Locombia 2017 Chapter Four: The Bike
Celia, please don’t let me down in February.
I acquired a steel frame about a nine months ago. I got it cheap from a friend, and it was going to replace my commuter just because I wanted a change. Additionally, I wanted the feel of a smooth steel ride.
The Salsa Vaya frame was equipped with some parts lying around and some new parts. A Salsa bike was born, and was of course given an appropriate name (Celia after salsa singer Celia Cruz).
Since July 2016, Celia has carried me safely to and from the office and has been the weapon of choice when bikepacking (or biketouring or whatever fashionable terms are used these days).
Celia isn’t exactly lightweight. I’m stripping her of fenders and rack for this trip, hoping I won’t regret it. It’s supposed to be dry season in Colombia in February, but it’s also supposed to be skiing season in Oslo, so who knows what the climate will throw at us.
I can’t blame the bike if the trip is a failure, unless we’re talking about severe mechanical failure. The odds are greater the mechanic, who also happens to be the rider, fails.
Celia, a sturdy steel frame built with reliable parts.
