Okay, I realize the house has stalled but frankly I've been really burned out on it. I made a lot of progress before the family got here but it was mostly cleaning up and buying some Ikea stuff to flesh out the kids room. Since getting the house my "fun" time has tanked. I'm not bitter about it as I love the house and really enjoy working on it but I need balance and that means time to just play.
Today was one of those days.
Perhaps the most fun day I've ever had on a bicycle - which is saying a lot. I've known Sean since shortly after I moved here but we've never been able to align our schedules to get out for a ride. Sean suggested getting out this week and I blocked out the day and this morning he showed up at the house with two of his bikes.
Dreams do come true.
I dig bicycles like I dig motorcycles - as the distilled essence of two wheeled transportation. One with a motor and one without. Also, I've vowed to get back in shape and they're great for that. They're also beautiful objects in their own right. Anyway, I'd planned on riding my old Cannondale but once I saw the two titanium lovelies on the rack I shelved that idea.
We headed out to Browns Camp, a place I've ridden both on moto and on MTB's and so it was a good place to get to know the bikes. Sean started me on the "fat bike" which I've seen develop into a thing but frankly haven't understood as they just seem so ponderous and heavy. The Vertigo fat bike is not fat, at all. It's about 25lbs but feels even lighter. I'd guessed it was maybe 19 or 20 it felt so light. Have you ever picked up a bicycle thinking it would be heavy and almost toss it into the air? That was the fat bike.
One thing I really didn't want to miss was the chance to bring a camera and get a couple of shots. The bikes are so beautiful I literally couldn't stop looking at them every time we stopped.
This bike had more grip than any bicycle I've ever experienced. Sections I've had to walk for lack of skill this bike floated up. It was a real revelation and a very light, fast and nimble bike. If you've never ridden a fat bike you should try it - it is way different than you might expect. After two hours of climbing and descending I was pretty convinced this would be my next bike.
But I wanted to ride the other bike Sean brought: a 27.5+ bike with Shimano electronic shifting. In the time I bought the house and sold my last mountain bike the world moved on from 26" tires and 29" and 650B (27.5") became dominate. This is a new size, essentially a 27.5 but with a very wide 3+" tire that splits the difference from a fat bikes monster rubber and the narrower 2+" traditional tires.
Within the first 10 feet of riding this bike I knew I had to have one. I have never, in my life, experienced a bicycle like this before. It was fast and light, sure, but the handling was the quickest I've ever experienced but never nervous. All I had to do was think and the bike went there. I again road stuff I've walked and was just amazed, riding with my jaw open for the next two hours. I think the best way to describe the bike was what I told Sean at the end of a super fast, narrow, twisty descent; this was the most fun bicycle I've ever ridden and it made me want to ride it every day all day until my legs collapsed. Seriously, it wasn't just a little better, it was worlds better.
Here's a photo of my next bike:
Alright, mine probably won't have the electronic shifting but otherwise I'm sold on the wheel size and the rest of the bike. It was sublime and the glow I'm feeling is only partly the burn in my legs!
Sean, thanks so much for the opportunity to ride such an amazing pair of bicycles. I'm looking forward to working with you to build one sometime this next year.
Gregor
