Sunday, December 27, 2009

One Year Ago

Couldn't let today go by without recalling what I went through a year ago on this date. I had surgery on my left arm to relieve Pronator Teres Syndrome, and Carpal Tunnel! An hour and forty five minutes on the table, and a year-plus of rehabbing my hand/arm and I feel WWWWAAAAYYYY better! I have a nice scar for my efforts, and an operational hand and arm! Still having to do a lot of stretches to keep my hand from feeling like an M-80 just went off in my fist, but it's all good! Use the search mode on blogger if you want to see pics! "surgery" "stitches" or "nerve" will get some results! Later! Beware of Boxing Day!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

60 Of One, 130 Of Another

How is it that I rode gravel on Sunday for over 2 hours, no music except the wind in my ears, and rode inside today for an hour, and the times seem to pass at about the same rate? I rode the same gravel route I always do, stopped at the totem pole (Use the blog search for an image) for a Boulevard "Lunar" and rode back home. The gravel was sweet! About 90% snow, with a little gravel sprinkled on top. Made me want a coffee:) and it didn't hurt that I had "On The Loose" by Saga, stuck in my inter cranial MP3! Sometimes I think musicians are cyclists at heart, but that could be a cool post for later, so I'll carry on. (Seriously though, hit the lyrics for that one and read it through.) I rode the trainer today for an hour, no music this time, and it sure felt like a lot longer. Maybe it was the latest project bike staring me down, "Shine my chrome! That bike gets more love than me!" Or the gift wrapping I was allotted to get done, or the million other things I was going to do on my day off? Oh well, wheels were turning at any rate. Still, time passes at alarming rates either way doesn't it? Hoping to enjoy some good family time this week, and hope all your plans unfold for you too. Mike and Amy will hopefully be home Thursday, and my sister will be in town too. That's all the gifts I would ask for. Later!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Green Tires

Does anyone remember a 26" tire from the early 90s that was a green color tread? I'm NOT thinking of Michelins, (although they are my favorite tire ever!) or Geax. These were a skinwall tire, had an arrow or dart tread up front and a block/paddle rear tread, and were a Kevlar bead perhaps? The rubber was a pine green color. I had a pair and couldn't get them to seat onto the rim for crap, so I sent them back. I'm just curious as to the name of them. I feel like I remember "Commando" or "Comanche" or something, but could be way off. I also wish I had my old Tioga Farmer John/Farmer John's Cousins back, just for old time's sake. Panaracer "Smoke/Dart" with Magic rubber, still in the garage. Onza "Racing Porcs", gott'em. (I would kill for a set in the white rubber!) Old tires are weird. I saved the sidewall on my FJ Cousin with some Shoe Goo, got a few extra miles out of them, and then tossed them. ARGHHHH! Oh well, there's a ton of old good junk I wish I had back:( Like my first ever MTB, a yellow Diamond Back Ascent which was sold to me on the premise that if I straddled the bike, and could pull it up an inch before the top tube hit my inseam, then it was the right fit. Seriously? Wish I had the old pair of Duegi shoes that got me through the mud race at Millville in ?'92? even though they were black with neon yellow and hot pink on the tongue. Or my neon green seat leash that I bought in Algona on RAGBRAI. Every purple ano bit I ever had!!!!!! My Mavic "Sunset Ano" rims that were built up with White Industries hubs, rudely eaten by a large stick, ripping the eyelets out of the back rim:( I could go on, but will never get that good old junk back. I guess I'll just have to save more of my current junk huh? Later!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Blog Surfing

OK, I'm probably the last person on Blogger to discover this, but if you go to a blog and hit the "Next Blog>>" button at the top, you will be directed to another blog with bike content. How could I not have known this earlier? So I have become addicted to Blog Surfing and spend a lot of my online time doing it. Should cut down on porn viewing. What? No, I mean bike porn!:) I will compile a list of blogs from the linked blogs on the right, and you can see who your neighbors are. I got in about 35 miles of gravelicious crunching Tuesday. Good thing too, given today's weather! I stress tested my conversion of my poor man's 29er to a 1X6 drop bar monstercross setup. It seems to work well , stayed bolted together, and as I always say on a maiden run, "Bust it or trust it!" Later!
P.S. Find an issue of Outside Magazine and check out the "Parting Shot" on the back page! No, it's not my van, but it could be! I spy a Nishiki Alien on the lower right of the pic, two Schwinn Worlds, a GT-looking frame with a plastic pie-plate, it goes on for ever!