On Friday night, she's all decked out

With D2R2 on Saturday, as promised, here is some bike porn for you to feast your eyes upon. Maybe it'll just bring tears of sorrow as you feel sad for me, who knows. I still need to rig up some water bottle cages, and maybe spring for some new handlebar tape. New rear brake pads wouldn't hurt either.

This gem is one of two bikes in my stable that I bought from a pro cyclist who was formerly my neighbor. Markie Mark has won the national cyclocross championship before, but I don't think he was using this bike at the time. Regardless, it was ridden to many cross victories before the transfer of ownership to me and its current life in the slow lane. The frame was made by Hot Tubes, and it was painted up as a Lemond because they were the bike sponsor for Team Saturn, and at first were not making their own cross bikes. The bike was mostly Dura Ace when I got it, but I've swapped on a 105 long cage derailleur. For D2R2, I'm thinking about changing the current 38/47 DA crank for a 34/50 FSA compact, but I'm not sure if I feel like taking on that project this week. I've got an 11/32 9spd cluster on the back now, and even though the grades at D2R2 are reportedly up to a heinous 25%, I'm thinking a 38x32 should be good enough. Check out the fat discount-whorehouse $5.95 Panaracer Pasela 700x35 touring tires!


Yes, I know, I really should clean up my bikeroom. I don't want to admit how many times I've come back from the shop with a component only to find I already had one... Thanks for reading.