I've been pretty busy in the bike world.

I did a massive climb/ride to Crystal Lake Campground in L.A. Kicked my ass so hard.

Sold my Trek Emonda. Now my Warbird has to be my road and gravel bike.

Replaced a bearing in my rear wheel. It's now super smooth, but there's a new weird noise. Super frustrating, but I really enjoy the hands on mechanic work.

Got a power meter again. It should be showing up today. My first one was pretty cheap. This one is nicer and used, so price ended up being about the same.

Photo from up the mountain near Crystal Lake.

School's out for summer, which means that I can get up by myself at 7am and go for a bike ride before work (which is still at home until maybe January). Ive seen deer, lizards, wild turkeys, and lots of interesting soaring birds on my morning rides.

I found a used crank arm power meter that fits my bike for a relatively good deal. I got it on yesterday, and it was super easy to set up.

I did a regular ride this morning and rode to power. The ride is about 10 miles with 900 feet of climbing. I realized that I probably have been going too hard on climbs and too easy on flats/downhills. I held 300-350 watts on the uphills and 200-250 on the flats/downhills. I was only two minutes behind my fastest time, which was done on a lighter bike when I was in better shape AND I felt much less wiped out after the ride.

Is this actually fun? I've had a power meter before, but sold it because it was kinda cheap and I just stopped paying attention to it. However, this one is newer and nicer so it was fun to challenge myself and fun to play with my toy. However, this is more of a tool to get in better shape so the big adventure rides don't feel like self-murder. Also, it will allow me to not go too hard too early when doing big, long rides.

So, it seems like it will be fun even though it's main use is to get the most out of the exercise element.

I abandoned the search for an affordable kickass gravel/endurance bike when I left my last job to go out on my own, but I found a deal in my exact size on CL too good to pass up- Picked up a Cannondale Six13 in perfect condition. Just trying to figure out the tiny adjustments before I do a really long ride. The frame is aluminum butted with carbon tubes. Full dura ace drivetrain, brakes. Carbon cranks, seat post. Weighs 16 lbs! I got it for $800!

The tires are 25mm, seems like the biggest it can fit so I'm gonna work with that. But just swapping the taint wrecker saddle with my brooks and lowering the tire pressure a bit did wonders. Currently trying to get the handlebars about an inch higher. It has these flat shaped carbon bars which are pretty cool (spreads the pressure out on your palm), but you can't rotate them upwards much without making riding on the cross top bar very uncomfortable. So I need to raise the whole bar to make riding on the brake hoods put less strain on my hands. Considering one of those adjustable angle stems.

jeff fox wrote: Sun May 16, 2021 2:05 pm Goddamnit these gravel/endurance bikes are fucking expensive! Seems like they start out at $2000 for anything with good components.

Gravel bikes have similar geometry to old road bikes. If you could find an old road bike with good frame/components and 700C wheels, it would be pretty easy to set up for gravel.

I know this is not really a buy/sell thread, but I figured this was the best place to be seen.
Selling my previous bike computer. My wife got me a full Garmin setup for my birthday. This has been unused since March.

Wahoo Elemnt Bolt (gen 1).
Two out front mounts and one step-top mount.
Heart Rate Monitor
Speed/Cadence Sensor

$200 shipped in the U.S.

Alongside the Tour de France, I've started following Lachlan Morton's demented foreshadowing of the ride, performing each stage ahead of the peloton, and riding the roads between each stage. He should tackle Mont Ventoux today, which I imagine to be painful.

sparky wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:15 am Alongside the Tour de France, I've started following Lachlan Morton's demented foreshadowing of the ride, performing each stage ahead of the peloton, and riding the roads between each stage. He should tackle Mont Ventoux today, which I imagine to be painful.

It is painful, and I only went up it once. I'd not trade the experience for most anything, though.

France/Italy 2018 by benadrian, on Flickr

I have not braved that climb, or anything near its ferocity. Chapeau. A maniac friend who did the three main routes up it in one day vowed he would drag me up it some day, and alleges that there is a hidden fourth, gravel route up it. I think I'll settle for once up it...

Last September I went up the Col de la Forclaz, a more modest climb that absolutely murdered me. I was out of shape, unused to the heat, and ran out of water, shade, legs and will. I crawled the last 5km, and my wife had to descend 2km from Finhaut with some water and encouraging words to keep me out of the ditch, heat struck. She gave me an ice cream and a big bottle of Coke up top, didn't complain when I also downed her drink without realising it was hers, and towed me back to the hotel across the border in the valley.

A disgusting itch for a new bike that I don’t need (and we can’t accommodate) has me furtively browsing for something between my heavy, pannier-laden cyclocross, and the light steel racer, for longer tours. Has anyone seen Isen bikes? They are eye-catching in looks and cost.