hard hitting hot stuff

After the week plus of solid rain, I'd had enough yesterday. I dressed in wool from the inside out, I put on the self-tent and I climbed aboard the fixie. Full fendered rainy Goodness. It rained like hell. Then it hailed. Then it hailed some more. Then it kept raining.


Fixed is the way to go in slippery conditions. Full fendered is the way to go in the rain. Self-tent is the way to go if you are not concerned about making good time, are sitting uprightish, and it is not windy. It is also good for keeping you cool, and making you look like a weirdo.


I grew a beard? I must say: the combination old school weirdo self-tent coupled with the uber commuter dork safety yellow helmet cover was both surprisingly workable and satisfyingly ridiculous looking.

I outlasted the rain and experienced some sun! It was short-lived.


Let me also say: I need to change the height, angle, and (most importantly) brake lever angle on those moustache bars. The Schwinn sized steerer makes it a pain in the ash to find a stem that works. I have been reluctant to mess with the bars because it seems like a pain/waste to cut off the nicely shellacked and weathered cotton tape, but enough is enough. And plus, I have some light blue cotton tape that will turn a to-be-witnessed shade of green so whatevah, anyways.

I tend to ride bikes in phases (uh....whichever is working best at the moment, ahem!) and switching between them does wonders for recognizing that which is crying out for redress but would be ignored without the bird's eye of comparison. Reason #9,346 for having several bikes.


I rode out to the stairs and drank a beer. The rain returned like I owed it money on the way home. Then it hailed.


32ish miles.