On the Road - Santa Barbara

[Jim Hewett]

So I'm on my way down to Fontana for the first Pro XCT national race. I am seeing accounts as I go, which has brought me to Santa Barbara today. I got into town and checked into my hotel by 5:30. After all of the driving over the last two days, I knew I needed to spin around for an hour. I kitted up and started tooling around the strip malls on my Superfly. There were some beautiful hills in the distance, but I was having trouble navigating my way through the neighborhoods and private property to get there. I had pretty much given up when a guy on a road bike in a UCSB kit rode by with what seemed like purpose. I decided to follow him to see if he was going anywhere interesting. We meandered through some suburban areas, then started climbing. The next thing I knew we were in the hills. It was a beautiful evening, perfect temperature and a great sunset. That beats the hell out of driving down Highway 99!

The bike is working well. I installed an XX cassette, derailer and shifter to make it a 1x10 (34x11-36). This gives me one easier gear and is lighter than the XO 9 speed stuff I was running. The bike weighs about 18.9 lbs.

I am feeling pretty good. I look forward to doing a couple of pre-ride laps tomorrow in Fontana. Looks like the weather will be nice.

Let's get lucky!

[Paul Montgomery]

Wow...kick some ass! Paul