Being Tracked Again

It only took 6 months to resolve but I finally have a GPS again. Last August my Garmin Edge 305 that I purchased last May developed a black blob and lines in the screen. I contacted Garmin who said it was most likely caused from a fall and it would be $49.95 to be replaced. If I had legitimately dropped the Garmin I would of owned up to it but considering the GPS had been in my garage on the work table charging and was fine one day and blobbed and lined the next, I got hard nosed and put the GPS away in a drawer.

Fast forward to two weeks ago and I have been considering another GPS for the upcoming Spikefest this summer. Funds are low though and theres lots of racing opportunities to consider as well as a few changes I want to make to the Falcon so I pulled the Garmin out of the drawer and started an email exchange with Garmin.

1st email said that now it would be $89.95 to replace the unit so I called and waited the standard 25 minutes hold time. I got a good customer service rep who said as long as the unit still looked brand new he would replace it. That is an unreasonable request I told him and added that there was no cracks in the screen, no dents in the unit, and the unit functioned fine otherwise, I just couldn't see the screen or a route to follow.

He relented and agreed if it looked otherwise undamaged, he would warranty and replace the unit. Unit was mailed last Saturday and today, only 6 days later I have a new Garmin 305. Spikefest will once again be a success.

One of the issues I had with the Edge was the fact that it lost its charge after about 12 hours of use. I lost 3 miles of Spikefest last year, 2 hours of the West Empire Death March, and a few hours of riding in Fruita. My buddy Ko who also has an Edge 305 suggested the Gomadic Garmin Edge 305 portable AA battery extender. According to Ko, you can use it on the go on the trail while the unit is still on. He used it on his almost 5oo mile ride of the Colorado Trail last year recharging his 305 with just the Gomadic so I'll trust his input. I just got mine and look forward to putting it to the test.

Oh Gawd...Pueblo again

I'm sure by now your thinking...."geez goatboy, don't you know theres more to Colorado then Pweeblo?" A non riding goat though is a depressed goat and riding bike paths just were not doing it for me. Tuesday's dumping of 20 inches of east coast like wet snow, not the 20 inches, just the wet, has our trails saturated to the max. Unlike the east coast that tends to soak up the water, ours is a clay dirt that when wet will turn your average 25-30 lb mountain rig into an 80 lb anchor. Not to mention the locals tend to flog those who ride bikes on wet trails.

I searched and I searched but apparently Pueblo is the only thing that knows how to dry and avoid the snow. So I texted a few fellas and expected the same ol response of we don't get up at the crack of butt ass early but instead got a response that shocked me...AV Boy, Canyonrat and PBR would be leaving Denver Metro at 5:30am...Thats 5am from my place fellas.

I had a route in mind and and we stomped it out, some 40 miles worth, I was shootin for 50 but through some time lost for the Prima Donna to fix his hair and show up late to the trailhead we missed those final 10.

Seems these fellas are like cats...scared to get their paws wet. I gave PBR a push and he finally relented but I had to show em how to make a good ol wave when crossing wide, deep waters.

Finally I convinced Canyonrat that the water was great and he misses the sunken bridge

Yours truly flyin through one of the many corners on Outer Limits

Canyonrat's brand new ride broken in right on its maiden voyage. AV Boy had a new ride to but stripped it of any identifiable markings and threatened death to any who tried to capture an image....all I can release, its a piece of Homegrown Colorado Titanium.

No worries folks, its in the 60's and 70's for the rest of the week, till the weather man gets it wrong again but if he is right, we might have some local Front Range pictures available and then there is always Fruita in a few weeks as well.

Fruita, CO

OK...I thought it was supposed to be Spring?!

Right now...am I smelling pretty wild flowers sprouting out of a lush green earth with hay fever threatening to overwhelm the senses as a fresh poof of pollen saturates the air on a bluebird day?

NO!

Instead I'm shoveling somewhere around 10 inches of snow out of my driveway only to have it covered again by the next 8 to 10 expected to fall within the next 24 hours.

I give you spring in Colorado.

So heres the plan, we're packing up the family to go rubber tramping the country. Quit my job, buy a beat up old Greyhound Bus, and do odd jobs on the road. Warm aired states in the winter and sweet alpine in the summer. School? Teach the youngins on the road I would. Lessons learned best are those learned through life anyway right?!

Meh, I guess I'll stick it out. You just have to take it as life in Colorado. When it snows today, tomorrow it'll be 70 degrees and that snow a distant memory...till then I'll be dreaming of riding like this within just a few short months....

Another Week in the life

So in this week to date....

Missus Goat and myself continue to plan the illustrious demise of the world. It will most likely include bicycles and yarn.

(yes, I'll take the part of Pinky in this one)

Missus Goat turned 30

and the children have threatened mass destruction

I did manage a few rides this week and by the third and final night I got to ride with, "the little Jackalope on the Bike" and , The Chad. Both are extremely strong son of a bitches and had my legs feeling like a quivering mass of Jello within 2.5 seconds of hitting the trails. Luckily my mass as a Clydesdale, gears and skills as a downhill rider allowed me the brief respite of their presence any time the trail turned into a technical descent, including the always fun, Dakota Ridge.

The Chad at dusk on Green Mtn

After a week of 60-70 degree weather a cold front hit on Friday and dropped temps down to the 30's and dumped about 7-8 inches of snow on Lakewood. This kinda soured my mood for a ride so instead I hung out with my girls and finally got Sophie on the Trail a Bike. It'll be a few months before she is tall enough for me to trust her on it on the trails but for tooling around the neighborhood, this has us stoked.

Of course,Ayla is still rippin it up and scaring her Momma..

Yes, Pueblo again

What can I say...it is the ultimate winter destination. I've still been getting in a few rides a week of a couple hours, mostly on Green Mtn and Dakota Ridge but when I want continuous dirt under my wheels, its to Pueblo we go! Besides PBR had only ridden there once before...a shortish play in the Canyons and he wanted some XC so I gave him close to 40 miles worth before time and a wet snow that started to fall dictated that we make a mad scrabble back to my truck.

see the rest of the photos here..

OK....I get it

NO more inferior products on the bicycle.

The Orgin 8 headset purchased. Creaked. No matter how much adjusting. At 1st I thought it was the split ring base plate so I replaced it with a Chris King, Amazingly, they matched up.

Still there was a creak.

Changed out the bottom headset cup with a Chris King black one...cause you know I still wanted a little blue up top.

Creak.

Ultimately I figured out it was the top cup and compression cap the whole time.

So....the 9 year old Chris King headset that originally came on my 2001 Waterford has a new life.

Its got a black bottom cup, a red top cup and a black compression cap. Not exactly the ano blue theme my bike had going on but it works just like a good headset should.

Everyone else is doing it

So why shouldn't I? Pueblo that is.



After the last couple of weekends of this



I turned the tables this weekend and AV Boy and I drove to hit this



Yes, Pueblo is that good and then some.



33 miles of smiles



The ultimate highlight of the day...



Scaring three Bald Eagles from their perch on the cliff below me and watching their massive wingspans(6-8 ft) erupt from the side of the trail. Scared me so bad that I nearly toppled over as I screamed by doing close to 20 mph.

Oh and who says you need suspension to ride the techy?