35 beautiful shining faces showed up yesterday for the Casa Grande Ruins 200K in Casa Grande, AZ. A marvelous day ensued in the desert despite a chilly start.
In a stoke of GOOD luck, about mile 70 I saw a baggie with some paper in it on the shoulder. I slowed and went back to look. Sure enough it was someone else's route sheet and brevet card. I carried it with me to the next control and found it's owner. He was so overwhelmed that he immediately embraced me. Apparently he had been somewhat despondent when he arrived at the control without his brevet card. In other news, despite being 6'7", 250lbs, and normally riding a 68cm Rivendell Custom, I actually rented a Giant OCR XL here in Phoenix, as the decision to do this ride during my AZ visit was an impromptu one. About 15 inches of seatpost and a 160mm up-angle stem later, I was tolerably fitted on the bike. I was very glad that I was able to do the ride successfully on this bike, despite the obvious fit issues, the 24 spoke XEROlite XSR-3 wheels and the craptastic Kenda tires. All in all I'd say that it was a wonderful day with many new friends and that bad luck was in short supply. Besides, I don't believe in luck anyways. "Luck" is preparation meeting opportunity, as a famous football coach at my university once said. And I truly believe that. Best wishes for a wonderful and blessed 2009. -jim On 1/4/09, George Schick <bhim...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Gentlemen, please - we need some positive indicators of how 2009 is > going to play out. These are not good signs... > > On Jan 3, 9:37 pm, Eric Norris <campyonly...@me.com> wrote: >> The jink hit you, too? I was about 13 miles from home out in the >> farmland when the upper jockey pulley on my derailleur froze. Had to >> stop pedaling--the pulley could not be budged. I hoofed it about a >> half-mile to a left turn where the 3/4 headwind I had been riding into >> turned into a tailwind. I hoped that the wind would push me the last >> few miles into the next town. >> >> I tried coasting. That was going slow, so I gingerly tried pedaling >> again. Somehow, the pulley freed up enough to pedal. Yay! >> >> Then I got my first flat of the day, in the front. Pulled over and >> put the spare tube in, aired it up and ... the spare had a hole in >> it. Patched the original tube, put it in, aired it up, and ... the >> patch didn't hold. >> >> Started walking again--it was about two miles to town. Hadn't gotten >> far when a friendly fellow cyclist driving *away* from my destination >> offered to give me a ride into town. Very nice of him. >> >> Unloaded the bike at the shop, and found that the rear tire had also >> sprung a leak. A huge goats-head thorn was sticking out of the tire. >> >> Finally got to a bike shop where I installed two new tubes, got two >> new spares, and had them put on a new jockey pulley. My wife drove >> out to pick me up :-) >> >> I plan to ride the same bike tomorrow, just to prove that I can ... >> Wish me luck. >> >> --Eric >> campyonly...@me.comwww.campyonly.comwww.wheelsnorth.org >> >> On Jan 3, 2009, at 7:24 PM, CycloFiend wrote: >> >> >> >> > Yep, yep, yep.... >> >> > on Friday I post a response thusly: >> >> > "Of course, I have (and still do) spent some time fixing flats on the >> > trailside. _FEWER_ _NOW_ (emphasis added), but there is a learning >> > curve." >> >> > and on Saturday, I entertain myself in this manner: >> >http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclofiend/3165391970/ >> >> > Note that in addition to being tubeless (generally carry at least a >> > couple), >> > I also had stowed my normally-in-the-pack chain tool in the Toolbox >> > as well, >> > so when I came across the visiting from France rider with the rental >> > bike >> > and the tweaked sideplates, I was unable to be a OTT* Saviour... >> >> > I forget, do I count or throw salt for a self-induced jinx? >> >> > - J >> >> > *OTT - "On The Trail" >> >> > -- >> > Jim Edgar >> > cyclofi...@earthlink.net >> >> > Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries -http://www.cyclofiend.com >> > Current Classics - Cross Bikes >> > Singlespeed - Working Bikes >> >> > Send In Your Photos! - Here's how:http://www.cyclofiend.com/ >> > guidelines >> >> > "That which is overdesigned, too highly specific, anticipates >> > outcome; the >> > anticipation of outcome guarantees, if not failure, the absence of >> > grace." >> >> > William Gibson - "All Tomorrow's Parties" > > > -- Sent from my mobile device having a blood clot is a sticky situation --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
