On Sunday morning, Brooke and I went out for breakfast at the Dish on the way to Ballard on Leary. Brooke riding my Coppi and I on her Pro Miyata, she got a lesson in STI shifting, feeling how different they are from downtubes. As an aside, my Coppi has been infected with the Campy virus so it’s Dura-Ace bits might be migrating to her Miyata. (To hasten this “cure” I’m in need of some Chorus 9-speed hubs).

Anyway, as we roll up to the restaurant we noticed people taking pictures and staring at some birds up above. Not thinking of it we ignored the rubber-necking for a moment until someone mentioned that it was prompted by a bald eagle up there. Sure enough, up above at the top of a telephone pole sat our nation’s proud symbol, a big beautiful bald eagle. It was a great sight, I was tempted to snap a picture myself, but decided to just enjoy the view unencumbered by technological futsing. (They look like this: Bald Eagles on Flickr if you were unfamiliar).

Like the photo linked to, a few minutes later after watching the sitting bird squawking at some pestering crows another baldy appeared and began circling it’s friend having some sort of conversation. Their call is unexpectedly shrill, not the manly patriotic sound I thought it would be. But what was really impressive apart from the flying bird’s huge wingspan, was how the avian seemed to hover, chest out, towards his/her friend with it’s wings stretched but controlled with merely the tips of them. Probably for us humans, something like doing pull-ups with the tips of your nails.

The morning was great! Great clear day, good biking, great birds, good food. Today I saw blossoms on trees. The oppression of Seattle’s winter is coming to a close.

These are not bald eagles, but stellar jays we saw the week previous snowshoeing.

I’ve blathered about B.O.B. before, but now I get to some more because I’ve got a trailer again. I sprung for the Ibex primarily for the rad suspension. I can’t wait to haul more stuff than this thing is rated for—70 lbs. Having my bike sitting at the bike shop always gets a lot of looks and questions because of it’s rack—C.E.T.M.A., but now it seems to garner more comment what with the trailer attached to it. It truly is my utility bike, I reckon most people roll a trailer with a triple chainring or at least some gears, but I’ve opted to be ultimately utilitarian with my fixed gear bike. It’s become quite the beater, but it still performs like the true beast of burden it is. This just means I won’t mind beating it up more.

If I want gears for the Ibex, it’ll have to ride in luxury—the Coppi has got B.O.B. nuts also. The gears do make it easier under load, but how often have you seen a Ferrari with a trailer hitch? This is why the fixed is the typical B.O.B. puller. Throwing down fixie skids with the attached trailer does prove difficult if not impossible however. Something I can get over pretty easily I think.

There are always the questions as to why? “Why do you need a trailer?” Because I refuse to rely on a automobile to get around, and sometimes I need to haul stuff is why. The questions then sarcastically turn to things like, “what if you need to haul a piano?” When it gets that unrealistically big, well, its time for reasonable alternatives. For the most part it’s been groceries, or runs to drop off recycling, but I’ve loaded it up with copious other things, best of all was the cat on the way to the vet. Like Alex at the shop commented, the cat could easily replace a bike horn, as she was meowing so continually the entire way.

She’s a talkative kitty, just making sure everything was alright.

The only thing I have been unable to haul was the pair of wooden pallets I attempted to load in. It might’ve worked had I a couple more bungie cords, but the sound and sight of the straining suspension gave me the impression it wasn’t a good idea. Besides they were standing, balanced in the trailer at about the 6′ mark. That would have been a sketchy ride home indeed.

This box however, somewhat close to as tall and imbalanced, was a cinch. Just returning some styrofoam peanuts to the UPS store:

Any reason why they question accepting returned cardboard as well? Any reason we should not be able to give back UPS Store cardboard to the UPS Store?

At any rate, I’m looking forward to some long distance riding with it soon, that’ll be a good time fersure! I love any opportunity I can get to haul something with my bike, B.O.B. and C.E.T.M.A. only add to the chances. The bigger the better!