What’s Old Is New Again

The bike that began my obsession with this sport ...

From 1988 until 2003 I didn’t own a bike.  Then I bought a 2002 Gary Fisher Wahoo mountain bike, new old stock, at Pedal Moraine’s spring sale.  It’s still in the family, providing good service to my son Ryan.  I haven’t used the Wahoo since I got my Giant FCR3 in 2008, as the Giant is much more efficient on long rec trail rides like my frequent excursions on the Eisenbahn State Trail.  But now I’ve got a mountain biking itch that I need to scratch and on Saturday I’m planning to take on Glacial Blue Hills, so I’ve exercised my power of eminent paternal domain and, er, secured the use of the Wahoo through the end of the year.

That was the easy part.  Now comes the To Do list, some of whose tasks I was able to pick off tonight:

Lose the kickstand.  Check!
Replace the slicks with knobbies.  Check!
Raise handlebar and saddle.  Check!
Replace platform pedals with SPDs.
Wash bike.
Clean and lubricate drivetrain & cables.
Install a bike computer.
Replace seat wedge.

The pedals and the seat wedge stay with me when I hand the bike back to Ryan.  Basically, he gets a bike computer and real mountain bike tires out of the deal.  And he’s happy.  He has been asking for a computer, and the knobbies look way cooler than the slicks he was running.

I’ve ridden something like 8,000 miles on this bike, but I have never really used it for mountain biking.  At first it was my rec trail bike, and then I found myself riding it on the road more and more.  In late 2005 I got a real road bike and the Wahoo started to fall into disuse.  Time for me to show it a little appreciation … and then give it back to Ryan to make room for the next mountain bike that strikes my fancy.  I’ll try not to be such a fickle lover with the new one.