So, I bought a new race bike last Thursday. The next day I got $30 worth of new parts upgrades and spent a few hours making modifications to fine tune the geometry. A few numbers: 69deg Head angle, 67deg Seat angle, 11" BB height, 20" Standover, 12.5" Chainstays, 19" Top Tube. Tires are Goodyear's 16" version of the Comp III. Saddle is the SDG BigBoy. Why put together such a contraption? For the 2008 Pixie Repack in Colorado Springs, of course. Very short LeMans start followed by 4 miles of winding dirt road descent and 1 mile of pavement. Coming into the first corner, you could smell buring grease and rubber from everyone's shoes and coaster brake. I made sure to go as fast as I dared and use the coaster brake just enough to keep myself out of trouble (they can seize if overheated). About 2 thirds through, I hear the guy behind me, coming up really fast and really out of control. So, I move to the left to get out of his way and also begin to laugh, as I find this situation quite amusing. Not only do I get passed, but the guy isn't even on his bike. Needless to say, this is the funniest damn thing I've witnessed since the last pixie get together and I find myself cracking up for the remainder of the race. I managed to pass a couple more riders on the pavement, which seems to have put me ahead of all the other racers who didn't have a hand operated brake in addition to the coaster. Average speed was close to 20mph(!). There's a good possibility that I'll put up a couple more detailed pictures of Peppermint Swirl and all its white and pink and square tube glory... Notice how in the first photo, Chris is already dragging both his feet and already off the saddle as he passes me; in the original file, you can see me grinning very widely. The second photo shows the splashdown.
In other news, my Volvo guy replaced a few bushings and installed my new Bilsteins today. It's like driving a new car. Not only is my ride much smoother and quieter, but the extra stability and consistency from the suspension will allow me to take corners a little bit faster, thus saving gas. Next on the to-do list is a new set of slightly larger, much less cracked and much more round tires.
