Muse steps out

Today, I took the Muse out for a ride.  I wanted to see how the 28c tires would affect the ride.  The ride is much improved, it feels like a different bike.  A plusher, less pissed off kind of feel.    I am now getting a good feel for the seven after two seasons.   I felt the Cat Eye was giving me suspect numbers, When I got back from the ride I adjusted the tire size in the V2c cycle computer 2136 vs 2096. 

Urban riding is interesting,  It requires a lot of communication with others.  I have to let cars know what my intentions are.  I have to let runners know when I am passing on the left.   I have to anticipate  pedestrians, buses, other bikes and dogs on leashes.   The world it seems has tuned out.   ipad, ipod, iphone, text, call, and the intranet while walking and driving  makes my communication with others more difficult. 

Shorter days, colder mornings and buckets of rain has limited my cycling adventures. Last week, I was able to go for a short 22mile ride. As fall turns to winter, I am reflecting upon the year. I have over 500 miles on the Seven. As with most new bikes, it takes time to adjust to the newness of it all. I would describe the bike as: light, stiff, comfortable, and expensive. Only one word can describe the whole experience and that is amazing. Thank you, Seven Cycles.

The Last Muse

The last Seven Muse has shipped out of the Watertown production facility. For 2010 Seven has changed the name of the Muse to...Halcyon. The new nomenclature is one of the new Traveler line of Seven bikes. I bet seven would make you a Muse if you asked nicely.

Now that I have a rare Seven Muse, I can claim it a "classic" or "historic" and a revolutionary bicycle built before it's time. Enjoy the Muse in all her glory!

The Bike Computer

The Muse will sport a Cateye V2c double wireless bicycle computer on the Dalmac. This will be my third Cateye computer. The irony is, in 1995 I vowed to never use a cycle computer again.
The first bike computer I purchased was a Cateye Micro. I put it on my 1991 Klein. Back in the day, I would time my loops at the Poto trail in Michigan. The moment of truth came after the computer "reset" during a ride, I said "never again". To this day, I have not put such a device on my mountain bike. I have a different thought process for the road. When I did my first Dalmac in 2001, I used my 1994 steel Barracuda hardtail mountain bike sans computer. I had no idea what a good cadence was or even what it took to go 100 miles. I also had no Idea what speed I could pedal for 8 hours. I just rode in my top gear until I ran out of energy. That was about 40 miles into day one. Today the computer helps me train and establish a foundation that I can build upon. The Cateye V2 is able to display 3 sets of data at once. This will allow me to keep my hands on the handlebars and my eyeballs on the road.

Muse Worthy

I have been using Arkel products for many years. When it came time to find a handlebar bag for my Seven Muse, the only choice for me was Arkel Over Designs. I purchased the smaller bag because it fits my short reach handlebars much better than the large Arkel bag. The aluminum brackets and bank vault construction, separates the Arkel from other products on the market today. If you have seen photo's of my outdoor bike, you would have seen my beloved red Arkel Tail Rider trunk bag.

Countdown

Less than 60 days before my Tour de Michigan, I am not ready, and my Seven muse is less than finished. My personal goal was to have ridden 1000 miles of pavement, and have a new Seven I could ride before the tour. Reality bites with 550 miles of training and need of a complete groupo. I am dealing with some poison Ivy, actually, a lot. I have taken a week off the bike.
The best news of the week was a pair of undamaged Reynolds wheels arriving.