Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.
It's not warm when she's away.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long anytime she goes away.

Last night I dropped off the Jamis at Tracy’s house to deliver to the new owner. I know it’s strange to be emotionally attached to a physical object, but I can’t help it.

I’ve always been a mountain biker. I was pretty well convinced that all roadies were spandex wearing, no waving, self important jerks. (Who knew I’d fit right in?)

About 4 years ago though, at the urging of Jerry, a friend from church, I decided to buy a road bike and give it a try. I shopped and researched and spent a lot of time online trying to figure out the whole roadie lingo thing so I could make an informed decision. I then went out and bought the Jamis because it was really cool looking.

At the time, I couldn’t believe I was going to spend 800 bucks on a bicycle. But I did and I never looked back. She wasn’t really anything fancy, just a solid, reliable, entry-level aluminum road bike with a triple crank and enough gears to help a beginner climb anything in their path.

From that point on, I was hooked. I still loved mountain biking, but road riding added a whole new dimension. With the increased speed and comfort on the road, the distances I could go were much longer.

The bike and I began, along with my friends, to explore all the roads in and around the bay area. We were shown roads in my area where you can ride and not worry about being run over. We saw vistas and views we never would have seen had I not ridden there on the bike. We attempted (and failed) the Death Ride (my fault not hers) and just last month we completed a 540 mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Over the years, I’ve tried to be good to her. I’ve treated her to new jewelry and trinkets. She got a new set of wheels, new drive train components, a new seat (more for my benefit than hers) new tires whenever needed and regular cleanings and tune-ups.

We’ve had a great run and although I’ve gone through a couple of bike computers so have no actual idea of the distances we’ve gone, I think it’s safe to say we’ve seen many thousands of miles together.

Lately though, I’ve been wanting more. Something that would be a little more gentle on my old bones, a little less jarring on the downhill and a little peppier on the climbs, something a little racier even.

So, it was when earlier this month Tracy called and asked me if I was interested in selling her. It turns out he had a friend that was right about where I was 4 years ago. Someone just starting out and needing a good, reliable bike to help him on his journey.
At first I thought, no way. I can’t sell her. We’ve been through too much together. I’ll still ride her even after I get a new bike. But deep down in my heart I knew this was a lie.
Besides, what better place for her to go than to someone that needed her? Needed her stable ride and her low, low gearing and her ultra reliable history.

So, the deal was made and she has been passed off to her new owner…..and here I sit bike-less – ok, that’s not completely accurate since I still have the SS road bike, the SS mt bike and the geared mt bike, but there’s now a hole in my arsenal that I need to fill...

And, so the shopping begins...what bike will live where my baby used to lay...

Come see me Early in the mornin',
baby 'bout the break of day
Then you all saw me huggin' a pillow,
where my baby used to lay