Just got in from a little spin, just 5 hilly miles at a decent pace. Had to test out my new jacket and see how my integrated shifters handled the climbs. I tried the pop-in-the-bottle deal, and I couldn’t even get out the door without it bubbling out around the lid. First of all, Elite bottles aren’t a favorite of mine because the lids pop off, instead of being threaded. Second, now that I think of it, that must be why cyclists… use flat pop, not fresh & still carbonated. Herp.
At any rate it was misting, like it’s so foggy I’d be scared to drive in it, but I didn’t see a single car and I have a pretty good headlamp, not to mention I’m now covered in reflectors. The jacket I picked up, from Endura, is pretty well-made; it’s slim-cut, with extra length in the sleeves and rear hem for coverage in riding position. Not to mention it looks frickin’ sweet. Light blue with charcoal stretch panels, and reflective panels on the wrists, shoulders, chest, and rear. But it doesn’t look dorky like some of the Pearl Izumi jackets I’ve seen. Some of them look like highway workers should be wearing them. But at any rate, 55 F is a tad warm for a jacket that thick so I was sweaty by the time I got back. The small zips at the sleeves and the easily-zipped or un-zipped front were SO useful for my own AC when I needed it.
Aside from being geek’d about that I was offered a spot on a shop team today, as a triathlete/road cyclist. The guy that was telling me all about it was super nice, it’s a shop in Boyne City, MI called No Boundaries. They sell mostly Jamis bikes, along with a decent selection of gear and clothing for cycling, tri, running, and some basic camping/backpacking and paddling stuff. Not a huge store but I can get a pretty broad range of discounts, and they gave me a jersey which I’ll be posting a pic of yet tonight. A few other well-known local cyclists and triathletes are also on the team which is awesome, and I’m just really excited to be on an actual team. I mean, I’ve been on the Rudy Project elite/amateur “team” for two years now, and I’ve never met another person on that team. I just know I get discounts and we occasionally go back and forth about deals or stickers or ordering business cards for me to hand out. So this? Might be a new level here. Definitely on the up.
