I was away on a business trip yesterday and today, which meant no riding for two days. I did, however, have a chance to brush up on my Japanese by watching some Japanese TV in the hotel, and, of course, chatting with the taxi drivers, hotel attendants, waiters and waitresses, etc... I love having a real chance to practice my (as yet very weak) language skills.
Brian, however, did get out for a ride. He picked up an old, old, old, bicycle, which he stripped and rebuild into a sort of vintage road/ cross bike. He loved the feel of it, he said. The smoothness of the tires, the fluidity of the ride as he cruised along the early morning streets. Unfortunately, the bike frame is a little too small for Brian; but (and more unfortunately still) it has given him a taste for the road. He is now browsing the Yahoo Japan auction looking at road bikes in his size.
Having been a roadie, I do understand the draw. I myself am afraid of sampling a road bike again, for fear that I will immediately buy another road bike.
Riding mountain and riding road are both intoxicating - but in different ways. When I used to be a roadie and would cover 100 to 120 km in a single ride, the distance and the speed were where the high came from. Riding mountain, neither distance nor speed are so important; rather, it is endurance and technical skill that come into play. In both, road and mountain, strength is a crucial part of success.
2 comments:
As a road rider I can attest to the lure of the road, but it is a different head from what I have seen of Mountain bikers. The bulk of roadies I have met are insufferable snobs. Almost every mountain bike I have met has been pretty friendly.
Speed is the great lure of the road, but it is also the great danger of the road. Car drivers don't expect cyclists to be cruising between 40 and 50 Kph and almost always misjudge your speed. Other cyclists who are out for leisure also have a hard time estimating speed and frequently do not hold a line when cycling.
Still - you know once you've been bitten by the bug you can't go back.
My Tracy,
Tell Brian that I have a Specialized Allez M2 Pro 1999 56 or 58cm frame, carbon fiber fork and headset. I would like to let go because I am running out of room and we have six road bikes between us. It is almost brand new, I put about 100 miles on it and decided it was too big for me. I bought the frame new off of eBay last year, got the fork and headset from performance.
It is red and black in color, Cheryl calls it the King Snake, I call it Nicole, as in Kidman.
Let me know, I will let all three items go cheep, and will pack and ship myself so it won’t be that much. Then all you need is to pick up the rest of the components.
Thanks
Mr. RJ
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