Cranking Out The Miles

I own a 1993 R900 Cannondale road bike. I purchased this bike for $200 from a lady that won it at an auction. It is my first road bike and I've had a blast hitting the streets and cruising through the canyons around the Utah valley.

The main thing that I like about this bike is that it was build with quality components. The frame is fairly light and I feel like it has good energy transfer. When I first got the bike I went through and took it apart as far as I knew how, which wasn't very far. I cleaned it and adjusted the cables so that I could ride it without wanting to throw it off a cliff. Since the components are Shimano Ultegra series, I can tell that they were meant to be adjusted and last longer than what I've typically been used to. There is less plastic and fewer rivets. The metal is a higher quality stainless that doesn't show a spot of rust. Since purchasing this bike 2 years ago, I've now taken just about everything apart and degreased, re-greased, adjusted and polished everything at one time or another.

When I hit the road I enjoy hearing the sound of trued wheels and 120 psi tires humming across fresh asphalt. Coming down the canyon I'm able to hit about 40 miles per hour and the rush is pretty exhilarating. I've been gradually increasing the distances that I'm able to ride and I look forward to completing my first century ride at the end of the summer. This will be a good accomplishment for me and I'm hoping I can pull out a decent time. I'd love to get to the point that I can ride 100 miles at 18-20 mph. As I get better I want to be more competitive. Regardless of how fast I'm able to get on my bike, I still enjoy getting out for an early morning or evening ride. It gets me outside and it gives me one more piece of simple mechanical equipment that I can dink with.