For the last four consecutive days (with today as a knee resting day) I treated myself to Rule #5 as a gut/heat check against my recent realizations and thoughts, via the Medici. 10, 16, 25, and 36 mile days, in that order. Had a blast, minus the 12-25T cassette's 25T big cog on some of Seattle's intense inclines (now remedied with an 11-28T cassette). Felt great to get some solid riding on the streets--no bike paths interrupted by street crossings, sharp roots, broken sections or pedestrians. A guy just wants some consistency after a while, just to put the head down and diesel it in the big ring. SRAM brake levers, Dura-Ace 7402 single pivot calipers, Kool Stop pads, and MA2 rims working in complete unity. A truly trustworthy bike, and a joy to ride.
Still, the call of a good 'gravel' or whatever frame/bike is present. I could "button down" the 620 or 510 with different cockpit setups (shorter height stems, quill conversions, compact bars, etc) or different wheelsets, but anything, IMO, not of vintage or vintage-inspired origin for the 510 would be anathema. The 'techy' 620 (in lug/frame appearance) could get away with it, but even then it seems out of character, especially given how at-home it looks presently. I would do it a disservice in greatly altering it from its present 'ideal,' methinks. So I have some more thinking to do...