throet

I'll be ready to escape the oppressive heat / humidity in early Jul. Would definitely be interested in planning a 4-5 day getaway to CO with some locals.

Unless it's one of us mere mortals trying to keep up with you!

Rode Rim, DD, Picnic, and 1/4 Notch this morning. Despite the oppressive humidity, it actually wasn't that bad out there between 8:30-10. I consumed around 50oz of fluids and stopped once to cool off. Also have discovered great value in carrying a face towel in my pocket this time of year, since there's never a dry spot on my shirt to wipe my face / goggles. It's amazing to me how long it is taking for some of the muddy spots to dry up! We've had several days with little to no rain, but I guess given the amount of rain we had over a period of a couple of weeks, along with the clouds and humidity, it's just going to take more time.

Oh wow! I hadn't ventured over there in quite a while. That's very surprising! @El Gringo would know for sure.

I'm really diggin' the new look on the Sago Palm, and amazed at how much growth has literally just sprung up out of the ground in a matter of weeks.

DD was fine but not ideal. Snail was a mess and needs more time to dry out. I didn't even try Rim. It's funny how you get on the bike at 6:30pm and head to the trail with the wind in your face flying down Little Elm. You're thinking, "this is going to be a sweet ride". Then half way through DD and you feel like you're in a tropical rainforest. You're now thinking to yourself, "why am I still sitting in the saddle with this feature right in front of me"? Still, you get through it, get home, slam a couple of Hopadillos, and have no regrets about getting in some exercise. Not sure I'll be doing it in Jul-Aug, but for now, life is good!

Thanks. Going to hit it this evening!

And if the rain don't get ya ......

That's a cringeworthy comment!

Not sure if this is a seasonal, but after weeks of returning for more at the local Texaco, the well has run dry. Picked up this one from Kreische at Randalls as a substitute. It's good, but not nearly as good as that Bockslider IMO.

Looks like a few hours of mixed clouds and sun this morning with no rain in the forecast. Sounds like a perfect morning for RPR and I definitely need a few hours in the saddle.

Ah ..... got it! So are you going to share your best bodge job?

Isn't that just an elegant form of a boondoggle?

Is this a kind way of saying it must be a boomer thing? When I was a programmer in the eighties, I would have been offended if somebody called me a hacker in the context of my COBOL skills. I can get though how in current context it would be viewed as a compliment. I have regularly been referred to as a hacker in the context of my golf skills over the years, and that hasn't changed at all.

NBR but I'll go ahead and post it here anyway. Got a quote on trimming my trees that were growing into the house. Instead decided to save $680 and do it myself. Was up on the ladder sawing a 4in diameter branch off a Live Oak. Once the cut was nearly complete, the branch bowed down as I expected it would. As I finished the cut, I expected the branch to fall down and away from me. Still not sure exactly what happened, but the moment I completed the cut, the thick part of the branch that I just cut away catapulted into my face, putting a sizeable gash in my upper lip. As is generally the case with these things, all of the urgent cares were closed, meaning I ended up at the ER paying $580 copay / coinsurance to get 3 stitches.

OK I'm having to circle back on this and provide some deeper insights. While I initially wrote it off as just being OK and a bit overpriced, now that the bottle is nearing empty, I've developed a real fondness for it. For one, I've grown to appreciate that the "nose" on a whiskey is really important. I remember making a snide remark on this forum a while back that I'm not interested in sniffing whiskey - just drinking it. I realize now how wrong I was about that, and this selection for me has a really powerful yet pleasant nose. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy sniffing it, and that seems to make that ultimate gulp so much more enticing and pleasurable. Secondly, I think I initially let myself get too stuck on needing sweetness from a whiskey. While there are plenty of sweeter whiskeys that I thoroughly enjoy, I'm also enjoying some like this one that aren't so sweet. Not sure if that's just a bourbon vs. rye thing, but I'm wondering now if I need to at least try some more Ryes before ruling them out. On my list to try are 1) Mitcher's Barrel Strength Rye, 2) Wilderness Trail SBBP Rye, and 3) Pikesville Rye. Let me know if you've had any of these and which you would recommend.

There are a few endorsements in this thread from folks - CycleEast and VeloFix are the ones that stood out for me.

Yeah that's another part of my regret. I'm diggin' the new 140mm Grip2 way more than I ever did that Fit4. Not sure if it would have been possible, but if they were going to have to change out the damper anyway, I should have asked them to make it a Grip2.

I already replaced it with a 2020 Fox Factory 140mm Grip2 fork. The one being rebuilt would just be a spare for me. I'd rather spend that repair money though on either servicing or replacing the fork that's on my backup bike, which is non-boost. In the overall scheme of things, having a spare fork is a luxury I can do without. Oh forgot to mention, it's currently set at 130mm and can be adjusted to 120mm or 140mm with the proper air spring.

Ugh! I'm already regretting my decision to move forward with that rebuild. I've seen multiple posts online where folks illustrate how some of those imperfections can be fixed, and others who simply state that they aren't a big deal. Found another video where the Kashima coated stanchions were replaced with much cheaper black stanchions, which I'm sure would not make the least bit of difference for me. Oh well, costly lesson learned I suppose. Anybody interested in a freshly rebuilt (by Fox) 2017 Factory 29 Boost 34 with brand-new Fit4 damper and brand-new Kashima coated stanchions for $500? Available as soon as it arrives back to me, and will supply paperwork as evidence of the work being done.

I had my 2017 Fox Factory Boost 34 Fit4 sent in for service nearly two months ago and finally got the assessment back today. Needs new stanchions and new damper, along with complete servicing. Cost is going to be $468 including shipping - ouch! They claim I'm getting the parts at cost. I had never noticed any visible damage to the stanchions myself, but have no reason to believe they would just want to scam me. It was last serviced locally. Since I already replaced the Fork with a new one, this one is just going to be used for service rotations. What's really sad is that my other bike also has a Fox Fork that needs service. It's an even older non-boost 2014 Evolution Series fork that's also been serviced locally over the years. Would it be worth taking it over to Cycle East for an inspection vs. having it sent to Fox?

Bought this a couple of years ago and used it once. Paid over $200 for it. Mine is a Size L in this same White-Black color scheme. I still have all of the adjustable chin pads, as well as the carry bag. Asking $150.

Can attest - rode Snail, Rim, and DD mid-morning and it was near primo. Humidity was bad but overall it was really pleasant with overcast skies and mild temps. I'm working all day tomorrow, but if there is additional limb trimming needed over the weekend, give me a hollar.

Went out for an exploratory ride tonight. Double Down is good to go. Quarter Notch is mostly good, but puddling is a bit excessive. Best to give it a few hours of sun tomorrow. Picnic definitely needs more time to dry out - should be good tomorrow afternoon if we don't get more rain. Humidity was oppressive, bearable only due to the fact that temps were in the mid-eighties. Expecting more of the same tomorrow in that regard.