seedsbelize2

I've never podiumed nor lanterne rouged. Something to shoot for, as we come to the end of an era.

t2p

Buffalo has two seasons - July and Winter

seedsbelize2

Slow day. Must be Saturday.

big john

Fun club ride today. Only 65 miles and 3300 feet of gain but the pace was much higher than anything I've done for a while. The little climbs toward the end were not so little today.
Unusual group of characters. There was a guy who looked like a typical little old man, maybe 125 pounds and he was riding what looked to be a 5200 Trek with a flat bar and a multi-geared hub. No derailleurs but it still had three rings on the crank. Naturally, he caught and passed me on the first 3 mile climb. I always struggle on early climbs but I caught and dropped him on the descent going down the other side.

There were a few riders who were planning a shorter route but staying with us for about 20 miles. As soon as the leaders turned up the wick they were gone. Little old man was going their way so I didn't have to do battle with him all day.

There was a deaf guy who has been at a few of our rides. He doesn't use a mirror but he seems to be aware of what's around him. A decent rider, he tugged on my friend's jersey at a red light, trying to tell him he liked it. I told my friend to just take it off and give it to the guy.

One of the guys doing the longer ride dropped his girlfriend off with us. She did very well on her flat bar bike with a 1x crankset. She would spin out on descents but she climbs fine. It helps that she is tiny, under 5 feet, and she has been doing spin classes for years. They have been shopping for a drop bar bike for her and cost is not an issue. I think she is going to be something after she puts some miles on a super light bike.

Anyway it felt good to do a little hammering and chasing, getting the pain in the quads. Felt a cramp coming in the left leg but I wished it away.

Rowan

I think all your photographs on this tour have been wonderful.

Rowan

A long-distance rider (as in Audax) whom I have known for 20-plus years, has a bike similarly equipped with the multi-geared hub that used to be on a two-wheel recumbent that he ended up disliking.

The hub is now used on a bike built frame and all by another friend we have both known for decades, and the distance rider loves the set-up. Two rings on the crank because there is a lot of climbing around here, and despite being in his 60s, he still does Audax rides regularly with distances up to 600km.

MoAlpha

Raining all weekend from TS Ian, but that’s okay because I have a cold and my numbers are telling me I overdid it trying to come back from two weeks off. The seasonal depression is acting up and and making everything seem more dismal too.

Took out a year of membership at the gym at work this week. They have a fantastic free-weight facility which almost no one uses. It looks like the gritty gym the muscular hottie of a certain age works out in in an ad for wealth management services, complete with the hanging air ducts. I’m going to move my office there this winter and get ripped.

big john

This bike had the three rings but no way to switch between them. It had no chain tensioner and no way to slide the wheel to compensate for chain slack. It was a pretty big hub so I'm guessing at least 7 speeds, maybe even 14.

If I see him again I will ask about the hub. I told one of the women on the ride if he keeps passing me on hills I will challenge him to a Greco-Roman wrestling match. I'm 68 and he's probably in that neighborhood.

genejockey 

Had a nice ride with the C&V group, just the core riders, so it was only 3 of us. I was on the Ritchey since one of the guys - named Guy - asked me last month to bring it. There I was with 10 speeds, STIs, and Hyperglide, shifting while standing on a sharp pitch, while the others on bikes with DT shifters and no Hyperglide had to choose their gear at the bottom of the hill. That Ritchey is a sweet ride, and much as I love the R8000 on the Litespeed, the 7800 on the Ritchey is more seamless.

Because it was only us, we set a nice quick, but not really fast pace. That was nice. The problem with a no-drop, no category ride is that some folks really climb very slowly, and I end up waiting at the top of every rise, and then between my weight and never touching the brakes, I lose them on the descent after.

Same 28 miles as every month, which is fine with me since I don't mind repetition. It's a pretty route with a couple nice, shady dawdles.

t2p

please get some pics of the bike - and especially pics or video if the wrestling match takes place

maybe you can adjust his calipers so the pads are contacting the rim ... or purge some air from his tires ... drastic measures might be required lol

big john

lol. I don't usually have a camera with me. And if a 125 pound man accepts a challenge to wrestle me, I have to wonder about his motivation.

I think I'll just try to wear him down if he comes on a longer ride. I might be able to drop him on that first climb on a better day.

DougRNS

BillyD

indyfabz

This has become a habit.

Wordle 470 3/6

⬜⬜🟩⬜🟨
🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

MoAlpha

And, of course, the more air you let out of his tires the faster he’ll go.

datlas 

It’s raining again.

Trsnrtr

Always happy for a 3:

Wordle 470 3/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩
🟨⬜⬜🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

seedsbelize2

Wordle 470 3/6

🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟩🟩🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
It becomes easier when you're given all five letters.

datlas 

I just tried Rouvy. It’s ok. The UI is better than Zwift, which is not saying much. It feels less like a video game and more like a road cycling simulator, as the graphics are real video rather than CG. Lots more route options in Rouvy. It’s less social, which is neither good nor bad. The hills are harder as it seems the trainer is hard set to 100%, while Zwift is variable 50-100 and I believe default is 50%. I only rode for 45 minutes so really only a taste.

MoAlpha

You can change the hill resistance just as in Zwift.

phrantic09

Had a fun gravel ride yesterday, solo as usual. The wind picked up at the end but I was pleased with my pace. Temps were in the mid 40s and it was great.

Quite a bit of punchy 15-20% spots climbing. Almost got sniped by a loose collie, the dog did not want to give up the chase. It was after me for about 1/2 a mile before giving up.

datlas 

I may have to do this. My old school steel bike is on the trainer, and the bailout gear is 42-21. It makes the hills a challenge now that I am old and soft and have a 34-28 bailout in real life.

LesterOfPuppets

I'm starting to think I need to get a paintball pocket pistol for dogs. I wonder if anyone makes one.

MoAlpha

I know how you feel. I have 53/39 and a 14-26 cassette on my trainer bike.

LesterOfPuppets

Thanks, Rowan glad you liked them.

I only took a couple of pics from the wet side of the Cascades. My first afternoon on the trail I knew there was an event going on as I'd passed all the mile markers and aid stations along the way. I probably should have dumped my 7 litres of water as soon as I passed the first station, as I could have just refilled one water bottle as needed

I got such a late start that I decided to camp before getting past the entire event course, since it was already 10pm and I was getting sleepy.

Packing up the bike the next morning, the marathon runners started going past, so I waited for the 5 hour pace-keeper to go past before getting on the trail, figuring the crowd would be pretty thin by then.

bampilot06

New Bar tape, the color looked like it matched before it was wrapped. Not sure how I feel about it. Fixed the hoods and I raised the stem 5mm. Did a short test ride and Like how it felt, gunna go ride with my daughter to see how it feels. I was able to get the front de railed to shift correctly by following y’all’s guidance so thank you.


Quick question, When on the small chain ring and granny ring if I pedal backwards the chain wants to drop, if I pedal forward it doesn’t look like the chain is seated properly. It’s not affecting how it rides, but I don’t like noises.