Bike Envy

20 July 2010

July 11 was the day Tom led his ride to Schooley's Mountain, and the last day for his aging Miyata hill-climbing bike. On order was his new Cannondale Synapse, tricked out with a triple in the front and an 11-32 cassette in the back. "I would have gotten a 34 but they don't make it in a ten-speed," he explained.

Riding with Tom, Mike M, and Jeff (our official elevation recorder), I found myself in the back of the pack, pushing my steel Kermit up the hills. Halfway up Rockaway, Mike said that something was wrong with his shifter.

We stopped at the top, in Mountainville, to figure it out. A year ago I was taping Mike B's saddle together at this very corner. This time I was watching Mike and Tom wind what was left of the rear derailleur cable around a cable guide near the stem.

He was left with a three-speed, but Mighty Mike would not be stopped.

The way we come up with routes reminds me of the way we used to create jewelry when I worked in a bead store during the Lost Years. One of us would make something, someone else would expand on the idea, and so it went, and we all learned from each other. Up in Hunterdon County, I did a mashup of two Morris Area Freewheelers cue sheets. Tom took me route and tweaked it to get us to Schooley's Mountain. I jiggered my route some more. Tom nabbed some of those roads and took us up a different way.

This time we were taking Beavers Road from the bottom. I thought it ended at Frog Hollow, but it doesn't. I don't know which I saw first, the stop sign or the wall of asphalt on the other side. All I know is that, because I was last and no cars were coming, I had a good head of steam and sufficient warning to gear all the way down. I followed the guys to the top and we were rewarded with a view of how the other half live in Tewkesbury.



Jeff, Mike, and Tom catch their breaths and take in the view.

What little of Tom's bike is visible in this picture calls out, "Old School!"

We were on State Park Road near Hacklebarney when we saw this bifurcated tree. Power lines run through the middle of it. Technological topiary, I guess.


Another street name for the collection:

The view of Doolittle Lane from State Park Road:

Half a mile down the road gave me my obligatory hay bale snapshot.


So, anyway, Tom got his new bike that Wednesday. He emailed me that he'd be taking it out for a test run on Michael Heffler's Saturday ride out of Lambertville. If I wanted to see his new toy, he told me, I'd have to show up.

Because Heffler's rides are, well, vertical. I showed up anyway. And so did 28 other people. Michael figured he'd thin the herd by throwing a long hill in right away, so we went up Alexauken Creek and Sandy Ridge Road. That didn't work, so we snaked our way over to Raven Rock and climbed the top half of Federal Twist. That didn't work either. Michael gets a tough crowd.

I'd been keeping myself near the front of the pack during the flatter sections (it always seems safer in a big group), so I was in the lead group turning onto Federal Twist. I got a good view of the half dozen or so jackrabbits in front of me. Only Tom and I climbed the hill sitting down (I have 11-34 with my double).

By the time the road leveled off and I caught up to him I was full of questions. By the time we got to the corner I knew what I wanted for Christmas.

When we hit the rollers on 519, Tom said, "Okay. Let's see what this thing can do!" He stomped on the crank in the big ring and took off like a rocket.
This is where Kermit's steel frame and my own enormous weight come in handy; I almost caught up to him, laughing.

When I got home I told Jack right away that I have a serious case of Bike Envy. I've never had it this bad. I figured it would abate as the day wore on and I got busy with other things.

But, in the morning, as I drove up to Flemington for Larrys' Bloomsbury Boogie, the envy was still there. I don't want to get rid of Kermit. No way. He's the perfect bike for flat centuries, and he gets me up every hill I tackle, albeit slowly. But I'm tired of hauling steel when the rest of the world is floating on carbon. What if I got rid of Gonzo, my spare-part winter bike, and got a carbon frame instead?

I had plenty of time to think about it during the Boogie. I was in the back of the pack again, watching the featherweights and the jackrabbits fly up the hills. Now, one can argue that the frame is only part of the story. Lose body weight and you'll get up hills a lot easier. I know this; I've already lost, and kept off, a dozen or so pounds since the winter of 2008, and climbing has been a lot less work ever since. But I can tell that my body isn't going to give up a dozen more, and, face it, steel is heavy.

Then there's the money. Kermit was a $4K bike when I picked him up at the Trexlertown swap meet for $1500 in cash back in 2000. I've only improved upon him since. Kermit is one expensive machine, not even including the custom paint job. This Cannondale, by decent road bike standards, is affordable. Not cheap, not four grand, but affordable.

A view of the Musconetcong valley from the top of Staats Road outside of Bloomsbury:



That's real haze, not a dirty lens. It is also a good representation of how I've been seeing out of my left eye for the past week.

Next to the Homestead General Store in Upper Black Eddy, on the Delaware Canal:

Not as cool as the Flower House in North Creek, but Bob could try to paint it anyway.


On my way home I stopped at Hart's Cyclery to talk to Oscar. We went over the details of Gonzo's components and figured out that I'd only be able to keep about half of them if I got just a new frame, and even then I'd be stuck with a bike that's half old (some parts are from 1997, and others were hand-me-downs of unknown vintage). So we opened the Cannondale catalog and started looking. He suggested selling Gonzo and applying whatever I could get towards the new bike.

Today I brought Gonzo in for Oscar to see. He mulled it over. "This might be pushing it," he said, "but you might be able to get $400 for it." Ouch.

We talked about frames and brands a little more, and he pulled two Cannondales down for me to inspect. On Sunday I'll be back to test-ride two models. I'm fiercely loyal to Hart's Cyclery. Ross and Oscar have been great to work with for the nearly nine years I've been going there.

Anyway, there's one detail I should mention that let me know I was really going to go through with this, even if I wasn't sure when:

On Saturday I sat down and bought from Ebay two of a certain Muppet for the back of what would someday be a new bike. Joining Kermit, Gonzo, and Grover will be...

...Miss Piggy.

It's only fitting.

And it's cheaper than psychotherapy.

And Now for Something Not Quite Completely Different

12 July 2010

We re-carpeted the house last week, which was a big deal, not because the new stuff feels all soft and fuzzy under our feet, but because Jack had to dismantle his library. I can't help him with this; everything is in order. He's decided to rearrange and winnow as well, so the house still looks like we just moved in.

I mention all this in order to explain the dust, and I mention the dust because I've gone and scratched my cornea again.

This time it's the left eye, and it's a doozy: 3.3 mm. It's never a good thing when the attending physician says, over the shoulder of the new intern who is peering through a lens at the fluorescein dye in my eye, "I can see it from here." And I don't even know how it happened.

So we're blaming it on the dust. Now that I've managed to scratch a cornea four times in the past three years, the doctors are thinking my corneal epithelium just doesn't have it together like it should, and that I'm going to be prone to this sort of thing for the rest of my life.

Yippee.

Despite the size of the thing, I'm not cursing like a sailor this time.

I am still in the "Ow ow ow ow" stage, which is preceded first by the "I think there's something in my eye" stage and then the "Tearing like a waterfall" stage. It was so bad last night that each time I entered into REM sleep I jolted awake in pain.

The good folks at Scheie Eye Institute are taking care of me, though. They sent me packing with a tube of antibiotic goo and will peer into my eye every day until the cut is gone.

Tomorrow I hope I'll have entered the "Jell-O" stage. That's what happens after the pain and light sensitivity are gone but the swelling makes it look as if I'm peering at the world through a bowl of milky gelatin. Which, if you think about it, I kind of am. The Jell-O takes about a day or two to go away, and then it's a good week before things are really back to normal.

During the exam today I did get a good look at Fido, who does, these days, look more like an elephant than a Siberian husky. I suppose that's progress.

A Weekend in the Adirondacks

5 July 2010

Jack and I spent the 4th of July weekend in the Adirondacks. Don and Mary Anne invited thirteen Freewheelers to share three six-person condos on top of a hill outside of the village of North Creek.

We hung out, ate, biked, ate, hiked, ate, did other stuff, hung out, and ate. It was chaos. It was like living in a dorm, but with better furniture, better food, no homework, and saner people.

I'm not going to have much time over the next week or so to blog, so instead of going into the details I'm just going to show you the pictures.

Minutes into our bike ride on Friday we screeched to a halt to gawk at a house on Bird Pond Road. We knew we'd have to get Bob out here to do a plein air painting.






I think this barn was on Igerna Road:

Schroon Lake:



At the Adirondack General Store in Adirondack, NY, near Schroon Lake, Marilyn and I pose in one of several apparent fireplaces for sale outside of the store:


Sacked out on the sofa after the ride, I took pictures of the windows of our condo (Unit 10):


On Saturday, Don took us for a short hike up to the top of Balm of Gilead, which overlooks Thirteenth Lake. From left to right (Marilyn took the picture): Nancy, Lenore, Don, Metta, Poppa Jack, Hari, Norene, me with my sweaty hair down, Jack the Moose, and Terry.

Views from Balm of Gilead:


From left to right: Norene, Marilyn, Jack, Metta, Nancy, Lenore, Jack, Terry.


Video of the view:



On the way back down:




After the hike I drove back to the Flower House for more pictures. Minutes after I left, Marilyn, Norene, Lenore and Bob drove over to take pictures. They met the owners and Bob got permission to paint the place. We all want the painting.








After stuffing our faces at the second night of potluck, a few of us took a walk down the hill. This is twilight at Gore Village:

Jack and I went to the Adirondack Museum on Sunday. We were in moose heaven. I've never seen a live moose. This stuffed head reminded me of just how big these critters are.


Here are some views of Blue Mountain Lake from the grounds of the museum:





The exhibit of "rustic furniture" included a grotesque deer hoof-adorned mirror:
Back in the gift shop (which is both the museum's entrance and exit), we pondered the purchase of a rather large stuffed moose, hat not included. Not having a strong cell phone signal, I was unable to ask Dale for advice.

We decided to take it home. Here, Adirondack the Moose poses in front of the museum, and with Jack:

(The black line is a quick editing out of my thumb.)
Adirondack the Moose was a big hit with the condo crowd. Terry M came in and immediately started petting his muzzle. Terry S came in and lent him his hat. Lenore tried on the vest (it was too big) and felt safe sleeping on the couch with Adirondack the Moose to guard her. Bob took a picture of him lying sideways in the car, across my bike, his face peering out of the back window (if he sends it I'll post it).

Back in New Jersey, Adirondack the Moose is at home in the Moose Room:



That's all for now.

Hill Slugs Ad Hoc, Saturday, 26 June

24 June 2010

This is the last ride I'm going to lead for a while, and I'm going out with a bang, like it or not. There will be lots and lots of good scenery. And a few big hills.

The route will start at the Bagel B.O.P. on Amwell Road, in the strip mall on the left side of the road just west of the intersection with 206. It's only a few minutes farther north than Princeton, and, first thing in the morning, it doesn't take long to get there. Plus, you can grab a bagel or a muffin or coffee, and use the bathroom, before we go.

We'll head to Oldwick first; the route will be pretty mild for this section. If anyone wants to head back at this point (for a 36-ish mile loop), I can have maps ready.

After Oldwick we'll have some fun in the hills on the way to Califon, our second rest stop.

Then we get some good descents, a stop at the Wawa on Summer Road if we need it, and a flat glide back into Hillsborough.

The total distance is just under 70 miles. If mapmyride.com is to be believed, we'll have about 2000 feet of climbing, but mapmyride.com isn't to be believed. It uses Google maps, which waaaay underestimates these things. Anyone with a GPS can let us know what we did when we've finished.

Anyway, the weather is going to be good, so let's meet at the Bagel B.O.P. at 8:00 a.m. (I know it's early, but it's summer already).

See you!

Hill Slugs Ad Hoc, Saturday, 26 June

23 June

I'm thinking Hillsborough to Califon and/or Oldwick, but I don't have a route yet. I'm open to suggestions, so give me a shout or leave a comment. Stay tuned for details; I'll post them tomorrow night.

Bust

20 June 2010

Boy, was that flea market a waste of time. I netted $12. Nancy and I are going to do craft shows, not flea markets, from now on.

Anyway, I was halfway to Pennington, riding along with Mike B, on my way to leading today's ride, when I realized I'd forgotten to put on a bra.

This means one of two things: either my ta-tas just aren't that bodacious, or my sports bras are so worn out that it no longer matters if I wear one or not. Regardless, I made sure to avoid big bumps. I didn't want to bruise my chin.

Hill Slug Ad Hoc: Changed to SUNDAY, 20 June

17 June 2010

Due to the dire need to unload my jewelry on an unsuspecting public on Saturday, our ride will be on Sunday instead.

Meet at the Hopewell YMCA on Main Street, across from Ingleside Road, in Pennington, at 8:30 a.m. We'll do some familiar roads and I'll throw a few big hills in along the way.

As for where I'll be on Saturday, here's the info (from the flier) if, by some chance, you're not on your bicycles. I'll be at a table with Nancy Martin, who does photography.

Flea Market

To Benefit the Veterans Square Monument Fund

At Veterans Square Park

(Corner of Heacock and Edgewood Roads, Yardley, PA)

June 19^th 8am-1pm

proceeds will go to the Monument Fund.

Please join in or stop by for some good values!