Best Medicine

I am sick. Sneezing, coughing, cold, body ache, nose stuffed up, run-down, cannot sleep well... The kind of not feeling well that would have some people reaching for a bottle of Nyquil and calling in sick. Not me. Nope, after having ignored the alarm and hit the snooze button several times today, I finally dragged my sorry ass out of bed with this thought process:

It's light outside

I packed my clothes already to ride my bike to work.

I could throw those clothes in my Timbuk 2 bag and ride the parade bike.

I can ride the parade bike.

Boom, out of bed and into the shower, and grab my clothes. I threw on some cycling shorts, knee warmers, some cargo shorts, and a wool top. Stuffed my clothes for work into my Timbuk 2 bag, air in the tires and I was out the door.

Wow. Each bicycle is SO different. It felt SO good to be on my favorite bike. I was really somewhat saving this day for when I returned for the TransIowa, but I needed to pull something out of reserves this morning. I needed a bike ride, I needed the smile today.

First thing I noticed this morning is just how light this bike is. I'm not a "throw it on the scale and see" kind of person, but compared to the Quickbeam with stainless fenders, racks, and panniers stuffed with spring riding apparel... my green bike is absolutely light feeling. I'm not going to get hung up on the weight because for the most part I simply do not care. I have no qualms with hanging something on a bike if it suits a purpose and is heavy.

When I say that the green bike is lighter, there's something about the feeling of this bike too that it simply just floats down the road. It's always had a magical ride quality to it. The geometry is ever so slightly different than the Quickbeam though I've made every effort to duplicate seating position and fit to the millimeter. I think that the head-tube angle and fork rake or offset are slightly different too. I wish I could identify exactly what it is that I like about the green bike, but I am not smart enough to do so. I am smart enough to know that I am going to have Curt Goodrich build my upcoming bike... that, I will be excited to see what we work out.

The other unusual thing this morning is that I could coast. I haven't ridden a bike that can coast since late December when I rode the green bike to Wisconsin for dinner with Anika's Grandma. I cannot say that I necessarily like to coast or that I like gears. But, I did like going around corners fast, the handling of the bike, and knowing that since I could position my pedals, I wasn't at risk to hit a foot and crash.

I hope the weather holds for a nice long ride home. I have to run to Hopkins to pick up a part for the minivan. One of my coworkers simply laughs at my exclamation that it's easier and faster to get to Hopkins from here and home by bike than car. Define easy? Certainly more pleasant... just what the doctor ordered.