2011 - Snow vs the Sun - 3 Hour Trainer Rides HTFU - 2x10 MTB Project

2011, is here and more than 60 days in.

I finally saw my backyard and front yard greenish brownish spotty grass and the hundreds of lumps of dog poo in my neighbors yard (so lovely in the a.m. hours).

I have been outside riding, several times, including a few mountain bike rides at the flatlands of Alum Creek in the snow. Also a few outdoor road rides, to get rid of some seasonal winter basement (riding) depression.

In the last few weeks with the weather up and down and on and off, it's go time on the weekends for trying to get outside and get in the base miles. Riding friends are good and make the time go. 

I manged about 4 weeks in a row to grow some motivation and do some long 3-4 hour road rides the last few Saturdays. And oddly, last week I was like a broken wild horse and had no motivation to do much, thank goodness my training plan was on the same page as my brain and body. Odd though this season, I have found the motivation somewhere to sit on my trainer for upwards of 2 and 3 hours twice. Does this make me better than those out suffering in the February or March 30 degree temps, I think not. 

I've been going to a free Yoga class each week for about two months now. It's been a learning experience and quite good for morale, balance, and brought equality to muscle groups in need of flexing. Note to self: continue this, it's good for old people.

I've been gathering parts for my mountain bike to move to a 2 x 10sp set up for 2011. This has been pretty fun and exciting, especially since Santa was so great to me this year.

Santa came through with some Sram XX shifters and a XX chain to get me started. I ordered a Sram XO 10 speed rear derail right after the holiday with some gift cards. I just got my hands on a great deal on a bike for sale forum on an 11/32 XX cassette. This thing is just sick. I wouldn't have ever bought this if it wasn't for the price I got, it was a new take off so, it's never been used. 

All that's left at this point is the front Derail. The situation as of today is....there is not a bike shop, retailer or parts distributor in the United States or Europe with either an X0 or XX derail I need in stock. #badinventorymanagers

I can't install my sweet S-works carbon cranks without the front derail because of how the derail mounts to the bracket low on the seat tube. 

I ordered some new high-tech lightweight cables-housing and hope to see those this week. I also ordered some fancy new rotors with shiny new bolts and scored some xx matchmaker clamps on ebah for 11 bucks! to clean up my handlebars. This clamp combines the brake and shifter clamps into one nice adjustable clamp.
On the 650b project:
I hoped to order a pair of Stan's 650b rims, but it appears all the discussion I read about on MTBR were just that rumors. None of the distributors have them in stock. We'll see, otherwise I might aim to purchase the WTB or Velocity 650b rims. For legal reasons I won't be using these wheels on my current bike or fork. Really I won't. It voids warranty. So really no I won't be doing that. really.