Is it over yet?

Murry Chrimas errybody!

Now...can we move on?
I like Christmas break for one reason...I get to ride a lot. The Boss has been home for a week. The kids are into week two.
Thankfully, The Boss went back to work today, so the house is a bit quieter. A bit...
Santa brought the boys enough stuff to keep them occupied and out of my hair...or lack thereof...so they're relatively sedate.
As for the riding, many rides were done in the past week or so. My legs are dead. 5 of the last 7 days have produced a minimum of two hours on the bike each day. Also produced some moments...

So you remember that cold ass, really foggy morning about a week ago? Yeah, I went out in it. Twas foggy, and the fog was dense. It stuck to clothing, making it very wet. Hands were cold. Borderline non-operational.
Also gave a serious Scooby-Doo moment back on The PowerStation.

Spooky enough back there solo...
Cold the next day too, so I was Juan Solo on the road bike. Nothing to report. It was an uneventful ride, which is really what we should all strive for.
Xmas Eve gave us a nice little group roll out through LR. TVH finally brought Sad Bear a hat.

The group wanted to turn for home early, so I turned. Once back into town, they went home. I did another hour. You're welcome.
Xmas Day was the normal 'Tour de SC". Three stops in all. First two = good. The last was the usual painful, "Why do we do this again...?" affair. It's like being in an arbitration hearing. Only half the people can actually tolerate each other. I just don't get it.
Thankfully, it ended early, and we bailed.
I got up and got on the bike the day after, mainly to shed the negativity that had stuck to me the previous night.
The PowerStation is in pretty good shape. Hard-packed. Still a few wet spots, and the mudhole is still rather large. Upside? There are lines around the outside. Don't get it flipped though. The lines are NOT dry. You'll get muddy. Get the line wrong, and it's deep...and cold.
Felt better and better as the ride went, so I pushed a bit. Twas cathartic. Pushed out the bad juju.
Same loop yesterday...except for the GD train that blocked EVERY road I needed to cross to get out. And by every, I mean EV-ER-Y...from the river to KnoxA. Only spent 20 minutes trying to circumvent the train.
Finally got out, and got going, only to realize the legs were a bit snapped. Coming back in on the dirt, I ran into Crazy Pants, and turned around. We rode a loop back into town, and parted company at Tech.
Did I mention it was 70 degrees, and we were both in shorts and SS jerseys?
How's your weather?
5 of the last 7 days have been on the bike. Lots of kms. Road bike clean. CX bike not.

That's THREE good rides.
I want to put 11v on the old dog, but I beat the shit out of it, and honestly feel bad doing that to new parts.

I did hit it with the hose in the afternoon.
Back on the clock today. DSS frowns on leaving minor children at home while one rides...I've heard...

Things to look at :

 Yes, I know it's a thru-axle, disc bike, but the paint...oh...the paint....

And if anyone is thinking of getting me a post-holiday gift...a Colnago is always a good choice.
Two wheels good...

 BMW...or...

Triumph?
I'm cool either way...

Gotta get the day started...at 10:15am. Holiday break is good for something...

Hey...figure it out...

Ma Nature, can you figure out what you want to do? Pick something. Don't care what. Just asking for some consistency.
We've ridden the coaster over the last week.
Cold and sun? Check. Cold and cloudy/damp? Check. Cloudy and cold, then warm and sunny an hour later? Saturday. Warm/Humid/Windy? Sunday.
Monday morning? Gray. Raining. Temps dropping. Stay inside.
Of course, I say that, and karma jumps up and pokes me in the coconut. Kids are home for Chrimbo vacay, and of course, I need to go to Whole Foods this morning.
Always a good time.
All things consdered, it could be worse. Watching The Weather Channel right now, and Cantore is live from Chicago. -6F degrees, and -21F wind chill.

I spent enough time up there to know that I'm not going back. Sure, it's pretty on TV, but I'll pass...

Some decent rides through the week.
2 road and 2 CX.
3 solo. 1 w/TVH.
The Powerstation is is in pretty good shape. It's a little heavy from all the rain, but that's what makes it good. I've ridden that road 2-3x a week for years. It's never the same.
The Gas Line stretch is a little choppy right now, but that's on SCE&G. Not gonna complain to loudly, as they need to get to the gas line, and I like heat and hot water.
The mudhole is getting worse. I'm fairly confident they'll fix it soon, as the middle is a solid 12-14" deep.
There's a way to get around it, but it's a bit hike-a-bikey. CC and I are planning to head out there after Christmas to to a little work.
The normal line around it appears to be there, but take it on authority that it's REALLY soft, and all forward progress will be arrested unless you are on a CR250. Brap-braaaaaaap....
The idea of cleaning up the Amazon cut through has been discussed as well. It's getting ridden in, but need a couple of rakes, an axe, and a machete, not necessarily in that order.

1 of the 3 main Heathens has left us for the Winter. The Professor packed his stuff, and headed for Arizona for about 10 weeks. Instead of taking a bike, he bought a CX bike from TPC, and will use it out there. He says it's staying there, but I'd be willing to wager that he enjoys riding it, and it comes back East.
I've ridden in Phoenix, and can tell you, there are some really fun spots to bang around on a CX bike.
Word is that TVH will have a CX bike soon as well.
What's the World coming to??
Speaking of, I'm on a mission to track down a new CX frame. I loves me the Salsa, and it's served me like a warrior, but it's more than a decade old, and hasn't exactly been babied throughout it's life. I keep waiting to hear a large crrr-aaaaaaaaaaa-ck, and either be forced to pick myself up of the deck, or limp home with a broken weld.
In the time it's been with me, there have been four different groups on it. 6600, 6600G, 7800, and now 7900. Yep, it's still ten speed. It still works. And don't get it twisted, having a snazzy, 16 pound carbon bike is fine and well, but you have to actually RIDE the fooking thing.
The Salsa is 17.5 pounds, and battle-tested.

Ok...time to rally Junior Management, and head to Whole Foods. And do the last of my pointy-clicky Christmas shopping.
My goal not to leave the coach to shop this year, and it's worked out just fine.

TVH and I are planning to do a road ride Wednesday morning. All are welcome.

Happy (Crappy) Monday!

Some things...

Happy Monday! If you're local, stay inside. It's CRAP out there. Ick.

Chrimbo is 13 days off. If you haven't hit up Amazon yet, better do it quick! Fortunately, I'm pretty much done. Just managing logistics of what gets here when, and for whom.
I need to order a couple of things, but I'm not too worried. I could get one of the things I need locally, but after my treatment the last time I was in the store where I can procure such items, I will order the item(s) online.
Play stupid games, win...well...none of my money.
People in retail need to understand that many of us don't NEED them.

Good rides over the weekend.
It COLD (for here) on Saturday, so Los Tres Amigos all slept in, and went out at 1pm. It was still cold(ish) @ 40 degrees, but the sun was big and bright.
Nice little spin out through LR on empty roads. 2.5 hours fell easily.
I'd also forgotten the joy that is a thermal jersey. Mmmmm...fleece-y lycra goodness.
Sunday, it was cold(ish) and cloudy. The other Heathens bailed early, so I switched bikes, shoes, and bottles, and headed out on the Salsa.
Honestly, it wasn't as cold as Saturday. Sure, there was no Sun, but the temps & humidity were higher.
I did some 'splorin', and then hit The PowerStation. It's in pretty good nick, except for the mudhole. It's still full of COLD water. There IS a line on the WAY outside (right side out/left side in), but make sure you stay dead against the bank. I got it right on the way out. The way in? Not so much.
Let's just say that 12-18" off the bank is deep mud/water. If you miss the line, keep pedaling & power out. That water is too cold and deep to dab.
And remember, "Closed" isn't always...
The good stuff is often on the other side.

Told you so...

And sometimes, you gots to coordinate...



Just remember one thing...
The forest doesn't care if you're cold. BTFU.

Speaking of Belgian, The new AquaBlueSport team is on Ridley next season.
Dark blue and gold. Yes, please...

Ok...I've monopolized enough of your Monday morning. Gotta go track down a frameset...

Been away for too long...

Been meaning to update for about 4 days. Never got around to it. I'm sure you all are heartbroken.
Been on the bike quite a bit. Mostly for the good. (Knocks on wood)
The rain came last weekend...then again yesterday...
The Powerstation is heavy.
Went out there Monday morning, and it was manageable...until...
Once past the gas line, things got muddy. And the mudhole, you ask? Well, it's not so much a mudhole as a small pond. Duck into the cornfield, walk down about 40m, and pop back out onto the road. Easy peasy.
The far end of the dirt is "closed", as they're doing construction out that way. Whatevs...
I rode on. It's MUDDY out that way, thanks to the big trucks tearing up the road. It's not heavy, peanut butter mud though. It's the thin, snotty, whale-shit-on-an-ice-floe slick mud.
And it gets EVERYWHERE.
Back through the mud, over to 12th, popped across to Dixiana, and back around.
2 hours. Felt good. I even got the only 2 hours of el sol all day.
Coming up Gervais was fun though. Some fat redneck, with obvious anger management issues, just started SCREAMING at me while I waited on the light @ Lincoln. I don't run lights. Bad juju, and makes ALL of us look bad. Remember that!
Anyway, he yelled about sidewalks, taxes, and I think biscuits...couldn't tell, as he had MAYBE 5 teeth.
Green light...he tried to speed off in his 25 year old truck full of scrap metal.
I caught him at every light. He yelled at every light. Finally, at Harden, he was stuck in traffic at the red.
I rolled up and apologized for being faster across town, and told him I felt sorry for him, and his anger issues.
He exploded, and yelled something...again...too much spitting...not enough teeth. Then, he tried to get out to confront me. Problem was that he forgot to put his truck in park.
As he got out, the truck lurched forward, and rolled into the car in front of him. Dumbass.
I started laughing the laugh of a drunk-on-box wine Shandon soccer mom, and disappeared into Five Points.
I giggled most of the way home.

Back out there today. Opposite direction. Also found a way to get through the dis-used field to get around the mudhole. Looks like some dumbasses are out there poaching deer too. Two makeshift blinds, and two big piles of feed corn dumped around. Cayce PoPo got a phone call. No reason to be firing off a shotgun or rifle out there.
Even after the rain yesterday, it wasn't as muddy out there today. Still wet though...

This was clean before I rode Monday.
Maybe I'll hit it with the house in the morning...
After I go out there again...

Christmas is coming. Here are two ideas...

 Either one. I'm not picky...
And have a look at Meussen's  Boone. Yeah...big hooks. Those aren't Bontrager units...

And a quick reminder...
As cool as you think you are, you will never be as cool as Paul Newman, standing in the pit at Daytona, as a Martini livery 934 drives past...

I know I've said it before, but I'll be better about posting...
Yeah...I know...blah...blah...blah...