kinda 'cross

I spun my wheels for a good while today...in the garage. First I went about changing the front tube on the Bleriot, which meant changing from the GBs to the CdlVs as alluded to yesterday. The trick with both kinds of tires is to get them set correctly because they often end up lumpy on the rim. The ensuing blown tube probably took another 10% of my hearing from my left ear. Ouch. Once I got both the CdlVs on, I then had problems with the front fender. I have a nice beausage dent in the front, and apparently haven't had any CdlVs on since then, because the tire scrapes the fender at the dent. Crap! The fender de-denting will have to wait for another day. Then I tried to change tubes on the front tire of the SSFrankenTrek b/c that tube expired around the valvestem. Crap. The tire on there looks like crap so I looked into changing from a veryoldandbeginningtodryrot 700x30c to a 25c Gatorskin I had sitting around, but no 700x30ish tube. Crap. Finally, I got the Crosscheck off the hook and went about changing tires, from the present Vittoria Randos to the Ritchey Crossmaxs I've had for a while. The Vittos were very challenging to remove and I had to use a metal tire lever to do so, but finally I managed to get 1 thing done in the garage, so from there I took off for a road/'cross ride on the Crosscheck.

The local 'cross scene is hotting up, and I'm a smidge intrigued to get back into some racing. Puh-leeze! There are local races here in the 'Ville in early October, late October and the finals in early December. I could care less about results, but it might be fun. And this year some of the normal folk are taking it on, including Jimmy and PrestaSchrader. Lithodale wants to get in on the action too, so he's working on putting together a frankenbike for said purpose.

That's alot of talking. I rode, didn't feel that great, but did some turns down at River City Country Club. My lines weren't that bad, but boy did they build what seemed like a high barrier. I'm sure it's regulation, but I would need a ladder, or a much smaller ass, to get over it. Don't know if it was enough to inspire me to do 'cross, but maybe I can make myself do a bit of training, especially hill climbs, to give the December race a whirl.