The morning was beautiful and trails superb, but by the lunch hour, dark clouds loomed, and we started pedaling hard towards the trailhead to beat the moisture. We reached the last mile of climbing up to the car when the rain and hail let loose and our route turned to gumbo. Carrying the gummed up bikes, weighing nearly 50 pounds was the only option at this point, so that last mile took an hour. Not how I want to end a ride, but it was still a good adventure. Hitting up the grocery covered in mud was also an adventure and you know, we looked just like most of those young hippies anyway. At home, we hosed off the bikes and ourselves before even thinking about going in the house. I think the neighbors got a kick out of that. Bike hasn’t shifted properly since, so I’ll break it down again tonight. Still waiting on the big front wheel………tick tock………..

One of many sweet trails near David Canyon

Forest Service re-opened our east mountain trails last Friday and things are looking good up there. Monsoons have greened things up and trails are in great shape.

Got news yesterday that Fed-X finally settled the claim for my 29er front wheel, and a new hoop is being put on and if everything goes as planned, it should be in my hands next week……

Looking forward to spending the evening listening to the Claire Lynch Band, kicking back on the lawn at the Rio Grande Zoo.

Last night was the team fingers road ride. Just Carl, Laurie, Ann and I in the 96 degree heat. Good ride. Carl was hauling his daughter on the trail a bike, so I hammered the hillls with the girls and we regrouped when needed. Ann and I were glad that Laurie has “retired” from her pro racing days, as her decreased training volume is the only way we can keep her in sight now. Also glad Carl was hauling an extra 40 pounds, as I remember the 14 hour death march he dragged me on in the Gila saying, “Just one more ridge, then we’ll call it a day”…..

Had a great anniversary trip to Pagosa and was pleasantly surprised by the excellent mountain biking there. Reminiscent of Taos area with plenty of primitive singletrack and miles and miles of remote FS roads to be explored, minus the ever present red necks in my home state. I had been suffering burnout prior to the trip: both from work and from riding the same old stuff around home due to forest closures. It’s amazing a little rest can get your mojo back and bring back the excitement of exploring and navigating through the vastness of new territory. The San Juans really do have it all.

I love maps: studying the details and putting together a great adventure. Lately, I’ve been test-driving iGage software. This is great topographic mapping software that allows me to work with individual quadrangles, when seamless coverage isn’t as practical. It also interfaces well with standard GIS packages. I know a lot of people study topographic maps for their outdoor adventures, but I think people often overlook all the aerial photography that’s available for free. I’ve found many cool things, like unmarked ruins and unmarked springs by pouring over aerial photos of areas I’m interested in and with geo-referencing, you can pop the coordinate into your gps, and off you go! Geologic maps also contain a wealth of information. In conjunction with topos and air photos, geologic maps can save you a ton of time by helping you locate potential problem areas on your rides, such as volcanic terrain that will be impassable when wet, where large talus fields or hike-a-bikes will be located, and where you can anticipate the wicked, tire-ripping limestone outcrops so prevalent in spots. ESRI has some free downloads too with satellite and aerial coverage where you can add and view layers like shape files. Anyway, lots and lots of great tools out there, ranging from free to very spendy. A real gps (not an Edge series!), is the most powerful and affordable tool available for enjoying your adventures. I’ve used both Garmin and Magellan units, which also can mount nicely on your bike, and both are great products.

And, big props to Bike Works of Albuquerque. The only shop in town that would rebuild my Rock Shox for me. Everyone else wanted to send it up to BTI. Well, Bike Works did my rebuild in 1 day, and even spent time with me getting it dialed correctly! Would have taken at least 7 working days to send it up to BTI and without the personalized service. These guys are great and I highly recommend the shop to anyone! Where you riding this weekend?

So the 29er wheels arrived as planned and they are really sweet. Thanks to Matt for input on hoop and hub selection.  Velocity Blunt Hoops laced to DTSwiss 240s, using DT Revolution spokes and alloy nips. 3X lacing both front and rear.

Unfortunately, when I pulled the front wheel out of the box, there was a huge dent in the rim where something had punctured the box during transit.  It was such a big dent, that the hoop will need replacement, and well, just now dealing with the fedx claims process, so we’ll see if they step up and take responsibility.  May be pounding the pavement again this weekend……