November hasn’t been a very prolific month for riding to work. Looks like I’m on pace to top February, but that’s not saying much. I was out the first 2 weeks of the month, and it’s already a shortened month due to the Thanksgiving holiday. As a matter of fact, weather permitting, I may actually be able to ride more in December, which is saying something.
Still struggling with my fixed-gear bike trying to get it more comfortable. I’ve been pretty happy with the Forté Classic saddle on my road bike, so I tested it with the fixed, and it seems pretty good. So I think I’m going to swing by Performance and pick one up. Then there’s the issue of seating position. I suspect that with this bike, I’m going to be more comfortable with a more upright seating position. To that end, I’m going to try raising the bars up a few inches. To do that, I’ll need a steer tube extender, which can be had for around $20. And at that point, I’ll probably want to swap out my bullhorn-style bars with a set that has a bit more drop. I’m considering trying a set of mustache-style bars. Soma Fabrications makes a nice-looking mustache bar that looks similar to the popular Nitto bar, for around $40 less. The bike is also going to need a new chain and new tires soon. It currently has Bontrager Race Lite 700c x 23s, and I’ve been happy with these. However, considering this is my main winter bike, I’m thinking about switching to a set of Specialized Armadillos, and maybe going up to a 25. Armadillos are about the most flat-resistant tire on the market. They’re on the heavy side, but weight isn’t really a concern with me with this bike. The only concern is whether a wider tire will create clearance issues with my fenders.