This is an interesting look at suspension designs and how they work. I love watching all the linkages work, and how they affect the rear wheel path. Would have loved to see a Knolly in there though.
Test Sessions: 17 Suspension Systems Cycled for Science
Last night I had plans to ride with a couple friends today, but sadly they had to cancel last minute. My plan was to ride out to the dump, do a loop, then ride home again. The road ride felt really slow and hard, and on one of the flat stretches I could feel a weird clunk while pedalling. On the hill climb up Hartland Ave I looked back and noticed my rear quick release was open! Ooops. Tightening that made a huge difference.
Once I got to the parking lot I happened to bump into some other riding friends out in the parking lots, so in the end all was good! We climbed up skull and I heard someone mention my rear tire looked a little low. Sure enough it was pretty soft (again explaining why the road portion felt so slow). The trail ride was great, though while climbing some of the trails, I could sure feel the road ride exertion in my quads.
At the end of the ride, someone suggested we stop for coffee, but since I was pressed for time I was about to back out. But then a ride home was offered. Yes please!
I got out for a ride yesterday, and it turned out to be more fun that I was anticipating. I had texted a few guys to see who was up for a chilly morning ride, but in the end it was just me. Getting my bike from the garage I discovered a flat rear tire, which was unexpected given that I have switched to tubeless tires. I inflated it, but could hear air leaking out still. In less than 5 minutes the tire was nearly flat again. I quickly added more Stans reinflated the tire, and tried to get the liquid everywhere inside. That seemed to do the trick and I was off.
Once at the dump I wasn’t sure what route I wanted to take. I meandered a bit before deciding on Trillium, then back over to Snakes and Ladders. The route was just what I was looking for.
Ever since getting my iPhone I have started using Strava to track rides. 2015 included quite a bit more riding that some previous years, and today I saw @david_cusack post his 2015 Strava Stats. I looked mine up and was pretty surprised.
If there is one thing I would change about myself, it is my sleeping habits/patterns. Case in point, last night Sue and I stayed up to watch Return of the Jedi in prep for seeing The Force Awakens in a couple days. After crawling into bed just before 12, I woke up at 4:15 needing to go to the bathroom. I crawled back into bed, then lay awake for over an hour before finally getting up for the day.
Considering it is New Years Eve, and we are going out to a friends house, perhaps a nap is in order this afternoon.
This weekend we did our annual pumpkin smash. For a few years in a row we take the pumpkins upstairs and toss them out the window. This year we ended up waiting extra long and the pumpkins were extra squishy (except for the indestructible one). The slo-mo on the iPhone is a lot of fun.
I get it. Construction zones can be confusing. Lanes can be closed, there are new signs, people are going slow. Still, there are limits to my patience.
Today I was driving up Johnson St, crossing Wharf. The construction for the new bridge has closed a sidewalk, so the crews coned off a pedestrian area, and moved the driving lanes over accordingly. At the stop light a lady and I proceeded when the light went green, and this lady, for some reason, drifted from her right lane, over into my lane on the left. I honked as she started to drift, but this did nothing for her. She didn’t hit the brakes or even look my way. I know she could hear my horn since I was on it for a long time, and her rear passenger door was right next to my food.
Fine, she is now in my lane with some cones dividing our left lane from the right lane. Once the cones ended, and the lanes went back to normal, she then drifted back to the right lane! WTF? I shook my head a few time. At the next light she glanced at me giving me a disapproving look. *sigh* some people should not be driving.
I got out for a ride today. I wasn’t really feeling like riding when I work up this morning, but I had planned to ride with a friend, so went anyway. The weather yesterday was very tempermental, alternating between lots or rain, wind, sun. The day started out alright, but as I pulled into the parking lot at the dump, it started to rain again.
Quickly getting ready, we hit the trails. Neither of us were feeling that into riding, so we decided on a short loop up to Snakes and Ladders.
Coming down Snakes and Ladders, there is one sort of awkward gap jump that I had never tried before, and today I decided to give it a go. I hesitated as I approached (bad idea), but went for it any way. Turned out that hesitation cost me a bit of momentum, and I didn’t quite clear a rock. I tapped it, and when I landed hear an all together too familiar sound of air escaping. Normally getting a flat wouldn’t be too big of a deal, but this is a tubeless tire on a brand new wheel. Less than two months old.
Argh. I quickly stopped to asses the damage and was pretty dismayed by what I saw. A large gash, sealant spewing everywhere. I grabbed a tube and fixed the tire, all the while cursing myself. Soaked, cold, muddy, standing in the rain fixing a flat. Lovely. I got the wheel back together, then went to put my cold, soaking wet gloves on before deciding to ride back barehanded.
Here is the damage after cleaning up the bike back at the truck.
Ouch!
I also really need to replace the front tire too. It is badly worn, and when leaning over in hard corners I can really feel it wash out. Bad enough in dry conditions, but in the wet this is getting dangerous.
