I forgot the power brick to my laptop, so I have to make this snappy. Nothing really insightful on my mind. Took a 10-mile or so bike ride for lunch. Was utterly outclassed. Then again, remember how I said my bike was more Clydesdale than thoroughbred? The other bikers and bikes there were all thoroughbreds, or at least pintos.

One person had a $4500 bike that weighed 17 lbs. I think my bike is twice that. Then again, I was silly and had my panniers on with my full flat + tool kit, my rain gear, etc. Easily 5 lbs there. Then again, I probably weighed twice her body weight as well. Add to that conditioning, training, etc, and ... let's just say we always knew who was bringing up the rear.

To start with, my bike is a hybrid. It's not a real mountain bike in that I'd be nuts to go 'extreme downhill' with it. It's sturdy enough to take curbs and potholes without concern, but it's not built for speed. The other three bikes there all were road bikes, the kind with narrow tires, drop handlebars, and no racks or adornment aside from some basic flat gear (tire spoons, replacement tubes, inflators, nothing else.)

Sort of like the old macho movie cliche', "Never bring a knife to a gunfight," my old workhorse had no business on the racetrack. It makes for good family cinema, but in real life, it just don't cut it.

I wonder if there's a life lesson there. This could be that whole 'mental stratification' bit I've been mulling about lately, how we may be individually limited, if only by diminishing returns, on how competent we get in a particular area.

At any rate, I should probably end on this note, as my battery won't last forever.