Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Sweet desert smells

Off for an early saturday morning, kiddo has swim at 8:30 and I like a beating so I was up bright an early. Felt ok, under lights now for an hour, going to get longer every week unnitl we hit that solstice. Felt good on the Specialized, no personal records to prove it but it does feel good and I like it. I took the rear apart and greased everything and happy to say it is now squeak free! Still want to shortend the brake lines but I am super lazy so we will see when that will be done.

Swimming without water

Dude, so fricken hot, I am so sick of it............

New frame day!

Well I got the new 2022 timberjack warrantied frame all back running, pretty good turnaround time too, I got the frame Saturday and Monday built it all up and it was ready for dirt. Headed for hawes a little excited about riding it, not excited how stinking hot it was though. These rides are starting to hurt. Off the bat, the bike just feels ever so slightly different, more head angle sicne it's at 66 now and steeper seat tube. I did notice it felt really slow climbing, to be fair the specialized felt slow climbing on the first few rides. By the time I got around to the Alpe climb I was wiped again! This it the thirs thursday in a row where I bonk. Extremely unusual but now it's consistant, my heart beats out of my chest but it's only at 160 which is normal for that climb but I just feel it differently. My head begins to hurt etc..., I had to stop 2x on Alpe which is just so abnormal for me. By the time I top off feeling back to normal. Had to tighten the slack on the headset but everything else held together quite well. I do need to tension up the spokes and get a taller seatpost and insulate the rear brake housing since it's making a racket. Disapointing ride to fee so slow and not well but I bet it will grow on me.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Schweet

Well maybe I should have just name this one sweat, but it was sweet so why not combine them. Got this one on very little sleep and still feeling junky but enough in the tank to shred. The weather app read 85% humidity and when I left the house it was raining pretty hard. I was fine with a wet ride in the dark but when I got off the exit the rain surprisingly stopped and the ground was completely dry. The trails were dry and cranked out a big Saturday ride, nice to get my rides in despite feeling like turd. My fuse silver paint is pretty bright, as the sun brought in light it began to glow it was distracting in a way.

Lush

Well the kiddo got my cold so he was home from school Thursday, which was kinda nice cuase I could get out nice and early. Feeling a little better than yesterday, I got done what I wanted to. The landscape has come to life, it's spring all over again which I ma fine with.

Wuff

Got out for my Thursay rip, was reminded pretty quickly that I am still recovering from the cold, lungs were wheezy, and energy strted at 75% and quickly went to like 30% after 30 minutes I debated pulling the plug but charged on anyway. It was also hot and humid, I can't wait for winter!

Monday, August 22, 2022

Hello new bike, goodbye old bike

The ride was great, some cloud cover to help out but so sticky and sweaty. The bike was now rock solid after going through it and had a full ride without tightening down anything, got to push it a bit harder, still feels just like the timberjack, I don't think I will be crushing and PRs but I am hapy. I finally got that suspicious spot looked at by the bikek shop turns out it was cracked. I found it in May and have been riding it since, whoops, by now I noticed the bike was getting very creaky. Waiting to hear back from Salsa next week to see what they can do, it's in warranty.

NEW BIKE DAY!!!!!!! 2022 Specialized Fuse

So I got this frame back in March, I slowly pieced the parts with new and old together for a few months and was taking way too long. I guess I was excited but not that ambitious as I was taking classes and busy. Well the pieces of the puzzle were slowly assemble now that I am on break for a month. Building bikes are so much fun! New wheels, new brakes, new cranks, new rings, new pedals, new fork, new tires so sweet! I felt fairly confident in my handy work that I took it out Thursday for a shakedown ride. I was foolish to make it's first voyage around the mountain since once I reached the back side the axle came loose, the seatpost and the stem. The axle and stem then came loose again and I was not feeling that well. I was slow as heck and the vibe of new bike was fading as I began to climb Alpe. So much that I even had to walk a section, my heart was beating through my chest and I felt really off, which I soon realized was I was getting sick. The bike feels great, it feels so identical to my salsa timberjack it's like no point in having them both, which is fine cause I know I got it really good! I might have tightened thing for a 3rd time I can't remember but I am surprised how tight that rear axle needs to be.

Me and the Tarantulas

It was a dark warm morning, back on familiar ground after some rain. The spiders were apparentyl enjoying the moisture since I have never seen so many, I think it was 4. Ride was nice to spin, so predicatble I supose.

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Getting the grumpies out

Grateful for a safe trip home, it was bittersweet getting home. I had some time to squeeze a ride in so ofcourse I did! It felt really good getting out for a ride, rare to get to ride that time of day. Mixed emotions, here for now, can't wait to leave.

Family upper falls hike

I stole this hike idea from a fellow friend. It was lot steeper than I expected but we chugged on and were rewarded for our efforts, nice way to spend our last day!

Red Eye

I had one more ride, I was super bummed I wimped out for a high elevation ride and went back to Corner Canyon for miles. Not that it's a bad deal, just wanted to get into the aspens. I had a terrible nights rest, well actually everynight was terrible sleep, but I was chugging on by a thread most the ride. Not disapointed what so ever and enjoyed the last ride of the trip.

Screwing around the mountain

I was pretty torn on where to ride, if I drove to the goods up high I would loose ride time or take up family time. So it was easy to head back to Corner Canyon. I was climbing up Anns enjoying the scenery with the idea of trying out the new three falls trail. I got distracted on a few DH runs on that flowy greatness on the south side. Then a quick run on Fang and up longview and onto three falls. The trail was nothing wild, tons up uphill traffic, I was thinking I made a big mistake. I Made the falls, it was absolutely wonderful, crystal clear and even had a sandy bottom. That was worth it after dipping my face in. I was running tight on time but rode on to see the new trails ahead. Rode bodily harm, more effort and forbidden. I was kind expecting flow trails but they were great climby/descending trails with no jumps. I was running way behind and low on gas but enough left to get back up to the top of three falls to push hard down rush and to the car, so happy!

Ahhh the memories

I am painfully reminded when we visit Utah, this use to be where I lived, I was much much happier here. As I may have said before I lived just 5 minutes down the road and rode here plenty. So great memories with Brent and I over the last decade. The place keeps expanding as usual, I love shredding Ghost Falls and Rush. I felt good and buzzing down the mountain felt so so so good, Jacobs however is not very exciting anymore. Time was up to soon.