Inattentive intentions

It was an odd ride on Saturday. Not due to the route or company, but just odd.

I had no plan on Friday. When I called Zac Friday night, he still did not have a bike. I needed to take my mom to chemo first thing in the morning, so we were going to get a late start on our drive to the mountains. None of these things seemed like a reason to not go to the mountains.

As we drove towards the mountains after leaving my house close to noon, we still didn't know where we were going. At the gas station, I noticed that my WTB Prowler was so worn that a knob was missing along with a hunk of rubber that should have been covering the threads.

I headed into the gas station for a tube of superglue. I would say I got my money's worth out of this tire and then some. It was still losing air from another hole by the time we got to the top of Clawhammer, and something the ancients called a "tube" had to be utilized the rest of the day.

Anyways, Zac rode my old steel frame that was built incorrectly (it would not take a 29" wheel in the rear) with his 650B wheels shoved into it (after he finished building it in the parking lot). I was aboard the Superbeast, still somewhat regrettably in geared mode. I do not like climbing with gears, and somehow we managed to pick a route that started and finished at the car, but climbed thousands of feet more than we descended.

Of course the ride finished with a ripper descent down Daniel's Ridge which made me think slightly more fondly of my shifty bits.

Gears + downhill = added speed and pleasure

Sunday I felt the need to wash my bike. This seemed as good a chance as any to try out my new Pro Gold Bike Wash.

Yes, Pro Gold is now a Dick Supporter over there on my sidebar. I've been using ProLink lube for over a decade, so joining forces with Pro Gold seemed like a no-brainer. Chris Strout pointed out what he thought was a sly product placement a couple weeks ago, but I assure you that my intentions were not intentional. My room is a mess, and there is shit all over the place. If something ends up in the background of my images, I assure you it's due to lack of planning and cleanliness.

To prove my point I shall stop right here and take a photo of my work bench in its current state:

Take note that there is a ton of shit on that bench that needs put away and in some cases taken out of its packaging. As soon as I figure out what to do with my EPX Cycle Grease, I'll bust it out. And yes, I always keep a portable whoopee cushion next to my monitor for emergencies.

Anyways, the Bike Wash is biodegradable and non-toxic, so I figured that means I can spray it in my front yard without the run-off affecting my neighbor's garden. Perhaps his cucumbers will turn out shiny... who knows? I used it as directed (sorta): spray on, wait, and wipe with a rag and water (rinse with hose). The bike came clean without scrubbing, except for the neglected drivetrain which has been in need of a serious cleaning even before I mounted it back up and my grips that had been filthied by my earlier tube insertion effort mud encrusted gloves.

My whites have never been whiter (I did scrub my grips).

I'm gonna have to try (as suggested) this miracle liquid on my white Twin Six kit, which got totally hosed at the Trans-Sylvania Epic with that foul, dank Pennsylvania earth.

More about my impending doom in Breckenridge tomorrow.