The fall bike season slowly comes to a close

Some posts come out of a need to say something.  In fact most do.  This one though, is more of a..."I'm still alive and kicking" thing.  Nothing's really new except the Presidential election results and I'd rather not go there..  I'd kind-of like the President to define the word "Forward" for me, because it was his election slogan and nothing in his performance to this point looked anything like how I define the word.  I'm thinking he's not going to comply with my request, so I'm letting all that go.  When life hands you lemons, grab the tequila and salt...and just deal.

The last official fairly large local charity ride for this year came and went last weekend - Bike 26.2 with Donna. Donna Deegan was a local newscaster (she 'retired' to focus on her charity - the Donna Foundation) who is a 3 time breast cancer survivor. I did the ride as part of the North Florida Bike Club team, a group I started riding with in April. the ladies of the club made pink tutus for everyone to wear for the ride and while I'm not really the tutu type, it just sort of fit the day. When I rode up to the bunch of them, a woman declared "You need a tutu!" and it was all over.

 

 

That came after the 6th annual Bike MS weekend.  It's not their 6th annual, but it is mine.  I've found that over the years, while my enthusiasm hasn't waned all that much, that of my contributing sponsors has, which is understandable.  The first year there was a huge curiosity factor.  Most of my relatives questioned my ability to finish 150 miles on a bike over a weekend.  Now, having successfully done it a few times, they've come to view it as routine...easy for them to say.

 

So given all this, you could assume I've been spending a lot of time on the bike and you'd be right - so much so that I've started saddle shopping.  I boght my current (and probably last) road bike in April of 2010, and it now has a bit over 8,000 miles on it.  After the Donna ride, as I was wiping the road grime off it, I realized my current saddle is getting awfully worn.  The leather is starting to peel and pull away from the metal, so it's looking like time for a replacement, which is new for me.  I've never worn out a bike seat before, but hey, there's a first time for everything.

 

I might also have to actually buy some cold weather bike riding clothing.  In the past I just refused to get out there if the temp was under 50°, mostly because it doesn't get that cold here too often, but now I'm getting less willing to buy that excuse.  Maybe I'll have to ask Santa for some gear.

 

More TV season than bike season:

Best show currently on TV: Big Bang Theory

Second best show currently on TV: Duck Dynasty