Chongo Loco

I’ve been at the 10% annual increase limit every single year since I bought my house in 02. Protest it every few years just to make sure I keep them honest, but I’m permanently fucked it seems for another decade. And as any FYI, the 65 freeze is a county by county deal. Where my in-laws retired on the coast there is no cap. All the equity is in the rentals and homes of the retirees. The natives mostly live below the homestead exemption so they screw the old folks. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Same. Had same 2 or 3 different sized ones in garage for years. Chainstay protector, CO2 holders, bike light bar mount shims, around multi tool so it doesn’t poke tube in roadie seat bag. Endless uses but only need 1 or 2. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Takes me back to my broke ass college student roadie /commuter days. I had tubes with a dozen patches. Used to buy the bulk patches from performance and 2 tubes at a time. [emoji12] An old mtb friend got me started picking up the tree tubes to patch and give out on the trail so you don’t have to give up your spare. Don’t really see many these days. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I was at Coldwater Mtn east of Birmingham over Thanksgiving couple years ago. Their big downhill trail, bombdog, had 2’ piles of big sycamore oak and maple leaves on the inside of the berms. Nailed a couple of basketball sized rocks and some of the exposed roots are about a foot high. Had to take it much slower than other times I’ve ridden it. Used to go on bike/paddle trips to Asheville/Smoky Mtns every fall in mid to late 90’s. Leaf covered hazards in those old growth heavy canopy forests is a whole different thing. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The sockguy woolies hold up pretty well. got some imba ones that are a dozen years old easily. I’ve worn those and defeet’s as my everyday socks for years. Some won’t die! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I sent in my old 1st gen raptor when one of the zippers got messed up several years ago. They also replaced a broken waist strap buckle I slammed in my tailgate, replaced the chest strap buckle/magnet that was all rusty and replaced some of the tattered material in the shoulder straps. All I wanted was the zipper fixed! They had already repaired a huge tear from a tree limb in that one a year or two earlier. I had purchased a replacement for a trip and didn’t think they’d bother fixing it. Still use it for hikes and trail work. Yeah, the whole fam has them in my house too. Never know what kids can do to stuff, but they’ve fixed more of mine. The bite valves they sent were ones the kid bit thru though. She destroyed several camelbak valves chewing on them on her kiddie packs and those guys don’t warranty squat! [emoji849] Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Was somewhat bummed they’re no longer Return Everything Indefinitely and now have a 1 year policy but I still buy most of my higher end outdoor gear from REI. Who else in retail let’s you return hiking boots after you’ve used them for a month because they squeeze your toes. Nothing “wrong” with them, they just aren’t a good fit. If it’s something I haven’t purchased before I’ll pay a premium to buy thru them vs online haggling because I know I can return it if it just doesn’t work for me. My other go to is Osprey. No fault Free repairs for life. They’ve sent me bite valves on older gen bladders that aren’t available to buy, new magnets, fixed backpacks and hydration packs just for the cost of mailing to them. They don’t even charge for return shipping. And there’s always someone very nice on their customer support line. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Ran into some other friends after y’all and they had just taken a pic of it. Must have blown right by it. [emoji883] Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I learned the hard way on my first hot lap on 2.8” plus tires, too low is no bueno. Your tire will deform and end up rolling up on the sidewall a bit. It’s like skating on wet hard pack, especially if you hit something while you’re leaned over. Now I start with a bit more pressure and reduce til it starts to skate a bit. My DHF is heavy as hell but you can lean the hell out of them with confidence in moondust or scree. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

They go much further north. It’s a big deal when the white pelicans migrate south and setup residence for the winter at the lakes at LSU each fall. They just arrived last week. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Had a client get screwed where Amazon’s just in time system orders a pallet of merchandise for their fulfillment center. They have it made, ship it, then before they get paid the same system determines they’re overstocked and returns the whole pallet untouched. So now they get to pay for storage on merchandise they didn’t need to spend the money to make in the first place. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Back in the day Bell helmets used to do crash replacements for $20, $30 for the higher end models. You had to send them your old one first so they could examine how it performed etc. We were quite literally their crash test dummies. I always like that they were trying to get better at protecting me from myself. [emoji51] Was cleaning out some stuff the other day and ran across some “Saved by the Bell” certificates they’d send with the replacement helmet. Kid gave guff about how many I had. [emoji2361] Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Boudreaux’s Butt Paste cures the ring of fire [emoji91] Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

More than a few ended with a sprint down Congress Ave! Good times. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Flashback to my college days working at cable co’s. People would add splitters then amplify signal then bitch about quality. Amplified crap signal level gives you a lot of crap! And some common sense in locating your router can improve quality and range. Mine is on a high shelf upstairs on a back wall. Great signal strength in the backyard and about 20’ into the Greenbelt beyond. Good speed for zooms with zero issues. Out front it barely gets beyond the garage. We never hangout in the front. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That’s not surprising. Lots of very well fed animals along brushy. My wife grew up in Spanish Oaks, the neighborhood across that washed out bridge at the S end of SN. Lots of deer/rabbits etc. in their 5 acre track. They used to see all sorts of predators along there. There’s quite a few large tracks still along there for a big cat to hide. As the crow flies its not that far to Great Oaks. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

But would you take it off any sweet jumps?! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-mountain-bike/calgary/santa-cruz-nomad-custom-trike/1528329577?utm_source=messenger&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_android&fbclid=IwAR0HtZTWuB_pUT1Utmo21vFy25ZTizkaxb9I0xvBV_6_QBNxhmQy2IyRCf4 Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I saw those, but said it works with a GoPro or light & motion mount. Do you know it it works on Niterider mounts? Figured the non-response from Smith meant no. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

REI Gateway used to have a decent pile of Smith helmets. I had a credit and blew some bucks on a Forefront before a roadtrip last summer. Then after realized no vent openings for my light and got a Venture. Very similar fit, the forefront is a bit lighter and cooler, but probably not worth the extra cost in the long run. I was a bell head 30 years, but the Super’s never did quite fit right. The Smith fits me much better and I can adjust the knob one handed while in motion riding. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Been a couple of years, but I’ve been riding Tyler SP and Lincoln Parish Park over in Ruston for 25+ years. Always stop at one on the way out and the other on the return trip every time I head to the southeast. Beautiful piney woods and great trails to break up the drive. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Seen a friend install many star nuts by using a bolt about 2-3" longer than the stem cap bolt threaded into star nut and tapping it in with a mallet. If the bolt is centered in the steerer tube your stem cap bolt should thread in easily. You can buy a longer bolt for a bit of leverage and push the bolt a bit to center it and it will force that side of the star nut to move down and center things up. The one thing to be careful of is don't screw up and drive the star nut too far down where your stem cap bolt can't grab it. Then you get to start over. Guess how I know. 😉

On PI, I read an article years back that a layer of sunscreen helps to add some protection from PI. It's out at the same time of year you need sunscreen so I usually hit my arms/face when riding WC this time of year. I'm pretty sure I got it on my face once from wiping sweat from my brow w/glove a few years back. If I'm not sure I got exposed to it I'll spray some of the 3:1 water:simple green I keep in my bike clean kit on my arms/legs and rub in while I clean the bike when I get home. Dawn/Simple Green, basically anything that breaks up the oil from the plant stops any outbreaks like PI specific products like Technu and I hate the smell of that stuff.

Used to see one on my bike commute route for years. It was in the garden home hood when pop out of WC along fence at the end of Swearingen. It was one of those little beggers that would stop if you stopped to see if you were going to feed him. If you got a gimmick, use it!

No schit. It was cheaper to buy SC pivot with bearings installed on my og tallboy Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk