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Heck, I’m happy to be north of 5 feet. Five foot eight is the stuff dreams are made of. And while I have plenty of junk around the house more than twenty years old, VCR player, Game Boy, and tax returns, I try to keep my technology and bikes in this era. Toys are fun.

CCrew, now I see why you don’t waste your time hanging out with us in the evenings.

Dances With Buses has spoken, that pretty much seals the deal. (Pardon me Sir, you promised me tigers and yet did not deliver.)

Now I just gotta find me some rope. Yee Haw.

ann

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Oh Liz, you are dead on the money. CCrew understood too, the bike is way more than I need to prance up and down the CCT or C&O. It was just great chemistry, love at first sight. I know I can handle this bike, he fits well in my hands, has great lines, and is what I’m looking for to roll over potholes, gravel, and small children. It is one of those, “I know it when I see it moments.” I’m just trying to talk myself out of it. But I’ll probably end up buying him drinks and luring him into my car.

ann

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Got the cape and I rock it- but Little Red Riding Hood I ain’t. I just walked out of Wakefield and watched two MTB people ride by wearing half of the forest. I have also seen them suited up in enough body armor to be on point in Kandahar. That combined with my poor sense of direction would result in many hilarious stories but…

And yet, I think he would be a nice addition.

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Definitely spend some time trying on shoes. The sizing seems to be different among the various brands. I just picked up a pair of white Giro Espadas that are an entire size larger than what I usually wear. These are better than my god-awful hideous starter pair, they are merely regrettably ugly. But they feel great.

Happy trails,
ann

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I’m with you on that. The last thing I want to do is show up somewhere looking like I’ve either been rassling a gator or I lost the championship round of a pro/am mud wrestling event (because obviously I would win :cool:). I trotted down to LBS and ended up with removable fenders, Raceblade XLs, and am happy with them. I can snap them on with heavy industrial-strength rubber straps, they stay in place, and I can ditch them as soon as the sun comes out. But that’s what works for me. I’m not a vehicular cyclist, I don’t commute. You may need something more sturdy.

Happy trails,
ann

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Yes, bright colors matter. We all want to see you around for very long time. Bright, garish colors, they work to keep you safe. And please get the best lights you can. Every precaution you can take to make you visible is worth it. Look for sales on clothing (kits) in August. Consider bib shorts. And comb through Dirt’s post on saddle sores.

Yes, it is a strange world. Welcome.

ann

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Yes, it is hard not to feel odd at first. The neon colors for starters, the strange way everything fits takes getting used to. I agree about the quality suggestion. I had cheap stuff to begin with and it looked fairly bad and felt worse. When I started wearing a better grade of shorts it made a big difference. The more you ride the more accustomed you become to the look. I just came back from a weekend at a race track and it seemed odd to me that the men did not shave their legs. That will be your next step…

Happy trails,
ann

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Only three? I’m jealous. On the bright side, I fell so often I stopped worrying about falling. Being a big baby I decided to ease myself into the system by staying clipped in on my non-dominant leg first. I kept my other leg free. Once I was comfortable with that arrangement I clipped in my other side when I had plenty of room to ride and not a lot of starting and stopping (intersections or small children). That cut down on most accidental rest stops on the pavement. Finally I got tough and forced myself to deal with it. That may have been last week. :cool:But in all seriousness I had to work out a plan to get used to the system. Being able to anticipate a stop well before it happened was key. Your mileage may vary.

Happy tails,
ann

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My favorite clown costume is at the cleaners, otherwise…No, it needs a very special home.

ann

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I know it’s hard to believe but sometimes a car is the elegant solution. (I will now go to New Jersey and hide at the Formula D event)

ann

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How did you guess there’s nothing I enjoy more than standing around in a bright orange sundress chatting with the construction guys?! I figured they seemed so friendly waving and saying, “Good morning” (I’m pretty sure that’s what they were saying) that I might as well talk to them and find out what they could tell me about the bridge.
:rolleyes:

ann

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I understand how you feel, I figure it’s just a matter of time before I get that particular ticket punched. I would never expect a passenger door to suddenly open without flashers or any warning. I’m glad you’re ok. I think we all react in the moment with the idea of jumping up, brushing ourselves off and getting away. The only thing you could have done would be to gather information from the driver, maybe type it into your phone. Again, thanks for the warning and the story. Glad you’re ok.

ann

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*cough* On behalf of your wife and her injured knee I’d like to point out it is possible to reach Carolina Brothers by car. Just sayin’.

ann

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Went out to the bridge today and all the barriers are in place, plenty of fencing on both sides. The entry/exit seems ok, it is a moderate curve. The bad news is it will be torn up again starting Monday. The guys working over there today told me the drainage pipes were not placed before the asphalt was poured.

ann

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Mr. Blacknell, oh wizened one, you are confused. Dirt’s most recent lecture was about saving men’s asses. Trust me on this, I’ve committed large sections to memory. Mr. Kelley is more like a Rescue Hero.

ann

PS- I am not kissing up in hopes of more swag, I’d never do that.

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