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    1. Home
    2. spacekraken
    • Profile
    • Following 11
    • Followers 6
    • Topics 234
    • Posts 3082
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    spacekraken

    @spacekraken

    Zoidberg and his orange car are maybe friends :)

    Geologist, aspiring ski bum and cyclist.
    2019 VW alltrack, 2011 Cannondale Synapse, 2022 Salsa Timberjack, misc other bikes

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    Photography

    Best posts made by spacekraken

    • Opposite-concussion

      A belated update.

      So... about 30 days ago I was merrily ripping down my favorite ski slope when a (checks notes on how to be polite) rather clueless individual cut across the line of travel without looking. My buddy I was skiing with narrowly avoided the guy... I didn't luck out as much, had to slam on the brakes, hit ice that wouldn't have been an issue had I not needed to brake hard, and went down HARD. Big crash, slammed my head really bad, was out for around 30 seconds.

      Next few hours were kinda a blur. Snowmobile ride down the mountain. ER for a few hours. Nurse saying I likely wouldn't be alive were it not for my fancy MIPS helmet (safety tech is good yo!) Extremely painful drive home. Lying on the couch for 48 hours.

      Finally starting to resume normal life a few days later. Doctors visits. Tracers at night... which then went away! Being able to drive again. Finding out I can ride my bike again 4 weeks after the concussion, which was a big win.

      Fast forward to now and I'm finally back at it! Definitely still have some lingering effects with paying attention and whatnot, but feeling a lot better and healing well.
      IMG_3495.jpg

      Lessons learned here? I dunno. Probably will ski a little slower in the future but accidents happen and it was a genuine mistake on the part of the guy who caused me to crash so all good there. Very glad to have the right safety equipment and I'll never ski or ride without a helmet, that's for sure. But at the same time I'm mostly happy to have healed and be back at it!

      posted in Oppositelock concussions bikeoppo skiing dont try this at home
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • Blood Moon

      Woke up really early to catch the lunar eclipse that was visible from the west coast today... Not bad!!

      IMG_6474.jpg

      IMG_6497.jpg

      IMG_6527.jpg

      IMG_6517.jpg

      posted in Oppositelock photography
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • Oppo meet 2k23: In Which An Mountain Was Climbed*

      I wanted to write something creative but brain no worky. In short, we spent the better part of 3 days in the mountains with cool people and did car things and snowshoe things.

      Highlights: @AestheticsInMotion's snowshoes with Merc badges, an amazing lodge w/ hot tub, mountains, cool people, cool food

      Lowlights: I regret riding in the (1 of 1) R55 and the (not 1 of 1 but incredibly nice) defender because now I want both 😒

      BB3FDA1B-F51F-4B19-A963-1F60EF62C3EE_1_105_c.jpeg

      IMG_0383.JPG

      1CC3FE22-EAE3-454B-9DBA-DC7C21288499_1_105_c.jpeg

      D361B241-76D3-4301-B347-7C9BA0276AD1_1_105_c.jpeg

      2D88C828-3CDE-446F-8F52-86E78DDC0040_1_105_c.jpeg

      IMG_8921.jpg

      IMG_8937.jpg

      IMG_8955.jpg

      IMG_8970.jpg

      IMG_8980.jpg

      IMG_9002.jpg

      IMG_9004.jpg

      IMG_9007.jpg

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • The Hyphen is important, don't forget it

      EqrMPKu.jpg that is all.

      posted in Oppositelock shitposting
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • does anyone on oppo have a IS500?

      No? Not yet? Dang. Seems like a cool car.

      alt text

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • Not spectacular but still aurora!

      @Photography ... with a lot of increased contrast I got a hint of northern lights last night here at 45 degrees latitude!
      IMG_8000.jpg

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • RE: I bought a thing.

      @Dr-Zoidberg HE BOUGHT THE THING

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • RE: The unwritten rule of Oppo: A safe place for me, but not for thee.

      Here's some kittens in a potted plant.

      7e528399-4f40-4b29-b7db-844f417e8f5c-image.png

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • Orange car man said I don't post enough #content

      So here are some DOTS!

      4903D843-0A6F-485E-A059-C51FA262CC2A_1_105_c.jpeg Quality driveway, this.

      05030E78-AFBD-424C-9A17-5ACC5E99AB7F_1_105_c.jpeg I am normally meh about vanity plates but this one, plus the sticker had me amused. Yip Yip!

      7A63FF5D-8A20-4D38-9A6C-5D6ECDF69035_1_105_c.jpeg BRG + bike rack, at the trailhead. Much good.

      F68B72F3-FB8F-4B37-82E1-6A535020525A_1_105_c.jpeg Ferarri FF!

      2D850AAB-D6DD-418F-9252-E2DA73571EFF_1_105_c.jpeg Base FK7 pretending to be a type R 😒

      D8C63155-3248-4839-8AA7-42471E53AC4E_1_105_c.jpeg Not DOTS but I went out to the coast to scout sites for the May Oppo MTB meet. It was really really nice!

      7527927F-A8F4-45FB-8DCD-42DC4FDA9E37_1_105_c.jpeg finally I got my absurd drop bar MTB running again. This thing isn't exactly practical but it sure is fun...

      posted in Oppositelock dots bikeoppo
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • "Ben why do you have so many bikes?"

      No idea but here's a new build I did I am super stoked about:

      B30BC804-9DFB-4F38-98B5-38EB889D93B8_1_105_c.jpeg

      This bike, full frame and build kit, rolled into my shop about two weeks back and I immediately pounced on it to make it into something fun. 1993 Specialized Crossroads. For those who don't know this is arguably one of the first 29ers, and shipped with 622-45 tires stock. Here it was:

      9D1860C5-A6EB-475A-8DD5-02238E62F681_1_105_c.jpeg Flipped seatpost, Suntour X-1, flat bars, cushy saddle... all of that has to go. And will be properly recycled onto period correct bikes, fret not.

      5B9EB2BB-6E71-448E-A82C-41A85081CFDB_1_105_c.jpeg Bye!

      359FBFC0-2FDE-4B97-838F-527C884E58D8_1_105_c.jpeg Looking better already. But what this bike REALLY needs is some form of integrated brake/shift levers with a lot of cross compatibility to run a wide range mountain drivetrain...

      EAC02104-BCE9-4323-A8C3-31CD4AB9EA30_1_105_c.jpeg Boom, there we go. 3D printed shifter adapters mounted to V brake levers. These will shift basically any derailleurs under the sun in friction mode only. Pulled this off an old 26er that I needed to rebuild anyways...

      BE9E079E-EC25-4AC4-AF00-C62B8ECA7FB2_1_105_c.jpeg Avid Single Digit brakes for about the maximum stopping power possible short of disk brakes.

      5554A5D9-7F70-4C03-874B-6B8006B6ABF5_1_105_c.jpeg Getting the fit dialed in using my roadie as a reference point. Goal for this bike was to have a relaxed all-day fit to go do super long rides. At some point a parts bin Specialized Phenom carbon saddle went on and it is oh so comfy.

      67C8BC3F-1B2B-4349-B106-44F6689B8456_1_105_c.jpeg Shimano workhorse groupset bits. LX new old stock FD, XT RD (fresh out of the ultrasonic cleaner cause I'd put two years of mud on it), and Sugino Impel cranks. 42/32/20t provides approximately ALL the gear range.

      8C3A1557-4AD4-4F67-81E5-3E0D0B69AE83_1_105_c.jpeg First build up with my other all-rounder bike. Love the color schemes on these two. And yes, the yellow top tube bag will be making its way over to the Crossroads.

      A9A95FC7-F1CB-413F-9284-DC78242D467F_1_105_c.jpeg First serious ride!

      50D8D2F0-3D38-4100-9A08-EEEE7DF4683E_1_105_c.jpeg from the bay...

      A16A5949-19C0-4268-9042-A4C2405DAB15_1_105_c.jpeg To the hills!

      324CFC70-307A-4D8D-A0ED-77A5B8C73C84_1_105_c.jpeg The cockpit on this bike is super comfy with some very lightly flared drop bars. The shifting setup is something I've run before and rather like. It's not nearly as fast as a modern brifter setup but locates the shifters in a very convenient place for shifting from the hoods. And being friction, it'll handle basically any number of gears from 5 to 11.

      Right now the weak point of the bike is absolutely the wheelset. Very nice for the time Araya rims but they're absurdly heavy and laced to heavy, slow hubs with a 7 speed, 14-28 freewheel. And even with a true they're a bit wobbly. My plan is to find a nice set of 130/100mm spaced wheels from a cyclocross bike to replace them, and run an 8 or 9 speed cassette with more range. Tires are some spare WTB riddlers in 622x45 which are fantastic for a mix of road and singletrack on the local rides here.

      Overall I love the bike--these frames are rather coveted for being a mix of comfy old school steel while basically having the geometry of a modern bike. This feels very similar to a modern gravel bike fit wise, and I love it for that. More rides to come, I'd like to do a century on it...

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken

    Latest posts made by spacekraken

    • RE: "Ben why do you have so many bikes?"

      @VincentMalamute Yeah I'm running a 50/34 and 12-32 on my roadie and the crossroads obviously goes SUPER low-20x32 will be the bailout gear eventually. I dig that GRX will run a 40t too.

      Also yeah black and Ti looks great. And the carbon wheels help

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • RE: "Ben why do you have so many bikes?"

      @VincentMalamute more bikes, got it! Also that seven looks AMAZING. Though the cassette is a bit big vs the bike I built up today to sell at the shop:

      IMG_1927.JPG

      @dejock some mavic allroads with 21-22mm internal width rolled in today 🙂 will see about those if I can claim them. If not time to build something.

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • RE: "Ben why do you have so many bikes?"

      @drVanTraveler said in "Ben why do you have so many bikes?":

      @spacekraken said in "Ben why do you have so many bikes?":

      um. too many. six.

      That's not too many. That's just barely enough.
      Quote seen on bike forum,
      "If someone tells you that you have too many bikes, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life."

      Compelling argument! I think as long as I have space I'm keeping most or all of em around.

      @dejock said in "Ben why do you have so many bikes?":

      @spacekraken this is r/xbiking gold my guy. for wheels, use your shop discount to build up some velocity dyad rims on some hubs of your choosing. speaking of rear spacing, are you sure its 130? what are the odds of sticking a 135mm hub out back? if you can squeeze a 135, get some xt level trekking hubs and lace em up to the aforementioned dyads for an absolutely bomber wheelset.

      Thanks! I think I might try out wheelbuilding for this. Either those Dyads or Mavic Open Pros since I really want tubeless. It's definitely 130 spaced but it's also steel and I'm positive I could flex it enough to rig up a 135 hub, and might do just that.

      @Nibby ❤

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • RE: "Ben why do you have so many bikes?"

      @Just-Jeepin ITS PINK! I've named it pink lemonade haha. It shows up more red in some pictures but isn't far off Tuscadero.

      @DipodomysDeserti those old Miyatas are sick. Can't wait to see it!

      @Highlander yeah probably more hybrid than MTB. It clears 45s with a bit of room but not much. Honestly the head tube and seat tube angles and reach make it feel very much like the Kona gravel bike I had. It's SO much better as a drop bar convert than a 26er, having done both now.

      @drVanTraveler I really need to get some yellow shift cables lol

      @ST80MND um. too many. six.

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • "Ben why do you have so many bikes?"

      No idea but here's a new build I did I am super stoked about:

      B30BC804-9DFB-4F38-98B5-38EB889D93B8_1_105_c.jpeg

      This bike, full frame and build kit, rolled into my shop about two weeks back and I immediately pounced on it to make it into something fun. 1993 Specialized Crossroads. For those who don't know this is arguably one of the first 29ers, and shipped with 622-45 tires stock. Here it was:

      9D1860C5-A6EB-475A-8DD5-02238E62F681_1_105_c.jpeg Flipped seatpost, Suntour X-1, flat bars, cushy saddle... all of that has to go. And will be properly recycled onto period correct bikes, fret not.

      5B9EB2BB-6E71-448E-A82C-41A85081CFDB_1_105_c.jpeg Bye!

      359FBFC0-2FDE-4B97-838F-527C884E58D8_1_105_c.jpeg Looking better already. But what this bike REALLY needs is some form of integrated brake/shift levers with a lot of cross compatibility to run a wide range mountain drivetrain...

      EAC02104-BCE9-4323-A8C3-31CD4AB9EA30_1_105_c.jpeg Boom, there we go. 3D printed shifter adapters mounted to V brake levers. These will shift basically any derailleurs under the sun in friction mode only. Pulled this off an old 26er that I needed to rebuild anyways...

      BE9E079E-EC25-4AC4-AF00-C62B8ECA7FB2_1_105_c.jpeg Avid Single Digit brakes for about the maximum stopping power possible short of disk brakes.

      5554A5D9-7F70-4C03-874B-6B8006B6ABF5_1_105_c.jpeg Getting the fit dialed in using my roadie as a reference point. Goal for this bike was to have a relaxed all-day fit to go do super long rides. At some point a parts bin Specialized Phenom carbon saddle went on and it is oh so comfy.

      67C8BC3F-1B2B-4349-B106-44F6689B8456_1_105_c.jpeg Shimano workhorse groupset bits. LX new old stock FD, XT RD (fresh out of the ultrasonic cleaner cause I'd put two years of mud on it), and Sugino Impel cranks. 42/32/20t provides approximately ALL the gear range.

      8C3A1557-4AD4-4F67-81E5-3E0D0B69AE83_1_105_c.jpeg First build up with my other all-rounder bike. Love the color schemes on these two. And yes, the yellow top tube bag will be making its way over to the Crossroads.

      A9A95FC7-F1CB-413F-9284-DC78242D467F_1_105_c.jpeg First serious ride!

      50D8D2F0-3D38-4100-9A08-EEEE7DF4683E_1_105_c.jpeg from the bay...

      A16A5949-19C0-4268-9042-A4C2405DAB15_1_105_c.jpeg To the hills!

      324CFC70-307A-4D8D-A0ED-77A5B8C73C84_1_105_c.jpeg The cockpit on this bike is super comfy with some very lightly flared drop bars. The shifting setup is something I've run before and rather like. It's not nearly as fast as a modern brifter setup but locates the shifters in a very convenient place for shifting from the hoods. And being friction, it'll handle basically any number of gears from 5 to 11.

      Right now the weak point of the bike is absolutely the wheelset. Very nice for the time Araya rims but they're absurdly heavy and laced to heavy, slow hubs with a 7 speed, 14-28 freewheel. And even with a true they're a bit wobbly. My plan is to find a nice set of 130/100mm spaced wheels from a cyclocross bike to replace them, and run an 8 or 9 speed cassette with more range. Tires are some spare WTB riddlers in 622x45 which are fantastic for a mix of road and singletrack on the local rides here.

      Overall I love the bike--these frames are rather coveted for being a mix of comfy old school steel while basically having the geometry of a modern bike. This feels very similar to a modern gravel bike fit wise, and I love it for that. More rides to come, I'd like to do a century on it...

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • RE: Eastern Sierras Trip: an photo dump

      @Demon-Xanth Gotta go there next time!

      @john-norris Amazing! What a legend

      @Wrong-Wheel-Drive dual sport trip sounds so fun this summer. That was such a blast and I am so grateful for the guiding

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • Eastern Sierras Trip: an photo dump

      I was gonna write more on this but the short summary is: Mountains are good, drove a ton, skiied with @Wrong-Wheel-Drive and friend, and had an amazing time for my first trip to the eastern sierras. I'll be back for sure!

      I'll mostly let the photos speak for themselves. @Photography

      255B81AE-3D8E-43E3-A97C-61269A2A9BA1_1_105_c.jpeg Skis inside the car on the way out to try to get a tiny bit better mpg

      DE25AEFA-D267-4790-AE61-D98FCC23AB3B_1_105_c.jpeg Tehachapi

      9464C88B-DBBA-4EF9-B9BE-6424AC6D51D7_1_105_c.jpeg Somewhere in Mojave

      062E3FFF-024D-4DFE-9674-BA8F15C6AB07_1_105_c.jpeg Red Rock canyon is GORGEOUS

      42127AE8-99D1-4C75-B8B0-EB7D2988E02C_1_105_c.jpeg

      DB172F4D-0D4D-483F-92F7-A0868B44A336_1_105_c.jpeg Nightmare Rock

      19AFEA4B-2D4D-43DD-A32B-28C9B57DBD4A_1_105_c.jpeg Alabama Hills

      4B98CBB1-11E7-4FED-B096-2BE03D5D4E6C_1_105_c.jpeg

      D8F84294-D4B1-4E29-9119-15203BCAF92E_1_105_c.jpeg

      995B28D7-3CBD-4049-86C6-8D4DAF1B3FA4_1_105_c.jpeg

      6D836E6B-B68D-4208-81EB-55096242BCB9_1_105_c.jpeg

      134500CD-083F-4968-9909-B2275D48885E_1_105_c.jpeg Mt Whitney

      5D45D711-11CB-419F-A676-9C726E0EEE9A_1_105_c.jpeg Shark Fin Rock

      DB987F38-EF0D-4B57-A507-63A8F9FB113A_1_105_c.jpeg Day two, following WWD's subie up to Mammoth

      0C3F5D3F-3CB6-4C31-B2F3-0BF8F6BA4838_1_105_c.jpeg

      724B47C9-E7DE-43F2-AD97-27EE8BD466D4_1_105_c.jpeg

      16281C9E-FF05-49B8-B2D1-A2CC088378BF_1_105_c.jpeg

      CC724CFA-23E8-4601-A634-25B3583059A6_1_105_c.jpeg views from Mammoth were AMAZING

      7636EC2A-D4BE-4089-AABE-670E8CE25302_1_105_c.jpeg At our lodging. Two alltracks and an STI... fully turbo AWD meet.

      2AF1C40A-213C-4361-84EE-42F29B9A49CB_1_105_c.jpeg Very clear skies at 7000' base elevation!

      0ADED94A-9EC8-4BA6-AB9C-5406802007A0_1_105_c.jpeg Second day at mammoth--there was SO much snow they had to dig out the lifts. Never seen anything like it.

      C48EC244-00E5-4F7F-861F-8962FD86F7C9_1_105_c.jpeg

      9A469292-2B81-41CA-B44E-EDB68D006930_1_105_c.jpeg This view never gets old.

      A697D4C5-E42E-44EB-AA60-1493C821EAC9_1_105_c.jpeg Sunday was basically just the 7.5 hour drive home

      Overall 11/10 fantastic trip. Thanks WWD for showing me around the mountain--I skiied some stuff that was genuinely really challenging to me and pushed my limits and had an amazing time! Covered most of the mountain too.

      Screenshot 2023-03-19 at 21.08.38.png

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • RE: Pacifica Pull with Intake

      @CoolMinivan-Nobody I too can speed up videos in Windows Media Player 🙂

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • RE: Explain your job poorly

      @CB Clean mud off of things.

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken
    • RE: Winter aint over any time soon

      @Wrong-Wheel-Drive it's gonna be RAD

      posted in Oppositelock
      spacekraken
      spacekraken