Westward

I’m chillin’ at the Northwest Worldclub at the Minneapolis airport, waiting for my 9:30 flight home to Seattle. A hectic Friday, as usual for these expeditions.

The last couple of times I’ve gone to Milwaukee, I’ve been checking Craigslist to see if anyone’s selling a bicycle for a reasonable price. The area where I work and stay (Glendale/Fox Point/Whitefish Bay), north of town, seemed to be a great place to bicycle, and I often see serious training going on there.

So, last Saturday, I saw a likely candidate on Craigslist.  I stopped at the seller’s place on my way to my hotel from the airport, test rode it, and plunked down my money and drove away with it!

It’s a little bit bigger than I would ride if I had been shopping for a main squeeze sort of bike, but I had a great time cruising around on it this week.  It’s my first “modern” bike, with brake-lever index shifters and a 9-speed cassette in the back, triple-chainwheel in front.  I locked it up at my client’s when I left tonight, but kind of hated to leave it behind.  I’ll get good use out of it through the fall, and it adds some zest to the humdrum life of the road warrior.

Have a good weekend, everyone!  I’m glad to be headed west.

3 Comments

  1. What a great idea. It will make those Milwaukee journeys a little more homey and familiar.

  2. Does your “at home” bike know?

  3. Phil:

    kathy - SHHHHH, fer Chrissake! I took a ride on my home bike today and, though it’s genetic provenance in 1985 was impeccable, I found myself wishing that I had the gearing options that the Milwaukee bike has. For instance, the Milwaukee bike, despite the fact that the area I inhabit there has no climbing challenge greater than a freeway overpass, would have made my ride today here in Seattle a lot more negotiable.

    I think this bike is much more acceptable to Mrs. Perils than some scenario where I have a wife and family there, and feel the need to be onsite for their soccer matches.