Enough already! I’m back… Again… Finally…

So I finally got back on the bike this morning and rode to work! It was pretty tough, really, as it has been about 2-1/2 MONTHS that I have missed! Ouch!

The overtime at work isn't really going away, I'm just needing to stop. I've been putting in way too many hours at work and I simply need to get away! I was starting at 7am and often going until 9pm day after day, and then throwing in 10 hour Saturdays too. Not fun. And frankly I'm sick of it. I'm sick of work, I'm sick and getting fatter every day, I'm sick of being grumpy and I'm very tired of not seeing my family!

So I'm saying enough already and I'm going to do what I enjoy doing again, riding!

Well, at least I remember enjoying it before... this morning's ride felt a lot like hard work! Hah! No, it was indeed fun. I picked up a new front wheel last week as mine was shot from me over tightening the axle too many times. And wouldn't you know it, but I still had to work to make it up the hills! ;) Seriously, though, the wheel was good but unless I'm going to spend a few hundred dollars on a new wheel, any noticeable difference will be somewhat negligible.

The trails were quiet and the weather was warm. Cloudy, yet sort of muggy actually. And weeds! Tons of weeds! It has been a wet spring and summer and it shows in the amazing overgrown trails! It was a constant "slap slap slap" on my legs the whole way! I'm really not looking forward to when these guys die and become hard and sharp... my legs are going to be rather ripped up in no time! Oh, and another side effect of all the rain is that Peterson's creek has been very high for a while. Its back to normal right now, but the West bank has eroded away and the creek IA no longer passable by riding through it (at least not at my current skill level, but you never know!). So that's not much fun, trying to hop across wet, slippery rocks with hard, plastic biking shoes!!!

And the work on the Tom Moore trail continues. They have added more railing and even built a wooden boardwalk over one of the sandier sections.

Not that the upsets me, but I think it is a big waste of money. Did people really have that much difficulty getting through this section? I find that hard to believe! Why not build me a bridge over the creek at the bottom? Hah! The attached picture shows their current progress. That little drop was actually a bit tricky coming up with little to no momentum! My front wheel just dropped off like a rock and my bike just stopped dead.

Anyways hopefully I can continue riding from now until the snow flies!

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Is riding again n my near future?

Mirror, mirror on the wall... will I even ride at all?

I don't even want to think about how long it has been since my last ride (although I could look it up easily enough). Since my last ride many things have happened. My daughter finished school. My parents moved back from Mexico. The entire mid-west Canada and the USA is flooded, while at the same time fires raged out of control in Northern Alberta. Bin Laden was killed. Boston won the Stanley Cup (and thus Vancouver lost it).

Overtime at work hasn't gotten any better. In fact, it may have even gotten somewhat worse!

But, I've had enough. Starting next week, I think I'm going to ride again. If even only for one or two days a week. I need to. I have to. If I don't start riding again, not only will I get fat and lazy again, but I'll also get fat and lazy again. You know what I mean?

So, yeah, here's me coming out and making a bold proclamation that I will ride! Overtime schmovertime....

Please let this stand true...

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Bushes, flowers and fences are popping up everywhere…

Well, it’s been a long time since I last posted here. 1-1/2 weeks actually. So, OK, that’s not that long I guess. But it feels like I haven’t posted in ages, partly because of how much has been going on lately. With so much soccer lately (Levi, Taryn AND Corrie, both games and practices), not to mention all the overtime at work, it’s a wonder I’ve been still able to get any rides in at all. But, I have managed a decent amount of riding without bailing for the car too often, yet! The weather seems to have FINALLY turned a corner and is getting warmer. This week I’ve been shorts-only, with the jacket sporadically. The sun has been out almost as much as it wasn’t, which is a big deal recently! As such, the trails and surrounding landscape is starting to change. The Saskatoon berry bushes are suddenly in full flower mode, finally adding some much needed colour (albeit white, but something different than brown and gray at least). It won’t be long ‘till the berries start coming for sure. And now, this week the Balsamroot plants are sprouting as well.

The sun was actually too bright, as this picture didn’t actually pick up the white very well. “Imagine if you will….” Yeah, these bushes are nothing BUT white in reality, boo on cell phone cameras!!!

 

These balsamroot plants suddenly sprouted up within a few days all over the West bank of Peterson’s Creek. Last year it was only the west side as well, I wonder what is wrong with the east side?

But, new, natural vegetation isn’t the only thing “springing” up around my trails lately. Yesterday I came shooting off of Summit Drive onto my Peterson Creek trails when suddenly there was a fence in front of me. Yes, a fence!!! And it wasn’t just a quick little job, either, but a nice, cedar wood fence that looks really great. Except it’s across my fun little section of single track….

Turns out that this trail is not a “designated trail” by the city, and actually interferes with private land. So what? The land is the side of a CLIFF. What are the homeowners doing with that land? NOTHING!!! Well, that’s not true, one homeowner faithfully waters the weeds during the summer…

Boo!!! Now I have to ride a wide section down (and then climb back up). And, this “designated” trail is nothing more than a dried up old creek bed of gravel, rock and shale. Nothing hard packed about it in the least, meaning I can’t just “let ‘er rip”, but instead have to slowly make my way down, only to climb back up to the main trail at the end. And it’s a rather steep climb to boot. Yep, this makes me very happy…

Anyways, in the end it’s no big deal. I still get to ride the vast majority of my great trails, so for that I will be happy! Now if they actually cut off Peterson’s Creek altogether, well then that would be another storey altogether…

Oh, and I’ve seen my first bear already this year! Last year I didn’t see any bears (although I saw countless signs of their activity) until the end of the season, and even then it was a mile away. This one was in the Aberdeen Glen Village (trailer park) at the top of Howe, just before I ride into Pineview. He was meandering down the hillside on the south side of the street and stopped to let me ride by before he continued on across the street. That was polite of him! More than I can say for most pedestrians that simply walk in front of me while looking right at me the entire time!!! Anyways, as soon as I saw the bear, my stupid side of my brain wanted to stop, and started arguing with the smart side of my brain which wanted to just keep going. The stupid side won, but by the time I turned around, grabbed my phone and tried to get the camera going, the bear was gone. Oh well, maybe the stupid side will win the argument sooner next time…

As for riding, it’s been going really good. I feel much stronger this year, and much more balanced. I’m making obstacles consistently, where I would only be successful the odd time last year. I’m also making most of the climbs, especially the final one at Rose Hill. I’m now starting to make that climb more often than not, so that is really cool!!! However, I don’t think I have the stamina again like I did last year. After two or three rides, I’m becoming quite exhausted. Hopefully that stamina will come back soon. I am starting to focus on eating better (and less) as well, so that should play a part in being tired and being able to recover. But over all, I’ve been seeing much improvements already. My average times and speeds rival my records from last year, so that is really encouraging to see.

Anyways, I need to get back to work now so I will sign off and hopefully post again within a week or less this time, instead of waiting this long… Sayonara!!!

A rare week off

So I now have a car. Yes, I now have a choice to ride to work or drive. It is an odd feeling to be sure. Last year, I sold my car to buy the bike, if you remember, and as such no matter what I was riding. Bad weather? Too bad. Windy? So what. Feeling tired? Suck it up. I did get sick in the beginning and therefore ended up taking the bus and had Corrie pick me up, but that was such a pain in the butt that I had to be basically dying for me to choose that convoluted option. But now, I have a car. Oh boy, so now the test comes! Will I still ride regularly? We bought it mainly for Tuesday nights when Corrie and Taryn both have soccer at the same time, on opposite ends of town. In order to make sure they both get to both games, we forked out the $600 for a 1992 Cavalier Z24:

Actually, this is not an entirely bad car! The 3.1L is punchy, it has aluminum rims, nice molding and the body is in decent shape (a bit of bubble rust on the rear fender and passenger door). Other than that, it starts well and seems to run well so for the money, it is a perfect 2nd car for us right now. Corrie has already mastered the 5 speed, so we’re laughing now!

But, back to biking, the point of this blog. We bought the car almost two weeks ago. We bought it on a Wednesday, and I still rode my bike on Thursday and Friday. But then on Monday, it was cold, wet and with Levi’s soccer that evening being my “excuse” (riding home is a tight, although doable, time frame) I drove the car. Then, on Tuesday I drove again. Actually, Tuesday will be my driving day with the soccer in the evening and it allows me to still get 2 hours of overtime in yet. But then Wednesday came, and I was now coming down with the flu. So I drove… And I was still sick on Thursday… And Friday… And before I knew it, the entire week had gone by without me so much as looking at my bike!!!

However, what this week made me realize is that I enjoy riding. Sure, the convenience of the car can’t be beat. I can get to work in 15 minutes! I can go for lunch… I can pick stuff up on my way home, whether it’s on my way or not… And, I have a “sporty” little 5 speed that is fun to drive. But then the other driver’s on the road can so quickly sour a nice, enjoyable drive. And they do so often, and multiple times within that short 15 minutes. And I don’t get to enjoy the sun, air and quiet of the trails. I yearned for the trails. I longed for the bike! And that week was too long… I’m not finally back on the bike and loving it! Had this been last year, I remember a point at which I knew if I still had a car, I would’ve quickly given up the riding and this new adventure would’ve gone the way of so many other good ideas I’ve had. But, I was forced to ride then. Now I want to ride. And it makes all the difference.

Sure, I’m going to drive this year. Every Tuesday at least, and most likely the odd Saturday as well (if I’m working the weekends). Maybe when the weather is extremely nasty. Maybe if I’m sick. But the fact is, driving will be the filler, the rides will be the norm. Not the other way around.

It’s pretty cool to know now that I have managed to solidify this habit into my life. This year, with the option of driving, it leaves me open for fun weekend rides now! Maybe even a race or two that Dave and I are actually talking about… Suddenly, this bike is starting to be more of a “toy” than a “tool”. And that’s the way it should be.

Oh, I almost forgot! I pilfered the rear derailleur off of an old Rocky Mountain bike that I bought earlier for $50. It is a newer model Shimano XT, just a step up from the used LX I put on last year which was a step or so up from the Altus that I put on after the original Acera was wrecked because I didn't know how to bunny hop... Yes, you read this right, I'm onto rear derailleur #4! And honestly? When adjusted properly, I can't tell the difference between the Altus bottom feeder and now the XT. They say a rear derailleur is often more eye candy than functional, and I would agree. It makes sense that most bikes will have a good rear derailleur, while crappy front derailleur, crank, chain, etc. It's the rear derailleur that most bikers look at and falsly consider as being a sign of whether or not the bike itself is "good". I can say now that, while I know there are advantages in the higher end models (quicker shifting, longer lasting, better functionality in poor conditions) the price for upgrading the derailleur hardly seems worth it now. Glad I hardly spent any money on my upgrades!!!



Update on the new tire… And a bit of wisdom learned and shared.

First of all, the new rear tire, Larsen TT I mentioned in my post yesterday, is a slam dunk it would seem already in just three rides. First of all, I had record speeds, record stops (or lack thereof) and a record time coming home yesterday! Fluke? Maybe, we’ll see… But I did make it up the final hill at Rose Hill for the first time yet this season! I only made this climb maybe 3 or 4 times last year, so that is huge! And the tire gripped nicely all the way up, allowing me to focus on my direction and energy and not worry about traction. So that was sweet! And I beat my times and speeds by some decent margins, so that’s cool! This morning, again I was impressed. Although no records were beat this morning for time or speeds, it was my first time making the entire trip with NO STOPS! The one stop that I kept making was trying to climb out of Peterson’s Creek up the rocky, tricky west bank. This morning, I climbed right out with no issues. Again, the new tire hooked up and didn’t spin out on the rocks or roots, even though it was wet from just coming through the creek. Nice!

Ok, but what I really wanted to post about was front shock maintenance. I learned a valuable lesson yesterday. I know, most of you reading this will most likely go, yeah duh, Scott… But all I have to say to you is, where were you to give me this info before? Exactly. So leave me alone.

Anyways, when I got the bike, I asked the owner at Taboo what I needed to do for fork maintenance. He told me just to add a bit of oil along the top of the seals now and then. Ok, not sure why, but whatever, I can do that! My bike just came with your run-of-the-mill fork, an RST Gila. In fact, I can’t even find my exact fork online, so that link is to the fork a step above mine (I don’t have any lockout ability). At first, it was a fine fork I thought. A bit “clangy” over slight drops, or if I lifted the front wheel when it became fully extended. But other than that, no big deal. Eventually, near the end of the season, it started to lose it’s “compressibility” as I call it. It took all I had just to get the dumb thing to compress more than an inch. Brutal! I started thinking I was lugging around a 6 pound fork for nothing, and that a rigid fork might suit me better…

Then, this weekend, I put some oil on the seals again. Something I hadn’t done in quite some time. Well, on my ride home, suddenly I had a full three inches of travel! I was actually wondering if I might bottom this thing out!!!

So, yeah, turns out that oil trick is needed. It makes sense, now that I think about it. The rubber seals are rubbing on the aluminum stanchions, so the friction (especially with dust and heat in the mix) needs to be well lubricated. Before, when I would oil this frequently, I often wiped off the oil later because of the black rings it would leave! Hah! I guess better to learn about these things on a cheap fork, right?

Those oil lines are a GOOD thing, don’t wipe them off!

Well, there you have it. If you have a suspension fork, oil the seals!!! And don’t wipe off the oil from the fork, leave it there!

Sunny skies, fresh legs and a clean bike… What a way to start the week!

Yes, this morning’s ride was almost a perfect start to the week. Drop the wind gusts at the top of the hills (especially on Summit and Howe), and it would’ve been batting 100! Still, I had a good ride regardless of the wind.

I picked up yet another new tire this weekend for the rear. My Rocket Ron was quickly running out of tread and fast becoming a slick, but I still loved that tire. Being a light tire, it did, however, start getting in my bad books by getting me two flats in two weeks. Not to mention a sidewall tear that developed about a week and a half ago… So, I had limped it along long enough and I went into Spoke ‘N Motion to pick up a new rear tire. Telling the salesperson about my experience with the Rocket Ron and that I wanted something similarly fast rolling, grippy and yet stronger than the Ronny (and under $65!), he directed me to either a Maxxis Crossmark or Larsen TT. I looked at both of these tires, and suddenly realized I had just completed a full circle from when I started riding. My bike originally came with Kenda Small Block Eight's when I bought it. I removed those within about a month of riding (April 19th, actually), claiming they weren’t grippy enough. Funny how my riding style has changed so much to the point where now I want those type of tires again! The fast rolling style of these tires are excellent. And grip is still suburb, so I’m not sure what I was smoking… Maybe I’ve just come to realize that traction has just as much to do with my position, speed and stance as it does the tires? Anyways, I ended up buying the Larsen TT and I tried it out this morning for the first time. I will reserve my official review ‘till next week when I’ve had a chance to completely try it out. For now, I didn’t notice it much. Which I think is good, considering I loved the Rocket Ron so much, and I hadn’t found a fault with the Ronny as far as speed and traction. That must mean this tire lived up to the one it is replacing, which is a good thing! I’ll see how it does on the way home with higher cornering speeds and the final hill at Rose Hill as far as traction.

Overall, the week was OK. I’m still struggling to get back into shape and my Wednesday rides were painful, to the point where I felt like I was at the end of a 5 hour ride before I started! So Thursday I actually wussed out and got Corrie to drive me to work (although I did ride back in the evening at least). Hopefully I’ll make a complete week this week, but we’ll see how it goes! I’m starting to eat better again, and making sure I’m taking in what’s good and that’s helping with me being tired and feeling bloated like I did a couple of weeks ago.

One more thing before I sign off. I picked up a new-to-me frame this weekend. I found an older Cannondale F2000 (CAD9) mountain bike frame on Kijiji for $50. It came with a Truvative Isoflow crank (still in really good condition) and the Cannondale Fatty Headshock (although mine is much older than that link). The frame was well used, but I couldn’t see any cracks and the stays seemed to run true still. It is an older frame, and unfortunately doesn’t have any setup for disc brakes at all. However, other than shifters, I have enough to get this going as a 2nd bike right away. I will probably set it up as a spare for now, and later maybe as more of a ‘cyclocross’ setup or winter bike. With the lighter frame and fork (as compared to my current Cannondale F8). As this frame was originally on Cannondale’s higher end hardtails (prices probably starting around $2500 and up for the complete bike), I think I should be able to get a pretty decent secondary ride set up for cheap. Anyways, when these Fatty’s first came out, I was in high school and drooled over them… So buying this may have been just as much a nostalgia purchase as it was a “need”…

With a bit of work, I will soon have my ‘spare’ bike, or maybe a winter setup? Either way, now when people come visit we can go riding together!

I will need to service the fork, but it does still work well, so it shouldn’t take too much to get this going and reliable again!

The teeth are still in pretty good shape, actually, so I maybe would even consider swapping this onto my bike this year? We’ll see how I like the original Shimano one I have on there now…