throet

#horseflybait

Now you're talking!

I might take you up on that. Do you know what the offset is?

When I was riding Alpine trails almost exclusively between 2012-2014, I had a 3x XC HT. Last time I rode in Colorado, in 2016, I was on a 2X drivetrain. More recently in 2019, I did some serious climbing out in California on a rental bike that had an Eagle 12-spd drivetrain. Now I'm getting ready to head to Colorado with my 11-spd. Even at 62 I consider myself a strong climber, and my 27lb bike is very well suited for climbing. I'm obviously short a climbing gear though from what I've been accustomed to in the past. Should I swap out my 30t chainring for a 28t before heading up there, or do I just suck it up and risk burning my legs out early?

He's a great kid and a beast on the bike. Think you'll be up there that weekend?

Haha that be him!

Turns out one of my riding buddies from Austin works at Absolute now. I'm hoping he'll join us for a ride or two while we're there, but he is in another league altogether! Motel options were a bit spotty, but we managed to land a little 2-bdrm bungalow via AirBnB that is just a couple of blocks from the city center. Another buddy of mine from Broomfield is going to try coming down as well that that weekend - Jul 9-11. If you're going to be up there that weekend, we'd of course welcome your local trail knowledge.

A buddy and I just booked a bungalow in Salida for Jul 8-12. We'll probably ride the nearby trails on Fri and Sun, with an all-day trip over to Hartman Rocks on Sat. Couldn't be more stoked, especially after suffering even on an early morning ride here today.

Yeah I was just thinking that when my wife and I went out for dinner last night it didn't feel at all uncomfortable. Will probably go out for a ride around 6:30 tonight and see how it feels - maybe just do Quarter Notch, Picnic, and Peddlers.

Got a 2.5 hour meeting break! Thought about getting out for a ride, but didn't have to think long. Just going to head upstairs for some cardio and weight training instead.

And then there's this! China is kicking out more than half the world’s bitcoin miners – and a whole lot of them could be headed to Texas China's bitcoin miner exodus (cnbc.com)

Probably just based on the dates you were looking at. I'm looking now at the Thu-Mon following Jul 4 and the rates are only $130 per night. I'm looking at condos too in case our party of two turns into 3, and I see one with decent rates in Monarch. I'm thinking that would be a good location for heading over to Hartman Rocks for one full day of riding, but I guess we'd be sacrificing some of the conveniences offered by staying near Salida city center.

Oh darn. Wish I would have checked this earlier. I ended up just staying put and am now getting ready to go out for dinner. Appreciate the offer and hope to get over there next week!

I used to get them at Walmart but unfortunately it looks like they are no longer available in-store - darn! I do see that they can be ordered online for delivery. I love doing the Zatarain's Dirty Rice Mix as well for camping, but instead of using hamburger, I use a combination of ground breakfast sausage (like Owen's Hot) and diced link sausage. Gives it a a much better flavor and texture than hamburger. I'll use more meat than it calls for too, just to make it more of a complete meal. I'll make that at home, and then store it in tupperware or quart baggies for the cooler. For breakfast I always pack whole-grain or multi-grain english muffins with either peanut butter or almond butter to spread on top along with some sliced bananas. Nice for those days you don't want to full with cooking breakfast. I'll bring a pack of flour tortillas too, and roll up some of that same spread / banana mix to pack out on the trail for a mid-ride snack.

I've had a chance to sample all of these now and am not disappointed with any of it. However, I'm having a hard time adopting to the smokiness of that Hickory Hill. I've heard others comment that some Texas whiskeys hit you like a brushfire, and this one seems to fit that bill. Might have to end up trying it in cocktails vs. sipping it straight. That Noah's Mill is top notch IMO at its price point.

Can you remind us what time folks generally convene for the R&I? Any groups that go out late - like 6:30?

Yeah suppose that might work for some folks, but I'm going to stick with mornings until I decide to just hang it up for the summer. Like my drill sergeant used to say, it's 101 in the shade, and there is no shade!

Even if you start at 7:30, you'd need a 2.5 hour time to finish at 10. That would be a remarkable lap on any day, let alone in this heat / humidity. I rode both Sat and Sun at Brushy. Started at 8 on Sat and at 9 on Sun. Definitely was more comfortable riding 8-10 vs. 9-11. Also learned that too much ice in my Osprey deprived me of some of the fluid I needed on Sat. Thought it was odd that I ran out so quickly but then realized there was still a bunch of ice melting after I got home.

In the food department, put a cajun spin on the beanie weenie by substituting Hoppin' John Black-eyed Peas mixed up with a health serving of diced andouille sausage. Very cheap and easy complete meal to make at the campsite with only a small pot and something to cut the sausage up on. Any leftovers are easily kept in a tupperware container.

I was expecting more from Minnaar at Leogang, but that field is getting so damn competitive!

@Jessica @Barry Where did y'all stay while in Salida (or did you camp)? If one were to stay 4 nights in Salida for 3 solid days of riding, would a day-trip to Hartman Rocks work well for one of those days?

Pretty damn entertaining commercial. If I thought that stuff would make me ride like Yoann, I'd be picking up a sixer right now!

Had the pleasure of seeing the Stones live in '74 in Cleveland. When I think back over music I've enjoyed over the years, Beatles, Stones, Who, Zeppelin, Floyd, they all mesmerized crowds across the globe. The Stones though are at the top of my list of these great bands due to their longevity and the way they could electrify the crowd, as they did even during their recent performance in Cuba. Gives me goosebumps!

Not often you get to see that much talent on a single stage! And Billy is doing sweet justice to a George Harrison classic.

I don't get over to Total Wine near enough, but when I do go, I like to make the trip worthwhile! These are all items I've not yet tried, and first time buying a Texas based whiskey. They were pouring samples of Still Austin's Cask Strength Bourbon that I tried while I was there. It had a great nose and packed a lot of heat, but it just seemed to be missing something in the taste profile.