Meet Randy...

[temve]

... because her dad's a randonneur and her mum's a crossbike. So, from her father's side she gets the Shimano 105 roadbike components and the casual disregard for things like fenders, rack, and dynamo lights, and from her mother she gets the feminine geometry, the girl-specific seat, and the straight handlebars.

She's a right bastard, but I love her already.




Aluminium frame custom-made to my measurements (and yes, it took longer because I wanted it green :), 20 gears (50/34 compact crankset in front and 12/27 cassette in the back, meaning I can zoom along the roads as well as ride up the not-so-massive hills in the area I live in), mountain bike handlebars (because I have issues with roadbike bars) with flat fin-like comfort grips and wee horns at the end, and a bloody scary big lock that adds about 20% weight to the bike. No kidding, you can actually tell whether it's in its little pouch mounted on the frame or not just by lifting the bike up.

And as it happens, today was the one day this summer that I rode the bus to work because it was pouring this morning, so I was able to pick her up on my way back and ride her home.

All right, and then promptly change into bike clothes and really ride her. Because this little bastard is fast. Really, for someone who's used to riding city bikes, a bike that does not automatically slow down when you stop pedalling is exhilarating. Also, even though compared to the weight of the woman on it, the weight difference between Randy and my city bike, the Sithbike, is not that big, Randy feels a hell of a lot lighter.

Amusingly, in the 5 minutes it took me to go upstairs and change into my bike clothes, Randy had already attracted admirers in the shape of two guys from the pool billiard club in my back yard, both bike connoisseurs and visibly impressed with a bike the likes of which they hadn't seen before. Especially not in that colour. In a German summer, that shade of green totally counts as camouflage :)

And if I manage to keep an incipient cold at bay, I will ride her proudly (and wetly) at the Everyman's Triathlon this Sunday!

Comments

[melusina]

What a beauty!

[temve]

Isn't she? My pretty bastard bike :)

[kuwdora]

oooooooooooooo how shinnnyyyyyyyyyyyy. Hope you have lots and lots of fun doing the triathlon!!

[temve]

If I manage not to come down with the flu, I'm sure I will!

[sara]

I like the built-in lock case. I need something like that....

[temve]

Heh. It actually comes with the lock, not the bike, and fits in the place where a water-bottle holder would normally go. But yes, between this type and the U-lock that doubles as a rack, lockmakers have become inventive :)