So today was a turning of the wheel. We left the house on our way to a lazy Sunday brunch and I blew up my chain. Stopped at the gas station and found 4 links with side plates completely cracked apart. Shorted the chain and made it to Dennys where we all consumed an enormous breakfast shortly after noon. We stopped by Open Road where I bought a new 9-speed chain, something I really didn't want to do given that I am building a new bike and my trusty TCX (which is beginning to slowly fall apart) will be retired from active duty... now it will retire with a brand new chain - figures.
But it is all according to plan. The Giant only has to keep me mobile for another month or so. Today I clicked the button that sent the final shipment of parts for my new bike build. It has been a 3 month long, agonizing process involving spreadsheets, sleepless nights, internal debate, and way too much time reading posts in internet forums. But today, it was all made worth it.
The build will probably occupy a small portion of my time over the next six weeks or so, and then my new bike will carry me and my son Julian into the outdoors for our regular adventures.
For now, it suffices to say, the bike will be amazing. The perfect 50/50, pavement/dirt machine. Simple. Reliable. A touch of old school and a sprinkling of modern gizmos. Wide profile cantis, square taper cranks, and a lugged fork... along with flared mountain drops, clipless pedals, and a GPS. Friction shifter on the downtube? Check. 900 lumen Li-Ion powered LED light system? Check.
It actually feels really good to be almost done with this build. I have spent so much time with it, planning, considering, budgeting, weighing pros and cons... Now I want to be done... I just want it to do what a good bike is supposed to do... I don't want to think about it... I want to go ride.
Full build spec and photos to follow.
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