To get my body ready for the trail, I need to get my butt saddle ready, legs strengthened, and lungs efficient. My recently dusted off spin bike may help here. Liam, nearing 2 years old, requires most of Kathleen's and my time. We both work and we have our personal interests to manage...this has left us sacrificing our exercise routines; not uncommon. At the moment, I'm carrying about 15 pounds I don't really want (even if it were muscle). We gave up the HIT boot camp we enjoyed when we were DINKs. Currently, I'm working on a spinning routine in the mornings, before Liam wakes. While spinning won't improve balance or technical skills, it should get the legs, lungs and butt saddle ready.
The most important element of a spirited hour of spin is an excellent playlist...if you have one share it with me, download and try this one if you dare...btw Little Lion Man and Nugget have explicit language, if this offends you please don't listen to them. Truthfully, by the time I'm to this part of the ride, my mouth needs washing;)
The spin bike is nothing fancy, an impulse buy from Costco, it squeak and rattles at certain resistance settings, but nothing a quarter turn either direction can't eliminate.It sits in the exercise quadrant of the basement; opposite Kathleen's Voice Over Studio (aka the Wings & Spokes blog station).
- Front tire - find the goat head, repair the tube, and verify it'll hold air
- Pesky goat head thorns - stay on trail or fix flats all day
- picked up my front wheel from the airport
- picked up tubes from performance bike
- I'll fix the tire before going to bed tonight
- Front derailleur - properly adjust
- usually forget the exact order of operation
- use this video to refresh my memory: A decent video on front derailleur adjustment
- adjust it tomorrow at lunch time
- take it for a spin on the trails behind the airport
- Fabricate brake caliper shims - so the brake pistons don't operate in transport
- Friends from Performance Bicycle - helped with advice
- Managed to find a proper shim for the front
- Still need something for the rear caliper
- Identify better protection for the front derailleur and rear hanger
- still thinking on this
- Reading weather forecasts is a daily routine
- Low Level Prog Charts
- Winds aloft SLC region
- Turbulence
- Satellite images
- ADDS Ceiling and Visibility Plot
- Colorado Mountain AWOS Stations
- Watch the weather in the mountains constantly - my notes
- On windy days look for waves and rotors recognize these
- Be familiar with how they build and break up - bad news clouds
- Virga in Colorado = strong downdraft virga
- dust devils on the ground = a clue
- 30 knot westerly wind over the mountain can be a rough ride at 14,000 feet
- Moderate turbulence reported west of Denver = scrub
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