Fitting Fizz

After work on Wednesday, I rode over to Thick for a fitting with Adam.

I took Blvd of the Allies through Downtown at rush hour to get to the Eliza Furnace Trail. I don't mind going through Downtown at rush hour, the traffic moves so slow that I'm not holding anyone up. However, this jagoff felt I wan't moving fast enough up to the corner of Smithfield and Allies that he tried to squeeze in my lane with me. I was up and out of the saddle trying to get better leverage up the hill and drifted a bit over to the right (my bad) giving him the impression that he could pass me. His front wheel brushed my pannier. If I didn't have an appointment, the police would have been involved. You can't see it in the video due to reflections on the windshield, but while he's stuck at he light behind me, he's taunting me with hand gestures. Really, nearly killing me wasn't enough? You have to belittle me too?

Van brushes my pannier:  http://youtu.be/M-9QJZLnYtg?t=5m11s

I have one word for people like this: Karma

I might be getting better at handling these things and restraining my anger; normally this would have me so enraged that I would start shaking. 

So, I made it to the fitting without getting flattened.

Adam agreed that I was putting way too much pressure on my hands. I was having trouble getting my hands around the brake levers and riding in the drops was impossible, they were too far away. He brought out a smaller, more shallow set of dropbars, hoods and brake levers and I fell in love with them. I could grip the levers and even reach the drops.
It hadn't occurred to me that these drops, levers and hoods were designed for man-hands.

I have to come back the next evening to have them installed and re-wrapped.

A Brooks saddle is on order too. Joy!

Being arthritic and such, I thought I wasn't cut out to ride with a diamond (OMG, isn't that a MAN'S bike?) frame, but getting my leg over the top tube is pretty easy now. I also thought riding 'all bent over' on drop bars would be hard, but that too, just took a few miles to get accustomed to and my right ring and pinky fingers are getting some feeling back in them! Those fingers were perpetually numb riding Ruby's flatbars.

Yes, I think this is going to be a comfy ride after all the kinks are worked out. It'll fit fine, and Surly... stop calling me a fattie.

Fizz's aesthetics

I've been debating whether to have the fenders powder coated to match the frame. I like the chrome...

• Would yellow fenders be too much yellow?
• Do the hi-viz handlebars clash with the frame?
• Do I need something else hi-viz to balance out the bright yellow handlebars?

The more important issues of comfort (fitting) and functionality (new panniers!) take precedence, but I keep running these questions through my head.
Adam mentioned to me that the Wrenches at Thick told him to try and dissuade me from powder coating the fenders, to leave the chrome alone. Funny.