throet

Its companion product, the Bead Bro, works wonderfully!

Of course she doesn't mind getting smashed up all the time - Canada has universal health care. Getting smashed up all the time in the US literally costs you an arm and a leg!

Went out for an evening ride yesterday thinking I would find wet trails since my house that is a mile from the YMCA got a good drenching in the morning. Instead, it appeared that no rain fell at all on Snail, Rim, Picnic, DD, or 1/4. I was pleasantly surprised and had a great ride. Solid breeze made up for the hot / humid temps. Something about the west end of 1/4 Notch though. Just like last year, I was relentlessly pursued by a hungry horsefly on that stretch of trail. Definitely motivation to ride faster, but those things are incredibly annoying.

How low can you go? I'm trying to find the bottom of drinkable daily whiskey pours. I had settled into a nice rotation under $30, but now I'm testing the water under $20. This Old Grand Dad BIB ain't too shabby!

It is both age and the condition of the heart that causes max heart rate to decline. I'm no doctor, but perhaps a better indicator of longevity, at least from a heart muscle perspective, is resting heart rate. I've known incredibly fit folks who died in their forties and incredibly unfit folks who've died in their nineties; so there are plenty of other things in play when it comes to predicting the end. True max heart rate though is in fact measured through exertion; so if you're not exerting yourself to the max, you don't even know what your max is.

SOLD

Digging the Evan Williams Single Barrel but Friday night special includes a blended boost of OF Signature 100.

https://youtu.be/l482T0yNkeo

You can't argue with science! https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/study-finds-listening-to-ac-dc-makes-surgeons-faster-and-more-accurate/

I'm a boomer and can't disagree. When I was a kid, we only got to go to Dairy Queen if we won the damn game. Nowadays, everybody goes, and they get parfaits and banana splits instead of an f'n cone. Geez!

To the contrary, I would guess the retailers are telling people "don't worry - nobody will ever enforce the rules", which of course has proven to be true.

I get all of the arguments for the various use cases that make good sense for eMTB, but show me one ad where the manufacturer is actually targeting the old and decrepit. No, instead they are appealing to the masses simply to increase profits - not to extend MTBing to those who otherwise couldn't enjoy it. They don't give two shits about those people. To me personally, eMTB is an insult to the sport itself, coming directly from the same bike builders who helped make the sport so enjoyable for those of us who like to keep pushing harder to advance our game (even at 63). Advancements in equipment over the years have lifted the limits in MTB just like they have in other sports. Deploying a motor to make a sport easier though has crossed a line IMO. What's next, an escalator to the top of Mt. Everest?

Couple of guys on contraptions like this were buzzing through Picnic at Brushy Creek on Sunday while blaring their music for all within earshot. I couldn't keep up with them, at least until they hit a few roots, at which time I had to stop and wait for them to clear the trail. Certainly hope that is not what the future holds for local trail riding!

I believe the new Shimano 12-spd tops out at 51t. Seems the big difference between them and SRAM is that the low-end cogs are more evenly spaced whereas SRAM takes that one huge jump to the big cog. I'm definitely having problems but more than likely due to my chain and cassette being overdue for replacement (still rocking what you installed for me nearly 2 years ago). Under stress or when taking big hits, the chain just drops down 2-3 cogs on its own. I might take you up on the offer to come try yours out, even if it's just up and down the street.

Do you think going to the XTR shifter would make any difference? I've become quite spoiled with XX1, and if yours lasted that long, maybe I need to just keep mine for a while longer, possibly move it over to my backup bike.

Haha I went from 30t to 28t in an attempt to remedy the situation for my CO trip! I did actually think about a 24/30 dual chainring up front. Wouldn't even need a front derailleur - just a manual swap to the small ring when needed 😆

No problem man - get out and enjoy that new bike! If you're ever up north and want to share stories, I'm out riding on Brushy 4 times per week. My biggest fear with these modern anti-coagulant meds is my co-pay coupon expiring!!!!!

Yeah I hardly ever use my lowest gear around here even on my 11-spd. However, I'm planning at least 2 trips per year to destinations that require much more climbing. That is why I'm considering options. Colorado kicked my ass last year on the 11-spd!

I'm on Eliquis and probably will be for life. Initially I was kind of freaked out about aggressive mountain biking, but over time have settled into my normal routine. In fact I've gotten much more aggressive with my riding. Not sure what you've been told, but I don't agree with the "minor fall" scenario. I think it would take some really serious trauma to put you at greater risk, especially internal bleeding and head trauma. I've been to the ER for stitches while on blood thinners, due to a minor laceration, and it was no different than similar situations when I wasn't on blood thinners. I've also hit my head on a low-hanging branch hard enough to cause a severe concussion with no life-threatening effects, although I did get a CT Scan as a precautionary measure knowing that I was taking the anti-coagulant. The key I think is to just be super confident in knowing what you can and can't do, and always erring on the side of caution. Freak accidents can happen, but if you're calculated in assessing risks, then you're probably more likely to suffer trauma in an auto accident than on your bike. This is just my view of course.

Since it's time to replace my SRAM 11-speed cassette, I'm once again considering drivetrain options. One thing I'm trying to factor in is the useful life of derailleurs and shifters. I'm sure there are many variables, but I've been using the same XX1 setup since 2016. The clutch failed once after a year or so, and SRAM replaced the derailleur under warranty. Everything has worked flawlessly since then. A shop guy told me that once you get past 3-4 years of heavy use on a derailleur, you've gotten your money's worth. If that is true, then I'm running on borrowed time. What's been your experience with useful life on shifters / derailleurs? In terms of options for upgrading to 12-spd, I'm seeing a lot of good reviews on the XT 12-spd setup (mechanical). Anybody had experience with both SRAM and Shimano 12-spd? I rode a buddy's GX AXS 12-spd and honestly wasn't that impressed. To me there was an ever-so-slight delay between pushing the button and getting a shift, whereas on my XX1, the shifting is instantaneous and incredibly smooth. I haven't completely ruled out wireless shifting, but based on my one experience, I'm not sold. In fairness, I've only tried it on pavement.

I didn't ask but I will when I pick the bike up from the Trek Store. Fox completed an overhaul on the rear shock but couldn't do anything with the fork. Of course I'll be getting the story second-hand, but still good to know the reason.

Rode Snail and Double Down this evening and everything was bone dry except for a couple of low spots on DD just east of the PicnicX cutoff. I was pleasantly surprised since I really didn't know how much rain came through in the early AM hours. It was nice being out with not another soul in sight.

My old 2014 Evolution Series fork came back from Fox as unrepairable. Looks like I'll have to find a non-boost replacement. Seems there were some recommendations for cheapish replacements on another thread from last year, but is it still reasonable to purchase a non-boost fork? The other option would be to replace it with a boost fork and use one of those boost wheel adapters. Any thoughts? If the damn thing still moves up and down, I might just put it back on the bike and keep riding it. It's on my backup bike and I really don't want to spend a lot of money on it.

Who doesn't?

You must have added almost 2 mi somewhere because the full loop is just over 26 mi. I ride a lap at least once per year, and love it. Still, I would never consider a second or third lap in a single day like they do in the DragonSlayer. One lap is plenty enough punishment for me. I've also only gone clockwise. I need to try a counterclockwise lap one of these years.