The Good, the Bad and the Ugly…

Never A Bad Day…
I have been out riding alot during the past few weeks trying to get my fill of moderate temperatures and daylight hours before it all disappears. As rides during the week are coming to an end with the advent of Day Light Savings Time and 4:30 sunsets, I have come to grips with the fact that another winter is here. I’m no groundhog but I think we are in for a wild ride based on how bad the weather has been lately. Consistently heavy rain with strong winds have produced soft ground, lots of downed trees and created obstacles with many branches acting like Velcro to an unsuspecting derailleur. On the bight side, leaves blanket the terrain with a beautiful array of colors. Never-the-less, riding is slightly dangerous between the mud, wet leaves, rocks and roots.

Great Fall Colors...

Jumping Jack Flash

More Great Fall Colors...

Law of Averages…
I have been out riding a lot this year. The Road and Mountain bikes have certainly had their use. So it really comes as no surprise that the law of averages caught up with me.

In August I flatted out while on a road ride in New Hampshire. I was about 6 miles from the hotel when the flat occurred. To make it worse I was using tubulars. It was a slow leak so I used my air cartridges to make it about four miles back before I used them up. As luck would have it, there were two gas stations on the way back so I figured I could use air at each. At least that was my plan until the nice people behind the counter said “Air we don’t have no stinkin air”. And the rest as they say, was history as I walked the bike about two miles back to the hotel. Leaning from my experience, I now use Stan’s Tire Sealer in the tubulars and Slime Lite tubes on the Stumpy.

Lightning doesn’t Strick Twice???
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and once again the law of averages caught up with me. It was a grey and cold Saturday. I figured I would get a few hours of thrashing the trails at Otis. The conditions weren’t good as it had been pouring for days and heaving winds had produced lots of downed limbs. Keeping a smooth and moderate pace I worked my way toward the Otis Rotary. Taking an alternate trail that carves and twists along a ridge line, I was having a blast.

Then it happened, on a fast sweeping curve, a rather large stick some how got wedged in my rear wheel sheering the valve stem off. Like a wounded alien, green goo began shooting out of my rim as a loud hiss pierced the air. So there I was, once again looking at a flat tire and a GPS reading 6 miles back to the Jeep. No patch kit would solve this issue. Nothing short of a new tube would help me now.

Ugh...

Sheered off...

Sucking it up, I threw the Stumpy on my shoulder and started hoofing it. I must say the trails and scenery sure look different at a walking pace. It took me about an hour and forty five minutes to get back. I guess it could have been worse; at least it didn’t rain on me.

Hoofing it...

Most rides leave me tired and sore. This ride was no different except which muscles were sore. My shoulders, biceps and ankles (of all things) were killing me. Good thing the S-Works Stumpy only weighs 23lb.

“It aint heavy it’s my bicycle…”