Since I tested the Shimano 11 speed cassette on the Trek with Campy Centaur I have been thinking of buying a set of higher level levers simply to have them on the Trek. With the Shamal wheels on it the bike without water bottle and flat saddle pack, weights 18 lbs. The ride, while not as good as the C50 is pretty good. Also it has a slightly better saddle so it is easier on your butt over longer distances. While my mileage isn't down significantly this year my climbing most certainly is. This is from the freezing global warming keeping me from doing the normal longer riders where I get in twice the climbing that I've been getting in.

With the other stuff on board the bike is 20 lbs and I have no problems at all climbing the steepest climbs with that. Though I am increasingly slow.

Being an asshole the other day, there was a guy on a Bridgestone RB-2 that came flying past me when there was a 100 foot climb ahead so I just poured it on the climb and he fell off as I expected. Not because of the extra weight of the steel bike but because he was riding like an amateur and when you know you have a steep climb ahead you don't up the anti before you reach it.

My friend that died from the vaccine dropped his sunglasses and the other guy on the ride picked them up. On Saturday he gave them to me and they fit very well and I believe that they will prevent the high speed wind across my eyes that has been almost blinding me with tears.

I will have to get prescription bifocals cut into them, but that's easy when you have two lenses. The really good sunglasses are those with a large plate that cover your eyes completely but they don't like to cut bifocals into them because it is so easy to get them placed incorrectly. So, for very cold rides I have to wear the larger glasses and put up with not being able to read the information on the Garmin.

Getting old isn't for the weak and frail. And it especially isn't for the likes of LGBTQ Russell and Flunky who would be lovers if only they lived closer to each other.