So Long, Summer!

Summer, for me, has become the season to endure. Hey, I’m a grandfather now and I just don’t tolerate the heat as well as I once did. So, in September when those tiny puffs of slightly cooler air roll in, I celebrate. It was about 67 degrees when I rolled out this morning, and it probably maxed out in the mid 80s today. That’s a significant shift from the last few months. I begin to see that summer might relent soon. The anticipation of a more refreshing time has over-taken me like a wave.

The time is now to plan ahead for (arguably) the best time of year.  Don’t miss it.

Rain Ride

I suppose that folks grow weary of cloudy skies and refreshing rainfall the I way I grow weary of glaring sunshine and hot blowing dust day after day. But today’s outing was especially delightful for me. Slightly cooler air came sweeping into north Texas early this morning. More importantly, the skies were cloudy and rainy.

I rode out to the “just now re-opened after the May flood” State Park for a fresh cup of coffee in the woods, and I was able to use some of my gear that I rarely use. My rain shell keep my body comfortable in hours of showers. My saddle cover kept my leather saddle dry, and my fenders kept the spray off my backside.

It’s still late summer in Texas for a few more weeks, but it was mighty refreshing out there today.

Seventh Annual Ramble

Save the date – Saturday, November 14, 2015

…because that is the day for the annual, but highly informal, bicycle ride I host from my home each year.  This will be the Seventh Annual Fall Finale 50ish Mile Country Path Ramble.  It’s a social ride intended for a relaxed, conversational pace to leisurely celebrate the usually pleasant weather we have here in north Texas in November.  We stop frequently for photos, snacks, or coffee brew-ups, and we take the better part of the day to cover approximately 50 miles of paved and un-paved rural county roads.

I’ll confess that I’m a little distracted by my upcoming trip to the DC area to visit my grandson (and his parents) in early October.  But I’ll post more details on the Ramble here in the future.  For now, I want any returning veterans of the ride to be able to plan in advance and invite their friends to join in.

You Can’t Have It All

UPDATE – 9-28-2015 – The Atlantis is sold.

As indicated in my previous post, I’m pondering a project bike. But I can’t have it all, so to raise funds, I’ve decided to sell the bike that represents the biggest overlap in function with my other bikes. Reluctantly, the Atlantis is for sale.

This is a wonderful bike, but my Hilsen gives me almost everything this bike does. The anticipated project, actually expands the functionality of the stable. So this one is available…

https://www.flickr.com/photos/28889177@N06/albums/72157647086408414

I’m thinking $1950 shipped CONUS, complete bike nominally, minus bags, racks, and pedals.  I’ll include the Maxxis Holy Rollers and Compass Rat Trap Pass tires if you wish.  We can negotiate partial build if needed.  I you want to talk details, please leave me a comment or contact me via email.

New Project Bike 2015

I’m not a huge bicycle tinkerer, but I do tend to think plenty about how to gain even more enjoyment out of my time on two wheels. That leads to buying new parts and accessories from time to time. Sometimes it leads to building up a new bike.

Mrs. Pondero and I were out organizing the garage recently. Actually, she was organizing and I was mostly standing around looking at stuff wondering where it all came from. Occasionally, I’d exclaim, “There it is!”

You know how it is. After awhile, you stumble across a few select loose bicycle parts laying around, and your mind begins to see a complete bicycle taking shape. You can see how everything fits together perfectly. You can visualize the final product.  Its glorious and it only needs a key select part here and there to make it a reality. It won’t even be all that expensive because, hey, you’ve already got a great head start right out of your parts bin!

So now that you understand where I’m coming from on this year’s project bike, and since I’ve made such quick progress, I’d like to go ahead and show you where I am on my project so far…

As my father-in-law used to say, “All I have to do…is finish up!”