The April Snow

Don't even get me started on this snowy April Fools Day.  Oh, well- I've already got myself started.  This weekend is supposed to be warm, so let's all just try to sleepwalk through this day and go for a ride this weekend.

Consider this your last chance to do bike maintenance that you'll not do the rest of the year.  Clean chain?  New chain?  Lube your cables?  You know once the days get nice, you won't take the time to do this.

How about taking a close look at your rims (if you have rim brakes) and trueing them as best you can?  That could pay off for the whole summer's worth of braking....

This is only parenthetical, this snow.

Salem Woods Trail Conditions

If you don't know exactly where it is, I'm afraid you'll have to go here, but for those in the know, the trails here are just a little wet at the beginning, with no snow to be seen anywhere.  The back loop is pristine.  Some blowdowns, and I'll be heading out with some pruning shears before the foliage starts choking the trail (it already IS in some places, so...)

Just FYI.

PS:  Has anyone downloaded any of the free apps I recommended many posts ago?  Are they good?  Let me know....

Euro to the core

For years, I've heard in race reports from Europe about the Karcher power washers the euro mechanics used to clean muddy bikes in the pits.  I'd built up this sort of romantic mythology around the name without really realizing it.

Imagine my surprise then, when the first time I ever see one, it's at the local Target, in Salem, of all places.

In the words of Nemo's father Marlin in Finding Nemo:  "Good feeling's gone!".

The Solo goat.  Interview on "Rob Kristoff's Writing" on facebook.

MTB legend Jacquie Phelan.  Also interviewed on "Rob Kristoff's Writing" on facebook.

What the?  That's a Jones truss fork in the box.  That's right- for the FRONT wheel.

Two Thousand Words

www.bikerumor.com

Two pictures, two things to say.

First, how many times do I have to tell you, I'll say it again:  I love pictures of peoples' bike rooms/garages.  Love the race #s on the walls, will look at them (and subject you to them) endlessly.

Second, that's a bike built for Paul Price (of 'Paul's' fame, as in the brake levers, hubs, etc.)  Check out the crazy hourglass shaped seat stays [if you don't know the difference between seatstays and chainstays, leave a comment and I'll explain].

Just some eye candy.  More later.

Feeling better

Two rides in two days- not bad.  I rode the new secret trail for the second time today because when I finished yesterday, I looked at the map and was totally disoriented. 

This is the problem with trail systems and their markings sometimes.  Well, I shouldn't blame the markings, I should specifically blame rogue trails.  It seemed like I simply should choose a direction (I picked clockwise) and follow around.  But somehow I took a trail that cut across from say 7 to 4, and then I was unknowingly going counter-clockwise.  Still made for a fun ride, but not the best when you're trying to simply follow the loop and measure the distance (although that worked out, too- a mystery how).

So........... I think I did better at following tonight, and this being only my 4th ride of the year or so (the snow-push ride hardly counts), I am re-learning how to watch the line ahead of me and do things like carry momentum.  The trail felt a lot more "flowy" today than yesterday- that's a good sign.

just a thought...

Betcha Joe Breeze wishes he hadn't made this one.  I must say, those original Breezers were quite a bit nicer than this.

In other news, I followed some faint trail advice from a coworker and found a sweet new trail tonight.  Love it when that happens (but then I wonder how I didn't find the trail on my own- it's right next to work!)

Have a good weekend everyone!