Santa Fe Century: Where are all the three speed riders?
Out of the 2000+ riders, I believe I was the only person on a three speed. There were some beautiful vintage bikes on the ride, but the Raleigh may have been the oldest. I may have been the only person in street clothes, if the shorts I saw, that seemed like everyday shorts, were actually mountain biking shorts, and I was certainly the only person in blue jeans.
I have to pause and ask myself, why was I wearing blue jeans? The answer really is simply that I find them comfortable. I do have a pair of bike shorts, and I have worn them riding the full century in the past, but I can't really say that I find them significantly more comfortable than normal clothes. The chamois doesn't seem to make a damn bit of difference. I don't like the elastic around my thighs, and even when I'm surrounded by thousands of people in bike shorts, I still feel ridiculous in them. Still, I'm sure I'll wear them the next time I try to the full century, or if I go off on a long bike ride, but whenever they're on, I ask myself why. I really am surprised more people don't ride in street clothes, and if I'm trying to make any point, it's that street clothes are fine.
I was happy to find that I was not the slowest bike out there. I wasn't the fastest, by any means, but I didn't want to be and wasn't trying to be. I did end up passing lots of people, which surprised me, and I seemed to pass most of the people I passed while climbing, which surprised me even more. Climbing is where I would expect the Raleigh, with its slightly heavier weight, to be at a disadvantage. Some people on racing bikes seemed surprised to be passed by a middle-aged man in jeans, riding a three speed, with a full chain case. I even got one indignant "Hey!" I think my daily commute serves me well. In general, the bike was enthusiastically received, but I really was a little surprised to find not one other three speed, among all the other bikes.
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