I set out from home to do Norris Canyon. Although it is only about 950 feet high, there is a some downhills that have to be recovered by the top.

Even though there is some pretty severe injuries to the road the traffic was unbelievable. This is a two lane road with little room to pass or pull over. You have very poor look ahead so that cars speed by in the opposite lane when they can't see forward. This morning I had readjusted the Di2 and as it turned out I couldn't get the 32 tooth (I changed to Campy wheels with a Campy 11 speed cassette.) So rather than a 34 I had a low of 36 - 32 and I could only get the 29. But long ago and far away I used to climb this in a 39 - 28. I suffered through it. I got to the top and pulled into a driveway and did a fine adjust. Because on the way back I intended to go through a road with more 12% sections. I made sure there was no traffic and pulled out and started down the drop which is more than 13%. And there was a sign "one lane ahead." I was already doing 32 and the one lane was on the steep part of the descent and luckily there was NO traffic as I threaded my way through. As soon as the road widened back out to two lanes I let off of the brakes and immediately went 40 mph. At this point there is an expensive gated housing area and of course there was a car exiting that and had no intentions at all of giving right of way. But he had to make a 90 degree right and I was by before he could beat me. So of course he got directly onto my rear wheel. In about another quarter mile there is something that might be jokingly called a bike lane (18" wide) so my intention was to pull over as soon as I could. But watching him left me little vision for the road and I ran over what sounded like a steel plate about 3" on a side.

I got an immediate flat at 40 mph in front of some guy driving inches off of my rear wheel on a road that had a lot of gravel on it and was narrowing down.

I had no idea what tire was flat so I was feathering the brakes and trying to hold a straight course. I finally managed to get it to the edge of the road where the horses ass jumped on his accelerator and took off. I repaired the rear tire and the CO2 inflator I had wouldn't work properly on the unthreaded tube filler. So I lost two CO2 cartridges and there was nothing left but to walk. I got about 2 miles before a Farmer from the top of Norris Canyon and his wife were returning from Church and offered me a ride. It was about 5 miles to the Trek shop where I could hope that they had a pump chained outside if they weren't open. They drove me there and dropped me off. They too couldn't understand why all of that traffic was on a road that was being destroyed by it. Riding up there were 100 meter sections where the road was so bad that I had to ride almost on the centerline with cars coming up behind and laying on the horn.

The shop was closed and there was no pump. I suppose that these days it would be stolen in minutes.

I called my wife but couldn't get her (She was in church with the phone muted) so there was nothing left but the walk again up an 800 foot climb. I was walking in the bike lane and about 300 feet from the top another pickup stopped and offered to give me a lift to the top. Another passing guy had said that he had a pump at home and would go get it and I told him I would wait in the park at the top.

The temperature was in the high 80's and in the direct sun almost 100. The Park fountain would flow very hot for about 30 second and then the underground water would start coming out and I could fill my water bottle with cold water.

All of the benches were in direct sunlight and went through 3 bottles and Mr. Pump never showed up. So I finally got my wife and from church to home in traffic, picking up the bike carrier and up to me only took another 90 minutes. Just before she arrived, a breeze came up so I wasn't to bad when she showed up. 10 minutes to home at her usual 80 mph and here I am. While overall the ride was really crappy, I didn't expect to be able to do that climb from bottom to top without a stop and yet did it. It was unpleasant only because of the traffic and even the farmer and his wife who had lived there all of their lives were disturbed about the amount of traffic with $6.50 per gallon gas.

At the moment I have about 5,000 miles for the last 12 months and 81,000 feet. That is a very low amount of climbing (the year before the lockdown I did almost 300,000.) but it at least is some climbing. And any ride is better than no ride.

On Monday, October 9, 2023 at 12:52:44 AM UTC+2, Tom Kunich wrote:
> I set out from home to do Norris Canyon. Although it is only about 950 feet high, there is a some downhills that have to be recovered by the top.
>
> Even though there is some pretty severe injuries to the road the traffic was unbelievable. This is a two lane road with little room to pass or pull over. You have very poor look ahead so that cars speed by in the opposite lane when they can't see forward. This morning I had readjusted the Di2 and as it turned out I couldn't get the 32 tooth (I changed to Campy wheels with a Campy 11 speed cassette.) So rather than a 34 I had a low of 36 - 32 and I could only get the 29. But long ago and far away I used to climb this in a 39 - 28. I suffered through it. I got to the top and pulled into a driveway and did a fine adjust. Because on the way back I intended to go through a road with more 12% sections. I made sure there was no traffic and pulled out and started down the drop which is more than 13%. And there was a sign "one lane ahead." I was already doing 32 and the one lane was on the steep part of the descent and luckily there was NO traffic as I threaded my way through. As soon as the road widened back out to two lanes I let off of the brakes and immediately went 40 mph. At this point there is an expensive gated housing area and of course there was a car exiting that and had no intentions at all of giving right of way. But he had to make a 90 degree right and I was by before he could beat me. So of course he got directly onto my rear wheel. In about another quarter mile there is something that might be jokingly called a bike lane (18" wide) so my intention was to pull over as soon as I could. But watching him left me little vision for the road and I ran over what sounded like a steel plate about 3" on a side.
>
> I got an immediate flat at 40 mph in front of some guy driving inches off of my rear wheel on a road that had a lot of gravel on it and was narrowing down.
>
> I had no idea what tire was flat so I was feathering the brakes and trying to hold a straight course. I finally managed to get it to the edge of the road where the horses ass jumped on his accelerator and took off. I repaired the rear tire and the CO2 inflator I had wouldn't work properly on the unthreaded tube filler. So I lost two CO2 cartridges and there was nothing left but to walk. I got about 2 miles before a Farmer from the top of Norris Canyon and his wife were returning from Church and offered me a ride. It was about 5 miles to the Trek shop where I could hope that they had a pump chained outside if they weren't open. They drove me there and dropped me off.. They too couldn't understand why all of that traffic was on a road that was being destroyed by it. Riding up there were 100 meter sections where the road was so bad that I had to ride almost on the centerline with cars coming up behind and laying on the horn.
>
> The shop was closed and there was no pump. I suppose that these days it would be stolen in minutes.
>
> I called my wife but couldn't get her (She was in church with the phone muted) so there was nothing left but the walk again up an 800 foot climb. I was walking in the bike lane and about 300 feet from the top another pickup stopped and offered to give me a lift to the top. Another passing guy had said that he had a pump at home and would go get it and I told him I would wait in the park at the top.
>
> The temperature was in the high 80's and in the direct sun almost 100. The Park fountain would flow very hot for about 30 second and then the underground water would start coming out and I could fill my water bottle with cold water.
>
> All of the benches were in direct sunlight and went through 3 bottles and Mr. Pump never showed up. So I finally got my wife and from church to home in traffic, picking up the bike carrier and up to me only took another 90 minutes. Just before she arrived, a breeze came up so I wasn't to bad when she showed up. 10 minutes to home at her usual 80 mph and here I am. While overall the ride was really crappy, I didn't expect to be able to do that climb from bottom to top without a stop and yet did it. It was unpleasant only because of the traffic and even the farmer and his wife who had lived there all of their lives were disturbed about the amount of traffic with $6.50 per gallon gas.
>
> At the moment I have about 5,000 miles for the last 12 months and 81,000 feet. That is a very low amount of climbing (the year before the lockdown I did almost 300,000.) but it at least is some climbing. And any ride is better than no ride.

Did you learn something?

Lou

On Monday, October 9, 2023 at 6:20:14 AM UTC-7, Lou Holtman wrote:
> On Monday, October 9, 2023 at 12:52:44 AM UTC+2, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > I set out from home to do Norris Canyon. Although it is only about 950 feet high, there is a some downhills that have to be recovered by the top.
> >
> > Even though there is some pretty severe injuries to the road the traffic was unbelievable. This is a two lane road with little room to pass or pull over. You have very poor look ahead so that cars speed by in the opposite lane when they can't see forward. This morning I had readjusted the Di2 and as it turned out I couldn't get the 32 tooth (I changed to Campy wheels with a Campy 11 speed cassette.) So rather than a 34 I had a low of 36 - 32 and I could only get the 29. But long ago and far away I used to climb this in a 39 - 28. I suffered through it. I got to the top and pulled into a driveway and did a fine adjust. Because on the way back I intended to go through a road with more 12% sections. I made sure there was no traffic and pulled out and started down the drop which is more than 13%. And there was a sign "one lane ahead." I was already doing 32 and the one lane was on the steep part of the descent and luckily there was NO traffic as I threaded my way through. As soon as the road widened back out to two lanes I let off of the brakes and immediately went 40 mph. At this point there is an expensive gated housing area and of course there was a car exiting that and had no intentions at all of giving right of way. But he had to make a 90 degree right and I was by before he could beat me. So of course he got directly onto my rear wheel. In about another quarter mile there is something that might be jokingly called a bike lane (18" wide) so my intention was to pull over as soon as I could. But watching him left me little vision for the road and I ran over what sounded like a steel plate about 3" on a side.
> >
> > I got an immediate flat at 40 mph in front of some guy driving inches off of my rear wheel on a road that had a lot of gravel on it and was narrowing down.
> >
> > I had no idea what tire was flat so I was feathering the brakes and trying to hold a straight course. I finally managed to get it to the edge of the road where the horses ass jumped on his accelerator and took off. I repaired the rear tire and the CO2 inflator I had wouldn't work properly on the unthreaded tube filler. So I lost two CO2 cartridges and there was nothing left but to walk. I got about 2 miles before a Farmer from the top of Norris Canyon and his wife were returning from Church and offered me a ride. It was about 5 miles to the Trek shop where I could hope that they had a pump chained outside if they weren't open. They drove me there and dropped me off. They too couldn't understand why all of that traffic was on a road that was being destroyed by it. Riding up there were 100 meter sections where the road was so bad that I had to ride almost on the centerline with cars coming up behind and laying on the horn.
> >
> > The shop was closed and there was no pump. I suppose that these days it would be stolen in minutes.
> >
> > I called my wife but couldn't get her (She was in church with the phone muted) so there was nothing left but the walk again up an 800 foot climb. I was walking in the bike lane and about 300 feet from the top another pickup stopped and offered to give me a lift to the top. Another passing guy had said that he had a pump at home and would go get it and I told him I would wait in the park at the top.
> >
> > The temperature was in the high 80's and in the direct sun almost 100. The Park fountain would flow very hot for about 30 second and then the underground water would start coming out and I could fill my water bottle with cold water.
> >
> > All of the benches were in direct sunlight and went through 3 bottles and Mr. Pump never showed up. So I finally got my wife and from church to home in traffic, picking up the bike carrier and up to me only took another 90 minutes. Just before she arrived, a breeze came up so I wasn't to bad when she showed up. 10 minutes to home at her usual 80 mph and here I am. While overall the ride was really crappy, I didn't expect to be able to do that climb from bottom to top without a stop and yet did it. It was unpleasant only because of the traffic and even the farmer and his wife who had lived there all of their lives were disturbed about the amount of traffic with $6..50 per gallon gas.
> >
> > At the moment I have about 5,000 miles for the last 12 months and 81,000 feet. That is a very low amount of climbing (the year before the lockdown I did almost 300,000.) but it at least is some climbing. And any ride is better than no ride.
> Did you learn something?
>
> Lou
Yeah, firstly I should have checked the tires. I have New Pro4's on the ProLites. I don't know what I could have done about the filler not working on an unthreaded valve, But I do have one that works and will carry that one from now on since it will work with any filler valve.

I was sort of surprised that all of the climbing I've been doing lately has actually been working and the climb up Norris wasn't any harder than I remembered though I was going slower. Tomorrow's ride has a couple of 12% short sections so I'll be ready for the pastry shop near the end. I am now no longer worried about steep sections.

I will change the tires to the new ones today. I don't know what to do about that gated community since the cars leaving that all seem to be driven by fools. You can't see it until you're almost on it and you're doing 40 mph so your maneuverability is somewhat limited.

I may go back to Gatorskins since their traction isn't that bad and they are pretty flat proof.

On Monday, October 9, 2023 at 9:20:14 AM UTC-4, Lou Holtman wrote:
> On Monday, October 9, 2023 at 12:52:44 AM UTC+2, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > I set out from home to do Norris Canyon. Although it is only about 950 feet high, there is a some downhills that have to be recovered by the top.
> >
> > Even though there is some pretty severe injuries to the road the traffic was unbelievable. This is a two lane road with little room to pass or pull over. You have very poor look ahead so that cars speed by in the opposite lane when they can't see forward. This morning I had readjusted the Di2 and as it turned out I couldn't get the 32 tooth (I changed to Campy wheels with a Campy 11 speed cassette.) So rather than a 34 I had a low of 36 - 32 and I could only get the 29. But long ago and far away I used to climb this in a 39 - 28. I suffered through it. I got to the top and pulled into a driveway and did a fine adjust. Because on the way back I intended to go through a road with more 12% sections. I made sure there was no traffic and pulled out and started down the drop which is more than 13%. And there was a sign "one lane ahead." I was already doing 32 and the one lane was on the steep part of the descent and luckily there was NO traffic as I threaded my way through. As soon as the road widened back out to two lanes I let off of the brakes and immediately went 40 mph. At this point there is an expensive gated housing area and of course there was a car exiting that and had no intentions at all of giving right of way. But he had to make a 90 degree right and I was by before he could beat me. So of course he got directly onto my rear wheel. In about another quarter mile there is something that might be jokingly called a bike lane (18" wide) so my intention was to pull over as soon as I could. But watching him left me little vision for the road and I ran over what sounded like a steel plate about 3" on a side.
> >
> > I got an immediate flat at 40 mph in front of some guy driving inches off of my rear wheel on a road that had a lot of gravel on it and was narrowing down.
> >
> > I had no idea what tire was flat so I was feathering the brakes and trying to hold a straight course. I finally managed to get it to the edge of the road where the horses ass jumped on his accelerator and took off. I repaired the rear tire and the CO2 inflator I had wouldn't work properly on the unthreaded tube filler. So I lost two CO2 cartridges and there was nothing left but to walk. I got about 2 miles before a Farmer from the top of Norris Canyon and his wife were returning from Church and offered me a ride. It was about 5 miles to the Trek shop where I could hope that they had a pump chained outside if they weren't open. They drove me there and dropped me off. They too couldn't understand why all of that traffic was on a road that was being destroyed by it. Riding up there were 100 meter sections where the road was so bad that I had to ride almost on the centerline with cars coming up behind and laying on the horn.
> >
> > The shop was closed and there was no pump. I suppose that these days it would be stolen in minutes.
> >
> > I called my wife but couldn't get her (She was in church with the phone muted) so there was nothing left but the walk again up an 800 foot climb. I was walking in the bike lane and about 300 feet from the top another pickup stopped and offered to give me a lift to the top. Another passing guy had said that he had a pump at home and would go get it and I told him I would wait in the park at the top.
> >
> > The temperature was in the high 80's and in the direct sun almost 100. The Park fountain would flow very hot for about 30 second and then the underground water would start coming out and I could fill my water bottle with cold water.
> >
> > All of the benches were in direct sunlight and went through 3 bottles and Mr. Pump never showed up. So I finally got my wife and from church to home in traffic, picking up the bike carrier and up to me only took another 90 minutes. Just before she arrived, a breeze came up so I wasn't to bad when she showed up. 10 minutes to home at her usual 80 mph and here I am. While overall the ride was really crappy, I didn't expect to be able to do that climb from bottom to top without a stop and yet did it. It was unpleasant only because of the traffic and even the farmer and his wife who had lived there all of their lives were disturbed about the amount of traffic with $6..50 per gallon gas.
> >
> > At the moment I have about 5,000 miles for the last 12 months and 81,000 feet. That is a very low amount of climbing (the year before the lockdown I did almost 300,000.) but it at least is some climbing. And any ride is better than no ride.
> Did you learn something?
>
> Lou

Silly question.....

On Sun, 8 Oct 2023 15:52:41 -0700 (PDT), Tom Kunich
<cyclintom@gmail.com> wrote:

>I set out from home to do Norris Canyon. Although it is only about 950 feet high, there is a some downhills that have to be recovered by the top.
>
>Even though there is some pretty severe injuries to the road the traffic was unbelievable. This is a two lane road with little room to pass or pull over. You have very poor look ahead so that cars speed by in the opposite lane when they can't see forward. This morning I had readjusted the Di2 and as it turned out I couldn't get the 32 tooth (I changed to Campy wheels with a Campy 11 speed cassette.) So rather than a 34 I had a low of 36 - 32 and I could only get the 29. But long ago and far away I used to climb this in a 39 - 28. I suffered through it. I got to the top and pulled into a driveway and did a fine adjust. Because on the way back I intended to go through a road with more 12% sections. I made sure there was no traffic and pulled out and started down the drop which is more than 13%. And there was a sign "one lane ahead." I was already doing 32 and the one lane was on the steep part of the descent and luckily there was NO traffic as I threaded my way through. As soon as the
>road widened back out to two lanes I let off of the brakes and immediately went 40 mph. At this point there is an expensive gated housing area and of course there was a car exiting that and had no intentions at all of giving right of way. But he had to make a 90 degree right and I was by before he could beat me. So of course he got directly onto my rear wheel. In about another quarter mile there is something that might be jokingly called a bike lane (18" wide) so my intention was to pull over as soon as I could. But watching him left me little vision for the road and I ran over what sounded like a steel plate about 3" on a side.
>
>I got an immediate flat at 40 mph in front of some guy driving inches off of my rear wheel on a road that had a lot of gravel on it and was narrowing down.
>
>I had no idea what tire was flat so I was feathering the brakes and trying to hold a straight course. I finally managed to get it to the edge of the road where the horses ass jumped on his accelerator and took off. I repaired the rear tire and the CO2 inflator I had wouldn't work properly on the unthreaded tube filler. So I lost two CO2 cartridges and there was nothing left but to walk. I got about 2 miles before a Farmer from the top of Norris Canyon and his wife were returning from Church and offered me a ride. It was about 5 miles to the Trek shop where I could hope that they had a pump chained outside if they weren't open. They drove me there and dropped me off. They too couldn't understand why all of that traffic was on a road that was being destroyed by it. Riding up there were 100 meter sections where the road was so bad that I had to ride almost on the centerline with cars coming up behind and laying on the horn.
>
>The shop was closed and there was no pump. I suppose that these days it would be stolen in minutes.
>
>I called my wife but couldn't get her (She was in church with the phone muted) so there was nothing left but the walk again up an 800 foot climb. I was walking in the bike lane and about 300 feet from the top another pickup stopped and offered to give me a lift to the top. Another passing guy had said that he had a pump at home and would go get it and I told him I would wait in the park at the top.
>
>The temperature was in the high 80's and in the direct sun almost 100. The Park fountain would flow very hot for about 30 second and then the underground water would start coming out and I could fill my water bottle with cold water.
>
>All of the benches were in direct sunlight and went through 3 bottles and Mr. Pump never showed up. So I finally got my wife and from church to home in traffic, picking up the bike carrier and up to me only took another 90 minutes. Just before she arrived, a breeze came up so I wasn't to bad when she showed up. 10 minutes to home at her usual 80 mph and here I am. While overall the ride was really crappy, I didn't expect to be able to do that climb from bottom to top without a stop and yet did it. It was unpleasant only because of the traffic and even the farmer and his wife who had lived there all of their lives were disturbed about the amount of traffic with $6.50 per gallon gas.
>
>At the moment I have about 5,000 miles for the last 12 months and 81,000 feet. That is a very low amount of climbing (the year before the lockdown I did almost 300,000.) but it at least is some climbing. And any ride is better than no ride.

That's a good start for a story, but falls apart near the ending. Many
of the key parts of the classic "Hero's Quest" are there, but are out
of the required order.
"The Hero's Journey: 12 Steps to a Classic Story Structure"
<https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/story-structure/heros-journey/>
<https://blog-cdn.reedsy.com/directories/admin/attachments/large_reedsy-heros-journey-graphic-1-c26a59.jpg>
Whether you're writing a classic adventure story, an action movie, or
anything in between, following the fundamental plot structure is a
must. Going by the numbers (1 -> 12):

1. The Ordinary World. We meet our hero.
2. Call to Adventure. Will they meet the challenge?
3. Refusal of the Call. They resist the adventure.
4. Meeting the Mentor. A teacher arrives.
5. Crossing the First Threshold. The hero leaves their comfort zone.
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies. Making friends and facing roadblocks.
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave. Getting closer to our goal.
8. Ordeal. The hero’s biggest test yet!
9. Reward (Seizing the Sword). Light at the end of the tunnel
10. The Road Back. We aren’t safe yet.
11. Resurrection. The final hurdle is reached.
12. Return with the Elixir. The hero heads home, triumphant.

You left out 1 through 4. Meeting the hero(1) is no necessary in RBT
because everyone know Tom and his abilities. However, if you were
writing for publications, you'll need to introduce yourself. You did
introduce the road condition, so all you need to do is also introduce
yourself.

The call to adventure(2) could have been a single line, such as "I'm
bored with saving the world from AIDS and cables that stretch. This
is a good time for a bicycle hill climb". Refusal of the call(3)
could be nothing more than mentioning that you had scheduled something
important.

Omitting meeting the mentor(4) is a major mistake. You are a mortal,
not a god, and therefore require instruction in how to properly wisely
and properly. The mentor can be your mysterious correspondent who
monitors RBT 24x7 and informs you by email of anything important. It
can also be a homeless person you meet by chance. It doesn't matter.
What is important is that you should listen to their advice. That
advice will be useful later in your story.

Getting started is always difficult(5) Your story starts here when
you initially dive into traffic followed by an overly detailed
description of your hardware. I suggest that you reverse the order,
and organize the details.

Along the way, you will meet many people(6), some of which might be
useful later. I suggest some character development of the farmer and
wife.

You did describe some aspect of the ride to your goal, but seem to be
concentrating on what went wrong(7). Emphasizing what went right and
reducing the emphasis on what went wrong, would be helpful. As you
get closer to the top of the hill, some suspense or anticipation of
glory might also be helpful.

When you get to the top(8), you are expected to face your greatest
challenge. Here is where the wisdom of your mentor will be useful. Of
course, you will triumph over adversity and successfully conquer the
hill climb. This is the main part of the story. Getting home
(eventually) on leaky tires is considered a triumph over adversity but
some embellishment would make it more interesting.

At this point, you're expected to bring something of value back with
you(9). It could be nothing more than an improved climbing ability or
a photo of the view, but it's a necessary item to justify the ordeal.
Sorry, but there's no golden fleece available.

You did mention the adventure of your return trip in your wife's
car(10). I guess this could be edited into a chase scene.

Of course, something unexpected goes wrong during the drive home, but
you easily overcome that problem using the wisdom you've gained from
the mentor and the journey(11).

Upon your return home(12), you discover that the photo you took from
the top of the hill will be the Bing wallpaper photo of the day,
making the entire ordeal worthwhile. That's just a bad but necessary
example. Without a proper reward, the entire exercise is wasted.

Some detail with examples:
"What Makes A Great Action And Adventure Movie Script?"
<https://industrialscripts.com/action-and-adventure-movie/>

If you need additional assistance, Andre moderates a 30,000+ member
writers group that will probably be glad to help.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On 10/10/2023 6:23 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> On Sun, 8 Oct 2023 15:52:41 -0700 (PDT), Tom Kunich
> <cyclintom@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I set out from home to do Norris Canyon. Although it is only about 950 feet high, there is a some downhills that have to be recovered by the top.
>>
>> Even though there is some pretty severe injuries to the road the traffic was unbelievable. This is a two lane road with little room to pass or pull over. You have very poor look ahead so that cars speed by in the opposite lane when they can't see forward. This morning I had readjusted the Di2 and as it turned out I couldn't get the 32 tooth (I changed to Campy wheels with a Campy 11 speed cassette.) So rather than a 34 I had a low of 36 - 32 and I could only get the 29. But long ago and far away I used to climb this in a 39 - 28. I suffered through it. I got to the top and pulled into a driveway and did a fine adjust. Because on the way back I intended to go through a road with more 12% sections. I made sure there was no traffic and pulled out and started down the drop which is more than 13%. And there was a sign "one lane ahead." I was already doing 32 and the one lane was on the steep part of the descent and luckily there was NO traffic as I threaded my way through. As soon as the
>> road widened back out to two lanes I let off of the brakes and immediately went 40 mph. At this point there is an expensive gated housing area and of course there was a car exiting that and had no intentions at all of giving right of way. But he had to make a 90 degree right and I was by before he could beat me. So of course he got directly onto my rear wheel. In about another quarter mile there is something that might be jokingly called a bike lane (18" wide) so my intention was to pull over as soon as I could. But watching him left me little vision for the road and I ran over what sounded like a steel plate about 3" on a side.
>>
>> I got an immediate flat at 40 mph in front of some guy driving inches off of my rear wheel on a road that had a lot of gravel on it and was narrowing down.
>>
>> I had no idea what tire was flat so I was feathering the brakes and trying to hold a straight course. I finally managed to get it to the edge of the road where the horses ass jumped on his accelerator and took off. I repaired the rear tire and the CO2 inflator I had wouldn't work properly on the unthreaded tube filler. So I lost two CO2 cartridges and there was nothing left but to walk. I got about 2 miles before a Farmer from the top of Norris Canyon and his wife were returning from Church and offered me a ride. It was about 5 miles to the Trek shop where I could hope that they had a pump chained outside if they weren't open. They drove me there and dropped me off. They too couldn't understand why all of that traffic was on a road that was being destroyed by it. Riding up there were 100 meter sections where the road was so bad that I had to ride almost on the centerline with cars coming up behind and laying on the horn.
>>
>> The shop was closed and there was no pump. I suppose that these days it would be stolen in minutes.
>>
>> I called my wife but couldn't get her (She was in church with the phone muted) so there was nothing left but the walk again up an 800 foot climb. I was walking in the bike lane and about 300 feet from the top another pickup stopped and offered to give me a lift to the top. Another passing guy had said that he had a pump at home and would go get it and I told him I would wait in the park at the top.
>>
>> The temperature was in the high 80's and in the direct sun almost 100. The Park fountain would flow very hot for about 30 second and then the underground water would start coming out and I could fill my water bottle with cold water.
>>
>> All of the benches were in direct sunlight and went through 3 bottles and Mr. Pump never showed up. So I finally got my wife and from church to home in traffic, picking up the bike carrier and up to me only took another 90 minutes. Just before she arrived, a breeze came up so I wasn't to bad when she showed up. 10 minutes to home at her usual 80 mph and here I am. While overall the ride was really crappy, I didn't expect to be able to do that climb from bottom to top without a stop and yet did it. It was unpleasant only because of the traffic and even the farmer and his wife who had lived there all of their lives were disturbed about the amount of traffic with $6.50 per gallon gas.
>>
>> At the moment I have about 5,000 miles for the last 12 months and 81,000 feet. That is a very low amount of climbing (the year before the lockdown I did almost 300,000.) but it at least is some climbing. And any ride is better than no ride.
>
> That's a good start for a story, but falls apart near the ending. Many
> of the key parts of the classic "Hero's Quest" are there, but are out
> of the required order.
> "The Hero's Journey: 12 Steps to a Classic Story Structure"
> <https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/story-structure/heros-journey/>
> <https://blog-cdn.reedsy.com/directories/admin/attachments/large_reedsy-heros-journey-graphic-1-c26a59.jpg>
> Whether you're writing a classic adventure story, an action movie, or
> anything in between, following the fundamental plot structure is a
> must. Going by the numbers (1 -> 12):
>
> 1. The Ordinary World. We meet our hero.
> 2. Call to Adventure. Will they meet the challenge?
> 3. Refusal of the Call. They resist the adventure.
> 4. Meeting the Mentor. A teacher arrives.
> 5. Crossing the First Threshold. The hero leaves their comfort zone.
> 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies. Making friends and facing roadblocks.
> 7. Approach to the Inmost Cave. Getting closer to our goal.
> 8. Ordeal. The hero’s biggest test yet!
> 9. Reward (Seizing the Sword). Light at the end of the tunnel
> 10. The Road Back. We aren’t safe yet.
> 11. Resurrection. The final hurdle is reached.
> 12. Return with the Elixir. The hero heads home, triumphant.
>
> You left out 1 through 4. Meeting the hero(1) is no necessary in RBT
> because everyone know Tom and his abilities. However, if you were
> writing for publications, you'll need to introduce yourself. You did
> introduce the road condition, so all you need to do is also introduce
> yourself.
>
> The call to adventure(2) could have been a single line, such as "I'm
> bored with saving the world from AIDS and cables that stretch. This
> is a good time for a bicycle hill climb". Refusal of the call(3)
> could be nothing more than mentioning that you had scheduled something
> important.
>
> Omitting meeting the mentor(4) is a major mistake. You are a mortal,
> not a god, and therefore require instruction in how to properly wisely
> and properly. The mentor can be your mysterious correspondent who
> monitors RBT 24x7 and informs you by email of anything important. It
> can also be a homeless person you meet by chance. It doesn't matter.
> What is important is that you should listen to their advice. That
> advice will be useful later in your story.
>
> Getting started is always difficult(5) Your story starts here when
> you initially dive into traffic followed by an overly detailed
> description of your hardware. I suggest that you reverse the order,
> and organize the details.
>
> Along the way, you will meet many people(6), some of which might be
> useful later. I suggest some character development of the farmer and
> wife.
>
> You did describe some aspect of the ride to your goal, but seem to be
> concentrating on what went wrong(7). Emphasizing what went right and
> reducing the emphasis on what went wrong, would be helpful. As you
> get closer to the top of the hill, some suspense or anticipation of
> glory might also be helpful.
>
> When you get to the top(8), you are expected to face your greatest
> challenge. Here is where the wisdom of your mentor will be useful. Of
> course, you will triumph over adversity and successfully conquer the
> hill climb. This is the main part of the story. Getting home
> (eventually) on leaky tires is considered a triumph over adversity but
> some embellishment would make it more interesting.
>
> At this point, you're expected to bring something of value back with
> you(9). It could be nothing more than an improved climbing ability or
> a photo of the view, but it's a necessary item to justify the ordeal.
> Sorry, but there's no golden fleece available.
>
> You did mention the adventure of your return trip in your wife's
> car(10). I guess this could be edited into a chase scene.
>
> Of course, something unexpected goes wrong during the drive home, but
> you easily overcome that problem using the wisdom you've gained from
> the mentor and the journey(11).
>
> Upon your return home(12), you discover that the photo you took from
> the top of the hill will be the Bing wallpaper photo of the day,
> making the entire ordeal worthwhile. That's just a bad but necessary
> example. Without a proper reward, the entire exercise is wasted.
>
> Some detail with examples:
> "What Makes A Great Action And Adventure Movie Script?"
> <https://industrialscripts.com/action-and-adventure-movie/>
>
> If you need additional assistance, Andre moderates a 30,000+ member
> writers group that will probably be glad to help.

Click here to read the complete article

On 10/10/2023 7:37 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
> On 10/10/2023 6:23 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>> On Sun, 8 Oct 2023 15:52:41 -0700 (PDT), Tom Kunich
>> <cyclintom@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I set out from home to do Norris Canyon. Although it is
>>> only about 950 feet high, there is a some downhills that
>>> have to be recovered by the top.
>>>
>>> Even though there is some pretty severe injuries to the
>>> road the traffic was unbelievable. This is a two lane
>>> road with little room to pass or pull over. You have very
>>> poor look ahead so that cars speed by in the opposite
>>> lane when they can't see forward. This morning I had
>>> readjusted the Di2 and as it turned out I couldn't get
>>> the 32 tooth (I changed to Campy wheels with a Campy 11
>>> speed cassette.) So rather than a 34 I had a low of 36 -
>>> 32 and I could only get the 29. But long ago and far away
>>> I used to climb this in a 39 - 28. I suffered through it.
>>> I got to the top and pulled into a driveway and did a
>>> fine adjust. Because on the way back I intended to go
>>> through a road with more 12% sections. I made sure there
>>> was no traffic and pulled out and started down the drop
>>> which is more than 13%. And there was a sign "one lane
>>> ahead." I was already doing 32 and the one lane was on
>>> the steep part of the descent and luckily there was NO
>>> traffic as I threaded my way through. As soon as the
>>> road widened back out to two lanes I let off of the
>>> brakes and immediately went 40 mph. At this point there
>>> is an expensive gated housing area and of course there
>>> was a car exiting that and had no intentions at all of
>>> giving right of way. But he had to make a 90 degree right
>>> and I was by before he could beat me. So of course he got
>>> directly onto my rear wheel. In about another quarter
>>> mile there is something that might be jokingly called a
>>> bike lane (18" wide) so my intention was to pull over as
>>> soon as I could. But watching him left me little vision
>>> for the road and I ran over what sounded like a steel
>>> plate about 3" on a side.
>>>
>>> I got an immediate flat at 40 mph in front of some guy
>>> driving inches off of my rear wheel on a road that had a
>>> lot of gravel on it and was narrowing down.
>>>
>>> I had no idea what tire was flat so I was feathering the
>>> brakes and trying to hold a straight course. I finally
>>> managed to get it to the edge of the road where the
>>> horses ass jumped on his accelerator and took off. I
>>> repaired the rear tire and the CO2 inflator I had
>>> wouldn't work properly on the unthreaded tube filler. So
>>> I lost two CO2 cartridges and there was nothing left but
>>> to walk. I got about 2 miles before a Farmer from the top
>>> of Norris Canyon and his wife were returning from Church
>>> and offered me a ride. It was about 5 miles to the Trek
>>> shop where I could hope that they had a pump chained
>>> outside if they weren't open. They drove me there and
>>> dropped me off. They too couldn't understand why all of
>>> that traffic was on a road that was being destroyed by
>>> it. Riding up there were 100 meter sections where the
>>> road was so bad that I had to ride almost on the
>>> centerline with cars coming up behind and laying on the
>>> horn.
>>>
>>> The shop was closed and there was no pump. I suppose that
>>> these days it would be stolen in minutes.
>>>
>>> I called my wife but couldn't get her (She was in church
>>> with the phone muted) so there was nothing left but the
>>> walk again up an 800 foot climb. I was walking in the
>>> bike lane and about 300 feet from the top another pickup
>>> stopped and offered to give me a lift to the top. Another
>>> passing guy had said that he had a pump at home and would
>>> go get it and I told him I would wait in the park at the
>>> top.
>>>
>>> The temperature was in the high 80's and in the direct
>>> sun almost 100. The Park fountain would flow very hot for
>>> about 30 second and then the underground water would
>>> start coming out and I could fill my water bottle with
>>> cold water.
>>>
>>> All of the benches were in direct sunlight and went
>>> through 3 bottles and Mr. Pump never showed up. So I
>>> finally got my wife and from church to home in traffic,
>>> picking up the bike carrier and up to me only took
>>> another 90 minutes. Just before she arrived, a breeze
>>> came up so I wasn't to bad when she showed up. 10 minutes
>>> to home at her usual 80 mph and here I am. While overall
>>> the ride was really crappy, I didn't expect to be able to
>>> do that climb from bottom to top without a stop and yet
>>> did it. It was unpleasant only because of the traffic and
>>> even the farmer and his wife who had lived there all of
>>> their lives were disturbed about the amount of traffic
>>> with $6.50 per gallon gas.
>>>
>>> At the moment I have about 5,000 miles for the last 12
>>> months and 81,000 feet. That is a very low amount of
>>> climbing (the year before the lockdown I did almost
>>> 300,000.) but it at least is some climbing. And any ride
>>> is better than no ride.
>>
>> That's a good start for a story, but falls apart near the
>> ending. Many
>> of the key parts of the classic "Hero's Quest" are there,
>> but are out
>> of the required order.
>> "The Hero's Journey: 12 Steps to a Classic Story Structure"
>> <https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/story-structure/heros-journey/>
>> <https://blog-cdn.reedsy.com/directories/admin/attachments/large_reedsy-heros-journey-graphic-1-c26a59.jpg>
>> Whether you're writing a classic adventure story, an
>> action movie, or
>> anything in between, following the fundamental plot
>> structure is a
>> must.  Going by the numbers (1 -> 12):
>>
>> 1.  The Ordinary World. We meet our hero.
>> 2.  Call to Adventure. Will they meet the challenge?
>> 3.  Refusal of the Call. They resist the adventure.
>> 4.  Meeting the Mentor. A teacher arrives.
>> 5.  Crossing the First Threshold. The hero leaves their
>> comfort zone.
>> 6.  Tests, Allies, Enemies. Making friends and facing
>> roadblocks.
>> 7.  Approach to the Inmost Cave. Getting closer to our goal.
>> 8.  Ordeal. The hero’s biggest test yet!
>> 9.  Reward (Seizing the Sword). Light at the end of the
>> tunnel
>> 10. The Road Back. We aren’t safe yet.
>> 11. Resurrection. The final hurdle is reached.
>> 12. Return with the Elixir. The hero heads home, triumphant.
>>
>> You left out 1 through 4.  Meeting the hero(1) is no
>> necessary in RBT
>> because everyone know Tom and his abilities.  However, if
>> you were
>> writing for publications, you'll need to introduce
>> yourself.  You did
>> introduce the road condition, so all you need to do is
>> also introduce
>> yourself.
>>
>> The call to adventure(2) could have been a single line,
>> such as "I'm
>> bored with saving the world from AIDS and cables that
>> stretch.  This
>> is a good time for a bicycle hill climb".  Refusal of the
>> call(3)
>> could be nothing more than mentioning that you had
>> scheduled something
>> important.
>>
>> Omitting meeting the mentor(4) is a major mistake.  You
>> are a mortal,
>> not a god, and therefore require instruction in how to
>> properly wisely
>> and properly.  The mentor can be your mysterious
>> correspondent who
>> monitors RBT 24x7 and informs you by email of anything
>> important.  It
>> can also be a homeless person you meet by chance.  It
>> doesn't matter.
>> What is important is that you should listen to their
>> advice.  That
>> advice will be useful later in your story.
>>
>> Getting started is always difficult(5)  Your story starts
>> here when
>> you initially dive into traffic followed by an overly
>> detailed
>> description of your hardware.  I suggest that you reverse
>> the order,
>> and organize the details.
>>
>> Along the way, you will meet many people(6), some of which
>> might be
>> useful later.  I suggest some character development of the
>> farmer and
>> wife.
>>
>> You did describe some aspect of the ride to your goal, but
>> seem to be
>> concentrating on what went wrong(7).  Emphasizing what
>> went right and
>> reducing the emphasis on what went wrong, would be
>> helpful.  As you
>> get closer to the top of the hill, some suspense or
>> anticipation of
>> glory might also be helpful.
>>
>> When you get to the top(8), you are expected to face your
>> greatest
>> challenge.  Here is where the wisdom of your mentor will
>> be useful. Of
>> course, you will triumph over adversity and successfully
>> conquer the
>> hill climb.  This is the main part of the story.  Getting
>> home
>> (eventually) on leaky tires is considered a triumph over
>> adversity but
>> some embellishment would make it more interesting.
>>
>> At this point, you're expected to bring something of value
>> back with
>> you(9).  It could be nothing more than an improved
>> climbing ability or
>> a photo of the view, but it's a necessary item to justify
>> the ordeal.
>> Sorry, but there's no golden fleece available.
>>
>> You did mention the adventure of your return trip in your
>> wife's
>> car(10).  I guess this could be edited into a chase scene.
>>
>> Of course, something unexpected goes wrong during the
>> drive home, but
>> you easily overcome that problem using the wisdom you've
>> gained from
>> the mentor and the journey(11).
>>
>> Upon your return home(12), you discover that the photo you
>> took from
>> the top of the hill will be the Bing wallpaper photo of
>> the day,
>> making the entire ordeal worthwhile.  That's just a bad
>> but necessary
>> example.  Without a proper reward, the entire exercise is
>> wasted.
>>
>> Some detail with examples:
>> "What Makes A Great Action And Adventure Movie Script?"
>> <https://industrialscripts.com/action-and-adventure-movie/>
>>
>> If you need additional assistance, Andre moderates a
>> 30,000+ member
>> writers group that will probably be glad to help.
>
> Oddly, except for Jeff's post, this thread is absent in my
> Thunderbird / Eternal September feed. It does show up on
> Google Groups. Anyone know why that is?
>

On Tue, 10 Oct 2023 20:37:10 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
(chomp)
>Oddly, except for Jeff's post, this thread is absent in my Thunderbird /
>Eternal September feed. It does show up on Google Groups. Anyone know
>why that is?

The 4 other messages in this thread including the original, which you
didn't see, went via Google Groups. Mine went through Supernews.
Yours went through Eternal September. I can't find anything wrong,
but it might be a Google Groups problem. However, all the messages
appear in Google Groups, so that's not the problem.
<https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/ZSBAP6BFRD8/m/U7S2NSt2BAAJ>
Another possibility is that Mozilla introduced a radically new version
of Thunderbird. However, going through the release notes, I don't see
anything that might affect Usenet news:
<https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/releases/>
Maybe the size of my message broke loose the log jam?

Sorry. I don't know what happened.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 10 Oct 2023 20:37:10 -0400, Frank Krygowski
> <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> (chomp)
>> Oddly, except for Jeff's post, this thread is absent in my Thunderbird /
>> Eternal September feed. It does show up on Google Groups. Anyone know
>> why that is?
>
> The 4 other messages in this thread including the original, which you
> didn't see, went via Google Groups. Mine went through Supernews.
> Yours went through Eternal September. I can't find anything wrong,
> but it might be a Google Groups problem. However, all the messages
> appear in Google Groups, so that's not the problem.
> <https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/ZSBAP6BFRD8/m/U7S2NSt2BAAJ>
> Another possibility is that Mozilla introduced a radically new version
> of Thunderbird. However, going through the release notes, I don't see
> anything that might affect Usenet news:
> <https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/releases/>
> Maybe the size of my message broke loose the log jam?
>
> Sorry. I don't know what happened.
>

I don’t always read Tom’s ride reports so rather late posting, but my money
is still on Eternal September, the thread is visible to me though after a
while the App on my iPad deletes the local copies.

Roger Merriman