All about bicycles

Man I feel like such a slacker, only going for 20 mile rides each the last two days, as I'm getting used to regularly riding again.

Thankfully a local bike shop sorted my gearing. It was the derailleur, which the tech said was finnicky on my model. He adjusted it in 10 minutes and didn't charge anything. In the meantime I checked out some very tempting gravel bikes. It's odd how full of stock bike shops are now.

Nah if you're ridin' you ain't slackin'. Everybody's goals are different. I've been riding a wave of distance progression that's going to taper off here soon as things heat up for summer. In Florida we have the advantage of working hard through the winter. It's the best time to ride down here.

I did a gravel event today. 72 miles almost no pavement. Went through 3 liters of water/electrolytes and it was barely enough. Time to start scaling back the volume.
 
I’m not sure if I’d still be able to breathe at 4,000m. I haven’t even ridden to 3,000.
Riding at altitude is quite a bizarre experience the first time you do it, as you quickly find yourself being out of breath despite feeling like you've not put that much effort it, and it takes a long time to regain your breath even when you stop.

I've raced the Megavalanche 3 times, which starts at 3300m near the top of Pic Blanc, and for me, the first major traverse is all about just cruising and not putting in too much effort, as once you're out of breath at that height, you stay out of breath until several km and a 1000m less later.
Thankfully you get the Telecabine to the top, as I'm not sure I could cycle up to that height, even at peak fitness!

The best I've felt doing it, was the time I spent the week before across the valley in Les Deux Alpes, so you do quite quickly get used to the altitude.
 
Finally a nice day! 22C and sunny.
Spent the morning in the back yard getting rid of old dead trees and old dead fence bits.
That said, and as tiring as that was I had to get in a quick 10k around 3:30.



Not so super any more...



I'm hoping tomorrow is a better ride day.

How cosmopolitan, a modern art installation by the roadside, what’s next, Banksy?
 
I want to shake the hand of the person who can pull this trick off.
And who the heck thought it was a good idea in the first place?!!???



Anyway, yesterday's weather SUCKED! So had to take advantage today. Beautiful 16C and sunny.
It was windy though so there was some battery abuse...

Down to River road on the way West...



Deas Island Park viewpoint of Fraser River...





Looking West at Hwy 17...



After going through Ladner, headed East on Ladner Trunk Road, then South on 64th to meet up with the Mud Bay Path...







I stopped and spoke to a fellow ebiker who had a rear wheel flat. His bike was a retro conversion with a huge battery pack in saddle bags on the rear. I can only imagine the weight of the rider plus batteries on the rear tire. No obvious piercing or rip in the tube. New wheel, new spokes.
Anyway I was ready to help him out but his wife showed up with their van to load it up.

Then off through Watershed park...



And we're out...

 
My wife has an e-bike that she absolutely adores. But the prices on them tells me I could add a couple more PRS's or some other gear to my arsenal. And I sold her the thing before I retired from the dealership I worked at, employee pricing and all that.;)
Me, I have an old Mongoose mountain bike that has been ignored for a few years and this spring I finally got it back in operational condition. Mostly. I have a bit of a jammed up cable thing going on in the rear gearset that I can't seem to break free to maximize the final four sprockets in the cluster. I hope to get either a new cable or free up the old one into proper working order, but so far it's being stubborn. But it's rideable as is. It's actually a great piece of kit for it's age (kinda like me haha); 24 speeds (when they all work), full suspension, quick release wheels, not super heavy, easy to ride, not super fast compared to some but fairly comfortable on my skinny hiney. Maybe with enough activity on the crankset I'll move some of the padding around my middle to my posterior region! I'll post a couple picks once the restoration and final cleanup is complete.
 
My wife has an e-bike that she absolutely adores. But the prices on them tells me I could add a couple more PRS's or some other gear to my arsenal. And I sold her the thing before I retired from the dealership I worked at, employee pricing and all that.;)
Me, I have an old Mongoose mountain bike that has been ignored for a few years and this spring I finally got it back in operational condition. Mostly. I have a bit of a jammed up cable thing going on in the rear gearset that I can't seem to break free to maximize the final four sprockets in the cluster. I hope to get either a new cable or free up the old one into proper working order, but so far it's being stubborn. But it's rideable as is. It's actually a great piece of kit for it's age (kinda like me haha); 24 speeds (when they all work), full suspension, quick release wheels, not super heavy, easy to ride, not super fast compared to some but fairly comfortable on my skinny hiney. Maybe with enough activity on the crankset I'll move some of the padding around my middle to my posterior region! I'll post a couple picks once the restoration and final cleanup is complete.
Nice!
Enjoy the ride mate, and yeah... pics!
 
Last two rides this time...
I am so far behind last year it's ridiculous. Weather and work has taken its toll this year so far.
Only at 415km so far , and I'd have been pushing close to 1000 last year by this time.
Oh well... carry on!

Last week...









And today...











On my way back from Tynehead park I happened across a rather sad looking fellow ebiker. He had it upside down on a sidewalk, and as I rode up to offer help I saw him kick his battery. Lol!
I asked him if there was something I could help with and he immediately went into an expletive laced tirade that would have made a Hell's Angel cringe.
In any case, apparently his bike just isn't reliable at all from a power perspective. Just keeps quitting on him.
His sleeves of tattoos of the devil, and skulls etc. along with his incessant swearing kept me sympathetic but cautious. Let's just say he's less than enamored with his Luna kit conversion.
He called a taxi. He thanked me for stopping and offering assistance. I left.
Beer time...
 
Look on the bright side Dave, you are 415km ahead of me ;~)) As for the Hell's eeeNgel you encountered, sounds like you did the right thing and it is unlikely there was anything you could do!! Thanks for sharing the photos!!!
Cheers mate!
Gotta say I was taken aback by the dude's tude... An angry young man indeed...
Oh well, here's hoping he feels better now.
 
My distance is way down this year. My total is about right for a good month.

My log says I’ve spent more time playing pickleball than on my road bike - don’t tell tiboy.
Due to the mild winter, I’m ahead of last year’s numbers. YTD I’m at 2,511 miles.

Don’t tell veinbuster, but I’ve consumed more pickel and meatball calories than I’ve burned on the bike.
 
Good to see you out there, Dave!

I hit 2166 miles for the year yesterday, much of which is virtual, which is my strongest start ever. But being this far south, the cooler months are the best for racking up the distance. It's already been quite hot and I keep telling myself it's time to back off a bit. I think I'll finally do that now since I'm moving house in a week and a half, so taking it easier to focus more on all of that hassle.

Last weekend I had a great 71-mile group ride across just about every kind of surface we have down here. It was oppressively hot towards the end. At one point we were on a section of pedestrian path by a roadway and my computer registered 102 degrees.

Contrast that to this Saturday and I was up in the northeast of the state. It was cloudy and an absolutely beautiful 60 degrees. I'm pretty positive it was my last nice bit of weather for a good while.
 
Thought I would throw my daily exercise scoot out here and explain its reason for being where I live and how I ride.
Living in a very flat part of Florida(yes Florida does have some terrain change but not here…lol) there is no need for a MTB or multiple gears of 30,27,24, 21 blah blah, 2 is enough for me.
Now I like MOST of the aspects of a race bike like the light weight frame, wheels, skinny light tread tyres but certainly not the multiple gears again or the dropped bars, in fact around here every rider I see with dropped bars is on the top gripping brake lever handles like I used to do.

So I turned to what they term a hybrid here( I would term this a road bike but whatever)
Its got the light weight frame, skinny wheels and tyres, simple rim brakes and the much needed flat bars and a Shimano internal hub 8 speed out back , ok still more than I need but I guess I have options.

Its perfect for me and gets ridden morning and evening every day.
All I changed was the seat, the pedals and the tyres out when I bought it in 2018.
It will likely outlive me tbh.
Usually find me in 6th gear for 13 to 16mph and then 7th gear for when I can manage 17mph plus…lol.
I never worry overmuch about how many miles I do on a ride, just thankful to still get out there and exercise to keep the arthritis at bay!
Oh a bonus is the stealth bomber flat black paint never really looks dirty so it gets washed and cleaned very infrequently.

 
Thought I would throw my daily exercise scoot out here and explain its reason for being where I live and how I ride.
Living in a very flat part of Florida(yes Florida does have some terrain change but not here…lol) there is no need for a MTB or multiple gears of 30,27,24, 21 blah blah, 2 is enough for me.
Now I like MOST of the aspects of a race bike like the light weight frame, wheels, skinny light tread tyres but certainly not the multiple gears again or the dropped bars, in fact around here every rider I see with dropped bars is on the top gripping brake lever handles like I used to do.

So I turned to what they term a hybrid here( I would term this a road bike but whatever)
Its got the light weight frame, skinny wheels and tyres, simple rim brakes and the much needed flat bars and a Shimano internal hub 8 speed out back , ok still more than I need but I guess I have options.

Its perfect for me and gets ridden morning and evening every day.
All I changed was the seat, the pedals and the tyres out when I bought it in 2018.
It will likely outlive me tbh.
Usually find me in 6th gear for 13 to 16mph and then 7th gear for when I can manage 17mph plus…lol.
I never worry overmuch about how many miles I do on a ride, just thankful to still get out there and exercise to keep the arthritis at bay!
Oh a bonus is the stealth bomber flat black paint never really looks dirty so it gets washed and cleaned very infrequently.

Nice ride!
Ever feel the need to adjust the stem?
 
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