A new decade is here. Not the one that started Jan 1st, but the one marked by my new bike. By habit, this bike will occupy the #1 spot for 10 years, give or take, until another bike happens. That’s the way of bikes– the best ones simply happen. I don’t go shopping, or even buying. I just suddenly have a new bike. (Except that they’re always used.) It’s a strange approach, given the length of the commitment, but it’s been working so far.
In the ’90s, bike #1 was a Cannondale CAD 3 (with Suntour 7 spd). In the ’00s, bike #1 was a Cannondale R3000 (with DuraAce 9 spd). Now, I am a proud member of the modern age in my Felt F1 (with DuraAce 10 spd). The acquisition of the Felt had no premeditation, no research, no method. I was not actively looking for a new bike. (One is, of course, always passively looking for another bike.) The Cannondales were each from [different] cousins of Will Frischkorn, and both came from conversations that started, “Hey I might be able to get you a bike”.
This one has a story too. This bike comes from Danny Pate, formerly of Team Garmin, more recently of HTC, and next season of Team Sky. Frank found it, via Pate’s twitter feed, and sent me the link along with some taunt about carbon. It was late on a Wednesday night, I was full of scotch, and my lovely wife was out of town…so I joined twitter and posted a reply. I talked to Pate on the phone that weekend, sent him a check, and ba-da-bing: bike arrives the following Thursday (complete, sans wheels, as agreed). He even included a matching team kit, still in the wrapper– a gentleman and a scholar, Mr Pate.
Frank lent me some spare wheels, and I’m off to the future. The hills on our regular training lap are still higher at the top than at the bottom, but that’s about the only thing that is the same. This bike is fast.
Now I just need to “happen” some wheels for permanent use. And a flat stem, of course.
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@Steampunk
John or Jens?
@Joshua
Maybe the news just takes longer to make it to Montana.
Why is Frank reading Danny Pate's twitter? Who cares, I guess professional obligation. One could ask that about me going to Velonews.com every day, I must stop. That site is now an abomination of bad advertising. But I digress, Bless the combination of Frank, scotch, twitter, Pros who change teams, and wives being out of town. I look forward to reports of Jim tearing the legs off everyone in the Northwest. Now for some cool wheels...
@Marko
Gah! I meant Jon. Jon Voigt's car.
Ok, don't know where else to post this, but it kinda follows on from the cyclo-crosser taking a tumble at the barrier that was posted the other day. It's well worth a watch - especially if any Velominati are going to be riding in South Africa any time soon. Or Wisconsin, as I've had deer run across my path a little too close for comfort . . . The fact that minutes later the rider is up and seemingly ok, shows a lot of Rule 5.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2011/oct/11/antelope-crashes-cyclist-race-video
ps apologies for the commercial at the beginning.
@wiscot
Having recently been taken out by a car, I found the audio of him moaning a bit disturbing.
"PATE Pending?"
Nice bike, and an even better story. That's why The Keepers posted it and that's why you tell it here. Changing the name badge, or anything else on the bike, in my opinion, for any reasons other than fit and feel, takes away most if not all of the beauty of the story. Then, it's just another used bike, right? I say ride that bike as is, adding no "explanatory stickers or accents". Let your story explain it all...and tell that story every chance you get.
@wiscot
Just saw this on the evening news. Pretty wild, pun intended...
@Gianni
Frank, scotch, twatter, Pros changing teams & wives out of town...It sounds like the beginning of a joke. Or, in this case, the recipe for a new awesome bike.
Sweet bike, Jim! Good work, Frank!
@brett
If it was my bike,
"Balding Pate"