sprocket i/o

On Thursday night, I rejoined the masses and logged back into the internet after a week of vacation from it. My week off was excellent: I got to work early, slept better, read more, got things done around the house, and saw more of my friends than usual. I couldn’t get my wife to participate, which made things a little less interesting, but we still had lots of fun together. We went out on Friday night to the Brick Store in Decatur, rode our bicycles on the Silver Comet on Sunday, and did a photo walk in downtown Roswell in the midweek. 

I’ll admit that I cheated a few times: once to apt-get some packages onto my OLPC XO-1, once to check my e-mail, and one to see the forecast for the day to decide what gear to wear on my motorcycle. Speaking of gear, I did get a new pair of motorcycle boots this week: TCX Infinity. I scored a new pair off of eBay for $180, which is about what I paid for my TCX Matrix boots two years ago. The Infinity’s feel more protective than the Matrix boots, but other than it being another inch taller, I’m not sure it is.

I also got a new pair of shoes for my baby: I installed (without much cursing) a set of  Continental TKC-80‘s and a set of new rear brakes on the motorbike. After 8,000 miles on the road, the MEFO 99 Explorer’s I had were starting to feel a little funny, but still had plenty of tread. The additional ride height the TKC-80′s give, along with the low-pitched road drone, makes my bike feel more like a Hummer H1 than a motorcycle. I tested them this morning on some rutted gravel & dirt roads near the house, and they felt right at home there. The Teek’s are by far the most aggressive off-road tire I have ridden with, and make absolutely no sense given that 90% of my mileage is interstate. I simply bought them because they are popular for Dakar owners, and I intend to sell my Dakar as soon as possible. Most of the 27,000 miles on the bike are mine, and I am ready for a change.

It’s no secret that I have been on the lookout for a used , but it is turning out to be far more difficult to find a used black one with ABS than intended. People are not letting these bikes go, at least during the summer-time. I’ve decided to open up my options to other colors. There may be a small wrench in my plans though, but I’ll leave that for another post.