The More

Figuring out a bike to take to Beijing was tough.  I did tons of research on the type of riding that's out here.  Over the Great Firewall (GFW) came a few bits and pieces about well-known bike shops and a riding group or two.  It wasn't very promising, so I wanted to bring a bike that would allow me to do a variety of things; on-road, off-road, light touring, bar hopping, etc.  The obvious choice was a cyclocross bike, some hand-built wheels, durable Shimano 105 components, and S&S couplers for good measure.  I went the cheap CroMoly route, opting to by a Surly Cross-Check to save on the cost and add singlespeed versatility.  Surly used to make the Traveler's Check, which was a pre-coupled Cross-Check, but it was discontinued in favor of the LHT Deluxe.  I was left to my own devices for the S&S retrofit, which was handily done by the good folks at the Philly-based Bilenky Cycle Works.  A cheap, durable, versatile travel bike?  Good idea.

I packed an entire duffel bag full of spare parts too.  Skinny road tires, rugged 'cross tires, and giant balloon city cruiser tires (40c!).  Spare chains, cassettes, and cables.  Brakepads and tubes.  Oh and tools.  What would I be without a trick bag of tools?  Friend, Etsy entrepreneur, and businesswoman, Laura P. hooked me up with a Soulrun pro mechanics tool roll and a pair of jersey pocket wallets.  These things are awesome!  I would highly recommend getting some.  Recently tested in a torrential downpour, the waterproof wallet kept my phone and a few other goodies bone-dry.  No more zip-lock bags!  I packed the tool roll will all the tools I need (including duplicates!) and still have plenty room for more.  YES.  More tools!  All in all, I'm very satisfied with my bike and cache of components and tools.  End pat on the back moment.

How do you stop wanting more?  Of course, there are a few items I still need for my bike.  I ran through my road tube collection pretty quickly riding dirtroads lined with jagged rocks.  And I should've originally gone with legitimate compact gearing (50/34) as opposed to the more 'cross-specific (48/39) gearing that's proven slightly useless on the long mountainous rides I've done recently.  I've got most of the parts I need now and just need to install them, but the more disturbing trend is that I can rarely turn my mind away from The More.

The More time I spend away from my bikes, either not riding or wrenching on them, The More I become obsessed with them.  I start daydreaming about owning More bikes, traveling on More trips, and obvious riding a whole lot More.  So what do I do with this compulsion?  Hit refresh on all my favorite cycling websites until my F5 key wears out?  Is there any cure or like a withdrawn junkie, do I just wait it out?    These are the questions I'll being trying to figure out while I'm out here.  Top of mind are those questions and where can I find a decent friggin' Tex-Mex joint in Beijing?