As I prepare to say good-bye to this year, 2006, I thought I would share that this year was the first year that I actually fulfilled my new year’s resolution.

Knowing that I drank too much and was generally physically unhealthy, and that shaping up was an altogether daunting task, I simply resolved to take steps that would lead to better health. Changing one’s lifestyle is no easy task, so I set out to do it with baby steps.

I began by taking Metamucil every day. Fiber is, in my opinion, the single most important part of diet, and western civilization has done all it can to purge it from our diets, with disastrous consequences for health.

Second, I started a nightly regimen of pushups. I figured fiber and muscle mass would help regulate my body weight. By May, I had noticed that I was not putting on more weight.

Then the biggie: I stopped drinking in May.

And the next biggie: I began seriously cycling in July, inspired by Floyd Landis and the Tour de France.

I have lost 15 pounds since July, my legs are in great shape, and most of my beer belly is gone.

So this post is about me tooting my horn. In 2006, I got in shape. I accomplished far more than I resolved, and frankly I’m proud of myself. In 2007, I resolve to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I’m fresh out of bubble gum.

It’s been over a month now with my new Ibex 550 mountain bike so I guess it’s time for my review. Mine is the 2006 model, so its specs are a little different from the current model on Ibex’s website.

Overall, this bike is pretty cool and a great deal for the money. Disc brakes, Shimano Alivio shifters and front derailer, Shimano Deore rear derailer. Solid, lightweight aluminum frame and solid components. Trace suspension fork — my first experience with any kind of suspension on a bike and I don’t know how I could go back.

I’ve been keeping it clean and lubed and man is this bike quiet. The gearing is very torquey, allowing me to get up to speed quickly, but the 3rd gear front chainring isn’t as large as my last bike so I can’t go quite as fast. No matter, it’s a mountain bike so you can’t expect road bike gear ratios. The disc brakes provide quick stopping power, but the discs are both a little warped and it’s difficult to keep the calipers adjusted so they won’t rub on the pads.

Which brings me to the two big drawbacks to this bike: the front disc brake needs adjustment any time I take the front wheel off, which I need to do to transport the bike in my car; and the cranks aren’t a good match with toe clips. The toe clip straps tend to rub against the crank, which causes an annoying squeak while pedaling, and more annoyingly stops the pedals in their travel while I’m trying to put my foot in after stopping. Makes it difficult to put my foot in without looking down. The crank on my last bike is angled such that the straps don’t rub against it, so I assume that the crank on this bike was intended to be used with clipless pedals. Or maybe with narrower shoes and tighter straps. I see a pair of clipless pedals in my future, but I’ll be disappointed to not be able to ride in any old pair of sneakers. I still refuse to wear all that sissy bike clothing, but slowly I think I may get converted.

Since I’m riding purely on asphalt, I bought a pair of Continental City Contact tires, and man am I happy with them. After my 3rd ride on the stock knobby tires, I already had a puncture flat, but since slapping on the Contis I’ve gone 340 miles with nary a flat. They’ve allowed me to keep up with the sissy road bikes.

And how do I know I’ve gone 340 miles, you ask? Why, with a Cateye Mity8 cycle computer, of course! Another accessory that I don’t know how I got by without. For 20 bucks, this thing is a data powerhouse. I get my speed, average speed, maximum speed, time, and distance traveled all in a convenient thumb-sized computer device. I’ve been logging each ride’s data into an Excel sheet so I can track my progress, and one day make lots of graphs that I can put into Powerpoint presentations at the Oddfellows Local 151 behind the firehouse.

Despite the two flaws I mentioned, I’m extremely happy with this bike. For anyone looking to purchase a bike, I heartily recommend Ibex. I have dealt with their customer service and they’re extremely helpful. They are a mail-order business, but in being so they pass on big savings to the customer and their product is top-notch.