No bike should look like this … 🤔

No bike should look like this.

This bike looks like it is ignored. Like no-one cares.

Well, it’s not. It’s my good carbon bike. I simply can’t keep it clean for very long. Every ride it gets like this. There is so much dirt and moisture on the roads, it looks like this every time, no matter how frequently I wash it.

You have to understand. This is not me. Not my bike. I am fastidious about keeping all of the bikes spotless, and in good working order. I wash and tune them, even when they don’t need it. Some say I’m obsessed. I can’t help it. I like to look at, and ride, a clean, well tuned bike.

My road bikes don’t usually see wet weather. They stay inside where it is dry, and warm unless the weather is sunny, and dry. Here at the cottage, I have no choice. I just have the one bike. My good carbon bike. So, I either sit inside, or get it dirty. I choose to ride, and deal with the dirt and grime afterward.

In fact, I have become less fastidious. Less obsessive. I don’t always wash it after every ride. I know it will only get dirty tomorrow. So, I only wash it a few times a week, usually waiting for a hot, sunny afternoon when I can put my bathing suit on, and luxuriate in the sun at the same time. At first, I felt guilty. No bike deserves to rest dirty. But then I realized it didn’t really matter. A little dirt isn’t going to hurt for a day, maybe two. If the dirt affected braking or gearing, I would certainly clean it. But otherwise, I relax.

What’s happening?

Am I becoming less obsessive? Am I relaxing a little? Is this what cottage time does?

OMG. What’s next 😂