The End of the Year

Things are lookin up for the New Year!
Hi All,
Well, welcome to the end of 2010, and a welcome to the new 2011. The new year brings new challenges, new triathlons, new bikes, and a new focus, too.

Play, Play, Play, Play!
We ended this year with joy and happiness as Amy, her husband Jon, and our granddaughter, Andy came and spent Christmas with us here in Palmdale. We had a wonderful few days and spent way too much time playin, and not a lot of time sleepin! Sadly Jon and family are safely back in Marana, and we will count the days until we see them again.

Today, I commenced my spin training regimen on the new 'Tri bike. With the new body position out over aero-bars the bike is a much different animal than I am used to riding. So, with help from my sister, Sue I am now going to spend a few weeks spinning indoors and really getting comfortable on the bike before I launch off on a 20 mile ride. The fact that we are in a very cold and windy time here helps to motivate me to the trainer.
I have also assembled my cold weather gear for commuting to work on the Surly. Gas in Palmdale has passed $3.30 a gallon, and that also motivates me to get off my duff and back into the habit of riding to work.

My Redline Needs a New Home!
Lastly, The fleet currently stands at four bikes, which means one has to leave. There is a three-bike limit here, and since I never have time to ride it the Redline Single-Speed has to go.
Here are the details...
2008 Redline 925 Single-Speed/fixed Gear
Size: 54 Cm
Wheels: 700 x 23.
Price: $250.00
A few minor scratches from commuting warfare on the train along with a few scars from the moving truck, but otherwise the bike runs pure and smooth. If you are interested, drop me a comment here. E mail or cell phone always are fine, too.
Let's get the New Year started!
Jim

Like Lafayette, I Have Returned

Sabaka says: "Thanks for stopping by!"

Hi all,
8 months. That’s how long it has been since my last post on this blog. It almost sounds like a confessional, but in this new age of social networking, Twitter, Phone Aps, etc. It is hard to keep up! Add in the fact that I ran out of things to say for a while, and 8 months have passed.

The 2009 Orbea Aletta 'Tri Bike
A lot of things have happened in those 8 months. The grandkids are bigger, the bike fleet is bigger, and my dreams of a second triathlon are bigger. There is almost too much news! So, for now, I will spend a few posts getting you up to speed, and moving forward.
The bike fleet has changed, and the plans for riding that fleet have changed too. The bike fleet is currently thus:

Recumbent: Barcroft Virginia GT. For enjoyable comfortable long rides.
Commuting: Surly LHT (Long Haul Trucker): Steel is Real, and nice saddlebags too.
Racing: Orbea Aletta Triathlon Bike. New to the fleet, a “Black Friday” bargain, composite aluminum/carbon frame. Built for SPEED, and Triathlons
Redline 925-Fixed Gear/Single-Speed. A nice moseying around bike; currently for sale. No time to ride, it, it hangs lonesome in the garage, begging for a ride.

A November rose. Lovely! (Then it dropped to 19 degrees...)
Winter is here in the desert, too. Our gardens from the spring posts have bloomed, grown, and wilted after a heavy freeze here in the Antelope Valley. I now base my workouts on the weather forecast, and the gardening can wait for planting in February.

The Surly ride to work, bike.
So, buckle your seatbelts. A new blog, with a new theme; riding all three bikes, training for triathlons, keeping you up to date on the grandkids, and no politics unless I am desperate to write an opinion. Throw in some of the local flavor of this windy desert place and there you have it. I welcome comments, witty asides, useful training advice, and even just a friendly wave.
It’s nice to be back.
Jim