SODO is beautiful at night.

After work, I rode up to the UD and went to a couple bars, ending up at the Big Time to watch the UW/ASU game with bike kids. Then off to the Awful Shark for the next to the last episode of BSG. Not wanting to go home, I rode over the hill to a bike kid party at the Center for Wooden Boats shop. I saw people I knew, but couldn’t get to them as when I got off my bike a girl immediately started hitting on me, asking me to explain how shifting worked and whatnot. Her friends came down from the street and started talking about taxi’s so I excused myself and went inside. There wasn’t any beer about, and folks started dancing. I wasn’t feeling being social, so I rode over to the Hurricane, had some dinner and read a little. The bus boy asked me what my gear ratio was. That was a first. Afterwards I rode down to SODO and toiled about a bit, exploring the alleys in between the large industrial buildings appreciating the older, smaller ones scattered about.

I’m building another fixie. I purchased most of the parts today. I got a 59cm IRO Mark V frame off ebay, most of the drivetrain parts from IRO, and some tires from Universal Cycles. I guess I need to dig up some clips and lights. My left thigh is bruised from bracing against the top tube to skid stop the 32mm Schwalbe’s on my Schwinn fixed. I’m going with a higher gear ratio, 170mm 46t x 16t on 700cm x 23mm. The Schwinn should be 40t x 17t on 27″ x 32mm. I don’t want to change the Schwinn, I like it being brutish and tough. But I’m also looking forward to a lighter more urban fixed gear as well. Don’t tell my mom though, she thinks I have enough bikes already.