Good-bye old friend...

3 years. Longer than most relationships. That's how long my Colnago CLX has been part of my life. We have been through a lot together. My entire first season of triathlons. The gruelling hours on the saddle leading up to the Busso Ironman. More hours than I could count (actually, that's a lie; my other friend, my Garmin 310XT watch, keeps a very accurate record of hours in the saddle - 173 hrs 21 mins and 59 seconds in the training block leading up to Ironman WA). Rain, hail (once), and shine, she was always reliable and up for the task at hand. No problems. At all. After each service she ran (technically she rode) like a dream. How do I show my gratitude? I'm trading up. Selfish, right? Like an aging wrinkly billionaire looking for his next 20 year old... Sounds terrible when I put it like that.

Maybe a better way to look at it is to take the Michael Jordan angle - the Colnago is at the top of her game, so it's an ideal opportunity to retire. Enjoy the fame from the sidelines. Soak up some rays on a Maui beach. Ok, so looking at it that way makes me feel a little better.

Even test riding some new steads made me feel like I was cheating. My wife tells me that is an unhealthy way to look at it - it is a bike, an inanimate object. Phooey! It has a distinct personality - reliable, strong, courageous, inspiring, supportive, funny. It is like a best friend, except I spend more time with it than I do my friends!

So why - why am I looking for a new stead? For the same reason I am sad about saying good-bye. Another big year of training looms. Mooloolaba. Cairns Ironman. Maybe the Aus team for Beijing. Noosa. Busso Ironman. Another big year of hours on the bike. I don't want our relationship to end up like a sour marriage - too much time together so we lose sight of the things we love in each other. It's the best time to step away. And to find a new sexy stead to ride.