Two Wheel Blogs

What is this, Thursday? Business trips can be so de-stabilizing. It's good to be back home again. Home for the rest of the year, what little of it remains. Now at least I can get back to something like normal. It's hard to believe how out of it you can get in only 3 days on the road.

Maybe it's hydration. As much as I try to stay hydrated when I travel, I still think I don't get enough water. It's hard to gage though; and the last thing I want is to flood myself so much I have to excuse myself from business meetings too often.

It's good to be back where I can get re-hydrated. More importantly I can get a decent workout. I'm going to have to scratch the Galleria Marriott in Houston off my list of places to stay. The bike they have there bites it big time. I don't know what's the most irritating thing about it; there are so many to choose from. It's hard to decide from among:

• The foot-wide seat
• That its finest adjustment increment is at least 1".
• That it essentially adjusts vertically, so the taller you are the more forward you end up over the pedals
• The huge 80's era display panel in your face
• That it read wattages tied to the level selected, rather than torque and cadence
• The handle bar that wraps around behind the display panel, forcing you to ride either bolt upright or elbows-out to use it
• The enormous Q-factor. I know everything's bigger in Texas, but in this case bigger isn't always better. My calves did not enjoy the rubbing on the bike's housing
• Those plastic pedals, which in this case were missing their toe straps. Why would they remove them?

Enough complaining. Now that I'm back on my own turf I can ride a bike that fits.

Speaking of bikes that fit, my new ride should be in process. Time to check in with the Eriksens to find out where things stand. I'll let you know what's news when I hear it.