Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Coffee Talk

For those of you out there looking for the next insane endurance challenge. Or at these following a crazy insane endurance challenge from the comfort of your office CPU. As to peer into ones mind all while sipping on the community office coffee. Check out the Great Divide Race. Good reading and new this year the racers are all wearing the SPOT locaters. This give you areal time location. So every morning during your blog search hit this site, hell it just might inspire you too.

Friday, June 13, 2008

HBW Group Ride

Finally made a Wednesday night group ride. It's been some time since I was able to ride with others, what a nice change of pace. Good group turn out even with the temps still in the 90*s. Slacking on the hydration at work, I went for the pack. Filled it with ice and water. Think of it as an A/C unit for your back. The ride had several regroups and plenty of laughs. Easy tempo for some good riding. The EBB on my SS was quite for a change. This made me very happy. So the riding was even better.
The group decided to head back after Lost Creek, but I had brought my commuter light and was looking for some more saddle time. Headed out towards Stewardship Loop riding the trails in low light is so fun. Reminds me of my 24hr days. Squeezing every once of battery from your lights, conserving what you can. The last little bit of daylight on Stewardship I came up on a bobcat running down the trail. Holy Shit this thing was big. Easily in the 50lbs. range. No, It was not a dog. I was close enough to make out the bob tail and cat like moves. A first at Harbison. Taking every minute I still had of daylight, I rolled every bit of fire road I could on the way back to the front lot. Good sustained pedaling on my SS.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

KITS

Just down loaded some pictures from our Kiawah Island vacation over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Kiawah Island Taxi Service - 2 rides on this beast, both rides were in the 2 hour area .


E had to trust me for our journey around KI on the tandem.
Don't piss off the locals. This fella was about 6 ft. off the paved pedestrian path. Amazing to see all the folks pass by all to never see this fella sunnin'.

Lesson learned

This week's work load for me has showed a touch. My co-worker departing last Friday for a bigger and better job. This means I've been in the office all of this week. More A/C time and less hot sun time. So I felt eager to hit up the Wed. group ride.

Running a touch late from work, I run home and tweak the SS to tension the chain. Filled the hydration pack and fixed a monster PB&honey&banana sandwich and off to HSF. Rolling into the lot @6:33 assumed I wouldn't see anyone. So I headed out towards Stewardship > 2 laps of the gravel road. STOP I can't take it any more. The EBB on my SS was making this awful noise. So I tighten it up a touch and pedaled on. Still every time the torque went up the noise did too. Very annoying, so I'm kinda glad I hadn't seen anyone. Passed Jim somewhere on the connector as I was heading over to Lost Creek. Didn't turn around because with noisy ass bike, I could ruin someone's ride.

Plans were to knock out 2 laps on LC but ignorance got the best of me. Noticing my speed was suffering badly. Was it a lack riding or what? No folks the chain was so tight I hardly turn it by hand. Ah shit, so that's why I feel like I'm riding in mud and the noise is so loud the wildlife is running in fear. Lesson learned - EBB maintenance should be top on the priority list. Seeing how I've only got one gear, I should make sure that gear is working.

Found A+ in the front lot afterwards. We marveled at how the oppressive heat was wrecking our dreams of a smokin' fast average speed. Then Jim & Tim rolled into the lot. Later found out that Toby S. was in the woods somewhere also, so I guess it was a group ride.

D.A.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Roadie Stuff

Follow up on some Ebay stuff.


*Power Tap Computer Harness
- Brand New has been installed once but it's never seen the elements.

*Power Tap Rear Wheel w/ Campy wheel bag
- PT hub is built up on a Mavic rim. Freehub is Shimano. This wheel has been hanging in this Campy bag for about 2 years.

*Shimano Road Shoes 44 - Near mint shape clean and they don't smell.














*Speed Play Zero Ti Pedals w/ cleats - Cleats have about 150miles on them. The pedals are few years old. They are in good shape would be great for a back-up bike if you already use SpeedPlays.