I'll take Evans/Martin.

I'm not a big fan of automobiles or auto racing but if I choose to watch any car racing it's rally. Way more fun than NASCAR or F1.

It's so stupid and I love it!

Even if you don't like slashers, even if you don't like horror, you've got to watch this dumpster fire of a movie!

UPDATE: Brake pads were contaminated. I replaced the pads and the problem went away.

Also, my new bike feels stupid fast. I'm a little nervous to try the bigger gear ratios. Felt like I was flying in the middle of the cassette.

There are bike specific bleed kits. The community bike shop I frequent (Vulture Space, just outside of Talossa) has a Park Tool Kit that I used. The problem wasn't the parts or equipment, it was my lack of knowledge. The brakes actually function but they absolutely scream when you attempt a full stop.

I've since done a lot of research. I've watched videos from reputable sources and I feel better about what to do next.

As for the Tinker's Union, where do I sign up?

I'm not a professional bicycle mechanic but I know enough to feel comfortable working on or building my own machines.

I decided earlier this year that I was going to build a new bike for my birthday. I checked everything! I made sure that the frame was the correct size and had the right geometry. I made sure that the Shimano components were compatible. I did a deep dive on gravel specific tyres. Yes, I said tyres and not "tires" because I'm dead set on making "tyre" the spelling around here.

I got all the parts, all the odds and ends, and I was confident that I could get this thing together. Everything was going swimmingly until it came time to install the brakes.

They're hydraulic disc brakes. I've never really worked with hydraulic disc brakes. It seemed simple enough. Install the rotors on the wheel hubs, install the calipers on the frame and fork. Simple! Then came the brake bleed.

Again, it seemed like a simple task. All you have to do is pump some mineral oil into the brake hoses. Simple...right?

Nope.

A trained mechanic would have finished the job in no time but I guess I had something to prove. Long story short, I had mineral oil all over everything and now my brake pads are contaminated. That means that the squeal when I try to stop.

I've ordered new brake pads because no matter what I do, the brakes still squeal.

Learn from my mistake. There's a difference between thinking you know what you're doing and actually knowing what you're doing. Don't be to proud or stubborn to ask for help.

I'm glad I didn't take your advice. Haha!

That was a rough crash near the end.

That battle for the first climb was fun to watch.

Oh yeah! Let the good times roll!

So, the game we will be using is called "Carrom Disc Pool". Iason and I have already downloaded it. When you download, you will get a player ID. You can DM me the ID or, if you want to, you can post it here.

Once we're all on the same page with this, we'll need to schedule a time for us to get together and play a few games. Not only can we play one on one, there's also an option for team play. At least I think there is. When you play online, there's a level for 2v2 play so I assume we can do that also. We'll figure it out when we get together.

Kinetic is returning to TCAT!

Oh, there will be profanity. I do my best to keep things classy on Witt but if we're on Discord, all restraint will be out the f***ing window.

It's kinda like billiards. You use pucks instead of balls and there's only four pockets. You don't have to be good to play with us. We're just trying something different.

I've been playing a mobile Carrom game lately and it's pretty fun. I've convinced @Iason Taiwos to play as well.

We'd like to organize an informal but (hopefully) regular session. We could play a few games, maybe voice chat on Discord. Come for the Carrom, stay for the conversation.

If we're going to voice chat, you don't even need to play. It would be more fun if you played but I leave that up to you.

So, who's in?

I just noticed there was a thread about bikes. A discussion elsewhere prompted me to come back "home" for awhile.

Anyway, currently I have two functional bikes. I have a Cinelli Tipo Pista that's collecting dust and a Charge Cooker that's acting as my daily commuter. The Cinelli is still a nice bike but I've kinda fallen out of love with it. The Cooker is a decent 1x mountain bike that I bought last year so I could commute through the snow.

I'm currently buying parts to build a bike for my birthday. The frame is a State All-Road, the wheels are DT Swiss and the components are Shimano. When it's all done, it will have a 1x11 drivetrain. The cassette is 11 through 32 and the crank set has a 40 tooth chainring. I might bump it up to a 42. Once I get that built, there will be photos. I might even take the pictures in Talossa.

As for crazy cycling stories, I don't think I have many. I've been told that the distances I ride are crazy but I don't think 100km is THAT crazy.