I used to be the guy with the million dollar bike and the ten-cent legs. That's okay. I didn't deserve the bike I bought. But I've ridden the hell out of it in the last couple of years and I deserve it now. I'm going to try and curb my own snobbishness and wave at everyone.

The funny thing that I've noticed, at least about myself, is that the more you know about bikes, the more appreciative you become of older, well-maintained bikes. There's a guy who often does the River Ride on an 80s vintage steel racer with down tube shifters and a 7 or 8 speed cog. It's a beautiful bike. The details are a bit different with the newer technology, but the basic design is the same.

It makes me think about holding onto my '01 for another 15 years so I can give it to my son when he's old enough. He'll say, "I don't know how you guys could ride with just 9 speeds. What did you do before continuously variable gearing came along?"

[edited for clarity]