The Tamo Alien Got Me Twice on the Emergency Mountain Bike Birthday Ride

Jason's Imminent birthday was revealed on Junior Friday, and we were riding Tamorancho the next morning (thank you kind bosses).

I rode Santa Creme, now featuring dual Minions with lots of knobs available. Tamo features a very tricky left-hand corner that leads to a steep and usually slippery rockface. Its been years since I got up and over this puzzle, today I felt good (compared to previous weekend) and gave the face a good push - not enough, I was left hanging, then falling backwards. A tearing and tugging on my shorts, the entire bottom tore out as I fell backwards and caught myself. I had the BBC diaper on so could continue, but I left the shorts with the Alien...so funny haha.

Pic by Dave

So we continued on, me with extra and appreciated ventilation - why are we wearing shorts? New HandsUp jersey there.

All the way around I repeated the effort, repeated the fail, front wheel rose but rather than catching myself on tearing shorts, there was nothing there, no footing even, over I went and I felt my head hit the rock through the helmet. Rung my bell, but I didn't pass out, I took my time checking overmyself and feeling for holes. I had my buds check my head, then I got up. Neck was a bit whiplashed, but I was well enough to ride around and out to Gastalt Haus.

The POC Tectal Spin Race did its job

No crash replacement policy so no *need* to stay with the POC. I found the helmet hot and really ugly in pictures before the crash, so I had my eye on the TLD A3 Mips. Colors all sucked for 2024 so I found a sweet Silver 2023 on Amazon. May it cradle my head like the POC "volvo".

Facing the Fitness

 Rough time on the bike today, a casual ride somehow going beyond race pace, my heart and cardio talents not showing up, falling behind. Like aging in general.

Hopefully just a bad day on the bike, riding with people on a fine or normal day, I really suffered, felt almost embarrassed. Underprepared, but its just a ride honest.

Blame it on Covid, maybe its long, blame it on July which has been bad and low mileage. I might be riding too much with my aging buddies who are naturally slowing down, might be time to bring up the effort a notch.

So use the lesson as motivation. Not done yet!

To YouTube or Not To YouTube, That is the Question...

AND now my boys are suggesting I work more on my YouTube channel - they are impressed with the number of hits and time my un-edited videos are doing. Or are they mocking me?

Truth is I barely like Blogging - I do this for reference on what I did more than writing for an audience. I find using a camera or phone as a camera tedious and distracting for the job at hand.

If I can find a way to automate a process whereby I can generate content and get it easily edited down it might work. Mounts for cameras, autocollect results to the disk, get videos out. Add links to products and further information. Maybe I can find a partner in this (looking at son without a job and a flash new computer...)

Santa Creme Gets A New Wheel, Tire, Cassette/Chainring/Chain Drivetrain, and Meta HT is Back Online!

The final piece - a blue alloy Raceface 30T "cinch" chainring appeared early in the mail on Friday. 

With a ride scheduled for Saturday, I got to work finishing the wheel - tape, valve stem, new 2.30 Minion DHF and sealant all came together quickly. My only mistake was putting the tire on backward (a requirement) but the do-over was quick. No need for the compressor, this tech is getting really good.

I re-used the 180mm Magura rear disk - its a big heavy steel Center Lock version that will outlast me, bolted up the new 10x51 CS7100 12sp cassette and the wheel was done. 

Removal of the Raceface Affect Crankarms was a pain - I had used Red Lock-tite aka the permanent stuff to keep the bolt from unwinding as it likes to do, so much leverage on the 6mm allen wrench was required. An even bigger pain was having to return to the office to get my big breaker 3/8 wrench and bottom bracket attachment so I could remove that 'cinch' bolt on the other side of the old chainring.

Drive to office, grab off desk, and return, off came the bolt. Keeping too many tools at office is a problem, I mean I had 2x of these there. Anyway.

Next step was adding the chain, and shortening it a bit to keep the chain tight enough to avoid sagging/touching the chainstay - It was lose before.

And there it is - shiny new wheel, fresh tire, clean cassette chain and chainring. I even fixed some of the bent pins on the Blue Raceface Chesters.

A pleasant side effect of adding a new rear-wheel to the Santa Creme is gaining an old carbon wheel with a Minion ready to go! I put the old 11 speed 11x46 cassette on, tightened up some bolts, and viola, the Meta HT is back!

Remove the big fender, wash down the winter mud now dust...

Its a bit of a hot rod now - fatty on the back, thin up front. It rides that way too.

Now this drives the next project - build the next light bicycle rim on a 15x100 Chris King or go 15x110 on something new and get a new fork? I paid to get the existing Pike rebuilt, but its not perfect. In theory I can space out a 15x100 to 15x110 but its not a great result either. Best to see how good this Chris King front hub really is - destroying the wheel might be a pitty all by itself.

Light Bicycle RM29C14 + SLX FH-7110-B 12sp Rear Build

 The spokes showed up quickly from Wheelbuilder.com, I skipped a ride and ended up building the wheel instead.

It came together quickly, though my fancy Park Wheel Dishing tool added some distraction.

I bought a valve stem from Wheelbuilder too, still need to add tape, new cassette has shipped and there is a new Minion on the bench looking for a home.

Plan is to replace the Shimano HG hubbed wheel on the Santa Creme, moving it to 11sp duty on the Meta HT. Then we consider rebuilding the 100mm front wheel on the Meta with its nice Chris King hub.

Trying to Use My Own Blog as a Reference for Bike Wheel Building Calcs

So Arg. Call it Covid blues. I finally got it, over 4 years since I last really updated the blog regularly!

Lets blame energy and motivation.

I managed to get another set of Light Bicycle RM29C14's, the big fatties, out of China. I had a 12sp SLX rear hub waiting. I swear I built this wheel before. Or failed to/11speed hub is still on the old Rm29C14.

I am going 12speed microspline SLX, having wasted a few XTs so far. SLX holds up, slightly different design..

Out come the calipers.

Lets use this site, where I referenced it in a photo, but not in a txt format. Todd!

http://prowheelbuilder.com/spokelengthcalculator

and the numbers:

Rim: Light Bicycle RM29C14

Rim ERD: 574mm

Hub, Rear: Shimano SLX 12sp  FH-M7110-B

Left/Brake side: 278mm

Right/Cassette side Spokes 276.4mm

AND a second opinion, since it looks like I will use DT Swiss Competition Race Double Butted Spokes w 12mm Silver Brass 

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.