dirt road magesty

Went for a lovely ride today, with about 15 miles of crunchy gravel dirt road, about two thirds of which I've never ridden before.

I took a picture:

Picture taken about here.

The forest is such an enchanting color after (and during, as it would turn out) a bit of rain.  And it's the second best time of year (after fall) to be riding in the woods.  Love.  Heart.  Good feelings all around.  When I finally came out of the woods, transitioning from gravel to paved road, I noticed with amusement that my hands were in the air, full-on victory salute style.  It was the kind of celebration one makes after rocking a particularly awesome water slide.  Or a great roller coaster.  Or whatever.  I was just having a lot of fun.

On a related note, my one disappointment with the EVO is that because of the angle in which the rear brake is installed, the bridge of the rear brake won't clear a 28mm tire.  (My Tarmac's fork had trouble with a 28mm tire as well.)

Which leads me to exclaim that my ideal go-to bicycle would be this: A top-shelf carbon fiber frame with zero-compromise race geometry, one size smaller than any bike shop would fit me, short head tube, long stem, with fork and stays wide enough to comfortably clear a 28mm tire.  Sturdy aluminum hoops.  Thick, heavy, puncture-resistant tires.  Top-shelf everything else.

So, basically what I've been riding for the past four or five years, plus the clearance thing.