Clean Start

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
ok - actual cause - didn' t de-tune my front brakes enough to prevent fork flex, which didn't allow smooth brake modulation. wheel locked up, and took me out.
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Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
refer to cannondale part of remark - that should be enough.

fork/brake shudder, it's a thing.
 

bigW

Well-Known Member
And that will put a wrap on CX season for the year!

My thumb was feeling pretty good on friday - no more clicking. still sore, but not bad.
Went to pick up something heavy with fingertip pressure using my thumb and POP!
Almost passed-out. took one of those emergency opiates that ya keep around just in case.

iced it up, and spent the rest of the day pissed-off, really angry. Decided to bring the bike to hippo in the
morning and give it a go. about 3 turns in, i knew it wasn't going to work. couldn't get comfortable in the hoods, and
it was too much bouncing in the drops.

Hung for a few races to enjoy the scene. Went home and tried to get things down around the house without using my thumb.
Yeah, no. And of course it is the thumb used for shifting the mtb. Great.

Made it to the dr today, and he wasn't too concerned. Partial tear of the extensor tendon. Splint it for 6 weeks, and don't do anything
that will jamb, twist, or flex your finger in any unnatural direction. Pain will subside over time. I give that...

View attachment 57946

Picked up a wrap around brace - no carbon fiber involved.

Who wants to buy a cx bike?

Phooey. Biking without the thumb working is problematic. Heal up quickly.

W
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
This sucks, hope you have a speedy recovery. How does it feel on the road bike?

not horrible. i'd have to go easy...
i'm going to try some tow path on SS. See what happens.
 
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Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
Sorry to hear Pat. That's one of the drawbacks of those canti brakes.

i knew what to do about it, i just hadn't gotten to it.....i can't believe how much that fork flexes under hard braking.
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
So, it is accepted that the size of the red stripe in the middle of the woolly bear is indicative of the severity of the upcoming winter.

i found this guy today. She is all red. depending on which side you are on, it is either staying like this all winter, or we are screwed.

BTW - she bit me. no kidding. crawling up my arm, stopped and started chomping away.

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Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
Happy Thanksgiving All!

Been a tough six weeks or so since the thumb injury. It has really taken its toll, mostly mentally.
Did some spin classes, and one of the instructors is not great, so i basically had to do my own thing in there.
which is kinda weird when you stand for two songs in a row. I probably could have ridden more road. it doesn't
hurt to shift that bike.

Finally got on the @mattybfat ride, and while certain positions caused discomfort shifting, and holding the bars , it was more about being conservative to avoid falls, or unintentional dismounts.

I've done some jogging the last couple weeks. Working with a friend who is training for an iron(wo)man. Easy pace, chester to long valley on the columbia trail - so 6-8 miles. It goes by quickly at a conversational pace. Have had a little pain along the outside of my right knee. I think it is from the slight crown of the trail. Happened today if i wasn't on the flat part of the road.

So i'm down in florida for the weekend. The 5k starts at 7am. There is a 10k at 9:00. I'll take a 9am start - and sign my son up.

I don't know the course, and it is a couple thousand people. Go into my runner's trance, and all i know is there are three water stations. Oh, and someone set up a beer station. I didn't stop. I'm sure it was a solid breakfast beer.

So i'm cruising along, keeping up with the woman with the stroller. I pass the last water station, and grab a cup from a kid. I swear the next person holding water sticks his cup out for the person behind me, i take one step right into it! I take it all in stride (haha) and wish him a HTG. walk for 30 seconds while i finish my water, look up, and see a 5. not 5 miles, not 5 KM - just a 5. I haven't seen any markers along the way. I don't have a watch, the phone is in the fanny pack. Don't know if i'm half way there, or at the 5 mile mark. I'm hypoxic, so i can't resolve how long/far its been. Can't even get out the sentence to ask!

It was 5 miles, and rather than trying to ratchet it up, i'm dialing it back to save up, just in case. With about 1/4 mile to go, i realize i'm coming up on the turns to the finish line. Relief!

Anyway, to bring it back, being able to run for an hour, even if it isn't that fast, was a mental boost. Edging out my son by a minute or so was a bonus!
He made the freshman basketball team, and plans on running spring track. I'm in trouble, in a very good way.

Enjoy and be safe

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oh, running in florida requires alot of prep.

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mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Nice

So he is choosing track over baseball. Thought he was a Spring Summer and Fall baller. Did you burn him out or is he gonna just do summer and fall ball club leagues.
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
Nice

So he is choosing track over baseball. Thought he was a Spring Summer and Fall baller. Did you burn him out or is he gonna just do summer and fall ball club leagues.

Spring rec baseball. Summer b-level travel ball. He is also trying to do indoor drum line. Fall is marching band season! Busy kid.

Trying to get him psyched up for 400m high hurdles. Pain!
 

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Yeah as you know I gots one those kids too. Shes had 2 basketball practices and No skin left on her knees already. She's already been bumped to JV as freshmen all a while 5' 2". She has a lot of mom in her...
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
Excited to Ride!

I was really pumped to meet-up with @qclabrat and crew this morning at CR. popped out of bed around 5:50 for the sub-20 minute drive,
and got organized. Did some chores around the house, slammed some coffee, and headed out. Two minutes out of the driveway, i realized i forgot my
pump - this isn't a big deal, as someone would have one. Not like it was shoes or a helmet.

The expected weather was right around 30 with light snow. Time to try out the new Lake winter shoes. I put the cleats in last night, no loctite - i should
change that. My regular boot socks, a thermal compression bottom and bike pants with a chamois liner. Zip up thermal top, and PI jacket.
Since I shave my head (i am not bald, it is a haircut. i'm sticking with that) what is under the helmet is always an interesting choice.
no need at 40 - but i couldn't find my winter beanie, so took a summer headsweat and a balaclava. Gloves were my PI cool weather, with a pair of HD work gloves over them.
Finger tips got a bit chilled, but not enough to bother me.

Anyway, arrive at the lot, and say hello to Walter, and meet Chris. We are a threesome. I saddle up, and go to roll - decide to switch from beanie to balaclava.
we roll over to the construction zone on white, but it is too wet to pass through. Progress report: 2/3 of the deck is complete. Roll through the lot and do middle red, to guardrail,
to the new section off gilbride, orange behind the ballfield, trail to the gate at gilbride, white to the dam, lower red back, and an outer loop of blue. Solid 1:45 moving or so.
Easy, but steady on the pace - and limited stops - it was a really good ride.

I'm getting ready to unlock the car, and to my horror, the pocket I put the keys in was unzipped. Keys are gone. Car is locked. I usually lock the car with the fob, so i don't lock
the keys in - i remember checking how flat they were in my pocket. UGH - Walter checks some of red, i check some of white, but the snow is coming hard, and they are gone.
Yes THEY - both cars, the house key, and the speedpass. What an ass. Walter bails me out, and drives me home, as my w1f3 is out getting her ho-ho-ho on.

I realize when i get home, that i can unlock the car with the app, but it still doesn't do me any good. I'm checking the weather for snow melt predictions. Planning on a 10+ mile hike with a
metal detector, thinking about cancelling the speedpass, and re-keying my truck. On the other hand, keys have been recovered before, so I take the positive route.

When we left the newman's lot, it was packed. Hikers, runners, dog walkers, a fat bike. :D and the regular groups of riders. I get back about 2 hours later, and it is empty.
Keys are not on the rail, or under the kiosk - great.

I open up the car, and there they are. Sitting on the passenger seat. (Walter asked if i was sure i didn't do that.....) When changing to the balaclava, i put them down on the seat,
and didn't put them back in the pocket. I was really stoked to get on the trail, it was a total blank!

It's a Christmas miracle.

Time to go take my w1f3 to Conclave, and celebrate. Just saved at least 5 Cs...
Thanks again @qclabrat ....
 
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qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Happy endings are always nice
Here's a pic of the bridge progress, we joked around getting it banged out in a day with the Jorba gang and jdog, but then again if I were getting paid for it, it would get milked as well. It should be ready by spring.
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