Ava starting to get the hang of her bike… going berry berry fast.
Still
Quiet lake. Quiet ride. No grand route, nor an epic tale, just an everyday adventure near town. Gray and cool. Mind and legs slow to adjust to the changes in season, weather, temperature. Body wants to eat sweets and hearty food, then sleep sleep sleep. Time to sit in front of the full spectrum lamp.
C is for cookie…
… and that is good enough for me.
Gear Test
The little one is as excited about new gear as her dad. If the weather is reasonable this will get a test this weekend. Big Agnes Fish Hawk 30 degree down bag and a Big Agnes insulated air core pad. The bag stuffs down to 6×8 and the pad is about the size of a Nalgene. Together they weigh less than my 8 year old well worn Kelty 20 degree synthetic bag that stuffs down to… well it really doesn’t.
Valve Core Issue
Flat this morning in the rain. 35 degrees and dark. Of course I needed to be home so Jen could get in her swim workout. Pulled the wheel tire and tube. Sloppy mess. Got the new tube on with no issues. Pump pump. Unscrew the Lezyne from the valve – and the core comes out with all the air. Screw it back in tight. Pump pump pump. Same results. 5 tries later manage to get the pump off and only lose 1/3 the air. WTF? This is the second flat on these tires – same issue last time with another tube (from the QBP). Seems the threads down on the valve core are messing up the whole works. Grabbed a coffee to warm up then took it easy to get home so I didn’t pinch flat.
Only to be locked out. My keys are probably sitting where I dumped my bag to change the tire. Amateur.
But – mobile WordPress is good for these situations… Aside from the fact that I’m standing outside my house cowering from the rain feeling that wet cold seeping in. Glad I put on the RainLegs this morning. Helped to keep me that much warmer.
Going to have to research the valve issue a bit and figure out WTF is going on. Pretty sure the way my CO2 threads on I’d have the same issue. And I’ve never seen this on the IF – but I’m pretty sure I’m running a different brand of tube. I do use a different Lezyne pump model but it uses the same method for attaching to the tube.
Cafe Grand Prix
First annual Cafe Grand Prix – ~60 miles, 3 cafes*, 3k of climbing. Tolerable paved sections, dirt, a bit of single track. Classic VT views. BTV to Richmond via Mountain View and Gov. Chittenden. On the Rise Bakery. Cochran’s to Stage Road. Up up up to Leary Rd. and Nashville Rd. A bit of a delay searching out a dead end – then to Plains Rd. And into Jericho for the Village Cup. Rt. 15 to Weed, 128 and Towers then back to the dirt on Lost Nation and the back way with a view to Colchester Pond. Return round the Bay and into town with a final stop at Viva Espresso.
*We skipped the last stop as our relaxed pace began to encroach on family time. The next version might have to turn into a century and include Red Hen Baking.
River Sun
Sun over the Intervale. Mornings are crisp and dark. 38 x 19 fixed combination + 700 x 40 tires is still a bit tall for playing in the woods – but seems perfect for pulling the little one about in the trailer.
Wet
Trying to get a long ride in before some family travel sans bikes. Looking to be a wet one.
Wandering
Wandering the Intervale with the little one.
Snaps
Recent snaps – bike parking in front of Outdoor Gear Exchange and my morning spin.
I wish the parking was designed a bit better – you need to get to the sidewalk to park – instead of having access from the street. And if it had 2 sided entry you could double the number of bikes.
