On overhauls and rebuilds

[carbonman]

Much like me, pre-OSA Rx, my bike was really tired.
Just like me, pre-OSA Rx, I made a lot of fixes and
had many workarounds for things that were just giving out.

After 19.5Kmiles in 4yrs, I had my bike overhauled last week.
A small shop in Boulder, owned/operated by a couple of
guys that love fixing bikes.
Stripped to the frame. If it couldn't be cleaned or was worn, it was replaced.
New drivetrain. Cassette, chain, crank gears.
Spaceage brake pads. New rubber and slime tubes. Cool bar tape.
I rebuild my pedals last night.

All I can say is, fluid. Brand new!

Just like me after 2yrs on the hose,
I've been overhauled and rebuilt.

Today, I rode one of my favorite rides. Clear Ck to the Platte.
A beautiful, sunny 80F. Felt so good.

The snow melt in the high country is in full swing.
Clear Ck. is running high and dirty. It's always exciting,
because most of the year it is so docile and calm.


Many of the underpasses were flooded. Had to do the street crossings....
wasn't about to take the new bike through that.

Some places you get a creek view.

Clear Ck at the confluence w/the Platte.

S. Platte running full.
Kokopelli bringing life back to the land.


Successful cpap therapy. New (old) bike.
Overhauled and rebuilt.


I don't think I have ever felt so complete.

[sleepycarol]

Great pictures Carbon!!

I loved the mountains when I was in CO back in 1998 for a conference. Wow -- where does time go? It seems like only yesterday!!

I was lucky a friend of mine has kids living in the area and I provided the transportation (she lives in Missouri) and her daughter provided a place to stay!! Since they had lived there previously and her kids loved the area, once grown they moved back to CO. So I was able to see some of the "off the beaten path" sites that were gorgeous!!

[t-bone]

I've overhauled a bunch of bikes over the years as a shop guy. Even replacing the chain and cassette every year or two makes a bike feel SMOOOOOOOTH.

Nice images, as always, and not just the .jpg files...

I'll be in Durango some time next week, in support of our RAAM team. C'mon down and wave if you have time!

[turbosnore]

The pictures are really soothing.
Feel better already just by looking at them.

[Uncle_Bob]

Great motivational post Carbonman.

Glad to hear you doing so well.

[Captain_Midnight]

19+ kilomiles! Impressive, that. Your point about physical renewal from xpappery is an excellent one. I've been xPAP compliant for 4 + years, and I recently completed a half-marathon race, only my second one (and at the tender young age of 61). I simply could not have achieved this without optimized pappian therapy.

I also enjoy riding, and i do so fairly often. I ride as a crosstrainer to distance running, but my "backside" gets a bit weary of the effort after only 30 or so miles.

Annnnd, C-Man, this leads me to a question. Perhaps a bit personal, but I'll ask it because someone else might be interested as well. As a bicycle aficionado, what might be the most, ahem, "guy friendly" bicycle seat of which you might be aware?

Tks and tks also for the Coloradan pics.


.

[t-bone]

19+ kilomiles! Impressive, that. Your point about physical renewal from xpappery is an excellent one. I've been xPAP compliant for 4 + years, and I recently completed a half-marathon race, only my second one (and at the tender young age of 61). I simply could not have achieved this without optimized pappian therapy.

I also enjoy riding, and i do so fairly often. I ride as a crosstrainer to distance running, but my "backside" gets a bit weary of the effort after only 30 or so miles.

Annnnd, C-Man, this leads me to a question. Perhaps a bit personal, but I'll ask it because someone else might be interested as well. As a bicycle aficionado, what might be the most, ahem, "guy friendly" bicycle seat of which you might be aware?

Tks and tks also for the Coloradan pics.


.

I'll jump in on this.

As a shop guy, and another who puts in a fair number of miles, most of those "guy problems" we hear about can be alleviated by doing a thorough bike fit. Make sure the seat is not too high nor too low. Make sure it's not pointed too far up, nor too far down. First thing to check is always seat placement.

Second thing is to replace the seat. A good bike fitter (as opposed to merely sizing, as is done in most shops) can help you decide which saddle width is best for you and your riding style. We think of fitting as an ongoing process--it's not a "set it and forget it" thing at all. We charge $175 for a pro bike fit, but offer ongoing "tweaks" to the fit as part of the deal.

If you want to get away on the cheap, though, the Specialized Body Geometry series saddles have been our most successful at reducing the problems you mention. There is one for about $40 that works well for a lot of guys.