Dogma On The Road #1

“the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road

First climb on the Dogma today. NEED to change the gearing!!! I totally burned out on the climb today pushing too high a gear. Otherwise, this bike is just Amazing! Subtle like the best steel, stiff like the best aluminum, responsive like the best titanium, IQ like the best carbon fiber.... all wrapped up into one! The asymmetric frame is hard to believe, but works as published - climbing was so smooth and even. I felt totally in control on the descent unlike the nervousness of the Colnago straight forks.

I found a crack in one of the rims... need to keep an eye on that. The risk of buying something used and being too excited in the moment to look over every small detail and to ask endless questions. Lesson to self! That could be expensive if I need to change it... New gearing could be expensive too as my bike shop said I'd have to change the front spider, not just simply swapping out rear cogs... totally called it when he saw the bike without ever saying a word... "been riden by a junior racer...." I don't know that much about bikes, but he was right.

Read in somebodies journal yesterday about the Sunny 16 rule. So, I thought I'd give it a go...

Today's photo is the climb out of San Remo to a place in the mountains called San Romolo... a nice ride also from estetic point of view, exiting the bustle of the town - cars and scooters and pedestrians... above the endless greenhouses for flowers and vegetables... into the lushness of mountain berries and pines... the whisperings of the cicades.... and then the clouds rolling over to cool things off just as I was taking this photo. This little turn out is the widest point on the road and signals the end of the climb and my usual resting point. This time I had to take two rest stops just prior as I had over exerted myself and bonked. The ride down the other side was exciting and I was able to pass first another cyclist who was cautiously riding the brakes, a fat lady on a scooter, and then a station wagon back into the bustle of town with scooters, cars and pedestrians. ho-hum. haha The zing of the carbon fiber rims while breaking is interesting! So grippy and the bike is incredibly stable in the curves... did I say that already??? Are you bored reading this yet.... OK... off to rest and rihydrate!