bikeportrait

Me and my Masi Speciale Fixed. This is my only bike, having sold my 24-speed Dawes Lightning 1000 last year as it just sat there gathering dust and rust. Leah also sold her 24-speed Novara, leaving her with a singlespeed/fixed Redline 925 and her Texas 4000 team bike, the sleek and sexy Felt Z85. So, we have gone from a five-bike household to just three. We simply didn't have the space and I, personally, haven't had a need for gears for a couple of years. I did 60 miles on this bike on an organized, supported ride and that is probably my maximum anyhow at one go.

Currently, the Masi is set up for fixed gear (I used the freewheel only once when I purchased it, almost three years ago), with a ratio of 46/16. Newish Panasonic Panaracer Pasela TourGuard (Kevlar-lined) tires which, after some initial installation missteps on my part, have turned out to be super reliable. I also switched out the stock pedals and stainless steel toe-cage upgrades (complete with brown leather straps) for some Shimano PD-M520L SPD (some of Leah's hand-me-downs) and went with a simpler, chrome Kona drop-down bar/stem system (after flirting with a straight bar set-up for a while). So, between the SPD shoes and the drop-down configuration I can really tackle the hills; I really feel like I am pulling myself up it rather than simply pushing. In other words, I am a more efficient climber now. Oh yeah, that red thing on the stem is a Knog silicon cycle computer, a must-have, really.

Not much else to say, really. This self-portrait probably doesn't make a lot of sense now but it will later, I think.

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In other news: today has been absolutely fucking bonkers (hence a less creative, action-orientated SP) trying to get this syllabus created for my upcoming class on Thursday (and another on Monday). In fact, I should quit messing around on here and get back to that. Heading out for this shot and picking up the fifty bucks (!) worth of dry-cleaning has been the only break. Well, that and all morning on Blip. Okay, back to it! Cheers, friends.

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What is up with this sweet homemade Blip shirt?!

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just in case you cannot get enough.