brief update on the bike! finally converted it to a dinglespeed this summer, & i love it. feels buttery & clean without needing to worry about gears. i changed out my old esi grips to ergon grips & they're lifesavers—no more wrist pain! also switched out the wtb saddle for a velo orange touring saddle ($22!) and it's honestly great. i'd wanted to save up for a brooks saddle but after trying the VO for a few weeks, i think i'll stick with it: weatherproof, saddle loops, so much more affordable than a brooks. hmm what else... took out the rear rack cause i didn't quite like the way it felt when fully loaded, esp when riding up hills. i'm going to try installing a front rack + basket combo in the future and see how much that affects the handling. A dithered photo of a customized bicycle propped up against a corrugated garage wall.

in short, most of these upgrades were to make the bike feel more comfy. i rode a lot this summer, some days up to 20+ miles! pretty happy with how the bike handles short and long distances. i have some ideas on things i'd still like to tinker with, as always... but for now, it's real nice! 🥂