Great bike rides today

[slipperybidness]

@lovinthehd

BTW, I've been pretty pleased with the 18/20PSI setup so far. I may try to creep it down just a little more to see how that goes.

But, I can say for sure that I have taken a couple rides without pre-checking my pressures, and I have found that about 13/15 is too low. That low, it just doesn't handle well and seems to be more difficult to pedal too.

I'm about ready to take my Cujo to the shop for it's first tune up and once-over. Have you done that yet? But, seems like you have a pretty sweet setup for work.

I rode my bike Friday after work, Sat morning, Sun morning. Sunday morning, there was a 4ft rat snake sunning himself across the trail! I almost hit him, gave me a good case of the heebee jeebees, and I'm not particularly scared of snakes.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yeah, well I already bought the Bell. $16 so we will see. Exact same pump at Wal-mart is $30, so I feel like a winner either way.

I have a good mini pump, I just wanted to get something a bit quicker/easier while I am in the garage. I will almost certainly get my $16 out of it.

I got one of these for my garage setup https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-INF-1-Shop-Inflator/dp/B005Z4D66Q

ps Not just for my bikes, my van's tires require 80psi and most gas stations are useless in this regard....

 

[lovinthehd]

@lovinthehd

BTW, I've been pretty pleased with the 18/20PSI setup so far. I may try to creep it down just a little more to see how that goes.

But, I can say for sure that I have taken a couple rides without pre-checking my pressures, and I have found that about 13/15 is too low. That low, it just doesn't handle well and seems to be more difficult to pedal too.

I'm about ready to take my Cujo to the shop for it's first tune up and once-over. Have you done that yet? But, seems like you have a pretty sweet setup for work.

I rode my bike Friday after work, Sat morning, Sun morning. Sunday morning, there was a 4ft rat snake sunning himself across the trail! I almost hit him, gave me a good case of the heebee jeebees, and I'm not particularly scared of snakes.

I'm going with 16/17 lately (f/r). 13/15 is a bit low but depends on trail and speed.

I built the bike, shop just handed over the box; otoh Santa Cruz does a lot of pre-assembly these days compared to last time I built them in a shop (I co-owned the shop), that was 10 years ago, though. Although they'd look it over for me, I do my own work generally but will get lazy with bleeding hydraulic lines for my brakes/seat post and rebuilding forks/shocks. I keep an eye on everything from ride to ride, am kinda fussy that way with my bikes.

I've run over quite a few rattlers in my time, and each time was well past them before I realized what it was, fortunately no near strikes or anything, they usually don't much want anything to do with ya. I have had two near collisions with bears...that'll get your heart pumping!

 

[slipperybidness]

@lovinthehd
Have you gone back and ridden your "skinny" mtb since you've been riding the Plus bike?

It feels weird!

All those years on a normal MTB felt normal, now it feels weird!

Like I mentioned before, I think I'm gonna hang onto the old bike. But, I have found that I really prefer these plus tires! It's like, "where have these been all my life".

 

[lovinthehd]

@lovinthehd
Have you gone back and ridden your "skinny" mtb since you've been riding the Plus bike?

It feels weird!

All those years on a normal MTB felt normal, now it feels weird!

Like I mentioned before, I think I'm gonna hang onto the old bike. But, I have found that I really prefer these plus tires! It's like, "where have these been all my life".

Not yet, will eventually get back on my Beckler (the rim designation that stuck to the 27.5" size at first was 650B, and I put them on a 26" Heckler, thus the Beckler) for a comparison after I finish rebuilding it and I do expect it will be weird. I also like the capabilities of these tubeless tires (at least until I burp or slice one out in the middle of nowhere ). I see a lot of really fat 29ers these days too, so when I see even a fairly hefty 2.3/2.4" shod 26er or even 27.5er they look weirdly skinny.

 

[slipperybidness]

Not yet, will eventually get back on my Beckler (the rim designation that stuck to the 27.5" size at first was 650B, and I put them on a 26" Heckler, thus the Beckler) for a comparison after I finish rebuilding it and I do expect it will be weird. I also like the capabilities of these tubeless tires (at least until I burp or slice one out in the middle of nowhere ). I see a lot of really fat 29ers these days too, so when I see even a fairly hefty 2.3/2.4" shod 26er or even 27.5er they look weirdly skinny.

Oh yeah, I am absolutely sold on tubeless now too!

I never really saw the point, seemed like a lot of trouble. Granted, I haven't had to deal with it myself yet, so I may be cursing when I do have to do it for myself. But, yeah, I have not had a single flat yet, and I have ridden a few shady/thorny spots off the trail. I will probably convert my older 29er over too.

The LBS set me up with the valves, rim tape, orange seal, and getting them seated and aired, all for $50!

When I look on Amazon, the Orange Seal kit with all the parts is $40! I can say with 100% certainty, that was an extra $10 well spent!

When I take my bike in for service, I'm gonna have to ask if that is the normal price, or if it was discounted with a new bike purchase. If that is the normal price, then I will take my other bike in there to let them convert it too. Well worth the $10 for labor.

 

[lovinthehd]

I'm not about to convert all my other bikes to tubeless otoh primarily as I don't plan to use them frequently enough to bother, but one reason I always held off (and ya still really need to carry a spare tube just in case). Some of the tire/rim combos are very hard to deal with due to tight tolerances, sometimes takes quite a while to wrestle the damn tire on the rim, we've had some wheels passed around at the shop to see who can do it! Agreed, well worth $10 not to deal with it! Getting air quickly into a tubeless without a compressor can be fun, too....

 

[lovinthehd]

Gettin' there...got a nice 34km ride yesterday afternoon on Heckletooth, 820m of climbing...and many mosquito bites, I need to climb faster!

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Bummer. Old age is trying to kill us, though. I've had some elbow/shoulder issues myself, keeps me off the bike occasionally but more keeps me from trail maintenance days lately. Wishing you a speedy resolution and recovery!

The doctor who did my Arthrogram yesterday said my shoulder looked really bad with at least a torn rotator cuff and torn Labrum, he said he wouldn't know what else was damaged until he reviewed the MRI but he said surgery was in my very near future. He said he would have his findings to the Ortho Surgeon by this morning and I am scheduled to see the surgeon tomorrow. Fun times.

 

[lovinthehd]

Damn. I know a couple guys who've gotten surgery on their rotator cuffs, figure that may well be at the root of my shoulder issues...but ain't willing to spend anything on it at this point, lol.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Damn. I know a couple guys who've gotten surgery on their rotator cuffs, figure that may well be at the root of my shoulder issues...but ain't willing to spend anything on it at this point, lol.

This should have said "he said he wouldn't know what else was damaged until he reviewed the MRI".

I don't think I can put it off since it keeps dislocating.

 

[lovinthehd]

Started to do a simple 600m climb/descent over 11km when I had the bright idea of doing an extended ride, one I hadn't done in a while, in 90 degree temps, ended up with 810m ascending over 40km. Way harder than last week's ride, but getting ready for @ski2xblack when he visits

 

[lovinthehd]

Even tho today was too damn warm (90ish) I wanted to get a good climb in...instead of just climbing to Larison Rock I thought let's do Larison Creek instead. 40km and 810m of climbing later....with the heat....I hurt.

 

[ski2xblack]

Hey, please don't over do it on account of my sarcasm! You'll be able to keep up with me (or more likely drop me like a bad habit) given that I'm: 1) old; 2) I still ride a heavy, 26" wheeled, long-travel trail bike (it's comfortable for my old bones, a willing if climber, and highly capable going downhill, but it's not as fast in general as the current breed of larger wheeled bikes); 3) I'm really not that competitive...for me, the mountain biking is more about getting away from people and gawking at beautiful scenery.

 

[Pogre]

It hit 117 here yesterday and it looks like we're in for our first heat wave this summer. Gonna get hot as hell today too.

 

[lovinthehd]

Hey, please don't over do it on account of my sarcasm! You'll be able to keep up with me (or more likely drop me like a bad habit) given that I'm: 1) old; 2) I still ride a heavy, 26" wheeled, long-travel trail bike (it's comfortable for my old bones, a willing if climber, and highly capable going downhill, but it's not as fast in general as the current breed of larger wheeled bikes); 3) I'm really not that competitive...for me, the mountain biking is more about getting away from people and gawking at beautiful scenery.

LOL no, it's for me, just out of shape, will get there sooner...or later. I can drop many when the trail is pointing down, but I've always been a slow climber. I don't race anymore, prefer a nice friendly ride enjoying the sounds and scenery of mother nature. My buddy Gene, who is a fairly top level racer and 15 years younger, was along yesterday and very kindly matched pace, but it's tough for him to ride that slow.

Heat just always makes it tougher, especially without a constant forest cover to help keep it cool like yesterday's ride. On last week's ride I felt much stronger but the temps were in the low 60s that day and overcast. Just looked at our forecast, we're going to hit 100s this weekend (and that temp range is happening more and more now)...might just finally get that air conditioner for the house.

 

[slipperybidness]

LOL no, it's for me, just out of shape, will get there sooner...or later. I can drop many when the trail is pointing down, but I've always been a slow climber. I don't race anymore, prefer a nice friendly ride enjoying the sounds and scenery of mother nature. My buddy Gene, who is a fairly top level racer and 15 years younger, was along yesterday and very kindly matched pace, but it's tough for him to ride that slow.

Heat just always makes it tougher, especially without a constant forest cover to help keep it cool like yesterday's ride. On last week's ride I felt much stronger but the temps were in the low 60s that day and overcast. Just looked at our forecast, we're going to hit 100s this weekend (and that temp range is happening more and more now)...might just finally get that air conditioner for the house.

BooHooo

Try 100 degrees PLUS 70% humidity! Yup, that's the Texas summer!

I know Pogre out in AZ has a different brand of HOT. He can complain and I get it. Az is HOT and it sucks. Texas has a different HOT, and it sucks in its own way.

I got a brief ride in yesterday, it was "only" 90 degrees out. Unfortunately, this time of year, it's pretty much early morning riding for me.

Seriously, you don't have an AC? Man, my AC runs just about year round. There may be a few weeks in Dec / Jan where I don't need it (much).

 

[lovinthehd]

BooHooo

Try 100 degrees PLUS 70% humidity! Yup, that's the Texas summer!

I know Pogre out in AZ has a different brand of HOT. He can complain and I get it. Az is HOT and it sucks. Texas has a different HOT, and it sucks in its own way.

I got a brief ride in yesterday, it was "only" 90 degrees out. Unfortunately, this time of year, it's pretty much early morning riding for me.

Seriously, you don't have an AC? Man, my AC runs just about year round. There may be a few weeks in Dec / Jan where I don't need it (much).

I've lived mostly in San Francisco before this, my kind of weather, just didn't want to keep working in my old industry to keep up with expenses there. Grew up in the Chicago burbs, tho, so am well familiar with high humidity/high heat. One reason I don't live in a place like Texas (where our family is mostly from but most left a few generations ago). I prefer to live in places where you just open a window, voila, air conditioning. I also don't like to sit in air conditioned rooms unless it's blazing hot out. Here most homes don't have AC, a heat pump is more common. I'm thinking a smallish window AC to help out rather than install something more serious.

I have friends in Redding (CA) but I don't visit in the warmer months where they average over 100 for weeks on end (but is fairly low humidity, but still requires constant air conditioning). Early am riding is the only way there the few times I've visited during the hot weather, and I mean early as it hits the 90s by 9am easily (and may never get cooler than 80 at night....I'd never get any sleep without AC in such a place, yuk). I prefer afternoon riding but during our warmer weather will change that up to am riding, maybe even a coupla night rides.

 

[slipperybidness]

I've lived mostly in San Francisco before this, my kind of weather, just didn't want to keep working in my old industry to keep up with expenses there. Grew up in the Chicago burbs, tho, so am well familiar with high humidity/high heat. One reason I don't live in a place like Texas (where our family is mostly from but most left a few generations ago). I prefer to live in places where you just open a window, voila, air conditioning. I also don't like to sit in air conditioned rooms unless it's blazing hot out. Here most homes don't have AC, a heat pump is more common. I'm thinking a smallish window AC to help out rather than install something more serious.

I have friends in Redding (CA) but I don't visit in the warmer months where they average over 100 for weeks on end (but is fairly low humidity, but still requires constant air conditioning). Early am riding is the only way there the few times I've visited during the hot weather, and I mean early as it hits the 90s by 9am easily (and may never get cooler than 80 at night....I'd never get any sleep without AC in such a place, yuk). I prefer afternoon riding but during our warmer weather will change that up to am riding, maybe even a coupla night rides.

Honestly, we actually haven't hit 100F here yet. And, I really can't remember the last time that we made it this far into June without hitting 100F yet!

2011 was some serious trouble and drought. I lost 4 trees due to drought, we had 100 days in a row above 100F! It was pretty dang miserable around here. I basically just stayed indoors as much as possible.

Yeah, once we get really rolling with the summer heat, we will have 100F+ days, 85F+ lows overnight, and silly humidity on top of all that.

 

[lovinthehd]

Honestly, we actually haven't hit 100F here yet. And, I really can't remember the last time that we made it this far into June without hitting 100F yet!

2011 was some serious trouble and drought. I lost 4 trees due to drought, we had 100 days in a row above 100F! It was pretty dang miserable around here. I basically just stayed indoors as much as possible.

Yeah, once we get really rolling with the summer heat, we will have 100F+ days, 85F+ lows overnight, and silly humidity on top of all that.

Yeah, I couldn't live in a place like that. I've been meaning to see what the average temp history here has been over the last 12 years or so (since I first started coming here to ride), pretty sure its been getting warmer over that time period.