I spent the last couple of years considering the future of my relationship with bicycle riding.
While I still enjoy it, the truth is that I don't enjoy it nearly as much since I got sick. I'm lucky if I can get out on a bike once a week now.
Between the fatigue, the dizziness and balance realities and my increasing arthritis, that fact is that I simply don't live a bicycle-centric life anymore, and I haven't in some time.
Aging will do that. Illness will speed up the process a bit.
Plus, between the two bikes I have, only one of them is actually comfortable to ride anymore.
So this afternoon, I reached out to an old bike industry friend whom I respect and trust, and asked him if he'd be interested in helping me sell my Rivendell All-Rounder. I'm not expecting a miraculous return on my investment at this point; the used bike market is in the toilet and I've had many years and miles on this good old frameset. But he and I agreed that, being a Rivendell, it will attract some interest and he sees no difficulty in finding a new home for it, especially since spring is right around the corner and it's the best time for bike sales.
I've invited him to pick a day near the end of this month to come and collect the bike, plus most of my remaining parts and shop tools. I'll keep some basics on hand for my own needs, but if I go down to one bike I won't need much more than a couple of freewheels, some chains and tubes, and a few sets of brake shoes to see me out.
I'll keep the Peugeot for as long as I'm able to keep riding a bicycle. The lower top tube, lower Q-factor and overall comfort make it a good choice for the kind of riding I'll do going forward.
I'll probably hold back the Carradice Camper LF bag awhile longer, if only to have a larger saddlebag to swap in to handle groceries. Between that and the front rack bag I ought to have enough capacity for what I choose to carry on a bike. Even if my health miraculously improves enough for me to do one more S24HO ride (with the overnight being on someone's couch), the Peugeot will be more than enough.
I can already hear friends and family saying, "Noooo!"
But the truth is that I simply don't need a really fine, fancy bike any longer. Hanging onto this one makes no sense for the kind of riding I'm able to do now, and letting this be someone else's responsibility -- and ego trip -- just feels right to me now. I've proven everything that I possibly can on and about bicycles in this life, and I feel relieved to have arrived at the right time to move this bike along.
When the bike is cleaned up and tuned up and ready for primetime, probably some time in March, I'll send up a flare about where it can be found in Portland.
(This very old photo doesn't reflect what the bike will look like when it's on consignment!)
