Winter Blahs

<====Notice the rack? It's a hint as to what is coming in the spring....

Okay, the monkey is off my back now. I actually rode in 2009. Yes........it took five days to get that done! Circumstances being what they were, it was actually my first chance to ride, and I wasn't going to pass it up, not even due to ice.

Yes, our area is covered in a thin sheet of ice, although it is receding somewhat. I did get slammed yesterday in an alley coming to work. Boy! Do I feel it this morning, Can you say "stiff"?

The Fargo has a rack now, which is a portent of things to come. I am slowly getting that plan together. More on that stuff later though.....

I see gas prices are creeping back up towards $2.00 a gallon. We didn't think it would stay cheap forever, did we? At least I didn't think it would stay there. It makes me wonder, with all of this economic turmoil, what we will see in terms of cycling for 2009. Here's a couple things I think might happen......

#1: Less attendance at races. Let's face it, a lot of people are going to "pull in their horns" this year. Cutting expenses where they can will mean less attendance at races all across America. Gas prices will have an effect here too.

#2: Less schwag in the bag: I fore see less of the goodies in race packets due to marketing budgets getting hacked. I also wonder about beer. (Yes.....I really do!) Beer gets tossed around a bit at events I go to. Less free beer and less premium brews will be seen in 2009 at events is my prediction. It'll be more like, "That'll be $2.50 for the PBR sir."

#3: More fixing up old bikes, less buying new ones: Along with the reduced spending, I see bicycle sales taking a hit too. I don't think repairs will suffer though. I think that will still be at a high level, just as it has been for the past couple of years. Repairs will be one of very few bright spots for bicycle shops this year, I think.

So those are a few things I see as distinct possibilities for '09. Well, that and Lance getting spanked on the roads of Italy this spring. I think his comeuppance is due.

You see, these are the things I think of if I don't get to ride! I suppose I need to move to Lincoln Nebraska. People are losing their technology and riding all the time. Sounds like Paradise to me!