HOT COOL Summer Nights

Taking advantage of these cooler days, got in more early morning ~60°F riding and drug the kids to go camping. Rides were good, camping notsomuch. Got plans rained out yesterday so we cut the trip short and just came home. A good reminder that plans don't always go as planned, no place like home, adversity builds character, blah blah blah...

Live (hard "i")

Went to see Old Crow Medicine Show last week. Actually went to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops, but OCMS closed for them. Hands down the best performance I've ever been to. They were all well-polished but raw, if that makes sense. Deep down, I think I was born a Tennesseean. Time to buy that banjo I've put off for 5 years. Basically just a big ukulele, right? Anyway, experiencing things in the LIVE just can't be topped. Pictures of birds or corn or dirt roads are cool and all, but I never get tired of getting out there and just rubbing my face in it all. Inside is a prison after all.

Dotte your eyes

WyCo Lake trails again. Better than dropping $100 at Worlds of Fun.

All Star Break

Update on the Huckleberry: He won the Run Home Derby. Prefers to just run (with) the bases, though.

...it's the humidity

74°F this morning. Forecasted 54°F tomorrow morning. I have my arm-warmers laid out!

Anticipation, culmination, misfortune

I must've manifested the outcome of my first ride on the Brodie. I usually think positive, but for some reason in the 4-5 years I've been dreaming of building up another aluminum 26" wheel hardtail (or rigid, eventually - just used what I had for now), I just knew there was a good chance I'd go to all this work only to feel a little let down. I'm a visualizer, a dreamer. Sometimes that's enough to keep me entertained. So I finally got this thing on its first test ride and it just feels all funky. Way too high in the front, fork too squishy, bars too straight, clinking going on in the drivetrain... The latter I figured was likely the ISIS bottom bracket, or the $10 rear wheel. As I test rode it on the trail the clinks became clunks. I tweaked the tension. Still there. Only after 10 miles and several standing climbs, I was rolling back home and looked down at my chain under load. The ring appeared to be wobbling & the chain catching. ??? So I pull over and flip the bike upside down and turned the cranks slowly through to feel where it's catching. I'm there for a couple minutes, completely befuttled then 3" in front of my face I finally notice the chainring is missing 3 of 5 bolts. Only two LOOSE bolts remain. Apparently the threads were too shallow or the mechanic mentioned he might have gotten interrupted during the build and just forgot to go back and torque them. Honest mistake, but could have been disastrous for the drivetrain, possibly the frame but most definitely my nuts. Saw a bunch of wildlife though, so not all is lost. Looking forward to ride #2.

Negatory on the cost of this here MOchine

"Honey, take me for a spin!" My onepieceatatime bike is ready to ride when I get home this afternoon. Hope all goes well since parts came from all over the continent. Ride yer mutt bike!

Familiarity.

Familiarity. It doesn't have to mean boring or the same old same old... Often it is comforting. I like to think of the state park land behind my house as I do my marriage. The roads back there are quite familiar as I've pedaled them many times over many years, but she's always there for me, and every time I ride back there I see something just as beautiful as the first time. Sometimes you have to work harder. Look harder. Sometimes you have to resist taking her for granted. Always respect, though, and you'll be rewarded with a newness each day. Love the one you're with and ride yer bike!

Order.

Sometimes when I think I'm about to have an OCD moment, my ADD rises up and I think I'll paint my mountain bike RAL#7023. Costco chocolate chips are delicious. Go Chiefs.

Bad Dog.

Djoolai

59 degrees this time of year sure feels nice. Except back in my hay hauling years working through the night meant for a chilly drive home from the fields. Rare 59 in summer smells different than 59 in winter. But they both take me back. Ride yer bike! (back in time) Sometimes I pretend I'm in the Dolomites. I've been blessed with strong visualization skills and an Italian wife, so that helps. Photoshop skills (though sloppy on this one for effect), help, too.