Laid Back

"Umbrella Packing". Yes, you'll need a new bike for this! Ha!

The weekend just ahead of the 4th of July promised to be a hectic, crazy, action packed weekend for many folks. But not for me. I took the laid back route. No crazy stuff going on over here.

It all started when I got off work Friday and had to ferry my wife's umbrella home which had been left behind at a co-worker's home where we had visited the night before. Then a nice relaxing evening and on in to Saturday. I helped with some household chores, and also with grocery shopping. Yes, it isn't cycling, but as a home owner, husband, and father, there are times that you have responsibilities that are not bicycle related. It is just how it is. Or......how it should be! 

I did do some organizing in the dungeon I refer to as my "Lab" on Saturday. That is an ongoing project, but it continuously is improving down there, which is a good thing. The trouble is that I keep getting stuff donated to me by acquaintances because I am a "bike guy" and I suppose people think that I "can use the stuff". Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised by this, and other times, I am not, but I always try to either make use of the stuff or pass it on to others who can.

Saturday night I awaited the "big bang", which I was sure would come since fireworks, recently legalized in Iowa, were being popped off at an alarming rate several hours ahead of nightfall. The whole 4th of July deal last year was a spectacular, chaotic display of gun powered laced light shows across my neighborhood. I suspected this year would be similar. Friday night was pretty good, but I had pegged Saturday evening to be the zenith of it all since folks would be working Monday, which would make Sunday not so great. Well, there had been far more fireworks lit in the daylight than at night. It was a huge letdown. By 10:00pm it was about as quiet as normal with only a few bangs here and there. Actually, Sunday night was a bit more active. Weird!

Barns For Jason

Sunday we went to church and then came home for a bit before we had to go to a family reunion. Before we left I had changed out the flat tube in the Snow Dog in hopes of coming home later for a ride. The family reunion went well, and since it wasn't far away, I arrived home in the late afternoon with time to get out on the Snow Dog for the first time in months. It was a good time.

A few fallen trees from last week's high winds were seen on my ride.

I'll have another post coming which was inspired by the ride on the Snow Dog. I'm not sure which direction it will take, just yet, but I think I have a good idea where this will go.

Anyway..... The Snow Dog was riding great. The aluminum frame on this bike is definitely stiffer than my Ti Mukluk's is. I know I have said it before, but the Ti Muk is just a smoother bike overall. You'd better believe that there is something to that smooth titanium ride you hear about so often when speaking about titanium bikes. It is a real thing. The Snow Dog has a Thudbuster ST on it, which helps, but that front end has almost no give at all. I had less than 10psi in the Larry 3.8"er and it still rattled my teeth on a few hits.

Oddly enough, I think the Snow Dog is going to become my main Summer/dry weather fat bike. The tire clearances just aren't enough on that bike to get me where I want to go in Winter, but in drier, sandier, rocky terrain, that bike is great. I have it set up as a 1X9 now, but that will eventually be about 3 gears more soon.