mack_turtle

I do, but there was no option to stop long enough to enter my personal information, find my password for the registration site, dig out a credit card, etc. I tried twice but didn't want to hold up the group.

I use the pointed end of bamboo skewers to guide spoke nipples into rims. O used to drop nipples into the all's of the rim frequently before that. Whatever you do, don't rely on your fingers.

I did this just the other day on my SLX brakes. Great explanation!

On that note, have you been to Rebel Cheese? It's the shit. We went on opening day and got in a few hours before they sold out of everything. It's probably not "healthy" but it's unique and interesting.

I have plans to make this part of a bigger CX- oriented loop. Not sure how to connect Mary Moore Seawright to Onion Creek Metro and all that with trails or bike-friendly roads.

FWIW, I've been vegan for almost 20 years. I only mention the timeframe to point out that this is not a phase for me, nor did I jump on a recent trend. I have no problem getting "enough protein" for my lifestyle and a recent blood test showed normal levels of nutrients in my system. I could see it as a problem with bodybuilding, but I also know of some ripped vegans. If you have ever ridden with me, you know my diet is not holding me back. I've not seen any vegan propaganda films, so I can't comment on them. I made my decision for my own reasons and I am living proof that a 100% plant-based diet can be balanced and support an active lifestyle. So can an omnivore diet, and either has potential to be crappy if you eat garbage and don't excersize. It's all in how you do it. My reasons are for the environment and for the animals, so if I happen to gain health benefits from it, that's a bonus. I have no interest in converting anyone, but I'll discuss facts with anyone willing to do so respectfully.

well that was fun.

There's nothing that I can think of to stop us from having an impromptu gravel ride on most of those courses. Not as fun since there's no big party and prizes, but we could do it.

Wait-list. I was in the middle of the SSUSA Barton Creek Greenbelt ride at noon. We finished around 1:00 and everything was already full.

I am under the impression that RV antifreeze is less toxic than conventional antifreeze.

Bonus info: Michael's had black glitter so you can make stealth sealant.

I tried a bunch of home brew sealants. I could never get them to work as consistently as Stan's and one formula basically glued the inside of the tire so badly that the tire was useless after it dried up. It was a good experiment but not worth the hassle. If you want to save money, buy basic tools and learn how to service your own brakes, suspension, build wheels, etc.

Did you post this on the Austin Single Speeders Facebook group? If not, get on that.

Yes, that's what I was getting at, but with way too many words.

If your hands are too close to your body, you picked the wrong size frame. By that, I mean that you don't have to have a drop bar, or even a bike designed for a drop bar. People have an absurd fettish with putting a drop bar on every bike and an absurd notion that it will make them faster. Unless you're hell bent on winning and can maintain 20mph+ on a dirt road, aerodynamics don't mean much. If you just want to have fun spinning miles on mixed surfaces, a hardtail with a flat bar or even a rigid mtb would be just fine. Any bike designed with a drop bar in mind will have a shorter reach and shorter top tube than a flat-bar bike. The reach to the hoods on such a bike should be about the same as the reach to the grips on a flat handlebar. Putting a drop bar on a bike that was designed to fit you with a flat bar will most likely result in a bike that is way too stretched out to be comfortable because the additional reach of the bar + hoods is subtracted from the frame. For example, my mountain bike (flat bar) has an ETT of around 615mm, and my CX bike has an ETT of 545mm. The respective reaches are 412mm and 377mm. My feet, butt, and hands are in about the same orientation on both bikes when I out my hands on the hoods because the CX bike has a shorter top tube, longer stem, and all that drop bar reach to even it out. If I put a flat bar on the CX, it would feel two sizes too short and a drop bar on the mtb would feel gigantic to me unless I also install the stem backwards. A bike with a flat bar plus comfy bar ends or some kind of "alt bar" also works well for long miles on dirt.

Sorry to derail- but what did you have in mind for a gravel bike? I have tried a few iterations of what could be considered a "gravel bike" and settled on a CX bike with disc brakes. There are lots of options out there. It does not have to have a drop bar or "narrow" tires.

Bloody weather!

But you just responded, so there's hope!

From DNP: Latta Greenbelt west to Davis, Dirt Colberg to Gorzycki (unless the backside of that hill has reopened behind the new apartments), left on 1826 up past the water tower, past Slaughter Creek and on up the hill to SH45. Not sure if the first trails there would be rideable, so I'd take neighborhood streets to the Bear Lake entrance. Ride around the lake, down Ski Lift, up to Bernia. My only concern is the Jeep road here, might be too mucky at the bottom of the hill. Fly down Escarpment, take a right at SH45 and ride the new bike path to 1626 and back to Escarpment. Do a gravel lap past the soccer fields in Circle C, then gravel past Alamo Drafthouse. Back down Beckett to DNP. It's a lot of pavement but it's better than sitting on my ass all evening. Pavement and hardpack is fun on a light-ish bike with 35mm tubeless semi-slick tires.

What stays rideable after a rain? I am sure most trails will be soggy tonight. After a rain, I am able to put in some decent miles on a cyclocross bike by riding Circle C gravel, Arbor Trails, Latta Branch Greenbelt, Archstone, DNP, VCT, Dirt Colberg, and the 1826 climb. What's Meridian like after a rain? Could I enter near Bear Lake and pedal up to Bernia without sinking in and leaving a rut, or does that get too soft as well? It seems very rocky so it might be OK. Anything else?

Related- I have a long rectangular box that had a flat handlebar in it. Might be the right size for a riding fork as well.

I am being optimistic, for once, that the ground will soak up most of it quickly enough. I would support a few minor reroutes (not my call, but these are my thoughts for alternatives): Certainly Slaughter Creek NP will be closed. Just ride past it and climb 1826. The second half of Drip Drop stays soggy for a long time but we can easily avoid that be using the cul de sacs on Via Correto Drive. Veering off the dirt and dragging mud all over the Veloway might be a bad idea. Keep riding past the Veloway dirt entrance to Genesis. Inner Canterbury might stay soggy, but it can easily be skipped if that is the case. The rest of the weekends for the next month are booked up with other events.

Just looked at the weather forecast. I am a pessimist about rain and trails, and this looks like it will do little more than tamp down the moon dust.

I bought some of these and found them to be too tiny for mtb grips. I prefer something a little broader, that covers most of the end of my grip. However, they fit perfectly on the drop bar of my CX bike, so they are staying there. YMMV.

You have no way of knowing what that bike has been through. It might have fallen off a car rack at 80mph. The rims were all scratched up as well.