Changing Gears

Orange bikes are faster...

In October of 2011 I got a project bike, a red Lejuene, and had visions of making a tubular tired roadie/gravel/vintage rig at that time. The project was all there. It just needed a wheel build, tires, and sprucing up.

Well, as you regular readers of the blog know, I have not ridden this bike, and in fact, it still is in pieces all over the place. See, the thing is, I just do not have any passion for road bikes this old, or for road bikes in general, really.

It isn't that I do not appreciate them, I do, but I have nearly zero desire to ride one. Riding on a paved county road is heaven for many folks, but it barely moves the fun meter needle for me. I've ridden thousands of miles on pavement too. I've ridden several nice road bikes. I've owned some nice road bikes, and I still have a Colnago Super hanging from a peg. Just don't have the desire to do that roadie thing much now.....

So, the Lejuene sat there through 2012 with barely a wrench or anything put to it. That isn't right. So, I found a buyer for the bike that loves old road bikes and will give this the treatment it deserves.

Of all the "Woodcut" stuff, this isn't too bad.

At about this same time I found out that a friend had a Salsa Cycles Vaya frame set that he was going to pass on. It has been ridden to many gravel road finishes in several big gravel road events.

Maybe some of that mojo would rub off on me....?

Well, even if it doesn't, this was a great chance to find out about a bike that initially I wasn't too keen on when it was introduced. A "Fargo-lite", I think is what I called that then. Well, maybe I'll be eating some crow at some point, but I've just seen too many of these successfully ridden on gravel road events I've been at that I know there is something to it. I aim to get on one and find out for myself.

A secondary benefit is that it becomes a legit second rig to test out some gravel road items for Gravel Grinder News. The disc brake factor may help, since the other rig is a canti bike. Plus, if it all goes to heck in a hand basket regarding the rest, I have a disc brake touring bike that I can keep for that or pass on, if I do not have any love for the Vaya.

The project will probably see completion just a bit sooner than the old road bike would have. Stay tuned.....