Resettting

The threat of rain was real:  By early afternoon, intense thunderstorms dumped two to four inches of rain, depending on where you were, on this area.  So I don't regret not having gone for a ride today. 

I don't mind riding on a warm, rainy day.  But the lightning looked particularly dangerous today.  I'm glad I wasn't out in some open area when it struck.

The rain has continued into this evening.  I had the opportunity to catch up on a few things, one involving a writing project.  That I did them earlier than I'd planned means that I'll get to bed earlier tonight.  That will be good, for I've wanted to reset my clock so I can go out for some early morning rides.   I plan to do that tomorrow, with Lakythia, my new riding partner.  

Believe it or not, I once had a year in which I rode 361 days. Back then, I would have been pouty and nasty and worse over missing a day of riding.  But I think I needed this day.  I would not have understood something like that back in the day.

Another Mercian?

If you've been reading this blog, you know that I never, ever do anything irrational.  Right?

So, what I just did doesn't qualify as irrational. Perhaps if I were more religious, or were still enamored of Kierkegaard, I would say it was a leap of faith.  To those who know me best, it might just be a typical act of visionariness (Is there such a word?) or pure and simple insanity.

What did I just do?  I've bid on another bike on eBay.

However, it isn't just any bike:

It's a 1997 Miss Mercian. The fellow who's selling it bought it after a hip injury prevented him from using a diamond (or "men's") frame.  He set it up, he says, as a tour/commute bike.

If I were rich, I would buy the bike just to give it a good home.  And, yes, that is one of my intentions.  However, I thought of some practical ways in which I could use the bike.

The frame size is a centimeter bigger (at the seat tube) than any of the Mercians I now have.  And its top tube is a centimeter and a half longer.  If the bike fits the way I think it will, I might swap the drop bars for North Road-style bars, or Porteur bars (like the ones on Helene) on a stem with a shorter reach.  And, of course, I'll change the saddle.  Then it might become my transport bike.  (In that case, I might even put drop bars  on Helene.)

I've given myself a limit as to how high I'll bid because the bike is in England, which means that shipping it will be expensive.  But I do like the way the bike looks.  And I don't think I would change anything else, at least in the beginning, besides the bars and saddle.  The components are all good-quality, and the bike has a rack and fenders.

The auction for the bike ends Sunday afternoon.  This will give me something to obssess over between now and then!

The Day After An After-Work Ride

After yesterday's spontaneous after-work adventure, I just did a normal commute today, over one of my normal routes.  But, as the weather was about ten degrees (F) hotter than it was yesterday, and the humidity rose in tandem with the temperature, the normal commute was more of a workout than it usually is.  Plus, Marianela is a considerably heavier than Helene.  She can't help it; she's got heavier tubes in her frame.  At least she doesn't seem to have body image issues.

And I won't, either, even though my students surprised me with this today:

Hmm..,Maybe I should've taken another ride after work!