2019 SMR 07

Wow, first Summit since January... that was a lot of foul weather we just got through... I like rain, but enough is enough.

Somewhere up above The Bump, I buggered up a front shift... no biggie but I don't do that.  Then I was getting a funny rub noise. Then a little ways later I put it in the big ring for a while, and then it wouldn't shift back down. I had to get off and put the chain manually on the little ring.  Then when we got to Junction I took a closer look - maybe my derailleur is bent?  I whacked the outer plate of the cage a couple times with a big wrench from the "bike repair" locker.  That seemed to do it, although not very satisfying.

Very quiet today, started off pretty cold and got pretty warm.  We only saw a few riders on the way up, but lots when we were going back down. 

And yup, my 7 year old tires are unravelling at the bead and the rubber is all cracky... I have some options though; probably won't have to buy something new for my backup wheels, so that's good.

JB says he's down to his high school weight of 136 lbs... twerp.

This guy had shorts with the cool logo of a heart inside a star... never seen that before.

This crack gets my vote for most urgent repair needed.  You either have to take this turn real wide, or go into the left lane.

2019 WNR 03

Good weather and saving daylight brought out lots of riders tonight.

I didn't change my punctured sew-up from Monday so I put on the old clincher wheels with Hugi hubs and Continental GP4-Season tires... which were looking a little tired (HA!), but not worn out.  (I just checked the blog post - bought those tires in March of 2012!!!)  I can probably justify some new rubber - the wet season is almost over though, so I'll keep my eyes open for a good bargain on something before next winter.

Diablo Shoutouts to regular riders Shawn and Justin from BC, and Dan and Steve from the 'hood.

l'Eroica Countdown:  24 days.

Extra Credit Junction

Blue sky!

Tried this ride with my Adidas Samba instead of the running shoes - worked OK, they're slick on the bottom so not as much friction in the pedals as I'd like, but they look more like an old timey cycling shoe.

I've been thinking I'd need to change my tubulars before l'Eroica California but I didn't want to toss the old ones out until they were completely shot - well today I had a puncture on the rear, so the timing worked out fine.  Maybe I'll keep the front one the same.  The Stans Sealant in the rear held enough pressure for me to ride about 10 minutes, repressurize, and ride another 10 minutes.  So it's probably worth putting it in my new tires too - so I can do a swap with my spare at a convenient location of my choosing, when necessary.  I think I'll put my bullet proof clinchers on for the next few weeks though just to not tempt fate.

I thought it would be cool to have a "grizzled veteran" selfie -
but like a newb I pointed the camera into the sun for a terrible shot. 

Nice place to pump up a soft tire.

2019 SMR 06

Yesterday afternoon, the weather forecast was for rain in the afternoon Saturday.

Last night it said rain at 8 o'clock.  This morning it said "rain in 45 minutes".

I psyched myself up for a wet ride, and I wasn't disappointed.

JB was a little late but I didn't know if he was coming at all, so I put the rock on the post and started up solo.  He didn't notice my rock until he decided to put his own rock up.  We both forgot to take the rock off on the way down.

Hardly anyone else up there today - I saw four other riders I think, and a couple cars.

While I was at Junction, JB rolled in and it was the first I knew he was coming - both of us decided quitting was a wise choice.

Another element of the l'Eroica-ready gear is that my running shoes get really soggy when wet.  I was comfortable except for my feet.

Otherwise I felt great - even considering I had a SPINAL TAP on Wednesday.  Just the normal aches and pains; minimal and unrelated.

Friday Night Preemptive Juniper

Looks like no ride on Saturday - went this afternoon.

Those shiny  toe clips I got just weren't going to work, so I put on some big plastic ones and they fit my running shoes much better.  My feet were happy.  L'Eroica lesson learned #1.

The friction mode on my down-tube shifters also doesn't work - I can shift just fine, but the derailleur creeps toward a higher gear.  So I figured out a way of parking the selector ring about half-way to friction and it's kind of a compromise but it stays put.  L'Eroica lesson learned #2.

And on my way down, where I bunny hop the dots next to the NG Kiosk, I thought I heard something fall off my bike, so I stopped to investigate and didn't find anything.  I checked my pedals and they were both fine, then I realized that somehow my saddle had rotated nose down.  I was able to straighten it out by hand so it must've been a loose screw underneath that I'd figure out later when I got home.  I've never had one of those things come loose though, so I hope nothing's wrong.  L'Eroica lesson learned #3.  ^Edit... sure enough... loose bolt.

And it was a beautiful ride.  Quiet, peaceful, majestic.  Thank you, Diablo.

Lots of these painter types out today.  I hope they paint some pictures OF Diablo as well as pictures FROM Diablo. 

Running shoes, toe clips, friction mode, tubulars, steel bike.  I am l'READY.

This guy shouted out like he knew me.  Strava Flyby says I don't think so.

2019 WNR 02

The weather report said it would stop raining by 2pm.  I believed them.  It didn't.

My bike though is now 100% set for l'Eroica - I put on my toe clip pedals from my commute bike and set the downtube shifters to friction mode.  I'll need to use different shoes though - my Adidas Sambas are just too thin and my feet were hurting.

Really quiet on The Mountain.  When I got to Junction a ranger there asked me how the ride was and I said it was great and I like weather like this (light rain, not too cold).  She said they don't like to say "quiet day" because that jinxes things and then they have some catastrophe.

I just don't think these tires are going to make it until l'Eroica.