I just finished by 2024 ride goal of 5200 miles today. 2 days of shed rain-
training and a Strada 7:30 today got me over the top
Its been a great fall of riding, especially compared to last years Whistler crash, shoulder surgery and healing. I just started riding again a year ago, in the rain, up in Boggs with the GN gang on my birthday weekend.
Aug 23-25 - Mendicino MTB Trails with KT. Camping, awakened by a bear in the rain, mazing trails on the Pseudo-Cruz, though the rear hub went bad
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| Old XT Axle transplanted into SLX Hub of Pseudo Cruz |
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| the patient was able to accept the new/old XT axle |
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| innards of a SLX 12 speed hub - the bearings poured out. 2500-3000 miles out of a $75 hub is not bad, really |
Sep 2 - Annadel - big work with KT and JC
Sep 8 - Return of the Tandem - BF and I got out the Fandango for the first time since our respective surgeries
Oct 11- Questa Grade/Ridge Trails outside of San Luis Obispo with GN, JC and DS. Pick n Shovel in particular was nice. Also spent time on M's very nice Yamaha in the whoops of Ballinger Canyon, and was left unable to walk for a week afterwards - again.
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| Questa Grade Trailhead, right off 101 crazy exit required |
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| Sunset at JC's Ranch |
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| On the climb back out after Pick n Shovel at Questa Grade/Ridge Park, San Luis Obispo |
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| "Merricks Baby" at Ballinger - good horse, did not throw me |
Oct 26 - Big Chief Trail up in Tahoe with the KT - I made a quick day Trip with JA and his Taco. Trails amazing and built with major love our of rock and duff. Huge pinecones.
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| Climbing to the top from the Sawtooth Trailhead, Truckee CA |
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| Lunch at the trailhead of OTB, Truckee/ Lake Tahoe 2024 |
Nov 17 - Coaching with Brian Astell on the Santa Cruz Trails ON MY BIRTHDAY. 6 of the KT crew tuned by a coach, then led by a coach into the big drops in the redwoods at sunset. Nuts. Got skills to work on - light hands on the bars, keep the shoulders forward over the steep stuff, give arms a range of motion in the drops - this last one might have been the cause of the aforementioned Whistler crash.
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| cake by smarty-pants M, cursing me!? |
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| Old Men Coaching Brian on Pizza n Beer |
SO many other rides and memories in between on the road early morning and Sundays in between, hills in the fog and so many lovely sunrises. Thanks to all.
Big bike work here too all along. A V3 Hightower framed popped up on Pinkbike, I bought it, moved over Santa Cremes parts and christened it Darth Santa. Amazing bike, pedaling improvement is impressive, super fast going downhill and I like the glove box. Sold Santa Creme frame for way too little but at least it sold - still sitting on the Intense. Intense the company keeps on releasing new stock for as much as I am trying to get for mine - might need to keep it for spare parts.
Swapped out the Franken-hub with a new XT, reusing spokes and nips if they were solid enough - took 4 hours!
Build out the 2x new/old Carbon rims - put one one Santa for the rear, and the other on the front of the Meta HT. After a Minion DHF blew off the rim due to 40+psi, got a new Minion installed today. New purple grips and pedals here, rim is on the 100mm Chris King in Pink. I debated long and hard about swapping the old rim out of Darth Santa but decided 4 hours was not worth it.
