Skip to main content

Fitness and the Pandemic

The world fell apart on March 13, 2020. That's when the school I work at announced a temporary shut down. The "temporary" part lasted until the end of September. 

I was serious about social distancing to the point that I didn't leave my house. 

I also got no exercise. by July, my fitness was a mess. That's when I decided to buy a new bicycle. I didn't realize that EVERYONE else had also decided to buy new bicycles. 

I went to one of the Trek Superstores in San Diego and took a test ride on a Trek road bike. It was a nice bike, but it was built with a seat post that was too tall for me. The shop offered to swap out the seat post at an additional cost, which didn't make sense to me. I thought they should sell me a bike that fit me  Soon after I left the shop, I got a message from the shop offering to swap out the seat post as an even exchange.  However, the moment had passed and I didn't return the call. 

I'm glad I passed on the Trek, because, as I gave it more thought, I realize buying a stock Trek road bike wasn't much of an upgrade from the bike I was replacing. So, I did more research.

A couple of days later, I happened to see a ride a friend posted on Strava. It was his first ride on a custom built gravel bicycle. I had previously heard of the small company, Franco Bicycles. I contacted Hector at Franco Bicycles and made an appointment to meet him at his shop the next week. That's when I ordered a Franco Grimes gravel bike. 

It was a serious upgrade to my prior road bike.

Here is my build:

Frameset

Grimes Carbon, Color: CANVAS

Wheels MFG T47 Bottom Bracket

 

Groupset

SRAM Force eTap + XX1 Mullet Build

Crank Length: 175, 40T + 10-52T Rainbow

160 F/R Rotors

AXS Power Meter

 

Wheelset

HED Eroica GP, 700c

Panaracer Gravelking SK 700c x 38c, Tubeless, Black

 

Components

Whisky No. 7 Aluminum Stem, 100mm

Whisky No.9 Carbon Bar, 12 Flare, 44cm

Fizik Antares R3 Versus Evo Saddle


It took seven weeks to get the bike because of the supply chain. The SRAM AXS Power Meter was the last piece to arrive.


It's a great bike that turns heads when I ride it. As a gravel bike, it is a legitimate road bike that also holds its chops on gravel. The one-by build is different from other road bikes. That gets the attention of other riders.









Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for joining the conversation.

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Harriet

My younger sister passed away early Thursday morning following a long illness. My heart is broken. I will miss her terribly.  I used to say that Harriet never met a stranger. She found something to talk about with everyone. Harriet LOVED people, and they loved her in return. She also loved celebrating Mardi Gras. And, she loved introducing me as her Big Brother.  My brother and I are happy that so many people are sending us photos and memories of our sister. We look forward to continuing to celebrating her. John 11: 25 Jesus said to her,   “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.  26 And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”  
Post a Comment
Read more

Staying Safe

  I love a good adventure.  The emphasis is on good .  I started in Ventura and drove up California Highway 33 this past Monday. Potrero John Creek Trail was the destination.  Potrero John Creek is in the Sespe Wilderness of Los Padres National Forest.  Highway 33/Maricopa Highway is a stunning drive that quickly rises from the Pacific Ocean to over 3000 feet elevation.  Soon after leaving Ventura, the road goes through Casitas Springs, which is the home of Johnny Cash.  Cellular phone service dropped out even before I had properly left Ojai, the last town before heading up the mountain.  The trail is rocky and remote. I was not prepared for either. I was the only person on the trail. In fact, there was no one around, and car traffic was extremely sparse. I made a game-time call to venture slightly down the trail, but not to go too deep, given that I had no way to reach help should anything go wrong.                                                                                       
Post a Comment
Read more