Addiction XXX5
05-10-14, 12:56 PM
#826
Casually Deliberate
I got shorted a bolt yesterday in the box with a 12" Hot Wheels bike. They packed the washer but not the nut or bolt. I could just imagine some poor dad trying to put it together at 1am Christmas Eve, losing his religion, and inventing new profanity.
05-10-14, 12:59 PM
#827
Falls Downalot
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: DC
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ah yes, the difficulty in counting that the 8 years old in mainland china that package those things have...surprised it doesn't happen more often...
05-10-14, 01:30 PM
#828
Senior Member
Thanks to all those who posted opinions on timing of my hip replacement surgery. I will likely get it done before Christmas sometime. Went for a 30 miler today, beautiful ride and beautiful weather make this past winter seem like a bad memory. No pain during or post ride. Yeah. Will suffer tonight but Was worth it.
05-10-14, 01:33 PM
#829
Senior Member
Faith can be lost but one would hope more than a bolt would be the cause.
05-10-14, 01:34 PM
#830
Casually Deliberate
I can already kind of tell though what vehicles/bikes we'll be getting back. The John Deere car instructions say to "Slide the plastic windshield into the black plastic frame until the clear dot goes 'click'" and it shows two hands lightly pressing the pieces together. In fact, it takes two people, twenty minutes, and a putty knife. You can't use a screwdriver to pry the top part of the frame open because the blade is too wide for the frame to allow blade and windshield in at the same time. There's also a good chance you'll scratch hell out of the hard plastic windshield with whatever blade you use or snap it in half from pushing too hard.
Also, the Barbie bike that has a hot pink hard plastic Barbie bike attached to the handlebars so Barbie can "ride" with you will come back cuz either the pink bike will get broken or someone will wisely decide that trying to hold Barbie on her bike means your hands aren't on the grips and you're not paying attention and this is worryingly unsafe.
05-10-14, 05:30 PM
#832
Friendship is Magic
Join Date: Nov 2010
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05-10-14, 06:21 PM
#833
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: SE Minnesota
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Rode the Fulton Gran Fondo this morning: About ? Fulton Gran Fondo
Went with six of my riding buddies and maintained an early season pace. There was supposed to be a mass start a 9:00, but we left a few minutes early, which turned out to be a Good Thing because it starts out on bike paths, some with some tight turns, which must have been a clusterfark with 500 freds looking to PR on a flat century. So about the route... it's flat. It's also mostly through Minneapolis and its endless suburbs. When it finally got out to some rural roads, the lack of even corn to break up the wind added some difficulty on a few stretches. There were a lot of turns and much of it was difficult to follow. The supplied Garmin file was pretty much hopeless while the cue sheets were better. The best scenery turned out to be some attractive (and strong) female cyclists who rotated through our group for a while.
The after party had a band that did a pretty convincing Bruce Springsteen impersonation. The $25 price of admission included two free beers from Fulton Brewery, a pint glass, a t-shirt, a salted nut roll, and a local beer magazine. Also, there were too water/banana stops on the route. Not too bad.
It's kind of nice getting a century in this early. I would have liked a better route with fewer traffic lights and bike paths, but you can only do so much with a requirement to start/finish at an urban brewery.
Went with six of my riding buddies and maintained an early season pace. There was supposed to be a mass start a 9:00, but we left a few minutes early, which turned out to be a Good Thing because it starts out on bike paths, some with some tight turns, which must have been a clusterfark with 500 freds looking to PR on a flat century. So about the route... it's flat. It's also mostly through Minneapolis and its endless suburbs. When it finally got out to some rural roads, the lack of even corn to break up the wind added some difficulty on a few stretches. There were a lot of turns and much of it was difficult to follow. The supplied Garmin file was pretty much hopeless while the cue sheets were better. The best scenery turned out to be some attractive (and strong) female cyclists who rotated through our group for a while.
The after party had a band that did a pretty convincing Bruce Springsteen impersonation. The $25 price of admission included two free beers from Fulton Brewery, a pint glass, a t-shirt, a salted nut roll, and a local beer magazine. Also, there were too water/banana stops on the route. Not too bad.
It's kind of nice getting a century in this early. I would have liked a better route with fewer traffic lights and bike paths, but you can only do so much with a requirement to start/finish at an urban brewery.
__________________
Telemachus has, indeed, sneezed.
Telemachus has, indeed, sneezed.
05-10-14, 06:53 PM
#835
cowboy, steel horse, etc
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Pic from my epic 4.6 mile predawn rain ride. Someone tagged the underpass already, and it's a crappy tag.
05-10-14, 06:57 PM
#836
Friendship is Magic
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05-10-14, 06:59 PM
#837
Should Be More Popular
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Malvern, PA (20 miles West of Philly)
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05-10-14, 07:05 PM
#838
Has a magic bike
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Los Angeles
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This is a pic of my best cycling friend from our ride today. For reasons that are not mine to disclose, it was important to him to ride a particular route up in the hills above Malibu. So today we took a little field trip to do that route. A hardcore hill climbing friend joined us, which was very helpful, he knew everything about our route.
Beautiful climbing day in the Santa Monica Mountains, 6400 ft, 81 miles. Several tough climbs, including a long climb from the Pacific Coast Hwy up over the top of the SM Mountains and down the other side- 8 climbing miles, ave 6%, broiling hot with no shade (my Garmin registered 91 degrees in the heat radiating from the pavement). Some headwinds on one part with rollers, but so lovely having your peeps around to draft off of, unlike the Wildflower in which I had all those headwinds to contend with by myself. But the very best part of the day was flying along in Malibu on the PCH from Camarillo to Mullholand Hwy, the Pacific Ocean just off to our right and the wind at our backs.
Lol, Mr. Hillclimber, who I have never ridden with before, declares at lunch that next year I will be riding King (well actually in my case, Queen) of the Mountains Century Challenge- three crazy hill climbing centuries in one season. The Mullholland Challenge (120 mi, 13,000 ft climbing), The Breathless Agony (114 miles, 12,000 ft climbing), and The Heartbreak Hundred (100 mi, 8000 ft climbing). "Who me?" says I. "Yes, you," says he. Hmm, we shall see.
Such a nice ride today. Very happy I got to do this with my friend, he really wanted to do it and we both had strong rides which made it even better.
Last edited by Heathpack; 05-10-14 at 07:08 PM.
05-10-14, 07:24 PM
#839
Still kicking.
62 miles today.
__________________
Appreciate the old bikes more than the new.
Appreciate the old bikes more than the new.
05-10-14, 07:40 PM
#840
Administrator
Thread Starter
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Meh! What does Brent know? I give her an 8, tops.
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See, this is why we can't have nice things. - - smarkinson
Where else but the internet can a bunch of cyclists go and be the tough guy? - - jdon
05-10-14, 07:52 PM
#841
Administrator
Thread Starter
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- He took his first girlfriend there?
- He got dumped by his first girlfriend there?
- He lost his virginity there?
- His girlfriend called the cops on him there?
- His girlfriend jumped off the cliff there?
__________________
See, this is why we can't have nice things. - - smarkinson
Where else but the internet can a bunch of cyclists go and be the tough guy? - - jdon
05-10-14, 07:56 PM
#842
So it is
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Westminster, CO
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This is a pic of my best cycling friend from our ride today. For reasons that are not mine to disclose, it was important to him to ride a particular route up in the hills above Malibu. So today we took a little field trip to do that route. A hardcore hill climbing friend joined us, which was very helpful, he knew everything about our route.
Beautiful climbing day in the Santa Monica Mountains, 6400 ft, 81 miles. Several tough climbs, including a long climb from the Pacific Coast Hwy up over the top of the SM Mountains and down the other side- 8 climbing miles, ave 6%, broiling hot with no shade (my Garmin registered 91 degrees in the heat radiating from the pavement). Some headwinds on one part with rollers, but so lovely having your peeps around to draft off of, unlike the Wildflower in which I had all those headwinds to contend with by myself. But the very best part of the day was flying along in Malibu on the PCH from Camarillo to Mullholand Hwy, the Pacific Ocean just off to our right and the wind at our backs.
Lol, Mr. Hillclimber, who I have never ridden with before, declares at lunch that next year I will be riding King (well actually in my case, Queen) of the Mountains Century Challenge- three crazy hill climbing centuries in one season. The Mullholland Challenge (120 mi, 13,000 ft climbing), The Breathless Agony (114 miles, 12,000 ft climbing), and The Heartbreak Hundred (100 mi, 8000 ft climbing). "Who me?" says I. "Yes, you," says he. Hmm, we shall see.
Such a nice ride today. Very happy I got to do this with my friend, he really wanted to do it and we both had strong rides which made it even better.
05-10-14, 08:12 PM
#844
Senior Member
On a nice day like today you would have seen thousands of riders streaming through there. I had to work today.
05-10-14, 08:15 PM
#845
Has a magic bike
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Lol, sorry to be so mysterious but it is nothing like that. Try 10 levels less drama, it's no big deal, really. Just a route he wanted to ride, so I said, "let's ride it."
05-10-14, 08:15 PM
#846
Senior Member
Well thats it for me. two posts is my monthly quo . . . . . . . . . oh wait I screwed up. Nevermind.
05-10-14, 08:20 PM
#847
Administrator
Thread Starter
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Mack is in the hoooouse!
Where are they now?
- Mac0495
- Tampa Raleigh
Nice shot, HP.
Where are they now?
- Mac0495
- Tampa Raleigh
Nice shot, HP.
__________________
See, this is why we can't have nice things. - - smarkinson
Where else but the internet can a bunch of cyclists go and be the tough guy? - - jdon
05-10-14, 08:21 PM
#848
Has a magic bike
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@LAJ, how did your races go? Looked fast to me on Strava. But with racing everything is relative, I guess.
05-10-14, 08:47 PM
#849
So it is
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Heathpack, the 55+ was early, and it was difficult. That said, as bad as I was feeling mid-week, I am somewhat pleased. Hung with the pack on a course I really don't like. It isn't much of a skill course, with a little elevation change each lap. My endurance just wasn't there.
35+4, 72 starters. Scary, and it was actually faster than the 55+ race. Big crowd, which equals very sketchy stuff, at times. I need to look at the movie to see if I believe what was going on. I was pretty beat, but was able to fire off the front for a time. I finished fairly strong, but my power was down, both races. A good pair of training races, as the races I want to do well in are coming up, and a new block starts this week.
Thanks for asking, Heathpack.
35+4, 72 starters. Scary, and it was actually faster than the 55+ race. Big crowd, which equals very sketchy stuff, at times. I need to look at the movie to see if I believe what was going on. I was pretty beat, but was able to fire off the front for a time. I finished fairly strong, but my power was down, both races. A good pair of training races, as the races I want to do well in are coming up, and a new block starts this week.
Thanks for asking, Heathpack.
05-10-14, 09:26 PM
#850
Has a magic bike
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Heathpack, the 55+ was early, and it was difficult. That said, as bad as I was feeling mid-week, I am somewhat pleased. Hung with the pack on a course I really don't like. It isn't much of a skill course, with a little elevation change each lap. My endurance just wasn't there.
35+4, 72 starters. Scary, and it was actually faster than the 55+ race. Big crowd, which equals very sketchy stuff, at times. I need to look at the movie to see if I believe what was going on. I was pretty beat, but was able to fire off the front for a time. I finished fairly strong, but my power was down, both races. A good pair of training races, as the races I want to do well in are coming up, and a new block starts this week.
Thanks for asking, Heathpack.
35+4, 72 starters. Scary, and it was actually faster than the 55+ race. Big crowd, which equals very sketchy stuff, at times. I need to look at the movie to see if I believe what was going on. I was pretty beat, but was able to fire off the front for a time. I finished fairly strong, but my power was down, both races. A good pair of training races, as the races I want to do well in are coming up, and a new block starts this week.
Thanks for asking, Heathpack.