redkow97

I paid $450 for my XR100, and $650 for my race suit. Used. It retails for more like $1200. I do it spend as much on helmets and gloves. I buy last year's race gloves on close out. Same with helmets. Because I'm not doing highway speeds, and I only wear my lid during races, noise and weight aren't factors for me. The bell vortex(?) has been my go-to lately. It's generally on sale (in ugly colors) for $90 or so.

Show up to an OMRL race and watch what 250 lbs guys can do on a 100cc bike. Whoever "instructed" you that a 250 was too small would likely get embarrassed by a good rider on a 250.

I need to buy a CX bike and put some road tires on it until CX season... The fat tire bike is tons of fun everywhere that isn't a road.

How complete are they? I have 60-75% of a 2002 in my basement, but taking another 'parts bike' off your hands might be more economical than trying to eBay my way to a complete project. My 2000 is in rideable condition. It needs a spoke or two replaced on the rear wheel, and the tires are pretty used up. I suppose everything is for sale for the right price, but I don't want to sell it this year, and then end up buying one for more money in 2-3 years when I miss it.

...the stories I could tell

Schools get really wacky with this kind of stuff. They're obligated to react, and ensure that they're taking steps to protect students, but they tend to swing wildly when it comes to reacting, overreacting, or ignoring.

is there audio? I have no audio at work, but this is worth pulling up on my phone...

Is capacity that big of a concern for an actual carry gun? I keep an extra magazine and ammo in my car, but I tend to only carry 7+1 routinely, unless I'm going somewhere I really ought to be avoiding in the first place.

Well, i've been sick 3 of the last 4 weeks, and haven't been at the gym AT ALL. I did get 14 miles of singletrack in at Mohican during that week I was feeling better. Saturday should be interesting. My original goal was to start a 4th lap before the 3-hour end time. My new goal is to survive! I know I can ride 25ish miles of singletrack and/or 3+ hours if I pace myself. While I had previously planned to aim for 8 mph average and do 1 lap per hour, my new plan is to go as slow as I can tolerate in the first lap, and hopefully get a little faster on teh second lap, then go for broke on the third lap. Not sure what I'll do if I have time to start a 4th, as my conditioning is NOT where I had hoped it would be. This will be a good workout, and a fun time if I don't get down on myself for not being fast. The weather is supposed to be perfect, and the worst I can be is last...

The larger half-clone (oldest daughter) and I are driving to Tampa next Tuesday. We pick up mom and smaller half-clone from the airport on Wednesday. Assuming I can get my bike through all the rest-stops without it being stolen off the rack, I'm planning to ride Alafia state park at least 1 day. https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/alafia-river-state-park.html I won't be taking video or anything fancy. I will probably track w/ Strava, because I like knowing how many miles I have on my bike, etc. Wish me luck! (on the 18 hour drive w/ a toddler part. I should have the biking part pretty well covered.)

I've been off the bike almost 4 weeks now. 3-hour endurance in 6 days. This is going to hurt, and humble...

And just like that, it's cancelled. FUCK.

http://www.motoamerica.com/live-timing

Australia's population density is incredibly low. Sydney is comparable (density) to Youngstown. Cleveland is something like 8 times as densely populated as Sydney. Hardly apples-to-apples when people are that much more spread out.

I wouldn't worry about it too much in this particular case, but the 8th district court of appeals is not the most popular with Ohio's Supreme Court.

...yet

Hyosung was at the motorcycle show last year. They were really enthusiastic about their contingency program. I'd give one a try, but I wouldn't pay for a new one...

Okay, real MTB racing debut. Anyone else want to 'grid' up? There are 70 people confirmed to attend on Facebook. It's an 8-mile loop for the novices, and from what they posted about the elevation, there's 1 big climb just as you reach the 2 mile mark. After that it's shorter, "punchy" climbs and descents. Haven't decided whether I will pace myself on teh big climb, or just attack it and hope I don't die during the subsequent 5.x miles. 50-70 mins has been quoted as a reasonable novice time. I'm hoping to stay under an hour, and average above 8 mph for the full course. For reference, I did 8.4 mph over 7.4 miles at my local trail on Monday, and 8.1 over 18 miles at Mohican on Saturday, but the Mohican speed is skewed high, because of the 3+ miles of pavement I took to get back to my car. that was an 18+ mile ride though. I think 8 mph is a good goal.

I got there late. Missed the race start and wasn't on the trail until 1:30. Rode like my hair was on fire for the first 10 miles, then realized (was told) there was a huge climb after the covered bridge at the 12 mike mark. The climb was steep, but not the day-ender it was described as. I rode that, did the descent to the mile 14 water station, and then decided, "I'm getting tired enough that this will stop being fun and start being hazardous soon..." I knew where I was (there's a road and a parking lot at the water stop) and I knew my car was 3 paved miles away, mostly down hill. I checked the time, and cutting the ride short was the smart move for my dinner plans, given my late start. i did stop twice on my ride to chat with some spokejunkies people at the gnome tree, and I spent 10 mins helping a couple repair the woman's broken chain. I needed the rest more than they needed the help. my ride is on strava, if anyone cares to see it. "Some Mohican" 18.x miles total, 14 of that is singletrack. With better pacing, I feel like the full loop would have been very attainable, but I get bored riding slowly...

I didn't mean to imply that YOU were slow. My statement was more about the speedometer lying to you. "I hit 151 on the back straight!" Then GPS tells you it was really 139 or whatever.

flat-ground riding on towpaths doesn't require an expensive bike, but "expensive" is a relative term. It sounds like you want to spend a couple hundred on an older steel-frame rigid mountain bike with cushy road-biased tires, and a nice gel seat (although a gel seat is no substitute for padded cycling shorts). Hills change the workout a LOT, and if you're trying to average more than 12mph, the quality and weight of the bike will start to matter more too.

You guys make dividing by .62 sound like it's a lot of work Always sucks to see how fast you weren't really going. GPS is harsh that way.

my short gravel ride at the Indian Bear Lodge had a couple semi-serious hills. That's close-ish to Mohican, and I can see how it's very possible for there to be some walking sections, even with a full cassette.

Damn dude! And here I was feeling sorry for myself being sick all weekend and not being able to ride.

When I was first getting into racing and working as a janitor (second job) to fund it, and buy an engagement ring, someone asked me why a guy like me was cleaning toilets. "I've got an expensive girlfriend and a more expensive hobby." "what's the hobby" "racing sport bikes" (5 second pause) "quit the girlfriend."