CBaron

I've not been to InnerBike since about 2010, but I had no idea it was declining as such. Historically, IB was always a huge tradeshow with a lot of business and meetings getting done. Anyone out there who has attended recently want to give their perspective? I tend to think that this could very well be a reflection on th over-all health of the industry. https://reviews.mtbr.com/interbike-tradeshow-cancelled Thanks, -CJB

Ahhhh....I guess this may be why about an hour ago Travis asked me if I had our tandem cover photo. The date shows Feb 2010, when we did the Excruciation Exam together on the long bike. All the stuff they were commenting on in the video above is accurate. There's a T-O-N of partnership, trust, control/lack of control, communication, etc.. that goes on when aboard something 8 feet long, weighing in with a total of almost 400 lbs. The upside is that with enough horse power you can climb most anything. The traction is insane and you'll never loop-out. Same goes for going downhill. Its virtually impossible to endo a tandem (I knew 100% Seth & Phil would make that 'sketchy' decent). But the downside is that you can NEVER lift your front wheel over ANYTHING. Thus you simply just smash into any root, rock, ledge, etc.. But having a trusted partner is key. Being stuck on that machine with someone you don't work well with would be a nightmare. Its a testament to our friendship that Travis and I could spend 8hrs 40min on that beast that day.

Thanks Kent for the update. And super stoked for that good news, lets hope it finally gets ratified! I was planning to slog my way downtown (from Round Rock), but seeing as work is picking up today and traffic is exceptionally poor due to the weather, I think I may stay put. Looks like the heavy lifting has been done, and WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THEM ON. This year makes 20 years since the initial BCP meeting down at the LCRA building which lead to the closing of Forest Ridge. A lot of water has past under that bridge. There's so much potential that could be had with a healthy working relationship in place. Thanks again, -CJB

Road bike...just say'n. -CJB

This sounds like good news....and I have to say its a bit refreshing. Of course, I know very well to not get too excited until all is finalized. I'm going to do my best to attend the Friday meeting. I may be able to bring my wife too. This could permit her (or I) to give away our 3 minutes. I'd really encourage people to make an effort to be there. If we are this ---> <---- close, and we are finally getting some willful partnership, then we need to turn up to get this finalized. Thanks, -CJB

I think this week, I'm going to try and head down south for the SATN C&D. But I'll try to be back for next weeks R&I. Cheers, -CJB

If I'm reading the charts correctly, then the numbers moved in similar directions for all aspects surveyed (both close & open). Thus we could surmise that whether open or closed, it has not had (at least according to this level of graph) significant impact on the actual "CHANGE" of the trajectory? I guess we could go further and analyze the 'degree' of change related to whether open or closed...and I think that may be where one could say being 'open to the public' shows a more favorable change. But I was just looking at the trends of the graph, rather than the raw numbers. According to the objective of the BCP and their imposed methodology, you'd think (if your a proponent of their method), that the trend lines should go in opposing directions. I.e....the closed lands have a Fledgling population that goes up, and the open land have a population that goes down. But from what I can tell, this is not the case! Just my quick observational analysis. -CJB

Whats the rhythm been lately? I've been away in the skinny tire world and thinking of coming over to the dirt tomorrow. Is there still an early group doing a quick lap before 5:30? -CJB

These things are still available. I'm probably going to give it about 2 days then toss them. Post up if interested. If you are in North Austin, I may be willing to deliver. Thanks CJB

I got my start riding in Lubbock too (while in college). At the time Mae Simmons park blew my mind! Its had "hills", trees and water crossings. Soon after MLK trails were built and I thought that was pretty cool. And then I discovered the Buffalo Springs loop out there and we would climb into the trunk of my buddy's car so that we'd only have to pay for 1 person entrance (while he had 3 bikes on the back of his car rack). :) Good times. I'm sure I have some photos somewhere. -CJB

I'll send you a text in a minute so we can work out the details. But the dimensions are pretty standard for a double door cabinet. I believe they are about 24" deep, 36" tall and probably similar wide. (I'm at work at the moment) -CJB

Yeah, they are not terribly difficult to move. They are sitting in my driveway. I'm happy to give you my address and let you swing by and get'm. -CJB

Most of the 29+ I'm aware of are on Boost hubs. I bought my bike as an experiment and ended up really falling in love with it (more than just the tires). My early impressions reminded me of when I first went to the 29 platform. The 29+ wheel is 6-7% larger in diameter and thus I noticed even more monster truckness (angle of approach stuff) from it. I'm running 13lbs of pressure and this gives a noticeable increase in climbing, braking, cornering, off-camber traction (especially in all our rocks). Then combined with the fact that I'm on a hardtail, it gives me some cushion in the ride quality too. My biggest concern early on was tire durability. But I've made almost 300 miles of LGT and not had a problem with my 3.0 Bonty XR2 (Chupacabras). -CJB

I'm running 29+ and love it. But I also don't like to push my way on everyone. You must find your own way. 😉 The trends I'm seeing are towards skinny plus (2.5-2.6"). The tire companies are starting to fill this in recently. I do find some appeal to it, but in hopes of finding a lighter weight 'racing tire' for me to use as a step down from 3" when needed. My problem is though that my current 3" have come in around 820 grams and also held up to 80 miles of LGT. So I'm not sure that finding a 2.6" tire that weighs 775 is really makes economic sense. But I'm also a weird edge case. Later, -CJB

I'm in North Austin extremely close to WC (Parmer & Metric). Where are you located? Thanks -CJB

Speaking of garage remodels... I've been doing just that in my current garage. Last week I removed these cabinets and would happily give them away to someone who could use them. In my garage they were built-in and had a nice thick plywood top (which I'm keeping). Any takers? Thanks, -Cody 512-6nine4-one3one9 codyjbaronATgmail.com

I think this convo inside this thread is a lame place to have it but since we are here.... https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/08/24/sports/top-finishers-of-the-tour-de-france-tainted-by-doping.html?ref=cycling IMHO, there is much more going on to win ANY TdF than doping. Yes, doping is deplorable and robs those that would prefer (or do) choose to ride clean. But its not the deciding factor. -CJB

I've got the KS (Lev??) off my Stache that I'd sell. I bet its only been used a dozen times. -CJB

My guess is that because it requires (?) you to have a USAC number that his would get flagged upon registration. -CJB

Thats a nice selection you've got there! HS press, cutting guides, torque wrenches, cone wrenches, spoke tension gauge, nice truing stand...

Yes, great ride report Thad! Good job getting it done. Sorry you had such a rough day, but its good that there was "a reason". Sometimes when I have a bad day and can't figure out why, it drives me crazy. And I L-O-V-E your EB 2018 Podium image! It truly makes me want to go out and ride the EB route soon! Later, -CJB

Its fun to read the ride reports and hear how thing went. I've been debating whether to put something together. I was planning to drop it into my Strava, but I figure since everyone's laying them out here, then why not... The problem for me was that I personally considered the DS as a "B event" for me. This meant that I wasn't placing much emphasis on it this year. My fall season had essentially fallen apart due to acute back issues that kept me off the bike for 2 weeks (leading up to my Epic Rides Race [Bentoville], then all the rain prior to EB which was subsequently canceled (2x's), thus I've felt under prepared for much of the past 2-3months. So with the weather report leading into the DS being so bleak, I was fully prepared to skip it. Therefore Saturday night before the race I had made a few phone calls to some riding buddies. One was in, one was out. So around 7pm that evening I sit down with my wife on the couch planning to watch TV and hang out. But we end up in a DS, riding, racing, weather discussion and she pretty much ends up calling into question my manhood, my resolve, and my commitment to the cycling community! WTF!? It's worth noting that she'd had a few margaritas and tends to get punchy... So here I am at 7:30pm finding myself ushered off my warm spot on the couch to start prepping for a 10(?) hr cold, wet, miserable sufferefest the next day. Luckily for me, and everyone else who's wife made them go, the weather held up remarkably well that night. Yes, it was damp and yes it was cold, but I distinctly recall that it had been humid and dewy for the start of last years DS event too. Skip to the start of the ride and I find myself with some familiar faces on the starting line of the 3 laps crew at 7am. I myself had very low expectations (remember B race). My Strava time last year was 9:21 and my total time was around 9:40. So I was preparing myself for something along those lines + 10 or 15 minutes. Boy was I wrong. The gun goes off and our group rolls out. It was very steady and I was happy to settle into a good pace while I watched the front 5-6 guys disappear. I was sandwiched right in between 3 of my riding buds and we were chatting and catching up. As I entered Cedar Breaks the group had been slowly self-selected to be my riding compadre Barry, some dude in blue and myself. Much to my surprise I found the conditions for the Cedar Breaks rocks to me noticeably worse than the Hogg Section of rocks. Thus I opted to dial it back and be very calculated with my line choice. Barry and the dude in blue road away. I had a good ride through the hills after Cedar Breaks rocks and found myself picking up the pace as I entered Tejas. Behold, I rolled up on dude-in-blue and Barry. I motioned for them to jump on the train as I put my head down and pedaled with vigor. By the time we were approaching the rocks preceding the finishing area I noticed that I was all alone. I rolled into the pits and needed to make some adjustments. I really HATE to stop, but given the conditions and the event length it was simply necessary. As I fiddled with my digital tire gauge (I run 29+ and tire pressure is critical) and make adjustments, along with adding some high quality H20 to my electrolyte mixture, I notice out of corner of my eye Barry, dude-in-blue, and Davis (FJSnoozer) gathering up and heading out for lap 2 together. Dammit, I'm missing the train as it leaves the station! But I gotta do what I gotta do. So I quickly wrap up and then head out for lap 2. According to fuzzy math and my Timex, lap 1 was about 10 under (2:50). I had not intended to ride that fast. But the good news was that I felt like I had bought myself some margin for later in the race. As the pit area begins to fade behind me, I make a mental note to goes as steady as I can in hopes of catching someone/anyone from the group that had left before me. Deep into the Hogg rocks I found myself feeling really well. The trail had dried up a good bit and I was feeling pretty fresh. So I soldiered on. I make strong time across the dam, up the hill and into Cedar Breaks. Much to my surprise the Cedar Breaks rocks were comparably better too. So I let myself push the pace a bit deeper knowing that I could "rest" on the flats at the end of this lap. I get to those flats and upon never seeing anyone from the group I'm chasing, I decide to once again push it into the headwinds and subsequently along the tailwinds too. I made note that this could be a tactical error as I was finding myself going much harder over the course of this event than I'd planned. But since it was a B-race for me I figured I'd just roll the dice and fall apart wherever.... The only (3 lap) person that I saw during this entire 2nd lap was Noel Rueter. I had passed him on the side of the trail during first lap as he was changing a flat that occurred while he was battling for the front position. About halfway through lap 2 he returned the favor as I was taking a nature break in Sawyer Park. Much to my shock as I roll up into the pit area to start my transition into lap 3, Todd yell's out that I'm in 3rd place! WTF!? And he says Noel is just ahead... Shocked, I inquire about Barry, dude-in-blue and Davis. Come to find out Davis was only riding 1 lap...and nobody had seen Davis or DIB. I was pleased, but confused. Looks like lap 2 was coming in for me around 2 under (2:58). I quickly make my transition and head out onto lap 3. Overall, I'm feeling pretty good. My biggest issue is my saddle/chamois/butt interaction isn't faring so well. But this is what you get signing up to ride 80 miles in rock infested trails. Or rather in my case, getting brow-beaten by my wife to come and ride 80 rock infested miles. My 3rd lap plan is to use my 13 minutes of built-up margin to turn in a bit slower pace, but still shoot for a 9hr event time. Seems entirely plausible. I can't see anyone in front, nobody in back, its just me and my bike, and some quiet suffering. About 2/3 way through the Hogg rocks section I find myself needing another bio-break. So rather than pull off into the woods, I decide to continue riding over to the other side of "that" big cove. Even though I'm skipping my natural modesty, it allows me to look quite far back onto the route on the off chance that anyone happens to be closing in. WTF?!? Here come 2 riders! They are far enough away that I really can't tell who they are. But at a glance, they look steady and determined. So I tuck myself back in and head off. I'm super bummed that I have now given these guys a rabbit to chase....and that my 3rd place finish could be challenged. I had already begun rehearsing my podium speech. My hope is that if I can just keep riding steady I *should* be able to keep the gaps the same. I mean after all, its 60 miles in and everyone has got to be tired, right? Once I exit the trail area and get onto the pathway that leads to the dam, I decide that if the gap has gotten closer, then I'm going to burn a match across the dam. In my mind that would show my dominance, which could lead to me developing enough of a lead to safely "hide" in the tech stuff that's coming up next in Cedar Breaks. I give it as much as I can. I lock out my fork, I place my elbows on my bars and I don't look back. I let that match burn across the levee, down the hill, up the climb and passed the metal gate. When I figure its safe to look over my shoulder, I take a glance back...WTF?!? This dude is about 50 ft behind me! I feel gutted. Now its HIS DOMINANCE thats been put on display. And I'm now with at least 1 less match. He comes around me about 1/2 mile into Cedar Breaks and I feel too demoralized to offer up a chase. Truth be told, my tactic had backfired and I simply knew that I couldn't keep *that* kind of pace for any amount of time. Therefore, I wad up my 3rd place acceptance speech and throw it into the trash can. Certainly I'm locked into 4th, right? Now that I've had my doors blown off by someone who seemed to kick my dog and make fun of my haircut as he passed by, I recall that I should still be within reach of my personal goal of a 9hr DS event time. I gather myself up and resolve to get back to riding steady through the jagged chunder. Pleasantly, I found that I had a decent amount left int he gas tank and I managed to pull off every technical section and climb from Cedar Breaks to Camp Tejas (except the BIG stairs after the Crocket Garden Springs). I found strong satisfaction in this accomplishment even though I could hear my crumpled up 3rd place speech rolling around in my mental garbage can. Once again, I lower my head into the wind and make war with the pedals as I churn along the flat to and from Tejas. As I was exiting the Walnut Springs detour I gave myself a moment to look back and check to see if the coast was clear. Yep, nobody there. My trusty Timex was showing about 20 min til my personal goal time and I felt some relief that the 3 lap flying monster was beginning to wane. As I downshifted to enter the final 1.5 miles of rock leading to the finish, I took inventory to recall that so far I've essentially ridden a no-dab 3rd lap. Could I find a consolation prize in completing the whole thing without a misstep? I steadily climb the first 2 tiered section. I'm tired, sore and slow, but I'm committed. Next up is the very techy section that today follows some mud pools. On a good day, I'm about 50/50 on this spot; today, I'd never even considered it. But this time, I'm all in. NOPE. Doesn't happen, not even close. Oh well, I'm just glad the camera guy isn't there this time to capture my disappointment. As I push myself around the rocks, I think I here a bike rattling 'over there'. But I determine that its my delirium getting the best of me. I finish out the last 1/2 mile in an uneventful manner. I cross the line to some cheers and accolades. I'm happy, but shattered. I'm cold and a bit hungry. And I finished in 4 place which is one spot better than last year. No sooner had I completed bathing in the finisher's applause, Mr Dude In Blue rolls up behind me! He's outa breath and saying that he's been chasing for a few miles. I honestly congratulate him on a great finish and I'm quietly pleased that he didn't snatch my 4th place speech and throw it into the proverbial trash bin too! After all, how could I face my bully wife with that news?!? After the hype of a few more finishers dies down, we find ourselves around the fire pit sharing stories and tactics. Much to my surprise, I find out that "the group" that I thought I missed at the start of the 2nd lap, was actually a figment of my imagination. He and Barry (and maybe another) had actually rolled off BACK TO THEIR CARS to refuel and such. Thus, I had been chasing a ghost for the entire lap! In the end, I think this was the catalyst in my over achievement for the day. I unknowingly through caution to the wind and it stuck. And if you were wondering, I was greeted with hugs and kisses from my wife as I darkened the doors of my house at 7pm. Luckily, I got home before the next batch of margaritas had been mixed up! ;) _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Sorry for the novel, but its just what came out. :) Here are some interesting stats that I've found today after digging through the data. John Russell the winner finished in 8hr 20min. He set the fasted lap of the day (for 3 lappers) at 2hr 38min his first lap. He also recently won 24hr RHR on a SS (200+ miles!) Jason Schaller who was the guy that hunted me down and kicked my dog halfway thru 3rd lap, set the 2nd fasted time of the day....DURING HIS 3RD LAP! (2hr 45min) He bested my 3rd lap time by 22 minutes and went from 6th to 2nd in one lap. I ended up accomplishing my sub 9hr goal at 8hr 54min. Dude-in-Blue (Josh Eggar) is actually listed with my same time (8hr 54min). But he did come in about 10 seconds after. Given another 1/2 mile and we would have been sprinting for the finish after 9hrs of riding! *NOTE* these are all event times...not Strava times. In closing, I wanted to thank Todd and the volunteers for all the hard work. During the ride, I was thinking that it seems Todd feels about LGT the same way I feel about Thumper. They are our 'babies'....but mine is 5 miles long and near my house; his is 27 miles long and 30 minutes away! The local riding community is blessed to have someone who cares as much as Todd does. Until next time, -CJB

When I owned the bike shop, during the winter months all I'd do are night rides. I bet I could go 4-6 weeks at a time and never ride in the day. I got to where a daytime ride began to feel awkward (re: sight, rhythm, trail contrasts, etc..). Off the top of my head, the SATN is the only notable trail system that I haven't ridden at night. Back during the HH Thumper Thursday rides, I was doing a mental inventory of my riding out there and came to the conclusion that I'd done more night laps than day laps. IMHO the secret to night riding are TWO LAMPS....one for head, one for bars. Later, CJB

Yes, everything did go very well considering the forecast and what 'could've been'. The first lap was damp and a bit sloppy, but the 2nd lap was MUCH MUCH better. Once the rocks had dried, some of the (few) dirt sections were hero dirt. Although the muddy sections and water crossings had expanded due to the traffic coming through the trail. But overall a great day. I knocked 30 minutes off last years time. And the winner (top 3?) all beat last year's winning time. So it was quick! Desert Nomad put in a lot of work and it showed! -CJB

WC is fine to ride at night (people-wise). I've live close by and have been riding WC at night for well over 12 yrs now. Now that I think about it, I can't say that I've even see another PERSON (non-rider) out on the trail in all my time out there. Heck, RARELY ever see another rider out at night. That being said, probably half my night rides are at odd days/hours. Fri-Sat-Sun from 8-11:30pm are not uncommon times/days for me to be out. I've ridden all over north Austin at night and have had absolutely ZERO issues that would constitute a sketchy situation. Later, -CJB