New Bike Review

After three weeks and some 430 miles, here are my first impressions of the Rodriguez Rainier.  The bike is fast, comfortable and fun.  R & E gave me a custom fit for my odd-shaped body, and built a bike that was more upright, with a smaller frame, and shorter reach than I was used to.  The result is that the ride is faster up the hills, more comfortable to get into the drops on the handlebars, and easier to pedal on longer distances.   The bike's lighter weight has taken some time to get used to, a little squirrely on the descents and in crosswinds, compared to what I rode for the past ten years.  The yellow color is more visible, but also shows the grime and dirt.   Some say that it can get mistaken for a station-free ride-share Ofo bike.

I made a couple of adjustments from the standard Rainier Limited set up. I swapped the Panaracer Paselas for Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires.  The result is more weight, a wider profile, and a steadier ride, especially on rough surfaces.   I added a Brooks Cambium saddle.  There was no need to break it in, and the fit was comfortable from the start.   Other changes including installing a kickstand.  Yes.  Much, much easier, and now the bike won't fall over when I lean it against stuff.  Another touch was Swift's Bandido handlebar bag, spacious enough for my clutter and food.

The result is a good bike for everyday rides, for MORE or LESS hills in the evening, and for the last three big rides, Flying Wheels, the Kenmore-Sultan schlep, and a glorious Kent-Enumclaw CTS #11, through the foothills, farmland and NW Woods.

So far, so good, and I'm pleased with the choice.

Keeping It Simple and Some Other Stuff

A few bike-related pieces that have caught my attention recently......

Kent Peterson laments the complications of modern life.


This video about the SF Randonneurs' Adventure Series makes you want to ride long distances to nowhere.  More here at SFR's home site.


And, about ten years and maybe 20,000 miles ago, the Blue Riot's debut was reported here.     Now that I'm getting ready to take the plunge on a new ride, it's a good time to be nostalgic.

Sequence of Odd Choices

As Lydia Kiesling wrote,  '....life is nothing if not a sequence of odd choices vaguely considered...'

Cycling, Teaching and Getting Past the Nope.

Alyson works on the negativity.    Lots of parallels in coaching, teaching, and Alyson's writing is always worth a read. 

Why Drivers Hate Cyclists

Thoughtful comments by the Reno Rambler on the never-ending friction between those who use different modes of transportation.

Life Hacks and Rules for Living

Lots of Life Hacks and Rules for Living out there, and some are worth repeating, noting, while others are best ignored.    Here are a few.....

• Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson  - "Get yourself a really good bullshit detector."
• Russ Roberts - "Learn to enjoy saying, I don't know."
• Megan McArdle - "Be grateful."  and "Always order one extra dish at a restaurant, an unfamiliar one."
• Tyler Cowen -- When shooting the basketball, give it more arc than you think is necessary.  Consistently.
• John Perry Barlow - "Remember that your life belongs to others as well."
• Stewart Brand  quoted by Steve Jobs - "Stay hungry.  Stay foolish"

Others have things worth saying....

• Lloyd Kahn on old age.
• Anne Lamott on perfectionism.
• Henry Miller on turning eighty. 
• Jose Texeira - "I No Longer Have Patience."
• Mario De Andrade - "The Valuable Time of Maturity"

And maybe my favorite set, Satchel Paige - "Avoid running at all times."  and "Don't look back.  Something might be gaining on you."

The World as it is in 2018.....sort of.

From Ursula Le Guin's blog.....The Wall and Constructing the Golem.   Worth a read in light of her passing and the current regime in power in the USA.

And other observations regarding the State of the World 2018, from Bruce Sterling and Jon Lebkowsky.

2017 Bike Recap

2868 miles in 2017, 300 more than in 2016, and more than any other year for which I kept records.   100 rides,  15 more than 2016.  But, only 700 more feet in elevation.  So, more rides, over shorter distances with fewer hills.   Lots of rides to Locks, Sunset Hill, Golden Gardens — a staple and a favorite.   

Rides to remember—>

• New 520 bridge.   Game changer, route changer, easy access to Eastside, where there are better bike lines, longer segments and fewer stops.  
• STP - Faster times than in previous several years, rode train back to Seattle.   Staying at EconoLodge is old.  We’ll put a big 'we’ll see' on 2018.  But Cascade says I’ve done nine of these, including 3 in a row, so there’s some momentum there to continue
• GR2R - 1st one was wet and cold and we had a few rain outs along the way.  But we had a big turn out of new riders and Cascade RLs.  Successful series, and I'm organizing the 2018 editionl
• Chilly Hilly - Signed up but didn’t ride - too wet, cold, and windy for me.
• Snohomish County rides with Dorothe, Cheryl F, Larry, et al.   Thoroughly enjoyed when I rode, especially the ride through Tulalip and farmland.   
• Completed the coffeeneuring challenge.
• Bike share rides in Tampa, Austin, and even Seattle, plus excursions in Key West and the Bahamas.
• Scouted and began rides out of EdCC in SnoCo for exercise during the day.  Want to do more of those in 2018, including some more commuting.
• Mid week Less Hills rides during daylight savings time.  
• CTS - I got burned out on this.  Ride leader work, rules and roles, waiting for the slow riders, etc., all served to make me grumpy about this, which I've done for several years.  

Goals for 2018?  Keep pedaling and enjoy the ride!