Bike's getting swagger (adjective, not noun; pretty sure the noun is spelled "swagga"). I'm still pretty much the same. Oh yeah, except I'm twenty-one now. As of today. So, that's a cool, new thing. But speaking of cool, new things, let's peep the swag:
CatEye Velo 9 Cyclocomputer:
Got this lil' guy for $20. Haven't tinkered around much with it, but so far, it seems to work pretty well. For its compact size, it's got an impressive range of functions: current/avg/max speed, elapsed time, calorie consumption, trip/total distance, a clock (surprisingly awesome thing to have attached to your bike), and carbon offset meter.
I don't really trust calorie consumption things much unless they're based on a heart rate monitor, but s'ok -- I'm just riding my bike to ride my bike. The carbon offset thing is pretty neat, though. Little bit of a morale booster. It gives you a read of your carbon offset in kg by multiplying your trip distance (km) by 0.15, which is some magic number determined by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Tourism. ("Ministry" -- hehe.). It's the grams of CO₂ emitted from the average vehicle's 1km drive. I read somewhere a person exhales 0.9 kg CO₂ /day, so I'd have to ride at least 3.7 mi/day to offset my mere existence*.
*if my existence was comprised of simply me sitting naked in the middle of the woods not using any electricity or having any material possessions. In which case, I wouldn't even have this little bike computer, or a bike. Or if I did, I'd have to factor in the CO₂ emissions from the entire manufacturing+shipping process for both and then account for that appropriately by biking more to offset more...but then I'd probably be heaving and breathing more from biking so much, thus emitting even more carbon dioxide. And, you know, biking naked would be entirely uncomfortable, so I'd probably have to get some clothes. Oh my god now I've burdened myself with envirostential guilt; I wonder how much CO₂ emissions/day a single person is responsible for from the life-cycle analysis perspective.
Oh my god humans are parasites.
I'M A MONSTER.
Onward.
Brooks leather bar tape:
The bar tape has been broken in by its previous owner and so it comes to me supple and tanned. It's soft but sturdy + tough. Feels great to pull back on it when I'm riding. It wasn't too difficult to put on. The handlebars are plugged with cork, which is a classy little finishing touch. I snagged the bar tape + saddle off a bike that was originally advertised on Craiglist, but then the guy decided to just dismantle it + sell it for parts and offered me the bar tape, saddle + rain cover, and a tin of Proofide leather dressing all for $100. (Brand new would've cost about $225.00. COOL, RIGHT?!)
Brooks B17 Narrow saddle
I've been drooling over Brooks saddles for, um, a good while. They're just so sexy. And imagining breaking that leather in -- best not get me started. But of course, what's form without function? Why opt for a hard and [initially] unforgiving leather saddle when I could treat my cheeks to a nice gel cushion? The saddle, though I bought it technically secondhand, is brand new. Great because this means it'll be broken in to form to my shape and my shape only. Not so great 'cause of the whole breaking in process. I expect the first tens of miles to be painful and rigid. The leather really needs to mold to my bones. A gel saddle, on the other hand, would be super comfortable initially, but for long rides over a long lifespan, probably going to get some major butt pains. See, all you're really sitting on when you bike is your "sit bones." Sit on your hands real quick and you'll feel what I'm talking about. They're the reason cyclists' race bikes have those buttfloss-esque seats; the sit bones are supported and impress upon the saddle. The gel saddle squishes up and pushed on the tissue past your sit bones and that's what'll get ya in the long rides. Plus, the gel will move around, compress and get weird over time -- not exactly made to last.
But(t), I mean, regardless, 50 miles a day is gonna feel like, well, 50 miles in one day.
I just have to not remind myself of that over the next couple of months I'm breaking my new guy in. I am fully aware of (yet unprepared for) how painful this process will be.
But by god will it be rewarding.
And to wrap it all up, here's me feeling up the bar tape and being a perfectionist about its alignment, tautness, etc. It was fun.
Now, I snagged the saddle and the handlebar tape for a great deal via Craigslist ($100 for both, including a seat cover and leather upkeep oil), all of which would cost $316 new. ZING.