Thursday was the last nice day. Danny and I rode a loop from his house over to Special Ed bouncing down and over basalt boulders bordered by prickly pear which makes for a sharply focused effort. There are 2 uphill switch backs that I am seeking to master, just so close maybe 1/2 a pedal stroke. Route home is mostly uphill to Sketch. The social trail snaked between 2 boulders. Danny kissed the downhill one w/ his fork leg that stopped him and then pitched him over the edge. Spectacular slow speed fall. He ended up about 15 downhill. He was clutching his left shin hollering for a first aid kit. I snaked down to him. He had smashed into a sharp edge of a rock and laid his shin open in 2 places. My first aid kit saved the day again. He also had several other cuts. Nasty. He sucked it up allowing us to ride back.
Wed. I installed my PUSH rebuilt Monarch shock then rode it out from Bike and Bean. The shock really enhanced my ride. I ran into Wally who is a rider 70 yo. Last year he fell that really banged him up, his arm required surgery repair. He is still recovering not riding. Danny escaped a similar fate. The falls here can be terrifying, actually it is what happens after you come off the bike to when you finally come to rest. And the injury pain sets in.
Thurs ride finished @ Danny’s for a beer and shower. I drove over to Picasso for dinner. In the parking lot I saw a mtn bike on the top of a SUV. Closer exam revealed a Turner Sultan. And the plates are from WA. I walked in and looked for a seat @ the bar. I noticed a guy sitting by himself. His look was a possible match to the rig outside. I asked if he was from WA. He said Yes and that we had met some time ago @ the upper JEM TH in Hurricane. I remembered him. He had parked his car 90 degrees to the normal parking that he said allowed him to heat his solar shower that was on the dash board. He told me that he takes a solar shower after every ride including after today’s ride. We chatted thru my dinner.
The forecast was calling for snow and cold temps until this coming Tues. Fri was the last possible day to ride before the bad weather. Except that wind was blowing dust into the air. I am a mouth breather and I would inhale a chunk of the red rock desert. As I was readying my bike I discovered that my rear tire was soft. I pumped it up to normal 25 psi and looked for leaking Stans sealant. I didn’t see any. Critical mass occurred @ BnB as 3 of us rode off. I made 3/4 mile before I checked my rear tire. It was soft. Joey poured in a shot of Stans and CO2 filled the tire. Before I could get back on the tire was soft again. I bailed cautiously riding on the soft tire back to the shop. The leak source was caused by a bead burp from Thurs ride. I remember hearing a pop after my tire hit a rock which must have been the culprit. There are maybe 5 thorns embedded in the tire that the Stans has sealed. Today my tire is still holding air.
Fri weather was sunny and high wind w/ snow forecasted over night. I parked out @ Beaverhead. Today when I looked out from under the covers I saw snow outside. Forecast called for more snow showers and wind. Just a shitty riding day. Today was another hang day.
My shoulder is hurting. I have PT exercises to do every other day that I follow. Only muscle pain, no impingement. Danny has a magnet shoulder harness that he loaned me that I have worn several times which seemed to temporarily reduced the pain. Today I applied the castor oil plaster which seemed to reduce the pain the most. 30 mins under a hot water bottle w/ the oil slipping down my back. No nausea.
Fri Dave and Rebecca from Green Bay, WI arrived in town. I met them @ the laundromat. Great catching up w/ them. They are camped @ Dead Horse SP in Cottonwood and will move to Sedona Tuesday. On their road trip they learned that their small Canasta trailer was too small for them and their 2 big dogs. They bought a larger trailer. People that live on the road for greater than a 2 week vacation have a lot in common as a lifestyle that people who only day trip don’t get it.
Gonzaga is ranked 7th. This week several teams above them lost to unranked teams which should be reflected in the polls next week moving their ranking higher.
Check out my dual crank position:
Sunday’s forecast doesn’t bode well for riding conditions.