Trek 4300

My all new Trek 4300 (2010 model)! If u r wondering how come its so dirty when its still new, It did ~35 kms of trails and some slush on BBCh6 on the day just after it was bought. And in the 3 days since it was bought it has already done ~200 km.....

The bike feels awesome.... The suspension lockout is really handy..... And the Alivio shifts much better than the Acero I had on the crossway...... Im yet to utilize the all-terrain-ness of the bike..... I need to do some blitzy trail rides.... The seatpost is a bit short for me, when i have to be in road riding position, fine for trails though.... have to look for a longer one soon.....

Wait for a review in some time when i've done some distance on it.... Until then, its still learning to ride trails for me.

Current mood: Excited to know that next BBCh is a criterium
Currently listening to: Chop suey - System of a down

The failed double century ride to Anchetti

~60 riders..... target of cycling 200 kms in one day..... some doing their first ever 100+ ride.... some who find it just 'refreshing'.... Few riders crashed, serious enough to need surgeries, some escaped w relatively mino bruises..... some quit due to shortcomings of either man or machine (man: exhaustion.... machine: cut cables, screwed up tubes[like mine] and tires, screwed sprockets)....

overall, awesome route.... will do it again sooner or later



Current mood: raring to go
Currently listening to: Sound the bugle now - Bryan Adams

Fork

Opportunity knocks but once... but once
Either way, and the other beckons.
Regretting the future regrets.
Living upto long set targets
Love and Life which should be one,
Going separate ways, delaying union

A life unsettled
An undreamt dream
Opportunity knocks but once... but once
Either way, and the other beckons.

Current mood: blah
Currently listening to: Analyze - Thom Yorke

Data

People have been complainin that my blog has become more of an event announcement and reporting blog. Where's the passion? where's the love in the post?

Things that i was passionate about, have become more routine these days.... For example, it was a big thing to cycle to Nandi hills once. Now its something that happens very often. But u might ask, arent ur limits still being stretched? Arent there new things that u r doing?

Yes indeed. But, these things take time to write about. I spend more time doing the things than writing about them these days. But i hope to mend that, cos i still love to write these things, so that i can visit it back with the same flavour as i originally relished it.

So there are a few things that i've been writing for ages now.... those articles with a soul.... All just drafts waiting to be completed somewhere in the near future hopefully..... The trip to Sangannakal's neolithic rock art..... ambitions and traininng for the Sunfeast 10k...... The sudden trip to Pondicherry..... Training for the duathlon..... Cradles of Innovation..... My experience teaching kids.....

The problem with the things that u want to write with passion is that u always feel that u havent done a good job writing it, and keep modifying it eternally until u feel its palatable.

Current mood: swinging
Currently listening to: Ascension of the spirit - Evanescence

5000km up

Also a review of Merida Crossway10V, cycling in bangalore, and also on my cycling over the year.

The bike: I figured that the bike is not the right frame size for me. But still pretty comfortable, when riding with a reasonably high saddle. The original saddle was bad engineering. It had a fragile plastic thingy at a place which would recieve some load when one shifts weight on the saddle. And it cracked within two months of my riding it. The new one (that usually comes with a Merida Sub 20) has been awesome.

Also had to replace the headset, cos i lost some peices of it when over dissembling and transporting the bike once.

The Rear derailleur once just blew out, when i was shifting while on a bump. Apparently it was cos there was a loose screw and the RD swung and got caught in spokes. So replaced it with a shimano Acero, and things have been fine since.

Apart form the tiny replacements here and there, the bike has been good to me, inspite of me abusing it. i feel i have definitely earned out the money i've spent on it (one year is pretty quick payback time).

Have done many Nandi rides, some trail rides, a big ride to Yelagiri, and Tour oF Nilgiris(TFN) with it, with a pleasant experience throughout

The last big thing i did on my bike (apart from having two recent falls) was to do good at the TimeTrial held last month. Other than that, its been just roaming around. Since my girlfriend doesnt mind me sweaty (and probably likes me salty to taste :D), i go on dates on cycle too. In fact, we got to bond with each other in the process of me teaching her to ride the bike when both of us were drunk!)

The first TimeTrial of BBCh09 (Bangalore Bicycle Championships) comes this sunday, and my RD shifting thumb is still out of shape (due to a fall last sunday). Hope i can still do ok.

Current mood: annoyed at my screwed thumb
Currently listening to: Round a bend - Beck