Charity Balls

Not wanting to bust balls, but remember this whole Industry Nine raffle benefiting the PA Interscholastic Cycling League thing? It's still going on (and will be until June 3rd). All the exhausting details are here.   The short of it is you donate at least $10 for two entries into the raffle.  Each additional $5 gets you one more entry.  Give as much as you want, just keep it in $5 increments, okay?

As of right now, only Justin Lindine has raised more than me. 

Not sure what he's got to give, but I know what I'd want if I gave him $10.  Help me beat Justin, if for no other reason than I can't do it on the race course.  Here's where you click to cough up the dough and (mebbe) win some Industry Nine hubs.

Anyways, back to the business of me and all the wonderful things that happen in my life.

New ESI grips and Maxxis tires... smells like the "season" is truly upon us (or at least me).  I pretty much burnt up the Ardent Race that was on the back for almost a year.  Got my money's worth.

I have to admit, it's still difficult to look down at the Ardent 2.4 up front and not think that it looks diminutive.  That 2.8 Rekon did a number on my perspective.  For sure, the 27.5+ tires were missed while riding 30+ miles of trail at the US National Whitewater center the other day.  They sure seem like way more fun and, dare I say it, "flickable?"  I might have to give them another whirl in the mountains when I get time... June?  Mebbe?

The other thing.  Somehow on three of my last four mountain bike rides, I've had a slow motion wreck with lasting consequences.  Two weeks ago in Pisgah, I was seeing how much traction I could get with the 2.8 tires crossing a muddy bunch of logs at an angle.   I ended up landing with the end of my handlebar spearing my lower abdomen.  Last weekend, I went back-to-back with mishaps.  I fell over at zero miles an hour making a slow turn on Lower Trace without noticing the softball-sized rock my front wheel was on at the time... until it shot our from under me.  Down I went, hyper-extending my left thumb in the process.  That's my drooper digit.  Damn.  The next day, I decided to ride a log pile at the Backyard Trails in the reverse direction... despite the fact that I had to do most of the ride with my thumb draped over the bars.  I was on the approach when this decided to grab my left pedal/crank arm.

My bike's forward momentum was halted.  Mine own was not, and down I went, dinging my left quad on the stem as I went over the front.

My thumb pain is the only thing that's still lingering in a lifestyle altering way.  I did most of my riding this past weekend with it hanging over the bar.

Hyper-extended digits are pretty much right up there with paper cuts in annoyance caused by self-inflicted stupidity.

And hangovers.