Sunday I rode with Ian down to join Jimmy and Christine, Lee, and Elijah to ride a piece of the Black Canyon trail going north. Jimmy is former owner of Bike and Bean, Ian is part of that former gang, I met Lee her first ride here back years ago. We met at TH off AZ 69 near Mayer. Route was lollipop on BCT then side loop on S shoulder of Copper mtn. Weather was shorts warm, last nice day for near forecast future, get it today before Sedona trails receive more precip and freeze thaw mud. The tread on BCT is firm.

Trail is pedal ride, nothing to lift up the front wheel. 14.7 miles climbing 1476′. Elevation in low 4,xxx’.

Rode thru this patch of purple rocks. Share reason for color.

Jimmy rides a Revel Rascal, Christine, his wife, rides a Ranger, Craig, the friend, rides a Rail. 3 Revel riders.

Back at the TH we lingered in the more pleasant weather visiting. Jimmy and Christine are looking forward to traveling the country like I have been doing.

Super Bowl was played yesterday.

Today forecast called for snow after 11. I drove up to Sedona for PT, snow started falling at completion of treatment. Back with Eric, an avid mountain biker and other activities. I returned to VOC where snow had let up with none sticking. Forecast calls for well below freezing at night and not much above freezing during sunshine.

Group ride dynamics are different than just Doug and I riding together. Today we pretty much kept our heads down and pedaled. Doug and I pedal the same effort but seem to stop more frequently. But when I ride by myself I pretty much ride with maybe a short safety meeting break. In every ride our heart rates are well above a hike.  You are either a biker or a tourist, multi recreating sucks: your body follows your eyes.

ORBIC device for internet access to replace failed one had the incomplete ship to address because the agent didn’t include it as a result the carrier could not deliver. Almost an hour of customer service for them to contact carrier to correct address. Replacement arrived last night after I left town. This PM I took the device and computer to VOC verizon store: Closed on Sat and Sun. Now it’s up to me to start up and connect the 2. I was “coached” by a rep with me raising my voice several times in frustration as it seemed he was not familiar with this device. So now I have mobile internet access. Took 6 days.

Van health still needs help. Shop learned that replacement sensor they put in threw a code, they replaced the original. The stumble remains. Shop[ thinks its flex plate connected to the engine. I spoke with the transmission rep learning that the plate is upstream of their transmission. I called the Bend shop that installed the transmission. Probable resolution is dropping the transmission  then look at plate and replace if defective caused by? Control light turned off till this afternoon. Sheesh. Learned that interior fan issue is caused by an easily replaced resistor and not the module, that shop has not called back.

So Doug and I have been riding like every other day then hiking with Leia, his partner, and dog on rest days. Sedona riding and hiking.

We rode Llama which still has pockets of sloppy freeze thaw mud. More sunny days still needed to dry it out,  forecast for next week has more precip and cold.

We rode 1 day in Carroll Canyon slope where the trails are dry. Challenge here is to figure out climbs  to link traverses and downhills. Rode down Herkinham that bike keeps me on top of the rubber. Sedona riding. No pics taken.

Yesterday was a free wheeling Western Gateway ramble, 15.3 miles climbing 1483′, pedaling for 2 hrs 18 mins, average bpm was 126,spent 1 hr 34 mins anaerobic, 72 hours recovery.

Today was an FS volunteer trail work day, we met at Aerie TH. Doug, Leia, and I walked our loppers over trails that they and mostly me cleared the original corridor then hiked again last year and again this year. Today we hiked Ground Control a black rated trail. Way above my threshold for safety.

Zags game tonight at 8, a late night. Overlook has become popular, 2 nights ago there were 3 vans posted up, so far the spot I choose has been open. Scoring a sleep spot late at night causes stress as I might not score an open spot.

Sedona riding. Doug and I ride blue level and black if it takes us where we need to go.

Reading “Winners” by Backman, author of Anxious People. I like his people behavior writings.

Cold and snow forecast for next week. Yesterday I rode in shorts and 1 wool top. I washed and put away the colder weather clothes, another rotation. I am still wearing the Bedrock sandals.

Sedona is a repair location for me to have fixed what went bad. Van, bike, jet pack, body, zags loosing.

Van is biggest issue as it did not accept the new sensors installed as a solution to the rpm hiccup. Check engine control lamp is lit, partially paralyzed in fear of it failing until repaired. Hope is for reinstalling original sensors today and clearing the fault caused. Still waiting for other shop to receive the air control module. Heater is working as it should, maybe won’t install the new calibrated regulator.

Bike: Last week on during a ride I kept getting pedal strikes which was unusual for my riding. I looked at the shock to see the O-ring had slid off the shock, hmmm, maybe I slid it down when I wiped the shaft down prior to starting. I slid it back up and pedaled a bit still with strikes. Doug carried a shock pump, pressure read 40psi not needed 135. Shit, shock won’t hold air. I pushed my bike up Herkinham then coasted to Thunder mtn shop for repair. Repair was over night requiring new seals and was good to go.  I walked back to van repair shop.

Repair shop had installed the replacement sensors but they did not fix the hiccup. They offered to reinstall the original sensors but too late that day. I drove away and a short distance away, beyond the shop property the engine control light turned on which connects to first paragraph.

Yesterday I returned to VOC for hanging and internet coverage. Shit, the ORBIC internet access device shit the bed. Call to technical took time and english second language. Device is defective, a replacement is on its way. Sitting in Oak Creek espresso using their internet.

Body is within spec per blood work. Low on B12. High blood pressure possibly caused by dehydration. My tennis elbow was treated by another therapist that better addressed my issue.

Zags got beat by ST Mary’s. Zags will not win the conference outright, May they beat SMC at home and then the tournament. Watched the game at PJs, game over past 11 PM.

Doug and I have been riding together. Sat we rode western gateway ramble, just 14 miles pedaling for 2 hours which left me beat. My heart rate was mostly anaerobic, algorithm recovery was 4 days. I made yesterday a full rest day.

Short catch up. Time to call repair shop.