I DIDN'T Ride My Bike Today, Cuzz....

Because I rode about 10 miles in the hills of Orange yesterday, 98 degrees with a KN95 mask at a gentle-womanly (oops, better say gentlemanly or this may turn into a gender confrontation) pace. Not the greatest but better than riding the couch.

 

I don't know, after what I've been through the last six months, riding the couch sounds mighty good.

 

Cuzz the wife is gone for the weekend and I gotta take care of the dogs and the kid and the garage door opener broke and I had to work... All you guys that got to ride today suck...

 

Isn't Nick a teenager yet?

 

Nick really takes care of Tom... We’re all getting to that age. I’m not judging.

 

Oh yeah. I keep forgetting Tom is old AF.

 

Hey I'm not disputing that Nick is the real brains of this operation... And I'm old AF just like you guys...

 

I bailed out of the L.A. Basin and headed to the high desert to escape the smoke. However, I am without bike, which is a Cardinal Sin considering the tech to ride up here.

However, I came up here to drink beer to forget about the stress I left behind and where that is concerned, I am, I said.

 

See beer fixes everything just like I've always said...

 

It certainly is right now.

 

But does beer fix the dogs, or do you still need a vet for that?

 

You and I are the same age! F@ck!

Although you are a day older... that counts!

 

You young pups!!

 

Kids....

 

Buddy, right now, I personally guaratee that beer will fix anything. Later though, I cannot guaratee it.

 

The fam has been on 'Rona quarantine since Saturday night... Firstborn woke me up around 3:30 Sunday morning with a raging fever, chills, aches, and vomiting. Bad stuff. Checked w/ Kaiser and they don't do COVID testing on the Lord's Day, so had to wait till Monday. Well, a bit of a mix up, and we didn't get there before they ended testing at noon. So Tuesday it was! He was feeling better by then, still ached but other symptoms gone, so we had some hopes he wasn't positive. Long Wednesday sitting around the house, checking email every half hour... results came in about 6:00 this evening... NEGATIVE! So hooray, maybe tomorrow I can leave the house!!! At least I got a bike mostly built.

 

That's great news and it shows that there are other ailments around in the mix.

 

It was a long and stressful start of the week. And missed the great weather as well!!!

Kids... sheesh...

 

Four fifths of the fam talked into a local hike at Herngt 'Aki' Preserve. Beautiful out! Every spot in the small lot was filled when we got there, and 100% empty when we left (we parked on the street).

Trails looking a little rough:



Eight-legged friend on the trail:

 

..of SMOKE!

 

Still?
although there was 2 mornings this week with ash on the vehicles...

Edit: more this morning

And now I have an angry toddler because I said no bike ride this morning...

They're doing controlled burns around Wilson

 

Yeah, it was pretty smoky this morning.

 

Because I just woke up.
It’s nice to sleep in sometimes

 

Took the new Pike Ultimate 130mm off the TJ Ti apart for its initial service this morning. Hasn't been 50 hrs, maybe closer to 30 but it had a lot of stiction right off the bat and although it had gotten better during the break-in period I was wondering about how well lubed it was from the factory. There was some oil, very clean in the lowers. Don't know if it was the 10ml or so that is recommended, maybe. No oil in the top of the air spring. I think they used SRAM butter rather than Dynamic Seal Grease. Was a different color, but there was some grease in there. Seemed like it was not lubing the shaft and seal head inner seal very well, a lot of stiction there.

Cleaned it all, regreased with DSG, added the 3ml of 0w30 to the top of the air can and added a little oil on top of the air spring seal head and greased the shaft up well. Slide things up and down and around before reassembling the air spring and seemed to get rid of all of that stiction. Freshly cleaned and oiled foam rings went in and cleaned and greased dust wipers in the lowers, slid the lowers on without too much problem, added the 10ml of oil to each side and buttoned it up.

Pressured up the air spring to where I had it before, 75 psi (w/3 tokens) which is kind of crazy low for a big fella like me but did remove 1 token to get back to the factory issue 2. I've tried it w/no tokens, 1,2 and 3 and had settled on 3 with the fairly low air pressure (123psi is what the RS calculator came up with for me!) and felt it was performing OK, stiction aside, for the conditions I ride it in. Right off the bat now, it is moving significantly more smoothly. It works so much better, like it is supposed to; all the stiction is gone. No way I can go with 75 psi. Testing it out bouncing around the street, off curbs etc, aired my way up to 95 psi to get it close to right. May need to get that 3rd token back in once I run it over the hills tomorrow and see how much travel I use. A week ago or so I cut a token in half and was going to try 2.5 tokens just for kicks but I couldn't find where I put it. So... will put that trial on hold for now.

All in all, a very successful morning.

 

FWIW - I run my two Lyrik Ultimates at 70 psi. I weigh 207 without gear.

Glad to hear your service made a difference.

 

I'm 240 and run my Pike 150 (rct3) that I retro-ultimized at 76 psi, no tokens, and it works really well. I have the hsc fully open on the 130 (rc2) and may have to add some hsc damping. Have to see how it handles the chunk tomorrow. It seems like a completely different feel now and I think that the set-up is going to have to change.

 

Got dragged into a hike with los niños. Did the Bird Loop at Crafton at sunset which is always nice. Lights from YHS sports ball fields were blazing at us for the final climb up Three Hawks. That kind harshed the mellow. https://www.darksky.org/
Kids were promised tacos at the end, but they got to pick. That's where I made my mistake as they both wanted Del Taco. Uhhhm, I thought you wanted tacos, not cardboard/sawdust??? Next time no choice will be given in the matter!

 

Stopped at a Del Taco in St George on our way to Bryce. Hadn't been to one in forever, but the burritos were tasty (especially doused in hot sauce) but not exceptional.

 

Their off-menu deluxe half-pound burritos are a great value and good tasting, I'll get those if I'm in the mood. Full meal for $3 ain't bad. Tons of sodium is the only downside to them.

 

The last time I ate at a Del Taco, the Mucho Macho burrito was the big thing.