veloswap

so today was the veloswap down here in d-town. my friend jason came over for breakfast- mushroom, onion and artichoke heart quiche. then, after waking the future wife and getting the kiddo packed, we headed over to the national western stock show; parking in the same spot i have for the past few years (no parking fee- kind of a backdoor to really close parking. i'm surprised more people don't know about it, but hey, i'm not complaining.) anyway. i'm a bit disappointed with the swap these days. it doesn't seem as big of a deal and the deals going down in that joint don't seem to be as good as they were just a few years ago. i remember getting there at the crack of dawn was the way to go. the best deals were made between vendors even before the public was allowed in. and back a few years ago, there were tables and tables of junk parts that if you were really looking for something a bit on the old side, you could fine 5-7 vendors selling them. now it seems like all those people that were selling stuff have started families or moved on, so they've gotten rid of their junk and have settled on the bikes and parts they currently own. also, it seems as if some of the vendors have become more interested in making some money rather than pricing things to sell so they don't have to lug it back home.

so browsing up and down the aisles for the better part of three hours, all i walked away with was four pairs of socks (pretty much main reason for going). p walked away with a beanie, waterbottle and loads of chapstick being given away by subaru.

actually, i think these days, my main reason for heading to the swap is to catch up with the random friend i've made over the past ten years of cycling and racing. in the future, though, if aiden becomes a cycling fanatic, it'll be a good chance to get him that next size frame/ bike or gadget at a less expensive price.