Quote Originally Posted by shootingstar View Post
Great...at least that's something.
Yep! It's a decent little hybrid, not something I'd ever choose for myself, but since he was willing to part with it, naturally I would take it. I immediately loaned it to a friend for the month of May, since my friend wanted to do Bike to Work Month but didn't own a bike.

Day 8, Evening Commute (20 miles):
This commute felt shorter than usual because I just got brand-new SPD pedals for this ride. I also got a new, non-bent crank arm. It's funny -- I adjusted to riding on the bent crank arm (I think I rode about 146 miles with it) and now the straight one feels a little odd. It was a nice evening, but once again north wind-y.

I've been monitoring the discussion about calling out when passing, and thinking about that some as I ride on the Burke. This guy passed me twice yesterday, and neither time said a word. He rode behind me for quite a ways, long enough to see that I called out almost every single time, yet it seemed to not have occurred to him that I might like that same courtesy.

When I got home, my new Terry Butterfly was waiting for me! Of course I immediately replaced my old saddle and then eagerly awaited the next morning, when I would get to try it out.

Day 9, Morning Commute (20 miles):
Between the new pedals, handlebars, and saddle, it feels like I've gotten an all-new bike in the last few weeks. I can see why people rave about the Terry Butterfly; it felt natural and comfortable the instant I sat on it, and the rest of the ride continued in that vein. I think I will need to fine-tune the positioning, but overall I believe it'll be a good replacement for my worn-out, battered, and bent old Jett. I'm going to reserve judgment on the Butterfly for another few commutes, but I have high hopes that I'll have many, many happy miles on it.

Lovely morning this morning, too: Sunny and clear, although hazy and smoggy enough that I could barely make out the Olympics and Cascades, and Rainier didn't look particularly crisp. That's one advantage to wintertime riding: When it is clear, it's really clear. Now we've got all those particulates not getting washed out of the air so regularly and they're obscuring the pretty views. Still, I think I had a bit of a tailwind, or at least not a headwind -- woo! -- and made pretty decent time, just pedaling along and enjoying it all. All-round very pleasant morning.

Note to self: Start carrying water on commutes.

Oh, do any of you ladies have recommendations for where to get a good bike fit done? Between the new pedals and new saddle, I feel like I'm not really in the optimal position anymore, and I ride enough that being in the right position is really important.