Realization per my values hit home  during today’s ride. I have put up with numerous times of other riders’ self empowerment in not practicing lifestyle etiquette and concern for others getting only something for themselves. Today I learned more lack of concern for other riders.

Starting writing with a rant. Harshing a good ride that turned broken.

Life was good starting with wake up and breakfast. Today was earlybird to OTE to have my rear brake bled. Rolled out of here arriving at their curb side shortly after opening. I wheeled my bike in thru the shop door which is not wide enough for modern wide handlebar. After I softened up the wrenches establishing critical rapport Dan, a Formula brake expert, took my bike from me and placed it on a stand. In a short while he had released the entrapped air in the brake system then went further to correct brake settings. Rear brake has some bite to it now. Provisioned for a ride out at Kokopeli then back out to rd S. I put 5 gals of water in the tank, I seem to use maybe 2.5 gals per day. Water pump likes tank above empty.  Drove out to Kokopeli TH which was not plugged. Plan was to ride Wrangler climbing the face then riding Steve’s CCW returning on Mary’s. The climb was a hump pushing me to several blow stops. Windy full exposure buffeting line altering ride. Beautiful warm day. Today I ran into the most riders on this trail, all were well mannered as was I. Peter told me to ride Steve’s CCW which I did.

Steve’s hangs on to side hill going away. I rode against the grain encountering riders. Pushed up the exit ramp up to Marys for the return.

I believe that I am a light rider not subjecting my bike to violence. Riding Mary’s today I committed an act that I am unable to recreate. The result was a jarring landing and a Stans emptying tire puncture. What I went ove should not have caused this tire flating. I stopped immediately watching Stans gush out of the tire. I recalled Stans advice which was to spin the tire which would spin Stans to the tread to seal the hole. I spun to no avail, seems the hole or plural were too big to seal. What to do? I attached my hand pump to the valve stem and pumped and pumped never stopping the leaking. Seemed that I blew the tire bead away from  the rim. Recovery plan implemented: Pull out slimed tube from my pack and install. I was able to break the bead and saw plenty of Stans. I installed the tube then pumped up. The inflating tube pushed out the stans in a spray that wetted the rotor which prolly would contaminate the new pads. Tube seemed to be holding air, I planned on riding out gently. Decided spraying Stans was not good for the brake rotor so I tried to break the bead to remove the tube and drain Stans. My hands are not strong enough to break the bead. I needed help. I walked onto the trail just as 2 riders were approaching. Lead guy asked if I needed help. Yes, I asked him to break the bead which he did lickity split. I thanked him. He did what riders should do in helping those in need, or at least asking how they were. By now the tire was empty. I rebeaded the tire then pumped the tube up. I was able to bead the tire. Good to go. Except the tube didn’t hold air. I had run my hand around the inside of the tire before putting in the tube, I removed a big thorn and a piece of rock at the previous tire puncture. The tube would not hold air. Plan C was to walk me and my bike out popular Marys. Plan D was a rider would offer to help and had a 27.5 tube. I walked against traffic, never a rider passing me. When mountain biking became a sport as about half of the riders going by offered help as I am walking my bike the others made no recognition of my distress, sport riders. I walked the entire way out including the dirt road climb to the main TH. I pushed my bike up that hill in view of several riders at their rigs who could have offered me a ride. I label those who passed without offering help as Sport riders.

Any way I walked for days back to my van. Edge does not gather data at walking speed.

Storm clouds blowing in. No time to dally. I put the bike on the rack then drove out to anchor spot. I put the cover over the bike. Fixed late dinner. Winds have picked up and I seem to broadside to them as the van rocks.

I listen to a group of riders telling about conditions on the Plunge which are not favorable to riding from recent snow and beat up trail down low.

Showers possible tonight. Put on new tire then ride.

Film was shown Friday night at 10 Barrel. I contacted Freehub to ask about response, He said 10 Barrel loved it. release date to public is Nov 9.

My body is worked from the walking and pushing my bike with a flat rear tire.

MTX brake pads perform much better than the Formula semi metallic but wear out quicker. I know as I keep a spread sheet recording rides distance and parts replacement and maintenance. The spread sheet knows. I did buy 2 more pairs to arrive via USPS here in Fruita.

Dry trails come from waiting.  Friday I drove out to Kokopeli main TH then walked the parking lot to find a rider who had come back from their ride to learn trail conditions. No such happening in spite of an almost packed parking. I will learn myself. Seemed good to go as temp was well above freezing and the sun was shining brightly. Geared up, wearing new heart rate monitor to satisfy my need for acquiring ride data. I rode out Marys then returned on Wrangler. Not a big ride but a big effort. Trails in the desert seem to more technical. Going in this direction made the climb up on Wranglers mostly old double track making the descent down the switchbacks back home.

Above is where I will ride next.

Today I rode some of the previous stuff I walked, one was a tight switchback to the right with a slight outsloped landing. My performance has improved. 11.8 miles climbing 991′. Recovery advisor on the Edge was 45 hours, I adjusted the heart rate values for the next ride which should drive down the recovery time. I drove back to anchor spot N of Loma. Exit from the TH is on a bit of gravel road until the hard road at the interstate ramp, I cross over the interstate on a state highway then remain straight for a bunch of miles  then turn right on S road, a gravel BLM road, for almost a mile to the anchor spot.

Squalls rolled in and out

I made Sat a rest day. A City Market is the only grocery in Fruita, I had needs better than selections here. No reggiano P cheese or aged Gouda, nor Happy Camper Bread. I did score the cheeses at the new big City Market in W. Junction, struck out at every store for Happy Camper bread. Hung around Fruita till early Sedona salad at Hot Tomato, 5 PM crowd was over the top. Nice evening as I sat outside shoveling greens into my maw.

Sat I day hiked out at McInnis canyon, packed TH parking. I mixed trail selections from hard packed to almost scrambling. Beautiful fall day.

Discovered a small independent book store in Fruita that I checked out. Upstairs of an older decorative building, wainscoting woodwork. Will buy my next book there.

Back out to Loma spot before dark. Heater ran most of the night.

Today, Sunday, I tackled Hawkeye up, Mack Ridge down Lyons around, Mack Ridge back side climb then return down on Hawkeye. Out at Mack interchange off I 70. I figured because the start spot was further away from popular Kokopeli TH. It was so. Climb up Hawkeye took 30 mins, trail does have several short downhills and flat spots but mostly all in preparation to best the ridge top above. I still walk features as I do not have the engine to make the climbs. I encountered maybe 5 riders. Then all hands on deck descent of Mack ridge. I have gotten better at just steering over the chunder and allow the bike to roll over whatever. Confidence to let go. Bike behaves well, it inspired confidence on its 2nd tech ride. Mack ridge ends at a TH that is accessed via a short nasty gravel road. I am amazed at the rigs parked here to get right at the trail start. Turn right and descend Marys till intersection with Lyons per above pic. Lyons is a hump. There were many  rolled onto the trail rocks from maybe last rain event. I stopped and kicked them off. Then the jeep road climb up to Mack Ridge.

Descent down Hawkeye took 21 mins, 9 mins faster than the climb., Weren’t no cake walk down.

I stopped for a break at the intersection of Lyons and the road climb up Mack ridge. I found a Park chain breaker still with a chain side link attached. Trailside litter, I picked it up. back at the TH I used attempting to give the tool to riders at the TH. Nobody wanted a Park chain breaker. Suspect most everybody has their chain breaker same tool as I have. I ended up screwing it onto a sign for someone else who needs it. My multi tool has a breaker which works but not as well as the Park but it is lighter. Some rider paid a weight penalty carrying a shop tool.

Nice day. Temp warmed to shorts and sandals that I put away. Daytime temps make night time clothing too warm. Need 2 sets of clothes to match the temps.

Discussion at Mack TH among 3 riders was newer riders lack manners which harshes our buzz. If a rider is lacking tech skills and or conditioning they can be tolerated if they have good manners. There are just too many uneducated riders on the trails. I normally give my uphill rights away to a descending rider as I do not trust them to yield to me. During my first ride on for me a climb on Marys and a descent for riders coming towards me I attempted to take uphill right of way against some squirrelly riders descending. I did not get my line. Stay away from popular trails on weekends. Conversation went to learning of free camping spots. Guys said a web site they use showed the Loma spot. I never give away spots where I stay as I hope they will be vacant when I want to stay there.

I installed new brake pads in rear brake. MTX pads are super but they don’t last as many miles as noisy semi metallic Formula pads. Determined that said brake needs to be bled. Tomorrow morning I will drive back to OTE for bleeding then ride afterwards.

 

Cold wet conditions hit wood River Valley Sunday night into Monday as was forecasted. Same conditions covered places I could have ridden on my way to Fruita where I arrived yesterday.

First stop was Twin Falls to visit Epic shop that bled my brake last spring. I just wanted to visit, no service. The store is in the process of putting away the bikes and bringing on skis. I drove out to Indian Springs main TH for the night. Dirt was too wet to ride. Windy and heater running cold.

Tuesday I continued south stopping at Ogden, UT at a Suunto service shop to drop off my dead Core. Whatever the mapping location function is on my phone gave me directions to a nondescript warehouse building, not even a name over a door. I saw a guy outside and I asked him directions, he said I had arrived then he went inside to contact the person I needed to speak with who emerged later. Josh, I explained what I was after and he went me even better. I was hoping the Core could be repaired and for how much as I wanted to keep the red bezel. I hedged my situation by ordering a replacement (non red) from REI to be shipped to their store in Grand Junction. Josh checked my Core then reported on condition. He offered me a returned Core with a red bezel without a mother board. He checked the health of mine which was solid. He transferred the mother board from mine to the new externals Core at no charge. I now have a new cover over an aged heart. He was sympathetic to my lifestyle as he dabbles in same. I contacted Suunto for operating instructions for the Vector model I switched to as back up. Operating is different between the models that I would have to learn while I was waiting for plan B. I escaped learning new steps. Oh, but first I needed to find a watch repair store to install a new battery in the Vector, another watch and the heart rate monitor in Twin. New batteries in, Vector on my wrist. Oh, I looked at a pic of me in the 2013 Freehub article and saw that red bezel Core making it at least 8 years old.

I drove down I15 thru SLC etc being buffeted by high winds, van is a big sail. I traveled mid afternoon staying ahead of rush hour which would have bee hideous with insane drivers using me as a pylon. It’s a distance from SLC to Fruita, too long to make if before dark. I spent the night at a spot I found prolly on my first Sprinter trip to Moab. Chilly night. Drove over Soldier Summit in falling but not sticking snow. Cold night.

Wed I finished my drive to Fruita, more interstate driving at 65 mph which is below the posted 80 mph. Nice day. Rolled into Over the Edge for greetings. Sedona salad at Hot Tomato then out to BLM spot. rain fell during the night into wake up time. Anchor spot is on a patch of driven down dirt, native earth is clay based that becomes slippery mud which made for a straight scoot back out onto the hard gravel road.

Two days ago my sink water pump quit meaning I could not get at the water in the tank. Work around  was poured water from my reserve 1 gallon jug. Darn, I am facilitated for pumped sink water and this pump failure I was not used to working with. I called an RV parts store in Junction that I used prior, they had the pump. Yesterday I drove to Junction and purchased the replacement, $152, ouch. I figured I might need hardware parts so I parked at a hardware store here in Fruita then tore into the R & R. Wires had to be cut then reconnected to new pump. That went OK as the pump got power. I connected the hoses then switched the pump on. It pulled water from the tank and pressurized the system then blew off off the outgoing hose as I had not tightened the hose clamp. I wore my wetted pants to dry. Hose clamp tightened, good to go. The prior pump lost its syphon, I checked over my plumbing and discovered air entrainment hence water loss coming from the intake. Ah, a short walk to the hardware store and $2.40 for a small hose clamp I attached to the uptake hose and viola, new pump holds the syphon, had I checked out the old pump I would have seen the condition and the hose clamp install would have saved me that $150.

Today, being Thurs, was  laundry day at only laundromat in Fruita. I have used this one over the years. This AM I put on my Core to discover that the band was broken from the get go, Josh missed that. I went on line to shop for a replacement. I picked one to be shipped here, not original. I kept the previous broken Core for why?. I checked the bands between the 2 and they matched. I just had to remove the tiny pin holding the band on, I had the screw driver bits but needed a second hand to hold one of them. I enlisted Rachael at OTE. I met her in Sedona several years ago. Successful replacement now waiting for ordered replacement and will repeat the process.

Last night I researched my next oil change. I found the shop order then did the math for mileage. The shop order listed a bunch of items that needed replaced on the van that the Bend shop did not cover with me. front end stuff: tie rods, bearings, ball joints. I made an appointment for next Wed to start the replacement of worn parts.

Trails were too muddy to ride today, another rest day. Forecast is for no precip and warming. Tomorrow should be good to go. I hung only 2 liners to dry which meant I only rode 2 items since last laundry. resting.

Freehub says our film will be released Nov 9 thru their site. Dunno how that works. Tomorrow it will be shown in Bend at 10 Barrel.

I will remain in Fruita area for a while. Next Sat I have a shuttle to ride the Palisade Plunge, Van repair will determine when I leave.