A return to biking, a year and a bit later

I've logged over 3000 miles on my trusty Trek US Postal bike since I posted last. I've gone through a few tires, I've broken spokes, wore out a couple of chains, and replaced the Ultegra shifters as the internals wore out. I've replaced more brake pads than I care to count, primarily due to the fact that I don't clean them after the really rainy, gritty rides. Speaking of rain, I've ridden countless rainy commutes, since I live in gloomy Beaverton, Oregon. I've ridden a few commutes at 8 degrees. Why not? I've found remote country roads through Oregon wine country I didn't know existed. I've climbed gorgeous mountain roads that made my heart beat like a jack hammer,my lungs ragged, my throat raw, my quads scream in pain, and my spirit soar with exhileration. I've descended these mountains at near 50 miles per hour, eyes watering from the wind, the sweat accumulated during the climb drying too rapidly, chilling me, painfully, gloriously.

I joined a bike club and started training on the velodrome with a fixed gear. I rode with the team on training rides, hanging onto the lead group during town sprints until it was just the last few riders, and finally falling off, legs having gone to muscle failure, and enjoying the beer after.

And finally, I've lost weight. 19 pounds so far! From 217 pounds to a current weight of 198.