Should I sell my Treks (ethical reasons)

[Alaska Mike]

Just to be clear- quitting riding is not an option.

Well over a decade ago, after my knees went from too many hours on artificial soccer turf, I got fat. Obese. My mental image of myself was that of a skinny guy carrying a few pounds. I had no idea. I had gained 100 pounds over the course of a decade.

One day as I was wheezing and grunting as I tied my shoes for work, I looked over at my daughter's crib and realized if I kept going this way I wouldn't live to see her get married, much less dance at the wedding. It was that day I started riding. I lost a lot of the weight, got fitter, started racing, and started filling the garage with bikes.

I'm better when I ride, so I ride.

I'm kitted now as I type this to go out and ride. I'll walk past the bikes I won't be using to the Moots Compact, open the garage door, and ride the hills around Anchorage. The season is drawing to a close, so I know I have to get the miles in before I'm limited to the trainer for six months.

In Alaska we have a short season, but we pack a lot of stuff into it. In Anchorage we don't have much of a group ride culture, but we do have a relatively robust race calendar. Road, mountain, 'cross, rando, endurance... yeah, we have those bases covered.

Sure, it's chilly sometimes. Sure, it rains like it does in the PNW. Still, you can't beat the view.

I'm going to go out and ponder my quiver situation on the bike. I make my best decisions there.

[Alaska Mike]

Thanks for the input.

I decided to keep them. I'll hang them up where they won't get damaged, and hopefully pin on a number again sometime in the near(ish) future.

I have passed on several bikes in the past at low, low prices to get new riders into the game. A few of my old race bikes can still be seen on the trails and crit courses. However, these Madones are the ones that I settled on after years of trying just about every other major manufacturer's race-oriented bikes, then tweaked with various components to make them something more suited to my likes and needs. In other words, they're mine.

In a few years they may look like dinosaurs ("what, no electric pedal assist?"), but I just haven't seen meaningful progress in frame design in the last ten years that would warrant replacing them. They'll do...

[AngryScientist]

what size bike do you ride Mike? serious question.

i may have a free weekend in ANC next month.

[Alaska Mike]

All of my bikes are in the 56cm range.

I have no idea if I'll be in town next month. Very good chance I could be on Point Barrow soaking up the sun or in some other garden spot.

If for some off reason I am in town and winter hasn't closed in, I'm always open to riding.