Portlander's update...

Sorry it's been a bit since a post. Pretty busy, still trying to find work....

Bicyclin' Portland

So right before getting my friend Erik to send me one of my bicycles this way, I happen past a yard sale with an X-Large Univega most likely from the early 90's ,complete with slick tires, a rack and u-lock. All for twenty dollah(make you holla!)!

Boy, does this thing take me back. I had a Trek 820 from 1991 that was very similar to this. Cromoly frame and fork, 21 speeds, cantilever brakes. It's seen a bit of use but I didn't have to do too much to it; True the rear wheel a little bit as it took a ding somewhere, but that's it. Oh, there are a ton of things that I would do to this bike in typical habit like replacing all the cables and cleaning the drivetrain, but I decided to leave this lamb the way it is. Well, I changed the seat. Actually spent another twenty on a WTB SST takeoff saddle. Your seat is the one thing I will tell you not to ever compromise on. Two days on a worn-out gel saddle was enough! And boy was I beat the first day. It's not my first reminder that two months out of the saddle will catch up.

Perhaps the thing I enjoy about this bike the most is that it is 'just a bicycle'. I've been in a habit now of owning specific machinery for an application and I do love all the little details that go into such things. But this bike is not just the only such equipment that I had early on. It was all I needed. I wasn't and hadn't been in the industry when I had that Trek. And I rode it everywhere. I read books and lusted after other things, but the Trek was what I had and it just kept on truckin'.

Two Wheeled Elitism

The Bicycle runs rampant in Portland in many forms. The fixie hipsters are of course quite prevelant, but I've seen more old diamond frame Schwinns here than anything! A week before I left Phoenix, I turned down buying a black Schwinn Racer for $25 at Goodwill. Pretty bike, but I didn't it was the reasoning. Well, I could have probably gotten $150 for it in the condition it was in, perhaps $250 here in Portland. Amazing.

But bicycles aren't the only thing running around on two wheels here. You've got guys on scooters, either modern(like me) or vintage(maybe one day...), mopeds(the next thing to the fixie as far as hipsters. Google 'Puddlecutters'), motorcycles and of course cars. And everybody seems to have a beef about the other one. In fact, that's the most prevelant bitch I hear from the average Portlander; How people transport themselves about. Well, I suppose if you've got to be hostile about something, it might as well be that as opposed to something like "those damn Mexicans"...

Homesickness

It occured to me last week that I've been missing my peeps in Santa Fe and Phoenix quite a bit. Portland's got a lot going for it and I'm still seeking employment, but if things don't start bearing fruit by end of this month I'm going to give serious consideration to giving my love back to one of those places by end of July, most likely Santa Fe. I'll try to keep you posted. Whatever is supposed to happen will happen, eh?

Ciao!