« Give a Kid a Camera... • Main • Revived Manta Photos »

August 13, 2007

Reviving My Road Mike

My Manta Road Bike Now that we've settled in a little more in the new house, I've had a desire to get back into a good exercise routine, since everything was thrown into chaos with our trip to Belize, our house sale and the big move to Menomonee Falls.

My biking routine has fallen by the wayside this year, especially road biking on my steel-frame Manta road bike.

I've had a few short rides on my mountain bike and it feels good to get out and ride, but there's something special about hitting a quiet country road on a well-tuned road bike.

I enjoy the smoothness of the road, the feeling of the wind in my face, the hum of the wheels and the freedom of riding. It's therapy for my body and soul.

Today I brought my bike to Emery's, the local bike shop in town, for a complete overhaul. They're going to strip it down to the frame, cleaning and re-lubing the crank, replacing the chain and all of the shift and brake cables, tuning the index shifting, truing the wheels and covering the handlebars in coral blue-green gel wrap.

I need some black enamel touch up paint for a few nicks and marks on the frame, and then a little wax ought to shine the frame up nicely. The paint work was done back in 1993 and has held up quite well through 13 years on the road.

I'm excited to see how the bike feels and handles after a much-needed revival. I'll be sure to take photos and post them on Flickr and link to them here on the blog.

Now I need to plan my first ride on the revived Manta. I can't wait! :-)

August 13, 2007 1:22 PM | Cycling | add to del.icio.us