Trouble

This is going to cause all kinds of trouble.

Mainly because I still don't have a job. There are two hopeful possibilities out there, but we haven't even started holding hands yet. Thus the trouble from the (grand)parents in our world. They were all for repairing the old one (which we already bought the parts for too) and continuing along. Ann, however, wasn't. She said replace the whole thing, so replace we did.

I'm not saying this is the best bike out there. It definitely is the best bike for me right now. Price-wise, product-wise, sanity-wise. She's a mighty fine ride so far...one that I hope will only improve once I get the fit dialed in juuuuuuust right.

But this bike will also cause trouble on the roads of Central Kentucky. I'll do my best to document our progress (especially as we start knocking off members of the Specialized mafia in this town). You know who you are. ;)

And so it went

I survived not attending my first Interbike after going to the last two events.

I was true to my obsessive compulsions and dutifully checked Twitter and Facebook for updates at times only separated by mere seconds. I wasn't really blown away by anything other than the idea that Castelli may have actually given away 100 pairs of their new body paint shorts (damnit), and, Shimano selling electronic and mech Dura Ace Groups for less than half their retail prices - as well as their PRO bars and stems (seriously, frickin' crap).

But aside from the freebies and pint glasses, I don't know that I missed much. Nothing that came over the interwires was exceedingly cool or unexpected. The best new bike I saw was Guru's new Photon frame. Cannondale/Dorel/GT/Schwinn pacific seemingly adopted an idea I thought would be great for a Wald booth although I've yet to see any good photos of it - much to a certain publication's lack of promise fulfillment.

But actually the media coverage is what I find most disappointing of all. Yes, I know firsthand it's hard as hell to get real work done in Vegas, but a site like Cyclingnews which I had come to count on for good photographic coverage has posted hardly a thing so far. The show ended an hour ago. Seriously, where are Huang's massive piles of photography??? Pez hasn't shown squat either.

Flickr doesn't have much...twitter was very hit and miss...it was just really surprising in that regard. I wanted to get the all the info I could, but kept getting more of the same from every other outlet. And hardly none of them had good pictures. Strange I say.

So I don't know what I am more depressed by now. The fact that I didn't get to go at all this year. Or, that my concern about the industry catering way too much to only itself may actually be legit to worry about AND that it might be worse than I feared. Shit.

This is going to be a hard week

I'll go ahead and admit it right now. This week, I am depressed.

Already gotten there leading up to now, but now it will really hurt.

For the past two years on this day, I was packing bags to spend a week in Vegas and attend the vomitous mass we love to call Interbike. Each of the last two years I would catch a plane at 5pm here in Lexington and drag my carcass into the Harrah's Casino around 11pm local time to wake up and go play in the desert.

Everyone I wish I was working with will be there. Everyone I wish I was working for will be there. Everyone whose job I wish I had will be there. And I will be here.

Not trapped in an office this time, but stuck at home. Waiting for James Huang to post his updates and see what the boys at Urban Velo and Pez can find that I didn't know was going to exist before this week. Waiting for the completed picture to emerge of what my friends Mr. Fornes and Mr. Jackson will unveil in their booths this week.

But, I really hope that by admitting this here and now, I can start getting over it. Something tells me I'm already out of luck. Oh well...hopefully things will change and I can count on being there again next year.

As I was telling my best friend yesterday...as much as I hate Vegas, "I've never walked into a room full of 20,000 people and felt like I belonged there like I do at Interbike." Damn this hurts...

Cravings

I am really looking forward to getting my new bike. This is both obvious and fairly surprising at the exact same time for me.

Admittedly, I have always been one to knock Giant bikes. While I always believed they made great entry level bikes for the price point, I have never given the generic sizing, sloping top tube, or the lame logo any respect or credit. So how on earth have I come to count myself among the owners?

Circumstances have a lot to do with it:

• I ride for a shop who is the local Giant dealer and we get a discount for doing so. (+1 point for Giant)
• Said shop also carries Cannondale as their other largely stocked brand; BB30 yuck!!!; bikes without complete groups double yuck!!! (+3 points for Giant)
• Said shop also is the only Serotta dealer in the state. (-12,000 points for Giant)
• I am currently unemployed and have been since May. (+12,004 points for Giant)
• Have $$$$ from sale of previous bike; 2010 carbon bike (in blue) with Ultegra '10 and Mavic wheels with money left over. (+47,000 points for Giant)

And then...once the order is finally placed (come on Alan!!!), I hope to throw a leg over the following by the end of the month. Come on slow boat from Taiwan!!!!!

A New Chapter

It's been a while since the last post. It's also been a while since I've put any photos up on Flickr.

A lot has happened.

Foremost, my Trek has given up the ghost. Actually it's just the rear shifter. But alas, 9-speeds are sooooo 2000 and we have the new 2010 goodies already swooping down upon us. I too will soon be astride a resplendent new vehicle of pedicular transportation. While most definitely not the bike of my dreams, it is a great looking steed with impeccable value and great components. It's light, I'll make it fast, and it will be fun to be on something mine and new.

She should arrive just in time for the Red River Rally and until

then, we'll be cruising along in single-speed mode.

The job hunt is on-going and the hope is that his new bike's manufacturer will come calling after everyone has their fun in Las Vegas-land without me. But that's

ok, instead of drooling, dodging cigarette smoke, and wishing I with others than whom I would be accompanying from Kentucky, I will be riding. Riding here, riding there, riding everywhere.

I'm definitely going to get my money's worth out of these new wheels.