Sunday, October 4, 2015

New Bike Day--A rolla for Coffeeneuring 2015

2015 hasn't been a great year for throwing down miles on the bikes for me.  As much as I'd like to blame laziness on my part, every major route that I take, whether it be on my commute, my daily utility rides to the store, or just a casual ride with family, it seems EVERY route is currently under construction.  Not nice construction either--the kind of construction that leaves the road grader marks and cutouts on the bike lane and the road. Ruts that would leave me broken, bruised and defeated for a lot longer than the construction on the routes.

The good news is, it's coming to an end and the roads are NICE and SMOOTH in areas where it is completed.  My commute to work route new bridge is almost finished, which will keep me on the road and not on some soft asphalt garbage path to a slick wooden walkway over water. Yep. I'm ready to get back in the saddle and start riding, with a much (albeit) smaller mileage goal by the end of the year.  I'm aiming for 1000 miles this year.  I had 2000+ last year.  So far I have 565 miles and have grown a Dunlap, which makes it even harder to ride long distances, but I plan to accomplish this as a small goal set! Unfortunately it'll be the first year since 2009 that I haven't accomplished a 'more miles than last year' goal.  Oh well.

Last week, on a whim in order to buy a very good tripod that I found on Craigslist for dirt cheap, my wife wanted me to, as a loaner for $75 for the tripod, put our camper on Craigslist to attempt to sell.  Been there done that before, and it was a pain.  Never sold.  Took it off C/L after about two weeks of b.s. calls from b.s. people.  Just a total turn off.

This time was different.  I got a call on it the same day.  Long story short, I sold the camper in two days, adding fun money to both me and wifey's savings account.

I think things happen for a reason. I'd been looking for a tandem bike for a while, and yesterday, two days after adding money to my savings, I noticed the 2004 Burley Rumba sitting in the parking lot of a secondhand, curio type shop on Hwy 98.

After our weekend thrift store stops, I decided to stop in and see what it was.  What it was, was AMAZING.  Updated FSA carbon front handlebars, Tiagra components and deore components, Nitto rear bars and a Selle Anatomica X front seat.  I stood over her.  She fit me perfectly.  My daughter, who was with me stood over the back.  She's the same height as my wife.  Fit her too.  This looks good.  Might want to ask for forgiveness rather than permission on this one.  I made a command decision after I talked with the shop owner regarding the amazing price I saw on it.  I couldn't turn it down.  I even brought an older Specialized Rock Hopper Front Suspension to knock an extra $100 off the price.

I ended up being able to knock 150 off the original price of the bike, bring the final price to $250.  $250!  For a 2004 BURLEY tandem Road bike with that much alone in Bars and seat.  Needless to say I was stoked--or maybe that should read stoker:) or not true at all, being that I'll be the Captain:).

My neighbor went with me to pick it up in his truck.  When we got this beautiful baby home, we took it around the neighborhood on a couple of test rides.  He's heavier than me, and, as a stoker, it made riding a tandem for the first time, a little weird feeling.  We were grinning the whole way though. Super fun to ride. Next, my daughter got on the stoker seat. It was much easier to control the bike with her weightless butt on the back!

I was starting to get the hang of riding it after my son got on. It was a little big for him, but he hung in there on the half mile ride.  Wifey grinned and giggled and said she was glad I bought it after we took it for our lap.  We expect it to be our mode of transportation for all our coffeeneuring rides this year.  Might not go overly far until we're used to it, but should be a fun blog this year anyway :)

Welcome Big Blue.  Good Bye (and riddance) Trailmanor 3326 and goodbye 98 Specialized Rockhopper.  You won't be missed!




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