My legs feel really strong, though. The last eight months of consistent riding have got me feeling pretty good. If I'm going up a semi-steep grade, I don't bother with Granny Gear any more. Mostly I keep in on the middle wheel-chain (I think that's the term) and grind it out. Keeping that up for a mile or so isn't a problem. Seeing how I do on an actual mountain pass will be interesting to see.
The new bike has also changed the way I ride quite a bit. On the Grey Goose, I would power up hills by standing up. Now, I stay seating and grind it out. It's a more sustainable way to get up a slope, at least on the Surly. Also, my Corpse Toe complaint has gone away via a combination of looser laces and warmer socks. I'm very happy about that.
Had an old friend visit over New Year's and it was quite the experience. We were tight way when we were kids. We met at gymnastics class, back when I was 10-14 or so. Back then, he was a hyper, funny friend, and we goofed off a lot together in the way that 10-14 year old boys do: farting, boogers, movies and skateboarding.
Now he's 33 and broken down in ways I never thought I'd see: physically and emotionally he's the most damaged person I've been close to. He's been through it all, and continues to go through it on a daily basis. Mostly, his current personality is subsumed by addiction, which make being his friend an impossibility. At best, I can be a crutch. It was a hard visit, which I managed to get through with a combination of bike riding, whiskey and Judd Apatow comedies.
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