little, I can see why this place is Mecca for cyclist with an "old school" bent to them. Lugged this, Italian that and all kinds of folding something elses. What a place! My father, who rode a Bianchi and always lusted after a folding bike (a more ridiculous and dorky thing I could never imagine in my teen-aged mind) would have locked himself inside before he would have allowed himself to be locked outside of that place! I can't wait to get back there! Simply amazing place AND they have stuff for sale!

Oh my! The new Trek!

Is a bike. Sadly. No more no less. It was not a rocket ship. It didn't let ,me go any faster or any farther. It handles nicer than the Marathon but not as sharp as the PRN-10. There are a LOT of gears, most of which I don't need and some of which are suprizingly far apart from each other. Despite the fact that I "went down" to a 58, I found the reach to the bars to be just a smidge too long. I moved the seat a little forward and hope that does the trick. I only did 5 miles or so. I like the 1500 better than the vintage bikes but not that much better. I guess I just expected so much....more. I'll keep riding it in fair weather. Perhaps as I pile on more miles I'll come to appreciate it more. Right now though it's just alright.

edit: I was reflecting today. Rainy days are good reflecting days. The bike, other than felling a tad too big for me, felt like nothing else at all. This was my first aluminum road bike, and pretty much my first aluminum bike at all. It is certainly my first bike with 23c tires that take 120PSI. I expected a rough, stiff ride. I did not get it. In fact, the way that the bike road or "felt" played no part, either positive or negative, in my cycling experience at all. And that's good. I'll say it agiane; nice bike.

I got a New (to me) bike!

But can't ride it. I just haven't had the chance. Heck, I don't even have any pictures of it! It is a 2005 Trek 1500. I only test rode it up and down the street in front of the seler's house but I can already tell that it is an experience worlds away from the Vintage Steel that I have been riding. I can't wait to get some miles on it before the snow and ice come. There is NO room on this bike for fenders or wide tires. Racey. Fast. Nice.

Cyclocross

I went with friends and family to witness my first Cyclocross today. I had heard a lot of hype about what to expect and I was thinking that it would be much more of a circus than it was. I was expecting it to be muddier than it was. I was expecting there to be more running than there was. I was expecting a lot more of....every thing than there was! What it did have were a lot of racers! There were more people on bikes there than I ever did see in one l place at one time. They were all going to be riding at one point of the day or the other. I think my small band were some of the few pure spectators there. I kind of felt out of place. I was there to support a small LBS owner who had given me a special bolt to fit an old bike. He did pretty well. He was racing Cat-4 and 45+ Masters. WOW! Were these guys fast! I was impressed. I am certainly in no shape ,yet, to even think about a cross race. There is racing right now and the Cat-1s go off in an hour or so. We had to come home because the babies were getting cold and tired. I was thinking about going back to watch the fast guys but I'm thinking that I'll just go for a ride so next year I can move from Cat-6 to Cat-4!

Oh, and PS two things:

1. Those guys are FAST! The cat-4 guys, the over 45 guys, the over 55 guys even the kiddos are FAST!
   
2. I didn't see a single Crosscheck in the pack. FWIW.