bike wank, part 2

[kirkcudbright]

2000 or 2001 Gary Fisher Wahoo. This is my only mountain bike, and probably the only one I'll ever own. It's going up for sale right after the Motobecane. There's nothing wrong with it, and it works well, but I'm not a mountain biker.

This is the bike I rode down to Philadelphia for the 2001 Worldcon (375 miles in 4 days, but 5 would have been more comfortable for the terrain and my level of conditioning at the time). I recently found my notes from that little adventure, and I've started to transcribe them for posterity. I had tried to recruit a couple of friends to ride with me (who are both on my LJ friends list, now that I think about it). I hadn't been planning to bike solo (I had been planning not to bike solo), but they both backed out, and but I decided that, dammit, my plans weren't contingent on theirs. It mostly didn't suck.

It's not a bad bike for touring - it's got reasonable gearing, especially for climbing, and it's got cantilever brakes for safer descending - but the handlebars don't offer much variety in hand position, so it's fatiguing to ride long distances. This could be fixed with a different handlebar, but I've got a bike now that was actually designed for touring, so I don't really have a need for this one anymore.

It's shown pretty much as outfitted for BOS2PHI 4½ years ago, with a light, a rack (most of my bikes have racks), and fenders (most of my bikes don't have fenders, but today I belatedly picked up fenders for my current touring bike).

Next: So what's worth keeping?

Comments

[alabastard.livejournal.com]

I had one of those, same colour too, loved it, but of course it was stolen in CA, grrrrr. I used it for trails mostly.

[totient]

There must have been some good reason I didn't bike down with you to Philadelphia, but damned if I can remember what it was.

Ah well, at least I biked to the one three years later. :)

Oh, I remember: it was August. I've biked long distances in August before. No, thanks. Want to bike to Baitcon this year (assuming there is a Baitcon)? That one will be a little earlier.

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

I'm going through my BOS2PHI notes, and I don't see any complaints about the heat. I've got stuff about the CT hills, and the lack of accomodations around Storrs, and the mediocre sushi from the hispanic sushi chef at the Italian restaurant in Bethel CT (really), and the wonder that is the Bear Mountain Bridge, but the only weather related notes are about the rain, and how it can complicate descending a steep twisty road on a fully loaded bike.

If there is a Baitcon, I may or may not be able to attend, so I don't want to promise anything at this point.

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

So, what are the odds that a bike that fits you can reasonably fit me, too?

I'm starting to look for something newer, and that looks like it might be int he ballpark of interest...

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

The seat can go up another 3" before it hits the minimum insertion line, and probably another inch past that before we start to worry.

It's got road tires on it right now, but it came with knobby tires for off-road use. I'd even be willing to put the bottle cage back on. :)

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

Do you remember what the wheel size is? I'm currently using a nice (pretty new) pair of kinda wide, not at all knobby, Armadillos that seem to be exactly what I want in a tire around here. :)