Sort of relative. Weather forecasts and then there is what is going on outside. I check the Sedona weather forecast several times a day, for me now concern is precip for a firm desert track. Blinders are not on, I am only affected by local conditions. Presently there is a cold and snowy weather event for the SW from here. Texas with almost zero temps and freezing rain. Even Arkansas is affected. Rolling black outs. How to recharge electric cars? The joy of living my lifestyle is I can be where I want to be. I am not there and won’t be until the weather improves, if I even got here. Like last summer when I was in Oregon until forest fire smoke blotted out the sun and irritated my lungs: I fled to where air quality was breathable.
Weather event here in possible snow showers then warming up. parked at cultural park in anticipation of return of favorable weather. Presently snow showers.
Been riding down at VOC over the weekend to stay out of long weekend tourist crowds. Except Sat I rode on the S side of 89A: SSS: Old Post, Skywalker, Scorpion, Ramshead, Ridge, Sketch, Ridge etc back to recycling center. Right at the start a group of riders pedaled ahead of me. Thought I might have recognized some of them which shortly I did: bike club riders. Peer ages, and they were faster than me. Reality is a fact: I am slow. And am less skilled. I followed them out to start of Scorpion where they regrouped and visited. I chose to keep on riding. They never passed me on Scorpion but they might not have gone that way. They would have been faster. I just ride what I can and the speed my body will give me. Dunno what their heart rates are but I do: I force my body into anaerobic state for many minutes during a ride. I don’t do sprints, I just chug along.
3 rides ago I checked my saddle height by propping myself upright then rotating crank arm down to vertical down and put my heel on the pedal. I noticed that I needed to rock my pelvis to make my heel rest on the pedal. Way too high. Somewhere along the way I kept raising the saddle to eliminate knee pain at the front of me my knee. Solution was to raise seat. Over time knee pain went away but I had no pedal power. I dropped the saddle maybe 1/2 ” which prevents rocking pelvis, seems my knees do not straighten and I do have power. Seems also my calves are not so beat which was caused by full extension of my legs.
Yesterday I rode out Llama to Little Horse junction. I carry my camera in the left side pocket of my pack. During my ride I frequently touch that pocket for the camera. Yesterday at that intersection I felt an empty pocket. Shit, too much distance between checks. Nobody followed me. I turned around and rerode the trail. And kept pedaling, no camera. Possible it was hidden by vegetation. Well, you find what you are looking for at the last place you look. As such, there was the camera lying smack on the trail right below a drop that shook the camera free. I put the camera back in the pocket where I learned finally that if I position it this way it is trapped and should not fall out. I carry the camera where I do as I can get to it with less effort to take pics. Lack of attention to details. The LED screen is shattered but I can still see around the damage. Carried camera lodged into the pocket today, never a budge, good stash.
Snow flurry clouds moved on.
I lingered inside the warm van letting solar gain. It was somewhere around 11 that I finally pedaled away from cultural park. Stirrup starts off downhill over patches of embeded bedrock chunks. Hand built. Today i turned onto saddle up which is longer and rated blue than Stirrup. Made junction with Girdner where the 2 and only riders I would encounter stopped briefly for me to tell some joke. I pedaled for 2 hr 16 mins for 16.5 miles. I was essentially all alone. Took Girdner to junction with Anaconda that climbs over a knoll that Snake goes around. Descend Anaconda turn onto OK for a ways until the secret handshake social trail takes off that I rode till it joined Aerie right at the shallow descending grade with small turning berms on firm dirt. A hoot before the grinding climb up traversing some big knob. Descend Aerie playing with all the small trails tech features. Bike is sure dependable and capable. Question: skill or courage? Skill means accumulation of knowledge of how you and your bike are able to negotiate this feature. Courage can be what is needed to make a feature that I have the skill to make but won’t attempt. Courage with less skill can be just going for it, maybe you make it and maybe you learned how to make it. I pick and chose pushing my limits as I gain confidence. The lowered saddle puts more power on the pedals and lowers COG. Noticeable. Legs and body are much happier post ride.
Several days ago I made electric fudge and I am still learning dosage. Tonight it was maybe 3 tbsps back at 5:30, it is now 8:54. Appears that i am affected and afflicted.
Pedaled out of Dry Creek on Axis, I like this climb better than Outer Limits and above Girdner. 2 miles.
Checked that trailer out: no license plate.