Tight Fit

So what's with the new bike?  Why is this happening at all?  Have we not been down this road before?

To completely break down my over-thoughten thought process could take days, a bike geek manifesto of sorts.

Possible explanations.

1. I like trying to shove a square peg in my round hole.

2. I feel the need, the need for non-pharmaceutical speed.

3. I need a distraction (that's The Pie's theory).

4. I sold all my "Mayan apocalypse preparedness" supplies on eBay, and now have surplus monies.

I started thinking about doing something different.  Using what was available, I considered putting a dropper post and a 140mm fjork on the Dickstickel Meatplow V.6 and saving some additional duckets to go towards crabon Industry Nine race wheels for 2013.

Then I thought better of it.

I considered buying another single speed.

A MOOTS perhaps.  Thad calls me quarterly to plant the seed.  Inception style, but I'm only slightly awake while we're on the phone.  He knows deep down I want the magic metal, and he has the means to aid in the acquisition.  My mind is weak, his mustache influence is strong.

But now, as an active member of the Faster Mustache race cycling team of bikes, I am sponsored by a LBS (Local Bike Smithery).  Bike Source is a huge Specialized dealer.  How about a single speed from the Big S?

That would be silly.  Another rigid single speed.  Biggest advantage being that it's black.  Biggest drawback being that it's not white.  Skip it.

So what to do?

How about acknowledge my desire to occasionally ride Pisgah faster than a single speed hard tail will allow?  How about taking advantage of the many technological advances that have occurred since I last tried and failed to love the squishy/shifty bits? How about taking (another) leap of faith?

I've always had a foolish sense of pride when I pare down the fleet to single speed only status.  Pride cometh before the fall, and it's winter already.  Screw pride once more.

Over the past few months, some conversations have taken place.  I have fully perused the internet for information.  The bike has built itself in my head.  I could picture in my mind that I was going to achieve perfection.  I realize I might end up hating it, just as I stare at a plateful of cookies, know better than to eat them all, can visualize the fat cells attaching to my ass, and eat them anyways.

So will this bike be like so much regrettable fat on my ass?  We will see.  The rest of the parts should be here next week, including a surprise (to you, not me) from Industry Nine.  Planned maiden voyage for the weekend of January 12.