Drool worthy views

Just some pictures i came across of Cross Check frames set up as commuters 😀

Magazines

Being overseas we have limited (american) cycling magazines. Our base store gets ‘Bicycling Magazine’, ‘Bicycle Times’ -One of my fav’s, and one or 2 mt.biking magazines and thats it. When Rob visited Vegas for work he was floored by all the cycling magazines out there. So for his birthday (and as a last minute present effort) I bought him a subscription to Bicycling mag and Cycle Sport America mag.  There was another one he had brought back with him but some of those magazines get expensive! over $100 a year in magazine subscription just seems a bit outrageous to me so he’s only getting 2 subscription this year lol. I hope he enjoys them. Bonus for me because now we’ll save money since we’ve been buying one of those magazines every single month! Subscriptions are just the best way to go, people! I will pobably subscribe to Bicycle Times soon. Especialy since they are going to be upping there magazines per year from quarterly.

In commuter bike news, its looking like I may be experiencing Campi shifters for the first time. Rob seems really set on me trying them out. He believes, once I get used to them, that I will really like them. I have small hands…heck a small frame at that…and he insists that the shifters will be easier for me to manuever with my small hands vs.  me stretching to shift or brake with Shimano.  They scare me a bit but then again so did the idea of riding a road bike, going downhills at fast speeds, and riding with clipless pedals. Everything is an experience to be learned.

Sometimes my brain runs 100mph

This is gonna be short and sweet.

I did not ride the trainer this morning as I told myself I would. Apparently setting up my bike on the trainer and setting out my clothes the night before was not as motivating as I thought it would be once I woke up. I had my itouch alarm clock set to 6:30 giving me ample time to eat breakfast and fully wake up yet fit in 50 minutes of riding if I could stand that long on the bike. But apparently at some point in the night I woke up and decided 6:30 was to early and changed the alarm to 8:30. Not much time there when I had a frozen car to jimmy open before work.  Sooo small fail on that one. I give myself the week to get back into a riding routine again. I’m trying to get out of hybernation mode…slow and steady apparently is the key.

As for that damn sugar and soda habit I’m having a hard time breaking free from…i’ve come up with a funny little challenge. Every day I avoid drinking soda and eating candy I will award myself with a fun sticker (think those star ones from grade school) to post on the calender. What i’m hoping is that I will get so giddy at seeing that ‘great job’ sticker up there that I will begin to see my accomplishment in more of a fun way.  Lets see how many stickers I can get by New Years next year!

Woah…I’m still alive?

Heck yes I am! And after the holiday season and 5lbs heavier (big fail from last post) I am coming back with a freakin’ vengence!

Despite knowing I was getting a bike for christmas…I technicaly did not get a bike for christmas.  This is still in works unfortunately. In fact at this point I really only got a few things from my mother. Summer sausage from Johnsonville (home pride) that you hang out to dry, some christmas cd’s and a big old framed atlas that you can pin all the locations you’ve been, wanna go, and most liked. Rob loves it most I think. It even has a cute little plaque with our names on it.

Presents from his parents are to be a bit late since mail is a bitch when shipping overseas. But there will be nothing like a surprise christmas when they do show up!

Rob on the other hand got presents from me! See the post from my other blog for details. http://summers-angel.blogspot.com/2010/12/this-year-well-call-it-hanukka.html

As for me and that commuter bike, we’re looking into getting this frame: http://surlybikes.com/frames/cross_check_frame/ I’m hoping for the blue but its a new 2011 color so odds of me being able to get it aren’t to great right now so it will more than likely be the black one. We then will build it up with parts that we either have or parts that hubs wants to buy for it. We’re looking at possible disk brakes for the front. Rear ones may not work well since I plan to put a pannier on it. Can’t wait to get it built and I can’t wait till weather gets nice to use it!

As for the winter plan I am starting over. I’m not going to specify at this point just because when I list my objectives they usualy never end up happening. Least I will say is that starting tomorow morning I will be using the trainer again…hopefully regularly.

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Speaking of weather. Germany has been getting slightly unusualy seasonal weather. We’ve had lots of rain/snow mixtures leading to very icey roads..then days with tons of snow. I haven’t seen that much snow in years since living in Wisconsin. Last year weather didn’t get as cold as this year either. Its been the teens all day today and sticking in the 20’s (farenhiet) most of the winter so far. At this rate it will be a very long winter….

And as for my life at this point…I started working again. A job that pays much better than my last. I have also completed a few more classes with 2 more coming up in the next few weeks. I still have a long ways to go before finishing my Associates. It’s kind of crushing when you compare the credits you have to the credits you need. Feels like the amount of time put in so far is so piddly.

Well it’s bed time. Toodles all!