Still sick but getting better

This Ride: 27.9 miles
Month: 74.3 miles
2011: 5,993.9 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 12113.6 miles

It looks like the worst of the cold is over, and there are few reasons to skip out on a Friday Breakfast Ride, so I drug myself out of bed (after having been awake from 1:00 – 3:30 am), climbed on the newly outfitted fixie, and joined 8 others for the morning ride.

Yesterday the fixie went back into Light Street Cycles for a new rear wheel.  I made some other observations when I took it in, and really got a nice upgrade.  The new wheel that was ordered didn’t match, so I got a whole new wheelset (including no free hub, both sides are fixed now), a new front tire, shorter stem, new cranks/front ring, new 17 tooth cog, and maintenance done on the bearings in the headset.  I wasn’t expecting all that, and much of it comped.  This was the first ride with the new gearing and I’m noticing the change.  Hills are a little tougher (or is that because I have no wind because of some lung congestion?).  My speed at 90 RPM is about 1 mph faster than the 18 tooth cog.  I see that in my average speed this morning, 0.8 mph faster than any other fixie ride.  I also was able to set a personal record over the Naval Academy Bridge, averaging just over 20 mph, and I wasn’t trying.

Seven of us went into Annapolis for breakfast and had a good time.  The harbor is full of sailboats for the National Sailboat Show this weekend.  We had some good conversation, lots of laughter and good-natured ribbing.  These breakfasts really are one of the best parts of the week.  There is more conversation about our upcoming epic ride.  The long range forecast is looking good, with lows around 50 and highs in the upper 60s.  We still have a few others considering doing the ride, it all depends on schedules and how the work week goes.

I didn’t extend the ride this morning, and one week into October I have a paltry 75 miles logged.  That’s the way it goes sometimes.  I’m now nearly 500 miles behind my planned schedule and the window for catching up is closing fast.