T-1: Pick-Me-Up

August 20, 2020

My hotels will cost less than this Gin & Tonic

I'm leaving tomorrow.
The trip starts tomorrow.

Maybe its because of the difference in the amount of planning/prep that I've done when compared to other tours but it feels unreal that I'm actually leaving tomorrow.

I picked my bike up from Sky's shop around lunch time. The total (including the replacement fork, the Rohloff, and all the associated bits) bill came to CNY 16,700. This is now officially the most expensive bike I've ever owned and, unlike the previous candidates for most expensive, I paid for all of it out of my own pocket.

Come to think of it, it's the most expensive thing I own.

"Custom" take-apart titanium frame by a Chinese factory that I choose not to name. Considering the things that were specifically on the spec sheet that didn't make it on to the frame, I suspect that they also ignored my measurements and went with a bog standard mountain bike frame with couplers.
Actually custom titanium fork.
Patterson drive internal 2-speed front chainring
Rohloff 14 speed rear hub
MKS quick release pedals
Nitto randonneur bars
The cheapest Specialized saddle in the shop (because Sky's shop is Specialized branded)
Shimano dynamo hub on the front.

The roast beef (from my dinner before Tuesday Trivia Night) has actual flecks of gold leaf on it.

And the salmon makes you understand why the Chinese name for this place means "orgasm".

After picking up the bike, I went to the Big O sushi restaurant to say good bye to Jason, the owner/chef, and see if there was a chance to leave my bike at his restaurant while I popped over to the hospital to pick up my printed Covid results. In theory the parking lot is guarded and totally safe but "totally safe" and "totally safe enough for my bike" are not the same thing. He closes between lunch and dinner so, after my eel rice, I had to take the bike home and switch it out for a share bike.

From the hospital I took a cab downtown to Chimac to hang with the Table A4 crowd. As I'm writing this I've seen Trevor, his wife, Unca Mark, and Sarah of the trip to Wuzhishan, and Jake the photographer should be here soon.

Today's ride: 15 km (9 miles)
Total: 15 km (9 miles)

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