New Stuff and Musings

I started graphing out my yearly mileage last year, and looking back, I was surprised at how my riding dropped off in September.  Here we are coming up on September again, and now I understand.  Between sports starting back up, school back in session, and our church programs ramping up for the fall; I have little if any time for much of anything.  Even worse than last year, I have to get up a lot earlier during the week because our youngest is now going to private school, and Red and I have been carpooling since she started back to work in Harrisburg.

All of this has led to a bit of insomnia, which I periodically go through.  This latest bout has me waking really early and not being able to drop off again.  Fortunately last night was much better and I’m feeling a little more alert today.

Cars:  Here I am writing about cars again in this biking blog…  I need to buy one.  My daughter has taken on a senior project where she is a teacher’s aide in an elementary school.  She is exploring the idea of getting into teaching, which I don’t understand since both Red and her sister complain about their teaching experiences.  Still, she now needs a car every day and mine is the one.  I’d give her the Pig, but she can’t drive stick and it’s too big anyway.  I don’t want to commute with it because it eats gas and is too big for my parking spot.  So I’m looking for a beater commuter to get me back and forth.  The alternative is to let my daughter go ahead and buy a car, but I’d rather she drive something more dependable.  Between what she has saved up and what I can afford, we should get something half decent and make due.  I have a friend who is an expert on Saabs, and she is beating the bushes for an older one for me.

This is our annual camping weekend.  My schedule is actually so stacked up that I have to return one night and then go back the following afternoon.  We’re going to take two MTBs this year which should allow enough adjustability that each of us can ride around the campground when we want.  I think we’ll be OK as long as we can deal with the cold nightime air on the mountainside.

Bike Stuff:  I got a cool messenger bag!  My oldest son had this bag for school last year.  Its a “distressed” heavy olive canvas that has a few zippered pockets and can fit legal sized pads along with a lot of other gear.  Anyway, he doesn’t think it’s cool this year, and since he didn’t ask for anything else, we replaced it with a typically garrish backpack.  So I grabbed the bag and it is now out with my bikes.  (I need to take a pic.)  It solves a few problems for me because I’ve had to fold up papers and stuff to fit in the Carradice when I took the bike to a meeting.  I was considering moving the rack back to the Trucker and buying one of those expensive Bike Bureaus, but this solution is so much easier, and way cheaper.

Thanks to Scott, I got a new frame.  It’s an older C’dale that was a bit large for him, so I dug around the parts box and we worked out a nice deal.  The frame takes 700c wheels and should fit the 35mm tires that I have from the Marin, so I think the blue C’dale will be changed to a drop bar configuration for Ave, and then this frame will become a winter project to build up a gofer bike.  I’m looking forward to it and already have a mental picture of the final design.

Critical Mass is tonight and I’ll miss it again.  I want to take in the Redland/Cedar Cliff game, and then finish packing up for the camping trip.  ‘shame because I think it would be fun to ride around while Kipona is getting underway.  Ride safe guys!