Yesterday B & B finished the bike build up.  Need front brake adapter for 180mm rotor. Use bigger brake on front for getting down stopped. Original front derailleur interferes w/ suspension. And I had the new one I bought that I didn’t think I was going to need.

I headed out from shop, rode a little pavement and then jumped on Sedona single track. The first tech feature was a small tree across the trail w/ rock ramp built up & over it. I sessioned this piece last ride thru on old Spot and finally made it. This time it was almost a point and shoot and rolled up & over and was in balance. Notice right away that i am not jarred off line I am taking. I do have a new fork, Rockshox Revelation, w/ 5.9″ of travel. A new front wheel using the maxle from the fork for a 20mm axle laced to a beefier rim. My shock has been PUSHed as it was put on the bike. Too many things to isolate to maybe say that the frame is what it is all about. The frame pulls it all together.

Just past this feature I encountered 2 40ish men stradling their bikes talking. I pull up horribly out of wind. When my wind came back i got windy and answered their questions about my odyssey and then they allowed me to ride w/ them. They were usually out of my sight as I pedaled along discerning the characters of this new bike. We rode a wet wash somewhere out on Rabbit ears. I rode way more and was in more control and balanced. Oh, I was also using my new Crank Bros Candys which use the same 4 springs as the Eggbeaters that I have retired and adds a small like pedal cage that gives  more surface for the foot to rest on. Harder to get into but stayed clipped in. Made a long afternoon out of it w/ the 2 locals. Back @ shop cheered everyone on w/ my joy of the new bike.

Too late for shower. Headed out S of town to Beaverhead w/ plan of riding nearly today and then get a shower b4 1:30. Made B & B for heated restroom & chatted. Gonzo joined me for his ride. I rode more stuff, notably an off camber dropping down piece of slick rock. Mistake would be a side slip into bedrock creek bottom. I finally allowed myself to roll down it and trust the friction of my tires and my counter weighting. I rolled it. And then i did another one. Wow. Confidence building in the bike. The route was over slick rock, some sand patches, and the always present wash. Heavy rains moved the rider located rocks around. I rode way more. Another big smile on my face. Yes,  I bought a successful bike. Rolled down the highest roll over yet. Gonzo rides an earlier Turner. I rode behind him and watched him move around like I imagined myself previously doing. I was straight ahead.

Drove down to Hilton b4 1:30. Darn, my guy doesn’t work today. No shower here. Drive to W Sedona to laudromat and clean clothes. Next shower loc is RV park out past Deer Pass where I have been staying. OK. 8 miles further. Clean for clean sheets tonight.

Last week’s rains damaged the road to 7 Springs where Rama was taking me tomorrow cancelling the ride.

Back @ Deer Pass rd, generator man is gone. By myself. Last night @ beaverhead the internet access was poor.

The Zags were pulled from free web TV I was watching. Couldn’t find a web site that I was comfortable downloading or had a fee attached. Darn.

Tomorrow is MBH shop ride. Get to show off new bike and ride a bit better.

Trails today were jsut perfect w/ right amount of wet in the sand. Still a lot of h2o around and running.

Last night out @ Deer Pass camp spot I checked the UPS tracking of my frame. Delovery is scheduled for today.

Today I was up, fed, cleaned up and on road after 8:00 for Bike & Bean to await frame and build my new frame up. Made B & B. Wheel arrived yesterday. Hung in shop. UPS normally arrives around 12:00. Today he was almost 2:00. Business was slow in shop, they let me have a stand for my old Spot. The new one went in another and the parts started moving. Frame is raw meaning no protective coating, seems like the heat treat bath colors the metal. Jason started on it and Chewie took over. Only part problem was the Rockshox Revelation fork uses post mount for the disc brake caliper. Works w/ o an adapter for the smallest rotor 160mm. I use a 180 for more power and need an adaptor to allow the rotor to clear the caliper. Not a show stopper, Chewie will modify another brakes manufacturer’s adaptor to fit. I ordered the engineering correct part from Formula. Fed Exd the old frame back to Turner.

Today was all about a new ride. Yesterday was a rainy ride for the old Spot. Forecast was for showers after 3:00.  Made MBH for 10:00 shop ride under increasingly threatening skies. Be back before predicted rain. Rama, John & Janet, Doug, & Adrien a visitor, and I rode from shop on N side of airport. Trails are soft. Some new trail section for me. Started raining, we stopped & put on shells, mine is just wind so I was wet but not wind chilled. Rain increased. Rama, janet, & I bailed. If I had a rain shell I would have continued. It was chilly and quiting was OK.

Tomorrow I ride my new DW Spot on Sedona trails. Can’t think of a better way to have a first ride. Lots of $ spent: $1840 for frame (retail $2495), revelation fork $670, Front wheel $345, PUSH shock tune $159, new pedals $100 ( Candys). Quality of life: Priceless. My bike is my status symbol and it speaks well of me. I speced the parts, it’s built up my way. No other one out there like mine.

7:00 AM wake up. Not as chilly. Left b4 the balloons landed. Drove near their launch site between here & Dry Creek. One was rising, the flight turns out to not be long or far.

Into B & B to learn of trail conditions around there. Said that trails would be fine and to ride on their side of the road. Took off by myself just after 9:00; freeze thaw was leaving the sun drenched ground. In the shade some places there was ice. Before i made the nasty switchbacks to the creek another rider arrived. I recognized him from yesterday @ MBH. He had just come in from a ride and his bike was a muddy mess. he used the hose to wash it off. I chatted w/ him about conditions. His name is Bill and he owns a bike shop in Gunnison, CO. He was route finding from the published map w/ legal trails. I told him to follow me and I would show him some unmapped trails. Young guy, better rider, and doing it on a 29er in this tight stuff. He split @ a junction to meet his wife.

I reported back to B & B to show condition f my bike to judge how muddy the trails were. Not sloppy muddy, mud that could be left on for another ride.

I needed to get down to the Hilton spa for my free shower before 1:30.  Made it. Kevin was working the desk not my guy. The 2 look like brothers. I didn’t spill the arrangement and waited for my guy to return from lunch. Got my shower.

Picked up my PUSHed shock from B & B. UPS shipping info states my frame has been shipped from Turner. I asked if David Turner would autograph my frame. I asked on my first Spot w/ no success. Greg @ Turner said he was still working on Dave to sign this one. Apparently Dave doesn’t like to autograph his frames. Oh well, I will be riding the results of his work.

Back @ Insta Care to hae the stitches removed and have the bump just wrist side of sutured cut. It seems to me that there is a piece of wood under my skin. Different DR this time. He agreed that something was in there. The nurse attending was a woman who I rode w/ from B & B. Had a boisterous conversation about riding. Other voices said that mtn biking was very dangerous. DR numbed up my arm and worked  the subject line out. I have it on my dashboard. Bit of infection requiring a new antibiotic to me. 10 days to kill the bad things.

Filled propane @ same rental place. Asked to use a ladder to crawl up on the van roof to seal the leak. Guy allowed and moved the ladder over for me. Can’t see where the leak is. Slopped some more sealant on suspected place. Next rain will prove success . Might have to take the vent off the roof and start sealing over.

Back @ Deer Pass, popular spot. Generator guy is still turned on.

Forecast is for rain next several days.  Can’t wish dryness on drought conditions.

Wheel shipped from Las Vegas Monday via USPS. Frame shipped via UPS from near San Diego, CA on Tues.  How long after the first item arrives will the second one? Which delivery method will be faster? How will USPS treat a bicycle wheel?

Tomorrow is a shop ride if no rain.

Prickly pear thorns in the side wall of my front tire flatted it. I pumped it up 2x before slime sealed the holes.

Gonzo is a wrench @ B & B. Scott owns ICS, a bike shop,  in Indianapolis. Gonzo was an early customer of Scott’s back when his shop was in his mother’s first floor of her house. I rode w/ Scott several weekends last winter in the Pisgah.