How is my bike, like my wife? Or vice versa?

My Kuota Kredo with new Deda Synapsi handlebar/stem and Flashpoint FP60 wheels

I recently got myself an early Christmas gift and made two upgrades to my bike. I haven’t been riding my race bike much lately – think I got a little “burned-out” and have been riding my single speed bike. So I took my race bike to FWCycling and had them due a full tune-up and install the new Deda Synapsi carbon handlebar/stem that I purchased. Then I put on some new Flashpoint FP60 wheels (with some help from Josh at Colonel’s).

The maiden voyage with the new equipment was amazing. I forgot just how much I love my bike. It handles well, it accelerates, it climbs and it looks pretty damn good too (style points do count). So I got to thinking, a good race bike is a lot like a good wife . . . follow me here for a second:

• When my bike is working properly, everything seems almost effortless. The bike takes all of my effort and translates it into forward motion. At the same time, the bike’s carbon frame dampens the vibrations from the road and makes the ride more enjoyable.
• My bike surprises me. It’ll take corners I didn’t know it could handle . . . with ease.
• Looking at my fancy-carbon-bike everyday, I sometimes forget how beautiful it is. However, every so often I catch a glimpse of it and realize just how beautiful it really is.
• At the end of the day, there are few things I would rather do then ride on my bike.

Jess and her first turkey

So how is Jess, my wife, like my bike? I think you know where this is going:

• Jess takes care of our kids, the house, and the mundane tasks of life so that I can focus on work, quality time with the kids, and a long ride now and then 😉  So you could say that Jess takes my “effort” and helps translate it into “forward motion” while “dampening” the “vibrations” to make the “ride” of life more enjoyable.
• After 8 years of marriage, Jess still surprises me. This year we hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. It was also Jess’s first time cooking a turkey. She pulled it all off – with ease.
• I’m lucky to be married to a beautiful woman – inside and out.  I might take that for granted sometimes, but all it takes is a glimpse of her through the kitchen window when I pull up to the house and I realize just how beautiful she really is.
• There is nothing I would rather do then spend some quality alone time with Jess. Although, with two kids, work, friends, etc. – alone time is rare. That’s why this summer we are going to take a long vacation, just the two of us (we’re both lucky to have awesome Grandparents willing to watch the kids while we are gone). More details on the trip to come, but let’s just say that it will combine a couple of my passions . . .

Basically, I’m pretty lucky to have such an amazing partner for the ride that is life.