Monday, September 13, 2010

New Parts and New Legs

The legs are back.  Not exactly in full effect, I haven't felt sensations like I did yesterday since I was 14, but they're both turning pedals and I can stand (though not for long).  When I was 15 I had an emergency appendectomy that put me in a hospital bed for 8 days and kept me in bed at home for another 10.  I could only bench press 25 lbs when I finally got up.  My legs are a little like that now.  I can pedal, but there's surprisingly little power.  All in due time, I suppose. 

I still can't accept that my season is shot.  We were in Ohio yesterday, fall's arrived and all I could think about was cross season.  I think it's the smell of the leaves.  Instead of racing, I'll probably just attend, drink, yell and report for CXMagazine.  They've taken a liking to my amateur writing style, for some reason, and they started publishing some of my ideas.  Sunday they posted an article I wrote on training while traveling.  You can see it here.

In the meantime, I'll just secretly order new parts and hope they arrive when my wife's not looking.  On order already are a set of cheap townie baskets for my wife's bike.  It's our anniversary and now that they've built a grocery store around the block, it's time for me to call her bluff and remove one more roadblock between her and bicycle freedom.  I cannibalized the saddle from my Bianchi (see above) for the utility bike earlier this summer, so I took the opportunity to order a used version of the saddle I've had my eye on, the WTB Silverado.  Found it for $25 online, should arrive next week.  I've been riding WTB Saddles for years and I think this will be a good balance of size (I like them big) and weight (I need to lose a little weight off the top end of the SS).  To that end I'm also planning a new handlebar/stem combo for the SS, probably going with Bontrager Race Lite flat bar.  It's got a nice sweep that should ease the pressure on my wrists and it'll lower the front end, which is desperately needed.  I also crushed the end of my MonkeyLite carbon bars on the utility bike in my epic crash last month, so I've got my eye on the Surly Open Bar.  I've not ridden a bar like this so I'm dragging my feet, but I've got a hunch the carbon bar is unwrapping itself from the inside out and something's got to give. 

The Cross bike is about to get a full re-build with Avid Canti's, Cane Creek levers, new ring, new freewheel, new chain, new cables, etc... I have to rebuild the Surly hubs since I put them away wet after the State Championships (they've since seized up).  This will happen next week before I head down to Beat The Freak for a nice little pack-fill session in the SS race. 

Ordered a new helmet today, finally.  I've been using the same one for like 10+ years now.  Realized this morning the crash split the back open.  Ordered a Giro Athlon, it's about the same thing as what I had and it comes in Green, which is the only way my wife can pick me out of a pack.  Found it onsale for only $70, down from $130.

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