A lot has happened since I wrote to you last. Being a life long learner is in some ways a really good thing, but in other ways it could be just feudal waste of time. But time is all we have and we are going to spend it someway, so I vote that learning is the way to go. Pick a subject. Any subject. Most things just about everyone can do, but very few are the BEST at it. Golf? Anyone can get some clubs and go hit golf balls, but there is only one Tiger. Cycling? Only one Lance. A mechanic can go to the finest school and absorb all the learning thrown at him, but there is a difference in ability compared with those who have talent and experience, opposed to those that don't. We all have a special talent, it just depends on if we apply it to what it is. I don't know what my special talent is yet, that's why I am not world famous. It's not because I haven't been applying myself, kind of like trying pin the tail on the donkey. Don't get me wrong, I am having so much fun, maybe that's the key to this whole term here in humanlifedom.
I got my Specialized Roubaix out of layaway. I was so proud to get it, and of course show it off. The first guy I showed it to, snuffed a little bit of my glow with scoffing at the stem setup and how the size 58 was way too big for me. My glow snuffs easily because I am a sensitive sort, but that is another story, so more about the Roubaix.
I took my new bike home on a Friday, road with a group all around town on Saturday, with some stops along the way, making our 40 mile ride into an entire day of socializing. One of our stops was at the largest bike shop in town, as they were having a huge sale. I asked mechanic some questions about my stem and he tried to tell me it can all be fixed, just bring the bike in and for the right fee, everything will be alright. That is the same thing the first guy said, in other words of course, you know, the guy that dimmed my glow. But me, I am asking all kinds of questions all over the place, and sooner or later good information leaks through. I don't know if it is because of my think skull or the bicycle world doesn't want us to know how easy some things are to take care of.
Anyway, the stem. I found out about the flipping over of stems. I found out about the spacers. The bushings inside the stem have a cook miter to them, you can work with those also. So there are a number of ways one can adjust the stem to their liking.
When you take someone like me that may know all the ins and outs of what it takes to make a good weld on some high pressure pipe, knowing that the experience put in leads to many a nuance of technique about it, I can look at a herd of cows and not tell one from another. The rancher can tell each one individually even if they are all black. To him though looking at a weld just looks like looking at another weld. As kurt Vonegut would say, "And so it goes", in the bicycle world.
So Adam at Freewheeling gave me the best lesson and teaching, somewhat like a journeyman to an apprentice of all the folks I talked to about this. He is awesome in my book right now. Let's hear three hurrays for ADAM. He let me take home a 100 mm stem to replace my 120 mm stem. That in itself is a good thing, being trusted and all. But before he let me go, he taught me some good techniques in which to get the job done. I DID IT!. I took my new Roubaix on a five mile spin with my handlebars, 2" lower and 3/4" closer than they were and I am as happy as can be. If I were Fred Astaire, I would jump up and click my heels togeher in joy.
I got my Specialized Roubaix out of layaway. I was so proud to get it, and of course show it off. The first guy I showed it to, snuffed a little bit of my glow with scoffing at the stem setup and how the size 58 was way too big for me. My glow snuffs easily because I am a sensitive sort, but that is another story, so more about the Roubaix.
I took my new bike home on a Friday, road with a group all around town on Saturday, with some stops along the way, making our 40 mile ride into an entire day of socializing. One of our stops was at the largest bike shop in town, as they were having a huge sale. I asked mechanic some questions about my stem and he tried to tell me it can all be fixed, just bring the bike in and for the right fee, everything will be alright. That is the same thing the first guy said, in other words of course, you know, the guy that dimmed my glow. But me, I am asking all kinds of questions all over the place, and sooner or later good information leaks through. I don't know if it is because of my think skull or the bicycle world doesn't want us to know how easy some things are to take care of.
Anyway, the stem. I found out about the flipping over of stems. I found out about the spacers. The bushings inside the stem have a cook miter to them, you can work with those also. So there are a number of ways one can adjust the stem to their liking.
When you take someone like me that may know all the ins and outs of what it takes to make a good weld on some high pressure pipe, knowing that the experience put in leads to many a nuance of technique about it, I can look at a herd of cows and not tell one from another. The rancher can tell each one individually even if they are all black. To him though looking at a weld just looks like looking at another weld. As kurt Vonegut would say, "And so it goes", in the bicycle world.
So Adam at Freewheeling gave me the best lesson and teaching, somewhat like a journeyman to an apprentice of all the folks I talked to about this. He is awesome in my book right now. Let's hear three hurrays for ADAM. He let me take home a 100 mm stem to replace my 120 mm stem. That in itself is a good thing, being trusted and all. But before he let me go, he taught me some good techniques in which to get the job done. I DID IT!. I took my new Roubaix on a five mile spin with my handlebars, 2" lower and 3/4" closer than they were and I am as happy as can be. If I were Fred Astaire, I would jump up and click my heels togeher in joy.
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