why i prefer one speeds

after two years on the road, the front derailleur has been rendered nearly worthless. downshifts involved a nudging tap from my right foot in order to see the damned thing move. upshifts performed better but effort was required. these variable speed bikes require more attention than i'm willing to give. the CtC prep has begun but i'm still not certain if this bike will see action or not...

options

options
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

crush the commonwealth aproaches
the commute gives me time
to think
to ponder
to second guess
just a week away now
better finalize my thoughts
prep the gear
prep the bike
and go

opened

somedays the rain is enjoyable

somedays the rain is enjoyable
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

pitter patter on the jacket
droplets dripping off the cap
tires hissing and throwing water
direct drive thru the precipitation

a pair of chariots

a thursday afternoon

a thursday afternoon
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

back pressure on the pedals
bottom half of the chain is taunt
top half merrily dances along
didnt realize it was so loose
it may be an illusion though
i beleive my spokes are still straight
and my stays are unbent too
trickery of the camera i say

two years old

the birthday girl tearing it up
.

cliché

there's just something about the fixed gear
you pedal to go
not much more complicated than that
but it draws you in

muscle and fight with all you've got going up
on the rivet floating smooth going down
in between it's cruising modulating quiet

i've forgotten how good it can be
to cruise the countryside
while always pedaling
today was an excellent reminder

multiple gears have been in the stable for a while now
but thinking of regressing back
to my days of
one bike
one gear

just going
just enjoying
just pedaling
.

fixed on the mountain

fixed on the mountain
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

mt penn via the crosscheck

just before the sky opened up

a thorough soaking ensued

catching the last of the light

catching the last of the light
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl
fixed on neversink mountain
well after sunset
racing the darkness home

the daily routine

the daily routine
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl
40:16 fixed transportation
no finer way to travel

///

lots of ctc thoughts rattling around
bike prep is soon due
pacer reconfiguring to fast tour/rando mode
porteur, fenders, lights, done
maybe a new chain and cassette
some 25mm treads wouldn’t hurt either
the 28mm gatorskins are fresh
but offer little fender clearance
which is a liability with 90 miles
of possibly wet and muddy rail trail
otherwise the bike is set
position is dialed for distance covering comfort
tools into the seat bag
clothes, food, and other bits on the porteur
packing minimally this year
leaving the camp gear at home
hotels can be your friend
still more thoughts rattling around…

she rides the bike

she rides the bike
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

i think we created a monster. no pedaling yet but she sure likes to be pushed around. "no home, i ride the bike" is what she tells us. it's hard to say no to such cuteness.

savoring that new bike smell

savoring that new bike smell
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

there's a certain little girl who's going to get her birthday present
a little early tomorrow. the kettler trike is pretty sweet.

on a friday morning

on a friday morning
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

as seen from the saddle

as seen from the saddle
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

mornings like this make the piss poor weather tolerable.

contrasts

last tuesday it was 39 degrees with a rain and snow mix
a miserable soaking affair to ride through
-
fast forward to today
-
forecast is calling for 87 degrees and partial sun
jersey and shorts and still overheating
-
spring has been at a premium
.

one more shot from friday

shed road in french creek state park. find that pace and hold it. the focus of the effort drowns everything else out. balancing lungs and legs and elevation gain. when it all clicks, it's a fine moment.
.

collecting the little plastic eggs

collecting the little plastic eggs
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

all done

felt pretty solid for the most part
food and drink were a little lacking though
making up for it now

fifty seven miles later in delaware

fifty seven miles later in delaware
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

departing

departing
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

7:30 am rollout

march wrap up

orange = ride to work (22 days, 660 miles)
yellow = drive to work (1 day)
blue = dirt or road ride (2 days)
year commute stats = 57 days, 1,650 miles
-
with tomorrow being a holiday
i've got a century in mind
haven't worked the legs like that
since CtC last may
couple of weeks left to fit in a couple of big rides