10,000

Yesterday, I put the 10,000th mile on the fast bike. This is the bike Aki gave me for my birthday when it was clear I wasn't going to make it to Cuba any time soon. When I got it, I said I'd put 10,000 miles on it.

It's a Trek Madone 5.2. It's a bit like the hatchet that's been in the family for generations, although it's had 3 new handles and a new head. The seat and seatpost were replaced almost right away. The stem and handlebars got swapped out last year for shorter and narrower. Two of the 3 chainrings are new, and I've worn out a bottom bracket and a few cassettes and chains. The wheels are brand new. I finally gave up on the tweaky bladed-spoke racer-boy wheels and built some wheels that are strong and stiff enough not to need truing every 500 miles. They're slightly heavier, but by surprisingly little.

But it's the same frame, mostly the same geometry, and the same basic bike. I've spent a lot of happy miles on this bike, and it's done for me what I've needed. It's been comfortable, reliable, fast, and nimble. It's a good bike.

Now I want at least 760 more miles out of the ol' girl. How many more after that, I do not reckon. Maybe a lot.