Get Off My Trail
I used to ride without music. Then I rode with ear buds. Then I started scaring hikers and runners because I couldn’t hear them and since they usually have ear buds they couldn’t hear me. Even when the hiker/runner doesn’t have earbuds, mountain bikes are remarkably quiet. On a lower traffic trail it’s easy to slip into Zen mode. The noise of the world fades
Having backed away from my destructive attitude towards the Ripmo I discovered that most people cover their new toys in all kinds of protective shielding. I made an appointment with the bike shop to have them outfit the Ripmo with all the protective stuff. Think iPhone protective plastic but all over your bike. Whenever the bike goes to the shop I take a detour to
Years ago after I picked a road bike and had tried my hand at mountain biking I knew that what I really needed was a cross bike. I found a Bianchi Cavaria frame at just the moment when I upgraded the Dura-Ace 7800 on my Madone 6.9 to Dura-Ace 7900. I combined that with some Stan’s tubeless rims matched with American Classic hubs. The Dura-Ace
The Ripmo was not happy that I left it in the truck yesterday and went road biking so when I woke up at 6 a.m. this morning I was like what the hell am I doing awake so early?! Then I woke up at 8 a.m. and remembered the Ripmo was waiting. I proceeded to get ready. When I started biking, getting ready meant walking
I usually wake up to the first rays of the morning sun breaking over the mountains to the East. It’s a pleasant way to start the day. This morning I was awoken by a burning sensation under my right shoulder blade and a numb hand. Mountain biking, body is fine. Paddleboarding I’m fine. Apparently sleeping through the night is my biggest physical challenge. I took
Riding the Ripmo is like taming a wild pony. It comes with a set of opinions, secrets and approach to navigating the mountains. It is the job of the new rider to discover these secrets. I’m gradually unlocking the bikes capabilities one level at a time. I still find myself breaking out of the perfect flow from time to time, surprised at the bike’s handling
Continue readingThe Demonic Stones Rise From Their Dusty Hell
Woke up early to another extreme heat warning. To escape the heat and with a tiny head start in my favor I determined I could make it up Logan Canyon for a quick ride up Jardine Juniper. The Ripmo was already cleaned and loaded in the truck. I checked the air pressure and set off to spend the morning blaming my Ripmo for my ineptitude.
I went to bed planning on mountain biking but woke up cross. Praying I not appear too portly in my Lycra apparel I donned my skin tight skivvies and ventured out on the Bianchi for a trip on the River Trail. The Bianchi only weighs about 16.5 pounds and has narrow 35mm tires. It excels at anything that looks like a gravel road. After several
I added a speed and cadence sensor to the Ripmo last night with the intention of gathering a few more stats on the morning ride. Then I rode to the top of the trail, glanced at my cadence which read nothing and then remembered I never added the new sensors to the Garmin. Oops. I set up the Garmin to search for the new sensors.
After a weekend of celebrating my freedom to eat junk food I woke up and found myself visibly more portly in my race club jersey. Needing to pay penance for my poor food choices I mounted my Time Fluidity to chase the morning sun and avoid the heat prophesied by my Garmin’s “extreme heat alert” warning. I mostly beat the wind on my way to