Thanks For Checking In

 I wanted to take a bit of space here to address something I feel needs to be addressed. Many of you are aware of what happened in early August when my son, Jacob died unexpectedly. Losing a son for reasons unknown is unusual, I know, and this has been something not only hard on me, obviously, but it has been difficult for many of you. Maybe "uncomfortable" is a better way to put this. At any rate, I have been getting questions about how I am doing, and if there is anything someone can do for a person in a situation as I find myself in. Additionally, I need to acknowledge something which has been happening lately as well. First: how I am doing....

There is really no way to tell you how I am other than to state the facts. I miss Jacob.  I struggle at times. Lately I have been encouraged by having days when I don't cry. Sometimes two in a row, but this is rare. I find I am most prone to being sad and feel deep grief when I am alone. So, I try not to be alone. But this isn't always possible. Ironically, I am fine if I am riding a bicycle alone. Mostly..... 

This leads me to my second, and most important point for me today and that is to acknowledge those of you who have taken on the task of being someone who checks in with me on a somewhat regular basis. There are several of you who have been doing this, and let me tell you - it means a LOT to me that you are doing this. I was contacted by phone or via messages by three different people on Saturday, when my wife and daughter were out of town. These folks did not know I was alone, but I needed those calls and messages. Thank you for those. 

It is but one example of how these people, and others, who are sending messages and calls are so encouraging and timely for myself. But I also need to acknowledge others here. You folks who pray, think about me, or will in the future. I "feel" this as well. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Yes....it matters. 

Finally, I want to encourage all of you. You may be reading this with a bit of detachment. This maybe seems unreal to you, or so unneeded in your life right now that the significance of a call, text, or prayer are lost on you. Can I encourage you and say you may want to just reach out to someone who has been on your mind?  There is a reason for this, and maybe you will be that person who calls or messages just at the right time. You'll never know unless you take a chance....

And you also never know if you'll be the one, who like me, really needs those encouragements someday. Thank you for reading this. I hope you find some things here to think about and take action on, not for me, necessarily, but for all of us. We need each other. 

Back to more bicycle stuff tomorrow.  

Frustrated

The past week has been one of a bit of frustration in terms of getting out to ride. Either my time has been short or I woke up feeling poorly so that no country rides were happening. 

I did have one day where I was going to go and ride but that dratted GPS computer frustrated me so much that day that I nearly lost it and I ended up just aimlessly riding around town trying to calm down. 

I tell ya....technology and devices. That stuff is bad news. Or I should say, 'It can be bad news". For me, at any rate. 

Then there was the "Truck With No Name", which had to go to the shop and I spent 2K getting it up to snuff. I still have to fix the inner driver's side door handle yet. And the locks don't work either. Hrumpf.... 

It wasn't all bad. But it was "one of those weeks". The fact that we had some perfect "blue sky" days in there didn't help me either. I guess not riding and having clean air to breath is better than what we had here most of June! And we've had some timely rains. So that dust surely has settled a bit. Can't wait to get out there to check it all out soon......

Frustrated

The past week has been one of a bit of frustration in terms of getting out to ride. Either my time has been short or I woke up feeling poorly so that no country rides were happening. 

I did have one day where I was going to go and ride but that dratted GPS computer frustrated me so much that day that I nearly lost it and I ended up just aimlessly riding around town trying to calm down. 

I tell ya....technology and devices. That stuff is bad news. Or I should say, 'It can be bad news". For me, at any rate. 

Then there was the "Truck With No Name", which had to go to the shop and I spent 2K getting it up to snuff. I still have to fix the inner driver's side door handle yet. And the locks don't work either. Hrumpf.... 

It wasn't all bad. But it was "one of those weeks". The fact that we had some perfect "blue sky" days in there didn't help me either. I guess not riding and having clean air to breath is better than what we had here most of June! And we've had some timely rains. So that dust surely has settled a bit. Can't wait to get out there to check it all out soon......

Local Biking

So, I've been having trouble this year again. Much like last year, the weather, my schedule, and being sick almost the entire month of March has relegated me to just short rides whenever I can fit them in.

It's kind of frustrating when what I really want to be doing is not possible without making some major sacrifices that probably wouldn't go over well with the family or the employer. So, I take what I can get.

There also is a wisdom that says "Don't compare yourself to others", but with social media it is hard not to. Seeing others doing long gravel rides makes me feel depressed sometimes. I shouldn't worry about that, but it gets to me sometimes. 

But, I've been riding every day. I've been outdoors, breathing, capable of riding, and staying healthy. That's all good stuff. I should try more to just do my own deal as good as I can do it and be grateful I can do it.

Things change too. I'm in a space now that makes getting out there harder for me, and the weather too, it's been not very favorable much of the year when I've had the chances to ride. I mean, take Sunday for instance. 50's in mid-May? Rain? Hmm..... 

Better days will come. I just have to be patient.

Path flowers are popping.

So for now I have been putting in the miles in between the margins of being busy doing other stuff. Work, family, and well.....more "other work". And the thing is that the schedule is so all over the place that I have been having a hard time adjusting to it all. Too many years of the same-ol-same-ol. 

So, I accept that I have a part to own in all of this It's a work in progress......

Local Biking

So, I've been having trouble this year again. Much like last year, the weather, my schedule, and being sick almost the entire month of March has relegated me to just short rides whenever I can fit them in.

It's kind of frustrating when what I really want to be doing is not possible without making some major sacrifices that probably wouldn't go over well with the family or the employer. So, I take what I can get.

There also is a wisdom that says "Don't compare yourself to others", but with social media it is hard not to. Seeing others doing long gravel rides makes me feel depressed sometimes. I shouldn't worry about that, but it gets to me sometimes. 

But, I've been riding every day. I've been outdoors, breathing, capable of riding, and staying healthy. That's all good stuff. I should try more to just do my own deal as good as I can do it and be grateful I can do it.

Things change too. I'm in a space now that makes getting out there harder for me, and the weather too, it's been not very favorable much of the year when I've had the chances to ride. I mean, take Sunday for instance. 50's in mid-May? Rain? Hmm..... 

Better days will come. I just have to be patient.

Path flowers are popping.

So for now I have been putting in the miles in between the margins of being busy doing other stuff. Work, family, and well.....more "other work". And the thing is that the schedule is so all over the place that I have been having a hard time adjusting to it all. Too many years of the same-ol-same-ol. 

So, I accept that I have a part to own in all of this It's a work in progress......

Home Improvement

Getting rid of the old....

So Wednesdays are usually my day to get out and about on my bicycle. Usually on such a beautiful day that would be the case. However, a bout of "home improvement" is happening now at the Guitar Ted Laboratories which has cut into my free time. It also has prevented me from mowing the lawn for various reasons, so it isn't all bad!

The GT headquarters was built in 1912, so as is the case with older American homes, there is always something to upkeep. This project involves a porch that was literally sagging off the house in an attempt to collapse and allow the elements into the living area. Not a good thing in a true four season climate. Fortunately, things have come together to allow for a remodel/replacement of the old and the potential calamity has been headed off.

A good company has been contacted and the old porch is long gone and the new one is mostly up. There are always setbacks and this project isn't any different. I had to be available most of the day Wednesday in case certain decisions needed to be made and so any extended bicycle gallivanting around was necessarily postponed until a later date.  Turns out I could have been gone after all, but oh well..... You never know.

The day wasn't totally devoid of bicycles though!

But be that as it may, I did get to fiddle with some of the bikes in the stable today. Since Gravel Worlds is happening this weekend, I was reminded of one of the rigs I rode down there in the last Good Life Gravel Adventure, which was the name of the event before it became Gravel Worlds in 2010.

That rig would be the custom Pofahl rig I had made in 2007. Based loosely on a Karate Monkey geometry, the bike is a very unique sled for sure. At the '09 GLGA I ran this single speed with a 37T X 18T gearing and it worked for me so well that at the inaugural Gravel Worlds in 2010 I ran similar gearing on my Singular Cycles Gryphon and did okay on the hills again. Since then, I've pretty much settled on a 38T X 18T or 17T for any gravel road single speed action.

When I got the Pofahl out earlier this year I noted that it was pretty "spinny" feeling. Whoops! Somewhere along the line I swapped out the 18T for a 21T rear cog to make it more of a mountain bike, I guess. Honestly, I can't remember now. Anyway, I meant to take care of that.......someday. I never got around to it until yesterday though.

It's pretty cool that the Pofahl can cover a 3 tooth change with the same chain since the slider set up has a lot of range. I could even drop it to a sixteen tooth, since I have even more room to slide back with the rear wheel. Anyway, it's back to the good old gravel single speed range I like, so I will have to put the wood to this out in the country soon. It's been a long time since I single speeded the gravel roads around here.

Home Improvement

Getting rid of the old....

So Wednesdays are usually my day to get out and about on my bicycle. Usually on such a beautiful day that would be the case. However, a bout of "home improvement" is happening now at the Guitar Ted Laboratories which has cut into my free time. It also has prevented me from mowing the lawn for various reasons, so it isn't all bad!

The GT headquarters was built in 1912, so as is the case with older American homes, there is always something to upkeep. This project involves a porch that was literally sagging off the house in an attempt to collapse and allow the elements into the living area. Not a good thing in a true four season climate. Fortunately, things have come together to allow for a remodel/replacement of the old and the potential calamity has been headed off.

A good company has been contacted and the old porch is long gone and the new one is mostly up. There are always setbacks and this project isn't any different. I had to be available most of the day Wednesday in case certain decisions needed to be made and so any extended bicycle gallivanting around was necessarily postponed until a later date.  Turns out I could have been gone after all, but oh well..... You never know.

The day wasn't totally devoid of bicycles though!

But be that as it may, I did get to fiddle with some of the bikes in the stable today. Since Gravel Worlds is happening this weekend, I was reminded of one of the rigs I rode down there in the last Good Life Gravel Adventure, which was the name of the event before it became Gravel Worlds in 2010.

That rig would be the custom Pofahl rig I had made in 2007. Based loosely on a Karate Monkey geometry, the bike is a very unique sled for sure. At the '09 GLGA I ran this single speed with a 37T X 18T gearing and it worked for me so well that at the inaugural Gravel Worlds in 2010 I ran similar gearing on my Singular Cycles Gryphon and did okay on the hills again. Since then, I've pretty much settled on a 38T X 18T or 17T for any gravel road single speed action.

When I got the Pofahl out earlier this year I noted that it was pretty "spinny" feeling. Whoops! Somewhere along the line I swapped out the 18T for a 21T rear cog to make it more of a mountain bike, I guess. Honestly, I can't remember now. Anyway, I meant to take care of that.......someday. I never got around to it until yesterday though.

It's pretty cool that the Pofahl can cover a 3 tooth change with the same chain since the slider set up has a lot of range. I could even drop it to a sixteen tooth, since I have even more room to slide back with the rear wheel. Anyway, it's back to the good old gravel single speed range I like, so I will have to put the wood to this out in the country soon. It's been a long time since I single speeded the gravel roads around here.