Time to put away childish things

Friday's expected expectations were met... until they weren't.

Saturday was full of win. 

The details of the full story are numerous, tedious, obnoxious in their minutia and quantity.

The end result was this:

The last time you saw this my Misfit diSSent Brontoawesomeous Meatplow V.5 was back in October.

Not much was said then.  Most assumed it was moving on to a new owner.  It was not.  The plan was to remove the powder coat that wasn't supposed to be a white/black fade (but was) and start anew with an ano'ed finish.

The plan was just that; a plan.

Like most plans, things didn't go quite as planned.

The frame was forgotten for awhile, then attacked with vigor.  The powder coat put up quite the unexpected fight.  The bottle bosses melted away in a solvent tank. The eventual Easter egg pink to black fade on bead blasted finish wouldn't take decals.  I was left with a task that took most of Saturday to do, but it was done...

For the most part.

I missed this bike so much, and efforts went well into the night to ensure that it would be rideable on Sunday.  Before the putting of wheels to dirt, I half-assedly mounted up my Awesome Strap and snapped some photos before I got it mud splattered.  I was in a hurry, but knew that I would remember to snug up the strap later before hitting the trail.

As I was packing my things, I couldn't find my Tülbag.   I tore the house apart looking for it.

This particular Tülbag has all my single speed needs. Certain things I could never replace.

That chain tool, the snap on 8mm fitting... gone.  Don't remember the last time I saw it.  Don't remember the last time I used it.  If it's out there, whoever found it has my old driver's license... and my address... and enough cash for postage.

I mourned its loss for 45 minutes and headed out the door to ride over to the short track race.

The brakes felt funky.  They'd been lying on my secondary bench for months, exposed to God knows what.

Contaminated.

I squirted them with my water bottle and kept riding, hopeful that it would all work out, doubtful that it would.

I decided to ride the three miles of trail that stands between my house and the race course.  Anxious to feel my now sub-19lb (no powder coat and an Ikon 2.35 mounted up front) single speed deliver the goods, I gassed it.  Inspired by my old trusty steed, I went as fast as I could, ignoring the lack of braking power available.  After a few close calls, I shoulda backed off. 

I didn't.

I hit the old drop-in that I've done a thousand times if I've done it once.  My wheels hit the ground rolling fast and smooth... straight towards a tree.

"No problem.  Just scrub some speed and adjust a little to the right..."

There was no scrub or adjustment.  Full speed was maintained and my course remained uncorrected.

Until impact.

The huge crack I heard was not my helmet or bone.  I snapped off part of the tree with a precision shoulder check.  My bell was rung.  My spirit broken.  I rode the rest of the way out with less exuberance and more brake squealing than I could stand, so I adjusted the volume on my iPod appropriately. 

I exited the trail and looked down at my bike wishing I woulda taken the time to address the brake issue that I was too lazy to do anything about.

I also looked at my empty Awesome Strap.

Doh.

I had put it on loosely for the photos, sure that I would snug it down before going for a real ride.  I did not.

Backwards on the trail, asking oncoming riders if they had seen my shit, getting told I was going the wrong way, finding my MAXXIS tire lever and CO2, but not the tube... just a matter of yards from where I crushed the tree.

I'm super stoked to have my bike back.  I love this thing and it has been missed terribly.  This is my best all-around bike of much satisfaction.  It will be even better when I get the brakes back up to snuff.

If any experts out there know how to get decals to stick to POLISHED ALUMINUM, please let me know.  The frame was polished with Mother's, and I cleaned it with alcohol prior to applying decals, yet the adhesion is not first-rate.  Practical assistance required.