You know, you ain't kiddin'. I'm on vacation this week. I love vacation. Today Old Red and I bonded some more. We went down into the valley to civilization to get some food...down down to the next lower land that had a river through it, 7 miles, and I was grinning from ear to ear with the fun downhill run but knowing though that I would have to come back all the way up with loaded panniers. I don't always go this way on joy rides on carbon Neue Blue. I first went to a fish market and got a huge piece of salmon (dinner guests tomorrow), then I went to the bank to cash a work expense check from some business travel 2 weeks ago. Then, I stopped to the meat and produce market (local butcher) to get some beef for tonights dinner guest, and after that to a farm stand to get 12 ears of corn and some cucumbers. Then started a 5-6 mile varied 10% or so ascent back to my road and I thought, ugh, with loaded panniers and a bike that starts out 9 lbs heavier than what I normally ride, and when not fully loaded, that it would be difficult. Not so!! I forgot about the mt. gearing I had and the ascent was painless and was actually quite fun. I wasn't breaking any land speed records but just went a very comfortable painless pace that got me up the hill in no time with no knee pain. I had a total blast on the hill. Boy, I feel I can get up any incline with that gearing, loaded or not. I just recently got a new Selle An-Atomica saddle from the recent TE close-out. After 1 tweak of saddle height and fore-aft position I was totally dialed in and sooo comfortable. Yes, Old Red and I will have good times again. Then, as I turned on my road I stopped to another farm because their peaches are just coming in. So I got 4 lbs of fresh peaches and I thought fresh peach shortcake would sound good for tomorrow's company.
I gravitate towards red bikes. I love them. Although, I just saw a picture of Elk's Jamis Aurora, and what a luscious, gorgeous, velvety, chocolately bike that is.





, also a lovely steel beauty, too good for me, for sure!
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Red is the best.