Falling in Love Again.

I'm a faithless bike whole.
  
I flit from one pretty frame to the next, casting aside the tried and true for another shapely bit of carbon, rarely finding the lasting connection that will keep me from wandering.
  
The exception to this has been my Madone 5.2 Pro. I bought it on a whim, a used frame off of Craigslist. The price was reasonable, and although I already had more than enough completely serviceable bikes, I really liked the way it looked. I built it up, and from the first ride I was hooked. It responded how I thought a bike should, but didn't beat me up on longer rides. I'd long shied from Treks and Madones in particular because, Lance. However, this particular bike spoke to me in a way that even today sets the standard all other bikes I ride are measured against.
  
I finally got to ride the bike after a a long and frustrating day at work. Events conspired to keep me longer than planned, killing my intended after-work stress relief ride. I walked outside into a beautiful day, and the only cloud was the very dark one over my head. I drove home and my mood sank even deeper. I unloaded the unused ti bike from the car and went inside. A nap didn't help. and I snapped at the family over minor things. I desperately needed to ride, if only to blow off the steam that was threatening to blow my top off.
  
SInce it was a beautiful day, I grabbed the Madone. Three pedal strokes down the road and the stress started melting away. The tension in my shoulders faded. I sank comfortably in the drops, pouring as much energy I could into the pedals. I chugged up Rabbit Creek, letting the burn in my legs take my mind off the day's events. I swooped down DeArmoun, relishing the speed. I felt connected to the bike in a way that I hadn't for a long time, and I was reminded just why I liked this bike so much. The latest improvements just made it... more gooder.
  
The titanium bike does certain tasks better. It travels better. It cleans up after a rainy ride better. It's easier to work on. But, when it comes to the pure joy of riding, the ti bike doesn't hold a candle to the Madone.
  
And joy is why I'm here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Luke Simpson

Image
A couple years ago I participated in a stage race and had the honor to meet Saul Raisin, the former professional cyclist that suffered a debilitating traumatic brain injury during a race in Europe. As I listened to him speak and later read his book about his recovery, I (probably like most people) had two thoughts:                 “What an inspiring story.” …and more callously,                 “Wow, sucked to be him.” The second thought was just a result of thinking it would never happen to me. If you run the odds, it just doesn’t factor into the threat matrix as prominently as teenage girls with cell phones or that sketchy Cat 5 on the brand-new Madone. Then I got my bell rung. I’ve seen my share of stars and cartoon tweety birds over the years, but this was the first time I was knocked unconscious and woke up in an ER. Another driver’s moment of inattention resulted in a totaled car and weeks of disorientation, speech delays, and random face plants. It didn’t occu
Read more

Narrowed Focus

OK, here's the fun part.   You're clinging to the wheel in front of you. Doing everything to stay in contact, because you know in the deepest parts of your soul that if a gap opens, you will never close it, and you will be adrift. That few inches of space is your whole purpose in life.   People wait their whole lives to see the scenery on either side of you, but you're too busy focusing on meaningless points up the road. You're hoping that by acknowledging them that they will somehow help you climb this hill. They don't, because they're inanimate objects like signposts and rocks. Selfish bastards.   You match cadence with the guy in front of you, promising yourself that every time their right foot comes down, your right foot will come down. That you won't stand unless they stand. That you will be every bit as strong as they are, even if you aren't.   The steady ache in your thighs keeps building. You know all you have to do to make it stop is to
Read more

Perhaps Where I need to Be.

  The last time I was in Biloxi was in November of 2016. I was recovering from a broken collar bone, but otherwise was relatively fit, lean, and getting fitter and leaner. Because I had nothing else to do and energy to burn, I rode a lot. It was wasted effort that translated into burnout during the trainer season, but I really didn't care. I hadn't been riding at all. A handful of road rides before the season ended. A couple fat bike rides when the trails near my house were packed well. Mostly I've hiked, cross-country skied, and sat on my fat ass. Primarily the latter. I knew I was going to be spending the month of February in Biloxi. I swore I was going to get back on the trainer in preparation, but I never did. I came in cold. I packed all sorts of warmers and raingear and stuff that I have yet to use.I forgot all sorts of tools. My tires were excessively worn and my tubes weren't in great shape either. I ended up buying new ones after a horrible first ride led to 4
Read more