So I figured I would write about the bicycle(s) I would like for the season, then I open Internet Explorer, my home page is set to cnn.com. While all I can think about is my bicycle choices and then I see this headline, “A Cancer Survivor Cycling for a Cure” Naturally I click on it.
This is the story of Anne Feeley. Anne has Brain Cancer and is doing a bicycle ride to raise awareness and much needed money. Reading through this article knocks me back a bit. Cancer stories always do.
I am lucky to be worrying about which bicycle I want to ride to enjoy my life. While Anne is using the bicycle and exercise to LIVE! Crazy how things affect me.
Now that I have laid out the HEAVY stuff, I will get on to my regularly scheduled narcissistic rambling.
In a past edition of My Life Behind Bars, I rambled on about how I enjoy my Giant Trance X. The Trance is an awesome all around trail bike. I can honestly say that this is probably the most fun bike I have ridden.
The issue is that ever since I strapped a numberplate on two weeks ago I can’t stop thinking about building a race bike. Maybe something like this…
The BIGGER Issue is will either of these make a difference? The short answer is yes. Both of these race machines will shave time off any race laps I may do. Do I give up a fun riding bike that I really like for a faster bike that will make me slightly less pack fodder at the local race?
Obviously I would like a new bike. DUH! The question is am I doing this for fun, (Trance X) or AM I doing this to win? (XTC or Anthem X) Obviously I would like to win. The conundrum is that past performance does not pan out for me being the fastest guy. I realize that this may be defeatest, but I tend to think of it as realism.
The reason that I want to race again is because I like the scene, and I like the people. This probably answers my own question for now, BUT I would like a new race bike–they are sexy and LIGHT! If by some quirk of fate I post a good placing (in the Sport class of all places), I know me, I will be buying a new bike. Until then I will be rocking a Trance X. Contrary to what Lance Armstrong say’s–It is All About the Bike.
Not being flippant here at all, but, there are worse issues to obsess over. As a friend of mine says “At Least I Don’t Have Cancer”
Check out my friends at Young Survival Coalition. They are helping make this world a better place. They even use the bicycle to help do it.
Bicycles Kick ASS, and help KICK Cancer’s ASS!