Appreciation

Before Sam sent me the Kite to race, I had converted my fixed gear, the Fun Machine, to a quasi CX bike. Since the Kite arrived it has languished half assembled on a hook.
We got a couple of inches of wet snow last night, and the temperature never really got much below freezing, so a mountain bike ride, probably would have been an exercise in frustration as I broke through the fragile crust again and again, gouging up what little rideable hard pack there is.
Mary Jane set up as a commuter is somewhat pedestrian and boring. Sure the 38c tires are nice on some of the broken pavement, but all in all, not very inspiring.
How can such a great race bike be such a blah commuter?

It was time to get the Fun Machine back into the rotation, and here's where the appreciation comes in; quality machining of the components (as minimal as they are), the nuts and bolts made reassembling it was a joy.
Clean, sharp threads.
Fenders went back on with minimal readjustment, and chain ring bolts tightened without the need of a chain ring bolt spanner.
Cranks spinning effortlessly, smoothly pulling the chain, spinning the cog.
Dropping to the floor, no rattles or shakes.
Silent.
The way it should be.


Fixed; the way it should be too.