Some of us pine for our youth---or at least some parts of it.
Me, I wouldn't want to have to live it again as someone for whom the "M" box was checked off on her birth certificate. But I wouldn't mind doing, again, some of the things I did in those times. And I certainly would be happy to be in the kind of physical shape I was in for the fifteen or so years before my gender transition.
At age 40, I was something of a hero to the guys with whom I used to ride, some of whom were about half my age. For a time, I was riding my Land Shark with 56-42 chainrings and an 11-21 nine-speed cassette. And my knees never hurt. Nothing ever felt stiff, either.
But I had nothing on whoever rode this bike:
Now, whoever that person is, his or her mechanical skills didn't match his or her riding abilities-- or that person had a terrible mechanic: The front fork is on backward.
Then again, perhaps it was meant to be. After all, someone would ride with such a big chainring only for a motor-paced record attempt. For such a ride, the cyclist would want the shortest wheelbase possible and the lowest possible amount of air resistance.
I don't know who might have ridden this bike or what record he or she might have broken. But, from what I can see, the chainring has 124 teeth!
Me, I wouldn't want to have to live it again as someone for whom the "M" box was checked off on her birth certificate. But I wouldn't mind doing, again, some of the things I did in those times. And I certainly would be happy to be in the kind of physical shape I was in for the fifteen or so years before my gender transition.
At age 40, I was something of a hero to the guys with whom I used to ride, some of whom were about half my age. For a time, I was riding my Land Shark with 56-42 chainrings and an 11-21 nine-speed cassette. And my knees never hurt. Nothing ever felt stiff, either.
But I had nothing on whoever rode this bike:
 |
| From DoobyBrain.com |
Now, whoever that person is, his or her mechanical skills didn't match his or her riding abilities-- or that person had a terrible mechanic: The front fork is on backward.
Then again, perhaps it was meant to be. After all, someone would ride with such a big chainring only for a motor-paced record attempt. For such a ride, the cyclist would want the shortest wheelbase possible and the lowest possible amount of air resistance.
I don't know who might have ridden this bike or what record he or she might have broken. But, from what I can see, the chainring has 124 teeth!
That chainwheel is only missing drillium!
ReplyDeleteSteve--You're right. That chainring would definitely look better with holes in it!
ReplyDelete