but not so lonely lonely lonely lonely time.
The cyclocross season came and went (well, for some dedicated and talented folks it's still going). And I did it! Can't say too well, although I did podium a time or two (the Cat4 women's field can be pretty small in Minnesota). I had some fun, especially my first real race which was Jackson Park in Chicago near the end of September. I think I got like 20th or 21st in a field of 48. I felt pretty good about that. My cheering section was robust, something I missed terribly when racing in Minnesota.
So then September 30th came, and after a decent Final Throwdown at Fuller Hotel and Thunder Bikes, the boy and I (he deserves more than a simple nod, but tis for another blog or day) took off from Chicago enroute to Minnesota so that I could start my new gig as Inside Sales Rep for Quality Bicycle Products.
So here I am, in the beginning of the New Year and officially working in the bike industry. It's been quite a transition. Going from no car and living in Chicago proper to driving a 2000 Honda Odyssey minivan (which I actually like quite a bit) in the suburbs of Minneapolis. All the details are pretty boring and I am grateful for the ease of the transition (logistically), but I miss city living and riding everyday terribly. Hopefully, you'll find me touting the wonders of my new Minneapolis neighborhood by this summer. I did fairly well with my commuting in October, but once it got colder, the 16.5 mile route and colder temperatures were much more daunting than a 3.5 mile commute in much milder Chicago. I am slowly building up my arsenal though (Lake boots, for example), and do hope/plan to tackle the season much better next year!
I'll try not to make this one too long, even though it's been forever. QBP, my new employer, Quality Bicycle Products, is located in Bloomington, MN. We are a distributor for bike products, but ever increasingly a designer and distributor of exclusive bike brands--Surly, Salsa, Civia, Ridley, All City, Foundry, etc etc. I will concede it is a great place to work. The transition here is big too, though. I left my position at Holly Hunt, where I had been for almost 10 years and knew pretty much everything, to a totally new industry, new company, all that. It's going to take a while, and I'm not always the most patient. They understand all that though. A healthy work environment, at a "corporate" level? I know, it's really hard to believe myself and will take some time to accept.
Finally, the reason I decided to write in the first place, is that QBP is putting on a tech course to those of us who applied and gave reason enough to be considered. We get 5 Fridays off of our normal shiz to congregate in the corner of the warehouse and talk about the basics of bike parts and maintenance--or not so basic! We took apart hubs on day one. That was probably the higlight so far, and that I got to clean my bike while being paid for it.
I guess when it comes down to it, I'm still stoked to be here and for this opportunity. Damn I miss Chicago though.
Sigh.
