Originally Posted by Prowler
(Post 18726425)
...and all went just ducky.
On one corner in a residential neighborhood there is this house where I'd seen domestic white ducks in the yard, usually behind a fence when I see them at all but occasionally wandering free. So today I turned that corner and saw a small duck, apparently young, about 18in tall and quite thin, on the other side of the road and further down the road than the edge of that house's yard. Usually the ducks are on the near side of the house. Hmm, I figured, another escapee and seemingly lost. As soon as the duck saw me he started angling across the road to intercept me. Not wanting to hit him I stopped. He walked right up to the bike, looked at me with a pleading expression (or about as much expression as ducks can mange), kissed the front tire of the bike, looked up at me again as if begging for food or asking for help. Well, I had no food so I tried to go around him and continue. He moved to stay in front, blocking my way. I managed to slip by and tried to continue but I heard his little feet pitter-pattering beside me, keeping up right by my side. I stopped again and he just looked up as if to say I like it here with you. So I turned the bike around and started back toward the house, figuring I'd ring the doorbell. He stayed with me, blocking my way so I wouldn't go anywhere. That's when the car stopped. The driver commented "What a sight, a cute little white duck and an absolutely beautiful blue bike, and was the duck mine?" I said no, I thought he might belong to that house. Then he asked about the bike "Was it a Serotta?" (I can't remember the spelling, Serotta or Serrota, sorry.) I said no, it was a Grandis and he said it was gorgeous and the duck was really cute. I thanked him and tried again to continue. That's when I noticed the man of the house opening up his car door. So I called out "Sir!" and he turned. I pointed out the duck and said I thought it might be his. Turns out it was. I said he was following me like I might be his mom, and the guy said "For some strange reason he really likes bicycles." Then he (the guy) tried to get the duck but the duck ran around the bike. Well, eventually he (the guy) managed to chase the duck back into the back yard. I stood there and watched, then waved and continued the ride home. What a strange ride. |
Originally Posted by jimmuller
(Post 18726563)
the guy said "For some strange reason he really likes bicycles." ..............What a strange ride.
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Gd rd 2 wrk ths mrnng, hd flt n Rlngtn, fxd n 15 mn.
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vwls n kbrd brkn? :D
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Originally Posted by smontanaro
(Post 18727672)
vwls n kbrd brkn? :D
No ducks today. First the flat this morning, then a broken-down bike and a turtle. When I got to work this morning the FD adjustment seemed off. Hmm, oh well. Got a pic. http://world.std.com/~muller/pics/GrandisAtWork.jpg Shortly after starting for home the chain hopped to the small ring and the FD wouldn't shift it back to the big ring. What the...? The FD hadn't slipped, the cable was still good. The entire crank had slipped to the right, not because the crank was coming off the square taper but because the entire BB had moved. It's a cartridge unit, Italian BB, that apparently wasn't torqued tightly enough. Normally you install one by torquing the entire unit into the DS, then fit a quasi-locking piece into the non-DS. The entire unit had precessed outward to the right almost a cm. I rode for a while pedaling as little as possible. At one point I stopped and rotated it back a little by hand, but I couldn't get it nearly tight enough. Okay, think...(I thought to myself) now what? When I got to Lexington I detoured to Ride Studio to borrow some tools. Instead one of the guys there insisted on fixing it himself. While I waited another employee pulled out his cell phone to show me a pic of his Ciocc with almost the same color paint. Eventually I hit the road again, but noted that the BB was a bit stiff, just as it was when I first installed it. I need to install a real BB. So a few miles later while riding through the flats between the Belmont Country Club golf course and the Beaver Brook source on Concord Rd a bunch of cars had stopped. I couldn't see what was up, but not wanting to ride through them I stopped as well. It turns out they were waiting for a turtle to cross the road (apparently it thought it was a chicken), a large, seemingly old snapper, though they all look old even when young. One woman came around her car and asked if I knew anything about turtles. I said a little, and that guy could take your finger off. We picked up some sticks and tried to encourage him/her/it to move a little faster. He/she/it wasn't interested in moving faster. Then another car stopped and a grad-student-age woman got out and said you could pick them up if you started with the tail. I said she must have more experience with snappers than I did and she said she had worked with them, was a vet student. Ah. She picked it up from the back, tail first, and moved it down in to the brush. I managed to get a pic first. Then she thanked us and we all moved on down the road. http://world.std.com/~muller/pics/turtle.jpg |
Where is everyone? Still out riding?
We did 41.1 miles on the tandem today. Spent some of it exploring tiny roads on the edge of civilization, or even on the edge of modern time. http://world.std.com/~muller/pics/JimLake.jpg http://world.std.com/~muller/pics/BogStop.jpg On a road tucked between rt <frumpt-frumpt> and the <mumbley> river, a road barely into the 20th century, a road you ride but never tell anyone where it is: http://world.std.com/~muller/pics/Greenwood.jpg Finally, second lunch (like second breakfast but later) http://world.std.com/~muller/pics/Se...ersonField.jpg |
Originally Posted by jimmuller
(Post 18730890)
Where is everyone? Still out riding?
We did 41.1 miles on the tandem today. Spent some of it exploring tiny roads on the edge of civilization, or even on the edge of modern time. Speaking of tandems, 32 miles with my new stoker: https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1557/2...42782606_b.jpg Early, warm spring in Portlandia, everything's blooming. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1462/2...31d5c8b4_b.jpg This is thirteen nowadays: https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1548/2...27e1bc43_b.jpg Well, we did have a great time together. Rode out to tiny Scholls where there's a little cafe. Ate and talked, absorbed some of that precious daughter-father time that seems to get shorter and shorter as they get older. The picture, above was 25 miles in, she was a Chatty Cathy until then. She marvelled at all of the beautiful farmland, cows, horses, and a little alpaca farm that she made me stop at for pictures. Two weeks ago we did the Portland Tweed ride together, she told me her butt didn't hurt nearly so much this time. Her arms and hands were sore the last ride, so I raised the stoker bars about 4 inches, problem solved. I think she wants a pair of gloves. |
15 miles of dirt on the 91 Kona today (overgrown BMX bike). Though the more modern crank came loose halfway through the ride, took a pass at it with the multi tool and all ended well.
Taking it easy before some gravel grinding tomorrow. |
Originally Posted by gugie
(Post 18731130)
Hey, we're three hours behind you out here. Damn East Coast bias...:p
...I think she wants a pair of gloves. Great pics, great story! Nice looking bike too. Get her the gloves. :thumb: |
More pics of the Grandis please @jimmuller :)
Got out for a long ride on the Kirk, stopped for one quick crappy pic at the turn around point. Heading out into the rain shortly. http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...pseifaasxj.jpg http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...psagtkgkrh.jpg |
Originally Posted by Vonruden
(Post 18731828)
More pics of the Grandis please
http://world.std.com/~muller/pics/Grandis/BlueBike2.jpg http://world.std.com/~muller/pics/Gr...GRearAngle.jpg http://world.std.com/~muller/pics/HamptonBeachStrip.jpg |
Love that Grandis Jim!
I couldn't make it to NYC for the 5 Boro so did my own 12 Boro shore bike tour from Bricktown through Point Pleasant, Brielle, Manasquan, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Lake Como, Belmar, Avon by the Sea, Bradley Beach, Ocean Grove, and finally Asbury Park for a double shot Cappucino and rasberry cheese danish. Quick stop at McDonalds http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...psi3o2oqwn.jpg Asbury Convention hall http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6hkfzelv.jpg Asbury Park Roastery in convention hall http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1rn6jebx.jpg Only one small buzz kill http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...psvzpun8hj.jpg |
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No excuse for this thread getting to the second page on a weekend...
Today, I rode the Meisville 56 gravel ride with a bunch of other nice people. Managed to get around the course in a little over three hours despite 15 mph northeast winds that ripped right across the farmland. It was fast due to the recent rains having packed in the roads leaving fast soft over hard. That, and a good share of shameless wheel sucking with the front group for about the first 20 miles. My favorite riders of the day were riding this. A father and his 20 something autistic and physically disabled son did 30 miles of the course (they win the props for the day in my book). http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...0&d=1462147708 My ride (pre limestone coating) http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...9&d=1462147706 About 44 degrees before the start http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...8&d=1462147705 |
Originally Posted by Chrome Molly
(Post 18733315)
No excuse for this thread getting to the second page on a weekend...
Today, I rode the Meisville 56 gravel ride with a bunch of other nice people. Managed to get around the course in a little over three hours despite 15 mph northeast winds that ripped right across the farmland. It was fast due to the recent rains having packed in the roads leaving fast soft over hard. That, and a good share of shameless wheel sucking with the front group for about the first 20 miles. My favorite riders of the day were riding this. A father and his 20 something autistic and physically disabled son did 30 miles of the course (they win the props for the day in my book). http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...0&d=1462147708 My ride (pre limestone coating) http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...9&d=1462147706 About 44 degrees before the start http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...8&d=1462147705 I worked at a soccer tourney in Blaine for our son's team. Managed a fast 27 miler with Mrs. Gomango. Far better than nothing. :) |
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I could not attend the NYC 5 Borough Bike Tour today but I did manage a wet 34 mile ride on my Super Course TT this afternoon. 185 miles this week so things are looking promising for the warmer months. The second photo is of a monument to the soldiers of the Wakefield neighborhood of the Bronx who lost their lives on the battlefields of WWI.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=519277http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=519279 |
It was a gorgeous day and I went out for a bit of dirt and gravel.
http://www.cycle.ciocctoo.com/050116a.jpg http://www.cycle.ciocctoo.com/050116b.jpg http://www.cycle.ciocctoo.com/050116c.jpg I was rolling along at a good clip, taking advantage of the gift of gravity when I came upon a narrow spot in the road that was in the shade. Around 15-20 feet away I saw something and thought "WTH is that?"..... and about half a second later I realized what it was. He was stretched out at an angle across the road so I didn't have a lot of room to pass. He was kind enough to hang around and let me get a pic or two. http://www.cycle.ciocctoo.com/050116d.jpg And remember.... http://www.cycle.ciocctoo.com/050116e.jpg |
^ I sure hope that you used a telephoto to get that picture of the Rattler.
Yikes ! |
I rode up to Milford NJ on Saturday. There was no wind, and no rain, so a good day for riding. But also no sun, so not a good day for photography. Just before descending into the valley to Milford I stopped for this photo....
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a...0/IMG_1234.JPG You can actually see the Delaware River in the distance, though of course it doesn't look like much. Everything to the right of the river is Pennsylvania, the rest is New Jersey. |
Originally Posted by northbend
(Post 18734146)
^ I sure hope that you used a telephoto to get that picture of the Rattler.
Yikes ! |
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Good morning.
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Met up with @jyl this morning down by the submarine parked in the Willamette River. After riding through some homeless encampments on the bike path, we crossed the river on the new, only partially completed Sellwood Bridge, rode up through a big cemetary, back down the hill, across the Tilikum bridge, and mentioned that Rivelo was right over yar. He hadn't been there, so we stopped by to see Rivendell North, took Grant's advice and bought a few things, then rode back to jyl's C&V foresquare house in the Laurelwood neighborhood. Had a couple of beers, then SWMBO called, so I rode home.
Somewhere in the middle of the ride, just as we were discussing the benefits of fat tires, jyl had a flat. I took some pictures. Outside of the foo-foo jersey, this one's pretty normal. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1495/2...f96d5b5a_b.jpg Me, I'm a tire lever kinda guy, but whatever floats your boat. https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7004/2...723bc0e6_b.jpg Then it got weird. https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7090/2...44e30738_b.jpg |
Hastening to explain myself.
The root cause for this abberant behaviour started back with a previous flat, chronicled here. http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...pair-ever.html The tube on the bike is the same one extracted from the sticky ziplock bag and installed that day. When I tried to repair the flat today, I discovered that the Gu (energy gel) had fouled and hardened in the valve stem threads so that we couldn't unscrew the knurled nut on the stem, and thus couldn't remove the tube from the rim. I found the hole in the tube and patched it, but the tube still wouldn't hold air, so we decided to simply tear the tube from the valve stem and pull the stem through the rim hole, then install my spare tube. Ripping off the tube left a ring of vulcanized rubber around the base of the stem, that prevented the stem from going through the hole. No problem, I simply used my multitool to scrape off the rubber. That's photos #1 and #2 . Rubber removed, we discovered that the base of the stem is larger diameter than the stem body, so it won't fit through the hole anyway. Uh oh. I was seriously contemplating the Call of Shame. Which, by the way, I have never made before. As a last desperate resort, I licked and sucked the Gu-ed up stem threads until the sugary glue was soft, which finally allowed the nut to unscrew. That's photo #3 . The remainder of the tire repair proceeded normally. They say bad stuff happens in threes, so I'm dreading my next flat. |
The nearby larger cites have "Slow Roll" rides and I decided to host my very first slow roll for my area here in Ashtabula county to visit 3 covered brides on a ten mile out and back. It was a great solo ride.........
http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/...psjgfozyjl.jpg |
Originally Posted by jyl
(Post 18736238)
Hastening to explain myself.
The root cause for this abberant behaviour started back with a previous flat, chronicled here. http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...pair-ever.html The tube on the bike is the same one extracted from the sticky ziplock bag and installed that day. When I tried to repair the flat today, I discovered that the Gu (energy gel) had fouled and hardened in the valve stem threads so that we couldn't unscrew the knurled nut on the stem, and thus couldn't remove the tube from the rim. I found the hole in the tube and patched it, but the tube still wouldn't hold air, so we decided to simply tear the tube from the valve stem and pull the stem through the rim hole, then install my spare tube. Ripping off the tube left a ring of vulcanized rubber around the base of the stem, that prevented the stem from going through the hole. No problem, I simply used my multitool to scrape off the rubber. That's photos #1 and #2 . Rubber removed, we discovered that the base of the stem is larger diameter than the stem body, so it won't fit through the hole anyway. Uh oh. I was seriously contemplating the Call of Shame. Which, by the way, I have never made before. As a last desperate resort, I licked and sucked the Gu-ed up stem threads until the sugary glue was soft, which finally allowed the nut to unscrew. That's photo #3 . The remainder of the tire repair proceeded normally. They say bad stuff happens in threes, so I'm dreading my next flat. |
Originally Posted by gugie
(Post 18736444)
Anybody really buying that story?:roflmao:
DD |
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