Bicycle
While I was in Korea, I saved up a bit of money for a new bike. I haven’t had a new new bike since 5th grade, so the whole thing has been pretty exciting. I bought it in October from the Outpost of Manistee. Kyle is a good friend and working with him is always a pleasure.
I looked at a number of options before going with a Surly Cross-Check. I added lighting, a rack, and a good lock. After a few months of riding, tweaking the fit, and swapping out a few parts, I’ve got a bike that I really enjoy. Here are some pictures from our ride today:
The stock cyclocross tires have been swapped with a cheap pair of 28c tires from my LBS. I replaced the saddle with a Brooks B17 Narrow, and stitched on some elk-hide bar covers from Velo Orange. The brake levers have been swapped out with Cane Creek SCR-5s. These are actually almost identical to the Tektro levers that came with the bike, but I wanted something brown to (sort of) match the bars. They’re slightly narrower than the Tektro levers and much more comfortable for my hands.
Finally, I’ve added a computer and a bell. I’ve never been a fan of bells, but it’s handy on sidewalks and bike trails. Yelling “on the left” as I zip past always seems sort of rude.
For me, this is the perfect commuter. It’s fast enough, handles well, and the steel frame is a blast to ride. It’s nice, but not obscenely expensive. And I love the way it looks.
The Pond, 2010 edition
Since Erin and I are both back in East Lansing this winter, it’s time for another round of pond pictures.
For those that don’t know the story, this is a pond that Erin and I discovered while living in the university apartments. These were older buildings, next to the express-way and the train tracks. There was a surprising amount of swampy, wooded land near-by, and it made for fun exploring when we were bored.
The pond itself is shaped like two perfect rectangles; I’m assuming it was a borrow pit left from the construction of the express-way. If you’re curious, you can see it on Google Maps.
This was our first trip this year. It was a beautiful day for a walk, and I wanted to check the ice conditions. I looks like there’s enough ice for skating, but the surface is pretty rough. We’ll need to get a patch cleared off and see if it smooths out.
Here are some pictures:
