In any case, I never had indexed shifting, but neither did his fixie when it was born. But since Gallmeyer has enough sense to at least put a handbrake on his, and since it had STI shifters in its pre-fixie life, his brake levers have some horizontal play you wouldn't expect.
His fixie must feel like it has a motor on it after touring with the bob-trailer. After cajoling me for weeks, he finally got me to try riding his rig (an old Schwinn Odyssey) when I ran into him in the West Bottoms Thursday night.
It felt like trying to hijack a tractor-trailer I had to pedal. He's obviously comfortable enough on this three-wheeled human-powered city bus, but damn.
True story, I jackknifed it trying to turn around in a road wide enough to be four lanes and cried uncle.
Meanwhile, touring with Brian and Corinna I got to thinking my bike was due for an overhaul. The headset knocks, has since August. The hubs were attended to by my Brother two years ago. And I've since ridden in the country, on levies, and on salty, snow-packed winter roads. About four thousand miles.
I also wondered if maybe new brake pads would stop me more efficiently. They're not worn down to the warning line but new rubber ought to be softer, more tacky, right? And I was definitely having to grab a handful of brakes to stop.
So the other day Brian stood on a scale and then stood on a scale holding my bike, Corinna's bike, his fixie, etc.
My bike weighed in at 68 pounds without my CPAP. Without me, too. Which could definitely account for the thing feeling different as I climb hills or try to stop.
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