Snow Ride

I haven't been out on the bike since November. Part of the reason is that it's not in the best of shape, with brake problems (the pistons are sticking), shock problems (the stanchions are worn, and the forks are too obsolete for easy replacement), in addition to general maintenance issues: I just replaced the shifter cables and housings, which improved shifting 100%, or would have if the rest of the bike weren't in pieces...

I've slowly been trying too get this situation under control, and brought the brakes over for service, ordered new tires, started looking into getting new brakes, and -- started shopping around for a new bike. I stopped by Cutter's Bike shop and picked up their Specialized 29" full-suspension demo bike yesterday, with plans to ride "first thing" this morning.

Well, one thing led to another, and I didn't feel well this morning (allergies/sinus/asthma/headache, but mostly headache), and it was all I could do to get out of the house by 2:00 -- I was immediately glad I did, despite the cold, the weird "not my bike" feel of the demo, and the painful realization of how out of shape I was. My headache disappeared almost immediately, my nose and chest opened up as I got warmed up, and the day itself was beautiful, with just a dusting of snow on the ground and flurries falling through scattered sunlight. (I rode at Sals, by the way, which could explain both the beauty and the beatdown.)

The bike? It took some getting used to, it certainly doesn't corner as well as the Turner (it held a wider turn radius than I usually intended, and I didn't really feel confident enough to get aggressive), and the shifting/braking were a little different, but by about halfway through the ride I started to get comfortable with it. I have it for another day or so, and I'll see how we adapt to each other over the next few rides.

This is only my first test bike. I have a feeling I'll be getting a 29-er, so this was a good way to test the waters, but we'll see what further research brings.