The miles are stacking up. I’m at 125 miles for June with two weeks to go. That’s the most miles in a month since January, but January’s miles, except for one day, were ridden in the basement on a trainer. June’s miles were ridden “Out There,” in the dirt under a big sky, and accompanied by the wonderful wind.
I switched bikes in the fall last year and have been riding “Trucker” since then. I put “Double Cross” in the work stand the other day, performed some maintenance, and then went for a short ride around town to consider whether I wanted to ride her instead of “Trucker” at the beginning of this season.
“Trucker” is a touring bike. A lot heavier and slower, but she’s stretched out for relaxed comfort with gearing that is much lower, making it easier to deal with hills and wind. The tires are bigger, too, which allows significantly lower air pressure for a cushy ride. And, I love that cushy ride, so “Trucker” gets the nod for now.
It fits the slower-is-better vibe that I’m feeling this summer. “Double Cross” is a cross bike, and much lighter and faster than “Trucker,” but the ride’s harsher. I remember a long time ago in a land far, far away, I thought Double Cross was too heavy. I was out for a Saturday morning ride on one of the many amazing Farm-to-Market roads in Texas Post Oak country.
Faster Is Not Better
I was cruising along at close to 20 mph when a girl came zipping past on an ultra-light carbon bike. She didn’t say hi, good morning, nice bike, or anything else. She just blew by me so fast I couldn’t catch her wheel. I tried. I gave it everything I had. The distance started closing a little for a second or two, and then she was gone. She dropped me like a bag of potatoes.
When I got back home, I started ordering parts to build an ultralight, go-fast road bike. I still have it; it’s on the trainer in the basement. Smoothie is half the weight of Trucker and fun to ride, but it’s not designed for the dirt with its high-pressure pizza-cutter tires. It’s not carbon, like Go Fast Girl’s bike, though; it’s stainless steel. Bikes should be made from steel (or titanium), so they last a long time.
Smoothie sees the light of day every once in a while, but since retirement, I’ve learned to appreciate that slowing down is actually a good thing. I don’t even notice when girls pass me anymore. She must’ve been an Olympian or something, though.
A Ride
