Going Green

Not only is my new old bike emerald green in color, but I've also saved a bit of green while repurposing, rebuilding and reusing.
Oh, and re — cycling... ha ha ha!!!

The Green Queen, one-time true love of The Lizard, underwent some minor surgery last week and had her inaugural ride with a new saddle occupant (and old but new saddle, as well) over the weekend. She's going to be going under the knife again this week for a few more cosmetic procedures, and then hopefully she'll be ready for some big rides.

My sweet husband promised me, "The Green Queen never disappoints." She is not woman-specific, while both my road bike and mountain bikes are. She doesn't fit me like she would fit a man slightly taller than me. But she climbs so much better than any bike I've ever been on, and whoa, is she ever light! Oh, and she shifts smoother, too. Of course, both my derailleurs have failed this year, so maybe I don't know good shifting when I feel it anymore...

The Lizard didn't put all my equipment on the Green Queen for this first date; he chose instead to focus on fit and comfort. Now that we know I can ride his bike, he'll finish moving my equipment from my eight-year-old Gary Fisher Marlin onto his 13-year-old S-Works. Have I ever mentioned 13 is my lucky number???

(Lizard bike trivia, in his own words: "The Green Queen was welded in 1997. I believe back then Specialized S-works frames were welded by the Yeti boys in Durango, before Yeti moved to Golden, although I'm not entirely sure about that.")

Unfortunately, I didn't get in a really tough climb during my first ride on the new old wheels, and no pictures of me enjoying the Green Queen were snapped. You see, I had yet another of my routine blonde moments prior to the test ride. I was so excited about riding The Lizard's bike, I forgot to take a critical training ingredient. Three and a half miles into the ride, I looked down to grab a water bottle, and there was none! I'd left them in the car.

So I sent The Lizard on to scale the 11,000-foot mountain pass, and I returned to the car for necessary nutritional components. Seems I left my bars and gel behind, too.

But I did take my camera! So on the way back to the car and on the way back up the road to meet The Lizard, I snapped a plethora of wildflower pictures, which I've been wanting to do for three weeks, but the rides were so intense, I didn't take the time to be a photographer.

Clouds moved in quickly, so I didn't get in a long ride, but 15.5 miles at altitude constitute a good workout. Next weekend, I'll do better. I promise.

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