Ridenfool

I carry the electrolyte tablets (Nuun or Hammer's equal) and break them in half at a stop, toss one half tab in my mouth and sip water while it dissolves. Have avoided mandatory bladder cleaning for years by running only water.

The Osprey Savu (2 bottles) and Seral (1,5L bladder) look like they are in the same category and price range as the Dakine. https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product/savu-SAVU_690.html https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product/seral-with-1-5l-reservoir-SERAL_115.html

Birds of a feather I'd say. In the early 80's I had a K5 Blazer and was going to a night club in Houston with my buddy Bob. As we cruised the lot for a parking space some asshole swooped in front of me in a tiny sports car nabbing the spot as I was steering into it. The parking space faced the curb onto Westheimer Blvd. We had words, and the driver walked off with a fuck you attitude. Traffic was light and an idea struck me. It was clear the only thing to do was to drive to the end of the lot, pull around in front of the little car, and hook a tow strap to it. I dropped the transfer case into low range and dragged the car into the street where it now sat parked cross-ways, blocking a lane of traffic. I retrieved my strap, pulled around the little car, over the curb and parked in that spot. We went on inside like nothing happened. We had a good time at the club. Nothing came of the incident. I had forgotten all about it until a few months ago when Bob recounted it to me. Good times indeed.

Some may say that sort of ass-hattery could justify mirror adjustment (verifying the ratcheting mechanism is functional) and the kind and considerate tire valve inspection at the very least. It is important to periodically determine the valve will seal when repeatedly actuated, though voluntarily performing this safety procedure on random vehicles may result in the entire volume of air being evacuated from the tire. If equipped, checking the removable valve for cross-threading can be an added service offered.

I just operate from a confused state at all times. This really make things much easier for me.

I was looking for a righty, but not a lefty.

Riding on the road won't be making my list of things to do. The number of variables at play are too staggering to contemplate, plus, the way that over time, as more successful rides are completed, familiarity seems to breed contempt for the risks. I won't argue about it with folks anymore. All I have to do is recall two people with whom I had long conversations about how potentially unsafe that type of riding can be. Both of them over a short span of years after our conversations are dead from separate collisions with distracted/blinded motorists while road bicycling. Everyone has to make their choices in life, you deals the cards and takes your chances. I'll wait for dry weather as I trust familiar trees, roots, and rocks significantly more than I do exposure to a high number of random (potentially deadly) people in cars that will be encountered on any given road ride.

I'm sure it all happened very, very quickly. Slippery limestone sucks. Here's another hoping for a speedy recovery for this fellow rider. Nobody tell Seth about the "clipped in" aspect, it could spawn an episode of cognitive dissonance.

Extreme Banana Delivery

Just heard the rain dripping off the roof and checked DarkSky. Ugh.

May as well gravel the fun I can.

Perhaps a talk with Edward would be in order, I hear he runs the Aquifer. He needs to get on the ball and open the spigots to drain the ground water and fill his coffers. Anyone got an email address for him?

For the Win, the best budget mountain bike is my wife's Salsa Spearfish found in the for sale section of this forum. It might have ten miles on it, Mostly pavement. Perfect for someone that fits a small - medium frame with a low budget.

Hope everyone makes good use of the "Comments" sections to emphasize adding more signage explaining how specific trails were designed, built, and are continuously maintained primarily by mountain biking community volunteers. Providing information throughout trail systems so that members of any user group wishing to participate in these efforts may contact the designated group in order to join in the fun.

RHR is good to go. Did 12 miles today with the air conditioning on. It was nice.

Done. I don't live in Austin, but have been using the parks there for decades. It was quite comprehensive and took a while to get through. It gave ample opportunity to mention: MTB use and the need for signage informing users where trails have been built and maintained by mountain bikers and providing info for others to get involved, How the dogs on trails need to be on leashes and owners need to pick up their gift-wrapped presents, How scooters and electric bikes need to have signs where access is restricted and helmet requirements enforced wherever appropriate, etc.

In my book it was quite a bit better than not riding at all. The park facilities are just accommodating enough, and town is close by. There are worse trails to ride. It is what it is scenery-wise for being located in that netherworld which exists on the periphery between the Hill Country and the Permian Basin. If that is where you find yourself, I'd say make the best of it.

Then, provide a PSA here about what you find! 🙄

It may have come off a tad more "cheeky" had the OP been other than Sir Dropsalot The Frame-Destroyer, aka The Carbon-Punisher, renown as The Champion-of-Clipless-Pedals-for-ALL. By the way everyone: I was just being cheeky with this post.

You could start with, "I'd be interested in addressing that, but there's something I have to understand first. You see, ignorance can be dealt with through education, stupidity can't. Which am I dealing with here?"

With that much oil in play you may want to invest in rubber sheets too.

Al Gore invented the Internet for people to have a place to argue about inconsequential stuff. It is a right and a duty of all 'muricans to argue incessantly from the safety of their computers regardless of whether the computer is a PC, Mac, Tablet, Phone, SmartWatch, etc. Are you trying to deny people their natural rights?

Every time I see "RF" I think of this

Removing the brakes from the bike and hanging them with the caliper down makes it easier to get the air out, as someone suggested above. Another thing to do is rotate the caliper around with the line end up to allow any air that may be trapped in an internal void find its way up to the line so it can be flushed out. Pump the fluid in from the low point, retrieving it at the high point to help the bubble along in the direction it wants to go anyway. Paraphrasing Ty Webb (ancient pop culture reference) "Be the bubble." Na na na na na na

I know a guy who's just got out of the goat business ...