Return of Hi Ho Silver

New NX, newish 120 Fox Factory, new XT BR-M8100 brakes, original Intense 28h, Nukeproof bars from Meta HT - in fact took the wheel from there so need to rebuild it too.

Irregular Maintenance, Irregular Blogging

So it turns out I need to record when I do things to know when I need to do them BEFORE they break. 

As my shoulder heals, and the rains wain, I have had 2 ride-ending mechanicals on the rare non-rainy weekend rides.

The first was a leaky tire - not a big deal I assumed accept the traditional fallback of putting in a tube failed, 3 times and through 2 pumps before I got left behind at Muir Beach to get picked up later by Taco. The lesson here is tubes are not the backup they used to be - I have not had a flat fixed by a tube in many years, and these rims NEVER had a tube in use. 

The second mechanical was a broken shift cable conveniently at the end of the first climb up Annadel - no spare, but a bike shop at the Trail House, so in the biggest gear I went on down to get a cable. And a mechanic, who found a trickier extraction than I could have managed (the break was at the very end of the cable). In conversation and inspection with the mechanic, he found a broken spoke(!), other loose spokes, worn chain and cassette, and housing should be replaced. I paid $54 for the cable and quick wheel tune, and was able to intercept buddies, but I missed out on the lovely Lawndale decent.

How to avoid this/these situations? Regular maintenance of course. Failing to blog means I have no record of when I last did stuff to the bikes in the fleet. Santa Cremes wheels were last done 3 or 4? years ago, its been the big-day-bike and kept clean vs the Meta.

An extension to Strava would make record keeping really nice for maintenance - add a part, start a timer, use Strava data to log times/call out alarms. Monetization would be simple, maybe could be a platform to track any and everything with regular maintenance requirements.

So what is new?

• shoulder is getting stronger, so fitness is improving on Strava - 40 in Dec to 65 this weekend
• weather has been wet, rides muddy and lots of hose-action
• full mudhuggers on the Meta = rain bike. Back on the 140mm non-boost Pike with Ernst wheel up front. Needs a better front tire, rebuilding the wheel on that Pink Chris King is in the cards.
• Peak Bike has a silly sticker. I'll get a picture posted. Its been a good psych experiment to see who notices (DS) and who is clueless to the bad-branding (GN, JC)
• Goals?
• Boggs
• afraid of racing otherwise
• Sea Otter - 25miles to 50 and 50 was moved to 70+ - JC is fired up
• Wente - represents the start of my Spiral last summer. Missing it anyway due to BHS graduation
• 
  

Hacking the Newest Ride of the Fleet - Wahoo Kickr V1 2014

 Craiglist got me again. Picked up a Wahoo Kickr V1 2014 after borrowing TO's V4 - there is a bigger difference than 3 between these models, namely Wahoo wants nothing to do with the V1 apparently.

I have been spending a lot of time not on a real bike, in Zwiftland, getting soft and fighting depression. Healing I guess, missing yet another big chunk of my life as if was Covid2.

Check before the CL purchase, Todd. This happened with the Faraday too, I tend to jump at pretty, though dead, technology.

The V1 "works" but way undereports power. Wahoo let me know the firmware won't be updated by them at least, then confirmed hardware is broken if the speed is not reporting

After way to much obsessing and searching and even joining Reddit and Discord to find info, I got out the tools to find the PCB board. It turns out there are 2 - the power controller one is opposite the heavy flywheel, the "brains" were hiding all along up near the optical sensor near the top axle.

A video on YouTube is here that gets one to the boards fast: Wahoo Kickr V1 PCB Board Location, Removal and Survey

Some stills are below, and I will start inventorying the chips and parts.

I am thinking it would be most interesting to use an Arduino or Raspberry Pi to replace the "brain", maybe skip the optical board altogether.

Oh Canada...Best Day Ever Until It Wasn't

 (exerpt from email nearly 3 weeks after impact)

No, though I did think I might have broken a finger or 2 at the time on your tree (same

day/ride!)

ON that ride I later fell into a poison oak bush. Rushed home to get family to airport (w.o. me,

I had Canada plan) with too light a cleaning.

Then I went to Whister Saturday, epic ride up n down "Dark Crystal" in the evening. Hairball but superhero traction on granite.

Next day, Whistler bike park - more epic, and on the last run down (yes, I tried not to admit it), I turned RIGHT into

"In Deep" double black tech, to avoid more air time on Blue Velvet, and went down at the base of the first granite drop, 

pelvis (really hurt) and shoulder.

15 seconds into https://youtu.be/uq9Ts8GslXM (video one week before I was there - white rock in the middle = my pelvis).

GoPro really flattens, my front hit and bike got loose, fell left, bike right of the rock below)

After lots of cursing, got back up and walked/rode down, but noticed by left shoulder was not holding my weight 

(apparently dislocating itself on braking bumps). Got to mid-mountain via Blue Velvet (1 armed, weeping), to be 

told likely rotator cuff and or joint damage. Truck ride down into the village, and I went to do XRays. 

No broken bones, but told I have arthritis appropriate for my age.

Next day and following before flying home, legs swoll up. Remember that poison oak bush? July 5, urgent care

sends me to ER to check for blood clots in my legs given the swelling. No clots, but super-over-raction

to Poison Oak. Prednisone for 10 days, legs back to normal size, bad sleep and dead skin like a sunburn.

Meanwhile more Cal Sports (this time Dr Epply), Ultrasound, MRI and Xray and finally the suggestion 

for surgery within the next 6 weeks.

I am able to move it/no sling, and am shopping for a shoulder PT for my Blue Shield PPO (some live

sessions req'd vs zoom)

Did I mention I passed a Kidney stone too? Hehe, its been a Cruel Summer.

Ride safe, clean up that poison oak - hiking n maybe some running for me. Cheap bikes in XL if you are in need.

-Todd

Stacks of Maintenance

 This week:

- new TRP Slate 4 brakepads for the Yeti, arrived in time for Wente so we went to Wente

- the Zombie E-Bike Faraday stopped assisting. Lights were fine, but I tore it all apart. THEN I read the troubleshooting manual online; pressing the controller button for 3 seconds then waiting 5 minutes did the trick. While putting it all together again I cleaned up the wiring, bundling the ugly wirenuts in the frame portal

- flat tire on the Solo Velo - staple in the rear required some plier action, and a patch for the tube. Bike got called out as way stylish on my commute compared to the electric Zombie usual. I felt better riding it to, like I was Alleycatting with Simpson ;)

- new batch of TRP Hylex pads from Amazon for Old Blue, the Raleigh CX rig. Installation was a pain requiring a “burp” at the lever to loosen the pistons

Scout 290 Long Term Review

 Yo, little TF in NY, do consider the Nukeproof Scout290, I can cut you a deal:

Wente 2023: Relay Fitness on a Solo Ride != Good Results

I really fried myself at Wente 2023. 

Went out a bit hard, had a lovely 3 laps chasing Ian, worked on the 4th and cramped out on the 5th. Like, really cramped, in ways I never have before. Completely conscious, just my legs bucked, hamstring and quads all at once. 

I was able to stand, and stand on the pedals to control the bike properly, just pushing a bit was too much.

I could walk to, so I did a bit, and got passed by a bunch of riders, including the mighty Phorest, who said he was cramping too. BUT afterwards he said he RODE THROUGH IT, by standing on the pedals!

Oh well, preparation matters. 5 laps was still 45 miles, so 10 would have been 90, so this really requires preparation and a plan - not something Wente's awesome course encourages. I need relay buddies next year.

Camping with Z was fun too. 

Using the Tesla and having Elon pay for the miles was good too.

And the Yeti cleaned up nicely...