[JimF22003]

Since I restarted my riding “career” about 6 years ago I’ve only ridden compact setups (50/34 with 11/26 or 11/28 cassettes.) I’ll need this setup for the rest of my life probably (I’m 54.)

I’m rebuilding a bike that had some carbon damage repaired when the Ultegra Di2 stuff is available in the fall. I plan to use a standard crank setup (53/39 with 12/27) for times when I’m just riding on the trails or for flat rides on the Eastern Shore or other parts of VA that are flat. I did a couple of flat centuries this spring where I totaled between 200 and 250 feet of “climbing.” I think the standard setup will be great for that.

But if I had to choose only one setup, I guess I would have to stick with the compact (or stay away from the hills, which I wouldn’t want to do.)

[JimF22003]

I need to try riding in that area more. I did some of it two years ago with Bike Virginia. Usually if I’m heading that far out of town I just ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

[JimF22003]

Not me personally.

[JimF22003]

Thanks Mark! Getting pretty excited by this trip. I actually got the pipe insulation yesterday. I’ve never packed the bike before, so I’ve been reading various pages on the web about it.

I won’t pack any CO2 in the bike case, but do you think I’d have any trouble squirreling them away with my regular bags? I’ve carried these before on another trip (where I had a bike waiting for me at my destination.) Didn’t get into any trouble then, but I didn’t really consider it an issue. Maybe I got lucky?

[JimF22003]

Wow, that would be helpful. I leave next Thursday. PM your info and I’ll get in touch.

[JimF22003]

Best thing to do is try a dry run on the weekend.

[JimF22003]

Whew! From the title I was afraid this would be a story about me and the guy on a mountain bike with a backpack who was “racing” me this morning between Falls Church and Gallows Road. Guy did NOT like it that I slowly pulled past him at one point, so he was racing to stay ahead of me.

I could have told him he didn’t have to try so hard. He would have beat me without expending so much effort

[JimF22003]

I’m a serial cable breaker. I guess I just shift too much. I broke two cables on one bike, and three on my last bike. One set of the cables happened to be the Gore cables. They didn’t work any better or last any longer than the Jagwire cables.

Now I have electronic shifting, so I don’t worry about breaking shift cables any more

[JimF22003]

Thanks, Pete. That helps. I’m kind of nervous about all this. Not about flying. About messing up my bike.

Priorities, you know.

[JimF22003]

Seems fine. Had to re-login though.

I lived

[JimF22003]

Is that pink or salmon?

I guess it’s pink if you think it’s pink…

[JimF22003]

On Saturday I did a 102 mile ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Roanoke Mountain to Smart view mainly). I was thinking, it’s got to be 5 or 10 degrees cooler up in the mountains, right? Right, not so much.

Got caught in a couple of refreshing thunderstorms (the best was while doing the 1800 foot climb up the mountain) but was still pretty much wasted by the end. I was slugging down electrolyte tabs and taking in as much water as I could, but I still kept getting bad leg cramps. Still… I was riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so I can’t complain.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/101232687

[JimF22003]

Oh, I would have loved to ride that twisty narrow road out of town and back to end yesterday’s stage!

I’ve got a long day ahead of me, and dangerous sources of information to avoid, if I want to be able to enjoy today’s stage on my DVR tonight. Wish me luck

[JimF22003]

When I’m on a trail and am approaching an intersection with a stop sign, I am ready, willing, and able to come to a complete stop. I really, really am. If there is clearly no traffic at all from either direction, I will definitely slow-roll through the intersection (there, I said it.)

But if there is a car, or bike, or pedestrian coming,I am fully prepared to stop. That doesn’t mean I put a foot down, or unclip. Usually it means I come to a near stop (as close to a track-stand as I can manage anyway.) I can come to a dead stop immediately from this position.

But the drivers have been so well “trained” that 90% of the time they will come to a stop and wave me through while I’m slowing down and getting ready to stop myself. So what should I do? — get into a long “no, really, you first, you have the right of way, I insist…” dialog with them?

Believe me, they don’t appreciate it. It just p*sses them off. “See, I tried to do you a favor by not insisting on my rights, and this is the thanks I get?”

It just adds to the uncertainty which causes them to yield to me in the first place.

So really, you can’t win. For me it boils down to:

1) if it’s clear, I’m going through
2) if it’s not clear, I’m getting ready to stop
3) if a car is going through properly by not yielding, I come to a complete, full, and metaphysical halt.
4) if a car is going to yield (out of politeness, or fear, or wanting to preserve their paint job by not having a cyclist broadside them), then I am going to give a little nod or wave of appreciation, and go on through.

[JimF22003]

I must have come by just after that. When I came by the ambulance was still there, but the guy was sitting by himself on the curb holding his head. Looked OK.

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