Back on steel

My tri bike is all lonely and unused in Texas right now, and, for this winter at least, it's me and my old road bike. It's done it's job like a true workhorse over the years. It carried me from my first triathlons all the way through my first ironman. I've learned how to repair and maintain a bike, all using the roadie as a guinea pig. Some experiments were a success. Others... unsuccessful, but not ultimately damaging.

What's kind of nice is that I believe I've now gotten the bike into the best condition it's been in since it was new in 2001. Granted, it's got some dings and scratches and the drive train is a little worse for wear -- but over the years it's received a new fork, headset, saddle, wheels, and other small parts. I also just spent an otherwise glum Thursday evening cleaning the grime out of every nook I could get to.

Why am I writing about my bike when, normally, I don't talk about my bikes that often, instead choosing to gush about $60 running shoes? Well, there's a chance that this bike doesn't have much racing life left in it. At least, not without some significant purchases. Then the issue becomes: do you overhaul or just buy a new bike? Either way, it's pricey. And I have another bike anyway.

I guess I'm just a little down. If I agonize about throwing away old sneakers, imagine what it will be like if I need to scrap what cost significantly more.

But whatever, he's still got something left in him -- and we'll see what's there all winter on the trainer and in this spring's races.

Note: In reading this over again, I can tell I'm sentimental here: I've switched from "it" to "him" by the last paragraph.