All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

The 4.2l engine was pretty solid. I had an '02 for about 5 years and no issues with it at all. I also had 79 CJ5 that was basically the same engine, just not fuel injected. They got a lot of years out of that design.

I'm not one to bash technology and comfort but a lot of reliability issues came into play when they started added power locks/windows and a lot of creature comforts that Jeeps just didn't have previously. All of those additional electronics were hard to water/dust proof. And they started putting minivan engines into them. Of course, none of that matters for the soccer moms driving them like they were minivans and complaining about the ride comfort.

 

Isn’t the 3.5 in the turd gen tacos a minivan engine

 

Worst taco yet.

 

I read your mileage post since reading this... I'd better get on it.
2022 was a bit of a bust on bikes- didn't even hit 700 miles! Laast winter up in Denver turned into a hellishly windy spring, so I bailed on what would usually be all of my march and april road riding while waiting for the trails to dry out (lots of ski days though!) Right as things were getting good in the summer, we moved down to Albuquerque. Now we've got a fresh little bebe. Based on other folks on here, it'll be a challenge to keep the riding up

 

The Gladiator looks like it was designed by Lego.

 

are you in denver? i saw the session series posted some dates. i want to try one of those enduros at ffloyd this year. trying to get a couple coworkers to go for accountability too.

 

Expanding on that topic who is travelling to some races or events this season? I know we all have some local stuff but I like to hear the big races people are working up to.

So far I'm doing:
-A training trip to Tuscon in March to get away from the snow and cold...and trainer.
-Badlands Gravel Battle 80mile. Medora, ND. May 28th.
-The Range. 128km. Claresholm, AB. July 22nd
-TransRockies Gravel. 5 day stage race in Late August. Panorama, BC.

So far those are the big ones for me. Stoked on the season. Those will be some fun ones.

 

I was just looking at my schedule for the year haha. Only traveling I'll be doing as of right now is for the Austin Marathon, which isn't a bike race haha.

I'm probably gonna stick to local stuff this year, probably a mix of enduro and cross country.

 

If I ever have to buy a different truck this will probably be it. Dreamy summer whitewater river truck without the doors

Not racing but I'm riding in Costa Rica in two weeks with a dude I met this summer. He spends "winter" in Knoxville and goes back down there for their prime riding season happening right now

 

I've been riding in CR twice. You'll have an amazing time.

Every now and then I get an alert on strava that I've lost a KOM there and I think I need to go back to reclaim them.

 

thats a big schedule for it being early in the year. a lot of races too. are you on a team or just go out for fun?

im sticking to stuff i can drive to. already signed up for a 12 hour team race an hour from my house. the revolution enduro series should be announcing their dates soon and i really want to ride a couple of those, especially glorietta down near santa fe.

i was looking at moab rocks, but its a bit soon and i think i'd like to go ride those trails and enjoy the sights while not being rushed during a race.

hopefully some other local races pop up that ill be interested in

 

I mean.... I'm on a team but it's mostly for fun. Ha. I'll be driving to all of these except Tucson. If I only stuck to "local" races I wouldn't race much.

I really want to do Moab Rocks one day too but I'm sort of like you... I've never been and I'd like to take in the trails instead of redlining myself through them.

 

Not anymore, moved last summer. That Floyd series looked awesome, tough to do weekdays though!
Speaking of the Front Range... and the lukewarm opinion of Nate Hills... anyone been out to the new double black, Ore Chute at Maryland Mountain? Talk about community activism and unsanitary, sanctioned trails!

Writeup at singletracks.com: https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-tr...ation-built-its-steepest-rowdiest-trail-ever/
Go to 3:25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1QDnx_q_Go

 

Heck yeah! Great to hear. Riding with a local will maximize our time, too. I've heard it's proper gnarly riding!

 

not yet, it opened late enough last season i got busy with other stuff. i will be making a stop there this year though.

singletrack sampler and bkxc did a video late last year on their colorado redemption tour. they really made it look a lot tougher than any other videos i've seen of the place. that one spot where they put ropes up to keep you from tumbling down a cliff? normally im stoked to ride stuff like that from videos, but that just looks real tech and scary

 

Nice. Yeah...its pretty gnarly. Especially if it's wet, and depending on where you are, it will be.

First time I had my gravel bike in the Playa Grande/Tamardindo area and then went down again with some buds.

Make sure you get some post-ride Trits ice cream sandwiches. The riding was amazing but these things were one of my favorite parts. Ha.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnFbY9ch3D4/

 

This is the new headlight I’ve been working on.





It’s powered by the guts from four solar cell yard lamps but it only has one solar cell on the back. It recharges itself, and I put a switch on it so I could turn the thing off if it wasn’t needed.

The main body came from a small router, and the back was the bottom of a yard lamp. The grill is from a computer fan, the lenses from a cd jewel case, the gasket was cut from a windshield wiper rubber, with a reflector is the top of a spray can,



the wiring and switch came from my old washing machine.

It sits on a base that was made from the axle of an old skateboard truck.

 

this is so innovative and impressive! watching all your builds is incredible

 

Thank you. I enjoy doing this a lot.

Here’s a better photo of what’s going on before I put a little red switch handle on.