Guardian-Express-bikingbakke

Minnewanka

Pre Christmas party spin up the Minnewanka road today!

Mini-moon tandem! (disc brakes on tandems)

This tandem is amazing. Cindy loves it because its a tandem and it features non-greasy chain drivetrain, a bluetooth speaker, and our Mr. and Mrs. signs. I love it for all that too, but the Rohloff, stiff frame and great handling are amazing.

The photo below is the top of Alta Laguna. Steep climb hitting 17% at points and in the sun. Nice climb. Range Rover mean time between sightings was about 30 seconds. Note for way down: right now I'm equipped with an XT hydraulic front brake, with the Ice Tech cooling fins on the pad, and a steel (non-Ice Tech) 200mm rotor; the rear is a 200mm steel rotor that is Rohloff specific and Avid cable pull rear caliper. The contribution to braking from the rear is actually pretty small - compressionless housing might help, but in my little neighbourhood hill test at the place we were staying, with me riding solo, the rear couldn't stop me just slow me down. Doing long steep descents needs real brakes. We did an extended California climb and descent, and boiled the brake fluid at one point on the overworked XT. They're still better at heat managment than virtually anything out there, but 300lbs (two riders plus add to that the bike is say 35lbs), a several kilometer descent with grades between 12 and 18% is a brake torture test. But that's also when you need them most so you don't meet the hood of a Range Rover at the next 4 way intersection.

I'm going to Shimano Saint front and back, and an Ice Tech rotor up front. I'm open to other suggestions from riders, mechanics or tandemers, but that's my understanding of what's powerful, suitable at dealing with heat, and still world available to an extent as every shop has Shimano capabilities (if not pure DH brake work in 3rd world, at least they've seen Shimano product). I don't understand how tandems worked before high power disc brakes. These things need a lot of stopping power.

Laguna observations

We went for a half hour run this morning. My body was in a state of confusion that aerobic activity without rubber clad circles was occurring, but I toughed it out.

The most notable observation other than coastal beauty was cars. There are absolutely fantastic vehicles here, and then there aren't. In this area the weighting seems to be to the upper end of the division. Our accommodation comes with a supercharged Range Rover to make it to Albertson's which is a 3 minute walk away.

Interestingly enough, we ended up also running through some canyon drive on the other side of the highway, we did hills through a trailer park. It was a very nice one, I don't think the structures ever move, so they were landscaped nice. But they too had Cadillacs, Range Rovers, Porsches, Lexus and Benz's in the driveways.

Is this symbolic of poor priority by "investing" in depreciating assets first and low allocation to more permanent capital investments? Is it those who fell out during the crash and had to move here? Or is it positive - those who make smart allocations because vehicles last "forever" in this climate therefore a different view on depreciation is incorporated and it's de rigueur to look good? Or positive that people want this postal code/climate but won't pay the established prices for the locations?