I'm not happy with you right now... Red

Tonight was to be a big night and it started out great. I got out of work and headed over to the barber shop to get a haircut and shed the beard that I've been sporting for the last year and a half or so. It was big step for me, I realized that I have friends in my life that have never seen me without the beard and if I do say so myself, I pulled the beard off well.

In the last few weeks, I've felt like I wanted to shave it off. If only to be able to grow it back but I knew if I didn't, the beard might be a life long addition to the face much like my fathers. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I have no memory of my father without a beard and I am convinced that his chin only exists in beard form. Much like Chuck Norris, if he shaved it off there would simply be another beard underneath of it. I needed freedom from it. In a way my beard had become much like a horrible girlfriend that you can't break up with. You know you should end the relationship but the familiarity and although it's bad you know what it will be like, as compared to the unknown of flying solo.

So was my beard, I had attempted to shave it off myself a few weeks ago but ended up just looking at myself in the mirror unable to do so. This time, I paid someone to do it because I knew I couldn't go through with it. When I told the barber this story, she laughed at me as she allowed me to sport a killer mustache for a bit.

Clean shaven and a haircut I decided to take Red out on her maiden voyage. It started out great. The normal sounds of spokes popping as I rolled down the street as they found their place. I headed downtown to meet up with some co-workers before the weekly Wednesday Night ride. Up until this point, it was good but like so many things what started good ends bad. I left Founders to head to the start of the Wednesday right when...

My chain broke. Yes, Geoff you were right, piecing together to chains together link by link does make for a weaker chain. It broke on my first climb and I was suspecting something was up because the chain was making unusual noise. No carnage though! Thankfully. Because I had feared that the chain might do this, I had a spare chain with me in my seatbag. It was already cut to length and all I had to do was push the pin through with my trusty Crank Brother Multi-tool.

I was able to throw it one without any major issue but still was very frustrated with what had just happened. The ride leaves the start at 9:30, I finished the change over at 9:28 and made a sprint in the direction that I hoped I would intersect the ride. Fortunately it's still getting dark around 9pm so I was able to track them down with all the red flashers.

The route was good and ended up swing back to around my place so I broke off from the group and headed home. I wasn't happy about having to leave the ride earlier but in all honesty I didn't trust my bike at this point. I soft pedaled home just to make sure I wouldn't have any other issues because the last thing I wanted to do was to have to walk home. As I rounded the final turn home and road up the neighbors driveway Red decided to take a dive. I still don't know what happened all I know is that I had to bail on her and fortunately I caught the bike before I went completely down and only had the pedals scrape the concrete.

Note: Concrete beats anodized metal.

I'm not too happy with Red right now. The last thing I need right now is more girl problems in my life and needless to say it was unexpected to say the least from her. She's been my pride and joy since I got her together last year and always worked flawlessly. I'm a bit frustrated to say the least and am looking for some thing to blame... which I might blame to Salsa stem on it sense the last fixie it was on, I crashed on. The stem is totally fine but I think some bad karma might be wrapped up in it.

[Sorry no pictures of Red until I decide what's next... she's being punished for her vanity now]