(im)Perfect Timing

Halfway through the summer, I became addicted to wearing bibs with pockets WITHOUT wearing baggies over top of them.  The entire Southeast is a swampy, hairy butthole roasting in a sauna that needed cleaned months ago, and I just couldn't take it anymore.  I went on a quest to find an appropriate top/shirt/blouse that wasn't a sleeveless jersey with redundant pockets and an elastic, non-breezy waist or a dumb sleeveless cotton t-shirt.  I came up empty... mostly because I had to leave the house and experience "retail sporting goods stores" and the people who frequent them or buy something online that I'm 95% sure I'm gonna hate the fit once I get it. 

Like most solutions to my problems, I find them once I've ignored the issue long enough.

I got an email from HandUp Gloves and Also Apparel about a new women's performance tank top, the ActiviTANK.

Without getting into a discussion about gendering things, the average woman's body is different than the average man.  They have breasts and waists and stuff.  I realize there are men who have those things too.  My fit issues are that I'm a tiny man with generally long arms and legs and about half a normal person's torso.  Most size small men's shirts hang down well below where I'd like.  I would fit better in a woman's shirt, but they are usually flared at the bottom to accommodate hips, something I have zero of.

I perused the many images and I saw what I liked.

The neck seemed nice and crew'ish so as to not accentuate my skinny neck.  Short in the front but longer in the back to keep butt crack exposure limited if I end up wearing it with jorts.  Poly/Spandex blend that looks more like cotton so I don't feel like I'm cosplaying an "athlete."

And as this post is titled, the timing couldn't be more ironic, because riding while wearing as little as possible won't be happening again for quite a few months.

And as far as wearing "women's clothes" goes, I think I'll hand that topic over to the great Eddie Izzard:

“They’re not women’s clothes. They’re my clothes. I bought them.”

Other not so good timing would be that Dr Mike and I "pre-rode" the Barnburner 50K course this past weekend.  I would have preferred to NOT do it the weekend before the race to avoid the same old same old feeling of back-to-back rides in the same place.  That said, I was either too busy or too broken to do it earlier.  I don't necessarily need to pre-ride a course, but it helps me with the suffering when I have a clue as to where it will be the worst, how long it will last, places where I might be able to get around slow traffic, opportunities to grab a bottle, etc.

I also needed to put the Vertigo Meatplow V.7 through some paces since getting back from the King and Queen of the Watershed.  Since that event a week ago, I de-bubbled my rear brake, swapped the Rekon 2.8 front for the Aspen 2.4 (have I mentioned that I've fallen in deep smit with this tire?), and mounted the Vittoria Air Liner insert in the rear... and lowered the pressure down from my usual 21.5PSI to 18.  I didn't remember to address the slightly slow Cascade dropper post with a quick rebuild until after the ride.

I didn't pull up the YouTube video, and I forgot that it's not the same process as the Rainier Gen 3 on my Vassago and garvel behk or the Loam on my Epic EVO.  Not in the least.  I've rebuilt/serviced it at least once since I pitched the poopy AXS wireless into the bin, but I'd forgotten the process.

Dammit.

I busted the nylon cord I totally forgot about, and although it had plenty of excess length to mebbe work with, my multiple feeble attempts to trim it cleanly and reinsert it into the barrel nut were 100% fail... until I'd finally trimmed it a skosh too much and it was no longer useable.

Dammit.

I did reach out to the excellent customer service team at PNW, and they've assured me I'll be good to go before the weekend... assuming I don't muck it up again... which I won't.

And much excite for the Barnburner 50K this weekend.  Thirty five miles of full gas fun followed by hanging out in the sun with my frands one last time before saying goodbye to the 2023 "season."

Dammit...

Sorry, I meant "buenos."