THE OLD HORSE RIDES AGAIN!

IN A EARLIER POST I MENTIONED THAT MY 04' GIANT RINCON WAS GOING TO GET A LITTLE TLC BY WAY OF SOME NEW PARTS. IN THE TIME IVE HAD SINCE GETTING BACK FROM SIN CITY I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE IT. ABOVE.

HERE SHE IS IN ALL HER GLORY. FROM THE TOP. NEW MARY BAR KNOCK OFF WITH 3 1/2 INCHES OF RISE. NEW SURLY 1X1 FORK ADDING ANOTHER INCH OF RISE. NEW AVID BB7 FRONT BRAKE WITH NEW CABLE AND HOUSING MOUNTED ON A NEW TO ME FRONT WHEEL. NEW REAR SINGLE DIGIT 7 BRAKES. OVER THE OLD SETUP I'M ABOUT 3+ INCHES MORE UPRIGHT.

THE UPGRADE WAS DUE TO A RECENT WINTER TIME ROAD RIDE I WENT ON. I WASN'T HAPPY WITH THE BRAKES AND THE ALMOST NON WORKING FRONT SUSPENSION FORK. I COULD BARELY SLOW DOWN ON WICKED STEEP DECLINE AND THE FRONT FORK BOUNCED ALL THE WAY DOWN, AT 30+ MPH IT WAS JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE IT SCARY.

I TOOK IT OUT FOR A BIT OF A TEST RIDE TODAY. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY, ALL THE SNOW WE GOT YESTERDAY HAD MELTED OFF THE ROADS. LEAVING THEM 99% DRY, SUNNY AND WARM. I WAS GOING TO JUST DO A 4 OR 5 MILE RIDE BUT THIS BIKE IS FUN, I ENDED UP DOING CLOSE TO 20 . IT'S REAL RESPONSIVE AND STABLE. IT REMINDED ME OF BMX BIKES I HAD WHEN I WAS A KID.
I FOUND MYSELF STANDING AND SPRINTING EVERY CHANCE I GOT AND I TACKLED SOME PRETTY GNARLY HILLS. COMING DOWN I COULD HAVE STOPPED ON A DIME. A HUGE IMPROVEMENT.

THIS BIKE IS MY JACK OF ALL TRADES BIKE. NOT SURE WHAT ALL IT'S GOING GET USED FOR BUT I COULD SEE IT WITH A FULL SET OF RACKS AND BAGS COMMUTING OR AS IS BOMBING DOWN A TRAIL WITH SOME HUGE DIRT TIRES. IT'S DONE AND IT'S FUN. I'M GOING HAVE FUN FINDING OUT.

FUN IN THE DESERT SUN.

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO ME AND MY LOVELY WIFE DECIDED WE COULD USE A COUPLE DAYS FOR OURSELVES. WE PLANNED A MID-WINTER TRIP TO LAS VEGAS. NO KIDS, NO BEDTIMES, NO WORRIES. IT WAS OUR FIRST TIME FLYING AND IT WAS GOOD TO HAVE SOMEONE AS NERVOUS AS I.

ABOVE. A PICTURE OUT OF MY WINDOW, COMING INTO LAS VEGAS. THE FLIGHT WAS A RUFF ONE, LOTS OF TURBULENCE. AFTER A FOUR HOUR DELAY AND CRUISING INTO 131 KNOT HEADWINDS THAT THREW US AROUND THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY HAPPY SITE.

ABOVE.
ONE SUNNY MORNING IN FRONT OF LE PARIS FOUNTAIN.

ABOVE.

ME AND THE WIFE IN THE MGM GRAND. I'M FEELING PRETTY FEROCIOUS.

ABOVE.

I DIDN'T LEAVE LAS VEGAS WITH ANY OF THEIR MONEY. BUT THANKFULLY THEY DIDN'T GET MUCH OF MINE.

ABOVE.

MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE MAKING FRIENDS WITH ONE OF THE LOCAL KNUCKLE DRAGGERS.

ABOVE.

BREAKFAST INSIDE OF THE EIFFEL TOWER. I HAD FRENCH TOAST OF COARSE.

ABOVE.

ONE OF THE BETTER STREET PERFORMERS WE SAW ON THE TRIP. HE ONLY MOVED FOR TIPS. HE WOULDN'T MOVE FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE 20 OR 30 MINUTES AT A TIME. HIS DISPLAY SAID HE WORKED TO SUPPORT A WIFE AND KID.
THERE WAS SEVERAL OTHERS BUT HE WAS THE BEST.

ABOVE AND BELOW.

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE BETWEEN NEW YORK NEW YORK AND THE MGM GRAND. WE WERE DOWN ON THIS END OF THE STRIP TO RIDE THE ROLLER COASTER AT THE NEW YORK CASINO. IT WAS VERY FUN BUT IT LEFT ME QUEASY FOR THE REST OF THE DAY INTO THE FLIGHT HOME. THE WIFE TOOK IT LIKE A CHAMP.

ALL IN ALL A VERY FUN TRIP. ONE SEMI CRAZY NIGHT AND A FEW PRETTY TAME ONES. WE GOT TO SEE A SHOW AND EAT AT A COUPLE OF THE POPULAR RESTAURANTS. WE DID A LITTLE BIT OF GAMBLING AND HAD A FEW DRINKS. IT WAS GOOD TO GET AWAY WITH THE WIFE AND SPEND SOME COUPLE TIME TOGETHER. I WAS REMINDED OF ALL THE REASONS I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER.
IT'S A NICE PLACE TO VISIT BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO LIVE THERE. I WOULDN'T MIND SPENDING A FEW DAYS THERE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THOUGH.

FROM COLD SHIVERS TO JUST PLAIN COLD...

WED. OF THIS LAST WEEK WAS ONE OF THE WARMER DAYS WE HAD AT A WHOPPING 35 DEGREES. SO I CAPITALIZED AND WENT FOR A WINTER TIME ROAD RIDE. I TOOK MY WINTER COMMUTER BECAUSE THE OFF ROAD TIRES WOULD GIVE ME A LITTLE EXTRA GRIP ON ICE SPOTS AND PATCHES OF SAND AND GRAVEL. I DECIDED ON A COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT RIDE AND AWAY I WENT.

ABOVE. MY GIANT RINCON. SHE'S ABOUT TO GET A LITTLE LOVE. BY WAY OF A NEW AVID BB7 DISC BRAKE IN THE FRONT MOUNTED ON A RIGID CHRO-MO FORK AND AN AVID SINGLE DIGIT 7 BRAKES IN THE REAR. MAYBE A COUPLE EXTRAS AS WELL.

ABOVE. A VIEW FROM THE OUTLOOK AT COLD SHIVERS POINT NORTH TOWARDS THE BOOK CLIFFS. IT WAS A GREAT RIDE UP TO THIS POINT BUT I WASN'T PREPARED FOR HOW COLD THE RIDE BACK DOWN WOULD BE. WITH A SUPER STEEP DOWNHILL RIDE, LOW TEMPS AND SPEEDS NEARING 30+ MPH I ARRIVED A POPSICLE 3 MILES LATER AT THE RANGER STATION.

ABOVE. ME ON THE TRAILS. THURSDAY WASN'T AS WARM AS THE DAY BEFORE. BUT A FRIEND OF MINE LANDON HAD JUST GOT BACK IN TOWN AND INVITED ME ON A RIDE UP LITTLE PARK ROAD AND DOWN THE TABEGUACHE TRAIL. A REALLY FUN RIDE AND THE TRAIL WAS GREAT. BUT I DID SPEND AS MUCH TIME HIKE A BIKING AS I DID RIDING, NOT TO MENTION A FEW CRASHES.

ABOVE. ME ON A SMALL DROP. WHEN I WAS ON THE BIKE I WAS HAVING A GREAT TIME. LANDON IS LIGHT YEARS BETTER AND FASTER THAN ME. HE USED HIS LEED TO SET UP FOR PICS AND SNAPPED A FEW OF ME. HE EVEN WAS ABLE TO GET A FEW OF HIMSELF, HE'S A MULTI TASKER.

ABOVE. LANDON ABOUT TO DIVE IN. AT ONE POINT HE WAITED JUST LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO CATCH UP AND SMILING SAID "THIS IS GREAT". HE'S A REALLY GOOD RIDER AND CAPABLE OF RIDING SOME CRAZY STUFF.

ABOVE. LANDON ROLLING THROUGH. CHECK OUT HIS BLOG AT http://commandonlandon.blogspot.com/. HE'S STARTED A BLOG DOCUMENTING HIS NEW SPONSORSHIP BY TREK AND LOCAL RIDES HE LEEDS.

A GOOD WEEK ALL IN ALL AND I WAS EVEN ABLE TO GET A FEW RUNS IN. TEMPS IN GRAND JUNCTION HAVE BEEN COLD AND ARE LIKELY TO STAY THAT WAY FOR A WHILE. WITH WEEKS LIKE THIS I DON'T MIND.

WHITE RIDE AT THE LUNCH LOOPS

IVE BEEN WANTING TO GO FOR A SNOWY MT BIKE RIDE FOR A WHILE. THE TEN INCHES OR SO OF SNOW WE GOT A FEW WEEKS AGO HAD ME WAITING FOR A LITTLE OF IT TO MELT OFF. YESTERDAY I DECIDED THAT TODAY WAS GOOD ENOUGH SO I CALLED A FRIEND AND WENT OUT FOR WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS GOING TO BE A SUCKY GOOD TIME.

ABOVE. THIS IS MY 09' TREK FUEL EX 5.5. IT'S MY DEDICATED MT BIKE. IT'S AN AMAZING RIDE, IT CAN HANDLE ANY THING I THROW AT IT.

ABOVE. THE TRAIL LEADING AWAY FROM MIRA MONTE.

ABOVE. THIS IS MY BUDDY BRIAN. I DON'T THINK HE HAD ANY IDEA WHAT HE AGREED TO WHEN I TALKED HIM INTO RIDING WITH ME.


ABOVE. A PIC FROM THE TOP OF KURT'S LANE. LOOKING NORTH THROUGH THE INVERSION YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE BOOK CLIFFS. GOING DOWN KURT'S LANE WAS SCARY FUN. LARGE PATCHES OF FROZEN SNOW PACK WITH A FEW SECTIONS OF STICKY MUD. I SLID DOWN IT SMILING.

ABOVE. BRIAN ON HIS APPROACH TO THE TOP OF KURT'S LANE.

THIS WAS THE LAST I SAW OF HIM FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR. HE SHOWED UP AT THE TRAIL HEAD LAUGHING, HE APPARENTLY WAS HAVING FUN TO.

IT WAS A GOOD RIDE. ALTHOUGH RIDING IN THE SNOW PRESENTS A HOLE NEW SET OF CHALLENGES.

OLD AND NEW

THIS LAST YEAR RUNNING HAS BEEN A PRETTY IMPORTANT PART OF MY LIFE.

SO I WANTED CONTINUE THAT THROUGH THE REST OF 09 AND INTO THE NEW YEAR. EVEN THOUGH IVE BEEN RUNNING PRETTY OFTEN. I DECIDED I WOULD RUN THE LAST DAY OF 09 AND THE FIRST OF 2010. I RAN 5 MILES THURS DEC 31ST. AND 5 MILES JANUARY 1ST. THE SHOES BELOW ARE THE SECRET TO RUNNING IN COLD WEATHER.

I GOT AN OLD PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES AND DUCT TAPED OVER ALL THE AIR VENTS. IT KEEPS COLD AIR AND SNOW OUT OF THE SHOE.

I LEARNED THIS FROM A MAGAZINE ARTICLE I READ.

I DROVE 20 OR SO 3/8 INCH SHEET METAL SCREWS INTO THE BOTTOM OF EACH SHOE. THE LIP OF THE SCREW GIVES YOU TRACTION ON ICE AND COMPACTED SNOW.
I SAW THIS ON A WEB SITE DEDICATED TO WINTER RUNNING.

THEY WORK GREAT. IVE ONLY NEED TO USE THEM ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS BUT THEY WERE WELL WORTH THE $2.00 BUCKS THEY COST TO MODIFY. THEY'LL KEEP ME RUNNING TILL WARMER WEATHER COMES.