Aging Athletes, Declining Europe

Two great stories in Todays Times. Long but worth it.

Dana Torres

European population decline.

In other news, I got out on the Milk Money and did a quick up and back 305. Done by 0700. I felt really great and strong, and cleaned everything with minimal difficulty. I thought I pushed fast until the end, only to see my typical 55 minutes to the top. Oh well, how you feel really has little to do with how fast you are moving lots of times.

I haven't gone up 305 to just do 305 in quite a long time, so it was a treat to do today, and have a lot left over at the end of the ride to help out around home. Refreshing to not be wiped out.

The MM is clearly my favorite bike as far as handling goes, and I can see why folks rave about their Leviathans. The three inches of travel in the rear feels like a lot more. I only used two inches of it on todays ride, and I have it set up plenty soft. I definitely prefer the feel of shorter travel on the local trails. Anyway it's a fun ride. Nothing I would change right now.

Saguaro Infatuation

Repost from MTBR about a week ago:

Got out for a nice long rigid ride today.




Recently set up the rigid bike with a Geax Saguaro up front and Dry X in back tubeless.

Previous experiences with Exiwolf have been negative (slides too easy).

I love the Ignitor, but it is small and flimsy. Rolls great, bites good though.

I really like the Nevegal's grip, but they are way heavy, roll bad, and are simply overkill for a rigid bike.

Anyway, this is my first chance to get some time on the Saguaro, and I think it is the tire I have been looking for for some time. I'm in love or at least infatuated.

This is the test bed.



Rolls very fast.
Grips awesome...at least as well as a Nevegal on loose over hard.
Thicker sidewalls than Ignitor.
Don't know about durability.

Conditions are like this:



And this



And this



I really like it up front, and would like to try it in the back. This is the first Geax product I have tried and I am impressed. Settled on 20 psi (despite the warning not to go below 37 printed on the tire:confused:



The Dry X: I am not too impressed with. Does nothing glaringly bad or good. Absolutely will not grip in my conditions like the Saguaro. Ran it down into the 15s and hit the rim a few times with no ill effect. Settled on 22 psi


I am really pleased with the Zion and the set up of it right now. Almost nothing I don't like except the grips. A couple mini-reviews.

[B]Sunline V3 handlebars[/B]: A nice, cheap, very wide low rise bar: A

[B]Zion 737 Frame and Fork[/B]: Nice riding rigid bike great deal, too bad they are gone. Sorta like a Monkey with a more supple ride and easier to use drop-outs, but without the versatility.: A-

[B]Endless "Kick Ass Cog"[/B]: It does not fit the King [I]or [/I]Bontrager Cassette carriers without filing: Fail Not recommended. Once on seems to work okay.



[B]Truvative GXP cranks with external BB[/B]: They're all right and have stood up to 2 years of SS abuse. B

[B]Koobi Au Enduro PRS saddle[/B]: it's personal, but I love this thing. Got it off ebay thinking it was unlikely to make a noticable difference, but the elastomers definitely do take up a bit of the trail buzz. It ain't suspension, but I'll take it.: A

[B]Gravity Dropper[/B]: Ducks Nuts: A

I also like my new pump.




Riding rigid should be required for all mountain bikers periodically. You learn real fast how to stay centered to avoid the sting on the hands from an incorrectly transitioned drop. Smoothness and attention to the trail are required at all times.


Fun.

Gears

First time on gears for about a month. Felt wierd. And it sure was easy to get up stuff.

Vids:


Triple Challenge 1 from Enel on Vimeo.


Triple Challenge 2 from Enel on Vimeo.


Triple Challenge 3 from Enel on Vimeo.


Triple Challenge 4 from Enel on Vimeo.


Triple Challenge 5 from Enel on Vimeo.

Finally, a glamour shot of the completed bike. I need brake pads on this bike.



To let you in on Dan's character: I had him look at the brakes on my babe-getter minivan since I thought they were worn. The front pads were completely toast, 1mm from metal to metal. Dan gives me the keys to his Jeep, and tells me to go get some pads. In the mean time, he dismantled the brakes, rotated the tires, and turned the front rotors, checked the rear brakes (okay).

I returned with pads, and he proceded to reassemble in record time, and threw in an alignment to finish the deal.

Good to have friends in the business. The van drives even more awesomer now!

Good to have good friends as well, and I owe you a big thanks Dan. Always a pleasure to ride and hang with you.

Today's Catch

One whopping big, inflammed thyroid, complete with papillary cancer in the left lobe.

More Commuting

A picture is worth a thousand words:


Bless the Monkey and it's longer TT. I had no idea how much I was disliking hitting my toe on the front fender at low speeds until the sensation was gone.

It rides about the same as the Cross Check, but has loads more tire clearance (and fender clearance). The only thing I think I may hate is the crappy rear entry drop-outs. I'll only curse them when I need to change a flat.

Commuterdante:



Rides great and the Nano's are amazingly fast.
18.2" chainstays!!
On a hardtail!!
With no front derailleur!!

What on earth was Sherwood thinking.

It's great if you like to keep both wheels on the ground at all times. Serves the commuting role just fine.

Commuting

I am not so much alone anymore on the bike what with the glorious summer weather and $4.00/gallon gas.



This bike rack usually has two, or possibly three bikes in it at most. Love that Jake the Snake :)

Here's the commuter monkey without fenders on another more typical day.

SSmile

So far I have shakedown rides to work on the new Commuter SS and the "improved" Zion.

I forgot how enjoyable it is to push a big gear up a long hill with no option for bail out. With the 32X14 and Nano's (great road tire BTW), I can just barely turn over the cranks on the steeper climbs on my way to work. It is a hoot, however to see the bike press forward so many inches with one turn of the gears. The motion is very reminiscent of swimming with a long, relaxed stroke. Pull, switch, microsecond pause, pull. Lots of torque, low RPM. I feel like a diesel. I can understand why the cruisers pull such big gears.

It will do just fine as a commuter unless I need to be in a real hurry and have loads of flat or false flat to ride on. (or need fenders).

Zion feels good. The Saguaro on the front looks good, but the knobs are really soft. I can wash them out on pavement. Maybe better in dirt, hope to find out today. With the off road gear on it, it feels a bit hyper on the road. Not quite the Zen of the Comandante.

No photos cuz I'm lazy.

Edit: Rode the Zion at Pioneer park: The Saquaro sticks like velcro on loose corners. I am very pleased.

The Dry-X did not distinguish itself in any particular way. It gives a disturbing sensation of losing a slight amount of traction with each pedal stroke....even on the road. It had the tightest fit of any tire I have ever used when mounted on the arch rim combined with the thick sidewalls it is ideal for tubeless. It's nice, but I think I prefer the ignitor. Maybe I need to dump some PSI

Whew

Thus ends two weeks of furied bike building. I am done shifting things around for now.

It went like this:
Get Milk Money, install parts from Ventana.

Sell Ventana frame/

Ride MM lots, decide I do not need a hardtail

Build up Rig rigid, perform Ride-off with Zion to see who stays-prefer the Zion.

Sell White Bros 100mm fork.

Obtain Josh's Karate Monkey to part out for money for his widow, decide I like it better than the Crosscheck which is too small for me, and buy it.

Sell Dan Crosscheck frame/fork, let him tear it down (he loves it).

Tear down Monkey and rebuild with Cross-Check parts. Really like it for a commuter, and voila NO TOE OVERLAP!

Move blingy light parts and longer cranks from Rig to Zion, stripping Rig completely to ready for sale.

Look at forlorn Ventana El Comandante Frame and matching fork sitting in a box, and a nice pile of leftover parts, and decide I can use a SS commuter.

Build Comandante with 32X14 gearing, Nanos and parts previously on Rig and Zion for commuter duty.

I am sick of working on bikes, but I have an excellent line up right now. Probably three more bikes than I need, but eh.

Karate Monkey Geared commuter

El Comandante SS commuter

Zion Rigid (steel) SS MTB

Milk Money FS SS MTB

Lunchbox big hit FS geared MTB

Year, that about covers it.


For sale:
Old Durace wheelset (rim brake) from Josh's Monkey
Old 170mm Square taper 5 bolt chimano cranks from Josh's Monkey.
I have loads of Nevegals if anyone wants to buy one. Also a new Dry X and Saguaro.

Life

Well written article found buried in another incredible thread on MTBR.

Too late he learned that the hard part isn’t walking toward the wilderness to discover the meaning of life. The hard part is returning from the consolations of nature and finding meaning anyway, a meaning lodged within the faithfulness of our ordinary lives, in the plain and painful beauty of our ordinary days.

Talk about describing life. The hard part is finding meaning and eternal significance in the mundane. It is something few realize.

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.

From Psalm 90

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

1 Thes 4:11-12

I can't believe this is for real. Great example of a culture gone mad. Where is the love?

We are in a war of worldviews for sure. Free secular society vs Islamic fundamentalism.

Complaining

Great thought for the week from FFOZ.

Salient quotes:

God is slow to anger—usually. Complaining can incite His swift wrath.

Human beings are prone to complain.

A person of faith is duty bound to rise above the natural human instinct to complain and criticize.

If we concentrate on the bad things that each day contains and the negative characteristics that each person possesses, we will spend our entire lives in an ugly world where everything goes wrong all the time and everyone we know is grossly deficient. With our critical spirits and tongues we can actually ruin our own lives.

Complaining is a form of evil speech (lashon hara). It has evil results in our lives and in the lives of others.

Grumbling about things is a telltale sign of weak faith. A person of strong faith has confidence that God is in charge and is working all things out for the good. He is not given to complaining because he believes that everything is ultimately in God's hands.

The antidote for a poisoned, malcontented spirit is gratitude. When we force ourselves to focus on the good and the positive, and to thank God for all the blessings He daily bestows, the way we experience life is transformed.

"do all things without grumbling or disputing" (Philippians 2:14).

I hope anyone reading this blog realizes I never have an original thought, but I do dig up some thought provoking stuff:)

Babies

Hard thoughts on the place of procreation in protestant theology.

The implications of this essay is that there is a distinct hypocrisy when Christians focus on certain “unacceptable” and particularly horrific forms of abortion like partial-birth abortion, but then remain silent on other forms of abortion—including abortafacient contraceptives.

Too many Protestant leaders are simply unwilling to let go of the right to choose—in this case, the right to choose to reject God’s blessing of children. The issue, therefore, is simply not discussed. That life begins at the moment of conception is, thanks to the efforts of courageous pro-lifers, all but universally accepted among Bible-believing Protestant evangelicals. But the notion that the observable order of nature demonstrates God’s gracious design and intention for His Creation is ignored when it comes to so-called birth control

This is a great assumed, un-discussed and un-debated issue within protestant circles. The words in the essays quoted are provocative and rightly so. We need to be consistent in our approach to sexuality, procreation, and the place of children in the marital union. Most Christians don't even think twice about it. I think they should think carefully about it.

Bonding

Fabulous, fabulous ride on the MM today. Loving the new set up.



I was able to ride all over Granite Basin. Took the techy route out from Wmson valley trailhead, up and back mint wash, eventually climbing all the way up to where 332 connects to GB road and down down to the trailhead (again taking the techy way.)



This thing is fast, comfortable, and handles beautifully.



I did make a few changes:

Took the Fox 100 fork from the Rig. and put it on. It blows the WB fork away by a large margin. The front end is just a lot more predictable and sticky for lack of a better word.



Took off the weight weenie Arch rims and replaced with Hope Pro 2's laced with straight gauge 2.0 spokes to Flows with Rampages. Nice, stiff and heavy. I had not liked Rampages as much as the Nevegal thus far, but I must say, they performed great today in the lose conditions at GB. Fork or tire? Hard to say. I like the wheels, but the clatter of the rear Hope is annoying.



My hardtail is out of a job and needs to be dismembered. I will be keeping one light rigid SS. Rig or Zion? Hard to pick?



The WB fork is going as well.




I see my future ride mix being about 80% milk money, 15% Lunchbox, and 5% rigid SS. The MM just pushes all the right buttons...It has the SS thing going on which is always fun, but still allows me to descend quickly and in control.

Cicadas just came out and are making lots of noise out there!

Food

“It does seem to me that as a group, athletes are particularly gullible,”

Another great article. We perseverate about many things food included. Put me in the drink water when thirsty, and eat real food when hungry camp.

I also found this article on dark energy interesting. It made my head hurt. Seems we are reaching the limits of what science can reliable tell us about our universe and much is still not understood.

Josh Memorial Report

Josh's memorial service was fun for lack of a better word. I was really challenged to live life as completely as possible, and was especially challenged by his evident love for his wife and kids. They were truly his main concern throughout his illness, and it was interesting how many other folks commented on this besides myself.

I enjoyed getting to know Josh a little better as they had photos from his pre-cancer days, his wedding album, and some video shot pre-cancer. Great to hear him talk without all the slowness of speech I always associated with him.

6 people (me included) took two minutes to tell some stories about Josh. Of those, four of us included stories about his biking escapades. I did not know this prior to yesterday, but he really was an accomplished cycling commuter well before I got to know him. I was told over and over by his dad how much the bit of biking he got in between brain surgeries was an encouragement to him. Made me think that sometimes it is simply the little things that are important. All I did was invite him to ride a couple times, loan him a bike for a few months, and get him in contact with Dan to buy the Karate Monkey, but it was really a huge encouragement to him.

One sad moment was that amongst the posters, books, etc, they had the Monkey on display with his helmet, shoes, gloves and bright yellow jacket he always wore. Choked me up a bit to see the bike and gear of such a great guy never to be used again.



His most thought provoking quote was when he first found out he had this cancer:
"This is the most important thing God has ever entrusted me with"

Sorry most of you never knew him.

Sorry I did not know him longer.

MM Ride 2

This post is ripped off from my post on MTBR.

I was able to get a very nice ride in this am. This area of town is more pine forest with longer, steeper, sustained climbs. Not as loose. Not particularly technical, but very fun, narrow singletrack.

For the locals, we climbed 305 and 1/2 of Smith Ravine and came back down.

I changed the gearing down to 32X22 and I'm happy I did. I have taken to climbing with the "motion control" turned on and the floodgate at a minimum so the platform is relatively easily overwhelmed.

My riding partner observed that the fork bounced more than the frame.

The climb went fine.


These two bikes represent opposite ends of SS technology, but they share the same spirit for sure.

Sad thing is Dan can still put the hurt on me [I]downhill [/I]on that thing. Technology is still no substitute for skill and courage.

I did not notice at all the flex I commented on previously...at all? Who knows? I adapted to the bike? Different trails? Enjoying the ride instead of analyzing everything? Suffice it to say I bonded with this thing today and had a great time. At least one component of the squirrellyness on the front end was that the fork's air assist was gone, so I was using the spring alone on my prior ride. A few pumps into the air assist stabilized things markedly.

Here are a couple vids from the end of the ride screwing around in the parking lot. Nothing too fancy, but it helps explain my preference for short chainstays as these moves are significantly harder with a longer rear end.







One thing I like about the bike is that it is so quite on these moves, no derailleur or chain slap.