Snow

We awoke to a little snow on the ground this morning.  Nothing like last year in terms of depth or beauty, but still a nice surprise. It was pouring rain and 37 degrees when we went to bed, so I thought we had a chance of getting a little during the night.

Later.

First Pieces

Some of the first pieces of the Project Fun Bike puzzle showed up Tuesday. The coolest thing was this:

I've never owned a King hub in all these years, so it's pretty cool to finally have one. Really, it's a work of art. And so light. Notice the 20mm thru-axle.

Yesterday I laced it up, and the wheel came out straight and true.

What's this, a 26-inch wheel?

Yep, the old man can still build a decent wheel. With a big 2.3 inch tire, this baby is ready for action.

Now I have to build the rear wheel.

Later.

Laying Low

I kind of walked away from the computer for a while. I think at some point every IT professional cracks and has to take a step back. Some difficult projects at work really took a toll on me, and they definitely contributed to my overall computer fatigue.

I let the blog sit for a couple months, killed the Facebook account and deleted a number of e-mail and web accounts. It felt good and healthy to step back, and also to cover up my Internet tracks a bit.

I also started ridding myself of things I didn't need or want. I gave away a bunch of clothes, sold my CD collection, and put a lot of old bike parts on eBay. I feel lighter now.

On the bike front, I sold the Redline:

I also sold the Karate Monkey:

I bought the Karate Monkey in 2005, and it changed the way I rode. It blurred the line between road riding and mountain biking. A cyclocross bike does OK in the dirt, but bombing rough trails simply isn't possible. A 26-inch mountain bike always felt painfully slow on the road, but the 29er was a true mountain bike that actually rolled well on the road.  It extended my range and allowed me to link together long rides using asphalt, gravel and dirt roads, and singletrack trails. The Karate Monkey was a great all-around bike for me.

Unfortunately, I tend to go overboard when I find something I like. After buying the Karate Monkey I sold all the 26-inch bikes and all the parts—tires, tubes, wheels, rims, forks.  I filled the garage with 29ers because I felt they were superior in every way. Now, I'm not so sure.

One thing I can say for sure is my mountain biking has almost stopped at this point. I haven't been out for a ride in a year. It was last President's Day, as a matter of fact. This isn't to say I don't ride in the dirt; I still do, but only in short stretches as part of mostly asphalt rides. And it's never anything terribly technical.

Last spring I built a mountain bike for my dad. After I finished it, I rode it around the property for a couple days. It was light and quick and fun. I played around on it for hours before I took it up to Tahoe and gave it to my dad. What was so great about it? It was a mountain bike. A regular old hardtail mountain bike like I rode for many years before the 29er bug bit.

I think you can see where this is going . . .

I sold a couple 29ers, and I sold a bunch of parts. With that money I am starting a new project that I hope will rekindle my love of mountain biking and get me back out there. More to come.

Later.

Vacation Time

We went on a little vacation in January. If you want to see some pictures, click here. If you don't want to, that's OK too.

Later.

Cold Reality

Back to work tomorrow.  Just the thought of it is making me sick.  Cough.

I rode three times over the four-day weekend, which was nice.  The weather kind of sucked, though.  I know people ride in places like Minnesota or North Dakota in freezing temperatures and live to tell about it.  Some even claim to LIKE it.  Great.  Good for them.  I rode in temperatures ranging from the high 30s to low 40s this weekend, and I could only handle it for 90 to 120 minutes per ride.  It's just not that much fun.

One nice thing about the Thanksgiving weekend is the lack of cars on the roads.  While others were eating, watching football, recovering from hangovers or shopping in crowds, I was enjoying quiet roads.

I thought this old tin-roofed barn would look good in sepia.

So I head back to work tomorrow with a few miles in my legs and a clearer head.  That makes it a little easier, I guess.

Later.

Thanksgiving Day

I made it out for a ride today in an effort to offset the food I would later eat, but in hindsight I don't think I rode far enough. I am currently uncomfortably full, and I'm pretty sure I still ended up with a caloric surplus for the day.

It was clear and sunny but barely 40 degrees when I left. It was my first real foray into cold weather riding this year, and I certainly didn't enjoy it. Summer is how far off?  Even with thick wool socks my feet quickly became cold and remained that way for the entire ride.

The trails were in good shape since it hasn't rained in a couple days. The north wind also did its part to dry things out.

After a few hills like this one I am about to descend, there's no getting warm again. I hit 40 miles per hour just coasting.

This is just a shortcut behind some houses. Nothing exciting, but anytime I can put tire to dirt it's a great thing. Whatever it takes to get away from the cars.

This is a trail I rarely ride on, but only because it leads to a tough climb that I usually avoid.

It was kind of miserable while I was out there, but I'm glad I got out. Hopefully tomorrow it will be a bit warmer.

Later.

All the Leaves Are Brown

But the sky isn't the least bit gray today. Sometimes living in California doesn't suck at all.

The weather has been pretty stellar lately. After four days of good rides, tomorrow I get a day off.

In other news, yesterday was the last day of Fall Ball. Spencer hit the ball well every at bat, and even hit one over the first baseman's head. When he came up again, it was really cool to hear the opposing coach say, "Look alive; this guy can hit."

Getting ready to launch one:

I like this shot of Spencer on first and me pitching. We're watching a pop-up to third base.

Love this stance.  Perfect weight distribution:

That's about it. Later.