All in a Daze Work

And now a word from the raciest guy on the team - Mr. Mike Mullen:

What a great cycling day Wednesday was!

I skipped a meeting at work this morning and took a test ride around Green Lake of a Hedrick Cycles Version4. I liked it enough that I traded in my Parlee frame  for a Version4 frame. Great day for a ride and to make a deal for a new bike.

After work I went out to CX practice at the Jerry Baker Velodrome. Fantastic as usual. While my engine still needs work, my skills set and knowledge has improved tremendously thanks to the clinic and all the hot laps of a great technical course we get to ride. If you want to get better at CX, go to these. Good to see three of our Chris's there and one of our Peters.

And then I get home and I don't think it can get any better but then I find out the first episode of Svenness has just been released: http://www.cxhairs.com/2015/11/04/svenness-4-1/

What a day! - Mike Mullen

Repair Kit Life Savers

Everyone knows that a bike repair kits needs the following:

tube
lever(s)
CO2 with valve
patch kit
multi-tool
tire boot

But as Steve B suggested to me the other day there are two more things that everyone should have tucked into their kit:

valve extender
zip ties

A few weeks ago I got my first flat on my new rims, and when I went to put in my tube I realized that my new wheels are five millimeters deeper than my old one rendering the valve too short.  Luckily Mike R had a long stem tube.  I've found this to be a fairly common occurrence on team rides and a valve extender renders the issue a non-problem.

Zip ties are like duct tape: you can do amazing things with them.  Zip ties are especially useful during the winter months when flimsy plastic fenders start to disintegrate.  Last year a zip tie bummed from Joe M saved me when I lost one of my fender attachment bolts.