No, I'm not dead.

Not doing a whole lot on the bike.
The whole full suspension bike thing might have to be put temporarily on hold.
If you've been listening to the news for the past few weeks you've had to hear about the current crisis in the housing market. Foreclosures are up to all time records and although the Fed has lowered interet rates, lending institutions are being stingy with their money.
Well my job is directly affected by all that.
So, I'll so how things look in 4 months and decide how badly I want a FS.
Kinda hard justifying the purchase.
Although I am over 40, the body's been fine handling rough terrain on the hard tail.
It sure what make the purchase of one alot easier if my back acted up after rides, but it doesn't.

I've been thinking about a G.Fisher Hi Fi 29er.
My LBS told me I could get a discount on any Fisher I bought in the future by giving Fisher my broken Paragon frame. A "crash replacement" price.
Also all the 2008 fishers are supposed to be based off of a new geometry, call G2 which is supposed to improve handling.
So far all the reviews I've read about the bike and the new geometry have been positive.

I've been riding on Wed evenings with some local roadies.
The roady I met at Rosaryville talked me into showing up and trying one of the rides.
I was a little leary. Its an "A" ride. He told me I wouldn't have a problem keeping up so I tried it.
I think I'm hooked.
Its not going to replace my MTBing but its a nice change.
My first ride with them I stayed with the pack until the last 5 miles of the ride. They pulled away from me on a hill ( yeah, this happens to me no matter where or who I ride with), and I couldn't catch back up.
I came close on some of the descents and flats but they had the "paceline" going .
If anybody's handicapped by wind resistance its me.

This was my first time in an actual pace line and it really surprised me by how much drafting off of another rider works. I looked down once and we were doing 23. It felt like 18.
I haven't migrated to the front yet for a pull though. I'm still not comfortable with the whole team effort yet.
Last thing I wanna do is cause a wreck, so I've been hanging in the rear.

I"m getting a much better cardio workout than I could on the MTB. If you get as tired as I got on the MTB, your going to wreck. On the road there are no obstacles to avoid and no turns you need to finese' you way through. You just point the bike straight ahead and crank for all your worth.