tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212083322024-03-18T22:34:02.950-06:00Two Wheels - Six StringsRandom news and thoughts about various two-wheeled projects and music, especially my band, Skull Full Of Blues.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.comBlogger1055125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-37114974986954523622019-09-20T05:16:00.001-06:002019-09-20T05:24:50.654-06:00New Address From now on, I will be posting at:<div><br></div><div><a href="grinderswheels.wordpress.com" id="id_2e41_e62a_e1c9_69d8" target="_self">grinderswheels.wordpress.com</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>If the link doesn’t work, please copy and paste into your search engine. (More Blogger weirdness!)</div>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-13619194898343918912019-09-17T08:04:00.001-06:002019-09-17T08:27:50.967-06:00It Has Been AwhileI’ll admit that I am less than enthused about blogging, at this point. Shouting into the void without even an echo gets old, sometimes. <div><br></div><div>I just loaded up an app which should let me post from my iPhone, once again. Maybe the convenience of that will inspire me to blog. </div><div><br></div><div>One big problem, though, is that the reason I had to buy an app to do this is that Google has apparently abandoned development of the Blogger app. Blogger doesn’t work with the latest iOS, so people can’t even read this blog on a mobile device unless they, too, buy a third party app. </div><div><br></div><div>Maybe I’ll migrate to another platform, like Wordpress, if it’s mobile-compatible. </div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_fe6a_70ec_91d3_9f5f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/i8oyHbT7_Fslcc7-p9f4NY4IDaECio4raVHOmHJchnAtyQgaQripzf_hp6o" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br>Here is the “final” (for now) configuration of the Surly 1x1. The tires are 24x4”, mounted on 25mm wide rims. Unfortunately, the fork would not clear the front tire, so I had to reinstall the 100mm spaced Pugsley fork. I really prefer the look of the shorter, curved, legs of the Origin8 fork, but sometimes you just have to go with what works. </div><div><br></div><div>Next up: What I Did on Summer Vacation, Part 1</div>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-67932456886340923412019-05-11T15:13:00.000-06:002019-05-11T15:13:11.323-06:00Bicycle Therapy - Part 3 Jon In Wonderland<div style="text-align: center;">
Or, <i><b>How I rode a 2008 Surly 1x1 Straight Into Obsession</b></i>.</div>
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As I mentioned, in the last post, once I had the Surly rideable, I was hooked. I wanted to make it usable for me, and paramount to that was lowering the standover height. Two things came to mind, in that regard: wheels and fork.</div>
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I figured that if I actually ran 26" wheels, which the frame was built for, that would lower the top tube somewhat. And, the Pugsley fork is a straight-blade, suspension-corrected version. The frame originally came with a non-suspension-corrected fork with curved blades.</div>
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So, I set out to find a suitable fork, but it had to be affordable. So, no actual Surly fork (people tend to be proud of them, price-wise), nor anything custom.</div>
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The answer came in the form of an Origin 8 fork, which is a near carbon copy of the original Surly unit. </div>
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The sharp-eyed amongst you will notice that the disc brake tab on the Origin 8 is shaped slightly differently. The legs are near-identical, much more so than the photos show. (<i>Origin 8 photo from Amazon, Surly photo from City Bikes)</i></div>
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So, I ordered the O-8 fork, and some 26x3 tires, identical to the tires that I use on my Mongoose Beast, along with some used Avid BB-7 Calipers and some Avid brake levers. Once they arrived, I put them on the bike:</div>
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I even stuck some Surly decals on the fork. (I also left the Origin-8 decals on the side. It's more of an homage than a counterfeit, in my mind.)</div>
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The fork looked great, and did lower the top tube quite a bit, even with the 3" tire. I didn't have a 26" wheel to use on the back, so I was searching, even as I installed the front wheel and the fork.</div>
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I had 26" wheels, but I was looking for a wheel with an Alfine 8 internally-geared hub. They are rare as hen's teeth, pre-built, but I was really hoping to find one, since built wheels often cost less than the retail cost of the parts. But, I really wanted that hub because I wanted to build this 1x1 up as my new bike-packing rig. I already have enough single speeds!</div>
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Then, it happened; I found a used Afline 8 wheel, 26" rim on eBay for the equivalent cost of a new Alfine hub. I hit the Buy It Now button, and sat back to wait on its arrival.</div>
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A week later, the wheel arrived and, when I went to install the tire ... I found that it was actually a 24" rim! Oh, man! I misread the listing. </div>
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So, I calculated spoke sizes, ordered spokes and nipples, and looked around the shop for a wheel I could pull the rim off of. Then, I happened to look at something else on eBay, and opened up my list of items I had ordered.</div>
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Shit. The listing specifically said my wheel had a 26" rim, and I just spent $90 on spokes and nipples!</div>
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I contacted the seller and, after I explained the situation, he refunded me the $90 it had cost me for the spokes and nipples. I already had a rim, so I was happy with that.</div>
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But, I still had not hit the bottom of the rabbit hole.</div>
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I was looking at pictures of the 1x1, when I saw a photo of the limited edition 1x1=11 Anniversary Edition. That bike came with 24" wheels , with 60mm rims, and 3" tires. I figured that a 4" would run in the frame, on my 25mm (internal) rim, so I ordered a tire. Then, I found another tire which would deliver more quickly, so I cancelled the first tire, and ordered the two-day delivery tire.</div>
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Once the tire arrived, I mounted it up, and installed the wheel:</div>
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I installed the hub into the track-style ends on the frame using the anti-rotation washer for vertical dropouts. This points the cable stop up along the seat stay, which allows the cable to run along the top tube (my preference). I hooked the cable up along the opposite side of the hub than how it is intended, which reversed the action on the shifter. </div>
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The Alfine shifters are low-normal, as opposed to the old-school shifters which are high-normal. In plain English, the Alfine shifters are backward to what I am used to, and this made it "normal".</div>
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I wish I could claim to have figured that little modification out, but I read about it on a guy's blog, recently.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZYLY9oZdW7MIROlRYCNV2t-_3H-3ZUU6ntpPMi8NSnSOu4EjVOlcieo1lYP9VAwVnNQW_sD6TtNpbGE-pgmsKaZovh25SrasmfUkDE0O95HosQZdcG0pj83f7q-Y-SLMFVA72Q/s1600/alfine2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZYLY9oZdW7MIROlRYCNV2t-_3H-3ZUU6ntpPMi8NSnSOu4EjVOlcieo1lYP9VAwVnNQW_sD6TtNpbGE-pgmsKaZovh25SrasmfUkDE0O95HosQZdcG0pj83f7q-Y-SLMFVA72Q/s400/alfine2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The 24x4" tire has a rolling diameter about a quarter-inch larger than a 26x2.2 tire, so the bottom bracket is not lowered. The front 26x3.0 is another quarter-inch bigger than that.</div>
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So, the bike is finished. Built. Ready to ride ... right?</div>
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Stay tuned. The rabbit hole goes even deeper. Believe it, or not...</div>
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Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-69048908538465071832019-05-08T17:30:00.000-06:002019-05-08T17:30:40.302-06:00Bicycle Therapy - Part 2As I mentioned in the last post, one of the things I am striving toward is to have non-aluminum frames for all of the bikes I can (titanium and steel, to be precise ... not too interested in plastic frames and forks, any more).<br />
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The bike I had built up for the COG 100 race was based on my old aluminum Bikes Direct "Motobecane" 29er frame. It is a worthy frame, and it rides very nicely. But, it <i>is </i>aluminum, so I started looking for a replacement.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPCYrXJNzrZTt0ByeMEuNZ0sadq5ZI2SolrYne5_2bDp2ylWk8LoZoSD4ugeGl7sWHm4CwFD6S0h_odbcjQgEBFnoVn9TPNkhJpeYjL2Th1HVRA9lL_iDmPbga61pMfWOsvmivw/s1600/mbcane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1157" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPCYrXJNzrZTt0ByeMEuNZ0sadq5ZI2SolrYne5_2bDp2ylWk8LoZoSD4ugeGl7sWHm4CwFD6S0h_odbcjQgEBFnoVn9TPNkhJpeYjL2Th1HVRA9lL_iDmPbga61pMfWOsvmivw/s400/mbcane.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I found it in the form of a circa 2009 Redline Monocog frame and fork on the Bay of e. I ordered it up and, when it arrived, I swapped the parts over from the "Motobecane". (I put that in quotes because BD simply owns the rights to that name, and it has nothing to do with the French company from the past.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDXcE2_DBazE2VTJUf9tebwqHbDDhD85Kaq7zsU_siTZbAFVs6OUtPSp8naOK2jnlXprm3zi3uDXJy2hfISNobT0XcEdRFadPQto8AfyQlyc6NvtlmgcOYTD9RSN1EUaOeVoXCA/s1600/mc1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDXcE2_DBazE2VTJUf9tebwqHbDDhD85Kaq7zsU_siTZbAFVs6OUtPSp8naOK2jnlXprm3zi3uDXJy2hfISNobT0XcEdRFadPQto8AfyQlyc6NvtlmgcOYTD9RSN1EUaOeVoXCA/s400/mc1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The dimensions of the Monocog are a close match to the "Moto", and the ride is very similar, as well.<br />
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<i>Aesthetically, it is head and shoulders above the "Moto", in my eyes.</i> </div>
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One of the good things about both of the frames is that, if I so desire, I can swap the tires out and transform the bike into a single-speed 29er mtb. But, for now, it remains a gravel/long distance rig.<br />
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As an aside, I am thinking of trimming down the front extensions on both of my Velo Orange Crazy Bars handlebars (I have one on both this bike and my single-speed fat bike). I don't do anything with them that requires the length, and they are unwieldy, to me, at times...<br />
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The Crazy Bar is a 666mm wide bar with a 45-degree sweep, just like the Surly Open bar. It just doesn't have the forward bend from the stem, like the Surly, which makes it easier to mount lights, and other accessories. The feel is near-identical.<br />
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Those are my two favorite bars, right now.<br />
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Anyway, back to bike building:<br />
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As I was working on the Monocog, I kept hitting my head on the Surly frame, which was hanging on the crank of another bike on the shop. I had a guy messaging me about buying the Surly, but he was kinda driving me nuts by asking me question after question, the answers to most of which are available on the Surly website if you just look.<br />
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Finally, I simply messaged him that the frame was no longer available, and removed my listing from FB marketplace. I decided that I would build the frame up with whatever random parts I had lying about, and then I might try to sell the whole bike, locally.<br />
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Little did I know the rabbit hole I was heading down, with the 1x1...<br />
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I built the frame up with 27.5 wheels shod with a 2.8 tire in the rear and a 3 in the front (the frame would not clear a 3" tire, between the chain stays). The crank is an old XT Octalink set complete with Deore rat-trap pedals, Surly Open Bars, the Pugsley 100 fork, random seat and really cheap Chinese disc brakes and levers. Ergon grips give you something to grab onto.<br />
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The standover height problem was still there, with the 27.5 Plus tires (even on 23mm internal width rims), and the brakes were pretty poor; wooden feeling and not very powerful. (Of course, in their defense, the pads were brand-new and not broken in.)<br />
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Of course, since I was using the Pugsley fork, that meant I had the option of running the 26x4 tire on the front, as well.<br />
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I made the mistake of riding the 1x1 a few times, and any plan of selling it went by the wayside. Despite the tall standover, this has always been one of my favorite frames to ride. I decided to upgrade the brakes, and maybe do some other things to make it better suited to my use.<br />
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Aaaand ... that's when I went down the proverbial rabbit-hole.<br />
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Next post: Bicycle Therapy - Part 3 Jon In Wonderland<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-83260572692324360902019-05-07T19:39:00.001-06:002019-05-07T19:39:44.550-06:00Bicycle Therapy - Part 1Since my last post, I have been through some wellness issues which kept me down (both physically and emotionally) for a bit. There was a period of a couple of weeks when I was told by my doctor to stay off of the bike. I missed the COG 100 bike race (which was epically difficult, due to the weather), and I just generally was not happy.<br />
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So, as I sometimes do, I kept my hands busy to keep my brain occupied with something other than my woes. In other words, I have built a bunch of bikes, since I last checked in. So, I thought I'd post up what I've been doing.<br />
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I'll break it up into a few posts, so you don't get bored with one big post.<br />
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First, I finally built up my 1989 DiamondBack Formula One frame. I have none of the original parts, so it is not a restoration, by any means. But, it is a hoot to ride, and doesn't take up a lot of room in the house, so it is my "convenient bike", for just jumping on and running a quick errand.<br />
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Since I built it up, I have added a seat bag with some tools and a flat kit, plus a frame bag for slightly larger items.<br />
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I have a nicer fork in the shop building, waiting to be installed. It's not installed yet, because I have been really busy, since that fork arrived, trying to straighten up the building and weed out the stuff I don't need. But, that's another post for another day...<br />
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<i>I love the Brooks Cambium saddles. I have them on five bikes, now!</i></div>
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This is the third F1 bike I have owned. The first was a 1988 DiamondBack, which I built up as a pretty weird road bike, 17 or 18 years ago. Shawn B ended up with that one.<br />
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The second was a Rockfish frame which I converted to track ends and built up as a fixed gear. I sold it, and immediately regretted that. (If you bought that bike and are reading this, I would gladly buy it back, btw.)<br />
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As I was working on this bike, I kept looking at my other bikes and thinking of changes which needed to be made. One big change was to my fat-front studded tired fixed gear commuter.<br />
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This was an aluminum cruiser frame which I had gotten to replace the <i>Surly 1x1</i> frame I had used for a couple of years as my fat-front winter bike. The Surly frame is a Large, and I have negative standover clearance on it, with the fat tire mounted to the suspension-corrected Pugsley 100 fork. So, I got this frame, thinking it would alleviate the standover height problem, and work well enough to suit me.<br />
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It did both, but I really couldn't stand the looks of it. Plus, the frame is aluminum, and I am moving away from aluminum frames, as I get the opportunity. So, I searched around, for a week or so, and finally found an older cro-mo GT Ruckus single speed mtb frame on eBay at an affordable price. I nabbed it and, when I built it, I used my Ritchey cro-mo fat fork on it. The color was a close match, between the fork and frame, and I liked the fork, anyway.<br />
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The Ritchey fork has the 135mm hub spacing, and I had a wheel I had built up to use in it. The wheel has a Shimano rear hub in it, to fit the dropouts. But, that provided me with a challenge in mounting a cyclometer to the bike.<br />
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The freehub body on the wheel puts the fork leg quite far from the spokes. So, I was trying to figure out how to space the bike computer pickup out from the fork leg, to get it close enough to the spoke magnet. Finally, I realized that I was going about it all wrong.<br />
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Instead of spacing the pickup out to the magnet, I ended up spacing the magnet out to the pickup. I installed a single-speed kit on the hub, then mounted the magnet to the cog. A couple of zip ties keep the cog from spinning, and everything works as it should.<br />
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The new frame fits, and looks really good (to me, anyway), including the "matching" fork.<br />
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The cruiser frame went back into the box it arrived in, and I suppose I will try to sell it, eventually.<br />
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Next up: More steel in the quiver!<br />
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<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-55091336305844719112019-03-18T11:34:00.002-06:002019-03-18T11:34:16.966-06:00Sometimes Things Don't Work OutAs I mentioned in my last post, I have been under the weather for a couple of weeks. Due to that, I pulled out of the COG-100 race.<br />
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I am very disappointed, even a bit angry that health problems have forced me to drop out. Getting old sucks, for sure, but being unhealthy sucks even more.<br />
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And now, on top of a sinus infection that kept me down for two weeks, I find out that I have a problem with my left eye (<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354961" target="_blank">Iritis</a>, or Anterior Uveitis if you want the posh name) which prohibits riding a bike until it's cleared up...<br />
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Not happy.<br />
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x<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-90609338845917207922019-03-09T13:21:00.001-07:002019-03-09T13:21:22.356-07:00No Training This WeekendLast weekend was a bit of a mixed bag, weather-wise. I got out for a good solid 70-mile ride on Friday, under sunny (but windy) conditions. Then, on Sunday, I rode in this:<br />
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Sunday was a bit chilly, with the temperature at 5 degrees F when I left the house and only warming up to 9 degrees F by the time I rolled home. That's kinda how the weather has been all year, so I wasn't too surprised. But, I am getting tired of it.<br />
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This weekend, it has been sunny, with highs in the 50s and ... I am sick as a dog and can't ride my bike, at all. I came down with something on Monday, and I've done nothing but go to work, and then go to bed almost as soon as I get home, since then. I left early a couple of days, and took 6-hour naps before I got up for an hour prior to going to bed for the night.<br />
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Not a lot of fitness improvement going on, but I did lose 6 pounds because I keep forgetting to eat, due to having no appetite.<br />
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The COG 100 is three weeks from today. I was feeling better about my chances of actually finishing, after my last week's training rides. I'm hoping this isn't pushing me backwards...<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-46201046830720659672019-02-20T18:08:00.002-07:002019-02-20T18:08:49.589-07:00Last Weekend Wore Me OutAnd, I'm a bit discouraged by that the fact that I was so tired after two training rides, and a recovery ride.<br />
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Last Thursday, before I headed down to the Englewood Tavern to host my bi-weekly Open Mic Night, I installed the cyclometer onto the race bike. I also swapped the water bottle cage from the fat bike, and loaded up the handlebar goodie bag, so that I would be ready to go on Friday morning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidA7f2g-XMM7HjK9ojIZodqq4LXExomZxLicI8Tc61CmqEbWK5fYPYdhnQG04KdsvCV-BfWeIsD8F7RxAEPCmzW1Fh2PUe3OSP6FEYSLQU2WQEdIpzPzs_fQ0dVG54L_ZosGLVvA/s1600/0215racerbars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidA7f2g-XMM7HjK9ojIZodqq4LXExomZxLicI8Tc61CmqEbWK5fYPYdhnQG04KdsvCV-BfWeIsD8F7RxAEPCmzW1Fh2PUe3OSP6FEYSLQU2WQEdIpzPzs_fQ0dVG54L_ZosGLVvA/s400/0215racerbars.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I like the little bag so much that I actually ordered another, so that I won't have the water bottle cage on the handlebar. I'll have one goodie bag full of snacks, and one with the bottle in it, and snacks in the outside mesh pockets.<br />
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Speaking of snacks ... I took all of my research into account and loaded up with high-carb foods for the training ride. I find that the general nutritional consensus is that you simply can't do endurance training and racing while strictly following the Keto plan. So, I follow it on non-ride days, and eat my carbs when I need the fuel.<br />
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On Friday, I rode 53 miles in right at four hours. Not bad time, I suppose, (an hour faster, on the same loop, than the week before), but I was pretty spent when it was done. On Saturday, I took the fat bike out for about an hour and did a fairly easy spin. Then, I rode a different route on Sunday (race bike, again), and managed 30 miles in a little under three hours.<br />
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On Sunday, a cold front moved in while I was riding, and I got quite chilled on the bike. Both my hands and feet were really cold, and I could feel it in my core, as well.<br />
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So, altogether, I rode about 80 miles, over a 3-day span, and it wore me the hell out. This does not bode well for my ability to race 100 miles in under 10 hours, 40 days from now.<br />
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I've really noticed that it is more difficult to regain my fitness now, in my late 50s, than it was 8 or 9 years ago. Time leaves no-one behind, I suppose, and I am wearing down, physically. I just hope that I don't embarrass myself, too badly, at the race.<br />
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Regardless of how I feel about my conditioning by the end of March, I will go and attempt the course. I have challenged myself to it, and (barring injury), I plan to give it my best shot, whether I succeed at completing it, or not.<br />
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The C.O.G.-100 is an actual challenge, not a foregone conclusion for me. And, that's why it's important to me.<br />
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Wish me luck ... I need it!<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-16504488504340812942019-02-10T15:14:00.004-07:002019-02-10T15:14:41.132-07:00A Busy 10 Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Over a few rides, week before last, I started to notice a problem with throwing the chain on the single speed Beast. I finally realized that I need to modify the dropouts on the frame, so that I can use the quick-release axle length, without the axle flexing in the non-drive dropout. I can do that, and eventually will, but I need to concentrate on training, right now, not fabricating bike parts.</div>
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So, in light of that, I pulled the trigger on a Bikes Direct Deadeye Monster single speed fat bike for $399 (thank you PayPal Credit). I had been eyeing them, for a while, but didn't feel justified in buy-in one until an actual need for it arose.</div>
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I swapped over the cockpit setup from the Beast and temporarily swapped the seat post and seat from the racing bike (they are both 27.2mm internal diameter seat tubes).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlr4dt3batejOq2gUcy9QppTsUSCY0LpqgIqqXanR17OJ0fIMF_n8_N8_g6G1dnLzQhsNMCS9sCEHF7BbYTxvMru01VNhBlA9NZ4PUJbOjiccjIHxAqNOvn5ZQK7c5sVyA9QwRg/s1600/020119a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlr4dt3batejOq2gUcy9QppTsUSCY0LpqgIqqXanR17OJ0fIMF_n8_N8_g6G1dnLzQhsNMCS9sCEHF7BbYTxvMru01VNhBlA9NZ4PUJbOjiccjIHxAqNOvn5ZQK7c5sVyA9QwRg/s400/020119a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Here it is, shiny and new, last Friday</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQ7j0YSX8iUuIXHKj1NVqHH0V37Mm8no4RWejuKJ1O7LVwjAn9u2QC_c3B-0OstAveaTjWAm-y3aBWA9nrNPyDct4gpOChI9cxmBuV16VFvPI3_JtIJDA5NNV9-As3xGRMLeUrw/s1600/020119b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQ7j0YSX8iUuIXHKj1NVqHH0V37Mm8no4RWejuKJ1O7LVwjAn9u2QC_c3B-0OstAveaTjWAm-y3aBWA9nrNPyDct4gpOChI9cxmBuV16VFvPI3_JtIJDA5NNV9-As3xGRMLeUrw/s400/020119b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I like the orange paint, and the rims and tires are the same as those on the Beast, so the transition was not too jarring. Both the front and rear hub spacings are 135mm, so I might eventually relace the front rim onto a single speed hub so that I can swap them out, if the need arises on the trail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VlbylLL6aZJPPht0ljjKlbLl1T4YH48aGOyWRFQcmumvgSgnztA1wirp_JnH7xYwDWzFno45FgLA0rbReUVN24Vj9hBS2KW9TN6vzMZ8Z1w2AMtuRFdQ0N2U0jI4nMsQQrfmBQ/s1600/020219b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VlbylLL6aZJPPht0ljjKlbLl1T4YH48aGOyWRFQcmumvgSgnztA1wirp_JnH7xYwDWzFno45FgLA0rbReUVN24Vj9hBS2KW9TN6vzMZ8Z1w2AMtuRFdQ0N2U0jI4nMsQQrfmBQ/s400/020219b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The next day, I did a 30 mile ride on the Highline Canal Trail. We had experienced a few warm, sunny days, and a lot of the snow had melted from the trail, leaving some pretty long stretches of deep, sandy mud.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_JIXD_7uR2HCW-kINa_uxtQcoUcr6OifXnoeW58LudVQqXlyWxEjjrV-LbhbJM5djYW0FL4wwy8Mn0ZdEYMSk-wAdKW6C8xEmwm7_fs-Z9w2L18lyY5ll0K5QsiJ5gEAZ-uAiQ/s1600/020219a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_JIXD_7uR2HCW-kINa_uxtQcoUcr6OifXnoeW58LudVQqXlyWxEjjrV-LbhbJM5djYW0FL4wwy8Mn0ZdEYMSk-wAdKW6C8xEmwm7_fs-Z9w2L18lyY5ll0K5QsiJ5gEAZ-uAiQ/s400/020219a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Judging by how muddy the bike and I got, with fenders installed, I shudder to think what it would have looked like if I had left them off. I have a down-tube splash guard coming, from eBay, to try to alleviate some of this, in the future. And, I repositioned the rear guard in an attempt to keep some of the mud and water out of my jersey pockets and shorts!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzuakArmjGUoOtk5R7TEPpyZ_hUJAUK1_Ax3Ug1BmwBWIfadWHJd0uvEa_hckVcdG7R8KY7TF2mnLXlrmarbBRvWTLv11Tht5LlXkv1qWpFlWROPelda_7iUaYOfSIVOvG0u_xQ/s1600/020219c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzuakArmjGUoOtk5R7TEPpyZ_hUJAUK1_Ax3Ug1BmwBWIfadWHJd0uvEa_hckVcdG7R8KY7TF2mnLXlrmarbBRvWTLv11Tht5LlXkv1qWpFlWROPelda_7iUaYOfSIVOvG0u_xQ/s400/020219c.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The next few days were a wash for training. My band played a pre-game show before the Super Bowl, down at Englewood Tavern, and we had a show at the Lion's Lair on Tuesday. So, I couldn't even ride back and forth to work, in order to get some pedal-spins in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-SYG99PNSouTnCE3skGHtgr2Fi6LVxeI9jCEbQnlX3NXVpC0uuoqhQgYwkYulp5C1pzzTXiaXYuPYInaDXEM7B_vvdybshRnvF9sAEDG9jDkIYCKZBv_tAPM_ZUdLKTB92umSQ/s1600/020619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-SYG99PNSouTnCE3skGHtgr2Fi6LVxeI9jCEbQnlX3NXVpC0uuoqhQgYwkYulp5C1pzzTXiaXYuPYInaDXEM7B_vvdybshRnvF9sAEDG9jDkIYCKZBv_tAPM_ZUdLKTB92umSQ/s400/020619.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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On Wednesday, we had a severe enough snowstorm that we were sent home early, from work. It took me an hour and a half to drive 12 miles...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VzgVaI2RfgDl6vJd1KrAeFGm-Og2lo9RrRHlnxdj4kClgPBsW6au8z7awHeBMTRl5M4mAb0Az9TPI4Ri6653bGMEy09GMcKlldzixdwuQrXN0aVtgUDdPR7ddP8_hIkVOxHNeA/s1600/020719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VzgVaI2RfgDl6vJd1KrAeFGm-Og2lo9RrRHlnxdj4kClgPBsW6au8z7awHeBMTRl5M4mAb0Az9TPI4Ri6653bGMEy09GMcKlldzixdwuQrXN0aVtgUDdPR7ddP8_hIkVOxHNeA/s400/020719.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The next day, I was still wiped out from the previous weekend, and a bit down in the dumps from some of the personal things I went through in January. So, I took the day off work, but only managed to ride to the coffee shop and back on the Winter Commuter, with the studded tires. I was not happy with myself, but it was just how the day went.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJwHrHqkjRt0l0PA27zFR4zxnyYrhr4BbPVY0Y8khB0hioxtCzHmN4EAeuT6LnHZ_VxRfQnABi-QQKhBcHu5g6G_Za6Govcm7Mh4sihySpNp-0gn8OQmYkqyGY7_wzyUu4Kf3QQ/s1600/020819a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJwHrHqkjRt0l0PA27zFR4zxnyYrhr4BbPVY0Y8khB0hioxtCzHmN4EAeuT6LnHZ_VxRfQnABi-QQKhBcHu5g6G_Za6Govcm7Mh4sihySpNp-0gn8OQmYkqyGY7_wzyUu4Kf3QQ/s400/020819a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Friday dawned cold, but sunny, and I suited up for a ride on the new snow. I pushed it hard for 10 miles, then turned around and headed back. I kept my heart rate up, and got in some pretty good strength training.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOo5bAiN9Qmd0OGMqJSCWLoL6DA6IHl_VwQnce_52R9rdYeRVGcgW1gXoAydt4ZIq5sZhkY84LvhfiU9Cl5OwIJIcpeF6ruEUB3cS_n7CQrw2olHU_FUUyuK8F97eyb9VVbkqOA/s1600/020819b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOo5bAiN9Qmd0OGMqJSCWLoL6DA6IHl_VwQnce_52R9rdYeRVGcgW1gXoAydt4ZIq5sZhkY84LvhfiU9Cl5OwIJIcpeF6ruEUB3cS_n7CQrw2olHU_FUUyuK8F97eyb9VVbkqOA/s400/020819b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I had added a water bottle/snack carrier to the bike, which made hydration and fueling a lot easier. I think I'm going to get another, and have two on the race bike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfumcUX5p8b-G6Sjzq-nRk2jHLxa8ZDuCFJY-g2h9DhmNRghoIfqxA7qwkm5qCyOsDaGZrXmtlw8fDxZSdJmeNarBdpPn_v-ngOHpn8yHZgUbN203CcSEf1AABG125sWWh4uVSmA/s1600/020819c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfumcUX5p8b-G6Sjzq-nRk2jHLxa8ZDuCFJY-g2h9DhmNRghoIfqxA7qwkm5qCyOsDaGZrXmtlw8fDxZSdJmeNarBdpPn_v-ngOHpn8yHZgUbN203CcSEf1AABG125sWWh4uVSmA/s400/020819c.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>I came home a lot cleaner from this ride that I had from the previous Saturday's ride!</i></div>
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I was pretty happy with my performance on Friday's ride, but I was getting a bit worried about my endurance. The only training I have been able to get in has been in the form of relatively short (20-30 miles) high-effort snow rides on a mostly flat trail. The constant snow storms have really limited my ability to get out for longer, hillier efforts.<br />
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But, after the sun and warmer temperatures of Friday, I decided to take the race bike out and try to do a long loop on the bike trails around town, Saturday morning. The bike trails are typically plowed, and I figured that the sun would have mostly cleared off the layer of snow which the plows leave behind.<br />
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So, yesterday, I left the house at about 9:00 A.M. on the racer. It was really sketchy, getting out of my unplowed neighborhood, but I made it to the Cherry Creek Trail without incident. Heading south, I was happy to see that my assessment of trail conditions had been good, and the pavement was mostly dry. Until, that is...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrdHNPgE6JAjP6QRQhfB0V438qYS7f0h4XI1YiKvJwvr9ObifAq9aT6Q1FBjiR-O1OTaa_e9VGzO89SRWBvbc683mWDPZ32FSJQJRa76RfpXX-a8VFWTljmlu5qET34CAQfNDbg/s1600/020919a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrdHNPgE6JAjP6QRQhfB0V438qYS7f0h4XI1YiKvJwvr9ObifAq9aT6Q1FBjiR-O1OTaa_e9VGzO89SRWBvbc683mWDPZ32FSJQJRa76RfpXX-a8VFWTljmlu5qET34CAQfNDbg/s400/020919a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I crossed into Cherry Creek State Park, where no trail maintenance had been performed! This was rough, and icy, and caused me to crash at one point. Luckily, I was being super cautious and going slow enough that I was able to get clear of the bike and land on my feet as the bike went down.<br />
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The entire distance across the park was like this, and it was the only stretch I encountered on my entire ride, where the trail was not plowed.<br />
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Eventually, I got past the park, and was able to pick up my pace, again.<br />
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I followed the CCT to the E-470 Trail and turned west. I rode along 470 until I got to Chatfield State park, and turned north on the South Platte Trail, which I followed to Evans Avenue. (Somehow, I rode right by the turnoff which would have taken me to Dartmouth Street, as I planned.)<br />
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From there, I zig-zagged through the neighborhoods to Kaladi, where I stopped for coffee and a snack before riding the final two miles to my house.<br />
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I don't yet have the cyclometer on the racer, so I don't know my mileage, for sure. As near as I can figure, it was somewhere between 50 and 60 miles of riding, in 4 hours and 45 minutes, to Kaladi Brothers.<br />
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One of the things I was interested in finding out was just how long I would be comfortable on the bike. At about the 4-hour mark, I began to feel it, pretty badly. I was pretty bummed by that, as I need to have the capability of staying in the saddle for, at least, twice that long in order to be confident of finishing the C.O.G.-100.<br />
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Today, though, I feel a bit a better about it. I found some good info about training with low-carb intake, a method known as "Training Low". Some people do this as a way to train their muscle tissue to uptake carbs more readily, when they are available. According to what I read, though, this will bring on fatigue a lot more quickly. A 3 hour low-carb intake ride can bring on the same fatigue as a 5 hour ride with normal carb intake.<br />
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I was still experimenting with eating low-carb on the bike, yesterday, and I think that affected me. I am going to experiment, on upcoming rides, increasing my carb intake to match the effort and duration of that particular ride.<br />
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So, on a bike commute day, I might ingest 50g of carbs rather than my normal <35g .="" 100g.="" 85="" a="" and="" approximately="" day-long="" endurance="" high-effort="" maybe="" on="" ride="" short="" to="" up="">100g, as needed. But, I will still keep my calories in a reasonable zone. I'll just reassign the percentages of fat vs. carbs.</35g><br />
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On rest and recovery days, I'll stick to the Keto diet I have been following, since last July. I find that I feel good on that diet, and I stay satisfied.<br />
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I'm having to get all scientific on this, as I only have 51 days until the race. Of those days, I am out of town 4 of them, for work, and I am sure things will unexpectedly interrupt my training schedule. Therefore, I have to optimize the time I train, as well as I can!<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-53725000556560765472019-01-26T17:03:00.001-07:002019-01-26T17:03:36.828-07:00Three-Hour Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNWEslIPek7Y62zq3gV8MaGLMu5S8Cd9z0u8SMHlxtoS__msXhkcJhI4uFgazvo1OJaa1p6-mVTomXRcSQc_MqYeqU7KuPXtmZ9RtOROyy0VbJbs5sW7oM1nXZ1Zk-svBhe5lXA/s1600/Jan25.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1546" data-original-width="1600" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNWEslIPek7Y62zq3gV8MaGLMu5S8Cd9z0u8SMHlxtoS__msXhkcJhI4uFgazvo1OJaa1p6-mVTomXRcSQc_MqYeqU7KuPXtmZ9RtOROyy0VbJbs5sW7oM1nXZ1Zk-svBhe5lXA/s400/Jan25.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yesterday, I installed a cyclometer onto the Beast so that I could more easily keep track of how long I ride on my training runs. Of course, it also allows me to watch my average speed, and whatnot, as well.<br />
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I left the house a little after 12:30, which was a about an hour later than I wanted to leave. But, of course, the installation of the cyclometer pickup was problematic, on the fat wheel and fork, and it took me a while to get everything working.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmxvehKy50utbpfx-RxDS37zKmxMrzgflWdm-oWOA4uKvor1IB9Fl8hDt9RpvbU1sllSjRDt-G5GnpzybNRrRtubNbb_lOdNcx2gomgn1_WTnt7pgWIv0OLocMjVKVEvrP6-3wQ/s1600/01.25.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmxvehKy50utbpfx-RxDS37zKmxMrzgflWdm-oWOA4uKvor1IB9Fl8hDt9RpvbU1sllSjRDt-G5GnpzybNRrRtubNbb_lOdNcx2gomgn1_WTnt7pgWIv0OLocMjVKVEvrP6-3wQ/s400/01.25.04.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I ended up using a wine cork, trimmed to fit, as a spacer to get the pickup close enough to the magnet.<br />
Once that was done, and the wire was routed (I still prefer the wired version to the wireless, because I'm old...) I was ready to roll.<br />
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After I got the bike ready, I changed clothes and took off. Once again, I rode over to the Highline Canal Trail, and headed west. This time, I watched the cyclometer and just rode until I had been riding for an hour and a half. At that point, I stopped and checked my mileage (15.06 mi.), then turned around and headed back.<br />
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The return trip took an additional nine minutes. This was due to not only the fact that it's slightly uphill on the way back, but I was really feeling the effort in my quads. Fifteen miles of pretty much nonstop pedaling, mostly in snow and mud, on a single speed fat bike will do the to you.<br />
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My quads were burning, before it was over.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiy_eyt7YVE4bVyB5BSwgZifQ-rC6SA4MU0JQW38zknVL3mqrxurmzi2fIBt40_TCV46Irv8Z18vDyGlctHLz8z7_NS4j-COIqerPgZ4jfNjkaHcjUWMHQQNsbnC8fFNng-_3WA/s1600/Jan25.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiy_eyt7YVE4bVyB5BSwgZifQ-rC6SA4MU0JQW38zknVL3mqrxurmzi2fIBt40_TCV46Irv8Z18vDyGlctHLz8z7_NS4j-COIqerPgZ4jfNjkaHcjUWMHQQNsbnC8fFNng-_3WA/s400/Jan25.02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>I stopped here on the way out, and the way back, to eat some almond butter and drink water. This is on the way back.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-YmWct2IlrS4kN8r4hlhLHhbnV98MdHjGSnNB2vug3MG8d-ZzE-ceZEBNnBKRYkarIXY0Ijd7MQ8zjaWbJfvpbNel8R-Wam2f-V3jQdlGC1qwdedglbuOKHkKOHy767hThygKg/s1600/Jan25.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-YmWct2IlrS4kN8r4hlhLHhbnV98MdHjGSnNB2vug3MG8d-ZzE-ceZEBNnBKRYkarIXY0Ijd7MQ8zjaWbJfvpbNel8R-Wam2f-V3jQdlGC1qwdedglbuOKHkKOHy767hThygKg/s400/Jan25.03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>New pedals. These are really grippy, and I had to pay attention to how I oriented my feet, because it took some effort to change, as I was rolling.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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I'm feeling pretty good about how my training is progressing. I am taking a rest day, today, and plan on hitting it hard, again, tomorrow. The temps were in the 40s, today, and are supposed to reach the mid-50s, tomorrow. So, I may take the race bike out and hit the paved trail for a big loop to see how the setup suits me. If not, then I'll do a repeat of this ride.</div>
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Sixty three days to go until the COG 100...</div>
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-73917685120964045472019-01-22T15:53:00.001-07:002019-01-22T15:53:16.350-07:00The Racer, The trainer and the Sore-Legged Rider<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJY9vZBhQKg0crbMwp14TI_WKhPhIulPvPCZNlDPsGbQb30WrA7jH0NdYax-ybAT7byDn-YMAAO2VyANrGciVZrQ-LAgrBvpZkI0jO4LUGdSg9phre82ERt92Xu8uJhZ40L_-5Pw/s1600/IMG_6622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJY9vZBhQKg0crbMwp14TI_WKhPhIulPvPCZNlDPsGbQb30WrA7jH0NdYax-ybAT7byDn-YMAAO2VyANrGciVZrQ-LAgrBvpZkI0jO4LUGdSg9phre82ERt92Xu8uJhZ40L_-5Pw/s400/IMG_6622.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yesterday, I realized that all of my parts had come in, and I was able to build the Racer up, for the COG100 race. I decided to bring the frame and work-stand in, along with the necessary tools, so they could warm up while I was out on my training ride.<br />
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Before I put the frame in the stand, I figured I should swap out the seat posts, and put the SunTour suspension post in. Once I did that, it only made sense to install the seat into the clamp. Then, I was curious how the post felt, so I put the cranks on. But, before putting the cranks on, I thought I should go ahead and remove the two chainrings I didn't need...<br />
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One thing led to another, and I ended up building the bike, completely, before jumping on the Beast and heading for the snowy trail. It was late enough that I cut my training ride short, to one hour, to avoid running out of daylight and dealing with falling temperatures.<br />
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It was about 60 degrees, when I was riding, and the sun was out. So, once I got home, I was a muddy mess from riding across the melted stretches of the trail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6J4WF88kFLVav8k8UCNkX56gFR2tNH_pBZNPEg7qRL2Py9Myk88Za9QNlmC0sU0d-5JJHuGB8IiXERhoXy4y0UeX7RyBuITf-ONbWP5uxyh36DmNRvfFjmSy25vZ2_Z60_5ccxA/s1600/01.21.2019d.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6J4WF88kFLVav8k8UCNkX56gFR2tNH_pBZNPEg7qRL2Py9Myk88Za9QNlmC0sU0d-5JJHuGB8IiXERhoXy4y0UeX7RyBuITf-ONbWP5uxyh36DmNRvfFjmSy25vZ2_Z60_5ccxA/s400/01.21.2019d.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgp0EVD79k0JlVtAnPyWLu43HoLEh_SwUiK2k1wDgQl0tFk61uZWRbTuzElyrwKOS0MyRyxbkNfduCplq-Kk0mljHjKy6lpQxYRQo-8eUBkguyNJBXV-OiLmI3j5yb2gvxcJwpg/s1600/01.21.2019c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgp0EVD79k0JlVtAnPyWLu43HoLEh_SwUiK2k1wDgQl0tFk61uZWRbTuzElyrwKOS0MyRyxbkNfduCplq-Kk0mljHjKy6lpQxYRQo-8eUBkguyNJBXV-OiLmI3j5yb2gvxcJwpg/s400/01.21.2019c.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>This is the suspension seat post I plan on using. I think it will be beneficial. I hope the neoprene cover keeps the dirt and grit out...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQH0JIoUeReyew9EL8-VHDCfFyixMH011tHSeBIjyqz0obUeRfEhdW8z9Sp3edzP4UxotkYOf3-k4fDR21i0PsiJslfBdG_E5cvEE_D4BVhba-oEO3YKs6GE-agSSFvEYXxeZeiQ/s1600/IMG_6623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQH0JIoUeReyew9EL8-VHDCfFyixMH011tHSeBIjyqz0obUeRfEhdW8z9Sp3edzP4UxotkYOf3-k4fDR21i0PsiJslfBdG_E5cvEE_D4BVhba-oEO3YKs6GE-agSSFvEYXxeZeiQ/s400/IMG_6623.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The 22-tooth cog and sliding dropouts...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipC8KsLmZIctNSYyuO8YT0gv8h7ZTsLEWzhPhAGr3tItLF-Acc-T2stnQJVeNnzIiJXA4EE4m54qlFarvVmQV75xryQqTbazj0_u4hi2TD9crBMCo-TWAbtWzhMqDFIWRlaeTp6w/s1600/01.21.2019f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipC8KsLmZIctNSYyuO8YT0gv8h7ZTsLEWzhPhAGr3tItLF-Acc-T2stnQJVeNnzIiJXA4EE4m54qlFarvVmQV75xryQqTbazj0_u4hi2TD9crBMCo-TWAbtWzhMqDFIWRlaeTp6w/s400/01.21.2019f.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj088umDU7P6xyoHig3UV4CoNd6V68UBL6E0FBL2voKZCZAHhD7zY4EDYROeD4JbEwXRIjPIMX8EsMEu6qyJa6bZtHT8kb82khJwat_laddF7faDUDRyWmoIEFupOYWEiTFgap4aA/s1600/IMG_6627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj088umDU7P6xyoHig3UV4CoNd6V68UBL6E0FBL2voKZCZAHhD7zY4EDYROeD4JbEwXRIjPIMX8EsMEu6qyJa6bZtHT8kb82khJwat_laddF7faDUDRyWmoIEFupOYWEiTFgap4aA/s400/IMG_6627.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Here are a couple of shots contrasting the training bike (<b>Beast)</b> and the racing bike (<b>Racer</b>). <b>26x4"</b> tires, compared to <b>700x45c</b> ... Switching to the smaller tires for the race should be a boost.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxEN86ooKCzmrCujjrVYKMn4k1C0az91w1HkKHoE4mPMEBqaOCQjUf4Z0CQNZVYqlArusrgN4-Gs6bJjh0n-Pr9b35yM1PC023ziJsN7Y-yhyAaPcZxRXDsqGWVoN2PwpkVIefg/s1600/01.22.2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxEN86ooKCzmrCujjrVYKMn4k1C0az91w1HkKHoE4mPMEBqaOCQjUf4Z0CQNZVYqlArusrgN4-Gs6bJjh0n-Pr9b35yM1PC023ziJsN7Y-yhyAaPcZxRXDsqGWVoN2PwpkVIefg/s400/01.22.2019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>It was cold and windy, today. The bar mitts were nice, under the conditions on the trail.</i></div>
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Today, the temperature while I was riding hovered right around 30 degrees, about 30 degrees colder than yesterday. This is how the weather is, a lot, here in Denver. The wind was howling, and the 45 minutes I rode into it, on the way home, increased the training value of the ride. My legs are sore, and so are my arms, just as they should be after a good mountain bike ride!<br />
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I'll be commuting by bike, when possible, after I go back to work, tomorrow. If I can't, due to scheduling, I'll bust out the rollers and get some butt time in the saddle that way. The race is only 67 days away, and I have a few days out of town for work coming up in March. So, I have to get the most done, every day that I can squeeze in.<br />
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I'm also working through how to race an endurance race without going totally off of the Keto diet. I ate too many carbs when I was in Memphis, this past weekend, and it kinda made me feel crappy. I know I'll have to up the carb intake, somewhat, but I just don't want to overdo it.<br />
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That said, I'm feeling pretty good about how the training has gone, so far. I just hope that I can keep it up, consistently.<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-64384055483419494232019-01-16T23:44:00.001-07:002019-01-16T23:44:49.015-07:00The Almond Butter Band<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVpc1BQIhlAoetAqx0wdyB18simT7IROvMotTdXqvDy6Bqzn-KIMKQgVLoLR911BdX2FOaWL7MORqeURu18Q2eYvUQwRzkzyButA0mpOqugbZdSS9so9Dcw5uNZy6EirqraXxJQ/s1600/IMG_6599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVpc1BQIhlAoetAqx0wdyB18simT7IROvMotTdXqvDy6Bqzn-KIMKQgVLoLR911BdX2FOaWL7MORqeURu18Q2eYvUQwRzkzyButA0mpOqugbZdSS9so9Dcw5uNZy6EirqraXxJQ/s400/IMG_6599.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I went out, once again, on the single speed fat bike, today. Twenty five miles, two thirds of which were on the snow and mud of the Highline Canal.<br />
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I was pretty pleased that I was able to do another ride like this, the day after having put one in for the first time in probably a year and a half. It was a good ride, in the best of wintertime conditions. The skies were mostly sunny, the temps were in the mid 50s, and there was little wind.<br />
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I will have to skip riding, these next few days. I am going to Tennessee to take care of some family business. When I get back, I will have a couple of days off. I hope I can get another couple of good rides in before I have to return to work.<br />
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It's a long, hard row to hoe when you are trying to regain your fitness, with a relatively short deadline. It is only 73 days until the C.O.G. 100 race, and I am in need of some gumption.<br />
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Hopefully I can find it!<br />
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One of my challenges is figuring out to fuel myself while maintaining a relatively low carbohydrate input. I filled my goo flask with Almond Butter, and took it with me today. I liked the taste and the texture, as I rode. And, the Almond Butter seemed to fuel me up, pretty well. But, it was hard to squeeze the stuff out of the flask.<br />
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I ordered some packets of Almond-Butter-based fuel, the other day, and it arrived, today. It looks like it might do the trick. It comes in a disposable flask, and has coconut butter and chia seeds, plus some other stuff, in it to thin it down, add calories and also make it a bit more well-rounded, nutritionally. I hope it works out well to eat it as I ride.<br />
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In the meantime, more bike parts hit the porch, today. My single-speed cog and spacers came in, for the racer. And, single-speed chainring bolts. The inner tubes also arrived, today. The new seat post should be here within the week.<br />
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I'll start building the bike when I get back into town. But, I will continue training on the fat tire bike. The added resistance should speed up my training and lead me to fitness a bit quicker than the normal bike would.<br />
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Wish me luck!<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-10909186522605448202019-01-15T23:25:00.001-07:002019-01-15T23:25:34.313-07:00Good Ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPIZDfl8pDU3bqQbD91ZO8hy1apdw6BLZcOXgEEXer0RW5aUK1BoxfpXrgyHjI2P4tFKqkGcCG-57BAGZIfXFeu90wrUOvYWkqKYvj9PYBR3CAjRYkh5Q8GYQ6QR5E4Zf6YMZFg/s1600/1.15.2019MUDDYBEAST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPIZDfl8pDU3bqQbD91ZO8hy1apdw6BLZcOXgEEXer0RW5aUK1BoxfpXrgyHjI2P4tFKqkGcCG-57BAGZIfXFeu90wrUOvYWkqKYvj9PYBR3CAjRYkh5Q8GYQ6QR5E4Zf6YMZFg/s400/1.15.2019MUDDYBEAST.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>A muddy mountain bike is a happy mountain bike.</i></div>
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Today, I took a longer training ride (about 25 miles), at a slightly lower pace than the last two. I wanted to get some miles in, but not burn myself out for tomorrow. </div>
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Most of the trail was snowpacked, but the sun had melted the snow, in places. That's why my bike is muddy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3mGpWAAR2F3jtx30TgT0Jljx-uLRVnHe7hcypOaopUsqaDosvF_X9QzfdrRKXSYziQCwCvscu7r5I_pRxTCjKp-80281_O-sdJVB8G2vsPi9NqjLvEu879Ne-Ciz5RmyzOJXuA/s1600/01.15.2019.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3mGpWAAR2F3jtx30TgT0Jljx-uLRVnHe7hcypOaopUsqaDosvF_X9QzfdrRKXSYziQCwCvscu7r5I_pRxTCjKp-80281_O-sdJVB8G2vsPi9NqjLvEu879Ne-Ciz5RmyzOJXuA/s400/01.15.2019.2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was a beautiful Winter day, and the sun was so intense that I was pretty lightly dressed. This is one of the the things that, even after living here for 26+ years, amazes me about Denver. It's never this comfortable in the middle of Winter in West Tennessee...<br />
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Part of my ride was on packed single track trail, along the course of the Highline Canal Trail. This is the kind of stuff I built the single speed fat bike for.<br />
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My glasses were so dark from the sun that I could barely see my phone as I was taking pictures.<br />
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Once I got home, I sat in the sun and enjoyed the warmth in my front yard. It was a good day, and I feel like I got some decent saddle time in.<br />
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I need to do it again, tomorrow.<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-65040380363312789512019-01-15T10:19:00.004-07:002019-01-15T11:08:45.447-07:00C.O.G. Blogging Beats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow, it's half a month into 2019, and I finally got around to making a blog post. I know that blogging is becoming more and more archaic in the Social Media Age (a thing which I have bemoaned on occasion, here), but it still is the best medium for some forms of discourse.<br />
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For the next couple of months, I'll be posting about the lead-up and preparations for an event in which I'll be participating. If someone does happen to read it, that will be very cool. If not, I have a record of this for myself.<br />
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If you look at the blogroll on the right-hand side of the screen, you will find a listing for "<i><a href="https://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Guitar Ted</a></i>". Mark, the real guy behind "Ted", was the co-originator and Race Director of the <i>Trans Iowa</i> gravel race for 14 years. This past year, he announced that the <i>Trans Iowa </i>(a 300+ mile race on gravel roads) was done, and he would be moving on.<br />
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Shortly thereafter, he floated the idea of a 100 mile, gravel road race, for single-speed bikes. This was dubbed the <b>C.O.G. 100</b> (<i>Creatures Of Gravel</i>). The details can be found <a href="https://cog100singlespeed.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>, if you want the specifics. In short, it is an unsupported (no aid stations, etc.) 100 mile race outside of Grinnell, Iowa, on an unmarked course. Navigation is by old-school cue sheets, and there is only one resupply opportunity on the course (and one slightly off-course).<br />
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GT's description:<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Course Update: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">I have re-routed the course to avoid a bridge that we discovered was out during recon a week or so ago. The mileage will be 111.87 miles. There will be an option to hit a convenience store at Mile 43 where you could leave the main course, and take a little over two mile detour to a convenience store. So, out and back to the course again you're looking at almost 5 bonus miles to make a pit stop. That would bring your total to approximately 117 miles for the day, barring any off course mistakes, etc...</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Otherwise you'll have to pack water and food to make it to Mile 87 where there will be a convenience store just a few paces off the route. That will be a store that is pretty obvious as you are riding along, so there shouldn't be any issues finding it. But, those are the only suggested resupply options. Remember- </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">There Will Be NO AID STATIONS- NO OUTSIDE SUPPORT ALLOWED- YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU! </span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></b></i>
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Considering the fact that I haven't ridden a bicycle in a serious manner for the past couple of years, this race presents me with a real training challenge. From the time I signed up, until Race Day, is only a span of 78 days (74, as of now). There is a day's worth of travel to get to Grinnell, from Denver, and I have a four-day trip out of town coming up, this week. Recovery days and other extenuating circumstances will probably also come into play, so I have to make my training count.<br />
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That said, I went out for some snowy training rides on Saturday and Sunday of last weekend. The picture at the top of the page is from my Saturday ride. I didn't go far, but I went hard, on a relatively high-effort bike on snow and ice. So, I got a good workout.<br />
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<i>This picture is from Sunday's training ride. You can see a theme developing...</i></div>
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In addition to getting myself in shape, I have to build a bike for the race. as well. I am utilizing my old alloy 29er frame, with sliding dropouts, to build up a bike that I hope will be the most appropriate bike for this. Parts are trickling in and, once it's complete (or close to it), I will post about the build. In the meantime, I am agonizing over the gearing, since the course is said to be quite hilly, with numerous steep rollers.<br />
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That kind of terrain is not my favorite, to be honest.<br />
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So, I have to try to gear the bike low enough for short, steep hills, and high enough for the downhills and flats. At this time, I am leaning toward a gear in the 58-62 gear-inch range. I don't want to be so slow on the easy parts of the course that I have to spin my legs off to make the cut-off time (10 hours), but I don't want to blow my knees out on the climbs, either.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here is a short list of the challenges involved, as I see them, and subjects of upcoming posts:</span></b><br />
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<i>1. Physical fitness and ability to sit in the saddle for 100 miles (That is something which was once routine to me!)</i><br />
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<i>2. Building up an appropriate bike</i><br />
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<i>3. Gearing the bike correctly</i><br />
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<i>4. Clothing - Weather at that time of year is highly variable in that part of Iowa!</i><br />
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<i>5. Fuel - I have been following the Keto Diet since July of last year, with a weight loss of 35 pounds. I will have to modify that, somewhat, to engage in endurance cycling. But, I don't want to go completely off of the plan. </i><br />
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<i>6. What to carry on the bike, and how - This is actually not as big a challenge as some of the others, due to my experiences riding numerous solo, mixed-terrain centuries, a few years back.</i><br />
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I have a reserved hotel room for that Friday and Saturday night, in a hotel just a couple of miles from the Start/Finish, and I have the CRV in which to make the trip. I'm hoping to get Brad to go along as moral support/emergency extraction (in case of a DNF - the organizers are not offering any aid, at all, as part of the challenge). If he can't make it, I have a short list of other candidates to ask.<br />
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I don't want to make this too post darn long, plus I need to get out on a longer, lower-effort ride today. So, I'll end this here, for now.<br />
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More to come...<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-21750330264271262732018-09-16T14:57:00.003-06:002018-09-16T14:57:59.593-06:00Horse Trading at Guitar CenterYesterday, I stopped by my local Guitar Center to grab some strings. While I was there, of course, I had to wander around and see what all had come in since my last visit. As I walked around, I saw this:<br />
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It's a Monoprice 15 Watt tube amp. These sell for a couple of hundred bucks, new, and sometimes less. This one was priced, accordingly, as a used unit. So, I wanted to check it out and see how it sounded. I had read about these, a while back, and had considered ordering one, but I didn't want to take a $200 gamble without hearing it, first.<br />
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So, I looked over at the used guitars display, and I spotted a Burnt Orange Les Paul Special. That's a guitar with which I am very familiar, tone-wise, so I grabbed it to see how the amp sounded.<br />
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They sounded so good, I had the sales guy put them aside for me, and went home. There, I reverted my Explorer to stock (reinstalled the stock neck pickup, removed the Bigsby) and loaded it and my SG into the van and went back to GC.<br />
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After the deal was done, I had the amp, the Les Paul in a hard case and a few hundred dollars in my pocket.<br />
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<b><i>The picture doesn't quite get the Burnt Orange color, but it's close.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>This one is a bit better, on the color.</i></b></div>
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This is a 2004 model. Cooper, my black, highly modified version, was built in 2003. I think I will leave this one in stock trim, for awhile. I think I might even leave the pickguard on, even though I'm not a huge fan of LP pickguards. </div>
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I won't say that it will stay stock, forever, though...</div>
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One of the reasons I decided that I had to have this guitar was that, while I was testing out the amp, I ended up writing a song. Some guitars just do that to me. When I find one, I want to make it mine.</div>
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The Explorer was not getting used. I think that the Flying V and my Korean Moderne copy fill that "flashy guitar" niche well enough that the Explorer was just redundant. The SG, while a terrific guitar, had actual cobwebs on it, because it had been so long since I even pulled it off of the wall. Hopefully, the two of them can now go to good homes and get played on a regular basis!</div>
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It was nice to make my trades for the guitar and amp. I really don't have a lot of cash to spend on instruments, right now, and I have too many guitars hanging around (the dust and cobwebs on the two I traded in are testament to that). Trading two for one resulted in a net reduction of one guitar.</div>
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-3017590370431271782018-08-25T20:28:00.000-06:002018-08-25T20:28:22.945-06:00My $89.00 Huffy Is Coming AlongA couple of weeks ago, I finally gave up on trying to find a beater cruiser in one of the local pawn shops, and just ordered a new one from Walmart.com. I wanted a beater to lock up outside at my house, so that I could just jump on and ride down to Ace Hardware, or wherever, without having to pull down a bike from the rafters of the shop building. And I wanted something that would be a little less of a financial hit if someone steals it than one of my nicer beater bikes would be.<br />
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The Huffy Cranbrook, in refrigerator white, was $89.00, with free shipping. I ordered it on Tuesday, and it was in my front yard at 1:00 PM on Thursday.<br />
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I unboxed it, and slapped it together in about 45 minutes. It could have been a quicker build, but I spent some time trying to find a stem and handlebar in my shop that I liked better than the cruiser bar the bike came with.<br />
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This is what I ended up with, on the initial build:<br />
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The stem and bars are from a 700c studded tire fixed gear bike I built up a few years ago. I has hung in the shop, slowly shedding parts, since I built up a 26" studded tire fixed that I like much better in the snow. The basket is from my Western Flyer that I had as a kid, and was purchased at Western Autoin 1971!<br />
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After I snapped that picture, I installed a layback bmx seat post, and used a quill stem shim to size it to the frame.<br />
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I rode it around, and actually used it on a run to get some spray paint, last weekend. It occurred to me that, with the layback seat post, I thought an upright bar would work a bit better. But, I didn't want to just flip the bar that was on it, because the Dirt-Drop style stem would set the bar too high to suit me.<br />
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So, I dug around in the shop, but I didn't find anything that suited. Then, I looked over at my old Columbia tandem, leaning against the house, and spied the Specialized Slingshot stem and bar on it.<br />
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The Slingshot was a stem and bar system that Specialized used on some bikes in the early 1980s. It resembles a Bullmoose bar, but the actual bar is separate from the stem, and held by two 7/8" clamps, like a motorcycle bar.<br />
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Soon, the bar and stem were off of the tandem, and on the Huffy:<br />
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I liked the look, but the bars were just a little more narrow than I really like. That was the style, back when the bars were new. But, I couldn't swap to a more modern, wider bar because the two clamps are 7/8", and the 25.4" bulge on an mtb bar would not work. If only I had a bar without the bulge...<br />
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<i><b>Wait a minute!</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aOzhRR0NmFF7rwIKqNMXCR669DxrjZajXe7YTWegMRXbeoKY_1baAUVBVphni2MqopiKSOVsywxm3AiKm4LorALCB5UOAiMYdgi50ekipQ9WzvidpLcjgIbrY47EmJcYpeYwUA/s1600/huffymotobar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aOzhRR0NmFF7rwIKqNMXCR669DxrjZajXe7YTWegMRXbeoKY_1baAUVBVphni2MqopiKSOVsywxm3AiKm4LorALCB5UOAiMYdgi50ekipQ9WzvidpLcjgIbrY47EmJcYpeYwUA/s400/huffymotobar.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I happened to have a motorcycle clubman bar in the shop. I flipped it over, and Bob's yer uncle!<br />
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My buddy Marty was hanging around as I worked on the bike, and he said he had some 1/2"-spindle pedals I could have to replace the plastic, crappy stock pedals. He went home and got them, and I swapped them out for some cooler, metal platforms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bgTc16YKHf8VbaYw0biDYIzRM2GOvwiuLZ0SrN3j5J9Mb3KUEX84edzrMMpYfHjlFg-IGoOZE9wy1M7Eg_PCUnhkG9jWeaNfmn-gSh7Y2vxG24M5UxbDNI-ZU_OJy1k5Mnnrmw/s1600/huffy3rdversion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bgTc16YKHf8VbaYw0biDYIzRM2GOvwiuLZ0SrN3j5J9Mb3KUEX84edzrMMpYfHjlFg-IGoOZE9wy1M7Eg_PCUnhkG9jWeaNfmn-gSh7Y2vxG24M5UxbDNI-ZU_OJy1k5Mnnrmw/s400/huffy3rdversion.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, here's the bike as it stands, right now. My cheap cruiser is turning into the Accidental Kustom...<br />
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It rides great with the new bars, and looks pretty cool, at least to me.<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-47439447719722001062018-08-25T19:48:00.003-06:002018-08-25T19:48:58.381-06:00I Ended Up Selling That School Desk GuitarMy last post concerned the building of a second guitar from the school desk top I picked out of a dumpster, last Thanksgiving Day. I had planned on keeping that one, but my buddy Jesse looked at it with longing in his eyes, every time I played it at the Tavern, so I made a deal with him.<br />
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But, before delivering it, I actually finished the build...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwGKK4lsprQDzSLzrXCeFc7xrzHdWB7cGZ1eWPXZlx3g3TVUOHNx5_06ZCdsawmWxbKU_AxmDs97L90Nt0PPjCZBT5ftTmtZr1wLKHHlntnW94Ii4A_1ahmZOfnrg9ZSYHhBRQw/s1600/schooldesk1stversion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwGKK4lsprQDzSLzrXCeFc7xrzHdWB7cGZ1eWPXZlx3g3TVUOHNx5_06ZCdsawmWxbKU_AxmDs97L90Nt0PPjCZBT5ftTmtZr1wLKHHlntnW94Ii4A_1ahmZOfnrg9ZSYHhBRQw/s400/schooldesk1stversion.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Above is how it sat after the initial build, with the big, goofy Epiphone headstock and less than stellar tuners which came on the neck. I had ordered some repops of the Kluson Deluxe tuners, like Gibsons often came with in the 50s (and some still do), with the greenish knobs. I thought that they would not only improve the tuning of the guitar, but they would also look more appropriate on this build.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVaEUutOvVICe5RCju1CTPBUg62G4umvENv3Qv_wCcGjKnr8jW76_neQNsXyUGtHb4jCux-EHkt4HVu4_l5Y52zxgE3URvRilehzs_3tFEZmxYYA6hVFpJPz8igXKomwyKOJ0AQ/s1600/schooldeskhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVaEUutOvVICe5RCju1CTPBUg62G4umvENv3Qv_wCcGjKnr8jW76_neQNsXyUGtHb4jCux-EHkt4HVu4_l5Y52zxgE3URvRilehzs_3tFEZmxYYA6hVFpJPz8igXKomwyKOJ0AQ/s400/schooldeskhead.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I used a <i>Chock Full O' Nuts </i>coffee can to draw the radius I wanted on the headstock (again, following the <i>barn-build</i> aesthetic), then cut close to my mark with the bandsaw. After that, I used my power sander to get a bit closer to the final shape. I did the final shaping by hand, with a small foam sanding block and 3 grades of paper. I hand-sanded the face and sides of the headstock, in order to avoid accidentally sanding a dip into wood. </div>
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The <i>TableTop Guitar</i> monogram was burned in with a wood-burner, as was the <i>SD</i> (School Desk) on the truss rod cover. Black Walnut Danish Oil finish topped it all off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMI0CIFGEBuEO9Ia0oQ3rjvkDhkricG6H9KMQzhJ3Kmg9FtKcPOFQjv8ewpNPe8GwzUwjLWK9ENha3Cyw9W71Y55rYed2mUCRPauovZQ3W1jVtrTZAI9NEgbd7JOE13tEFi2k5Q/s1600/schooldeskfinal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMI0CIFGEBuEO9Ia0oQ3rjvkDhkricG6H9KMQzhJ3Kmg9FtKcPOFQjv8ewpNPe8GwzUwjLWK9ENha3Cyw9W71Y55rYed2mUCRPauovZQ3W1jVtrTZAI9NEgbd7JOE13tEFi2k5Q/s400/schooldeskfinal.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I delivered it to Jesse, last night. I was happy with how happy he was with the finished product. I really did plan on keeping that one, but I'm glad it went to a good home!<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-43132375180592595412018-07-23T16:31:00.001-06:002018-08-25T19:32:59.866-06:00The Latest Tabletop Guitar Build<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67NrtlFqtqO4dznOpfIYD7zm2bQwYuQQHNgtC2KVUl6QqBcJto1MfxMOQfhagQwFrhn2-xmg6onlDOCaL6FXhyphenhyphenjpNPM0z5sx21I5yuSdzV_GMZb_fiQ7yUTfGLXn604obuBVSUw/s1600/fullsizeoutput_27b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67NrtlFqtqO4dznOpfIYD7zm2bQwYuQQHNgtC2KVUl6QqBcJto1MfxMOQfhagQwFrhn2-xmg6onlDOCaL6FXhyphenhyphenjpNPM0z5sx21I5yuSdzV_GMZb_fiQ7yUTfGLXn604obuBVSUw/s400/fullsizeoutput_27b.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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A couple of Saturdays ago, I spent the afternoon cutting out three guitar bodies with my band saw. I figured I might as well cut out a few, so that I could easily work on them as time permitted. The body on the left, in the picture above, was cut from the same school desk top from which I built Ted Intorcio's "School's Out" guitar. I used the lighter colored top of the desk as the front of his guitar, but I liked the look of the bottom of the piece for this one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6B2AUHe2oIyPBH79lOBpCVHHmBBR8n7tJeextM4mvc4lCAhvoNJdi8OSkW26k5luoUBhi1bWu2W3nR7tpbLiJXil7rdrXVL1aZbiaNcNbc9dyRAlsXBFkR6zH3wN-xgICgPt4bA/s1600/ted%2527s.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6B2AUHe2oIyPBH79lOBpCVHHmBBR8n7tJeextM4mvc4lCAhvoNJdi8OSkW26k5luoUBhi1bWu2W3nR7tpbLiJXil7rdrXVL1aZbiaNcNbc9dyRAlsXBFkR6zH3wN-xgICgPt4bA/s400/ted%2527s.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Ted's guitar...</i></div>
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The other two bodies in that same picture were cut from a vintage piece of milled lumber (probably 1950s) which my buddy Eric Chavez gave to me, quite a while ago. I think it is pine, though it is so aged and so welled dried that it has no scent when you cut it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWbt7syCaUipvIQAXx0v6N7pe4g4nqNLmI6pAafMYYBcLJnf1Gpt9fcxrsnFHz7Zl2jc0rYGoTlspevFeQLRdrX80Qf_zo0pnP-6on7Ekko5i-8P2LTQ7usKD7DrAvWHOggx1pw/s1600/fullsizeoutput_27a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1600" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWbt7syCaUipvIQAXx0v6N7pe4g4nqNLmI6pAafMYYBcLJnf1Gpt9fcxrsnFHz7Zl2jc0rYGoTlspevFeQLRdrX80Qf_zo0pnP-6on7Ekko5i-8P2LTQ7usKD7DrAvWHOggx1pw/s400/fullsizeoutput_27a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I mocked the guitar up on the floor of the shop building, just to get a feel for what it would look like, once done.I decided that a bar-type tailpiece would suit better than a trapeze, just due to the thinness of the wood. How to mount the controls remained to be seen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AJ2VIifZMpeiDdkSfyS_uKbdvxLKWH5xggTQJ-8e2Zan2jAg_W9ChkFs2yzI7lM4QeerI_aQt2X_7nhOqZBXq3wS82u5MTwF1K4hVJog2UFGC-yb8GcH2zMbOzKs-ySZdO6UzA/s1600/IMG_5495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AJ2VIifZMpeiDdkSfyS_uKbdvxLKWH5xggTQJ-8e2Zan2jAg_W9ChkFs2yzI7lM4QeerI_aQt2X_7nhOqZBXq3wS82u5MTwF1K4hVJog2UFGC-yb8GcH2zMbOzKs-ySZdO6UzA/s400/IMG_5495.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The pickup is a Gretsch lap-steel unit which I bought off of eBay.I've read numerous accounts of people using lap-steel pickups to build guitars, especially in the old days, so I thought I would give it a shot. I figured that, if I didn't like it, I could always swap it for something else and use this pickup to build an actual lap-steel.<br />
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The two rails on which the pickup sits are liner strips from a cigar box guitar. They not only got the pickup height to where I needed it, but they also provided an easier mounting than screwing into the rock-hard work of the desk top.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPoS2IPJOVYe0-yJDreqvsNIyUqmiCj0OWm-jPYCJHnEBVjUdDwXq5l-d7LdY2RYAu-0g1Uwsznr9J9TI1n9SlWCEmh_B5REKirsmKiMEr15F9vGSCaKhb_SYQ-eKZgA_H9TveA/s1600/IMG_5487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPoS2IPJOVYe0-yJDreqvsNIyUqmiCj0OWm-jPYCJHnEBVjUdDwXq5l-d7LdY2RYAu-0g1Uwsznr9J9TI1n9SlWCEmh_B5REKirsmKiMEr15F9vGSCaKhb_SYQ-eKZgA_H9TveA/s400/IMG_5487.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I scavenged a neck from an Epiphone Les Paul Special which I had bought for parts. I will sand the face of the headstock to remove the logo, once I get some better tuners to install on it. The stock Epi tuners leave a bit to be desired. I'll probably throw a bone nut on it at that time, as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzapHc6QZFLClAj2zmZzEGec0_6xmFBtW8snBhAtWhxLw1EInKwUJ5aTi97rBU1MFTauzG_0uWTyW0tdQeyzeYzDfNAEVFd1GcrAakowqtASU0GTG7mpnFk42Yew94cyxD9X7EA/s1600/IMG_5489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzapHc6QZFLClAj2zmZzEGec0_6xmFBtW8snBhAtWhxLw1EInKwUJ5aTi97rBU1MFTauzG_0uWTyW0tdQeyzeYzDfNAEVFd1GcrAakowqtASU0GTG7mpnFk42Yew94cyxD9X7EA/s400/IMG_5489.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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The volume pot and the output jack are both taller than the body is thick, so I elevated them above the face of the guitar, much as I did on the very first Tabletop Guitar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdoLTn5yuwUfGLlVaIk9ffpCt79lXTMtzSZRs2-rF3Bam8v-XMG8M-Ho-VmQZMzsaqw7QbuobaZbwtMMeq-Kq_b2h3edzj_VtuPMoWvW8zYCN2PgmdCsuqa9wZf14f-v-TSLz7w/s1600/IMG_3768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdoLTn5yuwUfGLlVaIk9ffpCt79lXTMtzSZRs2-rF3Bam8v-XMG8M-Ho-VmQZMzsaqw7QbuobaZbwtMMeq-Kq_b2h3edzj_VtuPMoWvW8zYCN2PgmdCsuqa9wZf14f-v-TSLz7w/s400/IMG_3768.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>TTG #1</i></div>
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On that first guitar, I used pick guard material to elevate them. But, on this guitar, I wanted to stick to an all-wood face.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9zH7O71xpha_CcWPpxErAipqFQPDnnsVWwFpppOH-z4grVkkcOCIXW8e5VcNDBYvMeodT1D7JhXqmRmeeyWTTXnnzVRVu30zK1u88xJFVjvKiOqsGgJ1S73-k-Rz7k2M5UIqig/s1600/IMG_5491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9zH7O71xpha_CcWPpxErAipqFQPDnnsVWwFpppOH-z4grVkkcOCIXW8e5VcNDBYvMeodT1D7JhXqmRmeeyWTTXnnzVRVu30zK1u88xJFVjvKiOqsGgJ1S73-k-Rz7k2M5UIqig/s400/IMG_5491.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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The same cigar box which supplied the pickup mounting rails also supplied a piece of its bottom to act as a mounting plate. The plate is screwed to the body through two Monkey Shoulder Scotch corks and one from a bottle of whiskey whose name I forgot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiLcMYsWGVUJwntKtct_hcnOypF4JJKGQ9takLTWM2pWZiHU3bN95RONj-Ep9lXm2xCTFCidWPk3VC1QeCcLbcaGJdU0RRm3TsK_KSah3swsF0a3ikla-KbqlM33YCW04KTcX_Q/s1600/IMG_5492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiLcMYsWGVUJwntKtct_hcnOypF4JJKGQ9takLTWM2pWZiHU3bN95RONj-Ep9lXm2xCTFCidWPk3VC1QeCcLbcaGJdU0RRm3TsK_KSah3swsF0a3ikla-KbqlM33YCW04KTcX_Q/s400/IMG_5492.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I left the pickup wire exposed for a couple of reasons: It not only suits the "made in a barn" aesthetic of the guitar but, also, I may want to reposition the pickup, at some point. Having the wire easily accessible would make that a bit simpler.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7SzFhPnmUbUIUO5yswv2hLcG3Td1gQDkfGdY-cnxd9kDLPgsNMP9f6jpJ1BYbjF0h549RMlR1IZRzB0krADoG_txtceTsVbGUaCNEEkQ4l-KX096tLZK4B4EapfYsHbYBPzIpQ/s1600/IMG_5493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7SzFhPnmUbUIUO5yswv2hLcG3Td1gQDkfGdY-cnxd9kDLPgsNMP9f6jpJ1BYbjF0h549RMlR1IZRzB0krADoG_txtceTsVbGUaCNEEkQ4l-KX096tLZK4B4EapfYsHbYBPzIpQ/s400/IMG_5493.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Thursday after I finished the guitar, I took it to the Englewood tavern and played slide on it during the open mic which I host. It has a sound which is distinct from the first of these I built, which was made out of Maple, with a P-90 pickup. I wanted a different sound, from the same configuration. No sense in havingtwo guitars which are exactly the same!<br />
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I may actually find myself playing this one in Standard Tuning, and using the other for slide.<br />
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Anyway, I was well-pleased with how it came out. I really like parlor guitar-sized body with the full-scale neck. I might actually build another, and set the neck with a 16th-fret junction of the neck and body so that I have more usable frets. With the 14-fret junction, you are a bit limited in the upper octaves.<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-65645774988597092462018-07-08T17:54:00.000-06:002018-07-08T17:54:07.046-06:00They Say That You Can Never Go Home. But, Here I Am...<br />
After our trip to Vermont, we did a lot of hanging about. Joy took Momma to the doctor to check out the hairline fracture she had gotten on her little finger, the first day I was there. Afterwards, Momma came by and spent some time at the house.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsx7P3jJgV9l9gAmkX3E9av96tc78GvwshncFEj14P4lIwQvfOb2jkTkCv-9K22OYmuJfMsbfeihy6SxqN0peQ73YwE6uolZIoRIkTjgcxEqQD0QgRdB1lUiF7raypLBFtrSdjzw/s1600/fullsizeoutput_284.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsx7P3jJgV9l9gAmkX3E9av96tc78GvwshncFEj14P4lIwQvfOb2jkTkCv-9K22OYmuJfMsbfeihy6SxqN0peQ73YwE6uolZIoRIkTjgcxEqQD0QgRdB1lUiF7raypLBFtrSdjzw/s400/fullsizeoutput_284.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Momma and I, sitting on Joy's patio...</i></div>
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<i>The following pictures are random shots from the next few days:</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg689WyVqeRTOpe0dYIu_LrjJ8g1wM7bwnzkBfTv672L6i5y8zZd0bKl2Ox_XU8BeNQ2wIxr7WZXXrIEI-GdwvM6YG1ZH6MHo1CA6Sz5QszilC6m-HZJB4WE2TT3e4UrQMxqZ9lAA/s1600/fullsizeoutput_282.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1515" data-original-width="1600" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg689WyVqeRTOpe0dYIu_LrjJ8g1wM7bwnzkBfTv672L6i5y8zZd0bKl2Ox_XU8BeNQ2wIxr7WZXXrIEI-GdwvM6YG1ZH6MHo1CA6Sz5QszilC6m-HZJB4WE2TT3e4UrQMxqZ9lAA/s400/fullsizeoutput_282.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>A baby bluejay which had fallen out of the nest. Momma Bluejay followed him around for a couple of days until we lost track of him.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAHVhs6-6AcRjCH3Y1SZZuaxFb1Cked2KWphALKpW6edGwncA3gLcWRCerDWc3J63MuR9ghJX-hNHPmwhCIYikqNMJLPHm3EYP34yC51W4V9j6PzwD4mIHs9Nd_k8YenBNvd6zg/s1600/IMG_5405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAHVhs6-6AcRjCH3Y1SZZuaxFb1Cked2KWphALKpW6edGwncA3gLcWRCerDWc3J63MuR9ghJX-hNHPmwhCIYikqNMJLPHm3EYP34yC51W4V9j6PzwD4mIHs9Nd_k8YenBNvd6zg/s400/IMG_5405.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>My favorite breakfast-time activity...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w5ymekG8Z8E3UseqRkyKFfMs-JpMjxdkcz_Aeg0j_6UtpAA5yJ-d1dcKu3QQNbOtn5l0JWxRwj9l1cShmlhNsCah6SMlZ4j_8aWWgb4cMff5FylUsUagLkC2vXXqjH-EN0_mkQ/s1600/IMG_5407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w5ymekG8Z8E3UseqRkyKFfMs-JpMjxdkcz_Aeg0j_6UtpAA5yJ-d1dcKu3QQNbOtn5l0JWxRwj9l1cShmlhNsCah6SMlZ4j_8aWWgb4cMff5FylUsUagLkC2vXXqjH-EN0_mkQ/s400/IMG_5407.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>The baby bluejay is on the stick behind sSteve's chair.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYprx5wCor33iSSVR7egbh4LLNM0NVnDR9y2wK_NPEvEbtjJyDksCD85hiaBwSVJqFZS94idr4AK4BZTlI9VItLRgvn5OgRiTn65M2ckCV4GKqt3U9ZI0-MmkicCxi5Y5oeImVA/s1600/IMG_5413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYprx5wCor33iSSVR7egbh4LLNM0NVnDR9y2wK_NPEvEbtjJyDksCD85hiaBwSVJqFZS94idr4AK4BZTlI9VItLRgvn5OgRiTn65M2ckCV4GKqt3U9ZI0-MmkicCxi5Y5oeImVA/s400/IMG_5413.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Proof that at least one person is paler than I am. Sean and I comparing "tans"...</i></div>
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<i>I ordered this repeating rubber band gun for Sean, while we were in Vermont. It arrived in Monday's mail, and we had a good time shooting it.</i></div>
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<i>My mileage at the start of the trip home...</i></div>
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Eventually, all good things come to an end, and I needed to head back to Denver. So, I left Mercer at about 7:30 on the morning of July 4th, and headed west on I-80. I wanted to take a different route back, in order to avoid the I-70 madness between Columbus and Indianapolis.</div>
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<i>First gas stop, outside of Mansfield, OH</i></div>
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I got off of the Interstate at Mansfield, Ohio, and got on US-30. It was a good road, and the scenery was relatively pleasant, for Ohio. I made pretty good time, but the heat was building. All along the way, the bank thermometers were showing 97 to 99 degrees, and the sun was beating down.</div>
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By my third gas stop, in Monticello, Indiana, I was pretty dehydrated, and getting a bit goofy. I didn't realize it until I had to go inside to prepay, because the pump wouldn't take my card. I sort of got into it with the clerk, and suddenly realized what was going on. I apologized, profusely, got my gas and something to drink, and took off, again.</div>
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At that stop, I texted Joy that I had made it 300 miles, so far. About 20 minutes later, after my drink had gotten into my system and my brain started working right, again, I realized that I had actually gone 400 miles, I just couldn't do the math in my addled state.</div>
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I made sure to stay better hydrated, after that!</div>
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I had to get off of the US highways, in Illinois, and take I-57 south to Champagne/Urbana in order to pick up I-72 (which becomes US-36 at Hannibal, MO.) At Decatur, Illinois, I stopped for gas and had the most aggravating experience in a convenience store.</div>
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I went inside, after gassing up, to get a drink and a snack. I got a Diet Mtn Dew and some peanut butter crackers, and went to the front to pay. There, a gentleman had three 18-packs of Keystone light, and was asking if there was any more in the back. (It was on special.)</div>
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The second clerk walked up, and the gal checking out Mr. Keystone Light told her to go get him three more packs. Meanwhile, an older guy got behind me in line.</div>
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Clerk #2 comes back with the beer, sets it on the counter, then walks to her register. As she does, I start to move that way and the old guy behind me <i>sprints</i> over to the counter to pay. Clerk #2 just looked at me, and started ringing him up.</div>
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Meanwhile, the Keystone Kowboy has paid. I start to move forward, and then he says, "I need some help getting this out to my car."</div>
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So, Clerk #1 just grabs some of his beer and carries it out. Meanwhile, I'm still standing there, waiting to pay, and the old guy is chatting up Clerk #2.</div>
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So, I just put my stuff back and left. No-one seemed to mind...</div>
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Anyway, that got my adrenaline up to the point that I decided to just go ahead and ride to Hannibal, another 140 miles away. I really wanted to get Illinois behind me.</div>
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<i>My reward to myself for making it to Hannibal in a day...</i></div>
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The next morning, I checked out of the motel, and talked to a Harley rider from Canada. He had been planning to rider to Decatur, get on old 36, and take that to Indy. I told him about my experience with that route, on the way east, and he decided to plot another route.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqe_cYB-_bWcwVuxV4YS4YYhYgJ5jC3LFUxON8gCD0AWSdQIkdy2P7fhC9k-17FkNvoTDeNaG8_V13XQRR6agd8oQmRYxRTVrrfzAwZAEs2VLhlFVO22yj1iwFgUrxU_mlROcV1g/s1600/IMG_5418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqe_cYB-_bWcwVuxV4YS4YYhYgJ5jC3LFUxON8gCD0AWSdQIkdy2P7fhC9k-17FkNvoTDeNaG8_V13XQRR6agd8oQmRYxRTVrrfzAwZAEs2VLhlFVO22yj1iwFgUrxU_mlROcV1g/s400/IMG_5418.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Fueling up in Hannibal. Notice that I took my jacket off to get gas. I was already pretty damn humid, at 8:00 AM.</i></div>
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Once I was moving, the riding was pleasant. The sun was out, but the temperature was much lower than it had been the day before. Missouri flew by in about 4-1/2 hours. I drank water at every stop, and took it easy. I knew that there was no way to make it home, that day, as tired as I was. But, once I passed Cameron, MO, I knew that I was under an easy day's ride from Denver.</div>
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I ended up stopping in Oberlin, KS, for the night. I had planned on staying in a new, "nice" hotel, but I saw the <i><a href="http://www.oberlininn.net/" target="_blank">Oberlin Inn and RV Park</a></i>, and checked it out online. The reviews were good, so I got a room there.</div>
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<i>My bike in front of my room. The other rooms in the little building were storage, so I had no wall mates. It was nice and quiet!</i></div>
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<i>I was somewhat charmed by getting an actual room key.</i></div>
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<i>Downtown Oberlin</i></div>
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One of the things I really like about the small towns in Kansas, other than how friendly everyone is, is that most of them have retained their historic look. Brick streets and old storefronts greet you in almost all of those towns, if you leave the highway corridor and go to the Business District. </div>
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Just past that red truck, in the second picture above, is <i>The Reload</i>, where I ate dinner. Pizza and sandwiches ... I had a cheeseburger and fried dill pickle chips. The condiments were in squeeze bottles, and the Coors Beer was ice cold, and both of those facts pleased me.</div>
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<i>After dinner, I went back to my room and decided to make myself a cocktail. </i></div>
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When I'm on the road, I usually drink my whiskey in some Diet Coke. It allows me to have as much drinking time as usual, without drinking as much whiskey. I didn't have any ice in my room, so I walked across the street to the gas station convenience store to get a large fountain drink, with a ton of ice in it. Once I had it, I walked up to the counter and ... realized I had left my wallet in my jacket pocket.</div>
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In a moment which was the polar opposite of my experience in the convenience store in Decatur, one of the clerks told me to not worry about it, and she paid the $2.58 for my drink out of her pocket. (Good ol' Kansas!) So, I walked back to the room, got my wallet, and rode the bike back over to the store. (I was tired of walking.) I gave her $5.00, and told her to keep the change.</div>
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Later, as I was sitting outside, drinking and swatting skeeters, a truck drove by on 36, and I watched the front driver's side wheel fall off of it, and it continued a few yards in a shower of sparks. The driver pulled off to the road between the gas station and the motel, and made a rather loud phone call describing his predicament to someone I think may have just sold him the truck.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxszEn_uLC6CsR9lcthyphenhyphenLiXb10NBLcn9sY42160zJwGqvyMs0qgBYhxQXVV7WNBapo9b2VQnCTNSnJYiknabx7CSyWRooxoekVuYy_Ht42QL6587VVui5PLr8P7n_yKmk2JODu_Q/s1600/fullsizeoutput_27e.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxszEn_uLC6CsR9lcthyphenhyphenLiXb10NBLcn9sY42160zJwGqvyMs0qgBYhxQXVV7WNBapo9b2VQnCTNSnJYiknabx7CSyWRooxoekVuYy_Ht42QL6587VVui5PLr8P7n_yKmk2JODu_Q/s400/fullsizeoutput_27e.jpeg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<i>The wheelless truck. You can see that the wheel didn't come off of the hub, but the steering assembly has partially detached.</i></div>
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By the time I finished my second drink, a tow truck had arrived and loaded the truck up and hauled it off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7294LJgMWbGjC2Tf7r_GZVP_LlmjxdKvu88he6goy6-p8VKWVRRiNhzJOOX07W7j_vXpBXDDg6OfGsA7-qOwVDvbba9x1NfW3bLHIr0Hum6-J82o8TTNhKFV6e53T605lff7GQ/s1600/IMG_5440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7294LJgMWbGjC2Tf7r_GZVP_LlmjxdKvu88he6goy6-p8VKWVRRiNhzJOOX07W7j_vXpBXDDg6OfGsA7-qOwVDvbba9x1NfW3bLHIr0Hum6-J82o8TTNhKFV6e53T605lff7GQ/s400/IMG_5440.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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After a great night's sleep and a refreshing shower, I walked over to the office for the Continental Breakfast. The eating area had a dining table, rather than small individual tables, like a boarding house. I had a bagel with cream cheese and a cup of coffee, then grabbed another cup of coffee and some peanut butter crackers (finally got some!), and went outside to sit and have my "second breakfast". </div>
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After that, I went back inside for a third cup of coffee, since I was in no hurry to get on the road, being only about 250 miles from home. I met the owner, sitting at the table with one of his cronies, and talked for a while. Definitely a colorful character!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBWwp2R5OS_LsVyuSlNiylYcy9fIf58QMObVuvKB4wLqA8X_t5NqAKQWywv3TlMJLP5mig-mHoPq0z7avuVBUOA9pqxmGu4RCOavhaku1s4xSrYOZGOwgNe5UYMGY2O2nq3N8Zw/s1600/IMG_5441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBWwp2R5OS_LsVyuSlNiylYcy9fIf58QMObVuvKB4wLqA8X_t5NqAKQWywv3TlMJLP5mig-mHoPq0z7avuVBUOA9pqxmGu4RCOavhaku1s4xSrYOZGOwgNe5UYMGY2O2nq3N8Zw/s400/IMG_5441.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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A couple of hours later, and I crossed into Colorado (which isn't really very colorful, there). A little over two more hours saw me back in my driveway.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYr5d2mQlC2lyt3axopD3i2Zaw6Qk1vfKaMPcd2gSJ9MG6sCmqibbmwz0jYxUSHqfuu4uSXJe9z_N5NQ6R1bFrKC6TUrghXX6QnfVORfLQIXn-c8Y2CKa9Ufg5JOzOBjdIzhGETQ/s1600/IMG_5444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYr5d2mQlC2lyt3axopD3i2Zaw6Qk1vfKaMPcd2gSJ9MG6sCmqibbmwz0jYxUSHqfuu4uSXJe9z_N5NQ6R1bFrKC6TUrghXX6QnfVORfLQIXn-c8Y2CKa9Ufg5JOzOBjdIzhGETQ/s400/IMG_5444.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I forgot to get a picture of my odometer at the house, so I took this shot at Fermaentra, which is two miles past my house. If you go back and look at the mileage when I left Denver, and do the math, it comes out to almost exactly 3,000 back to try driveway. And, by almost exactly 3000, I mean 2999.8!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fPQkeI4mLpOAxA8sPAW9WK-CbZtIzbEBl9PKJtJzDeVwHmKeUbcbwenEwZHQOG7lw-2ri2f5ShvcaGNoq2mEbJwXrY1xY8CkiqAEgODF8bfysQ3rKtVasVVC8NPDItEdLFrIBw/s1600/IMG_5445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fPQkeI4mLpOAxA8sPAW9WK-CbZtIzbEBl9PKJtJzDeVwHmKeUbcbwenEwZHQOG7lw-2ri2f5ShvcaGNoq2mEbJwXrY1xY8CkiqAEgODF8bfysQ3rKtVasVVC8NPDItEdLFrIBw/s400/IMG_5445.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Safe and sound, happy as a clam</i></div>
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Despite my concerns, the pin striping on the gas tank came out undamaged, even though I stopped putting the cloth under the tank bag after the first day.</div>
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Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-29762850487083201982018-07-02T09:28:00.002-06:002018-07-02T09:28:38.585-06:00Why You Never See Me With a Tan <br />
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By the time I got to Mercer, last week, I had a bit of a sunburn on my throttle-hand wrist. My jacket sleeve rides up a bit, and the gloves I was wearing have a short wrist-piece, so a gap would appear between them as I rode.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsNBqO8nJFASlMQfjQmktc54rI8srm25IMH1y8ibDFMX_aAlW-nE6lS2Cw3r0CbVFQqnFAs_psFRXZhlMw1tByl-d7neY9LkoIyMp2NJ8lfSBxap0DEmN7qmRMSqxg8BuyTDEkg/s1600/wrist2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsNBqO8nJFASlMQfjQmktc54rI8srm25IMH1y8ibDFMX_aAlW-nE6lS2Cw3r0CbVFQqnFAs_psFRXZhlMw1tByl-d7neY9LkoIyMp2NJ8lfSBxap0DEmN7qmRMSqxg8BuyTDEkg/s400/wrist2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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For many people, this would result in an amusing, abbreviated "farmer's tan". For me, however, this is the result:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp68bVKqaQniV1tgWcn7L6TNFeuSgcafNWfiYqcdfFnw_zunwz4Y70_4D168ja323dSD3xbZhWYmCS1OVklg5NGadQ6Vc4N_lvAuvzr6IMNAJ4T74TN_kkGGODIKMEqHGmIcmPA/s1600/arm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp68bVKqaQniV1tgWcn7L6TNFeuSgcafNWfiYqcdfFnw_zunwz4Y70_4D168ja323dSD3xbZhWYmCS1OVklg5NGadQ6Vc4N_lvAuvzr6IMNAJ4T74TN_kkGGODIKMEqHGmIcmPA/s400/arm1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Radiation burns!</i></div>
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So, while we were all up in Vermont, I went to an outdoor supply store and bought some deerskin work gloves, with a longer wrist area.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e6OuZeMRZ5HkeJem_rxT-9A7_OJsp-AiCoVz0DsFWfFENJ4nn3idSZre3EWnaWvZ8QecQRPiGeoBlBLrpjCYWzk_1uMJ0Pl8FqsWeIFizNuFFZ6K4Q0ePgp3ISq2Sh0DWEqAZg/s1600/glove1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e6OuZeMRZ5HkeJem_rxT-9A7_OJsp-AiCoVz0DsFWfFENJ4nn3idSZre3EWnaWvZ8QecQRPiGeoBlBLrpjCYWzk_1uMJ0Pl8FqsWeIFizNuFFZ6K4Q0ePgp3ISq2Sh0DWEqAZg/s400/glove1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>The old glove, with the short wrist...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6-auhnvbrlLi8x7gavgZCh0MLrR94Dv0YtmVP4XolqvMmXE7-ovwNsDcQnxLguHKHtQ7rmKEuTkCDczFEvc3bCzpcaPMr0Ct0213RihyphenhyphenD40y5VKW31NGBU_UeuHc1GAYbigS2w/s1600/glove2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6-auhnvbrlLi8x7gavgZCh0MLrR94Dv0YtmVP4XolqvMmXE7-ovwNsDcQnxLguHKHtQ7rmKEuTkCDczFEvc3bCzpcaPMr0Ct0213RihyphenhyphenD40y5VKW31NGBU_UeuHc1GAYbigS2w/s400/glove2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>The new glove...</i></div>
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Notice that, with the new glove, you can no longer see the burned area. (My bracelet is in the same position, in both pictures.) Hopefully this will prevent a repeat of the problem.</div>
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The old gloves would sorta bind my fingers, as I rode, too. This made my hands pretty sore, after a few hours on the motorbike. I think the new gloves will prevent that problem, as well.</div>
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<i><b>Sometimes, problems arise on the road which have never occurred on shorter, local rides. Nothing to do but find a fix for them.</b></i></div>
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That, my friends, is my entire attitude toward touring on a motorbike.</div>
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-66967418220630200352018-07-01T12:26:00.003-06:002018-07-01T12:26:28.390-06:00Side Trip To Vermont<br />
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My older nephew, Kyle, is working Event Support at the <a href="https://www.marlboromusic.org/" target="_blank">Marlboro Music Festival</a>, a few miles from Brattleboro, Vermont. Joy, Steve, Sean and I loaded up the car and drove there so that I could have a short visit in with him, since he could not come home while I am here. (It's an eight to twelve-hour trip, depending on how much of a hurry you are in.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvP3c8ZM-igRrdjiEmjErQ6woj1OKPAW1KXTq1GF1Jy9JjToqggLRnQrOXvPVWsUD8vBoCeTu3Mon2l0IjgRj72kkDgVhVrRR7lBSo4G3hmf21-BcHpSAoKefgLOUK0TEX_U3rlQ/s1600/cabin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvP3c8ZM-igRrdjiEmjErQ6woj1OKPAW1KXTq1GF1Jy9JjToqggLRnQrOXvPVWsUD8vBoCeTu3Mon2l0IjgRj72kkDgVhVrRR7lBSo4G3hmf21-BcHpSAoKefgLOUK0TEX_U3rlQ/s400/cabin1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We rented a cabin on Gate's Pond, twenty minutes from the campus of Marlboro College. The cabin was a lot nicer than we anticipated, and the general consensus was that none of wanted to leave, once we were there!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd_6Vqn8YXmef6IoLAGa7AJIJYyBa7gOZAV7JgEbcWHU3AIrWA8kkd0lm4bai41JEgaG0Mu1mFGzejWvaOoweKHDJRviLFcCGZdwicVITNIJBQFL5xV6dfC4nNHF0XWHntfAD1Q/s1600/cabin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd_6Vqn8YXmef6IoLAGa7AJIJYyBa7gOZAV7JgEbcWHU3AIrWA8kkd0lm4bai41JEgaG0Mu1mFGzejWvaOoweKHDJRviLFcCGZdwicVITNIJBQFL5xV6dfC4nNHF0XWHntfAD1Q/s400/cabin2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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These sunny pictures are actually from the day we left. It rained, almost constantly, from the time we got there until the morning we were to leave. To tell you the truth, I enjoyed the rainy time as much as anything I've experienced in a while. We don't get a lot of rainy days in Denver, like that; it's usually sunny or stormy. So, rain and 70 degrees for a high was a nice change for me. (Also, it was over 100 degrees, both days, back in Denver. So, I felt almost like I was getting away something!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyR7IE5aTJt97v5dI0cqI6_8mNtnkOyUdD2omp-t59bb8fJvvTNxMjUwafkz7imwok930TQoZQ941k8ixLurx8mBYuOMJc8mSBxzex2lzSZNVVvkl_e7NBF5P5CxmVfvihyphenhyphen0Law/s1600/vtboys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyR7IE5aTJt97v5dI0cqI6_8mNtnkOyUdD2omp-t59bb8fJvvTNxMjUwafkz7imwok930TQoZQ941k8ixLurx8mBYuOMJc8mSBxzex2lzSZNVVvkl_e7NBF5P5CxmVfvihyphenhyphen0Law/s400/vtboys.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We called Kyle on the landline (no cell service at the cabin), and he arrived soon after. During a brief lull in the rain, he and Sean walked down to the shore of the pond to check things out. That was the last time any of us left the porch, except to get into the car, for the rest of the trip.<br />
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The pond looked, at first glance, to be rather scummy. But, when we looked closer, we realized that the green on the surface was actually lily pads. There were plenty of bullfrogs croaking, and we saw a couple of beavers swimming about, and we watched a hawk through the binoculars for a bit, as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWViOPprO4eZ0S1EwKHmVsU2vbdhm6luntbiMlPIK5dXs1hcNH1agG0vRkJUeT7j89vmCWh81fAmnigTUgOU0gzdFO0QbmoOw2eFUQOX77IbaPYwZCXh6bNc1K5YGgB1zmRa5OA/s1600/vtjoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWViOPprO4eZ0S1EwKHmVsU2vbdhm6luntbiMlPIK5dXs1hcNH1agG0vRkJUeT7j89vmCWh81fAmnigTUgOU0gzdFO0QbmoOw2eFUQOX77IbaPYwZCXh6bNc1K5YGgB1zmRa5OA/s400/vtjoy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is where I spent the majority of our time at the cabin.<br />
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On Thursday, Kyle came by and we piled into the car for a tour of the area. We drove though the Marlboro campus, visited Hogback Mountain (Famous 100-Mile View!) and spent some time rattling around in Brattleboro before heading back to cook dinner at the cabin.<br />
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Brattleboro is a very quaint town with a lot of historic buildings in the downtown area. I quite enjoyed walking the shops and looking around. On the way out of town, we stopped at Disco Bev (Discount Beverages) to replenish our whiskey supply. Our only bottle had mysteriously drained, the night before...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXO8nfduDuI01ei2wGU2Jh-mGbNEywnro5EuvhLcQp7E2VodymtcIEgTWE3qb2q9Bb8i6yHNtu5Mh9yFWccTgfpwpYo_CRsFtjEWZ1nxCvaCp2qXl3p_y9nLH2y0F1PloHCeXjGg/s1600/vtsunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXO8nfduDuI01ei2wGU2Jh-mGbNEywnro5EuvhLcQp7E2VodymtcIEgTWE3qb2q9Bb8i6yHNtu5Mh9yFWccTgfpwpYo_CRsFtjEWZ1nxCvaCp2qXl3p_y9nLH2y0F1PloHCeXjGg/s400/vtsunset.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sunset, of our second night in the cabin, was quite pretty. Venus peeked through the a gap in the clouds, during a brief break in the rain. The mosquitoes were a bit of a handful, but nothing that a good swing with a baseball bat wouldn't take care of.<br />
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As I mentioned, the second morning we were there dawned dry and bright. The pond looked a bit different in the sunny conditions.<br />
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But, I still say that we lucked out having the rain. It lent an atmospheric aspect to the place that I really enjoyed.<br />
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On the way home, we stopped in Oneonta, New York, at Brook's, a regionally famous BBQ joint. On the premises, there was a picnic area/playground, where Sean and I goofed around a bit.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i>Me, in the "Ragin' Rooster".</i></span></div>
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You can't see it in the photo, but there was a slide which went from the tailgate of the Rooster to a sand pit, behind it. Pretty cool for little kids (and not too bad for us big kids, either).<br />
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We got home kinda late, on Friday night, unloaded the car and went to bed. All in all, a pretty good 72-hour trip!<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-46881222932239026352018-06-26T08:51:00.001-06:002018-06-26T08:57:57.147-06:00Eight Great States<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The starting mileage on the bike, in my driveway, as I prepared to pull out. <i>(If you are familiar with my bike, you might recall that I broke the glass out of the original speedometer when the bike had 2461 miles on it, I replaced the original speedo with this unit. So, my mileage shows low.)</i><br />
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On Saturday, I got started a little later than I had planned. I set an alarm on my phone, in order to get up at 4:30, but I neglected to specify that it ring on Saturday morning. So, I ended up waking up with the sun at 5:30. Not a big deal, being vacation and all...<br />
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I took off from the house right at 6:30, took I-225 around to I-70 and headed east to Byers, about 45 miles from my house. There, I picked up US-36, which is my favorite route across Kansas and Missouri.<br />
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Oddly, the wind was pretty calm, not even noticeable, as I rode across the eastern half of Colorado. I figured it would pick up, as usual, when I crossed into the Central Time Zone, at the Kansas border. Fortunately, I was wrong. This trip is the first time I have ridden across both Kansas and Missouri without encountering a noticeable cross-wind on the highway.<br />
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The temperature was hovering around 63 degrees in Denver, when I left, so I had on a fleece vest over a base layer, t-shirt and arm warmers. Pretty normal, for early mornings in June, at the mile-high elevation of Denver. I rode until about 10:30 CST before it got warm enough for me to remove the vest.<br />
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I couldn't manage to get it in my overstuffed tank bag without rearranging things, so I just wadded it in between the headlamp shell and the flyscreen, where it rode all day with no problem.<br />
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Gas stops in Kansas, particularly, and also in Missouri are entertaining. I'll repeat my assertion that if you are lonely, all you have to do is buy a retro-style motorcycle of some kind (Harley, Triumph, Moto Guzzi, whatever), and ride 36 across Kansas. At every stop, someone will approach you to talk about the bike, and end up talking to you for 10 minutes or more. At the stop in the picture above, I talked to a gal from Ridgway, Colorado, for about 15 minutes (she was visiting her niece in a town about 20 miles away, in Nebraska, and came down to Norton, Ks, to visit her elderly aunt with whom she would spend a few weeks in the summer as a girl ... her dad picked her up on his motorbike and rode her back to Ridgway when she was 9 or 10, and scandalized the 4 aunts who lived there at the time, but she enjoyed the ride and remembered napping on the back of the bike as they rode...)<br />
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I also talked to an elderly gent from the area who was heading home from his sons house in the Denver area for about 10 minutes. Eventually, I just had to excuse myself so I could get back on the road.<br />
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This was the pattern at every gas stop west of the Mississippi, on the trip east.<br />
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As the day went by, and my normal 600 mile destination came and went, I started thinking hard about how far I was going to try to ride on that day. I wanted to get to Columbus, Ohio, and spend the evening with my old friends there, and I wanted to get as close to Columbus as possible.<br />
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So, I ended up rolling into Hannibal, Mo, at about 9:00 pm, just as the last daylight was fading. I had covered half of Colorado, all of Kansas and all of Missouri except for the last half-mile to the river, all in one day. My previous longest day on the Scram was 702 miles. On Saturday, I ended up with 776.<br />
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<i>End mileage on Saturday</i></div>
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I checked into an EconoLodge, just off of the highway, dropped my bag in the room and then went in search of dinner. I brought a KFC sandwich and potato wedges back, and grabbed a Diet Pepsi from the machine in the motel lobby. Just as I was opening the door of my second-floor room, a group of four riders pulled in on big Harleys. There were two guys and two gals, and they were having some trouble figuring where to park, as I had gotten the last open parking space in the lot.</div>
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I called down to them and told them to feel free to park one of their bikes in the space with mine. It was the last in the row, and they could then pull the other three bikes in close to the spot, on the edge of the drive, and everything would be cool. They thanked me, and I went into my room, ate, and fell into bed.</div>
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The next morning, after a very enjoyable shower (lots of water pressure, and plenty of hot water), I started over to the lobby area for the free breakfast. As I came down the stairs, the four Harley riders were packing up. We started talking and they told me they had been to the motorcycle museum in Animosa, Iowa, which I visited last summer. They were members of the Christian Motorcycle Club (not sure if that's the exact name), and asked if they could pray for me and bless my bike.</div>
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Now, I will tell you, that my beliefs probably don't line up exactly with theirs, but I cheerfully accepted their offer and received a prayer for my safekeeping, my mom's health and the blessing of my bike. I don't want to be a hypocrite and try to seem that I am a good church-going man, but I feel that any positive vibes you can send out are beneficial. So, I was happy to receive theirs.</div>
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<i>On the road, every little bit helps!</i></div>
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The day had dawned sunny and bright. My luck was holding with the weather, as the forecast along my route showed little to no chance of precipitation along the way. So, I had my free breakfast (home-made biscuits and country sausage!), packed up and was on my way. </div>
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After gassing up, I pulled back onto 36 and headed toward the bridge over the Mississippi River, thence onto Interstate 72, which overlays old US-36 at that point. As I accelerated onto 36, it quickly became foggy ... foggy London-town foggy ... foggy like you can see 40 or 50 feet in front of you foggy... It was a bit disconcerting.</div>
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Having grown up around rivers in the South, I knew what was going on. The Big Muddy was creating this fog bank in the cool morning air, and I knew that I would ride out of it pretty soon after I cleared the bridge. But, the 3 or 4 miles I rode in that blind fog lasted a seeming eternity, and I was just waiting for a stopped or nearly-stopped car to materialize out of the fog in my lane.</div>
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Luckily, I was the only one on the road, at that point, and I broke free of the fog about a mile east of the river, to once again enjoy a beautiful, strangely cool, midwestern summer morning.</div>
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I rode I-72 for about 145 miles to Decatur, Illinois, where I picked up old US-36, again. While I prefer to ride the older US highways, west of the Mississippi, I am beginning to think it is not such a great idea in the more densely populated states on the east side of the river. I saw some cool local stuff, as I rode, but the towns I went through were all pretty good sized, and really slowed me down. The holiday traffic around the reservoir along the way was atrocious, and the last 50 miles to Indianapolis took me and hour and a half.</div>
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I definitely have to find another route for the trip home.</div>
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<i>A "<b>Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance</b>" moment in Indiana, as I lubed and adjusted my chain at a gas/snack stop...</i></div>
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At Indy, I jumped on the Interstate and hauled ass toward Columbus. <i><b>I will tell you that I was appalled at how bad the road conditions are on I-70 from Indy to Columbus. The respective DOTs of Indiana and Ohio should be ashamed to have let the pavement deteriorate to the point that I-70 has deteriorated. It is awful, dangerous to everyone but, particularly motorcyclists, and I will definitely avoid it in the future.</b></i><br />
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I got to Columbus in the early evening and spent a really enjoyable night with old friends. Chicken was grilled, beers were consumed, and the talk never slowed down. I often think that the only thing I will ever regret about moving to Denver is leaving the Robertsons (and the Muraths, now, since Hadley married Jim) behind.<br />
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On Monday morning, I met Petey and Jennifer for a quick coffee and sandwich at Starbucks, then headed east, again on I-70 (which is a whole different road east of Columbus). I went through Wheeling, West Virginia, turned north and picked up I-79 past Pittsburgh to I-80 and then to Joy's house in Mercer.<br />
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No long conversations at the gas pumps, on this leg. At one point, I walked up to the cashier at the gas station/convenience store I stopped at in W-Va.<br />
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"Hey! How ya doing?" I asked, smile on my face, purchase in hand.<br />
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"All right." muttered as she looked at something very interesting on the floor. "Two nineteen."<br />
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Entire conversation.<br />
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Back on the road, I actually enjoyed the Interstate riding. The road was smooth, there are some nice curves, here and there, and the terrain is interesting.<br />
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I arrived in Mercer at about 1:30 in the afternoon. My brother in law, Steve, was outside puttering about. I got off the bike, Steve brought me a beer, and the visit began...<br />
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<i>Joy and Steve's garage. Front row, from left to right, Kyle's Triumph Adventure, my Scrambler 900. In the background, the GS 500 Suzuki I brought to Kyle when he was 16, and Joy's Kawasaki Eliminator 600 ... plus, a few bicycles</i></div>
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<i><b>My copy editor, Rosen, in my lap being a big help as I type...</b></i></div>
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-19289791731165643982018-06-21T18:34:00.002-06:002018-06-21T18:34:55.789-06:00I'm Tripping', Man!One Saturday, I'll be getting up early and hitting the road for Mercer, PA, childhood home of Trent Reznor (9InchNails), and current home to my mom, my sister and her her family. Unlike last year, when I took a leisurely 4 days in each direction, I need to make some miles, every day, and try to get to Mercer in 3 days. In fact, I am shooting at getting to Columbus, Ohio, in two, so that I can spend some time with my old friends, the Robertsons.<br />
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That means that I need to average about 750 miles per day (maybe a little more, since I am not taking the direct I-70 route). I usually take US 36 across Kansas and Missouri, then turn south to US 50 in order to pass through Bloomington, Indiana. But, I'm going to have to miss Bloomington, on the way, in order to get to Mercer on Monday. So, I am not totally sure of my route across Illinois and Indiana.<br />
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Why the hurry? Well, while I am out there, my sister and I are going to jump in her car and drive to Vermont, to visit my older nephew, Kyle, who is teaching at a Summer music program. That will take about three days out of the 8 days I will be there (if I make it there in 3...).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2_wDVJrrdy0m53j-JUcbYTFbXeegWEZL_uyVh8C7-guicuK7UpE24HiHAQkQio1i9LiSV321Mrg27g8rm1RYwiyky0KWl9WQHjrdTSH4bBT6YY_MctAE2Ec3Dux9mcp16CzdOw/s1600/fullsizeoutput_271.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2_wDVJrrdy0m53j-JUcbYTFbXeegWEZL_uyVh8C7-guicuK7UpE24HiHAQkQio1i9LiSV321Mrg27g8rm1RYwiyky0KWl9WQHjrdTSH4bBT6YY_MctAE2Ec3Dux9mcp16CzdOw/s400/fullsizeoutput_271.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tank bag is it, for luggage, this year.</td></tr>
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It's Blitzkrieg time! I'm traveling light, and planning on staying in a motel on Saturday, then with the Robertsons on Sunday. No camping equipment, or guitars or anything other than ranger, tools and a bare minimum of clothes for the road. I have clothes at my sister's house, and I'll buy anything I need and don't have with me, once I'm there.<br />
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It should be an adventure.<br />
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In the meantime, I host Open Mic night at the Englewood Grill, tonight. Tomorrow, I need to mow my yard and take care of a few things around the house, to get it ready for the dog-sitters.<br />
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Plus, I need to finalize my route, I suppose!<br />
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Then, early to bed (yeah, right!), and up on Saturday before the sun.<br />
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I'll post from the road, as much as possible, from my Kindle Fire.<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-68011455276182736552018-06-13T20:29:00.002-06:002018-06-13T20:29:53.695-06:00The Rock and Roll Lifestyle Is Going To Kill Me - Part 1I've missed blogging.<br />
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Since 1996, I've been pretty consistent with it. It is an actual "web log" for me, a journal online, where I can go back and see what I was doing two years ago, or what the weather was like a year ago, or whatever. Not so much for the past year.<br />
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So, this is the first of a few "catch-up" posts I'll be making, periodically. <i><b>They are going to ramble, and they may be deadly dull, but I need to document some things for my own sake. So, bear with me.</b></i><br />
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The title of the post is something I've been saying a lot, over the past year or so. I find that the band has taken over most of what I used to think of as my "free time", although there really is no such thing. Before the band, I drew comic books, rode my bicycle almost daily, and got a lot of reading done, amongst other things. Now, not so much.<br />
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Granted, I had slowed down my cycling due to the fact that I had developed Achilles Tendinitis in my right ankle, five or six years ago. But, that just meant I was riding to work 3 days out of five, rather than 5 out of five. Once the band started ramping up, my frequency of bicycling began a slow but steady decline. Getting up at 4:15, riding to work, then riding home and getting cleaned up for band practice is a bit of a hassle. So, I started making the commute on the motorbike on band practice days.<br />
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Then, as I was getting out of the routine of bike commuting, I began to feel like the hassle of changing clothes 3 or 4 times a day was a bit too much, and I started leaning toward the motorcycle even on non-practice days.<br />
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Right now, I can only think of one bicycle commute within the last three months!<br />
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Along with the inactivity, of course, has come a decrease in fitness and an increase in weight. I'm not particularly happy about that. I am back up to the weight/fitness level I was at when I moved to Colorado, 26 years ago. I had always told myself I would never let myself go like that again. Yet, here I am.<br />
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So, after my upcoming vacation trip to see family in PA, I am going to have to figure out how to get back in the groove. It doesn't help that I really love riding the motorbike to work. I may have to forego the commute and focus on getting some mountain biking in, or riding for my errands more. I'm not sure.<br />
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Plus, right before Christmas, I fell off of my bike on some ice and whacked my knee to the point that I could barely walk for a week, and limped for a month and a half...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFX1AehcUvlzwmbnQNC_6zj3uxlr07UzsIL2ZurqEWamDZaPpHh0oyM2qcASP0keW7KNRvPl0wYTmuVK6i3nwFOf65Muc_RTgxAaTXootD67dI4p9eU0MxK_rX1eSBHf-xJVlKQ/s1600/fullsizeoutput_85.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFX1AehcUvlzwmbnQNC_6zj3uxlr07UzsIL2ZurqEWamDZaPpHh0oyM2qcASP0keW7KNRvPl0wYTmuVK6i3nwFOf65Muc_RTgxAaTXootD67dI4p9eU0MxK_rX1eSBHf-xJVlKQ/s320/fullsizeoutput_85.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I don't know that I would be in the particular spot I am in now if that had not happened, but I had slowed down quite a bit compared to years past, already.<br />
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All I am sure of is that I don't want to turn into that old fat guy who "used to do a lot of bike riding".<br />
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Sadly, I have some really nice bikes sitting idle:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW6ZSz8lMIkErlJ70oIQqEEC1eRCMgodlQQapNYvFyYXyRCttaTPu4FusYMVEV2Pw57YIIKBNra6k7fNCz11lIyfeLyXRC4zdRnJcXVnuZ__5-ze2CpWtgm6UVPuDpcuJusvXzA/s1600/IMG_4673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW6ZSz8lMIkErlJ70oIQqEEC1eRCMgodlQQapNYvFyYXyRCttaTPu4FusYMVEV2Pw57YIIKBNra6k7fNCz11lIyfeLyXRC4zdRnJcXVnuZ__5-ze2CpWtgm6UVPuDpcuJusvXzA/s400/IMG_4673.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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And those are only three of 7 or 8 I have sitting around gathering dust.<br />
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More later...<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21208332.post-67343959664461763892018-06-11T18:07:00.000-06:002018-06-11T18:07:04.751-06:00Got My New (Old) ComputerI received my refurbished MacBook, today, and I'm busily setting things up and getting everything the way I like it. For instance, I synced it to my phone, so that pictures download from the phone to the Mac, automatically (which should save some time).<br />
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Here's a picture I took in order to test that feature out:<br />
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Just a quick snap of the dog. Seems to take awhile for the new pics to show up. I'll have to explore options on that.<br />
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Anyway, it's nice to have a computer I can actually use (fingers crossed that I haven't jinxed myself!)<br />
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xJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.com2