November News

Since the marathon I’ve switched over to weight training for the winter months. I’m still biking to work daily, and run about once a week to keep my cardiovascular fitness high.

I’ve been studying consistently for the CFA Level I exam in December, although not getting in the number of hours I would like. Nonetheless, I’ve been scoring well on the practice tests. I am usually scoring in the low 70s on these, with a couple weeks left before the exam. My outlook for Level I is fairly positive at this point.

I also picked up a new toy this month. I first tried a riding a fixed gear bike last summer and thought it was really fun. Since then I’ve converted one bike to a singlespeed using its existing parts with plans to convert it to fixed gear. That bike was stolen, so I picked up a second singlespeed beater which I still have, but never managed to do the full fixed gear conversion since its not a good frame to work with. I finally got tired of my rickity single speed beater and decided to just buy a new fixed gear.

I’ve been looking at options for a while, and with the Canadian dollar sliding back down to only 80 cents, buying from a discount dealer in the U.S. became less attractive. Looking at the specs of some bikes available in Toronto I set my sights on the KHS Flite 100. The 2009 model is going to have a few lower quality components compared with the 2008 model, and a higher MSRP.  This past weekend, I snagged a 2008 while I still could. I’ve been riding this bike around for a few days and am getting used to it. No more coasting. Its a great feeling and track stands are much easier.

Riding fixed gear will make my legs stronger, improve my pedal stroke, and make me a better cyclist overall.

Up next, CFA Level I exam, vacation to Cuba, and holiday fun. More updates to come soon…

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