You had plans for both of us...

That involved a trip out of town.

So much and so little going on...

I decided while I was in Breckenridge hobbling about, I was going to stop pussy-footing and just get a Vassago Radimus.

It's not because the Vassago Optimus Meatplow V.8 dumped me into a formidable, unmovable object on July 16th.  Well... mebbe.  It's mostly because when I bought it, I wanted another single speed that wasn't turgid.  Something "fun."  I decided on a slightly custom Optimus that I thought mebbe I'd race and then I never did and then I swapped the 120mm Step Cast for a 140mm 34, essentially making it a little more Radimus'ish... but not really.

A few months ago, my buddy Rich showed up for a ride on his Radimus, and whaddaya know?  The small has been redesigned to fit two bottles and now I'm scratching my head and shaking my piggy bank.  Even though I just got a new bike, I'm still YOLO'ing hard in my latter LO days.

This is what I want.

Up at 6:25AM this morning and making hay.

Of course, now that I have two bikes with more modern geometry, I'm staring at my Vertigo Meatplow V.7 and wondering what will come of all this.  Do I need a modern geometry turgid bike, or is turgid just turgid, and I'll use it when I feel like being stupid, and that's that?

Dunno.

Speaking of being stupid...

I don't think I've taped my ankle since high school cross country.  I don't see myself getting through the Shenandoah Mountain 100 without having the added stability of the tape.  I can pedal just fine, but getting janky in the gnar and especially walking is kinda meh.  I've been trying to imagine how much walking I'll have to do, what with being shifty-enabled for the first time ever at a hundie.  I can easily imagine four or five places where I'll be limp-hobbling up a steep incline, despite all the shifty bits.

I'm no Christian Tanguy...

A million years ago, Thom from DirtWire TV interviewed Christian after his big SM 100 win.  

"I see you're wearing road shoes.  What did you do at the hike-a-bikes?"

"Ahhhhhhhh... what eez "hike-a-bike?"

And there you have it.

I wish I was going into my first ever geared hundie in better health, but it is what it is. Now I'm just hoping that I'll be able to finish.  I've already told myself that if there's any sign that I'm fucking my ankle/leg/foot/whatever up even further, I'm going to pull the plug.  I've got a ten day van ramble coming up with Bill Nye (including some serious side hill WV spectating at the World Cup in Snowshoe), so I'd rather lose the day than ANOTHER entire trip.

Race report (or not) next week.