5 kilos lighter after Thailand and I am flying

Hello friends,

I know its been a while. Much happening since I got back and I will hopefully write a bit over the next couple of days as we have a 3 day weekend here in Perth this weekend. Labour Day, YEHAH!

Thailand as most of you have read was a great excitement for me. I needed the rest after my last job which was a mind and matter bender of great import. The massages were awesome and the food . . . wow the food was so fresh and so cheap. Just walk out of the hotel where I was staying and walk up to the first street vendor and for less than or close to a dollar get a massive amount of fruit to eat and eat and eat. which is what I did every day. I did do some great fish meals too.

Now, the title to this blog says that I lost 5 kilos . . . well, that is a bit of a mis-nomer as it wasn't me that lost it, however, I no longer was carrying it either, ha ha ha. Before I left for Thailand I ordered a new bicycle. My first major purchase here in OZ, and the first new bike since about 1988. A lot has happened in that time. Shifting is well and truly off of the down tube, 10 speed cassets instead of 7 speeds. Smaller chain rings because of the tiny cassetts 11 tooth sprokets. And worst though was that I could no longer get my size bike. I ride a 66 x 58 and the closest that I could get was a 60 cm X around 58 cm. 3 inches smaller. Hubs have sealed bearings, Aluminium frame with carbon fibre forks and seat post.

So, the first ride was like coming out of a MACK truck into a Ferrari. The 5 kilos was the weight difference between my old steel frame hand me down from Jenny's Deceased Husband and the new bike.

So, the 5 kilos in and of themselves really helped. BUT, the weight diff in the tires and wheels make an awesome diff in going up hill or in a sprint. The shifting in my opinion can make a fast rider much faster and a poor rider a lot better. Where before I might shift once in 3-5 k over rolling terrain, now I am constantly shifting to get the optimal work out of the motor (me).

When my friend George saw the bike, he bemoaned the fact that now that I am lighter that he wouldn't be able to keep up. Well, neither of us are sure how, but the new bike has lifted both of our games a lot. We upped our average a full 2 kilometers for our Saturday morning rides. He is flying and that is truly awesome for a 75 year young man. We do have fun passing the young ones, he he he. Of course they often blow past us so fast we look like turtles spinning on the tops of their shells.

OK, this was just a quick one. More later this weekend. Off for an open house and free Oneness Blessings.

peace

gene

may you be well and happy