I have spent more than my former mortgage payment to put stuff on my bike. At least I don’t need to mow the grass or patch a leaky roof. I bought the Industry wheels as I noticed a marked improvement in handling on the first ride and I continue to gain confidence in their capability. I noticed first off that the tires had a wider profile that puts more tread on the ground. Next is the stiffness of the wheel allowing me to put the front wheel more where I want to, I am able to steer the front wheel. The rear wheel is also wider and stiffer meaning they resist sideways deflection. The rear hub has 3 degrees of engagement which is really great. The bike seems to jet forward when winding up my speed. Worth the pro deal price not the full retail of $1,100. Next I replaced my sort of 2X9 drive train w/ a real 2X10. My former drive train was a 3X9 minus the big chain ring that was replaced by a bash guard. The new X0 grip shifter lacks a view window that displayed the gear I was in. Gonna miss that feature as I liked to know what gears I had available. The 2X10 offers me 1 gear lower and 1 higher. So, new derailleur, shifter, cassette, chain, & bash guard. The icing is a way wider carbon handlebar, I am now at 785mm is 30.9″ width. Pretty spiffy. I rode around in the parking lot digging what my bike has become. I took a rest day today recovering from 2 rides yesterday and a threatening thunderstorm was announcing its presence. Tomorrow will be the test. Going from a 28″ bar to a wider bar will require resetting my proprioceptive sense I lack whiskers long enough to provide feedback.
Yesterday rain did not fall. I rode from the Bike Farm which is a little ways off the property line of DuPont State Forest. The first part was on a machine built trail leading from the farm up to a road which dropped 300′ vertical right now connecting to a road climb up to chosen 2nd trail into the forest. Just digging the ride. I wandered around in the northern reaches then rode back. 9.56 miles climbing 1405′. Great view site from top of Hickory mtn:
Nice trail construction:
I putzed around allowing time to move to the 6:00 ride lead by Cashion and Eva of the Bike Farm. About 20 riders joined in for the ride that used a multipurpose trail alongside Davidson river to the parking lot for Black Mtn. Big climb up an old wide double track then down the ST back to the bottom. Shrimper spent 70 hours of volunteer labor w/ his mini excavator to reclaim the unsustainable downhill. Nicely done. In essence the trail was a double track that was eroded. He moved the trail from side to side in the narrow confines which spills the h20. It still is a heads up ride, seat dropper wins again. This ride was 10.75 miles climbing 1834″. I was able to ride the entire climbs but again was way off the back. So we rode Lower Black then climbed back up part way to the cutover to Sycamore Cove then down. Rooty. We finished again at the deep spot on the river for a rinse off. Not as much mud this time. My clothes become sweat soaked in a short while, the river didn’t add any more.
Solar shower on the engine hood in the Hub parking lot. The rain dropped the temp a bit and blocked out the sun.
Mon night I enjoyed dinner and evening @ Todd and Heather’s. It was like picking up where we left off like it was just the day b4. I sharpened 2 of Heather’s knives. I am helping Sat @ their road bike race, they are taking me on a shuttle ride on Sunday and having me over for dinner again where I will finish sharpening the really dull knife.
I plan on leaving Monday, I haven’t planned which direction yet. South to Augusta and FATS and Bill and Liz or N to Boone and Warrior creek.
Tuesday I drove to S end of I Dupont to ride Cedar rock etc. I parked @ Corn Mill shoals TH. When I climbed to top of Cedar rock I heard voices, previously I was all by myself. 2 men. I said hello. They saw me then told me about water pouring from my van. HuH? The said said someone else told them about my leaking, they recognized me from a pic on the van. Shit. I was afraid that the water tank burst. I pedaled to the van, sure enough the exiting h20 created a divit. The pump was running pumping air. My h20 system is kinda a Rube Goldberg and a bitch to take apart. Roll up the sleeves. I drove back to The Farm where I could park under a shade tree to be the shade tree mechanic. I removed items to reveal that a fitting had failed, one that I over tightened w/ a water pump pliers that I broke when I messed w/ it all back in Sedona. The fitting held until then. Camping World is up near Asheville which is where I headed. They had the part. I drove back to The Hub to used a socket to remove 2 bolts. They weren’t metric and the bike shop and me only had metric tools. I drove over to Lowes to buy the socket. I made 3 trips thru customer returns until I settled on the 6″ adjustable wrench to remove said bolts. I removed and replaced and reattached the system and turned on the pump: success. Incredibly hot and humid that litterally drenched me as if I had just run 1/4 mile which was as far as was needed to get sweaty wet. I filled the solar shower and parked in the sun. My plan was for warm water and a shower about 9PM after the heat left the day out @ the Farm. It worked leaving me washed clean and not sweating.
The Farm is on Shoals Creek, there is a house by the creekside:
View up the creek:
Did my wash for 2nd week @ Tony’s where I washed before over the years.
Off to grocery store, Ingles, which is a wonderful grocery store then out to the Farm. You gotta drive these local roads that are so narrow there is nothing to the right after the white line.