IGH.

As in Internally Geared Hub. Been interested in trying this for quite some time, the concept always made complete sense to me but options were limited. Shimano's Alfine 8 has been getting rave reviews by off-road cyclists and is a fairly affordable option with some smart shopping. I picked up a rear wheel with Alfine hub and Velocity rim by Handspun (QBP's handbuilt wheel brand) from Bikeman for about $40 bucks less than the cost of the hub alone and the rest of the Shimano parts from Amazon for short bucks. The only part I couldn't get a deal on was the Jtek barend shifter. Goodies should begin trickling in this week, I'll post pics and first impressions once everything's come together.

What a long, strange trip...

...it's been. Well, sort of. About a year ago I rekindled a love affair with hockey that had lain dormant for quite a while. Further fueling this was my son's interest in the game that rapidly became an obsession which led to countless hours playing outside and league hockey. In short, I've become a hockey dad. Being the obsessive type I am, I threw myself completely and totally into hockey while neglecting just about all other interests. With the Philadelphia Flyers early departure from the playoffs, the old pursuits (cycling for one!) have been creeping back into the periphery. Should be interesting to see if I can actually juggle more than one passion at a time.