I Was Sheot Tour / AKA Lousy Start / Wheel Swap

Cut it short, 30 miles. Drove Drove to Encanto Park (Duarte) but my rear wheel locked up. Bad prawls in hub. So I drove to Rancho, our storage unit. Swapped out the rear wheel, cassette, tire and tube. 3 hours later I'm starting after all my breakfast energy was wasted. 😩 But good thing is that the wheel is much better than the one that was on there. I can feel the difference as the wheel on the Madone had some side to side slop but this one is solid. A ride the Ghost Course 👻. Looks pretty sad. 😔 Windy AH too. 🤣 Sign is of the trail closures coming around the golf course. Not sure why I took a pic of the Spanish version. 😄

                                                  Little park rest area at Thienes. I've seen this little entrance years ago when we did it with a group, maybe 2005. Probably the first time I had been on this trail but man, it was really ghetto and has been over the years. But recently, I've noticed a city worker type guy out there power washing it a few times on weekdays, if I'm not mistaken. Seems it the entrance has gotten a little nicer and bigger.  A nice water station there though the idiots have already plugged up the bottle filler section. It drips like 5 drops per second for now so hopefully they fix it. 

Did see a bum there on Tuesday sleeping under a little tent. But today, it was gone and a sign taped to the fence saying something about loitering and trash after a new fence has been put up around the big field section. NICE! There were a bunch of homeless hanging out there so this closed them off and seems much nicer, actually like a park. SO hopefully they continue to monitor the area and keep it clean, hopefully. I did notice the homeless hanging out under the nearby underpasses are mostly gone as well. I see them walking around but none of the couches and sheot all over the trail. I guess the upcoming  improvements of the dam will affect these areas keeping them clean and monitored.

Funny though, did not see one cyclist the entire time. Not one on the trail or the dam. I finally saw one, actually 2 making my way back up to Encanto Park. Dude rolled by me like I was standing still. I was pooped I admit but even then, he was rolling pretty good. I noticed his huge ripped calves easing my mind some seeing he looked really fit and he was not wearing a helmet which in my mind and at the moment, lead me to believe he was saving about 300 gram on the gentle ascent ha ha ha!

I knew from the start I was already pooped and once on the bike, I was not feeling it but, what the heck, somebody's got to do it! Just taking my time and a goal to get a couple of pics of the Ghost Course, I survived ha ha ha! Oh yeah, big headwind too and strangely enough, a big headwind on the dam heading out thinking I would have a tailwind on that return section, NOT! Just how in the heck does that work?

All my breakfast energy was gone I think. Wish I had like 6 of these fig bar packs with me, could have used them ha ha ha!

Front entrance to the Ghost Course, soon to be demolished

Not sure why I took a pic of the Spanish version. My Mexican roots coming back on me ha ha ha! Actually, the sun was best on this side of the sign so I took a pic not realizing it was in Spanish. A few have asked me which sections and roads will be eliminated. I wasn't exactly sure so I took the pic in case anyone was wondering.

The Ghost Course from the driving range view

The better hug. I hate to tear stuff apart from my bikes but I had to remove it from the Cannondale if i wanted to ride my bike. Well, I had thought about it anyway knowing the rear wheel on the Canni was a better wheel anyway. Nice solid newer hub than that of the Madone.  Did feel a difference while rolling so that is a good thing. Kind of what I expected anyway and I guess I finally had a reason to remove it from the Cannondale. 

Of course, I think the pooped feeling might have been because Gina ordered fries the night before at Sizzler. She MADE me help her eat them ha ha ha! I'm surprised Sizzler's fries are so good. With some ketchup and Tabasco sauce, good stuff! Well, maybe not, didn't affect me.. Just thought I'd bring them up cause they're so good.

                                               My usual, steak and rice, or chicken and rice and a soup. Gina gets the one time salad bar.

My tan has gotten so dark that the entire image and background come out dark whenever I take my own pic ha ha ha. Seriously, last 3 or 4 pics come out like this though Gina's still come out light.

Of course, my usual complimentary salad from The Girls. Just a little one!