Gotta Love This Sunny Riding - Project SUB Impressions

What a gorgeous day for being on the bike! So much so, I added about 11 miles to my going to work commute by biking to my optometrist's to pick up my new glasses. I believe I am part solar powered as I felt like I was re-energized, like I had a bit more energy. My climb from downtown Portland up Barbur Blvd was so much easier today than it was back in the fall of 2010. Not saying putting nearly 1000 miles in since then did not have an effect, just saying the sun energy absorbed made it even easier.

Riding back down to Portland was icing on the cake. The miles flew by, time melted away, I felt comfortable on the bike. Memories came back of my past live to ride days. Every aspect seemed perfectly in tune, perfectly matched and I just cruised at speed without feeling like I was at my limit.

Apparently many other co-workers felt it was time to get on the bike today. For the first time since we moved in back in December the bike room was overflowed. Rack space holds up to 15 bikes and we had a record 17. Since I was last in, you can see my blue handlebarred bike back against the lockers. We should have an overflow space ready to go by the end of this week.

Project SUB Impressions

Yep, I have decided to call my on-going pursuit of perfection, Project SUB*. I am very pleased with the shift lever location, they are within easy reach and, yet, out of the way of hand positions on my bars. Shifting is smooth and the up and down shifting are nearly intuitive. A few more rides and I should have the shift direction firmly recorded into muscle memory.

The bike feels fast with the new tires (Continental Sport Contact, 26 x 1.6). They are just a little wider than I would like, but their low rolling resistance is making up for that. I seem to notice a bit more road noise from them, but again, a small trade off for the speed.

I am enjoying having this project bike, gives me something to tinker with, to fine-tune that is absent of review panels, proposal reviews and personal judgments like I experience with work and trying to improve things there. Each change has added to my bag of tricks, to my library of information on how to accomplish a challenging fitment issue. Absolute control over design, approach and method.

This project is as much art as it is science and creative engineering. The engineering makes it effective and useful, the art makes it not only aesthetically pleasing, but creatively innovative in some instances. Not to mention I also throw in some environmentally friendly re-use actions.

The project is one of my meditation methods, I think. See, not only physical exercise, but exercise for my mind. Can't go wrong with that, can you? We will see how long I go before making some other change or fine-tune.

(*SUB = Sport Utility Bike)