Biker Bucks 2018

I picked up $2.97 in Biker Bucks this year, a little bit less than last year. Also among the coins is a Paraguayan one Guarani coin. At today's exchange rate, it is worth a whopping .017 cents. Time to order that new Ferrari.

Later.

Sram

After using Shimano road components for at least a couple decades, I am about to embark on a new journey using Sram.

Should be fun. Time to upgrade.

Later.

Kona Unit: Long Term Report

I have had my 2017 Kona Unit for about 1.5 years now. It is my "daily driver," which is used for mixed terrain rides originating from my house and the occasional commute to or from work. These rides are mostly road, but typically have long stretches of gravel and dirt roads, and rocky singletrack.

The Unit was the first bike I built with an XT 11-speed drivetrain, which to date has performed flawlessly. I have since upgraded two other bikes to 11-speed.

The XT rear derailleur features a clutch to minimize chainslap and dropped chains. The downside is the clutch adds some resistance at the shift lever and slows shifting performance a bit. I don't care for either of these trade-offs since the bike is often on smooth roads. I have yet to use the clutch on this bike, but I have never dropped the chain.

Part of the credit goes to the Race Face narrow-wide chainring. I have these on a few bikes, and they have been excellent at chain retention.

The shifters can be a little stiff and clunky at first. Fear not, they break in after a few rides and produce smooth, effortless shifts.

The TRP Spyke brakes were new to me on this bike. I think they are better at modulation and are much quieter than Avid BB7 brakes. Since both pads move, they are also easier to adjust and center. The downside is the pad adjusters tend to back out over time and require touch-up here and there. Thankfully adjustment is simple.

So far I have put over 3500 miles on this bike, enough to burn through three tires, a set of brake pads and a set of grips. The riding position couldn't be more perfect. I am really comfortable on this bike.

Somewhere along the way I replaced the narrow Mavic TN719 rims with Race Face Arc 35s. The extra width and air volume is a huge plus on a rigid bike.

The frame has three water bottle mounts, which allows me to carry enough water for long rides in the summer. There are also two mounts on the fork.

The frame is 27+ capable, but so far I have only used it in 29er mode.

I only have one complaint about the frame, and that is the ridiculous rear derailleur cable routing. It runs along the downtube, under the bottom bracket, and along the chainstay. I had to zip tie the cable to a water bottle cage to keep it from hitting the chainring. This routing wasn't used on the 2016 version and was quickly scrapped for the 2018 version.

Most bikes have some annoying characteristic that makes me yearn for something better, but the Kona has been a pleasure to ride. It will likely hang on the wall for many years.

Later.

2018 All Stars Game 2

As I mentioned yesterday, if the East Sacramento Babe Ruth All Stars were to stay in the state championship tournament, it was up to Spencer to come through.

He responded by throwing six innings on the bump, giving up only two hits and one run. At the plate, he contributed to the offense by going 2-4 with an RBI.

East Sac cruised to an easy 10-1 victory. On to the next game.

Later.

Independence Bay

After a somewhat stressful but successful run through Babe Ruth playoffs and All Stars, we decided a trip to the coast was in order. Unfortunately, we didn't know the kid's All Star team would qualify for the state championships. We received the tournament bracket the day before we left and learned he would miss the first game. Spencer was very disappointed.

We arrived on the evening of the 3rd, and after getting settled we walked to a restaurant. For the logistics guy who manages all the bikes, their maintenance and transport, this is when I take a deep breath and vacation really starts.

I had trouble sleeping so I slipped out very early the next morning. I took my camera and did a little photo walk.

The streets were completely empty this early on a holiday. The only sound was the ever-present seagulls.

I then switched to monochrome because it felt right.

Later in the morning we went to the Fourth of July parade. It's the first time we have attended this in Monterey.

Later in the day we went to the aquarium. 

On the fifth we finally got out for a ride north on the trail.

That afternoon we went to the local minor league ballpark where the Monterey Amberjacks play to throw a bullpen. It's a nice field with artificial turf, and I think Spencer enjoyed being on a pro field. He threw well and should be sharp for his next start.

The next day we rode south along the coast in wonderful weather.

That night we went to the Amberjacks game. They are part of the Pecos League, which is independent ball. I would say it's the equivalent of low A ball.

The quality of play is probably at a division 2 college level, and it's a low budget affair. The players chase foul balls and return them to play.

The highlight of the night was a foul ball striking one of the lights and shattering a bulb. Glass rained down around the home plate area. The Amberjacks players cleaned it up.

The next morning Jennifer and I went for an early ride. The kid declined.

After that we showered, packed up and headed home.

During the drive home we learned that the East Sac All Stars lost their first game, sending them to the losers bracket. It will be up to Spencer to throw a good game tomorrow to keep their tournament hopes alive.

Later.