A Non Three-Speed Santa Fe Century

Yesterday, (which happened to be my fifty-seventh birthday), I rode my Rivendell on the Santa Fe Century.  It was fun doing it the last time on the Raleigh three speed, but I'm not sure I'll make a regular practice of it.

That said, I was only slightly less of an oddball on the ride on a touring bike.  I am surprised by that.  I would think a century ride would bring out a diversity of cyclists.  It makes for a long day of riding, but it's an enjoyable distance.  (I would say that I know, for certain, that I would not be up for a double-century, and all my thoughts earlier in life, about working on qualifying for Paris-Brest-Paris have vanished in the wake of coming to realize that I simply would not enjoy it, at all, after about the first six hours.)  I believe that I was the only person, again, wearing street clothes.  I have some bike shorts, and they are comfortable, but they are not significantly more comfortable than my Carhartts.  Nevertheless, I thought about wearing them, but I've been commuting in my Blundstones, and they make a very comfortable bicycling shoe.  For whatever reason, I thought I would look ridiculous wearing bike shorts and Blundstones.  I have some old Siddi touring shoes, and I have a pair of Cromartie clipless shoes, and some matching clipless pedals somewhere, but those shoes just aren't comfortable.  So, the way my train of thought goes, I determined I would be more comfortable and less ridiculous dressed as you see me here.  

I come in for a strange set of comments.  Occasionally, people would pass me and say, "you're doing great!"  That would leave me wondering if they say that to everyone they pass, or is it the touring bike, or is it the Carharrts?  I had one person say that it's good to see a vintage bicycle out on the ride, which, for some reason, always makes me want to explain that it's not a vintage bike, but it's a custom bike that was designed the way I wanted.  I particularly like my downtube shifters.  Why are so few bicycles made with them these days?  They just look good down there on the downtube, and there's a lot less cabling snaking its way off the handlebars.  God, am I starting to sound like an old crank? It has also occurred to me, recently, that it's not a vintage vintage bicycle, but I did take delivery of it in 2000.  It is now a twenty-three year old bicycle.  Where did all that time go?

I have finally stuck a bike computer on my handlebars.  The day's riding, including the commute from and to my house came in at a whisper under 115 miles.  I finished the century part of the ride at just under eight hours.

I'll probably do it again.  I enjoy it, but man, I wish there was a greater diversity of bicycles, bicyclists, and the clothing people wear.  I don't ride what I ride and wear what I wear to stick out.  I'm just trying to be comfortable.

I would say, that while I think the sprung B-67 is a comfortable saddle, I am even now in the process of switching it back out for the B-17.  During the seven mile climb through the Ortiz mountains, I was almost ready to call Laura and tell her to bring me another saddle.  That B-67 squeaked like I was renting a room in cheap hotel that rented rooms out by the hour.  If you are doing any sort of extended climbing during a ride, you might want to rethink a sprung saddle.  I don't remember the Raleigh's B-66 being quite as bad.  I'm going to see how the B-17 does with my current handlebar position. 

I would add that I'm back on the Happy Little Three Speed this morning.  I felt I should give the Rivendell some time off, though for me, it's commuting as usual.