Has it been over a week.....?
I had missed the online registration deadline for the WORS Chippewa Valley Firecracker and doing a lot of grunt work, moving dirt and stone on a project for a friend, left me feeling worse off than a few days before. I wondered how I even rode the Levis/Trow. My arm is healing well and the bruising slowly disappearing. That, with a nearly $100 fuel cost to go to the Firecracker kept me home. Not to mention with 20 minutes of sleep I don't even know if I could have made the four hour drive. No lack of pictures or videos available (you/tube). The largest turnout so far this year for WORS.
I went for a leisurely ride that Sunday and came down with a mechanical failure in my bike. The lock ring for my cassette came loose. Maybe lucky I skipped the Firecracker. Wednesday night races were declared on but the Beer Man obviously didn't check the course. Confusion reigned as they tried to determine how to run the race with half the course too wet to ride responsibly. My cassette came loose again and I didn't have my cassette tool with me. I went home. Had to clean the grit thoroughly from between the rings and spacer and cranked down a tight fit. Hopefully that's the end of that problem. Don't know if they raced or not.
I seem to get dinked around by local bike shops so wont be endorsing any of them. Am trying a new product that is coming through as promised so far; Squirt, a new WORS sponsor this year. Does it make the sun shine brighter, food taste better and open the doors to peace on earth? Not quite, but one of their claims that it makes shifting easier is absolutely correct in my experience. Always had a bit of trouble with my front derailluer but no longer, despite the slight play in the arm. We'll see how it cleans up. Still a lot of build up on the chain (don't remove excess after application) but they claim you just brush it off with a stiff bristled brush and eventually, as all the crud is worked out of your chain by their ground breaking product, it should ride clean and bright. We'll see.
12 Hours of Bluemounds has been canceled. Yes, it's been raining but wasn't expecting such a notice so soon. My wife already made plans expecting me to be away. Now that I have healed up I really have to get in some serious riding.
There's a reason I stay away from social rides. Helps me keep my head out of the gutter. Was this supposed to be a promotional video?
Cucumbers never came up (tried trice) and the rabbits put an end to our leafy vegetables. Getting some radishes out of the garden. The peaches are about the size of golf balls right now. Put some peppers in pots and have two tomato plants this year. Maybe I should have planted some watermelon.
They say cotton kills, not wicking the sweat away from your body as the newer fabrics do. Still I went out for a ride the other day in my favorite black tee-shirt. It was a nice ride. Everyone was greeting me as I passed by. People sitting in front of their houses all waved. In fact both WORS and especially WEMS have markedly higher participation this year, I discovered at our last club meeting. My field is one of the largest, Clydesdales 35+, and at the Wednesday night races men over forty is one of the largest groups. Perhaps its my charm. My goodwill and exceptional character. My warm and embracing personality that everyone wants to do as I do....
I came back from my ride and said to my wife; "Everyone was smiling and greeting me, waving and saying hello as I rode today."
"Really!?" she said.
"Yeah, I was wearing my black tee-shirt and I think they all thought I was a policeman."
"Yes! That must be it." she said emphatically.......
Best wishes for all those injured riding. Heard there was an incident at the Firecracker.
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