We Roaming Gallivants are a busy lot. One day we are slacking off and working on this blog and the next we are driving long distances for both pleasure and duty. Today we went to Charleston West Virginia to a accomplish two things: Dropping off my lovely mother at the airport and dropping off flyers for the GVBC annual ride known as the Wheels Of Hope. Hall scared up some rack cards, I still don’t really like that name Rack Cards for some reason, and we headed over to Charleston Bicycle Shop. My posts may seem like Hall and I have some duplicate content but we are two different people after all. I will try to make my posts at least as interesting as his without saying too much of the same. Anyway, I loved the Charleston Bike Shop! It is crammed to the gills with bikes, gear, and tools. The mechanic’s areas spill into the sales areas so you can browse the bikes while watching the mechanics do their thing. Everyone was as friendly as can be with nary a hint of superiority at my NOOB status. Jared, the owner, was awesome and took the time to explain what would happen if I switched my crankset for a compact set vs changing the cassette. He took me on sheldonbrown.com and then to the gear calculator. What an amazing site! I highly recommend that anybody new to the sport or otherwise check out Sheldon’s Site. Anyway, I learned quite a bit about what relief my burning legs would have on long steep climbs. The crankset and front chain rings I have now are FSA 53/39. The Guy I got the bike from in Chattanooga TN said he was doing Crits, which Hall informs me means Criteriums. I got this excerpt from usacycling.org,
The most common form of American racing, the criterium, is a multi-lap race of 25 to 60 miles held on a closed course generally a mile or less in length. These races, which usually last one to two hours, are extremely fast — 30 mph and up — as the cyclists jockey for position and sprint for lap “primes” (cash or merchandise prizes, pronounced “preems”). The short closed course, generally with both right- and left-hand corners, makes this type of racing easy to watch for spectators and more accessible for the media.
Rebecca and her new Cannonade Synapse from Hill and Holler Bikes Lewisburg WV — Happy Birthday!
Any bike geeks reading this will spot that this means that I could go really fast but will have a harder mash on the low end when climbing. I can’t remember what cassette I have in the back, I’m sure Hall can fill this in later! I hope that when I can afford a compact crankset that It will be an amazing change and make it a little easier for this out of shape Noob. I also bought a headlight and some Ball-end allen wrenches; I can’t always go to Hall’s house and use his tools! I also picked up a cool Torque Wrench to use on Rebecca’s birthday present, which I picked up at Hill and Holler in Lewisburg, a Cannonade Synapse 105/6 56 CM carbon road bike in BBQ black with red stripes!
My cousin Sparrow asked us to come out for dinner at the General Lewis Inn to try out the new spring menu. Hall and Amy came over and picked us up for a fun filled evening of gluttony and high falootin’ gourmanderizing *note I made this word up. Sparrow met us with her usual perky and charming demeanor and proceeded to regale us with course after course of this season’s brightest culinary morsels. When the Roaming Gallivants come to dinner we don’t do it in a small way. We tried to order at least one of everything.
Dear Jacqueline,
We really appreciate your courtesy. Some people call us instead of leaving a quick note. Sheesh! My alarm bells started going off when I realized you are taking so much time to promote some company you won’t dare name. This seems like some kind of code. Are you OK? I notice you mention the word “key” and this seems like it may mean you need a key to “run away” from some un-named assailant! When you say “try their service for 7 days” you mean you’ve been held for seven days? Gracious me! This is sounding dire. What about where you say “300 targeted visitors per day” are you being passed around like a cheap rag-doll for some mafioso types? $300 a day! Please send more info so we can find you and set you free.
We await a new coded spam message with baited breath,
Regards,
Spammy Gallivant
Carl honked his horn when the visitors moved slowly.