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Although we helped some with their buildout we mostly provided the place to work on it and the tools. Then we got to use it for an extended trip. I don’t think my wife will ever be good with tent camping again. Now we are starting to think about getting our own Sprinter and the kids have offered to help with the build.

This is the 2006 Dodge Sprinter 2500 that we took on our extended tour of New Mexico and Colorado. My daughter and her boyfriend bought it in the Fall of 2019. It was a mattress delivery van and they bought it sight unseen in Nashville after flying up there. Over a couple of months they built it out as a camping van with no relevant background or experience and with a pretty limited budget. It has three solar panels on the roof salvaged from a friend’s house that powers a kickass cooler, all the lighting inside, and charges phones and computers. It has a nearly queen size bed that is positioned high enough that two bikes can stand up underneath (with the front tires removed). It has a sink with a foot pump powered water faucet. We knew they were off and running when a few days after getting it home they were cutting holes in the roof for the exhaust fan and the side for a window.

It’s not actually a scooter but an Ecotric ebike. What you’re looking at on that bike’s Down tube is the battery pack. The same company makes scooters too. I tried to find any kind of UL or safety agency rating for these bikes and couldn’t find any. Cheap lithium batteries and chargers scare the shit out of me so I stay away. Even home electronics or LED bulbs I will pay more for a UL listed version.

Bleeding is super easy once you get the basic idea down. SRAM is honestly the most finicky in its process, especially if you’re trimming hose and messing with their barb and olive. There is no better hose cutter than this one as it uses a razor blade and is quick to use. http:// Jagwire - Hydraulic Hose Cutter Bicycle Repair Tool |Easy, Clean Cutting, Steel Blades | Alloy or Plastic Body https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003RLCB3S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_E8YT9H5MQ3BEY53JY8T1 I also use this for pressing in the barb. http:// Jagwire Needle Driver, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003RLJFZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_NVC2CRR9ZDQ7645W9Y8K?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Of course you can do everything without these tools, but they’re so nice to have. I actually just did a gravity bleed/flush on my rear brake tonight after lubricating the piston seals. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

68* degree weather at the start of the ride tomorrow! Come get your ride on! Weather has definitely turned a corner and will be much more accommodating to us 2 slappers. If you've not done 2 laps before (and are contemplating a 3 lap DS), getting this kind of practice under your belt so far out can be very beneficial to your actual DS November game plan. You'll learn a lot about your nutrition, your fitness, your touch-points(!!), your pacing, etc... See you all in the morning. -CJB

The wieners love their office bed.

At the Taos end of the South Boundary Trail last Monday.

Do you plan to continue bicycle riding over the next several years? If so, DIY. The supplies are quite inexpensive. Sure, watch a couple of YouTube, but the Shimano instructions work PERFECTLY!