One last ride on the Giant OCR2
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008Last night I decided to take my road bike, a Giant OCR2, for one last ride. I decided to sell it but wanted to get to ride it once more, and make sure I really, truly was ready to sell it. I hadn’t ridden it since I got the Long Haul Trucker.
The bike performed admirably, it’s noticeably faster and lighter than the Trucker. Out-of-the-saddle climbing is much more effective, and you can feel a more direct transfer of power from your legs to the pavement. I enjoyed riding a faster bike after riding the Trucker for a while. I rode the Water Works route, which is probably the route I’ve ridden the most on that bike, and it felt great. The route has a lot of rolling hills, and I had fun hammering over long lines of rollers.
As I rode, I thought about all the places this bicycle has taken me. This is the bike that really got me hooked on road riding. I got it just at the beginning of last year and have put over 4,000 miles on it in that time. I remembered one of my first rides taking me down Moore’s Creek Road, where I came flying around a corner to find the road before me covered in ice. And how that ride of 13 miles or so left me feeling drained. Now, that’s a short ride.
My bicycle by an iced-over Moore’s Creek Road.
By Lake Monroe
I thought about riding the Hilly Hundred on this bicycle last year. Two days, 100 miles and over 6,000 feet of climbing.
View from the Hilly Hundred
I thought about riding the Nashville 90 last year. 90 miles of riding on a beautiful fall day.
Giant OCR2 in Story, Indiana
I thought about various winter rides.
In the snow
I thought of the numerous Mount Gilead, Water Works, Shilo, Monrgan-Monroe State Forest rides, and rides around Lake Monroe and Lake Lemon. I’ve done each of these routes many times on this bicycle.
Coveyville
I thought about cracking a rim on Dr. T’s Funky Fifty and then upgrading my wheels.
I remembered the gruelling ride from Fort Wayne to Chain’o'Lakes State Park.
At Chain’o'Lakes State Park
I thought about my first S24O, which I did on this bike.
Hauling firewood
One thing is for certain: I’ll miss this bike. It’s served me very well.
However, I also realized that everything I can do on this bike, I can do on the Long Haul Trucker, and then some. The only advantages of this bike over the Trucker are that it’s faster and lighter, and those were never its strenghts to begin with. The only thing I can do with this bike that I can’t do with the Trucker is hammer up hills. I can’t justify keeping it just for that. I guess it’d be better for club rides, but in practice, I never do those. The biggest question was: could I see myself reaching for this bicycle when I have the Trucker right there? The answer was simply “no.” It’s time to move on.
So, I posted the bike on Craigslist. I wasn’t reluctant, but it was a little sad. It’s weird how attached we can get to our bikes, even when we know we have something better.
I already have a potential buyer. We’ll see if that works out. If not, I’m confident I can sell this bicycle, as it’s a great one. If it takes a while, I can always go for “one last ride” once more.
August 26th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
I did pretty much the same thing. I couldn’t justify keeping my road bike for the half dozen club rides I go to each year. That seemed to be the only time I was riding it. It was hard to give it up. But in the end, it just didn’t suit the type of riding I do now.
By the way, how’s your finger doing these days?
August 26th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Thanks for asking, Doug, my finger is doing OK. There’s still some pain, and I still can’t straighten it very well but I can almost make a fist now, and I don’t need to do any wear a splint while riding anymore. I am still wearing the splint at night in hopes that I can extend its range when straightened, but that doesn’t seem to be helping very much. Squeezing the brake levers feels like good exercise for it, and I have some specific exercises to strengthen it.
Overall, I can use my finger fairly normally now, I just have to put up with some pain. It’s really about the best I could hope for at this point. I’m pleased with my progress.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Must be like sending our first off to college. The empty nest sort of thing.
I may be upgrading my Giant next year. I have an OCR3. I’ll probably give it away to one of the neighborhood kids though. Selling it seems to much like slavery. 8>)
August 27th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I know how you feel too. I sold my Allez earlier this year and I didn’t even use it as much as you used yours. Still, after was all said and done, I missed the speed feeling, but I know I did the right thing. I’m actually thinking of selling my Volae Recumbent to buy a LHT. After that, I think some of my other bikes might follow suit. After owning up to 11 bikes at one time, I like the idea of getting back to 1 or 2, and having one bike that is a go to for almost all of my riding. I’m at 7 now, so well on the way……
Cheers.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
i spy two pink bottles
August 28th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
excellent post. i’m sure the LHT will serve you very well in the rides to come. peace.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:58 pm
I hope you included some of your ride posts in the Craigslist ad — only those who can respect the bike and its history should be buying it. It’s got charisma now.