Woo hoo!
Heading out to Pittsford this afternoon, I didn’t think I’d make it to the group ride, let alone through the group ride. My legs were sore and tired. Some of it was from doing 50 miles yesterday, some was from doing those 50 miles with the saddle not adjusted properly. It needs to go up and back some.
In its present position, I’m pushing less with my quads and more with my knees. I’m hesitant to move the saddle because I’m at the limits of them markings on the new seatpost and saddle. I’m thinking this means I should have gotten a “setback” seatpost. Although today I saw that ‘Tude, who has the same saddle that I bought, has hers back beyond the markings. So maybe it’s not such a big issue. Either way, I’ll get it straightened out at my fitting apppointment on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, I’m going to gloat temporarily. With today’s ride, I’m #1 among the Rochester Bicycling Club members who log their rides on BikeJournal.com.
First, only 11 of us log our miles there, second, the guy I just passed usually logs his miles in a batch every so often, and third, the guy presently in third hasn’t looged any rides this weekend, with is kinda strange. We’ve been neck-and-neck for weeks now.
Anyway, I’ll take it while I have it. I’d do the happy dance, but a nap is iminent.
Later…
I’ve added a 2006 mileage goal of 2,500 miles to my BikeJournal. I thought about it a little bit and it seems both challenging and achieveable, if somewhat arbitrarily chosen. I’ve been one of the few members there without a goal, mostly because I wasn’t sure of my ability to meet one. I’m still unsure of how the weather in November and December will impact my ability to ride, so I went a little light those months.
August’s goal of 500 mile is a stretch, but I almost made the same figure in July, so we’ll see. I knocked it down to 400 in September and October.
Maintenance
I washed the bike tonight to get Thursday’s rain grime and Saturday’s stone dust off it. While I had the rear wheel off, I found another broken spoke. Damn. That one must have broken during the ride yesterday or today. And yet a thrid one was really loose.
Just then, the custodian next door came out. He asked me about the old bike downstairs. The guys who got eveicted from apt. 11 left it. Once upon a time, it was a nice bike. Steel-framed Trek road bike, with Campy components and sew-up tires. It needs a lot of TLC. I’d told maintenance I’d take it, thinking it might be nice to have a project bike.
I’d since thought better of the idea. I don’t have the space mostly. So I gave it to the custodian guy next door. Then I thought, “Hey, you’ve got wheel rebuilding equipment, right?”
“I sure do,” he replied.
I gave him my wheel and a couple of hours later, he returned it. Two new spokes, re-tensioned the others and trued the wheel. “I repacked the bearing in the hub too.” he said. “They weren’t really good from the factory. Once it gets worked-in, it’ll be a lot quieter and spin better.”
Twenty bucks is all he charged me.
We talked bikes for a while. Turns out he has four over there. A black beater bike, a Raleigh city bike and Bianchi and Colnago racing bikes. “My racing bikes are all Campy components. I’m Italian,” he explained. “I gotta have Campy.”
I’m thinking a Bianchi with Campy components for the spring myself. I’ve narrowed it down to three models, priced from $1,400 to $2,300. We’ll see which one the guy at Full Moon Vista Bike & Sport thinks will be best for my riding style, preferences and goals.
Anyway, I may have a new occassional riding partner as well as a nearby bike mechanic.
New neighbors
New tenants moved-in to apt.11 this weekend. Two (cute) guys with BMX bikes. Not likely riding partners since their bikes aren’t very good for distance, and mine isn’t very good for stunts, but still, it’s nice to see more bikes locked up to the fire escape.
