Having said all that, I should state that if you are looking for a self-help book with lots of helpful hints and guidance, you may be disappointed. It leaves a lot up to the reader, which is the point, but still, some of us like being led by the leash into new experiences.

ebaby – Tried the Easton wheels but I don’t think the low spoke count is compatible with a rider that weighs ten times what the bike weighs. The new rear gears make peddling easier but I need to adjust the limit screws on the rear derailleur to get access to all the gears.

MiniB – still trying to get the rear rim trued. I may have to break down and buy a truing stand. The sledgehammer just isn’t accurate enough.

Glam Puss – I found a seat post that fits. I also finally gave in and admitted that the crunchy tires needed replacing. I’m watching some auctions on eBay for some new rubber.

Rocky – All that’s left to get is a rear wheel/tube/tire and cassette. I’ve started assembling what I have. A rat bike all the way. What could be cooler than a Brooks saddle held together with duct tape?

Rolling Thunder – I finally found some brake pads cheap enough to suit my penny pinching. It should be ready for Craigslist in a week or so.

Parts – I found a pair of 700c bike rims on the street a couple nights ago. One is totally mangled and crunched beyond usability, but the other is a Mavic MA3 in great condition. It looks like someone used bolt cutters to remove the hub so it has 32 stubby spoke ends held on by the rim tape alone. Fortunately I have a set of black DT spokes and a brand new in box Shimano hub. My first from scratch wheel. Oh boy!

Fabian’s main problem is that he’s too good at the game for his own good. So good in fact that no one will play with him or against him. Kosinski repeats this theme in 1982′s PINBALL, only in that case it’s an aging composer who was too good for his own good. It might be argued that Kosinski considered his writing to be too good, or at least too far over the heads of most readers. I think most writers feel that at some point in their careers, though almost none of them can back that sentiment up with a masterpieces like THE PAINTED BIRD or BEING THERE.

That is of course the problem with most of Kosinski’s books; They are only very good. Always people look back to his crowning glories and ask, “why isn’t this new book that great?”

I enjoyed this book. It was at points more cynical and conversely more romantic than I expected. I like being surprised. One difficulty I imagine some readers would have is not knowing, or at least not believing, that a polo player would illicit such lust in the hearts of women. Well, then you’ve never known a young female equestrian. I lost more than one object of desire to the visiting polo scoundrel, so no suspension of disbelief was required on my part.

One of the things I did not like were some of the more tediously drawn out sex scenes. I think Kosinski was aware of this and worked on it because his next book PINBALL has several of the hottest sex scenes I’ve ever read.

eBaby – I’m finally giving in and admitting that the gears are too steep for me. I was contemplating putting on a triple chainring in front, but I did the match and decided to get a wider range cassette for the rear. I found an 11-32 9 speed cheap on eBay. Currently it has an 11-21 9 speed.

Rocky – I’ve been looking for some cheap 26″ wheels for a while without luck. On a whim I put the Easton 700c wheels on and was amazed that they fit. So once the new cassette comes for the ebaby I’m going to put the 11-21 on Rocky. That should complete all the parts I need. This will not be a normal bike.