Spring

JD out on his short leash enjoying the spring-like sun and breeze

Normally Thursdays start later at work for me and I can squeeze in an hour or so of riding in the morning. This Thursday had me at work before 6am, pretty much killing the early morning ride. But things began to look up throughout the day and I was able to split around 3:30. I headed home and suited up for some fun in the sun. H. was up and out enjoying her 1 day off of work this entire week and I was able to convince her and Dish to dust off the bike and come out for a few laps of the Monkey Pit.

H. nearing the top of the heinous starting climb.

I'm on a Bike!

I think the last time H. was on dirt was last fall when we rode Defeated Creek with the crew. She kept apologizing for holding me up, but she wasn't. I was having fun just playing in the woods and the starting climb is so tough it takes a few laps to really warm up anyway.

Dish was especially stoked to be out. Even hit the lake up for a swim after going psycho on some sticks.

Taking a break at the backyard waterfall.

I had to work today (Saturday) and it was going to be beautiful out (71 and sunny) while 100% t-storms are predicted for Sunday. Figures. I made the most of it and did my first commute to work by bike for 2010. Midway through March, my first commute. Yep, it's been that kind of year.

I was stoked though. I only had to work till about 1 and the temps were in the 40's on the way in (perfect for just a wool Ride For Reading Jersey) and 70's on the way home (short sleeve weather, woot!). I also had plans to stop by the East side for a brew, food, and to pick up my tire order from Eastside Cycles.

Aspen 2.25 on the left, WW LT 2.55 on the right.

Although we ordered the 2.4 version, the supplier sent 2.25's. (EDIT: 2.25 is the largest size offered currently, the 2.4 option was an online misprint) Since I've been dying to try out the tread I took it home anyway. I also picked up a new pair of gloves for commuting. My years old REI brand gloves have completely eroded. The palms and fingers are ripped and worn thin and my hands hurt the whole way into work. Springing for new gloves was probably the best decision I made all day.

It's been a long time since I've hung out at a bike shop. I think the last time was when I put the White Bros Fork on the Moots. Yeah, been a while. I miss hanging at the bike bar, chatting bikes, the smell of grease. It's also been forever since I've been to the East side. A killer Philly cheesesteak and a few brews at 3 Crow made a perfect lunch topper to the afternoon. I paid for the goods and made my way homeward.

WW LT 2.55 on top, Aspen 2.25 bottom.

On my way home I stopped by Nashville Bicycle Lounge to say hey and check in on the space. Dan had flagged me down across an intersection on Woodland Street bridge. I couldn't hear him over the group of "hogs" next to me (about 6 dudes on mopeds), but I did hear stop by the shop. I got put on the clock (held some wood while others cut, screwed, measured (not in that order)) before jetting to get home before H. headed in to work. I'd say more but I've been threatened.

Rolling down Woodland back towards the river I see a sharp dressed man also on a Surly 1x1 heading the opposite direction. Holy Crapoli the sharp dressed man is none other than the Sharpmeister in full Yazoo regalia on his way home from some Hamilton Creek action. A short chat and we're both back on our separate ways.

On my way in to work the Boarmeister passed me on his way to the HoS race. As I made my way towards Whites Creek, the buzz of Boarmeister's car came up from behind on his way home from HoS. We stopped and chatted then he went up into Joelton and waited for me to ride up the Devil's Elbow the loaded up in his car to head into Springfield for dinner & beer at the Depot (after stopping by the house to see H.). Amazing how many folks you run into when on a bike. I need to ride more.

Put Some Whiskey into my Whisky

Sleepy Pup.

After getting out of work almost an hour past the planned exit, I picked up JD amidst the mad rush of stop and go traffic. He was happy to see me and ready to leave the vet. So much so he didn't want to lay down in the car. We're supposed to not let him get up onto furniture so as not to jump off it. Can't rough house, no running, no jumping, he's to be kept on a short leash and allowed out only to potty then to be returned to his crate for 8 weeks. The fear is the head of the femur is still at risk for getting popped back off if a miss step or incident were to happen. Activity is severely limited.

Lil' mister confused about what's going on.

So imagine my angst when he takes a topple in the car as I'm trying to not get crushed in traffic. I swear I was on the verge of stroking out until he finally laid down. So what are the odds that topple ten minutes after getting him from the vet popped the cap back off? Guess we'll find out in 8 weeks when the follow x-rays happen. Friggin' dog.

On top of limited activity, we have to make certain he doesn't lick or chew the incision. Cripes.

Luckily Jeanie brought some rawhide and mega busy bone to occupy him.

I can't fathom the mental anguish Monkey would go through being locked in his crate all day, every day for 8 solid weeks (especially when 27 acres apparently wasn't enough to keep his attention) so I've made him a pen in the hallway. Cozy, safe, and convenient for him. Lethal skills course navigation for humans, but at least he'll have a bit more room to move around in and still be safely confined from the charging bull in the china shop Dish. He'll be a big fish in a small bowl for a while, this is going to be interesting.


Once everyone was all settled in, it was time for some stew and some Templeton Rye to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and JD being home. A little Whiskey into my Whisky.

2010 Cat and More Meat

Moots' new 2010 Catalog

For those of you not following the FB saga of my pup, here's a quick update: JD got out of surgery around 6:45 pm Tuesday. Dr. Calfee (yes related) said it was a complicated surgery as expected (and it even garnered a few curse words during the operation) but JD was recovering well and should be able to come home Wednesday. He didn't have to cut the head of the femur off which would have devastated me as it would have most likely left a 75+lbs dog like JD lame or prone to lameness. Instead he was able to thread wires up through the femur to hold the broken cap in place for it to heal. Time and rehab will tell for certain, but it is looking like a 99.9% recovery for JD if all things continue to go well.

Now back to some bike stuff.

2010 VaMoots RSL

The new 2010 Moots Catalog is out and circulating. It's been brightened up color wise and now features the 2010 refreshing of the road line-up, whereas 2009 highlighted the mountain bike updates. The new VaMoots RSL is featured in detail on several pages, as well as a which road bike is right for me dual page spread. Nice.

The Anniversary Edition MootoX YBB

The mountain bike section is led off by the 10th Anniversary limited edition MootoX YBB capped off with the new for 2010 color kits. Now all you Coopers out there can customize and mix/match components until your hearts content. Or agonize about which color to get (you know who you are, right OldGreg?).

The Color Options in detailed detail.

WTF? Seriously a thumbnail??!

Flipping past the model after model of 29'ers, full-sup 26'ers, sexy Gristle, I look in earnest for the apple of my eye, the Rigormootis. Low and behold I can't find it. I see the YBB. Oh wait, there in that almost an afterthought footnote sized thumbnail is the shot of my baby. In an even more thumb to the eye move it's been demoted from "THE ultimate race bike" to "represents the heart beat of mountain biking the way it was intended to be when it all got started." PFFFTTT!

2009 The Year of the Rigormootis

I should have seen the writing on the wall when the GrassMoots team order confirmation came back last year with this:

1x Mooto X Ybb + sliders

5x Mooto X + sliders

1x 26" Rigor + sliders "girly bike"

Jon Cariveau
Moots
Marketing/Dealer Relations

note: lower right hand corner frame is also a Rigormootis. What it lacks in size it makes up for in numbers.

Well I might begrudge the crew back in Mootsville if I hadn't stumbled upon one of Super Dave's best photos ever on the "We Build Lifetime Bikes" page.

Yeah boy-yeee!

Yup, that's my bike. Mine. The focal point of the page. The anchor, so to speak. Presented in all it's post DSG chicked glory. Ah, they DO love that muddy girly bike! (obviously love it better than the cropped out me)

Anyway, the catalog is pretty sweet. Autographed copies available.

Since JD is out of commission for our bi-weekly anger hour rides for a while, I decided to carry on with the off road fun and use it to test some more "new to me hand-me-down" tires. I'm going up from a 2.35 Maxxis Ignitor rear to a Kenda Cortez 2.4 tomac edition I got from Meanjoe. I'm hoping to get a good feel for how the knobby beast pairs up with the WWLT 2.55 on the front.

Seriously, why?

Speaking of hand-me-downs, what is the fascination with the nasty goopiness of tubeless? It sucks trailside when you've slashed a sidewall and have to mess with slimy rimstrips, valves, and goopy innerds. Then when you use a previously used, unmounted tire you have the weight adding smelly residue with which to contend. Add in the goop explosion when seating the bead goes awry and I'll just stick with the hassleless hassle of tubes.

2.55 Front, 2.4 Rear: Beefy for me

I figured I'd better dig deeper into the pile of hand-me-down tires and get a few test rides on them in case I need to pull them for active duty during the season. The rate we're hemorrhaging money between funeral trips, car repairs, canine surgeries, and taxes, $50 new meats aren't really high up on the "need" list.

I do have a Maxxis Aspen 2.4 coming that I'm anxious to test out. I'm hoping to run it on the rear with the WW LT 2.55 on the front, though I might roll it on the front with the Ignitor on the rear. We'll see. I only ordered one and it was days before the car incident with the pup, so I don't see a matched pair for a while in the near future. I must say I'm digging the larger volume tires, not for cush but more for the improved traction.

Still plenty of room to spare even with a blocky 2.4

I'm curious how the Cortez will do. I typically prefer the rounder, smaller knobs like the Ignitor or the Vertical Pro to the squarer, blocky knobs found on the Cortez. Though the middle 3 rows look like slightly larger Karma tread and I used to dig the Karma, though the side walls always felt squirmy to me. Still the tread always treated me well.


There's also a lot more tire clearance with the 2.4 on the Rigor than I expected too. I feared since I would be nearly fully forward with my 19t cog that I might have some knob rub. And not the good kind.

Still plenty of room to go to the 20t.

It's been drizzly wet here for the past few days, but mostly dry for the past several hours. The loamy, leafy soil should be moist but not mucky. Either way it ought to be perfect conditions to test out the bigger meats on my girly bike.

Think Romp

We dropped JD off with the Ortho this morning at 6:45. No news yet. I'm hoping no news is good news. In the meantime, here's a snippet of JD's last romp in the Monkey Pit. Hopefully, he'll be back to monkeying around soon.

Latest bike rumor from BikeRumor.com:

Moots will be part of the DSG festivities offering mountain bike demos of their handcrafted frames Friday and Saturday. Several Moots “factory” athletes from the company’s Steamboat Springs, Colorado headquarters are scheduled to compete along with members of the Southeast GrassMoots team.

“DSG is a full weekend of fat tire fun with a decidedly grassroots feel. Think Bonaroo on bikes.” said Clay Higgins, DSG promoter. “To mix it up this year, we’re running the course “bass ackwards, that’s backwards if you’re not from these parts. As always, we encourage everyone to come for the race and stay for the weekend!”

Of Good Friends and Nightmares: A Weekend

Gravel Ground

A wet and cold weekend greeted us after a high 60's and sunny week. Mother Nature's sense humor reminds me of Peter - bad taste and poorly timed (rim shot). gRant and Parker came out for some Highland Rim wet and cold road ride fun with me on Saturday. It was a bad day of riding for me but just the kick in the pants I needed. I'm not sure if it was the lack of sleep or the stress levels, but I was far from on my game. Lame excuse? Let me back up.

A bright and sunny Friday found me happily hanging out at work programming after a nice surprise afternoon lunch and chat session with Monster McConnell. Rides were shaping up and life was good. Then I got the call. The one I've been fearing since August. JD had jumped the fence and was hit by a car. H. was with him and on the way to the vet. Hang up phone, heart sinks. Expletives shouted. Stuff kicked.

As I sat in traffic trying to get the F out of Dodge (there is no F which is why it's so difficult), H. called with an update: Broken femur and broken pelvis. Three options given wherein at the time only one seemed feasible and it involved cutting the top off of the femur. Moderate success with dogs under 40 lbs, dogs over 40 (like JD's 75lbs of puppy) not so good. Yes he'd be alive and mobile but prone to lameness, pain, and slowed activity. Dammit.

JD's right femur cap and pelvis are broken. They are the ones on the left of the image.

The option of leaving him in a kennel at the vet or keeping him at home with limited activity for the weekend until surgery could be scheduled was a no brainer: pup comes home. I slept out in the front room on my camping pad and bag to keep him from trying to get up into and out of the bed as well as monitor him for signs of shock or abdomen issues. He was moaning in pain and drooling all over the place, but we managed to squeak out a few hours of sleep.

Closer view.

He was unable to get up and out to potty, so I'd have to get up and carry him out a few times over the night. The good news was he was able to go and no blood was in either, both good signs. By morning he was doing a little better and trying to walk some, but still lethargic and unable to find a comfy position to lay in.

Morning came early. The guys arrived and we rolled out about an hour late due to my road shoes giving up the ghost and me having to quickly track down and swap out pedals. Then 1/2 mile down the road I realized I didn't check saddle height with the new pedals and shoes and eventually 2 stops were made during the course of the ride where I had to futz with my saddle height.

Several ill fated hill mailbox sprints, attacks, and shenanigans quickly shut my down and I limped back with the fellas with a measly 42 miles in for the day.

New Gravel Discovery. Also almost the new gRant's tomb. Shimmy Shimmy Shake.

Sunday found JD and I more rested and me actually ready to ride, albeit an hour late. This time it was the damned spring forward's fault. Actually I arrived at the meeting location 15 minutes past my anticipated arrival. I'd even gotten up early to make H. a special breakfast, but still, I hate being late. Parker and gRant were back for more (I still owed them 20 miles) and OldGreg was ready for more off the couch fun. A cold, gray, wet March day is the perfect gravel grinding weather.

Broken in just right.

I had spent a few hours the night before prepping my Rigor for gravel. Swapped out tires, repaired 3 tubes, put my replacement saddle on, the new cages, gearing swap, etc... About 3 miles into the ride I had to stop. Dammit. I thought I had a flat rear, but it ended up just being low pressure. gRant lent me his pump and I aired up both tires. I'm beginning to think it's a Parker thing. I'm usually mechanical issue free on rides and every time Parker's been around I've had issues: flat tire, broken shoe, saddle adjustments. I'm beginning to suspect sabotage.

New SS King cages

The ride rolled on from there with little issue aside from turning around at mile 4 to go the proper direction. We explored a new to us gravel road option then headed into our normal loop. I felt better on the mtb. Not sure if it was the sleep or just the fact that I'm more comfortable on it, but it was a much better riding experience. We motored on with the typical jackassery that accompanies these rides until OffTheCouchGreg and gRant pulled the plug at the top of Kitten Holler.

Also broken in just right.

I gave them my map and confusing instructions on how to get home, gRant gave me his pump and we went our separate ways. Parker and I continuing on. The next loop of gravel was wetter and stickier than the first. Not sticking to your tires sticky but slowly sucking away your forward movement sticky. Still it was good to be out and not be soley on pavement.

Downward facing dog. I guess it feels better on his hip?

By the time I got home JD was feeling better. He wagged his tail from his bed when I came in. Jeanie soon came over with some treats for him and he actually got up and greeted her (sly dog). Then he decided he'd make himself a little more comfortable and sat up on the couch.

Tomorrow hopefully we'll know more about surgery options and further prognosis. The waiting and not knowing the plan is killing me, but I'm trying my best to be patient.

Vested in Vogue

H. and her barn pups.

Graced with a light schedule at work this week, I'd initially planned some time this morning for a ride with Officer VaMoots since we had an open Wednesday (his "weekend") and I could just work late. With our schedules always colliding, I rarely get to hang out with him anymore, but he decided to swing 8-5's this week screwing up the plan.

She's all work and I'm all play: H. and I and our morning routines.

Some light rain fell yesterday and briefly last night, but I went to bed with hopes of dry skies and trails in the morning. Waking up, the skies were overcast, but the weather was dry and so were the trails. Rather than waste a good dirt day with the dog for a solo ride on dry, rush hour laden pavement, I suited up for an extra angry hour (and change) session with JD. Then headed out to the barn to find him. I had to be fast as the girls had fencing plans and didn't want to get roped in. :-)

JD chawin' his straw.

The jersey-less unzipped vest look is all the rage for 2010.

Trail dog trailing along.

It was already a balmy 56 degrees out working it's way up to the mythical high of 68 degrees when JD and I headed out back. I had a thin base layer and a vest (for the pockets) on at the start but quickly lost the base layer as the heat kicked in. Spring is definitely in the air, the plants are beginning to turn green and the ticks are back at it. I got my first one for the season today.

JD must have been feeling the warmth too as his tongue was dragging and he was hanging back a bit farther than normal. He only beat me on the downhill once and that was mostly due to me washing out the front wheel on a pile of giant lumbar bones from a deer that were hidden under the leaves. He was pretty pleased with me unearthing a new stockpile of chews.

I'm on a boat!

Work's schedule begins to ramp back up tomorrow, but I've sure enjoyed the past few days of late mornings. Hopefully the weather will stay dry and I can squeeze out one more morning ride session in before the long days and lost weekends return.