vanity... one of the seven deadly sins! and a bicycle gets a second life...

another set of shots by Mark Blacknell from the Spring Diamond Derby
sad that he did not master the borrowed camera at the more recent Diamond Derby


these images are amusing for many reasons
not just because of my beastly size or my beastly beard
but also amusing because of the bike I am riding

being somewhat anti-road biker has given me a bit of an anti-road bike approach to things

sure... I have owned road bikes
and of course I have a few cyclocross bikes
but... in my need for new bikes
it just would not occur to me to purchase a road bike

and when my old road bikes fell to disrepair
I just left them hanging with no desire to put the time or money into resurrecting them


this all changed a few winters ago...

a random conversation with another father in the neighborhood at a neighborhood Holiday Party put this Trek road bike into my stable and into my life

the bike was more of a gift than a sale...
a hundred dollars for this awesome road machine that is no where as nice as the custom ride that this day had recently acquired


since I got this bike... I have ridden far more miles on this Trek road bike than I have ridden on any of my other bikes
getting on dirt is just not happening as much as I would like
and not as much as it should

post work rides and mid day loops on the road bike are my most standard routine
it is infrequent that I put the knobby tired bike on the roof rack and drive out the trails
I need to change that
but... until then... the road bike is working for me

this year I have RACED the Trek road bike about four times... no... I have not done any road races... not sure if that will ever happen for me
but... I have raced it four times
two Diamond Derby Events
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=Diamond+Derby
and then two Alley Cats
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=alley+cat
more specifically...
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=man+about+a+dog

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=fixt+of+fury

it is interesting...
not that I am in the market for a new bike
but...
I think I now have a place in my heart for the road bike


this bike is AWESOME!
but... it is a 60cm road bike
my guess... I am more than likely a 62
what would it be like to ride a road bike that actually fits?

I do not know...
I have never experienced it...
not with any of the road bikes I have owned... and I have owned dozens of road bikes in my life long love affair with the bike

but none of them fit
all of them were a tad too small

should I taunt myself by test riding a bike?
The Family Bike Shop is a Raliegh and a Giant Dealer
both of those manufacturers make some beautiful road bikes
I guess this is something to consider after I win the lottery


although I am not racing cyclocross now...
I think that I would replace my crusty and tired geared Specialized cyclocross bike

before I replaced the Trek road bike
the Trek is still rolling solid


The Family Bike Shop
http://familybikeshop.com/


Raleigh
http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/ 
Giant Bikes
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/

Gwadzilla Mention of The Family Bike Shop
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=the+family+bike+shop



Trek 2.3
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=trek+2.3
or just Trek
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=trek 
Christmas Eve
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=christmas+eve 









the musical hay bales is part of the fun