Let's Get Tired Up, People!

The call came in during Friday's lunch; my new tire was ready to be picked up.  Sweet!  I wrapped up some things at the office and headed out a bit early to catch the shop before they closed.  Back home with tire in hand, I threw the garage door open and got right to work.  It was a quick, simple process, and since daylight was fading quickly; time was of the essence if I wanted to get a test ride in, before the roads finished freezing up again.

(Once everything is back together, don't forget to squeeze the front brake lever a number of times to re-compress the brake pads!  That is a lesson I learned from almost 20 years ago, and a mistake that I've thankfully never repeated...)

Ta da!

I didn't bother to wash the blue off of the whitewall (that's what rain is for).  I did, however, receive many an odd look from passing motorists as I passed them by, during my test ride.  In line with the "time was in short supply" theme, I'd just fired her up and taken off.  No helmet, no glasses, just a t-shirt (temperatures already in the low 30's, and dwindling rapidly...)  I'm happy to report that I survived, and the front wheel did not decide to break free and head off in a different direction than the rest of the bike.

So now we just need some good, clean roads to get here.  This winter started out a bit slowly, with December and January not being bad at all.  February is making up for that with earnest.  More snow and ice this weekend (that's 3 weekend storms in a row, now) and possibly more coming tomorrow, and maybe even more, later in the week.  It's ok, though!  I'm thinking it's just a desperate, last-gasp effort by Old Man Winter to lay claim to his time of the year.  But we all know that his time is fading, soon to be replaced with warmer days, clear skies, and the miles and smiles that accompany them.

Ride Hard, Take Chances