This is a mountain bike week

There's little hope for a break in the weather until later this week, so I went ahead and geared up the Sorrento for duty. This trusty mule has consistently proven to be the most reliable bike I've ever owned. I've never had to take the bottom bracket apart, the axles roll smoothly, it doesn't creak, the rear derailleur shifts precisely, and it's just an all-round good bike.

The down-side is that it has a front suspension that I rarely have a need for, it's got wide, low-pressure tires on it, and it's very heavy. It's also slow and requires more effort than any other bike I currently have in my stable. It's not nearly as inefficient as the cheap toy bike I bought back in August or September, though.

Anyhow, I have a rear fender on this bike to minimize buttstripe syndrome. It will get me through potholes and mud-puddles that are obscured by standing water, and it will be the most mechanically sound in this weather. I moved the NiteRider Evolution (aimed downward in the above photo, it was blinding the camera) and Mars 3.0 lighta off of my Trek, and I'm going minimalist otherwise. No rack or handlebar bag this time.