Catching up on the last couple of days

The weekend was very busy....

Saturday - I made a list of several bicycle shops and other places I wanted to visit on the southeast side of Houston and did just that.  Here's the list:

• Corey's Bicycle Shop 2205 N Main St Pearland, TX 77581  (281) 412-6555 http://www.yellowbot.com/corys-bicycle-shop-pearland-tx.html
• Bike Barn -  http://bikebarn.com/ - Clear Lake - 2422 Bay Area Blvd. Houston, Texas 77058 281.480.9100 Stephen Dommert, Store Manager Monday - Friday 10am-7pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm Email clearlake@bikebarn.com
• Bay Area Schwinn Cycling - http://bayareaschwinn.com/ - Webster / Clear Lake - 16864 Hwy 3 (@Bay Area Blvd) Webster, TX 77598 281 332 6433
• Webster Bicycle - http://websterbicycle.com/ - 408 W Nasa Parkway (formerly called Nasa Rd 1), Webster, TX 77598 Phone: 281-332-2419 M-F 10-7 Sat 10-6 Closed Sundays
• Sun & Ski Sports - http://www.sunandski.com/ - Webster 1355 West Bay Area Blvd. Webster, TX 77598 Phone: (281) 823-5154 - if you wanna talk bikes, talk to Robert Etheridge, the Bike Department Manager - he knows his stuff - sunandski8@sunandski.com
• Fry Electronics - http://www.frys.com/ - Webster, TX 21300 Gulf Fwy (281) 338-1762

Here was my route:

Stopped by Cory's Bicycles and met Cory and talked a bit and gave him a couple of Discovering America on 2 Wheels cards.

I bought quite a bit of stuff at the Clear Lake Bike Barn:

• Bontrageur Hardcase 700x28 tires
• Tire Liners
• Cateye Strata Double Wireless (includes cadence) Bike Computer (couldn't get my old one to work)
• Rear Brake pads
• Genuine Innovations Tire Inflation Kit
• Had all this stuff installed by Thad while I talked shop with Clint.

While the bike work was going on, I got in my truck and drove over to Bay Area Schwinn and talked to Bob who is an accomplished bike builder... we talked specs on bike and tires....

Then I went around the corner to Webster Bicycles and talked to Reuben and Billy... bought some Shimano All Terrain shoes and Rock n Roll lubricant.

Went back to Bike Barn, picked up my bike and headed down Nasa Rd 1 to I-45 and saw the Ski and Sports on the corner of I-45 and Nasa Rd 1 and stopped to check that out... turned out to be a good decision - the Bike Department Manager there, Robert Ethridge is a good guy to talk to about anything bicycle related especially touring.... because he's done it and is doing it and does the whole Randonneuring thing too - what's Randonneuring? Check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randonneuring  http://www.houstonrandonneurs.org/

When I left Sun & Ski Sports, I headed down I-45S to Fry Electronics.... Holy Mackerel - this place looks like a miniature Astrodome.... wanted to check out the videocams I had been researching... ended up doing that and looking at High Definition Samsung TVs and Bose V20 Surround Systems.... don't do this.... because once you do.... you'll probably end up dropping some big bucks cause these things are incredible.... I didn't buy anything there.... called the wife and told her the specs and the costs... but it's on the "Wish List" for 2010....

Geez... go home already.... before you go broke!

So I did....

Got up Sunday morning and decided to do the Brazosport Bicycling Club Sunday ride -
http://www.brazosportbicycleclub.com/

I jick-jacked around and didn't get up to the departure point by the 8:00 am launch time but passed a man - woman pair on a tandem on the way up there.... they came rolling up while I was at the Park and Ride assembly point - enter Robert and Kathy - 2 of the nicest folks I've ever met.

We made a quick plan and route and took off.... and what a blessing the ride and the conversation was....

We ended up doing a 48 mile route at about 18 mph and I enjoyed every minute of it.... I hadn't ridden but about 4 times in the past month so I needed to stretch my legs on my road bike and I did just that... and having Robert and Kathy on the tandem right next to me in excellent conversation the whole way kept my mind off the fact that I had only ridden 4 times in the past month.

Here I am.... doing this cross country tour thing.... and I'm having problems keeping up with R & K... this guy Robert is the whole package.... big, strong, smart, articulate and entertaining... with the perfect complement of sweet wife Kathy.

Like I said.... what a blessed accidental encounter....

But as I've said many times.... sometimes the best plan is a busted plan....

and the People I meet are the Best Part of....

Discovering America on 2 Wheels