Bike stuff

Part 1.

My bike has been riding pretty well since I cleaned the chain and sprockets a few weeks ago, and for the past week or two, it's been riding very well. Nevertheless, I recently got bit by the "go-buy-an-expensive-new-bike" bug. No, not as expensive as these, but something around $500 or $600, which is twice what I paid for the bike I'm riding now.

So I tested:

• the $569 Trek FX 7.3 (sounds like a fighter jet, doesn't it?),
• the $510 Marin San Rafael, and
• the $649 Kona Dew Deluxe (I don't pick the names, I just report them)

and I was disappointed in them all. The Trek is 5 pounds lighter than the bike I'm riding, but it also feels clunky and sounds noisy, while the Marin and the Kona ride nicely but they're every bit as heavy as my bike. I wouldn't pay $200 for any of them, let alone $500. The upshot? I'm just going to get mine tuned up and stick with it. Time enough to look for a new one when this one dies.

Part 2.

Yesterday on the bike path a deer kindly posed for me and my handy camera phone:
This morning the same deer (I think) casually sauntered across the path about 15 feet in front of me. If I hadn't been watching, I could have slammed into her.