Two Wheels, One Gear and a Spring Day

I seem to recall posting something about "carbide studs of happiness" some time ago. That was at the outset of winter. Winter is on its way out now and this means wardrobe change, machina-style:
Good-bye carbide studs of happiness, hello simple machine of lightness. I knew this bike was coming out today, I knew it last night as I was chugging home on the Surly, I knew it this morning when I fetched the paper and heard birds singing and smelled dampness - winter is in retreat and the thaw has begun.

Surprised by how little air I needed to add to the 100 psi tires, and how easily the machine gets underway, I move off almost silent down the two lane road that goes into town from my house. The ride to work is largely downhill - and delightfully fast on my 1987 Schwinn Tempo.

This particular member of my two-wheeled family was rescued from a friend's garage and altered slightly with a Cinelli saddle, flopped-and-chopped handlebars and a 42x17 fixed-gear setup. It even came with some Benotto Cello handlebar tape. The whole bike transports me not only to work, but back to 1987 - when steel ruled the road and I spent most of my free time training on and racing two-wheeled machines.

Hello soft thrum of high-psi tires on pavement. Hello near-silent machine. Hello Spring.