pure herbal comfort

Following is a "mock-up" of my new(ish) adventure camping bicycle. The handlebars, frame and fork are new. Also new cables/housing (yay! cheapest way to make your bike run better. Guaranteeeeeeeeeeeed.) All else, pulled from the old bike and the parts pile.

Here I am:

Yes, it's true.

I experimented with that whole tops higher than the saddle so as to put the drops in a higher (in theory more tourey? in practice more DUI commuter.) position, and after a ride around the block I can definitively say: it sucks. I'll be bringing them down level with the saddle. That's what I get for listening to the internet, but you have to be open minded, right?

I take for granted there will be myriad problems in building a bike and try to allow for this in my expectations and time line. For example: I'm still waiting on my road pull disc caliper. It's limping along with a mushy feeling mountain rear, which works but ain't pretty to the touch. Of the many hurdles to completing the build, the one that gets under my skin is the cable length to bike length ratio. I'm marginally at the taller end of the bike riding spectrum, and running the bar end shifters' housing under the wrap damn near requires tandem length rear cables; I trimmed the housing to almost-binding-with-steering lengths to get this to work. At least I get to use the term "mock-up".


And so all this is in preparation for this weekend's upcoming little tour. Who's ready?


...squint and combine this with the above in your mind's eye. Did it just blow your mind's eye?


Look: I understand too little too late. I realize there are things you say and do you can never take back. But what would you be if you didn't even try? You have to try. So after a lot of thought, I'd like to reconsider- please, if it's not too late, make it a...cheese burger.