The first century

This is post number 100 for this blog. I'm pretty amazed that I've actually kept up with it as much as I have. Golden was asking me the other night how I came up with something to write about every day. I told her that I just sit down and start writing and see what comes out. Well, that isn't the whole story. I've found myself kind of mentally narrating events in my life as the happen. This is not the best thing to do, especially when mountain biking. I was thinking about what I would write about the ride WHILE I was riding and then, the next thing you know, I'm testing the soil firmness with my right hip.

In honor of the 100 post milestone, I want to share with you a review of my new mountain bike. I've actually been piecing it together for many months, but Sunday was the first time I've been able to ride it.



The stats:
BMC Team Elite 01 Frame (aluminum with carbon seat tube and seat stays)
FOX FRLT 80 shock
XT Drivetrain
Mavic Crossmax ST-Disc wheelset
AVID Juicy Carbon disc brakes
Michelin MUD tires
Truvativ Carbon seatpost
Selle Italia Flite XC saddle
Ritchey WCS bar and stem with WTB grips



There are a lot of things that I am not used to about this bike. I have never ridden any mtn. bike that wasn't made of steel, I have never used disc brakes of any sort, and I have never ridden wheels that I didn't build myself. With that being said, this bike rides phenomenally! The frame is much stiffer that the Reynolds 853 frameset that I have been riding for the past 6 years, but the carbon stays and seat tube dampened the harshness of the ride. The bike feels very nimble and light. The wheels track as straight and true as lasers. They have extreme lateral stiffness due to the spoke material and mavic's proprietary lacing technology, which in turn accounts for their steering precision. The disc brakes were the one change I was most leery of, I was afraid they would have that off/on, no modulation quality that so many cheaper disc brakes seem to have. Nothing could be further from the truth. They modulated as well, or better, than my AVID v-brakes and provided confidence during descents because I knew I could slow down quickly and in control, if needed. I had all kinds of little-kid style fun and I am extremely smitten with this bike. Maybe another ride this Sunday, perhaps...

Now, on to something a little more important. The weather is looking pretty grim for tomorrow, so while you're stuck inside, why not drop an email to the Lenoir City Council and express your desire that a recycling center be built within the city limits. It'll only take a few minutes and after all, they work for us, don't they? Plus, it would appear that we are already paying for one, given the $10 recycling charge that we are all paying and the subsequent $75,000 fund that the city possesses. Wouldn't it be really progressive to actually build it?