79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 12/25/2015 06:47 PM |
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Got out this morning for an X-mas ride. Decided to ride my Rood Bridge loop that crosses the Tualitin River a few times. Figured it might be fun to see how high it is. So I ducked into Rood Bridge Park. Turned onto the sidewalk from a planked section that I hadn't noticed. And wow! Was I down fast! Body slam and rang the helmet and bell.
OK, wake up! Picked myself up. Nothing broken, just an askew brake lever and some pain to savor tomorrow. Got back on and continued. Bigger pain was the flat later. (Pinch flat - 92psi for wet road traction, 25c tires and lots of road debris. Need to swallow my pride and put 28s on.)
Merry Christmas all! And keep your awakenings civilized.
Ben
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zootracer
Posts:835
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| 12/27/2015 05:28 PM |
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Glad you are o.k. It's been awhile since I've gone down. Problem is trying to get back up again at my age.....it's not pretty...
I ran over a squirrel a few weeks ago. It was a small one and I managed to stay upright..second time for me...dang squirrels are all over the place... |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 12/27/2015 06:03 PM |
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I'm recovering fast, much faster than I expected. I felt as I thought I would X-mas night but woke up feeling mostly recovered. Blew me away that a mere 6 hours of sleep/being horizontal could do that much. Today I have felt fine.
A plus for me was the temperature; high 30s. I had my kneewarmers + thermals + tights on. A heavy Patagonia jacket. Full leather mittens. All served me well.
Ben |
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Spud
Posts:525
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| 12/29/2015 11:37 AM |
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| Glad to hear you're ok, but how is the bike? :-) |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 12/29/2015 03:21 PM |
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Knocked the brake lever askew. A little rash on the lever. I protected everything else with my body.
Ben |
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Nick A
Posts:625
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| 12/30/2015 04:01 PM |
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Those "what hit me" ones are the worst. I much prefer the "uh oh, here I go, slow motion" version.
Niick |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 12/31/2015 12:19 AM |
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Good news that has magically replaced my bruises! I picked up my Raleigh Carlton International from TiCycles today. The frame I got as an ultimate snow/ice bike. (But TG I only rode it 6 months before handing off to Dave Levy to inspect, judge its worthiness and repair/refubish if was a keeper. His words after it came back from the paint stripper - they left out the brazing. It was held together by the paint. (So that's how they got it so light!)
Tomorrow I build it up and if all goes well, ride it New Year's Day. It will be my first ride since Christmas.
Ben |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 01/03/2016 05:29 PM |
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And my New Year's treat! First ride on the Raleigh Friday. 20 miles yesterdays. Today I woke to an inch of snow on very cold ground. Remembered the Conti snow tires I had that I have never ridden. Put them on and went for a ride on the local Fanno Creek MUPS Trail. Fun! Perfect! Both the bike and the tires. I have never ridden a better snow bike. The ancient geometry rules and the 531 is sweet. The (small) 37c snow and ice tires slipped perhaps 4 times and never any big deal at all when they did. (I say small because they are much smaller tires than the brand new 35c Paselas they replaced. Haven't pulled out the calipers to see who is lying.)
This bike is a keeper! WOrth every cent I've invested and more.
Ben |
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Spud
Posts:525
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| 01/04/2016 11:24 AM |
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Ben post a pic of that Raleigh when you get around to it.
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 01/04/2016 12:38 PM |
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Posted By Spudly Crumpett III on 01/04/2016 11:24 AM
Ben post a pic of that Raleigh when you get around to it.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
We've been waiting for YEARS for Ben to learn how to do that.....I'm not expecting a digital breakthrough anytime soon.   |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 01/06/2016 02:44 PM |
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Our quick spell of snow and ice has lifted so last night I put the 35c Paselas back on and went in the house to prepare to fender it. (Fenders should be ready to go but they haven't been looked at since pre-paint.)
While I was inside, I heard a door slam. Funny. I am home alone and there was nowhere near enough wind to slam the fence gate. Thought no more of it. Went to put the fenders on. The rear tire had blown of the rim, destroying the tube. (Head scratcher - I thought I did at least a half-*** job of checking the bead. Oh well, I guess I didn't.) Pull out the tire iron to push off the rest of the tire. Iron won't go anywhere. (Kinda like when the tire has been on for seasons and is glued to the rim.) But I just mounted it!
Step back and look. Wow! The rim was just peeled out for a 6" stretch. and again for about 3" about 10" away. There was a line of perforations midway up the flange.
That was my first blown rim although I know I have pushed a few close with tire wear. (Took a sewup rim further and collapsed it on a pothole lip, but (thank you sewups) the tire did fine and I rode my pie minus a small piece home.) On reflection, 1) the tire is huge. 70 psi with a big 35c tire is a lot of force bending the rim flanges and 2) thank you bike for arranging this to happen in the privacy! and safety of the garage, not while I was on you. (Good bikes fail at good times, bad bikes don't. My funky Peugeot UO-8 that I ran into the ground, 22,000 miles, at least 4 winters of salt, probably 25 crashes from tight toestraps to snow and ice to hitting car doors (plural) never left me stranded. Ever. Not even when the handlebar broke 25 miles from home. (Two miles of quiet roads to my riding partner's house. I knew she had a train schedule inside her kitchen door and that she left it unlocked. Next train left in 40 minutes from a mile away. Took me to a mile of quiet Cambridge streets from home. Conductor wouldn't let me board as it wasn't commuter hours until I showed hum the handlebars. It traveled in baggage.)
I have a good feeling about this bike. Off to a good start. (I can hardly fault the bike for the blown rim. It took 10? years to do what I did to that rim. The bike has only been mine a year.)
Ben |
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SideBySide
Posts:444
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| 01/06/2016 05:08 PM |
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Wow! Great timing. That would suck to have happen on the road.
BTW, I laid the bike over for the first time today. I hit a patch of ice while turning left onto the middle of a T. I was doing about 15 mph. The back slid out, I counter steered, recovered, tried to turn again, slid again and this time just slid down the hill sideways until I hit a ridge. I went over and just calmly slid to a stop at the edge of the road. No real damage to me or the bike, the grip is scraped, and my elbow is sore. At least I wasn't moving fast and didn't hit anything. I got out, righted the bike and went on my way, a bit slower. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 01/06/2016 05:27 PM |
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What CK said.
I almost crashed myself week before xmas. Did the usual look mom no hands on stretch before hwy1 bridge ramp. What I didn't see in rain and pitch dark is that they'd torn up the smooth pavement for stormwater repairs so I went from tarmac to soggy mud in a flash and just barely managed to bring the steed under control. Cat reflexes once again came to rescue. I guess that detour signed I ignored should have tipped me off.
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