Cycling Miscellany

[bluegoose]

Sweet!!! We were just talking off-line the other day about the possibility of a ride around Bear Lake, maybe around the end of July. It's never too early to start planning.

I would really like to do another CUF CS ride next year. Bear lake sounds great, as would some form of Yellowstone route, although RCV is not too hot about the traffic through the park.

Central or southern Utah are also intriguing to me. That scenery that ercoug recently posted looked amazing.

End of July should work. I have youth conference July 17-19. We need to sneak a family vacation in somewhere in july as well.

Perhaps the weekend of July 25-27?

[PaloAltoCougar]

The week of July 25-August 3 is already booked for us, as we have secured multiple timeshare units at the same place (tough to do) for the family when we'll celebrate 40 years of unspeakable connubial bliss. Given that that period is best for bg, JIC and probably other CUF/CS ride stalwarts, I'll completely understand if we have to miss next year's big one. Other than that blackout period, however, we're currently available any time between June 1 and August 31.

[Pheidippides]

The missus doesn't know it yet, but she's going to be getting a Specialized Amira for her birthday. I ordered it on Tuesday, and it will be here either tomorrow or Wednesday. This in turn means that I get my Tarmac back.

CUF Ride 2014 anybody?

So, the best laid plans....

The Amira came in Wednesday, and I went to pick it up (SHW was meeting me at the bike shop). As they wheeled it out, I saw what looked like a cosmetic scratch on the frame. But when I looked closer, there was a chunk of the carbon that had bashed, about the size of a pencil eraser, with a nasty scratch in the clear coat. It was on the side that the mechanic wouldn't have seen if he was working on the drivetrain, so maybe he missed it - I don't know - but the manager and I looked at it and then looked at the box. Clearly something had gone through the box with great force, and both of us - the manager and I - agreed that the bike needed to be sent back to Specialized. Not the bike shop's fault, although I'm surprised the mechanic didn't catch it. Trouble is, that was the only one left in the US, literally. Another batch wasn't scheduled to get produced until November.

So in the meantime SHW shows up, and just for kicks we put her on the flawed bike. She fits, but after some examining the shop manager wonders if she might not fight even better on a 58cm Tarmac or the equivalent Madone. (She had been riding my 58cm Tarmac, but was a bit stretched out, even with a shorter stem). Turns out the geometry had changed enough that the Tarmac was a better fit this time around. So she ordered that instead, and decided to swap out the bars with a narrower set. So far so good.

Today the bike came, and it's awesome. Much better than mine - internally routed cables, all good Ultegra components, 11 speed cassette, etc. She's going to try out the seat for a while before she gets a new one - it seems okay for now - but just as we were going to walk out the manager noticed some extra tension in the rear derailleur. Turns out one of the internal plastic cable guides was defective and needed to be replaced. Not a big deal - and, again, not the bike shop's fault - but it's going to cost us another day or three. Maddening. Thankfully it's supposed to be nasty rainy all weekend, so she wouldn't have been able to ride anyway.

Anyway, it's a much nicer bike than mine (this is the one, including color: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...-ultegra#specs). But I keep reminding her that I can still torch her on the road.

[mtnbiker]

Bummer about the mishaps with the bikes, but that is awesome that your wife's getting into it. But how tall is she??? A 58cm bike? I was riding a 59cm a few years ago, then dropped down to a 54cm and like the sizing a lot better. I was pretty stretched out on the old one.

[Pheidippides]

Bummer about the mishaps with the bikes, but that is awesome that your wife's getting into it. But how tall is she??? A 58cm bike? I was riding a 59cm a few years ago, then dropped down to a 54cm and like the sizing a lot better. I was pretty stretched out on the old one.

She's 5'11".

[Dwight Schr-ute]

More Martyn Ashton/Danny Macaskill ridiculousness.

[PaloAltoCougar]

More Martyn Ashton/Danny Macaskill ridiculousness.

Another great video. I always wonder how many takes (and bruising falls) there must be to produce the final footage. The very end of the video contains a few. I'm surprised the guy's legs aren't a bloody mess.

[RC Vikings]

More Martyn Ashton/Danny Macaskill ridiculousness.

That is pretty amazing. I'm always amazed those rims don't blow up and the spokes don't break.

[beelzebabette]

So, the best laid plans....

Today the bike came, and it's awesome. Much better than mine - internally routed cables, all good Ultegra components, 11 speed cassette, etc. She's going to try out the seat for a while before she gets a new one - it seems okay for now - but just as we were going to walk out the manager noticed some extra tension in the rear derailleur. Turns out one of the internal plastic cable guides was defective and needed to be replaced. Not a big deal - and, again, not the bike shop's fault - but it's going to cost us another day or three. Maddening. Thankfully it's supposed to be nasty rainy all weekend, so she wouldn't have been able to ride anyway.

Anyway, it's a much nicer bike than mine (this is the one, including color: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...-ultegra#specs). But I keep reminding her that I can still torch her on the road.

Good looking bike. What kind of seat does she have? My 6'0" cousin is just switching to a road bike so I'm interested in what works for your wife. I'm sending her my old seat so she's not riding on her husband's, but I replaced it because the pads were slipping from their optimal location so I know it's not going to be a long-term solution for her.

[Donuthole]

Good looking bike. What kind of seat does she have? My 6'0" cousin is just switching to a road bike so I'm interested in what works for your wife. I'm sending her my old seat so she's not riding on her husband's, but I replaced it because the pads were slipping from their optimal location so I know it's not going to be a long-term solution for her.

I approve of your new year's resolution to post on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Welcome back!

[Pheidippides]

I can't remember what seat she got. She sat on the assometer for a while with the bike guy and they figured out something or other. She's not sure if she likes it or not.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I approve of your new year's resolution to post on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Welcome back!

Amen. Welcome home, BBB.

[RC Vikings]

I ran into a bee yesterday, it just got caught in my helmet and stung me up by my temple. It's a little dangerous to be riding while you're trying to get a bee out of your helmet.

[PaloAltoCougar]

We're probably going to drive through southern Utah in June and we'll have our bikes with us. We've never visited Arches National Park and may do so this time. I know Moab is a great area for off-road cycling, but how is the area for roadies? We might be interested in good moderate distance ride (30-70 miles, say). Any recommendations (including "skip it")?

[Moliere]

We're probably going to drive through southern Utah in June and we'll have our bikes with us. We've never visited Arches National Park and may do so this time. I know Moab is a great area for off-road cycling, but how is the area for roadies? We might be interested in good moderate distance ride (30-70 miles, say). Any recommendations (including "skip it")?

Biking through Arches would be fun. There's a decent road that runs through it with enough arches you can see from the road. It'll probaly be crazy hot though so be prepared. Arches though is best visited when you can hike in to several of the Arches, so you'd have to leave the road bikes and walk a ways. Probably not ideal.