The Contractual Obligation Post

I am not in the market for a new bike right now. I intend to reward myself with something nice in 2015 for my 50th birthday, but between now and then I will try to enjoy what I already have. And I can’t say whether that birthday present will be a road bike or a cyclocross bike. I keep toying with the idea of turning my current road bike into a dedicated time trial machine and adding an endurance road bike to the fleet. That move would align my equipment with the way I actually ride; today I have a road bike that would be well-suited in a criterium or a road race, but I don’t compete in those disciplines.

June 2015 isn’t that far away and it’s always good to stay educated about new equipment as it comes out, so I frequently visit the websites of bike manufacturers, reviewers and retailers. I am not very likely to buy a bike from REI. It’s a fine company but it’s not a dedicated cycling retailer. It is one of the websites I check, though. On a recent visit to the website, this caught my eye:

All bicycles sold at REI include a free warranty tune-up. New bikes go through a normal break-in period, after which readjustment is important for longevity and performance. Bring your new bike in to your local REI for its free tune-up within 20 hours of use or 6 months from purchase, whichever comes first. Contact your nearest REI bike shop to schedule this important service.

Can you imagine 6 months elapsing before you spend 20 hours on your next bike? I have ridden 20 hours in the last 2 weeks!

And it should have been more. What’s up with this weather? Our high temperature of 59 degrees on Saturday was an insult. I wasn’t even slightly tempted to ride. Today wasn’t much better. I waited until the thermometer hit 63 late in the afternoon before heading out with my arm warmers. Looks like we will be in the 70s for the next week or so—you know I would like it to be hotter, but I’ll take it.

In the week to come I must get back on the mountain bike! I haven’t ridden it since the Subaru Cup short track race on July 14. I need one good training session at New Fane early on, and then a good pre-ride on Saturday for Sunday’s WORS race in Kewaskum. The Sunburst Showdown isn’t a technical race; a couple of mountain biking workouts and a couple of fast road efforts, plus some hills, should be adequate preparation.