Another Bike

Well, I hadn't planned on getting a new mountain bike. Well, actually, I HAD planned on getting a new mountain bike, but I hadn't planned on getting a new mountain bike just yet.

But I got one, anyway.

And I got it because I broke my old one... just before doing the 24 Hours of Adrenaline race, the Chameleon cracked. Not a major crack, but a crack nonetheless. And so, I felt a bit of urgency to get another bike so I wouldn't be riding a mid-90's Mongoose IBOC for the race and ... ever.

I am much psyched... I got a Santa Cruz Blur LT frame (dual squishy)!!

Here it is hanging on the wall before putting it together:

Well I got the frame, and and so many of the parts that fit the Chameleon didn't fit the new Blur LT, that I decided to go all out, and buy a complete build kit for the new bike.

Here's the build kit on the couch (everything you need to build a bike in three easy steps):

I took the day off work Thursday before the 24HOA to build everything up, so I'd have something to ride in the race.

Just getting going:

A little further along... new disc brakes:

Almost all the way done:

All done! And a fine lookin' ride it is.

So there. Went on a very short ride with Doug and Lynne right after putting it together to give it a quick shake-down before actually racing on it. Nice!

Oh, those three easy steps?
1) Get frame and parts.
2) Put parts on frame.
3) Test ride.

Really, it's that simple.

Now I think I'll go ride it again... it's a beautiful day, and I shouldn't be inside.

Oh, and I forgot to mention... this, too, is a Shimano-Free Zone. :^)

Montana de Oro

Another May has come and gone, and so that means another camping trip in Los Osos with Mom, Dad, Craig, Athens, Lynne, Maggie and Bruce...

A few pictures:

Mom really gets down to business with her new book...


And speaking of napping, it's always good at any moment to be ready to jump back into bed. It's just not worth the risk of being unprepared...

"Oooh, a tent halfway between camp and the bathroom! Luckily, I was properly
outfitted for just such an situation. (And they laughed at me...)"

Flowers on the bluff trail...


Lynne and Athens out on the bluff trail...


Athens getting in shape for the 24Hours of Adrenalin race that he'll be doing with us next year...


Never, ever, give a knife to a five year old...

What? He's six? Oh, that's cool, then...

Along with being the Cinco de Mayo weekend, it is of course, Craig's birthday. And what is a birthday without a cake?

There were difficulties in getting the candles to light, however...



So Cousin Maggie springs into action, and does the only thing that she can think of ...


... she flashes the cake. Good work Maggie; that got 'em going!

Not tissue.

Well, I've decided that I need a new entry if only to get rid of "Tissue" as the final entry in the ed.g.pc blog. So here ya go...

February 2, 2007. Lynne's birthday. And I go out and buy her a big very expensive present: a new road bike for me. (How thoughtful am I anyway??!?) It's a Bianchi 928 carbon frame with all Campy Veloce components. It looks like this:

A very quick bike. Stiff, light, and not too twitchy. You know I've been riding Guito (my Cinelli Equipe) for about 20 years, and I still love the way he rides, but this is so much lighter, and ... well ... technology *has* made a few advances on bikes in that time. Plus, all my friends called me old, and a retrogrouch with my old down-tube friction shifters. The retrogrouch I can deal with, and actually, it's sort of a point of pride for me: riding friction when everyone else has the fancy shifter/brake stuff. But the old is just waaay too close to home these days. And really, the fancy shifter/brake stuff is damn cool. He's not named yet, but I'll let you know if he gets one. Lynne's calling him Bello 'cause he's kind of a pretty boy. And it's a good match for her 928 Veloce who's name is Bella.

And another cool thing... This bike is a Shimano-Free Zone. (I gotta get some stickers made...)