My new ride

Yesterday I picked up my new Surly Steamroller at Circles Bike shop. As you can see from the photos, the custom camouflage paint job and classic Lino drop green handlebars make this one very PUURRTY bicycle! This marks my introduction to track bikes and fixed gears. Since I'm a 44 year old chicken and not some 20 something hipster, I've set my flip flop gears to freewheel and installed front and back brakes for added safety. When I feel confident enough I'll switch to fixed gear and practice falling on my ass. The ride this morning was all together different (which I expected). Track bikes position the body for optimal speed and not necessarily comfort. It will take some getting used to. The smaller drop down handlebars leave little space to move the hand, and I went back to using strap clips instead of SPD clips. After a few minutes, I started to get into the groove and noticed how much faster the bike responds to my body movement. And this baby is fast! This will be my city bike for rides downtown and occasional day trips to the countryside. My Surly Travelers Check will remain my choice for long trips, hilly rides and for BBQs. Enough yapping. Time for a ride.