TIcked off my final to-do on the DropHopper and it seemed to yield greater results than expected.

A few weeks into last winter my '97 Nishiki Blazer's frame broke and I replaced it with a refurbished 1997 Specialized Rockhopper. At the time I made all the necessary upgrades for winter commuting, transferring the fenders, lights, folding baskets, snow tires on their own wheel set and the horn from the old bike. I used a lighter, newer Canondale rear rack I had laying around. That was it. I didn't want to screw up the ride when I needed it most...for snow commuting. Eventually after snow season I added higher gearing for faster cruising, then the drop bars from the old bike. The rear wheel the bike came with had a broken spoke, but I didn't use that wheel till spring. Even then the wheel was true enough.

But a couple of weeks ago it worked out of semi-true and began rubbing the rim brakes. So yesterday I picked up a spoke from the bike co-op, installed it and trued the wheel, adjusted the brakes, topped off the tires and horn and waited until this morning when I planned to ride it the 10 miles to my mother-in-law's place to deliver her Sunday paper. (She could probably get the paper delivered to her new place, but it's a good excuse for a bike ride, and it means she'll always have company on a Sunday.)

With the wheel trued the bike seemed to roll even more effortlessly. A small tailwind didn't hurt either. Being Father's Day, the MUP seemed more crowded than usual, but my average speed was still way up there. It was sunny and dry and when I got stretched out and down on the hood of the drops, in the same road bike position as my other bikes (minus the 16" folder) it was sublime.

The trail takes me within a hundred yards of the office, where the final bridge of the trail's 8th Street spur has now been removed. For the time being I can use the closed off turn lane, but that will not last as the vehicle bridge will be demolished and replaced as well.

There is another trail spur that goes to a Wal-Mart a couple-hundred yards down from the office. I thought I had to access it from a dirt path on the west side of the creek, a path that is more like a confederation of tents and boxes of the homeless. But today's ride on the paved trail on the river's east side reminded me there is a bridge from that pavement across the creek to the paved trail up to Wal-Mart. And while there were some encampments, I could see they were far fewer. So that's the plan for tomorrow.

On the way home I decided to take a street that puts me 2/3 of the way home on my old commute routes (1992-2020). Such nostalgia, and on a bike that is of the same 26" genre as it's predecessor (the Blazer) and its predecessor (1986 Schwinn Cruiser Supreme), It wasn't till 2009 that I acquired a second bike. (now 6).

With the big 2.125" smooth tires and rebuilt drive train, the refurbished RockHopper has such low rolling resistance compared to the two preceding bikes. In fact, despite its weight, the RockHopper is only slightly slower than my other bikes. Only the aluminum/carbon 2006 Felt F85 is significantly faster. And the 16" folder is about even with the DropHopper.

And, the Rockhopper's front triple has a stupid-low low gear which made one of the old commute route's toughest hills a piece of cake...a slow piece of cake. I used to know that old route like the back of my hand, and to see how horrible the pavement has become was heart-breaking (the back of my 63-year-old hand isn't so great either) . There are some improved areas, but overall it was rough. The big 26x2.125 smoothies really helped.

Before leaving for home my wife called and asked me to pick up some items at the grocery store. And with the folding baskets, I was able to do that.

I felt strong on the bike, I felt he achievement of changing out a broken spoke myself, using my first chain whip, purchased only 3 years ago at 60, and I think I felt a performance gain from truing the wheel, even if it didn't;t seem like that much.

It will be nice to have no immediate bike projects to do, but I am already considering replacing the bar-end shifters with the same Microshift brifters I've been enjoying on the main commuter for the last few weeks.

And now up to Denver with the wife for an evening of Jazz with our ex-Manhattanite daughter. It's a happy Father's Day for me.