Ticket to Ride

I visited the doctor yesterday afternoon and was pronounced Healed! Or mostly, anyhow. The Doc said it will probably take another 6 months to get full strength and flexibility back. But I've been officially cleared for any and all activities, including cycling. I find that my hand feels good for most day to day activities, but it still twinges and is painful when doing activities involving heavy lifting or sharp impacts. I wrote last August about not wearing cycling gloves, but a short ride on Tuesday reminded me of how much one's hands act as shock absorbers when riding. So I paid the boys at Hiawatha a visit this afternoon and purchased a new set of cycling gloves. First pair of gloves I've purchased since October 2005 in Sausalito. Now that I've got padding for my hands, it's time to start losing some of the padding I've accumulated around my middle...

Remembering 9/11

This made me cry today.

Testing the Waters

I spent some quality time in the garage this afternoon, aimlessly moving things from one place to another without really accomplishing much. I did dust off a couple of bikes I hadn't touched for quite some time and reacquainted myself with them. One, my Schwinn Premis, has really been neglected these past several years. I bought this bike from an employee of Twin City Outboard while I was looking for parts for my ancient Johnson Sea Horse in about 2002. A little off topic here, but that's a great shop if you are a boat nut. They've got everything.

Anyway, the Premis was quite a step up from the Raleigh Eclipse I had been commuting on. Light and fast, this was the first true "go fast" bike I'd ever owned. While I think it's just a hair too tall for me (about 25" frame), I rode it for several years and it treated me very well. But as I became more of a commuter, the bike's lack of any cargo carrying or ability to fit fenders became more and more of a liability.

After I got my Jamis, the Premis became superfluous and hung in the garage full time. It deserves to be ridden. It's a great bike. I kept it around for a while thinking it would make a good fixie conversion. But the white components which scream 80s (along with the fade paint job) are still such a nice matched set I never had the heart to tear the bike apart. White components include: Dia-Compe Aero-Compe Brakes, Sakae cranks, Suntour Cyclone shifters and derailleurs.

I upgraded the handlebars to a set of Modolos with an anatomic bend that are wider than the original bars, but kept the white on white bar tape to match the hoods.

I also replaced the rear freewheel with a Shimano one after the original self destructed.

So if you're a taller fellow who is in the need of a classic steel ride, let me know. I want it to go to a good home.

Getting better all the time

The kids were away at Spanish Camp last week. When they returned, one brought home a virus and the other brought home tales of a crush on a young lad named Ethan. I wasn't super excited about either, but now that I've caught the bug and feel like crap, I can for certain say that's the greater of the two evils.

Saw the hand guy last week, surgery is not in my immediate future. I have a follow up for 30 days out, but he was optimistic about the signs of healing noted in my CT scan and newest x-ray. He did note that the break was all the way across the bone, not just the little chip I'd initially highlighted. I'm too lazy to go back and retouch the x-rays I posted earlier. You'll have to use your imagination.

I'll leave you with this gem: