No, not from snow. I only wish. Everyone in the house had the (fever, achy) flu over the last week, starting with me. A good time was had by all. At least it wasn’t the stomach variety, I suppose. I was off the bike for five days, with one day completely off work (I slept for 36 hours) and two days at home. Come Monday morning, I had to remind myself to pay attention in traffic, as my addled mind tended to wander. We are currently dealing with a warm snap, though, as usual, the warm air is accompanied by rain. The Surly, for one, will be happy to see Spring. I was wiping the bike down this evening (the extent of my maintenance this winter) when I found a broken spoke in the rear wheel. Unwilling to commit to the task, I tucked the broken threads back into the nipple and went on my way. This weekend, perhaps.

In other bike news, I have gotten rid of the Bianchi (sold back to its original owner) and picked up a used Cannondale cyclocross frame, fork, and various other bits. I wanted something that would accept fenders, mostly, and now I don’t have an excuse to do the Month of Mud this fall. The build is nearly complete–in fact, it would be complete had I not lost a very small part for one of my bar end shifters. Photos will be forthcoming.

In other news, Sheldon Brown has passed away. There are plenty of tributes on the internet, so I’ll only a few things. First, like most folks who ride a fixed gear bicycle, my journey started with Sheldon’s website. Second, I dare you to find another figure in cycling who would be praised by racers and curmudgeons alike. Third, his humble presence on the many mailing lists in which he participated will be missed.

Posted on 6 February 2008