Monday, July 25, 2005

Monday

Removed the broken bottem bracket today. That involved a lot of grunting, a large breaker bar, a rawhide mallet, and lastly a chisel the get the cups out. They wuz stick in real good! Must have used red Loctite when I put them in, back in '88!

I think I can get by with a new bottem bracket and maybe a left crankarm.

But I will be very leery of standing up and cranking on the pedals from now on!

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Sunday sux0rz


Went on a ride to Torrey Pines this morning, but unfortunately at 12 miles the bottem bracket broke as I was accelerating across the intersection at Mission Bay Drive and Seaworld Drive against the red light. The left crankarm and pedal went flying, I did a face plant (actually, a left hip plant) on the asphalt in the middle of the intersection. Kinda scraped up my hip a bit, it's pretty sore. Oddly, my right leg is sore too, but no wound. My helmet has a little crack on the cop but I can't see how I hit that! A guy on a bike right behind me had a cell phone so I called my wife who called my son and he came and picked me up. While I was waiting I used my trusty first aid kit to wash the arm wound with Betadine. A homeless-type guy on a bike helped me wraped the bandage around my arm. Went to urgent care but the line was so long and I was walking better by then, so I went back home and bandaged everything up.

I'm thinking it would be almost cheaper to buy a new bike than to replace the bottem bracket, crankset, and of course I really needed a new chain and freewheel. All that stuff would cost about $250.00, and I could get a great new bike for $500.00. At any rate, I don't have the moola, cash-wise, so I guess I won't be riding for a while, unless I ride my wife's crummy bike around the neighborhood.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Saturday afternoon

Did a short ride up to Fletcher Hills and back, 8 miles approx. Not nearly as warm as yesterday, some high clouds, and not too much traffic. Saw a socket lying in the bike lane near Cost Co, but didn't stop to get it as I was traveling MUCH TOO FAST! Maybe I'll check it out tomorrow. I have a penchant for picking up stuff, you know!

Friday, July 22, 2005

Friday

Not much to report today, rode to the library and the train store. Got 3 books at the library, got more super glue at the train store, this time thin and fast-setting.
It was pretty warm, in the mid-nineties today. The library is air-conditioned and they have water fountain with chiller, so that was refreshing.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Sweaty Thursday

Rode up the hill to Kearny Mesa to visit the urologist today. Traffic wasn't too bad, although it always makes me nervous. Three guys in matching jerseys passed me on the Fairmont bike path. I, once again, didn't see them coming up behind me! I need some kind of heads up display.

It was balmy when I started out, but it warmed up quickly and was very warm on the way back. It's 91 in the shade in La Mesa right now. So there!

My strategy to climb up onto Kearny Mesa was going on the Murphy Canyon bike path past the stadium, past Fry's, then onto Daley Center/Ruffin, then up Aero. This was a lot easier than climbing Mission Village Dr.

It took about an hour to get there, and about an hour to unload and secure the bike. I locked the front wheel to the frame with a u-lock and hid the bike in some bushes behind the building, since I didn't see any bike parking. I took all the stuff off the bike, like the speedo, tool bag, and pump, and secured them in the handlebar bag which I carried in.

The doc said my PSA was a little higher and I might have to get radiation in a few months if it keeps rising. What fun!

I rode back the same way I came, no problems. I did Montezuma in low-no-granny, not bad!

No flats!

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

It's Wednesday!

I didn't ride yesterday as I had jury duty and it was too warm in the afternoon. And I was too lazy in the evening...

So I rode today. Did a misc. loop, no big hills. 20 miles. Stopped by La Mesita park to look for a Geocache, but no joy. Found a letter laying on the side of Fletcher Parkway, will drop it in a mailbox. Stopped by work to see if they wanted me back NOW, but, again, no joy. Checked out Steve-O's new Viking tat, very nice! Saw a cop pull over a speeeeeder. Scared me when he bleeped the siren. Did an out-and-back around Lake Murray. Saw the blonde chick. Stopped by Dixieline on the way home and got some rubber-covered cord. 14/3 SJ, I think. Should have bought a extension cord and cut off the ends, it would have been cheaper!

Thursday I ride to Kearny Mesa to visit the urologist. And do a lab for the PCP.

Have not won anything yet in the Trek Lucky Seven contest on-line. Just call me Bobke! Have been watching the Tour fairly religiously.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Sunday Morning

Did a 54 mile ride past the Viejas Casino almost to the Willows Road/Alpine Blvd. bridge crossing of I-8, but gave up a bit before the top of the hill. It was very warm out. I have never been on Willows Road before, nor have seen the casino close up. Got passed by three guys in a paceline, I was going 20 so they were probably going 30, easy. Didn't even see them approaching in my little mirror, so what good is it, huh? I ate two granola bars and drank three water bottles. Saw a parrot squawking away sitting on a telephone, I should have brought the camera. I saw a cement dome-y kind of house I hadn't noticed before. Probably the big fire a couple years ago burnt away some trees so now it is revealed. Of course, I came that way LAST week and didn't notice it...

I had put the handlebar bag on, and took off the trunk bag. I put the first aid kit in a baggie instead of the plastic box it was in, so it's a little lighter. Next week, if I do this again, I will defintely remember to take the camera!

No flats this week!!

96 mile week! 1,270 YTD

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Thursday Morning

It's sounding repititious, but I did the Dam Ride (b) again. Nothing happened. Took the camera but didn't take any pictures, although someone made an interesting addition to the bike path pictograph in Santee. Speaking of, the trolley sat so long at its stops that I beat it from Fletcher Parkway to Cuyamaca.

Saw the blonde chick (no, not THAT blonde chick!) at the lake. If you go there, you know who I mean. She's ALWAYS there, every day, running.

Tuesday evening discovered another flat, on the rear. So Wednesday I pulled the tube and sure enough it had a hole. So I patched it and put it back in. So far, so good! Marking the hole with chalk is working out well. I carry a piece in the tube repair kit on the road, and have a chunk on the repair stand too.

I also use the chalk when earling the chain to mark from where I started. I hope there isn't an abrasive action from the chalk/oil mixture, although I DO try to wipe the chalk off when I get there. And it's on the outside of the link, anyway.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Tuesday Morning

I chose to do the Dam Ride (b) this morning after watching a few minutes of le Tour. Whilst getting dressed I found it is important to make sure one has removed one's tidy whiteys BEFORE putting on the bike pants... The ride went well, especially since I got an early start (6:15 a.m.) and beat the sun. That was the plan since I've run out of sun screen till next grocery day. Climbed Jackson in un-granny.

Came home to watch Lance-bebe finish second on the stage, a split-second behind what-his-name, the guy in green that needs a shave.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Sunday Morning Ride

Instead of watching le Tour I went for a ride to Alpine. I noticed the read tire was getting soft at about the 10 mile mark so I stopped, ate a granola bar, and inspected the tire. It had a big staple in it, so I replaced the tube. Two people stopped to see if I needed help, one guy on a bike and one guy in a truck who made a u-turn just to see if I was ok. That was nice. I sat on a big thorn. Ouch!

I continued on to Alpine. I stopped at the rec. center to fill up my water bottle but the drinking faucett was busted. I found another one in the park area but I could only get the bottle half-full. I ate half a granola bar to stave off starvation. The rec. center is my normal turn-around point, so I did and headed back. At about the 30 mile point I notice the FRONT tire was getting soft. I rode it to the school/ball park on Greenfield Dr. (around 40 mile point) and changed it there. Obviously it was a very SLOW leak! I also ate the rest of the granola bar.

My Zefal HPX pump seems to be getting tired. It is rather hard to pump and it took 40 strokes to get to 40psi. I guess I probably should get a new one, I've had that one since, geez, 1995?

This isn't the longest ride since my surgery, but it was the hilliest!

I felt kinda tire when I started out, but after about 20 miles I started to feel ok. Especially after the first granola bar kicked in!

So, the week's mileage total is 90 miles.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Friday

I decided to ride up to the libery to return the pile of books I read this week, so I pile them in my blue backpack and rode there. For some reason I didn't wear my helmet, and also wore my shorts, which are rather baggy since I've lost fifty pounds or so in the last three years. My fashion statement..

Anyway, I learned two things:

1. When you are used to having a helmet with a mirror, it's scary not being able to see what's behind you.

2. When you hop on the bike with baggy shorts they can catch on the seat, and then you fall squarely and ungracefully on the rack, squishing your cajones. Ouch!!

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Tuesday Morning

Did the Dam Ride "b" (Moddified) so as to get twenty-five miles. Felt kinda shaky even though I ate a granola bar at the half-way point so I did Jackson part way in low-not-granny and part way in granny. Lot's of lizards along the Mission Trails bike path.

I took the rear wheel off the bike and earled the freewheel yesterday with some Phil's green oil. I also tightened the locking ring thingie that keeps coming loose. Now the freewheel sounds a lot better. Unfortnately putting the wheel back on I put it in a slightly different place and now the rear brake squeaks something awful!

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Tuesday Morning

Started watching le Tour this morning, then decided to go for the every-other-day ride, so did the Dam ride again. They are taking down the fireworks stuff at Lake Murray. Rode over to La Mesita park to look for a Geocache, but the parking lot was kinda crowded so that wouldn't have been a good time to prowl around. I'll have to get there earlier!

Came home and watched the re-run of today's le Tour stage, but unfortunately read the result on Fark! so that was a bit of a spoiler.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

Sunday Morning Ride

Did the Dam loop again. Did NOT see any bobcats, deers, rattlesnakes, etc. Did the Jackson Drive hill in low-not-granny again, but not as strongly as Friday.





Saw the fireworks setup at Lake Murray. Stopped at the chocolate store in La Mesa and bought a hunk of fundge. Had a TINY bit when I got home.







Before I got there I did a little jaunt down Alvarado Road and saw a pair of ducks feeding in the creek.






I hung an American flag on the fence that I had found on the side of the road.



I did not see the white heron, but I did see a Jerkus Suvius who apparently cannot stop his massive vehicle at stop signs. It is also amazing how many vehicles seem to have inoperative turn signals. And yet the horns work just fine!

Friday, July 01, 2005

It's Friday

No Smoking sign in Santee on Prospect Ave.No Smoking sign in Santee on Prospect Ave.
Did the Santee Mission Trails look today. It was cloudy and cool when I started out, but the sun started breaking through as I approached Mission Trails Park. Saw a bobcat on the Mission Trails bike path, rather near where I saw a deer last year. Very cool! Did the Jackson Drive hill in low-not-granny, standing up part of the way, and sitting down the rest. I feel MUCH better than after the ride Monday!

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