Testing things out

The other day, I went on a shakedown ride to make sure everything was working and comfortable. Things seem to be coming together. My main concerns have been my handlebars and saddle. The bike, a Kona Unit X, has a very low stack height, resulting in a very uncomfortable riding position for someone with back problems and long legs. To combat this, I’ve ended up with Jones H-bar with 2.5 inches of rise on top of a ridiculous 45 degree, 35mm stem. This combo seems to have done the trick. For the saddle, I have a leather Brooks B17. Out of the box, I found this saddle about as comfortable as a 2x4. As a last resort, I soaked the saddle in water for 5 minutes and rode it to form it to my weird, bony butt. While I wouldn’t say it is comfy by any means, it is certainly the most comfortable saddle I’ve ever ridden. On my 25 mile, 3 hour ride with no pad, the pain was only mild.

I rode from my house, crossed the deception pass bridge, and took the PNW trail through the park. The trail ended on a private access road for very expensive looking waterfront homes. I found the entrance to be blocked by an automatic gate. I unceremoniously lifted my steed skyward, over the gate and gingerly lowered it to the ground on the other side, gate cutting into my armpits as I prayed nobody was coming home at that moment. I awkwardly pulled myself over the gate and rode away as quickly as I could. I then went to a public beach a few minutes further south to see a fighter jet on approach a few hundred yards in front of me. I then had the idea to try to get the bike and the plane in the same photo. The next pass, I was ready. After a few epic photos that make it look like my bike is the star of Top Gun, I pedaled over to Ala Spit on the East side of the island. At this point I began to feel very hungry. I put my ear buds in and, in my delirious state, fueled by Spotify’s Pop Mix, pushed back up the hill I had just flown down. In this state, I kept seeing beautiful things to take photos of, further delaying

My salvation came in the form of the deception pass gas station, where I purchased a snickers and a package of landjaeger sausages. Fueled up, I battled fierce gusts crossing the bridge with a line of cars behind me. I shortly returned home.