It Only Takes One Pebble To Start An Avalanche

I think I have pretty much written off the month of January when it comes to bicycle stuff, at least personally. Besides writing about bicycles, I have hardly been able to get a ride in or had any motivation to delve into the ever shifting mass of bicycle stuff in the Guitar Ted Laboratories. But now, I'm forcing my hand and getting started on things.

I can't do much about the weather, so I went down to the shadowy depths last night and started to make my first feeble attempts at getting the ball rolling here in 2009. It's about time too.......

I've got some parts rolling in for the Raleigh Rainier any day now. That means that I had to dig out the frame prep tools, with emphasis on the bottom bracket facing tool. (Can't use the head tube reamer I have on this one- it has an integrated headset!) I also should have a project frame/fork dropping in for Twenty Nine Inches any day here as well. Gotta get things cleared aside for those things to happen.

On the ride front, I have committed to being near Waukee, Iowa on Sunday, March 8th for CIRREM. (Central Iowa Rock Road Endurance Metric) It is a 100K gravel grinder in the hilly country south of Des Moines. Maybe the single speed Raleigh Rainier will get the call for that? Hmm.....they're saying fatter tires would do better, and you know, it will be so early in the season that they just might be right. I know one thing, the weather could totally determine whether we ride in full winter gear, or ride it at all! But at any rate, it's something to look forward to, and if it does happen, it will be a great stepping stone to the Dirty Kanza 200. Honestly, it will be motivation to ride in February, if I can, and that will all be fitness in the bank for Sea Otter, which in the past has been done with zero training under my belt. Ouch! It showed last year too. Those hills they have out there are amazing. (By the way, I am not competing at Sea Otter, just demo-ing bikes.)

So, hopefully the little bit of rearranging I did last night will be the pebble that starts the avalanche of bicycle activity around here. I know one thing, I'm tired of how things are around here and ready for it to begin.