It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity, 32 of 431 miles

Today was the first hot day of the season. I road moderately hard but with the heat it was difficult to motivate my self.

It was hot in Tucson over the weekend but that was nothing compared to today. Tucson might have heat but we got the humidity and while it is cliché’s it also really does make a big difference.

On a day like this I feel like I am riding in a steam room. The sweat simply drips off and the air never really cools you down.

A little bit of rain

It’s Tuesday so Kendra and I got a chance to do the CSH ride/skate. Today was 35 mile at 19 mph average speed and substantial sections of 25+ bursts plus hill. Basically this is the most fun I have on skates, a good working, and a chance to chat with friends all at the same time.

The ride started with a little bit of rain and I was worried that I would get dropped. On the first hard climb my wheels were slipping and I could not get the traction needed for strong stroking but luckily I made it over the hump and was still in contact with the group just as the rain stopped. I was on Gyro pink wheels and even though they are soft just about all wheels slip a bit in the rain plus this particular hill is not the best pavement.

Since it was hot most of the day, the roads dried fairly quickly and after that first bit grip on the roads was not a problem. The pace was solid with the group especially motivated for some of the sections where we traditionally ramp up the pace.

Near the end of the day the cyclists put things into overdrive and the group split up. I stayed with the middle

Tucson Epic Ride, 24 of 399 miles

Here we are at the start of the ride. The peak between us is the top of the mountain with the observatory.

Tucson MTB ride #1, 22 of 375 miles

I was able to fly the bike for free by checking it as normal luggage with the bike in one box and the wheels in another box.

CSH Skate

Awesome skate tonight from the CSH shop. We did a solid pace for 35 miles, usually around 19mph but with some 20+ sections and hard efforts on the hills. My fitness is coming along and while I am not in 2005 form I am starting to feel stronger and skating way better then at anytime last year.

Version three of design for mounting blocks.

My ideas for mounting blocks have evolved a bit more.

This version uses a traditional aluminum block with four threaded holes. I like the idea of four holes so the skater would have some redundancy if a threaded hole ever fails. I am clearly paranoid about stripping threads but I actually think doing so is relatively rare. The block is also wide so it will allow for wide range of frame adjustment and stiffen the boot quite a bit in the mounting area. The blocks are also asymmetric such that the front block hangs back and has a horse shoe shape to stiffen the critical area where the second wheel comes close to the boot. The rear block is more traditional. The idea is that this block would allow for a boot design that brings the foot very close to the second wheel and not suffer from problems with sag leading to the wheel rubbing the carbon.

I also plan to machine the blocks from the top and the bottom to reduce weight by carving out some of the excess material from the block.

Road Dog

Hard 25 mile skate with Radovan.

Skated with Kendra and Radovan

We did our normal 30 mile skate out at Radovan’s house.

Shot this quick video of Kendra leading up hill on Rock Springs Church.

I also got a little clip of Radovan skating by himself.

After the skate we had a nice BBQ dinner.

More design work on the mounting block

Now I am thinking about using mounting blocks with an array of threaded holes. No special nuts or sliding or anything complex just a simple array of threaded holes with a strong alloy. The blocks would be made out of a high strength alloy so the threads would be quite strong.

I still plan to use the apron around the lip of the block so the block will be held well by the carbon fiber. I also plan to use an exposed face on this style of block.

More design work on the mounting block

I did a bit more design work on the mounting blocks project. To explore ideas. This version drops the idea of sliding mounts but keeps the idea of using a replaceable nut. Nut replacement in this design would be through windows inside the boot sole. Making the nut replaceable adds complexity to the boot construction but I think it is an important area to consider new ideas. Failure of aluminum threads is common and while helicoils can be added for thread repair this can often be done only once and it is a difficult procedure for a skater on the road who does not have a full shop.

With a replaceable nut design you have two options. One approach is to provide a slot so the nut can be slipped in from the bottom. The other option is to provide some sort of window in the boot shell for a nut to be slipped in from above. This block design is based on the idea that the boot shell will provide access to the nut when the skater removes the insole. The actual nut can be slipped into the slot from above to replace worn threads. I am currently trying to avoid the need for a slot. I am torn about the need for a slot. If the boot is properly manufactured a slot for fore/aft sliding is of limited appeal and I think such an approach does weaken the boot slightly so this version does not provide a slot.

Currently I am designing around the idea of using a standard hex nut although I might consider adapting the system to use a custom nut similar to the one Luigino uses for their slotted system. I am not sure if the replacement nuts in the Luigino system are inserted from the inside of the boot or from the outside of the boot but regardless it is a nice looking system based on photos I have seen on the web.

The sides of the my block design are shaped to provide a lip that will enhance the block retention in it’s carbon fiber pocket. This block design would also lend well to exposed mounting surfaces if I decide to go that way. With this block the lip around the base would provide containment holding if the face was left exposed.