mack_turtle

I had a car with no AC in 2004, San Antonio. It was a mixed blessing when i was stopped at a red light and someone rear-ended the car behind me, which plowed into my car, totalling it. I was smart enough to not tell any insurance company that the AC had been "fixed" five times before my broke ass gave up. A car without AC in Texas is worthless in the market. Driving a few miles to a minimum wage job with no AC meant I kept a towel on the seat and just drove to and from work shirtless. Every trip in that car sucked balls.

I can think of two distinct situations when a plug fell out of a bicycle tire and ended my ride. one was an old plug that was in there for months. the other was a plug in a larger hole that was too big for the plug, which was one of those fat, black mondo Lezyne plugs that just slowly slid out about ten minutes after I shoved it in. maybe I've been unlucky, but it's not worth the risk to me to assume that a plug is going to stay in place long-term when I can just glue a "permanant" patch instead.

glue a patch in that spot just like you would patch a tube. I like using plugs as a temporary, trail-side solution. If the hole is big enough to need a plug, I don't trust the plug to hold on long term. it probably will work long term, but I don't want to take that risk. after plugging a tire, I wait until I have a little time to un-mount the tire, clean and dry the area where the hole is, and glue a patch in there. I bought a big sheet of about 50 tube patches and a jar of vulcanizing fluid just for this purpose.

This is the best thing on the internet this month https://youtu.be/_v0tnrER59M

to clarify, the ... yoke was installed on your frame upside down? I can see how that could happen, but it shouldn't. sounds like something I would do on my own bike after three hours of drinking and cursing in a 110° garage.

I haven't tried it yet, but I often wear a lightweight tech-fabric cycling cap under my helmet. It's white, so it reflects sunlight more than it absorbs, and it breathes. Manages sweat pretty well, too. Also mitigates sun exposure on your skin if you don't have hair without slathering sunblock all over your dome that will inevitably be washed off by sweat and friction from your helmet.

Sometimes I feel like early morning doesn't feel much better than late afternoon. It's not my imagination. https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/27/weather/texas-heat-wave-nighttime-temperatures-climate/index.html See also: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-weather-new-era-extreme-heat/ This is not a normal summer, historically. It might be a new normal.

The Bear, season 2. Perfect show! So far, S2 holds up to the high bar set by the first.

Anyone know what's going on with the body chemistry of people who gush about how they "love this hot weather!"? I keep hearing this and something does not compute. I don't like extreme heat or extreme cold, both are miserable. But i keep hearing randos saying that they wait to go outside when it's well over 100° in late afternoon and go running or just sit in the sun and wait for death, apparently. Are they mutants? Did They make a deal with the Devil? Are they just trolling? Is this something millennials don that I don't understand?

generic Amazon stuff, really. Ergodyne Chill skull cap - $11 Hanes Cool Dri long-sleeve, grey $22 / pair PFFY arm sleeves, $6/ 3-pack. I bought these because I have a pair of white sleeves from a bicycle brand, but only the one pair. I'm staring to accept that my German genes just don't belong here. I was in Seattle last week and I didn't want to come back to this hellhole.

I think the idea is that you're moving faster, so sweating wicks off and cools you more efficiently than when you're crawling through rock gardens on a heavier bike in the deep woods while the sweat just collects in your clothing and weighs you down more. I know I can move a whole lot faster on roads and gravel paths on my groad bike than I do while riding a mtb on mtb trails. You're also less likely to be in more humid creek beds (Barton Creek trails under that canopy feels like a steamer), so spending the same length of time riding "gravel" terrain is slightly less punishing. Yeah, the sun is wicked when you're more out in the open, though. I just bought some lightweight long-sleeve shirts and some cooling skull caps to try this. I'm only riding morning for a while, which means weekends only for me.

I rode Saturday morning when it was still cool, but it warmed up fast. Moderate pace, drank tons of icy water before, after, and during the ride, along with food and electrolyte mix—before, during, and after the ride. Still had a massive non-alcoholic hangover in the afternoon that I had to sleep off. I'm not sure what to try next, but weekday rides are out for the foreseeable future because afternoon temps will certainly be worse for me.

I just got back from Seattle where it was 50s and 60s. I got off of the plane and some local Austin person said to me. "I'm so glad I'm back in this weather! Seattle was so cold!" It took every ounce of self-control not to say back to her. "Yes, I love the spectre being in the hospital with heat stroke!" I'd love the luxury of early morning rides but that would mean waking up at 2:30 in the morning because my work day starts early. I keep it as warm as I can stand in the house all day, but when I go to the office the state agency uses taxpayer dollars to keep the five-story office building that is never more than 30% occupied at 60° all day. Because I was out of town and in a place with non-lethal weather, my last ride was last Tuesday and it took me 3 days to recover. That was before the true heat settled in.

At this point I just read the heat index and don't go out if it's much above 100. That means not riding at all most days with this kind of weather. I think of this part of Texas summer as similar to winter in most of the rest of the country where it is cold and snowy. There's a reason why temperatures and humidities with numbers this high are considered to be dangerous and I don't want to mess with it. I've tried all of the helpfully suggestions to acclimate, hydrate, eat, and dress appropriately for this kind of heat, but the bottom line is that putting my body through this kind of stress is just not fun any more. I've been saying that I'd rather go out later in the day when it's hotter but dryer but now I'm starting to rethink that. Riding in high humidity is uncomfortable and unpleasant, but I'd rather be merely sweaty than in the hospital with heat stroke. If that means only riding on weekends because there's no time before work in the morning on the weekdays then I guess I just don't ride that much anymore.

Vittoria Mezza tires, $20 each at REI. They appear to have 2.6 and 2.3 in 27.5 and 29" sizes. These are e-bike rated. If I put them on my acoustic bike will it make me faster? https://www.rei.com/product/199710/vittoria-e-mazza-tire

Kapic aluminum crankset with 32-tooth oval chainring. Includes 30mm axle in 141mm length for a 52mm boost chainline, 170mm arms with spare boots, and assorted axle spacers. You just need the appropriate 30mm bottom bracket that fits your frame. Super light, narrow, and stiff! Like-new. Installed and ridden fewer than 50 miles. Decided I wanted something shorter. $200

I too have Saturday chain tool and replaced it with a heavy duty Park tool. That is worth every penny.

The Hummingbird is a triumph! Rode it three times last week on various solo SATN routes, then some Barton Creek chunk this morning. I'm plagued with slow leaking tires lately, and figuring out the spacing for the 30mm crank spindle was a giant hassle. the first few rides were on a 120mm fork, but today's journey into Barton Creek was on a rigid Tandell fork with a 29x3 tire up front. didn't slow me down, but hand exertion from Bee Sting is real.

Woodchipper is kind of a "drops only" kinda bar. You really can't set them up for level hoods with a transition from the ramps, and a position that works from the drops at the same time. It's a true dirt-drop bar that works with a very tall stem. The Salsa Cowchipper, however, might work for this application if the frame's top tube is short enough for the rider.

I've ridden Walnut—parts of it selected for the least gnar—on a 650b, drop-bar, singlespeed bike. That place is magical because it has something for everyone. The last time I rode WC, I crossed oaths with at least a dozen people on "road-adjacent" gravel bikes as well.

SOLD 170mm arms with Shimano BSA bottom bracket. regular 24mm spindle. works with Cinch chainrings. $50 w/ BB.

Most lights have a blinky mode for daytime and a solid mode for night. In daytime, drivers can see you, but they might not notice you, so a blinking-flashing light gets their attention. At night, the might not see you at all, so a steady red light lets them know where you are and where you're going. A blinking in the dark is confusing to drivers because they can't track your movement. Using TWO lights on your bike is my favorite solution for redundancy (in case the battery on one goes out) and extra visibility. I can't recommend any one light. Just don't buy generic garbage when it comes to your safety on the road.

Neuhaus Metal Works Hummingbird in size M+. Ride report coming soon. Nick Neuhaus is a good dude, and you should buy a bike from him.

I have a frame with a t47 bottom bracket in 73mm width. I'm trying to fit a Rotor Kapic crankset with a 30mm spindle in the external t47 bottom bracket. the bearings are 92mm apart, if that helps. I have a Rotor spacer kit, so what freaking spacers do I need on either side of the spindle? https://rotorbike.com/mwdownloads/download/link/id/15 Edit: I think I got it through trial and error, but dang!

Worth every damn penny. I'm cheap AF and I got one of those. They had a Black Friday sale when I got it, though. Just in time for the sun to go down early enough that I needed it. On the budget side, my main on-bike light is a MagicShine. They probably have a smaller model that will fot on your helmet. Sofirn flashlights have been good to me so far. One of their smaller, lighter units might work on your helmet.