Became bowl eligible and had two safeties today. :bday:


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Map of the Day

21 November 21

Sunbelt Conference

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Did you give him the look?

I've been wondering about this. #NoSpoiler

Nah, just got the hell outa there. I don’t give anybody the look around here.

Friend who was life-long runner moved to another state and switched to cycling. Husband bought her a cheap mtb and she began exploring dirt roads in her area. She heard carbon fiber bikes were light so she decided she wanted one. She wrote to me and I explained things as best as I could, including the fact that carbon bikes can also be heavy since my mtb is 32 pounds. She always rides alone and doesn't do much climbing but had to have something lighter. I linked a bunch of nice bikes to her and explained to look for something 2017 or newer if she was going used. (They can afford anything). Eventually she links a 1998 Giant she found and I told her not to buy something that old. She already had it. I tried. Anyway she's been riding it for a year or more and she's happy except for when there is deep gravel.

So recently she heard about gravel bikes and writes to me again. I carefully explain them as best as I can and emphasize their limitations and compromises. She's never ridden a drop bar bike, so I explain that, too. Anyway this goes back and forth for some time until she says something about how gravel bikes must be good in loose gravel and don't slip. No, not as good as a mountain bike, I tell her. "Then what are they good for?" I tried.

The combination of flat and gravel is my slowest condition. I just lack the power. Today was humiliating.

What did you do that was humiliating? Inquiring minds want to know.

The wind shook the house all night. I wanted to do the short club ride but 50 mph gusts are predicted out there.

Fixed.

Boonies today.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4e594dffa1.jpg

And, not boonies.

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Went for a ride with some nice old guys and just couldn’t hang. It was like driving a Citroen deux cheveaux on the Highway, but less comfortable and a lot quieter.

Another good ride in. As usual, I am atop the pseudopodium for altitude but not miles.

I am with you, brother!

I think the term you kids use nowadays is mic drop.https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7deda41d20.jpg

Sounds like my yesterday. When it was just the two of us she hung back on the climbs and we chatted about many things. When we met up with the faster group for the last section of rollers, I was off the back and left to dice with a guy on a cross/gravel/touring bike. Of course, I had to turn myself inside out to stay ahead of him.

Road tires or gravel tires?

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Like this?
Note: picture taken before I became a former cyclist.

No, it is not.

What do you do with those things?

Gravel. 36mm on great wheels. Perfect tread for that surface, but probably a bit wide for my weight. Left the fenders on, but can’t blame them.

It defies reason.

I need to join some rides where you can go easy enough to chat.

That’s our Sunday “Reservoir Dogs” ride. It’s fun and social. Lots of chitchat, if you are so inclined. There is an amazingly good bakery at the start/finish for coffee and pastries too. :bday:

Sounds very pleasant. Much lip service is paid to “taking it easy” this time of year and yesterday we actually dialed it back for a rider recovering from a disc herniation, but that’s a rare thing. The other inhibitor of chitchat is the amount of traffic on our narrow roads and the need to ride in a single paceline so much of the time.