Yesterday was a busy day. We finally cleared out our stuff from the shed and had Stuff Etc. come pick it up. The guys where very cool about everything and carried it all off to the Coralville store for processing. With a little luck, we will break even for the cost of them coming to pick it up...and possibly even have a little left over. (Our furniture always sells quickly there.)
Pick up was EASY. No coupon needed.
With all that clutter out of the shed, I could finally focus on repairing my bike. It has been a long and rough road for the Giant Green Monster, but Cheryl finally allowed me to get it fixed. I knew it was missing several spokes, possibly had a broken axial, off line front tire and sticking brakes.
World of Bikes. Where Bikes go to get Better
When informed of the "known" problems, the mechanic suggested we ditch the rear wheel completely and put on a better, stronger, heavier duty one for "chubby guys like me" ( my words, not his) It is double walled for strength and has a built in bearing that is stronger because it is part of the actual wheel.
New Rear tire. rim. axial, and Cassette
He also noticed that my rear wheel was showing the "wear lines" and suggested I replace the tread. ( outer wheel casing)
Even looks new from the side!
He said if you break more than three spokes, there is probably a serious problem with the rim itself. (I did not tell him that I had probably replaced almost a dozen spokes since I purchased the bike two years ago.) We talked about other upgrades before he suggested I may want to consider a new bike altogether. For the cost of the repairs, I could understand why.
Close up of the new Tire Tread
Old tire on the front was still good.
I decided against it...for now. But the possibility for next year may still be there. We shall see how the new tire fares against my "Heavy" abuse. There is a new 29 " tire with disk brakes that has captured my attention. Very impressive.
New Bar Mitts protect from the elements.
With the newly fixed bike in tow, we ran in our usual place in Coralville. A freshly repaired bike is a DREAM to ride upon. I never realized just how much work I had been exerting to pedal that broken rear tire! The new axial and rim is wonderful. Similar to floating on a cloud. I also purchased a pair of bar mitts for the colder days. Sure, I have heavy mittens. And I used them for an entire year before realizing that they kinda suck. They hamper my dexterity and make my hands sweat...which eventually makes them cold. So far, I'm impressed with the Bar mitts. They are roomy and allow me to remove my hands and do things easily. They are airy enough to allow my hands to breath and keep dry. I'll have to report back on how they perform at keeping my hands warm....but they do keep them out of the wind... one of the biggest factors while riding in the cold.
Our First Planned Run of 2017....Other than Boston. Running naked in the cold does not sound fun.
So, Tomorrow we leave for the Fleet Feet New Year's Day Dash in Wisconsin. It will be our first run of 2017. Tomorrow will probably be spent traveling and trying to sum up the 2016 year. There were lots of up and downs... mostly downs to recount and hope for a better year coming up. With Boston on the calendar, there is much to look forward to. I would hope that all of the trouble 2016 had to offer will pay dividends in the upcoming year. We shall see.
Don't let the warmer weather fool you! Wind and rain are sometimes worse than extreme cold. And that is why it was essential that Cheryl run at least 7 miles today.
Cheryl is excited!
I like to call it "Practicing being Miserable". The theory, in the Army anyway, was to practice being as miserable as possible so when actual war began... you would think it was a walk in the park. This kind of thinking impresses Cheryl, so Cheryl likes to practice this philosophy in civilian life. Hence while everyone else is relaxing on this holiday, we are busy exerting energy for no real good reason other than it keeps us thoroughly miserable to enjoy the rest of the day. End Explanation.
West Chester Wind Block
So, as mentioned before, it has warmed up and been raining most the night with fairly strong winds. We thought that the combination of rain and wind would be pretty extreme, so Cheryl offered an unfixed mileage this morning. I could feel the wind rock the car and see the constant rain hitting the windshield and thought that 1-3 miles...maybe.
Bundled for rain and FUN!
As we parked and set up, the small sheltered town of West Chester made it almost seem pleasant. The rain let up a touch and the wind was not all that bad. Lets run!
Couple of things....the wind was to our backs on the way out. Small note for people who may not know this...if you run with the wind at your back, it will seem like there is no wind at all! The same for the rain.
The Full Bike Riding Experience
About 2.5 miles out, we left the limited shelter of trees and were running out into the corn fields. The wind was noticeably stronger, and Cheryl suggested we turn around. By this time, the trail was thoroughly swampy. Riding a bike in thick mud is like riding in quicksand! Add in that the sideways rain and head wind were now hitting us full tilt and you may understand why I was not able to keep up with her.
Nice to know Cheryl will not stay behind to help me.
It is good to know that Cheryl will abandon me if a horde of zombies or space aliens are chasing us. That way I don't have to worry that my sacrifice will not be in vain. Nothing irritates me more than the hero who stays behind to "slow down the enemy" only to have his death be in vain when the heroine comes back because she "loves" him. So sappy.
The feeling of Biking in deep mud.
So, I must admire how she left me to the wind and rain and mud as she trotted off back to the car... never once pausing to look back to check if I was OK. At one point, I actually jumped off my bike and ran along side it because it was faster! The mud was so thick, it looked like I was plowing a field instead of riding.
In the end, I ran/bikes/swam/squished about 5 miles while Cheryl ran about 6.5. You see, she forgot I had the keys to the car. So she came back... not for me, mind you! But for the only means of escaping the rain and wind. I can't help but feel a little Schadenfreude.
Kindle Fire Tablet
Christmas has been much better ever since. Cheryl got a tablet to replace her aging laptop.
Simple instructions.
So simple, Only I can translate.
I noticed that it was nice that the manufacturers of the tablet assume it's customers can not read. That must be the reason for these instructions. Unfortunately, Cheryl does not understand "picture language" and so I had to translate. There are advantages to being raised by Cavemen after all.
Shop wall BEFORE
Shop wall AFTER
I got to put the new shelves up. I was feeling so positive after that run and thought I would be able to get more up, but alas.... I was able to only finish one to completion.
(Those doors are real time consumers.) There is no rush, and I'll have plenty of time later in the week.
Hope everyone is having a Great Christmas. With a little luck, the warmer temps and wind will dry out the place a bit. Even so, I think the trail will be off limits until then.
So here is a little pep to cheer you up on these rainy windy days. Enjoy Leigh Nash. And Blue Skies!
We decided to try the Lake Mcbride Trail near Solon Iowa today. We have done this before with "mixed" results. The first time it was covered in snow and mud. The second time was "perfect"! And this time....well. Let us begin from there.
Looks kind of "deep"
Ethan attempts the crossing
The humidity is still up a bit, and the rain had stopped sometime last night. The clouds promised protection from the sun while not offering any signs of precipitation. Looked like it would be a good day for a run through nature.
Ethan finds a "deep" spot.
Barely a 1/4 mile down the trail....we hit a rut. The small creek next to part of the trail had crested its banks and started to cross over the trail. Not a "huge" problem for me, because I have a bike...right? NOT so fast!
Notice the rock on the side.
Notice the rock in the "deep" part.
The first time across, I was able to navigate the waters while only getting most of my shoes wet. Cheryl decided to take off her socks and shoes to cross, figuring this would be as bad as it would get. We were wrong!
On the return, I "found" a washed out hole in the middle of the water....with my front bike tire. Imagine a bicyclist flying over the handle bars and "sliding into home plate". Got it? Now imagine a "chubby" cyclist flying over the handle bars sliding into home plate in the most ungracious way possible.
I dust myself off. Cheryl puts on her shoes. We continue. Until...
The current looks stronger up ahead
And deeper! With LEACHES!
The next area around the bend is also flooded! I "cautiously" attempt to cross this one and notice a cute little black worm swimming in the water....wait! Worms don't "swim!" We were introduced to the local swamp leeches! I believe Bill Murray can take it from here:
The Leeches were a deal breaker for Cheryl. We attempted to run around the paved track, but discovered that the effects of yesterday's rain was still having an impact everywhere. We packed up and headed to our next event. Wilson's Orchard.
Cheryl is not amused!
Time for some Apple Cider!
We were forced to wait a bit since they opened at 10 AM. But Cheryl quickly spent that time finding large acorns! I'm not sure what type of Oak trees these were, but they all had different acorns to show off. I tried to capture the differences between the 3-5 different types of trees. My tree identification is a little rusty since my MSU days. I'm guessing they were members of the Red Oak family...but that is just a guess.
VERY large acorns!
Compare the 5 species and sizes!
After finding about a dozen or more of them, we headed into the apple store to buy apples, drink cider, and eat some fresh baked apple turnovers. Nothing trumps freshness! And these guys were still warm and flaky! Yummo!
MMM! Warm and flaky Apple Turnover!
A little taste of .... Heaven!
So we were a little bummed that the event we had been planning on for a week ended up being kind of a dud. But the Fall is just beginning and some of the apple species are not even out yet. There is still time to get it right...if we are feeling adventurous again. We shall see.
Wet feet, dirty clothes!
Time to "scrub up" Ethan
As for now, I washed up and changed my clothes and hopefully the damage will remain superficial to elbows, knees and wrists. Luckily, I was wearing my helmet...even thought I did NOT fall on my head. ( Figures! The only part of my body that was completely protected never was at risk to begin with.)
With the newly fixed bike in tow, we ran in our usual place in Coralville. A freshly repaired bike is a DREAM to ride upon. I never realized just how much work I had been exerting to pedal that broken rear tire! The new axial and rim is wonderful. Similar to floating on a cloud. I also purchased a pair of bar mitts for the colder days. Sure, I have heavy mittens. And I used them for an entire year before realizing that they kinda suck. They hamper my dexterity and make my hands sweat...which eventually makes them cold. So far, I'm impressed with the Bar mitts. They are roomy and allow me to remove my hands and do things easily. They are airy enough to allow my hands to breath and keep dry. I'll have to report back on how they perform at keeping my hands warm....but they do keep them out of the wind... one of the biggest factors while riding in the cold.
