Nordic Cycle trip - Post #9

Back in college i took a course on Logic. The professor taught us that if the solution wasn't accessible, procrastinate. Keep working the logic and see where it leads you. I was having a serious problem deciding which bike to bring on this trip, both seemed fine but neither was perfect. I've talked about the pros and cons of both bikes before so you can review the old posts if you've forgotten. Basically, i would be fine with the yellow bike if it was lighter, and i'd be fine with the Fuji is it was more comfortable.

There's no way to make the yellow bike lighter, but i could make the Fuji more comfortable. I had my friend bring out the set of handlebars that used to be on the Fuji before i replaced them with fancy carbon ones. I was hoping they would be shorter, with less drop, and make the bike more comfortable. Besides, the Ortlieb handlebar bag says not to install the bracket on carbon bars. Last night i decided i'd swap them out and see how it felt. I removed the bar tape from the carbon bars (that i had just put on a few weeks ago) and started to take off the shift levers. I soon realized that the cable for the front brake passed through a slot in the bars and i'd have to cut the crimp thing off to be able to pull the cable out. I had just recently redone all the cables on the bike since one of the shifter housings had exploded on me a few weeks ago. I had crimped the end of the cables sa short as possible so extra wire wouldn't be all over the place. Well, i didn't leave enough room to be able to cut off the crimp, then put a new crimp back on. In short, i'd have to get a whole new set of cables if i wanted to switch the bars. That was it. This was the straw that has made me give up on the Fuji.

So, i procrastinated. i worked on other things that might help me make a decision and the answer revealed itself. I'm taking the yellow bike. i just wish it wasn't so heavy! Oh well. It's only 400 miles. I'm thinking about loading it up with everything and taking it for a ride tonight to see how heavy it really is.



UPDATE:

So, I wrote that yesterday. I did load up the bike with most of the gear (minus the laptop and a few small things) and rode it around my apartment complex. It's so heavy. I felt like i'd need to stand up to climb even a small incline, especially after dozens of miles. I did some thinking about what it'd really take to change the handlebars on the Fuji and i think i really only need one new brake cable (about 3$-5$). I can use the current rear cable as the new front one since it's way shorter and just get a new one for the rear. The shifter cables don't need to come off at all. So, i think i'm going to get the cable and replace the bars and give the Fuji a chance. Having gears will be a huge benefit, even if it is slightly less comfortable. I promise, by next thursday i'll have definitely made a decision. And look forward to some preview riding videos. I'm going to dual cam some riding this weekend and see what i can do editing-wise. Does anyone out there have a 3D tv?