winter riding.... err. work

First full weekend in January was a day spent snowboarding and a day spent installing a chimney liner and my new (to me) wood stove.

Second full weekend in January was a day spent filling a truck full of wood and helping a friend (whom gave me the wood) with some brush and tree clearing on his farm. Sunday (yesterday) was spent at a yoga class, splitting wood, running the stove more to burn off the new paint smell and slowly redoing the brake lines in my Jeep as they decided to rust through and fail on me earlier in the week.

Not much biking but taking a page out of the Monte book.

This

(cutting back the fields on the farm... delimbing the trees and creating a brush pile and a firewood pile)

To this (some good dried out ash)

to this

and about this in part of an afternoon

Not quite the capacity of Monte's doing but we'll see where this takes me. It got me outside in 15-20F weather though so I've got that going for me. Still have to finish splitting the remaining and a whole 'nother pile not in that photo.



I did get a 2hr mountain bike ride in last Wednesday night. Tried out my new Niner crabon handlebars. Its good to be back on carbon bars. They dampen the ride so much better than aluminum. I had a pair of Salsa aluminum bars (12deg sweep and 640mm width). The new bars are 9deg sweep and at the stock width (710mm). Its wide but after a few rides we'll see if I want to keep them there or take 'em in 10 or 20mm.

During the week I did get some work done on the 'cross bike.

SRAM Force crankset with a Spot Brand 42T chainring (for now)

Shimano Pro Vibe 7s handlebars (46cm) with Thomson X4 stem and SRAM 500 levers.

Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes.

Had some interference issues with the rear brake bosses but after some sanding and filing and grease I got them to work without any binding. 

Victory!

Still have to wrap the bars, get a crabon steerer plug so I can set up the stem and headset, dial in the brakes and throw in a rear cog. My wheelset should be done soon but in the meantime I've thrown on my road wheelset.

Oh yeah, and I registered for the Bearscat50 fifty mile mountain bike race. I had so much fun last year that I figured I'd do it again. Love riding that terrain. It was going to be the race I do that is furthest from my house but I might have one or two that are further (excluding Singlespeed Arizona). Stay Tuned as I am finalizing the events I plan on attending and the twist I am applying to all of them.