Friday, 6/15

I probably should've done it 15 or twenty years ago, but I suppose it's better now than never, right?

Those of you who've been reading these on a regular basis know all about the bike I've been riding for, well, forever. It's a 1991 Shogun mountain bike that's seen better days, but it gets me where I need to go and, most importantly, makes me work real hard to get there. It's an old bike with an old gear system, and I get twice the workout trying to keep up with anyone around me.

From a conditioning point of view, at least, that's a good thing.

Last year Loraine went and bought herself a new bike, with a high tech gear system and a light frame and all that good stuff. So when we've gone out riding together she's able to zoom off down the trail while I'm pedaling as hard as humanly possible just trying to keep up with her. However, because her bike's so good and light (and because she's a monster athlete) and the bike I'm riding is old and heavy I'll be 200 or 300 meters behind her before either of us even realize it. And that's no fun. So when we finished a ride this past Sunday (where she actually had to stop & wait for me) we decided it was time.

We rode home, walked over to Downwind Sports, and I then came home with this--

It's a Giant Talon 3 that weighs about a third of my old bike, with a high tech gear system and disc brakes. You don't have to strain to pedal, you can accelerate without raising your heart rate to dangerous levels, and you can stop on a dime. It's basically everything you should have in a mountain bike these days.

It's basically everything my old bike was not.

I have not yet gone out on a big ride with Loraine to see if I can now keep up with her. If I can, cool. If she still rides a little faster than me, that's cool, too. After all, like I said, she is a monster athlete. But either way I know that I will be getting a much more efficient and faster-paced workout, and I don't think she'll have to stop and wait for me. I'm guessing that's a good thing.

I don't know what I'm doing with my old bike yet. For now, I'm just keeping it at work, just in case, for whatever reason, I might need one. Like I mentioned yesterday I used it to head down to the beach on my half day Wednesday, so it does seem like it could come in handy on occasion. Besides, I 've had the bike since the early 90s. It's served me well (that one accident five years ago notwithstanding). It deserves a graceful retirement in one form or another.

I just don't know what that form will be yet.

So that's one of the things I have planned for the weekend, a long ride to see just how good the bike it. I have a feeling the difference between the two bikes with be startling, like going from a Model A to the space shuttle Atlantis.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Have yourself a great weekend, and if you can, have a great day with your dad Sunday!

(jim@wmqt.com)