Brooks Be Gone

Today, I reluctantly removed the Brooks saddle from my Surly...

Why would I do such a thing?

Was it because of style?  Absolutely not!  The Brooks is classy and gorgeous.

Was it because of comfort?  No way!  My Brooks is just that - mine.  It conforms perfectly to my butt and is by far, the most comfortable saddle I've ever sat on - bar none.

The reason for the switch is really quite simple.  The Surly has become my go-to, commuting steed. The perfectly seasoned Brooks saddle stamps a nice brown stain on the posterior region of my britches.  Trust me, this definitely distracts from my sex appeal.  To avoid said distraction, I am forced to wear lycra to and from work.  While such attire is certainly sexy on my perfectly formed glutes, I prefer to be more subtle.  Furthermore, I am forced into the hassle of carrying a changing of clothes to and from work.  Of course, there is another option to avoid the big brown stain...

...a big brown bag.  So much for style and comfort.  It was time to make the switch to a more functional saddle for commuting...

Now it's back to riding in plain clothes.

- no more big brown stain!
- no more carrying a changing of clothes!!
- no more cheesy seat cover!!!
- no more being the cause for countless women lusting in their heart!!!! 

Recreational Sabatical

With my bike tour of the Adirondack's of upstate New York now completed, I must let my faithful readers in on a little secret.  I am effectively taking a sabbatical, of an undetermined length, from recreational cycling.

I have been riding bikes seriously for more than 20 years.  During that time, I have spent countless hours from home.  My family, especially my wife, has made huge sacrifices.  A few months ago I told my wife that once my Adirondack Tour was over, I was going to hang the bike up for a season and focus on getting work done around the house.  My wife heard me loud and clear and took me up on the offer.

With that being said, I comfort my faithful flock with these words.  I will continue to ride my bike for utility purposes.  Therefore, I will continue to blog about all things bike related in the genre of utility riding.  I hope to be back to recreational riding by Spring, but I have a lot of stuff to do between now and then, so we will see.

Smokin

"You're an idiot! But you can't tell an idiot that he's an idiot because he's an idiot!!".

Those were my loving wife's parting words as I walked out the house to ride to work this morning. What would make such a lovingly, kind, soft hearted woman like my wife utter such words of contempt? The following picture provides a clue to the answer of that perplexing question...

The haze in this picture is not fog, nor is it due to a defect in my camera. It is smoke from a distant wild fire that was blown into the area overnight. As I rode to work with burning, teary eyes, I couldn't help but thinking that maybe my wife was onto something.