Mixed Signals

February 24, 2017

Mixed Signals

Perfect Spring day today, well, excepting that technically it is not Spring yet. But never mind that.

They were testing the latest home brew today at work (yes, we have a brew club) but, even though I had paid my membership fee, I was the contrary one running away and out the door so that I could get home to hop on the bike.

The signal was clear - "a perfect day, go for a ride." Little did I know, and as I feared when I installed that just-barely-fits-between-the-stays-tire, someone did in fact, and deed, take a rubber mallet to the rear wheel, knocking it just enough further out of true, causing the knobby tread to rub against the frame with each rotation. This signal was the exact opposite of the first, saying "don't ride until you resolve this problem."

I put up with the clatter and wearing away of rubber for a bit, even stopping at one point to slightly skew the wheel (didn't help at all), but ultimately called the ride short. Yes, I am pretty sure there is a spoke wrench somewhere in my camelbak, but couldn't be bothered to search for it. Guess I will have to do twice the distance tomorrow to make up for today.

It is often said that Bonelli holds its water like a dead man holds his secrets - forever. I don't believe the puddles have diminished at all in the past week or two. Some things don't change, like the downed pine blocking the trail along Puddingstone. Other things do change, like the beach-sand-banks along the stream (seemed like someone had dumped a load of new sand there), a cyclocross sand pit fantasy, or the recently exposed water gauging station - I have ridden by the upstream check dam, and downstream gauging station countless times, have never seen either, yet both are in plain view. I think rushing water, and maybe a little maintenance help, have exposed them from a covering of trees, brush, grass, dirt, etc.

Enjoy the weekend, there is more rain a coming, or so they say.