The benefits of not sleeping

About once a week I have a night where I either can’t get to sleep (bad), or wake up at some ridiculously early hour (less bad).

Here is the reason becoming wide awake at 2:30 a.m. is less bad.  First I can have a long, long leisurely breakfast.n

Then I can read about cats and European cycling on the internet.

Then I can reaffirm that there is absolutely nothing on the 150 channels of television that I pay for.

Then I can get dressed and go for a bike ride.

When you go for a bike ride at 5:30 on a Saturday morning, you can blow through most stop signs and traffic lights with impunity.

You can take the lane because no one else wants it.

You are free from being chased by dogs because they are still asleep.

And this morning you would have missed the thunderstorms that were approaching as you headed home.  I passed a group of 5 or 6 guys headed out as I was heading home.  Even if they avoided the scattered showers, they were out in the thunder.

On other cycling fronts, I might have mentioned what a crummy job I did last time I wrapped my bars.  It was all lumpy on the tops and had a little pointy edge sticking out from under the black finishing tape.  I also hadn’t left enough sticking out on the ends to tuck neatly into the bar plug.  Just bad.  I ordered some new tape in case I couldn’t re-use the still decent Salsa gel tape.  Then after ‘second breakfast’ I went to Home Depot and found some orange electrical tape to use as a finish which matches pretty close.

I set up in the living room.  I always wrap my bars in the living room.  I don’t know why.  Then I cleaned them with some spray cleaner and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser which does a really good job.

Next I carefully cut off the old black electrical tape which was a sticky mess and left black goo on the orange tape.

I was very careful with the re-wrap and did a pretty darn good job.  The ends are nicely tucked into the bar ends.  It’s much tighter and I was able to cut off the gunky black part without losing any coverage.  And the orange electrical tape looks much better than the black stuff.

I was so inspired that I cleaned the rest of the bike.  It looks real purty.

It’s now thundering outside again.  I hope it goes away so I can take it out in the morning and get it dirty again.

~ by susancyclist on July 30, 2011.