I bought and Sunnyside installed a Raceface Turbine dropper post. I pedaled around the shop working the dropper which dropped w/ ease. However, the return was rocket launch fast. Mike dropped the air pressure from 30 to the recommended low end of 20psi. Air pressure raises the post. At 20 the return was still sporty. Maybe the return would slow down. I headed out on my ride from where I camp right on Catch and Release. Today ride is to ride C&R, COD working my way to Marvin’s gardens over to the Phils TH then catch Bens up to PineDrop climbing to top of Storm King down to C&R to van. Still enjoying flats. As my ride pedaled along I noticed that the return speed was slackening. Back at the van I worked the dropper w/o me on it. Return speed was almost glacial. WTF? From screamer to sleeper in 1 ride. Air pressure valve is under the saddle. I inserted the correct Allen and turned in the correct direction(lefty loosey) but the bolt won’t budge. Dismayed I returned to Sunnyside w/ my problem. Mike worked the install over finding it in accord. He called tech support that sent him to a web site. He pulled the post apart and discovered that the assembly step to apply grease to a seal was not performed. He greased the seal then put it back together. Speed returned. The return speed is a rocket launcher aimed right at my damaged nuts. It depends upon how high I stand as to whether I experience pleasure of a returned seat or pain from my nuts blocking the return. Today I rode the speedy fix learning how high to be before I push in the release lever.
So today’s ride was with Woody and Joe. Woody drove up to Skyliner TH where Joe met us having been dropped off by his wife. Our ride was Tumalo Creek to the Falls then climb up the North Fork of Tumalo creek to Happy Valley turning on a short section of the Metolius Windigo scenic trail to Mrazek ridge down to Farewell down to the creek than the gravel road back to the truck. Free flowing clean clear water.
Joe rides a Turner 5 Spot like I used to ride. One time we all stopped and parked our bikes. As I returned to them I almost grabbed the Spot. No red and green grips threw me off. I pedaled the entire climb staying right behind. This trail was in tree cover and was not dusty. Dust returned after we left Happy Valley. Just 2 riders in front of me still put up enough vision blocking dust. Farewell dumped us onto the creek road that we coasted for the most part back to the TH. Joe and I stayed almost neck and neck. At one point there was a short drop that we arrived together at the top. Gravity pulled me away form him. Woody rides a 29ner which seemed to put him in the back seat.
Yesterday I rode from where I sleep right off Catch and Release trail right near a gravel pit. I have had the same spot all but 1 night,Other campers choose spots further down the road. All by myself. This morning at 4AM I heard log trucks heading down to the landing. Low humidity shuts the woods down by early after noon. Back to the ride which started on C & R to the Visitors center picking up COD thru the logged off forest finding marvins Garden to Phils TH then up Bens to PineDrop climbing to top of Storm King down to C & R back to van. The garmin edge 800 recorded 23.66 miles climbing 2070 in 2 hrs 38 mins. I have long suspected the GPS accuracy. Today I recorded ride data with a wheel computer that had been calibrated to my wheel size. The wheel recorded 25.7 miles in 2 hrs 46 mins. 2 Miles difference w/ almost the same time. I will continue to gather data. I encountered so few bikers or hikers that I don’t count or remember. Hot dust trails. I stretched, ate a bit, then headed into town to deal w/ dropper post as mentioned above.
Wed was another PT session. Peter corrected several exercises. I’m on my own. Muscles do fire when he blocks my shoulder then asks me to move my arm.
Wed eve I met up w/ COTA volunteers to do trail work Woody was the Man. We drove up then back into the forest on logging roads to the piece of trail we are to brush out. Snowbrush was attacked w/ out mercy, manzanita just got a trim. Sure has better sight lines. back to town and a shower at Anytime and a late dinner at 10 Barrel.
Thursday after my ride I stopped at Snap for a shower. I wanded my card at the reader which acknowledged the card but wouldn’t slide the lock. Huh? Woman from Sedona Snap had called me telling me that they were not part of Silver Sneakers hence my card was gaining access to their site that they weren’t being paid for. She must have canceled my card. The Bend Snap fixed me w/ a new card.
Tuesday was another ride w/ Woody and JoJo and their friend Addy. Woody drove us up to Wanoga. He linked trail pieces to drop us down to the Deschutes River trail back to their condo at 7th Mountain. Short whitewater rapids float:
Woody and JoJo
Last night after being laid down for about 90 mins I awoke w/ horrific cramp in my left thigh. I struggle to slide out of bed trying to keep the right leg calm. It went off also. Excruciating pain so much that I broke out in copious pain sweat the first since when i lacerated my left kidney, the cramp pain was on same kidney pain level. My legs still hurt today.
More later about my seat base stripped allen bolt head. JoJo and Woody invited me to their place for dinner. Need to be moving in that direction.
Good riding with you Craig. Heard there was a ‘science experiment’ with Woody on the trails re: velocity, speed and launching distance when dropper seat posts return back up. Sorry, I reacted a bit dazed and perplexed when you asked me about it. I suppose us women don’t have such sensitive parts to worry about down there. Hope our BendOR trails will cross again or maybe somewhere out there!
Awesome!
Glad to see and read about your trail bits. Its sad whats happening in the forests around Flagstaff. Logging roads going in, orange paint on trees to last for years. Questionable tackieness by the USFS. There is no reasoning with the industrial logging.
Anyways, regarding Sativa or Indica, I find when I get out and ride or walk, the amount is important. 1-2 inhales is plenty. Over that amount makes me sleepy and a bit off balance. I usually start my outside day by getting my heart rate and breathing up without weed. Climb for an hour or so. Then at the top of the hill or whatever, a safety break. Get into the awe of things, start the ride again, in and out of flow. Play with the terrain, expand the eyes and ears beyond the immediate trail. Go wide and deep as best I can. Stop, rest, and repeat. Listen to how the body is responding. Pain, cramps whatever. Manage it for the long term, you know what I mean? You are doing that, you are awesome, doing things very few people ever get to do! Inspiration!!
Tomas, the orange paint is so the FS can monitor whether or not the contractor cut the right tree. Holding the loggers accountable is a good thing, no?
Joe and Tomas there exists a code for paint colors. I worked one summer for the FS on a timber presale crew. Back then we used blue or yellow paint. Blue meant cut and yellow was leave, never were the 2 colors used in the same unit. A stripe at DBH (diameter breast height) gave visibility to staus of tree. A blast was sprayed at the butt. For a blue paint cut blue said cut, the logger would see the dbh line. Sale admin would survey the cut unit. A stump had to have a blue blob or the tree was cut illegally and I suppose there was a penalty. Likewise for the yellow leave trees: if a stump had a yellow blob it was cut illegally. I was not able to make sense of the paint markings at Bend. It is a federal crime to tamper with paint markings. The paint will fade in a few years.