Riding in the wind

So I've rode the bike in the rain many times now. Hard rain, soft rain, warm rain, cold rain.

Pictured: Not Me. Photo (and good article) from LeslieKays.com

But until today I never really rode in the Wind. Capital W. The Bonneville is not a big bike, but my voluminous saddlebags and windshield really increase the surface area. After getting home I found out we're in a severe weather warning: "25 to 35 mph with gusts in excess of 50 mph." I'm not sure if it was that strong earlier, but the wind off Belton Lake was memorable. I'm definitely glad that I got a new front tire on Thursday.

The stock Metzler had finally worn close to bald and I had intended to get a ContiGo to match my back tire, buuut the good folks at Grove Cycle had a Michelin Commander II in the right size lurking on the shelf. It was a bit more expensive, but they were able to put it on immediately and I got to hang out at the shop with some Vietnam veterans. There are so many Veterans' riding clubs, maybe I'll find one wherever Sarah and I settle down.

Odometer: 12295

Riding Tunes

This past week has been great for riding home in the afternoons. The mornings may be cold or misty and unpleasant, but I'm glad I have the motorcycle when it's time to go home.

unique odometer milestone

I don't have a radio on my bike, but often songs spring to my mind unbidden while I ride. Maybe they come from the circumstances, weather, or things I pass on the road. Here are some examples:

When it rains:

"I've been stranded in the combat zone
I walked through Bedford Stuy alone
Even rode my motorcycle in the rain..."

When I pass an El Camino:

"Storming through the party like my name was El Niño
When I'm hangin' out, drinking in the back of an El Camino..."

When it rains harder:

"Scratch my back with a lightning bolt,
Thunder rolls like a bass drum note.
The sound of the weather is Heaven's ragtime band."

After a while without riding:

Self-Explanatory

Oddometer: 11412

Happy New Year!

So this thing is two years old now and my post frequency has severely dropped off. I have beer reviews from last January that I haven't got around to posting. So, bullet points:

• Sarah and I made it though a whirlwind trip to Pennsylvania for Christmas. It was good to see all the family, but the trip was pretty ambitious.
• The most recent beer was a success, but I feel like the headspace on the different bottles I used affected the taste. It may also be what part of the fermenter I was drawing from.
• We got the glass carboy my father-in-law gave me ages ago down to Texas, so I can try 2-stage fermentation.
• The next month or so will determine how my contract uncle sam is fulfilled, altered, or extended. Should be exciting.
• Second oil change for Bonnie; I'm going try to do it every 5000 miles or so.

Odometer: 10286

Homebrewin'

I received a giant package over the summer. It was a Northern Brewer Essential Brewing Starter Kit with ingredients for their Irish Red Ale, a wedding reception gift from my bros in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately with my gate guard rotation I didn't get around to brewing until September 7th. Even that was impulsive; I thought I had plenty of time before my overnight shift began, but it ended up being uncomfortably close. First time mistakes and uncertainties were probably normal, though. Adding the initial hops before reaching a boil, not having a plan in place to chill my wort, not having enough bottles. I'm just glad my yeast didn't die in the Texas summer. I got around to bottling on the 14th of October. A bit later than instructed, but it turned out well.

November 16th was my second brew day. This was Brewer's Best Scottish Ale kit shipped from Fine Vine Wines. I was a little insulted that they pre-measured the priming sugar, but happy to see enough bottle caps to put the whole 5 gallon batch in 12oz bottles. This time I took more comprehensive notes.

 1540 300oz tap water in kettle
1555 Grains added 151 F

1616 Grains removed 206 F
1618 Put lid on Wort. Began sanitization.
1620 DME added. Heat reduced.

1622 LME added. Heat returned to High.

1630 Small boil-over. Continuing uncovered. 0.5oz Cascade Hops added.
1636 Cover replaced - weak boil while uncovered.
1710 0.5oz Cascade Hops added.
1725 1 cup grade A dark amber maple syrup added to boil.
1730 Removed kettle from heat, uncovered.
1740 Moved kettle to cool water bath. 156 F

1745 134 F. Moved water around.
1750 108 F.
1755 100 F.
1800 Discovered that temp varies widely. Bottom and sides low 80s, middle and surface still around 100 F.
1840 82 F.
1920 77 F.
1930 Siphoned cooled wort into fermenting bucket. Added water to bring it up to 5 gallons.

1940 Added yeast and aerated.

9 December I bottled. I used a dozen 22oz bottles and 2 dozen regular bottles. Everything went much smoother this time and I still have plenty of extra bottles. Some of them would still need to have the labels removed, but it's better than running short and having to resort to growlers. We'll be taking as much as we can back north.

Stunting Scrambler & San Antonio

What a Scrambler can do with the right tires and the right rider.

Sarah and I took a trip to San Antonio this weekend. It was the first time for both of us.  Got to see the Alamo and walk the length of the River Walk. We didn't go into the chapel part of the Alamo, the Spanish missionary building you probably imagine as "The Alamo." But we did go through the museum section in the standing barracks part.

Pictured: not the barracks

After that we got some fancy Tex-Mex food and walked around the Riverwalk. It's fascinating that such a thing exists in an American city. We watched Wreck-it-Ralph in a mall theater right on the river and took a boat tour around everywhere we'd walked. I definitely recommend taking the boat tour after dark; there's more to see and the route will less disorienting if you've walked around a bit first.

Unfortunately, when we got back to our car we discovered that someone decided to help themselves to our overnight bags we'd left in the back seat of our car. I lost my assault pack and a fleece. Sarah lost her school bag, research, and planner. We both had clothes and phone chargers in there too. The car window was fixed early this afternoon and we'll be getting some cash to defer the value of the stolen items. San Antonio PD, USAA insurance, and Safelite glass repair were all helpful, but the situation still sucks.
Odometer: 9312