Looking for updates?

If you are looking for updates, please move on over to my new blog http://bentcrank.wordpress.com/

I see a lot of people stopping by, but not moving on. This is my last update to this site unless I start turning off everything.

So, please update your links to the new address http://bentcrank.wordpress.com/

I'm moving

I am going to go ahead and make the change. I hope that I am not sorry for that, but oh well. It would not be the first time.

So, please update your links to my new word press blog if you are interested in keeping up.

http://bentcrank.wordpress.com/

New Year - new Blog

I am trying something new. Not sure if I plan on keeping it or not just yet. Only time will tell.

So, stop by my new Wordpress site and tell me what you think.
http://bentcrank.wordpress.com/

Happy birhday to me!!

First I have to start off on what I call a sad note. My trusty steed is going to be no longer. It's time has come and gone and it is now time to let someone else enjoy her. If it was up to me I would hold on to it just in case I would ever need her again, but there is too many ponies in the stable and the cabbage is running low. So, if anyone is in need of a sweet Surly 1x1 16" frame let me know. As soon as I get it tore apart and cleaned up, I plan on posting it on Dirt Rag and HMBA before I sink to ebay. So I raise my bottle to my first SS love and say my good byes.


The only good thing about good byes is there is always hello's that follow. I want to introduce my next pile of pleasure. My new Surly 1x1. But this time there are a few changes. This beauty is a 18" and not the 16" that I was riding. This one also has the options of using disc brakes where my old one does not. So, I hope that this is an overall improvement on a real good thing. Meet my new love.

2008

2008 had come and gone as everyone knows. Not sure it if will be any better in 2009, but one can only hope. I did a few things last year on the to do list, but not everything. I suppose that if I would end up doing it all I would just make a new list anyway.

Here are some things that I pulled off for 2008:

• Completed the RAIN ride (Not as fast as I think I could, but still had a good ride)
• Finished the 60 mile route in the Brown County Breakdown (I have been wanting to ride in this since the first one. I am glad it finally worked out this year)
• Completed the HMBA Century. (This is one hard century)
• Had a total of 2000 miles for the year. (That is the most I have ever done in one year)

For 2009 my plan is to not miss the HMBA Century or the Brown County Breakdown. I just hope to not be late for the century and the plan is to complete the 100 mile route on my SS for the BCBD. It does not matter if I do the RAIN this year or not. It all depends on what a few other people do. The rest is still up in the air. I would like to race a hundie some day and I would like to race the Tour de London since I didn't make it last year. The problem is I keep thinking why pay to race. I can take that money and take a trip to Pisgah or some place for some of the best riding one can do. I will just have to see.

Going to the darker side

Well I have started my journey to the even darker side then SS. I picked up an old Schwinn 10 speed at a yard sale this fall for the staggering price of $0. I finally started to work on it tonight. here is the original image.


I completely striped it down to the frame, fork and stem/bars. I have a lot of cleaning to do before I can start to put it back together. I also have to figure out what gear to put on it. I think I have some cranks that I can use with a 42t front ring, but I will have to see if that works out. I think the BB might be different. Lots of work yet.

I also made a big decision today. I will not be throwing my hat in to the 29er game. I don't normally have a lot of extra money laying around to really get what I want, so when a option that I have been throwing around in my head actually showed up, I had to jump on it. I just purchased a newer Surly 1x1 frame and fork. The one that I am riding right now is a 16" and a little on the small side for me. The other problem with the current 1x1 is that it does not have the disc brake tabs. That is not a complete deal breaker, but when fall comes around I just hate getting all those leaves stuck. That also opens the door for me to pick up a set of 650b wheels and make the 1/2 jump. That will not happen for a little bit unless I happen to sell a lot of stuff.

I just posted a link to some parts on Dirt Rag, but I have more stuff that I need to clean up and post. The one thing that is bad with this new frame is the fact that I don't have an extra set of disc brakes lying around. Even if I did, my old Palmer fork does not have the disc brake tabs either. So, if you happen to have an old fork collecting dust in the garage or some mechanical disc brake calipers from where you upgraded to hydro's let me know. But, I warn you, I am bargain shopping. Unless you need any of my parts or a Proflex frame. :-)

First ride of 2009

I made it out for my first ride of the year. After Friday's weather teasing me all day, I knew I just had to get out for a ride today. The weather was not looking as good as Friday, but good enough. The weather was supposed to be 45 degree, but there was a chance of scattered rain. I looked like I could get a good ride in with out getting wet, but that was not the case. I started out with out a real plan of a route. A little bit in to the ride I saw a rider coming from the other way. I waved and said hi. That is when I noticed who it was. I was Linda, a biker buddy that I have not rode with much the last year or so. That is when i knew I should turn around and chase her down.

It wore me out to catch her, but she was going at an easy pace since it had been a while for her to get out. That didn't bother me. I was just happy to be riding and not alone. We did some catching up as we pedaled. I did some adjusting on her brake to help it from rubbing and I tried to pull the best that I could. Not long after the brake work we started to feel some sprinkles. They were light and it was not bothering me too much. The sprinkles changed how hard then were coming down and how often for the next few miles. After a little bit it started to come down a little harder. Linda was not feeling like riding too much farther so we turned toward her home. After she turned off, the rain seemed to let up. So, I headed a little farther out in stead of toward home. Everything was going real good until I was just about home and it really started to come down. That put my last half an hour of my ride in a down pour.

It was still great to get out, but I could have done with out the hard rain. I could have gone a little farther, but it was still good to get 30 miles in. I just hope to get some more miles in January.