tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54693038501607388252024-03-06T11:59:29.561-08:00Vintage One: 20 years of Mtn Bike passion and counting.Thoughts, ramblings, and insights to the mtn biker lifegrannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.comBlogger611125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-63905355951779938082015-08-09T19:50:00.001-07:002015-08-09T20:12:01.157-07:00Don't ants ever sleep?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseoFlL6A3C3-2LCXc3KpiT4fnJlspY5RAf4Z4m_1UobebcPJoIW6P6TXTpcnZflr7c7MyT4aa74cfxCy65ybS-8htZ7KOpiJMeN4XGcSPiH0B1f4_TMOYUOWgDcQpYbtjHrcibLShXwU/s1600/caravan+cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseoFlL6A3C3-2LCXc3KpiT4fnJlspY5RAf4Z4m_1UobebcPJoIW6P6TXTpcnZflr7c7MyT4aa74cfxCy65ybS-8htZ7KOpiJMeN4XGcSPiH0B1f4_TMOYUOWgDcQpYbtjHrcibLShXwU/s640/caravan+cut.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
Think I overpacked?</h4>
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I was an half hour late leaving the house for a S24O outing, that being a <b><u>S</u></b>ub <b><u>24</u></b> hour <b><u>O</u></b>vernighter. That time deficit had me concerned as my goal was the peak of a local mountain that used to have a fire lookout tower on it, now just a steel scaffold and a block building for some electronics and the associated antennas. <br />
<br />
It was the type of experience that I think about a lot, but seldom act on; loading up a bike and heading for the hills just to get away and sleep under the stars, then being back home by breakfast. I have all the gear for it...soft bikepacking bags, shelters of many colors and shapes, home made stoves, etc. I love the idea of it; getting out and pedaling all loaded up, knowing that it will be the next morning before you get back home. It actually strikes me as odd each time I do it. the problem is I don't do it at all, hardly at all anyway. It is inconvenient. It is a bit uncomfortable. It is more than a bit odd. I need more of that in my all too convenient, comfy and 'normal' life, methinks.<br />
<br />
Back on the bike, and as I pedaled out of town and up and up and up, it occurred to me that I should have caught a ride from the wife and gotten a head start to make up for the lost time.<br />
<br />
I am not that smart or at least I AM THAT stubborn, so I pedaled on, watching the clock and the setting sun. It was going to be close and I had a LOT of climbing before I hit camp. I also did not estimate how slow I would be on a lightly loaded 29er hardtail as compared to my typical times up this paved canyon road on my road bike. One hour turned into 1.25 hours and that trend continued. Each section took just a bit longer than I expected. I turned off the pavement and onto a forest service road marked with all kinds of dire warnings. Interesting how public roads can be so private all of a sudden. With no budget to do any repairs or at least no interest in doing so, we have less campgrounds and open roads and trails in my area So Cal then when I was a kid. It's a shame, really.<br />
<br />
And So Cal has recently seen some semi-apocalyptic weather and some big rainstorms. Brief but big. The next few miles of steep dirt climbing, a section of dirt that I recently climbed on my gravel bike, was now nearly not a road at all. The water deluge had been hard and fast and the sand and rock that came pouring out of the gullies had changed the landscape in a big way. Lots of walking in sand too deep to ride, at least when going uphill. Fat Bike country.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
The power of a bit of water.</h4>
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SO it was a slow grind to the next sandy pour-out from the hillside above, and a shaky dismount to push over the nasties, then back in the saddle for another 100', rinse repeat.<br />
<br />
Tick tock, tick tock. I hit the saddle that marked half of the dirt climb and time was not on my side. The next few miles of climbing were better...less washouts, but the water had washed all the topsoil off the road and left miles of hen's egg size rocks and small ruts to negotiate in the fading light. My legs were fading too and I was sweat soaked, thinking I might stop short of the summit and salvage some light in which to set up camp.<br />
<br />
But I really wanted to bag the peak and be there for the night, so I pushed on, hitting the summit in near darkness. I could not find my Petzl head lamp before I left home, so setting up the bivvy and such with one hand holding a flashlight was less than great. Down went the groundcloth, then the pad gets inflated, bivy then bag, etc. About then I noticed the ants. Lots of them. Small ones. Medium ones. Hmmm. Shouldn't they be bedding down for the night soon? Surely so.<br />
<br />
A quick search of the surrounding area showed more of the same, so I guess where I was is a good as any. My bivy sack has a mesh screen head section, so although that was a bit 'enclosed' feeling, it would be bug free. It occurred to me that I was still in my bike clothes and now as the body heat faded away form the climb, I was getting cold. Ok...dancing in the dark as I stripped and got into the camping jammies, etc. The moon rose twice that night.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
Morning light reveals the drying rack.</h4>
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Dinner was hardly the casual affair I had envisioned, snacking on chicken and biscuits as the sun went down and the stars came out. Rather it was a ravenous moment of gnawing on a hunk of bird in the dark, famished by the 3 hour climb, and spitting out the gristle parts. Sigh.<br />
<br />
How romantic.<br />
<br />
I also could not find the bug repellant before I left so I hoped that I would be far enough away from water to be decently mosquito free. Almost. I did have 4G phone reception though, so I texted those that cared and laid back, watching the night sky move in as the quickly fading sunset glow moved out.<br />
<br />
Stars. I had forgotten how many there are. And shooting stars too. Nice. You can't see those from in front of the TV in the house. The only sounds were from aircraft and crickets. I zipped in and settled down, all snug in my cap for a quick summer's night. Then the buzzing began.<br />
<br />
I know what mosquitos sound like...high pitched and faint. This was bigger. And louder. And it wanted me very badly. I never tried to see what it was, but it apparently was partying with the ants that also did not need to sleep. I would hear it land on the mesh screen but I kept my skin a proboscis length away as I never felt a bite.<br />
<br />
I drifted off, warm and reasonably secure in my cocoon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
Looking east at sunrise.</h4>
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Morning happened and the sun was creeping up fast, fog laying in the canyons below. Awesome. All packed up...trail mix eaten...bike pointed downhill into a long, rough descent to a remote canyon, wet and green even in summer. Then a 45 minute climb out of the canyon to the last 8 miles, all downhill, of pavement home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
Ritchey P29...great bike for such adventures. The seat pack is a Blackburn product I was trying out.</h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
A cycling buddy dropped me a strategic water bottle before the long climb out.</h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
Foggy morning in August as I dropped into home.</h4>
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Rolling in home I was tired and a bit dehydrated, but throughly satisfied with myself. I could have planned better and I think the romance with bivy sacks is about over, but the important thing is I put down the remote, turned off the laptop, and denied the tyranny of the urgent and the comfy.</div>
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And I learned that ants don't sleep much.grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-68736885609882350332015-08-07T14:22:00.001-07:002015-08-07T14:22:25.425-07:00Damn the grams. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My first 29er was a Karate Monkey, which began geared and then, as I acquired another FS 29, was converted to SS use. I never really loved that bike. It felt kind of harsh and skittish in rough sections and weighed a ton.<br />
<br />
The next SS was a Vassago Jabberwocky. Despite flaws of its own, and despite the same piggy weight, I loved that bike. Just loved it. I have this distant memory of how it used to feel on the faster crappy trails and fireroads like are so common around So Cal. I could almost recall the way it moved down the trail in a springy yet solid way but it had been so long and there had been so many other bikes in the mix since then, that I could not remember for certain...like a faint odor that lingers in the air, prodding an even fainter memory. <br />
<br />
Each new SS had been lighter and 'faster', first in aluminum, then carbon. Each one gave me a great ride uphill and was exciting to pedal hard, but something else was happening. Something was being lost in the trade and it happened so gradually that I did not notice. Each bike was less and less fun to ride, unless I defined fun as how quickly I went uphill. Strava was pleased. Myself, less so.<br />
<br />
But it is hard to go backwards when that means adding grams to the bike you are riding now, or replacing it with a different bike that will be heavier. The weight weenie within must have its say in the matter. So the newest carbon SS 29er, which actually is a very nice riding bike for its ilk, hung on the hook, languishing, and I wondered if things could be different.<br />
<br />
But yesterday I unboxed a test bike that I was very curious about, in fact I was darn near excited about it. But with a recent disappointment with another bike I thought for sure would ring loud and clear and speak to my soul but only murmured, I was thinking I might be delusional about this one too. I was unwrapping something I had not straddled for years now, and as the bubble wrap and blue painters tape fell away, I saw thin steel tubes coated in black like Johnny Cash on Sunday.<br />
<br />
Steel. It looks so odd in a world of hydroformed aluminum and oversized carbon.<br />
<br />
So the thing is this...is there really something great about a refined steel frame that seems to transcend other materials in an almost undefinable way? It sure isn't about having a light bike. This one was built with very good parts yet weighed what one of my FS alu 29ers (with VERY NICE parts) weighs.<br />
<br />
And pedaling out to the trail was just OK. Nothing magical. The first steep hill was so so and it sure did not scream KOM like the last carbon wonder bike I rode. But that carbon winged Pegasus was also nothing I wanted to toss a leg over and trail ride all day either. Fast? Oh my yes. You pedal, it answered. But unless you were hell bent on collecting Strava Bling, then it just was not fun IMO. And although suffering and speed and performance are all part of the ride experience, let's not kid ourselves. It needs to be fun.<br />
<br />
I hit the top of the climb last night, said hello to 'Da Boyz' that were up there, and dropped in on a quick little ribbon of trail that quickly becomes like a luge run with baby head rocks melting out of the ice. Within 100', that memory came back like a smack in the face, like that faint odor you could not place just became a warm from the oven chocolate chip cookie melting on your tongue and you said "that's it!" That supple, lithe, springy goodness of steel doing its thing just rose up and I remembered.<br />
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And it was just like that all the way down the trail. I was boosting off of the bigger rocks and dancing through the ruts with a fine mix of precision and give that was just so fun I was grinning all over. SO IT'S TRUE! I was not wrong and I had not imagined it. And I missed it terribly.<br />
<br />
So everything is a give and take. But I do wonder if, along the path chasing the better and the best and the stiffest and the fastest, that were given so much we did not notice what was taken away?<br />
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-24756479446697038712015-07-30T13:08:00.000-07:002015-07-30T13:08:22.838-07:00Learning to breathe.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can learn a lot from a rabbit.</td></tr>
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I think, after all these years of doing it, that I do not know how to breathe correctly. Astonishing! Could it be? This crept into my mind a while ago but just as quickly crept out again. Then last weekend I was in the middle of a long climb on the Warbird, a climb that was difficult and had me right below redline a good part of the time. And I became aware of the fact that I was breathing shallow and fast, mostly from the chest/rib cage area.<br />
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And I thought back to an article I read that, IIRC, referred to Eddy Merxx and spoke about his 'paunch'...his beer belly look that was a result of bringing into play his belly area to expand the capacity of his lungs. Now for all I know, Eddy might knock down a beer or two or three and maybe it is a bit of that too, but I never forgot that.<br />
<br />
So in the middle of the climb, I began to breathe deeply, consciously allowing my belly to expand, feeling the lungs go just a bit 'more', if you will, then expelling the lungs with a good push. I found that I dropped farther away from redline and my suffering dropped down a notch. I did not have a heart rate monitor on, but it would have been interesting to see if that was affected.<br />
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I just know that it hurt less and I had more room for harder, short efforts without tipping over the edge. My legs felt better too, but mostly it was cardio bennies I was seeing. The funny thing was that I had to really concentrate to breathe this way. As soon as I stopped thinking about it, I stopped doing it. As well, it did not feel natural when I was doing it. It felt good in a way but bad in a way, like I was betraying what I knew how to do well from birth...as if I took two steps, then hopscotched the next one before the next regular step, etc. Just not natural.<br />
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So I need to play with this more, but it seems there is science behind this, which actually does not surprise me.<br />
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<a href="http://thedailygrind.robdamanii.com/2012/02/22/breathing-techniques-part-1/" target="_blank">Linky number 1</a> <a href="http://thedailygrind.robdamanii.com/2012/02/27/breathing-techniques-part-2/" target="_blank">Linky Number 2</a><br />
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Now I figure it this way...the bigger the belly the bigger the breath. Bring on the donuts and Fritos, I have a hill to climb.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKRN5UJsNFZfipMyzqC4cYRRJz2ToWzKAOZm1CtyDmKTVWEIVrng2_j6VqSCDa3lDwELsfGgKDJjIX71avb9oya0qyQHiO3JuKy0WuV_e_nnnO6tfL6p4U9Gs8g9w5iV-3q1oUD5BQFM/s1600/bbcut4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKRN5UJsNFZfipMyzqC4cYRRJz2ToWzKAOZm1CtyDmKTVWEIVrng2_j6VqSCDa3lDwELsfGgKDJjIX71avb9oya0qyQHiO3JuKy0WuV_e_nnnO6tfL6p4U9Gs8g9w5iV-3q1oUD5BQFM/s400/bbcut4.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at them lungs, huh? I am gonna crush the next hill.</td></tr>
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-89566214572531762522015-07-25T13:23:00.000-07:002015-07-25T13:23:29.733-07:00Camp 9 <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Helipad, LA County Fire Camp 9, the hard way up.</span></td></tr>
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grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-58348019036810151052015-07-24T11:54:00.000-07:002015-07-24T12:43:12.528-07:00A pleasant surprise.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AJsgMUW5aZJvtaEaFYeQltm0yxrLyEDzmEr2HucHfwMd7ZDsy2QKUYgw6WGQh9K-WL4yyzy2VYDrN13U8himP4nAJZbFQ2xBAi0qwvJkpLU0_z5w3oEpJj7So-ScPXk0dKaYAcexAM4/s1600/IMG_2995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AJsgMUW5aZJvtaEaFYeQltm0yxrLyEDzmEr2HucHfwMd7ZDsy2QKUYgw6WGQh9K-WL4yyzy2VYDrN13U8himP4nAJZbFQ2xBAi0qwvJkpLU0_z5w3oEpJj7So-ScPXk0dKaYAcexAM4/s640/IMG_2995.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full of possiblities.</td></tr>
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When I decided to build up a "gravel bike", despite having very little real gravel at hand, I was not sure if I was going to like it enough to ride it often. Boy am I pleasantly surprised. It is a bike that I have been riding more than any other in the stable and that tickles me to no end. Who would have thunk it?<br />
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Now that I have worked through gearing changes and tire selection, at least for now, the bike is working really well. And I have been pretty happy with the way that Salsa built the Warbird, although I still do wish they did it in a nice steel too.<br />
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At a recent press junket, I brought up the subject of Gravel Bikes to many journalists there and almost to a man they responded back with positive comments. They either are riding a bike like that or are using their cross bike or maybe even a road bike to get into "multi surface riding".<br />
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I call it dirt.<br />
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And I find myself planning rides now that have a mix of pavement and dirt; big loops that have a good amount of climbing. I have a buddy that just bought a Raleigh Willard. I have another buddy that just bought a Specialized Sirrus and we have been wondering how big a tire we can stuff in there and get into some dirt here and there. The manager of one local shop bought his and hers Cross bikes and that is what they ride most of the time now. Another shop here in local SO Cal is hosting regular Gravel Bike rides and is reaping the bennies by selling several models in that genre.<br />
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Iowa is spilling over to the Left Coast, so it seems.<br />
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Tomorrow's self supported road century ride just cancelled, so I have my options open. I already have a plan and it includes riding across town early on the Warbird, using local paths and streets. Then I will hit the dirt and climb for 9 miles or so on the dirt, mixing in some abandoned paved mtn roads, then returning on surface streets and paths. <br />
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I have been researching another route in a nearby town that will be the same type of mix. My wife is all ready to take her flat bar road bike with 38s and low gears on this one, we just need to get some cooler weather.<br />
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So I think I am getting my money's worth out of this gravel bike deal, in fact I think it is paying me back!grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-58799643373205997662015-07-17T11:11:00.000-07:002015-07-24T17:10:21.081-07:00Can a car be a soulmate?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDjsvblDHeCGpdptBJZ9BqroqMOFDF4VaiOfIbyuNLjhXpa-aOstxUX09wMyvuCJ3kyAx_kHXTN4ZPLT7m4qoQgf9d2azbiReHvwreYk_vjO2lUTLp797FkZavNqTPvuCLXPYrqNpuNw/s1600/IMG_3098-filter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDjsvblDHeCGpdptBJZ9BqroqMOFDF4VaiOfIbyuNLjhXpa-aOstxUX09wMyvuCJ3kyAx_kHXTN4ZPLT7m4qoQgf9d2azbiReHvwreYk_vjO2lUTLp797FkZavNqTPvuCLXPYrqNpuNw/s640/IMG_3098-filter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I cannot remember ever feeling this way about any other car, but going back to the beginning of the model line, the Subaru Outback wagon always caught my eye. It looked like it celebrated all the things I thought were neat in a lifestyle...a bit of practicality, a bit of adventure, and a bit of style that was counter to the Fast and Furious way of thinking about cars and life.<br />
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Not once would one go by on the road and not rate a long glance; a follow with the eyes and a swivel of the head. I was smitten, but at a distance.<br />
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A recent trip to Vail, where Subaru is considered the "Official State Car of Colorado", I bet every 3rd car in any lot was either an Outback or a Forester. I was in agony, driving around in the family truckster Mazda 5, and I whined incessantly about it, much to the chagrin of my wife.<br />
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But God was gracious and I am now among the ranks of Outback owners. I could hardly be more pleased. She's a beaut', she is. <br />
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Soulmates, we are, or at least from my viewpoint. How she feels about this, I cannot say for certain, but I suspect she feels the same. grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-20368002924567828892015-07-16T08:16:00.000-07:002015-07-16T11:00:08.111-07:00Crusher Redux.<div class="p1">
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<h4>
<i>"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"<br />Robert Browning.</i></h4>
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I would not have been so excited about heaven if I had known I would need to pedal to get up there.</div>
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In 2014 I entered the Crusher in the Tushar race event in Beaver, Utah. Known as one of the more difficult races of it's kind, it is a 70 mile bike race over a combination of paved and dirt (or gravel) roads and ascends over a total of 10,000' in those 70 miles, much of that at altitude, ending up at around 10,500' feet at the finish line.</div>
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It is, to put it mildly, challenging. It is, to put it succinctly, freaking hard, and the ex-pro road racer that thought up this thing is the race promoter, <span class="s1"><b>T. Burke Swindlehurst</b></span>. 'T-Bird' is a cruel, cruel man to be sure. That first attempt at the Crusher found me lacking in speed and I missed the time cut off by four minutes. Four lousy minutes. And that was the end of my Crusher. Done. And to add insult to injury, to rub salt into my lactic acid oozing wounds, I still had to ride another 10 miles and a few million feet of gain (felt like it anyway) to the finish line at the ski resort. But 2015 would be my revenge.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rush hour in Beaver, Ut</td></tr>
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Beaver, Utah, population 3000 or so, and the birthplace of Butch Cassidy, sits alongside Hwy 15 between St. George and Salt Lake (more or less) and is nestled at the base of the Tushar Mountains which provide an amazingly scenic background for the race course. It is the kind of place you would come to to ride on vacation, especially for a So Cal guy like me. <br />
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Beginning in town, and it's a small town to be sure, the race has a very grassroots feel to it and the community seems to enjoy having it happen. Held on the same weekend as the Butch Cassidy Days festival, the race mixes with pie eating contests and what not. It is good fun in a way that bigger towns and cities have lost the ability to provide. The race caps at 600 riders and always fills up fast, so the difficulty of the Crusher is not scaring everyone off. <br />
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The race rolls out of town on the paved State Hwy 153 alongside the Beaver River, and while it is not a steep grade, it is still uphill and the packs of riders are out for blood, so it is a fast pace right off the bat. Also, we are beginning at a 5900 feet elevation so flatlanders like me are sucking wind right away. After 11 miles it hangs a right and the grade immediately ramps up, at first on a chip seal paved surface, then into smooth dirt, and begins to climb and climb and climb, seemingly forever to the first aid station at 18 miles, pitched by a sylvan lake scene. Then it continues to ascend to the 27 mile point where that looming time cut off awaits at check point 2. You need to be there by 11:00 or you are done racing.<br />
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From there, the course drops off the face of the earth and plummets you down the Col 'd Crush, a 4000 foot descent on a gravel covered, washboard infested road, into the Piute valley where you circle around through a couple of towns, ride through the Sarlacc Pit, which can be sandy and hot, before riding back up that steep and ugly descent you barely survived. That brings you back to the aid station that was the time cut off point before you turn right and climb a good bit more to reach the high point at the finish in the Eagle Point Ski Resort.</div>
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But I never experienced most of that as I was out of the race at aid station two. No Col 'd Crush…no Sarlacc Pit…just what I read about it. But that was 2014 and 2015 would be different.</div>
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Last year I rode a well equipped 29er hard tail. It was quite good for the day, or I thought so, and it was comfy and had lots of low gears. The Crusher is a bit of a puzzler as to what bike type is fastest there, and while a cross bike or gravel bike is the prominent choice, there are a lot of riders that race a hard tail 29er or even an FS 29er. But this year I wanted to try something different. I had been curious about owning a gravel bike for a while anyway, so I built one up to see if I liked the genre (I do!) and to see if I could improve on my chances at the Crusher.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a very fun bike, it just needs a bigger motor.</td></tr>
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The 2016 Salsa Warbird (alu model) was built with a SRAM Rival 22 Hydro group running a 36/46 crank and an 11-36 rear cassette. That 1:1 low gear had shown to be adequate on the steep climbs at home and with the decent DT Swiss wheels and Panaracer 38C Comet tires, the bike weighed in at 21 lbs ready to ride (no bags, etc). It is a fast bike, and at home I was setting PRs on Strava anywhere I pointed it uphill. I figured that would transfer over to the Crusher course, but I was to be proved wrong, oh so tragically, dismally, comically wrong.</div>
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I had trained hard, or at least as hard as a very early and hot spring-into-summer allowed for and that a working guy could muster. I had a strong base fitness, and a couple of recent, hard century rides on the road had showed no cracks in my tanned and chiseled facade. Every ride I did had climbing in it and I was almost always on the Warbird, working out any bugs in set-up, etc. I felt ready. I was mistaken.<br />
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Race day was going to give us great weather and Ed the Tall, a riding buddy, was there with me to race the event. My wife had come along too, and her and the dog were going to ride the course a bit ahead of the pack and I would see her along the path somewhere before the cut off. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed the Tall and his Raleigh WIllard</td></tr>
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I only needed to be 4 minutes faster than last year. I was pretty confident that I could do that, but right from the starting gun I was struggling to stay with the pack of riders I began with, the Men's 50+, who are a group of fast, fast, old guys. Last year the Men's 50+ winner was only an hour and change slower than the overall race winner. Seriously.</div>
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I should have just ignored my heart rate monitor and done whatever it took to stay with the pack for that 11 miles up the highway before the dirt began, but I was afraid of digging a hole so deep that I could never recover so I managed my heart rate and spun along at a good pace. Still, I was already concerned as to how hard it was for me to recover from any hard effort. I never felt like I could back off, rest, then jump hard again. It just was a long, constant feeling of being under water and suffering. You see I have the body of an antelope; fleet, lean, and fast. But it is powered by the heart and lungs of a gerbil - soft, round, and furry. Or so it would seem as altitude really hammers me. And living at 1200' above sea level (if I am standing on my tip toes) does not help at all.</div>
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The dirt began and I was passing some folks who had passed me back, so that was good. I just had to really minimize any stopped time and go, go, go. But even with a very short time at aid station one, I was seeing my time slip away. I was getting concerned. The clouds rolled in and the wind came up and the temps fell. I stopped to slip on arm and leg warmers and lost some minutes, but losing critical body heat would be bad too. Then my cages rattled loose and I did not want to lose my bottles, so I was forced to stop and tighten them. More time lost.</div>
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But what surprised me was how, after attending to the cage deal, my legs were showing signs of early cramping, something that has plagued me for years, but not recently with a well sorted nutrition plan. That was not good. And it had me wondering that even if I made the time cut, could I, or should I, press on? </div>
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Miles and minutes went by and the Garmin was not making me feel better. I was running out of time and I simply could not go any faster. I was just at a loss to do anything about it, and I was struck with this incredulous realization that history was repeating itself. When I came across the wife and dog, maybe 2 miles out from the second aid station, it was 10:56 AM. I was done and I knew it. I rode on, preparing to surrender my timing chip, and was in a pretty dark place. How could I miss this again? What could I have done differently? Thoughts came to my mind like "You have no business being here." "Too old and slow."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TvDRdkiYQK4snmtLS5RwNpUDhgvnlwaAEtMqfILK_GYNpZsn_Q051j-pMsnn2NSDj3zdmliiwIcvahKHpSI937ceERel9xAPQbFJpC7nLQ4Y7ocqFnAT2MmG2446-tqYRAJDkROkEFA/s1600/IMG_3147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TvDRdkiYQK4snmtLS5RwNpUDhgvnlwaAEtMqfILK_GYNpZsn_Q051j-pMsnn2NSDj3zdmliiwIcvahKHpSI937ceERel9xAPQbFJpC7nLQ4Y7ocqFnAT2MmG2446-tqYRAJDkROkEFA/s320/IMG_3147.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I pedaled on with the consolation that even if I made this by some miracle, it might have been foolish to continue with my legs being the way they were. That thought was of little help. On the other hand, I was pretty sure I could have recovered in the descent and the road section to follow and even if I crumbled on the Col 'd Crush, I could walk or surrender the fight with some honor, knowing I made it one step farther than last year. When I rolled up to the check point I looked at my watch and saw that I was almost precisely four minutes past the time limit, just exactly what I missed by last year. How comically ironic…better bike (maybe)…better plan (maybe)…same result. I had to laugh. Other riders were coming up behind me and finding their race over as well, many of them seemingly stunned by the time cut off. Yep…sucks, huh? Welcome to my slow, slow, slow world. And I thought to myself that I will never do this silly thing again.</div>
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After a volunteer surgically removed my timing chip from my number plate with a pocket knife, I asked if he could remove my broken heart while he was at it. Just joking, pal. I already had spit out my lungs along the way, so there would have been plenty of room for him to work. I walked my bike over to the aid table and grabbed some water. Along the way, well meaning folks were yelling "good job" and "you did awesome". Well, not really. Awesome usually gets you past the cut off time in a race. I was four minutes less than awesome. I was in no hurry now, so I ate a bit, mixed up some energy drink, and hung out for a few minutes, talking to other shell shocked victims of the sands of time. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaGGJaI63MOENcG11sefovAWS7LOpTZDLhYfmud7zo4WmxjxN-jHJ8c3-ZpHjCgyvGqCBesFZ3kgo-h-j2JZDs5bvUxpotjVzacxQOv7V5ZhvV7H9SNHLtMo4Ev0586XFWm0KHhLkxAQ/s1600/IMG_3125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaGGJaI63MOENcG11sefovAWS7LOpTZDLhYfmud7zo4WmxjxN-jHJ8c3-ZpHjCgyvGqCBesFZ3kgo-h-j2JZDs5bvUxpotjVzacxQOv7V5ZhvV7H9SNHLtMo4Ev0586XFWm0KHhLkxAQ/s320/IMG_3125.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This time I decided not to ride up to the finish line like in 2014, but instead I flipped around and headed back down the course to catch up with the wife and dog so we could hang together and then drive up to the finish area for food and festivities. I did so with a mixed bag of emotions; relief, angst, frustration, wonderment, resolution, confusion and no little amount of bummed-out-ness. Along the way I felt the life returning into my legs and looked at the amazing beauty around me, something I had not appreciated on the way up with my tongue stuck to my teeth and my sweat dripping onto my top tube like a melting block of salt. </div>
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My mood brightened as the mountains yielded their elevation to me, and down, down I sped till I met up with the family. Over a tuna fish and cranberry sandwich, shared three ways of course (the dog), and tasting like the most delicious thing I could ever remember eating, I looked at the lake in these pictures and thought how beautiful this place is. How terribly, terribly hard and frustrating and difficult and beautiful.</div>
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And I was already working on a new plan for next year.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgABI2rGXV4YpnpB1g3Qlair_9hJXAKb6B8nhNOG6xdQv4GSmH0lZUFWxf0tnXa26p1QwtacKKKlpvylQwe-uBr9B3F8ltlVVNdr40lLKcopkFbQcypeNzT2bf8gzb6AE8qMTTusSGC-w/s1600/IMG_3118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgABI2rGXV4YpnpB1g3Qlair_9hJXAKb6B8nhNOG6xdQv4GSmH0lZUFWxf0tnXa26p1QwtacKKKlpvylQwe-uBr9B3F8ltlVVNdr40lLKcopkFbQcypeNzT2bf8gzb6AE8qMTTusSGC-w/s640/IMG_3118.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, not bad on the eyes, this Utah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuP5-ID9H9WL2lomzLX32YvOpGkADzo3RcOVyZUWQuDn7M9bdfdAGGSDpHsO3pi5lELDQUVrWHUFJyE0TdmxJcI5EyRtKiZD4kIJvzzCd9Dvo9nNpH1nt0vJjvTqd0FE6tkPorE094Xw/s1600/IMG_3106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuP5-ID9H9WL2lomzLX32YvOpGkADzo3RcOVyZUWQuDn7M9bdfdAGGSDpHsO3pi5lELDQUVrWHUFJyE0TdmxJcI5EyRtKiZD4kIJvzzCd9Dvo9nNpH1nt0vJjvTqd0FE6tkPorE094Xw/s640/IMG_3106.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The registration area blends with the town festivities.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnjgkfxUuwmbsRoScRTMu6wXvFVKh1rOKObvwifx-i-TYCyV_24vnw9y4MlH_fsJRNaRGY0xwr-TRkDMFBnK4rU7NpqfW1liTW5kuhwvCW2ktjFu6pL-O-UkXz6FS0FGtj0iOeWkKhQQ/s1600/IMG_3100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnjgkfxUuwmbsRoScRTMu6wXvFVKh1rOKObvwifx-i-TYCyV_24vnw9y4MlH_fsJRNaRGY0xwr-TRkDMFBnK4rU7NpqfW1liTW5kuhwvCW2ktjFu6pL-O-UkXz6FS0FGtj0iOeWkKhQQ/s640/IMG_3100.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a real, honest to goodness pie eating contest.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOtXPEMk09y2vaXB0F9XrOrXJ5iQjvmOSYX8g70rw_YgUC9tZo7NVpOrqEJrMOD6Bvtxd6Y8ivE_WLmiXH0GI-GLDzhKzlJYI5dVRu9JTRXez1K7VMf1tONyi5r9Nlgxp48-aAqThmLE/s1600/IMG_3146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOtXPEMk09y2vaXB0F9XrOrXJ5iQjvmOSYX8g70rw_YgUC9tZo7NVpOrqEJrMOD6Bvtxd6Y8ivE_WLmiXH0GI-GLDzhKzlJYI5dVRu9JTRXez1K7VMf1tONyi5r9Nlgxp48-aAqThmLE/s640/IMG_3146.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEj2nahMoHGwpFrKPK1sl5cIbSplOe5sKvkIXus3-6G4DGa9wKFsX7pwK7Gjx0gpt85gm-I-S6j81J-W8c5DIWbC6NGlq6tIRq0EFOW3keDnjLvdKpklslqbNj5flPkO1gqthb90SyQk/s1600/IMG_3135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEj2nahMoHGwpFrKPK1sl5cIbSplOe5sKvkIXus3-6G4DGa9wKFsX7pwK7Gjx0gpt85gm-I-S6j81J-W8c5DIWbC6NGlq6tIRq0EFOW3keDnjLvdKpklslqbNj5flPkO1gqthb90SyQk/s640/IMG_3135.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTE8grRpE8UjDDt7p7NiBeH9uNnc8hjxPmv3s1g2OETt5SLLZ5cSxVqzxaasZLg2VGQQ8ysElheXVNUUNOfjCRSV2C7mZ9SgjAaQGapIfviQ5NCAB93bW7WdGx7rk8H0G8X-mcfSBygc/s1600/IMG_3143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTE8grRpE8UjDDt7p7NiBeH9uNnc8hjxPmv3s1g2OETt5SLLZ5cSxVqzxaasZLg2VGQQ8ysElheXVNUUNOfjCRSV2C7mZ9SgjAaQGapIfviQ5NCAB93bW7WdGx7rk8H0G8X-mcfSBygc/s640/IMG_3143.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YESSIR, SERGEANT MAJOR SIR!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fOFtZonR2Zqbz-k6WSnRYKZ39Il76NnZ4bnSTlxwU51ZhjrDPqfp9VU7OyHvW_msfR_UNNF5SRkDNgqA0PLlelo32lq_yosy4KxtjQr5DA57XAzXJqK4c7r-5qeZziZkGgMXmnh0sOQ/s1600/IMG_3108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fOFtZonR2Zqbz-k6WSnRYKZ39Il76NnZ4bnSTlxwU51ZhjrDPqfp9VU7OyHvW_msfR_UNNF5SRkDNgqA0PLlelo32lq_yosy4KxtjQr5DA57XAzXJqK4c7r-5qeZziZkGgMXmnh0sOQ/s640/IMG_3108.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cannondale Slate with 45mm-ish 650b slicks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXnMk9qPIOxodFM8alilC_3hvAv8Z0iY_Oj2njM-Xv2L76SOA9WhlJkofEvWQ-oOd48VaAqjVHDbAoqy5T2KCKnX9kZrONErV2QYbjp0urcIbmtai3y0mGfCrsuRvaYHOzX2U96rQAMo/s1600/IMG_3149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXnMk9qPIOxodFM8alilC_3hvAv8Z0iY_Oj2njM-Xv2L76SOA9WhlJkofEvWQ-oOd48VaAqjVHDbAoqy5T2KCKnX9kZrONErV2QYbjp0urcIbmtai3y0mGfCrsuRvaYHOzX2U96rQAMo/s640/IMG_3149.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where it all ended for me. It was pretty cold too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2bjU_xdjjMeJTWIYKFcT_vKf-6MqJWV5_MJOhD71o4u8DkjlKif0OIEH_OcvWau4dXCoXOeskPyABENfPNZ_YtvzlCtBdiNULJlvuOi9xxN8DEkq6a_ADkfaKI8yN8_1DqEE7HQBi5c/s1600/IMG_3152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2bjU_xdjjMeJTWIYKFcT_vKf-6MqJWV5_MJOhD71o4u8DkjlKif0OIEH_OcvWau4dXCoXOeskPyABENfPNZ_YtvzlCtBdiNULJlvuOi9xxN8DEkq6a_ADkfaKI8yN8_1DqEE7HQBi5c/s640/IMG_3152.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last 1/2 mile of pavement may be the cruelest part of the race.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlQM8iVAPT8lvCibZXU3Y6F8Usj6rJuVNJfZ6nm-ZHtlJnvTn_cwJmbEtf3xR4a2ULJKXQLs2mqjY1porQ3AD7wFibGQbfVCYJAo5NTm4uSwYcF2b5XHDp-99XJGM95gpn1e4hST9LM8/s1600/IMG_3154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlQM8iVAPT8lvCibZXU3Y6F8Usj6rJuVNJfZ6nm-ZHtlJnvTn_cwJmbEtf3xR4a2ULJKXQLs2mqjY1porQ3AD7wFibGQbfVCYJAo5NTm4uSwYcF2b5XHDp-99XJGM95gpn1e4hST9LM8/s640/IMG_3154.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rider nears the finish line I have yet to see with a bike under me. Next year!</td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qOz25EsKQ34" width="560"></iframe>grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-75044997283346012002015-06-21T17:26:00.000-07:002015-06-21T17:26:19.210-07:00Father's Day Morning.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqSTfjiuViz63eUvgvcow6jV9ZssetSPrV1wnScVtWtJNwlOy7Hm2tgpx5m9xFJWn-gYY6-502FNZ0U6BrUNu5HTpIm8Tb0rUXqbbgMrP0oRpQakMSyMw3Att2EG0dQjn6u3z3qkpMvw/s1600/IMG_3047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqSTfjiuViz63eUvgvcow6jV9ZssetSPrV1wnScVtWtJNwlOy7Hm2tgpx5m9xFJWn-gYY6-502FNZ0U6BrUNu5HTpIm8Tb0rUXqbbgMrP0oRpQakMSyMw3Att2EG0dQjn6u3z3qkpMvw/s640/IMG_3047.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-29267549320027600322015-06-15T08:39:00.000-07:002015-06-15T08:39:16.706-07:00What's In a Name?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTmtHl26WBBm3bxFs0I6cef0W2YTSOV-4qSKDaIzX5-6AQ6cMiO0aDg25HThOsVVttA60xIUScu5swIZ1EUJYfiSZzGPDj4Aovk_VZkiMjejarlIYjE3X5ZkTPOQBo_QF2vRxkXvffZQ/s1600/ray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTmtHl26WBBm3bxFs0I6cef0W2YTSOV-4qSKDaIzX5-6AQ6cMiO0aDg25HThOsVVttA60xIUScu5swIZ1EUJYfiSZzGPDj4Aovk_VZkiMjejarlIYjE3X5ZkTPOQBo_QF2vRxkXvffZQ/s1600/ray.jpg" /></a></div>
<h4>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><i>"Now you can call me Ray, or you can call me J, or you can call me Johnny, or you can call me Sonny..." Raymond J. Johnson Jr.</i></span></h4>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Cross bike.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Gravel Bike.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Adventure Bike.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">All Road Bike.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">X-Road bike.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Mixed Surface Bike.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">I cannot recall a time when the marketing folks in the bicycle industry have struggled so hard to define a niche. And believe me, this industry LOVES 'niche'. Niche means you need yet another bike in your stable and this biz thrives on 'the next thing'. But I digress.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Take a road bike, open it up for bigger tires, slacken the angles a bit, and tune it for comfort and stability and you have drawn a big circle around this new genre. Now I am not poo-pooing the idea. Far from it. I am very much enjoying the gravel bike I have in my garage (yes, the maker of the bike calls it a "<i><b>Gravel</b></i> <i><b>Race Bike</b></i>". So, there!). But not everyone has such a clear vision of what they are selling.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">So what's in a name? This gravel thing was too good to stay in the rolling plains of the Mid West. It has spilled out across those borders and founds it's way into places like So Cal where I live. But we have no gravel, per se. We have dirt. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">And we have paved road - lots of that - that can be mixed with dirt. So the appeal is there for a bike that can cover all kinds of surfaces (although I think "Mixed Surface Bike" is the worst name of all...sounds like a Home Depot product..."mix well and wait 24 hours before use").</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYTwRH5lVxuVQU5N_CufCdR1FaiPNbtOmkFMyPE_d58PIdXkAXyrCGOIGZUanGVGFqkmIybS4Xvb0icvKNcI75qOxGfmGhJg51bycN6qJWw-RcSkuKvnNj4DpvKEGnz1DZYytPBs4U_o/s1600/bell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYTwRH5lVxuVQU5N_CufCdR1FaiPNbtOmkFMyPE_d58PIdXkAXyrCGOIGZUanGVGFqkmIybS4Xvb0icvKNcI75qOxGfmGhJg51bycN6qJWw-RcSkuKvnNj4DpvKEGnz1DZYytPBs4U_o/s1600/bell.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><i>"Call me what you like, just don't call me late for dinner."</i></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">But what to call them, these new bikes that are not really cyclocross, not really road, and not really an MTB at all? No one seems to know. Heck, even I am not sure and I find myself using one of those terms listed above in a conversation and feeling awkward about it, like I called one of my kids by the wrong name. I mean, don't I KNOW what it's called?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">No. And neither does anyone else, it seems. At least not in the broader sense. Yet defining this in a marketing sense is important...got to get that term right so as to not exclude potential buyers. And no one wants to miss this gravel gravy train, so you are seeing most of the bike makers getting something out there that gets them in the game. So back to the list of name options (and I am sure as I write this, more are being thought up).</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><b><u>Cross bike:</u></b> In some cases it is accurate, like if I have a Specialized Crux. But I am not 'Crossing on it (as in cyclocross racing). Still it is a real 'cross bike, yet most new bikes coming to the market are certainly NOT a 'cross bike and calling them so would be wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><b><u>Gravel Bike:</u></b> Personally my favorite. Even if gravel is not the same everywhere, it is easy to say and folks 'get it', even if you do not have gravel to ride it on. It means (or should mean) that it is a bit lower, a bit slacker, more comfy, and bigger tires will fit compared to a typical 'cross bike. Or at least to me it does and that is where the gravel bike and 'cross bike begin to take separate paths.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><b><u>Adventure Bike:</u></b> Really? Any bike is an adventure bike. And while you cannot deny that pretty much any bike can be ridden on a dirt or gravel road, not all of them will do it well. And adventures, or how you experience them, are quite different. There is road based touring, fat biking (snow or otherwise), century-type road stuff, bike packing, and ...gasp...dare we say it, having an adventure on any old regular MTB.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><u><b>All Road Bike: </b></u> Interesting and maybe a contender. But is a Trek Domane with 32mm tires stuffed in there really a bike for all roads? There are some roads that would truly suck on that bike. Try the White Rim Trail in Utah. It's a road. Is this the Jack of all, master of none approach? Not sure.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><b><u>X-Road bike:</u></b> I think Giant has this one in their corporate pocket. But I have no idea what it means. Can I cross the road on it or what?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><b><u>Mixed Surface Bike:</u></b> Saw a Ti bike called that from a big builder in that frame material. Ick. See Home Depot comment above.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">So until something better comes along, I am sticking with Gravel Bike. At least I have some idea what I am saying at the time.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDP9u0aqV67GmpPjB-VK51aRqsH0EjO9KdAW-nPlwmju0ySmgpTXhpREGI937BdDQRl8mzo85tppR9f3u9yzH_Fxxdh3CgpK8Snyx40iLbYITKgdRK7ZOCmTfWtQnKKE_KcCXpvOEXED4/s1600/IMG_3037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDP9u0aqV67GmpPjB-VK51aRqsH0EjO9KdAW-nPlwmju0ySmgpTXhpREGI937BdDQRl8mzo85tppR9f3u9yzH_Fxxdh3CgpK8Snyx40iLbYITKgdRK7ZOCmTfWtQnKKE_KcCXpvOEXED4/s640/IMG_3037.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sign that befits the quandry, courtesy of the 4077th MASH unit.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-18349665653903983382015-06-15T07:33:00.000-07:002015-06-15T07:33:32.868-07:00Warbird UpdateRemember that I had a Warbird on order? Well go over to ridinggravel.com and look for the Warbird article series. But I am very happy with what it has turned out to be. I am still fine tuning gearing and tires and such but I think that is about done for now, or at least until 1X road gets on the market and then I might go to Gearing Phase III.<br />
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Meanwhile....it is being used and enjoyed. It is surprising where that bike can go and not surprising where it cannot go.<br />
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More on that later. <br />
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-42119760336796727342015-06-02T01:50:00.002-07:002015-06-02T01:51:15.749-07:00Then I'm gone.<div class="p1">
Pulling back the curtains and peering out the window into the dimly lit darkness showed a foggy morning, the street lamps looking like little moons haloed by the moisture in the air. I had no idea how cold it was and was not sure I wanted to find out.</div>
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I sat in the dim light, not wanting to stir the entire household, pulling on a base layer under the bib knicker's straps, then a wool jersey over that, then finishing with a jacket rolled and tucked into the center pocket. Tires were checked and the sound of a "PSSSFFFttt!" from the presta valves as the Silca pump head was removed, worried the dog who looked a bit afraid that she was going to be invited on the ride. She got up, spun in a circle or two, then laid back down, turning away from me as if to put that idea to rest.</div>
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Shoes next…ratcheting straps ratcheted, wool head cover pulled on, then helmet, then gloves. The sounds of clacking cleats on the hard floor mixed with the click click click of the free hub as I duck walked to the front door, pulled on the handle and caught a full breath of cool, moist air. </div>
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A thought came to me. "I could be in a Rapha video right now".</div>
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Out into the morning, away from warmth and comfort, pedals turn and gears spin as muscles strain to wake up and perform. Maybe the dog was right.</div>
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I wonder how many times I have done this, this pedaling thing. No idea. I cannot even be sure how old I am at this moment…let's see…my inner abacus whirs and clicks along with the gear changes and a freshly oiled chain, but it's early and math is hard. It is certain that nearly 6 decades on their earth have gone by and I settle on one number or another as my age. Close enough. Until carbon 14 dating gets a bit more accurate or I die and they count the tree rings, that estimation will have to do. What's in a birth date anyway?</div>
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From birth till somewhere in our 20's we are on an upward swing, getting better and faster and holding a glass half full, our bodies and minds being an optimist. But around the mid 20s, it begins to tilt the other way and some guy comes along with that half empty glass and kicks the half full glass guy in the nuts and steals his glass. From there it's a desperate attempt to keep even status quo in sight.</div>
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No matter. The road turns up and into the fog as moisture from the air condenses on my helmet brim and mixes with sweat on my face. There are no glasses in sight, full or empty. Just the road and the tires and the pedals that require my full attention.</div>
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The road forks and I stay right, into smooth dirt that I can smell and feel under my tires more than see. Earthy and rich. Water drips from road side plants and I brush them in my hasty weaving, adding to the wetness I am becoming. Not cold anymore. Working harder now and man that feels good. So familiar. How do people live their lives and not do hard things like this? I have the half empty glass guy worried that I might be gaining on him just a bit.</div>
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And then I am there. The top. I cannot actually see that I am on any summit, as I am covered in clouds. But I know this road, and where it leads. On comes the jacket, fastened tightly for the descent to come. Ears are covered, gloves pulled tight. Somewhere down below there is a barrista who knows me, knows I am out here, and knows what to do about that. And with fast moving hands, jets of steam, and careful pouring of milk into steel cups, he or she is creating aromas that call to me. Click…clack. In the pedals and pushing away. </div>
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The wind tugs at me, flapping fabrics and pushing beads of water off my helmet in fast streams. Gravity vs. wind. The eternal cyclist battle. I bring in my knees to the top tube, reach for the drops, and lower my head. Things go quiet. I look up, craning my neck to see the next line, the next corner. A foot is dropped to the outside, weight is shifted, and then I am gone.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of www.Rapha.cc</td></tr>
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grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-8023726226473038992015-03-03T00:54:00.000-08:002015-03-03T00:54:52.896-08:00Gettin' Fat.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You have seen them, I bet, and thought "Hmmmm…maybe that would be cool?" Fatbikes - those rolling Stay Puft Marshmallow bikes that are all over the snowy parts of North America and beyond. As well, desert dwellers seem to love them as they make sand and loose rock just a slight annoyance.<br />
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But I was only curious, not smitten, and I had no immediate need, sooooo…..<br />
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What has been interesting to see has been the acceptance of these El Gordo scoots as 'normal' MTB rides. It seems that there are riders, if you can believe the 'wilder-net', that once they get a Fatbike, they make it the go-to bike and the carbon/FS/Uberbikes just gather dust in the corner. <br />
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Huh! Really? Why would that be for a typical trail or XC rider? Unless you spend big, Fatbikes are heavy and a bit slow. The tires are $150.00 bucks a pop, not something you want to be burning out pedaling down some smooth trail somewhere. And we only just now have ONE front suspension fork on the market (although that will change this year) and there are three or so FS models out as well. But most Fattys are rigid set-ups and that big tire only goes so far to absorb bumps, etc.<br />
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I have seen riders on these things pedaling them for a 100 mile gravel race. Seriously? I totally do not get that, unless you just love being odd and wasting energy. Horses for courses, not mules for fools.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnLKFvZ7-1em3BiRfCH-RsGKEYsGlemvDvNgBvNjxU3h_2N1gnAGpSgDdG9FlwMVRvTKcpjmH8yFi8UqikqffpFDtzJT_xcdAYfEa14eQ60PYVouY3Vr4mQBK879PwDsPJJH12DPMoWs/s1600/DSC06409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnLKFvZ7-1em3BiRfCH-RsGKEYsGlemvDvNgBvNjxU3h_2N1gnAGpSgDdG9FlwMVRvTKcpjmH8yFi8UqikqffpFDtzJT_xcdAYfEa14eQ60PYVouY3Vr4mQBK879PwDsPJJH12DPMoWs/s1600/DSC06409.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a>Time went by, but in the back of my mind was the thought that a Fatbike just might be the perfect adventure vehicle if you wanted to open up trails that were not that fun on a regular 29"er. I lean that way, to the adventure side, although my life restricts that more than I would like but it is what it is for now. <br />
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So when an opportunity came my way to get on a Fatty for a while, I jumped on it. Salsa sent out a 2015 Mukluk 3, not a fancy scoot, but perfect for getting my size jumbo feet wet in this weird world of 5PSI tire numbers and BBs wide enough to suit a bow-legged cowboy.<br />
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I will be experiencing this for myself and the actual 'review' of sorts…I do not consider myself a competent and confident Fatbike reviewer…will be carried on twentynineinches.com. Stay tuned here for more of the personal experience of the journey.<br />
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I will be getting on trail and finding out some things. Could I use this as my 'main ride'? Will 3.8" tires woo me into a place where it's all I want to roll on from now on? Can I go back to rigid bike or are the poofy tires really that comfy? <br />
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I will be setting it up for bikepacking for sure and planning some outings. It's gonna' be interesting.<br />
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Granny is getting' fat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Salsa Mukluk 3 in all its glory.</td></tr>
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-52026163392677019292015-02-26T13:52:00.000-08:002015-02-26T13:52:39.501-08:00Why is this so hard?Well, posting has taken a biiig back seat to all the rest of my writing/testing duties and that is not likely to change soon soooo…..apologies, if you care.<br />
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But this gravel bike thing…oh man has this been a journey. I have never found it so hard to get just what I want - price, geometry, features, construction, etc. I could get really close, but having all the things I wanted in the right combo simply does not exist as far as I can see. <br />
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So this is what I was looking for, based on what I know and what others that I trust know:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Geometry: A low BB of AT LEAST 70mms of drop. 75mms would be better. A head tube angle that will not be too scary at speed on the dirt. What is that for sure? Dunno', but over 72° is not it. Lower stand-over, in that I mean a sloping TT so the seat tube length is NOT taller than my road bikes fer cryin out loud! I am not shouldering this thing and running up steps and I do not care at all about your bias, speaking to the bike frame builders here, the bias that says a level top tube looks 'classic'. So do steel forks and gum wall tires.</li>
<li>Features: Big room for big tires. At least 40s with mud room. I can always run a smaller tire if I want to. Multiple WB mounts would be good. Fenders or rack mounts? Don't care.</li>
<li>Construction: A decently compliant ride, regardless of the material used. Most bikes I looked at were over-built for gravel use. Has to have a carbon fork for weight savings and vibration canceling. </li>
<li>Price: I'm not rich and this not my main ride for life, so a custom frame is not in the cards. Frame/fork for a grand or so would be fine.</li>
</ul>
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One of the issues here, maybe the BIG issue here, is the muddy mess that this gravel/all-road/any-road/dirt road niche has become. Even the riders who are doing it cannot agree on what is good or bad for bike set-up. The manufacturers are trying to figure out if the trend is worth the cost of all the R&D to jump in for real. Or they are trying to say that the cross bike they have is a great dirt road bike too. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Despite all this, and working within the compromises in the market place, I nearly had the following bikes in my garage:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Ritchey Swiss Cross disc - Nice steel, not heavy Surly-type steel. Carbon fork, NOT overbuilt. Will ride very nicely, I bet, based on the time on my steel Ritchey road frame. Only room for a 38C tire and a BB drop of 63mm plus a semi steep HT angle had it on the iffy list, but I would have pulled the trigger except production delays had me passing on this one.</li>
<li>Raleigh Williard - Tics all the right boxes and is lighter than the all steel Tamland. Big tire room, long and low. Tons of BB drop. Slacker angles. The alu frame ride quality is a complete unknown though and I would have had to buy a complete bike (no frame option) and strip it. Still, this was a contender and I think Raleigh at least 'gets it' regarding gravel bikes.</li>
<li>Specialized Crux - Expensive in carbon, better $$ in alu and with a frame only option. Maybe room for bigger than 38s. Decent geo specs, but still a cross bike approach. And besides that, they were out of stock, but I had ridden the carbon version and I liked it.</li>
<li>Niner RLT - Every professional review I read on this bike mentioned the rough ride. Overbuilt for its intended use. High BB too, but big tire room and slacker HT angle is nice. Good price too. Pity.</li>
<li>Ibis Hakkalugi - I actually had a great deal on a demo bike and had it in my house when the deal was just not quite right for me. Still, the geo is very good, low and slack, and the frame is known for a smooth ride. Only room for 38s or so, but this one was very close to ideal. In the end, the $$ level of the deal was just not right.</li>
<li>Salsa Warbird - Too much money in Ti and the alu one had a rep for a stiff ride. Tire size is sort-of ok, and it could be lower and slacker too.</li>
<li>Others like All City cycles, Black Mtn Cycles, Surly, and a Ti frame that cannot be named…either they were too heavy, too tall, too high, too something.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Sigh.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then Frost Bike 2015 happened and the clouds parted a bit. The new Salsa Warbird was announced and my ears perked up. It was a bit lower at the BB. It was more compliant than before, and even the alu model was better in that regard than the old Ti version. It had tons of tire room. It still was a bit steep in front, but the new fork was redesigned for gravel use, not 'cross use, so it looks like it is NOT overbuilt for miles of tiny bumps. It was not too tall at the ST and it was tall enough at the HT for this old guy.</div>
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And, best of all, the alu one was available as a frame set at a just under one grand cost with a carbon fork. Oh my. Unless I want to wait for the next year for something else that may never come, this was very, very close to ideal.</div>
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And it's on order.</div>
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grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-62450850521435845622015-01-20T15:01:00.000-08:002015-01-20T15:01:44.391-08:00But I have no gravel!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And yet, here I am on the precipice of purchasing a 'gravel' bike…well, it is a cross bike really, but it will be a sweet gravel bike too. Am I just a bandwagon jumpee? Perhaps. I tried the slack-in-front/short-in-back 29er hard tail deal and that was a bust. I mean, you cannot pick up an industry mag without reading about either fat bikes or gravel bikes. Am I chasing a fad?<br />
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I don't think so, and this is why.<br />
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I have already ridden three gravel events, one on a cross bike, one on a 29er hard tail, and one on a 29er FS (Epic) so I have an idea of how it feels to ride one. As well, I really, really liked the format of the events. They were long and non-technical, but challenging and scenic. I really liked them and pedaling for miles in open spaces or along mountain roads does not bother me at all.<br />
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I have been doing a lot of summer road riding, so the body position and overall style of bike is working for me on the road. It is not like I have never held onto drop bars before. <br />
<br />
But.<br />
<br />
I got no gravel. Nope. None. Not in the classic style, anyway.<br />
<br />
Oh now, I have dirt roads…yessir…lots and lots and lots of those. And I have miles of paved roads connecting them so there is the potential to make some big training loops by stitching together road and dirt sections. And I plan on entering at least two gravel events for 2015, so while it is still a gamble, it is not a complete jump off a blind cliff.<br />
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If it all goes well and the stars align, etc…<br />
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-75433453210042434762014-12-17T20:11:00.000-08:002014-12-17T20:11:32.451-08:00Selfie before the storm.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-71487575373917398562014-12-15T11:22:00.000-08:002014-12-15T11:22:36.364-08:00On the road side….<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, I am on my second road bike of the decade now. After building up the steel Ritchey Logic bike, a project that really came out well, I decided that I was liking it well enough to dive in a bit deeper. The Ritchey was built with SRAM Rival 10spd (love Doubletap), an FSA Mid Compact crank with 52/36 rings running into a 12-28 rear cassette, FSA brakes, stem, and seat post, Ritchey bars and tape, Ritchey pedals, and a Specialized saddle. The wheels were American Classic tube-type Hurricane wheels with Conti 700x25 GP4000s.<br />
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It came in at 18.5 lbs with pedals and was really a fine bike. It rode like a steel bike…smooth and silent... and that carbon fork kept the weight down. I did a few centuries on it and some all around group rides, training rides, etc. It was obvious that road riding was not a fad for me and I rode it more than anything else all summer. But there were a couple of things I wanted to change a bit, so I began thinking about the next road bike.<br />
<br />
The 59cm frame was just slightly long in the reach for me. I was barely ok with a 10cm stem and that was a short as I feel is good for a road bike for someone my size. It was a great handling bike all in all, but I was thinking I would like to back off the HT angle a bit from the 73.5° setup the Ritchey had. I was also ready to try a good carbon frame and 11spd shifting. What I was not ready for was disc brakes, thinking that the refinement is still happening on the road side. Next bike, for sure, but not this one.<br />
<br />
So I began looking around to see what was turning heads and setting the bar for endurance/sport bikes without costing me a fortune. As much as I would have appreciated the higher end lay-ups in carbon frames like the S Works or Hi Mod type of stuff, I did not want to spend that much. This was not going to be a 'super bike' build then, but just really, really good. Working on a budget then, I looked at three bikes that were at the LBS: The Specialized Roubaix SL4, the Cannondale Synapse Carbon, and the Giant Defy Advanced. All were similar in spec and weight, and I only was able to ride them in the basic bike shop parking lot situation, hardly ideal.<br />
<br />
Reading about the bikes as much as I can, I knew that the Giant Defy and Defy Advanced had set the bar for the endurance road bike market. I had recently bought my wife the women's version of that bike, an Avail Advanced, and she absolutely loved it. The Roubaix was where the modern endurance bike met the masses and it was loved by MAMILs everywhere. But the Synapse had been re-done for 2014 and the new carbon layup, combined with a more sporting geometry than some others in its class, really had me intrigued. Riding them, the Roubaix seemed a bit stodgy. The Giant was likely the best of all and had a great, stable, yet fun feel to it. The Synapse was the sportiest of the three and snapped up pretty well when asked to, but was as comfy as any of them.<br />
<br />
In the end, the Synapse worked out the best for me as I was able to get it with a lower spec'd grouppo and work out my plan of replacing the parts and putting my own stuff on there. So, since the frames/fork are all the same across the bottom few models, I bought a Shimano 105 bike and stripped it. On went a complete SRAM Force 11 speed group and a compact crank in a 172.5mm length. I was finding that the 175s that I run everywhere else…MTB, SS, etc, seemed to be a bit tiring to spin all day on a road ride. I used the same model of Ritchey bars, added a Ritchey stem and tape, and the same model in a Specialized Ronin saddle.<br />
<br />
The wheels were a pretty big step up. A set of American Classic tubeless Argents with special graphics shod with the same 700x25 Contis looked amazing and are darn light and stiff. Tubeless ready, but not yet for me.<br />
<br />
The end result was a bike that weighs 2 lbs less overall and accelerates and climbs better than the Ritchey, although the steel bike still out-smooves it. I also got a better fit in the 58cm Synapse and even with a 110cm stem have a cockpit that is 1/2" closer at the brake hoods. Perfect. I also got a bit more stability in the overall vibe of the bike, something I notice on rough, fast corners and even on long straight sections of road, in the wind, etc. Except for the slightly reduced comfort and the loss of some uniqueness, the Synapse has been total win.<br />
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-56449709220206420392014-12-05T13:01:00.003-08:002014-12-05T13:10:09.011-08:00Idaho Revisited…The Victory LapLife has been quite intense since Mid August, so there has been little energy to blog…still, this demands a conclusion.<br />
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All the way to Idaho I was gauging my health and staying decently drugged up. I had come down with a cold of some kind the week before the event and I was really struggling on whether or not to go. In the end, I figured if nothing else I could cheer on Navy Mike and drink hot teas in a coffee shop while he raced. I was really hoping not to infect Navy Mike along the way, but I figured that it would take longer than 1.5 days to have anything really affect him for the event day. If he gets sick post-victory, so be it. We can eat cheeseburgers and take Sudafed together.<br />
<br />
Along the way, at gas stop somewhere, I was listening to a group of touristy looking folks with interesting accents while I waited in the world's longest Subway Sandwich line. It turns out they were a bunch of New Zealanders out on holiday along the old Route 66, all of them in matching Ford Mustangs. Sweet.<br />
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Friday night we rolled into the area and found our hotel…a very nice one, by the way…just downstream a bit from Ketchum. We unloaded our bikes in a light rain. Hmmmm. 93 miles of rain riding and a head cold too? The Sun Valley area had been getting an unseasonable amount of summer rain and while that could make for nearly dust free and fast road conditions, it might be over the top on the day of. We shall see as the weather was supposed to clear by then.<br />
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Saturday we arose and headed over to the town square for the pancake breakfast served to us by bright faced young girls and all of this for charity. Awesome. We set up our chairs on main street for the parade later on and did what any high level athlete does the day before the race. We went shopping. This is the weekend when the town shuts down summer and flips the winter switch so the deals at the local outdoors shops are really pretty good. The parade was very cool…that is a really, really big steer.<br />
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I went for a walk with Navy Mike to see if we could get to the river we could hear below town. A wall of fancy condos and driveways with No Trespassing signs kept us from our goal. Sooo close and yet… I was just about done-in by my 2 mile walk. At this point I could not imagine riding tomorrow. I was a bit concerned. I waited in a line in the nicest Starbucks I had ever seen, hit the green tea and honey and waited to see what the next day would bring. We ate at The Powerhouse, a combo bike shop/food place/micro brewery that served a great ahi burger. I actually was feeling better as well but I was still nervous about the next day.<br />
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And then it was here. Thanks to God and a good night's sleep, I woke up feeling nearly normal. The early morning ritual of up in the dark, figuring out breakfast, final mixing of bottles, then out in the dark to drive to the start in Ketchum had me feeling better and better about this endeavor. The crowds, the bikes, nervous laughter, colorful jerseys and lots of selfies; the starting line poured into the street and out of town to Trail Creek Road with a police escort.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERlQgwT66CAQ26JzGy054eKLlmaue4zv1VmPoaO7aucPZy3slEUGPfBevPkbml2dX9YCrYC71FlHykq-IIL124I7_cAwNq-AuhvGuLg1xhMr9LEo-b6WFNv1Nu8r6DB6nmu1MoErplXY/s1600/IMG_2242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERlQgwT66CAQ26JzGy054eKLlmaue4zv1VmPoaO7aucPZy3slEUGPfBevPkbml2dX9YCrYC71FlHykq-IIL124I7_cAwNq-AuhvGuLg1xhMr9LEo-b6WFNv1Nu8r6DB6nmu1MoErplXY/s1600/IMG_2242.jpg" height="422" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhNEvkRYhP6jHw802Dkaq9lqC6HrkdQd1BRlkot32ytDr5q3JziNgzA9XqIk7lTZuiEf1UKakctlKyjHen-AUNmdG-5S43plNOQtmprPRIDbyjeIAsKokLifwyuHxzoLOpo5Bd1lB9QU/s1600/IMG_2220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhNEvkRYhP6jHw802Dkaq9lqC6HrkdQd1BRlkot32ytDr5q3JziNgzA9XqIk7lTZuiEf1UKakctlKyjHen-AUNmdG-5S43plNOQtmprPRIDbyjeIAsKokLifwyuHxzoLOpo5Bd1lB9QU/s1600/IMG_2220.jpg" height="378" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nissan is a new event sponsor.</td></tr>
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Last year I had a lighter bike and a small Camelbak. I pushed too hard too fast and did not have spinning gears for the first climb. I never really recovered from that and that was a big factor in my cutting short the ride the first time. This year I had a much heavier bike and no hydration pack, but I had gears! Real MTB gears, light wheels, fast tires…mix that with the good pedaling platform that a Specialized Epic is and I was passing groups of people that last year were passing me. This is a good plan. <br />
<br />
The rain was beginning to fall and up ahead, the summit was draped in clouds. All I could hope for was a clearing or something less than full on rain. I had dressed a bit conservatively and did not have any real rain gear. Monsoons would end this day for me. I was wearing some Specialized bib shorts with knee warmers, a base tank, a race s/s jersey from Endura with a wind proof front, and arm warmers with a Buff head wrap. Wool socks and a extra set of warmer gloves and a windbreaker was all I had to upgrade to if the weather came in. Up we went into the mist.<br />
<br />
I barely stopped at the SAG stop at the summit and pressed on with the goal of not missing the cut off. This year would see record setting course times as the dirt was packed down and there was little washboard. The weather had opened up so it looked like it would not rain anytime soon. I flew on the Epic and ran right by the second SAG. Hitting SAG 3, I was almost an hour up on last year's time and I felt pretty darn good too. The head cold was not affecting me and my legs were still moving well. I was going to make it.<br />
<br />
I took my time at SAG 3, fueled up and headed out into Copper Basin, the best part of the ride. I was doing the mental calculations on a finishing time. I had set out to do 8 hrs start to finish. Navy Mike had set a 6.5 hour goal. I was thinking I might be under 7 hours myself. Wow. I pedaled with renewed focus and the miles and hours clicked by. Back at SAG 3 and 4, I stocked up on food and water and hit the fast return to Trail Creek road. I was thinking I would be close to 6.5 hours! But I knew that last year, as soon as I turned onto Trail Creek Rd, the headwinds hit me full on. That could be a kill joy for a record time.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, cranks were turned and gravel sped by under my tires.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjD5Uc9QdGxhF0vIJMeMtWxx9FbtF59hsF9sNc0UWsFuV2SqUR-6pIdgOPtm6owCwRN-Eyx3urIbaaFwP2E3HafU8zzWQjU91Q3rZRq-5Mb0dkMj0fz1m_2tG7byxU09HL5dL54EBavk/s1600/IMG_2250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjD5Uc9QdGxhF0vIJMeMtWxx9FbtF59hsF9sNc0UWsFuV2SqUR-6pIdgOPtm6owCwRN-Eyx3urIbaaFwP2E3HafU8zzWQjU91Q3rZRq-5Mb0dkMj0fz1m_2tG7byxU09HL5dL54EBavk/s1600/IMG_2250.jpg" height="364" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room to spread out.</td></tr>
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Sure enough, as soon as I swung left onto Trail Creek Rd, I not only started a slight uphill grade, it was into a constant wind. Later on, Navy Mike would call this section out as "riding in a very dark place". I watched my speed drop from 20+ to 15 to 10 to 8 mph. Meanwhile I was conserving some legs as I knew in about 10 miles that the grade would increase for a good mile or two. The math was not working in my favor and 6.5 hours would be impossible. Maybe 7 though, so I kept at it, stopping to stretch a bit and pee, but mostly making circles with my pedals over and over. As I neared the summit, the wind abated and I knew that at 80 miles I had it made because then it was 12 miles or so downhill into town. 7 hrs had slipped away from my grasp in that purgatory of windy road, but not to be daunted, I set 7.5 hours as the new goal. Down I flew on a section that just drops and drops and drops on a washboard dirt road with no guardrail. Last year, on the Crux cross bike, I had to manage my speed and nearly ran out of hand strength to hang on, brake, and steer. It was not that much fun. This year, with 2.1 tires and 100mms of travel…shoot…it was a brake free 25mph plunge feeling totally relaxed. But that darn wind. I was still having to pedal hard to keep my speed up and that was going to make 7.5 hours very close.<br />
<br />
The organizers had wisely set the timing line just outside of town so no one would be racing in urban traffic areas. But it still meant that I had a few miles of paved road rollers to make the finish and I just pinned it, watching my Garmin click off the elapsed time. I could see the finish line but it was going to be very close.<br />
<br />
Over the line at 7 hrs and 32 minutes. Close enough.<br />
<br />
I sat up, breathed a deep, deep breath of satisfaction and put it in cruise mode. Done and done. <br />
<br />
Back in town the party was in full force. I did not realize how spent I was till I got off the bike and walked around. I think the cold had caught up to me and it took a Coke and a hand made pizza to get me right. Navy Mike had finished in 6 and 20, so he was under his goal as well. I was actually very happy to be only an hour and change off his pace over 90 miles as he is a strong rider. The Scott Spark that he rode was very similar in set-up to my Epic and he had 'roadie' types drafting him over the rougher sections of the course where he could stay seated and pedal hard. For shame…wheel suckers. :)<br />
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That night was a well deserved bacon burger back at The Powerhouse and then the long drive home the next day. It was a good trip back to Idaho. Next year? We shall see.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltf3pyFEEbB7KGjjSpdCvZCJ2sQtSgTzbWcc9WwsdFpzjU-cv0mBOGtC3fPu2ci2yAaoKP8_8ljslMpmBglbL6VCFvhyphenhyphenLzYG1v_6vn2I6dLMIH4lNdZTm_d2KtKe5cQpN1dQYi09VhvI/s1600/IMG_2253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltf3pyFEEbB7KGjjSpdCvZCJ2sQtSgTzbWcc9WwsdFpzjU-cv0mBOGtC3fPu2ci2yAaoKP8_8ljslMpmBglbL6VCFvhyphenhyphenLzYG1v_6vn2I6dLMIH4lNdZTm_d2KtKe5cQpN1dQYi09VhvI/s1600/IMG_2253.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'after glow' courtesy of Patron.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsa0vxXf2-P1q_WkU4dgvkpF1jcMSyBQmxRwXcmrULbFaDMnCb93ykktntKheaGmYYCLwEbUIEBCfl5LJdNMksn_b-yZxtzC8MmvW6aiiJC-cdfjVDhbW6_yYzePKyA-sJU7uCn32Mr0/s1600/IMG_2254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsa0vxXf2-P1q_WkU4dgvkpF1jcMSyBQmxRwXcmrULbFaDMnCb93ykktntKheaGmYYCLwEbUIEBCfl5LJdNMksn_b-yZxtzC8MmvW6aiiJC-cdfjVDhbW6_yYzePKyA-sJU7uCn32Mr0/s1600/IMG_2254.jpg" height="400" width="332" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recovery food for the soul.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWeMb00wPW51P2TpxLte-kt62W9XEYSkFBDpSa5f8uKNEp2frQBoQ6FZcZS1JMWqP9IOPRKoiLFQvABIGlwPICVmqenIlQjDhdSKXLlLnpfL2X0ObJU5-6x_AkZU2xSrqoPfIp3Gmhs0/s1600/IMG_2258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWeMb00wPW51P2TpxLte-kt62W9XEYSkFBDpSa5f8uKNEp2frQBoQ6FZcZS1JMWqP9IOPRKoiLFQvABIGlwPICVmqenIlQjDhdSKXLlLnpfL2X0ObJU5-6x_AkZU2xSrqoPfIp3Gmhs0/s1600/IMG_2258.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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For my official write up of RPI 2014, <a href="http://gravelgrindernews.com/rebeccas-private-idaho-2014/" target="_blank">clicky here for the gravelgrindernews.com</a> sitegrannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-89679190970602812122014-08-26T12:26:00.003-07:002014-08-26T12:26:39.989-07:00Idaho Revisited: Rebecca's Private Idaho 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnHGUZeMYlZzKxGxMl9690Iaz6WkE52CV_qGapxGUS93JbIsYhEKSkQKKcCVPeSP74oykC2d1aM5BiayLJzjEcehORce4YEk42JM4a1RJZ4jbgc4O3VMDv9KxWzAFWU9GaA9QXqDy1rc/s1600/idaho+banner+cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnHGUZeMYlZzKxGxMl9690Iaz6WkE52CV_qGapxGUS93JbIsYhEKSkQKKcCVPeSP74oykC2d1aM5BiayLJzjEcehORce4YEk42JM4a1RJZ4jbgc4O3VMDv9KxWzAFWU9GaA9QXqDy1rc/s1600/idaho+banner+cut.jpg" height="227" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I was not going to do it, you know. Too far to drive. Costs money. Takes time. Takes training. Meh! <br />
<br />
But then Navy Mike said he was looking to do something semi-epic this year and did I have any plans? Not really. Past the Crusher in the Tushar, I had nothing but a bunch of road centuries and they do not really require training, just lots of riding to be ready for them. But after a few minutes of texting and emailing, it was settled. I was going to Idaho. Again.<br />
<br />
My time there was bittersweet in 2013. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://vintageone.blogspot.com/2013/09/idaho-gravel-part-one_11.html" target="_blank">Part One.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://vintageone.blogspot.com/2013/09/idaho-gravel-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part Two.</a><br />
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<a href="http://vintageone.blogspot.com/2013/09/idaho-gravel-part-three.html" target="_blank">Part Three.</a><br />
<br />
I was slower than I wanted to be, but not by much, yet I barely made the cutoff. Feeling the strain, I flipped early and only rode 72 of the 93 miles for the full course. So if I was going to go back, I was going to keep my fitness a bit higher and ride it more like a race and less like a tour. Less pic taking, Posie sniffing, and casual pedaling might get me an hour faster than last year overall. Maybe.<br />
<br />
I also had to decide what bike to ride. Last year I reserved a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnk6QzTLdRZuLGpvDh5iabrsCgtLbGjzmoNEI_GSHMS5j9a5gQw_GgnHxbuZI82lpZibdauPSm34BlBCjN07pMtBwRW_ndG0CBJg92-zL8ZNH6gg0rEoM8FqS5JJr1Qya0hZt_yZ347A/s1600/DSC05073.jpg" target="_blank">Specialized Crux</a> and that was really fun to ride, never having been on a cross bike before. I had just built up a hard tail 29er for The Crusher race but I did not really like the way that 29er HT worked for me so it caws stripped. That left me with two choices…reserve a bike again or race whatever I had left that was kinda fast. The Crux was light and all, but the gearing was higher than I have on my new road bike. And that 36T/28T low combo was not enough to let me spin up the first long climb out of town. Being able to spin really helps me stay fresh for the next few hours of riding and so deeper gears would offset the lighter bike IMO.<br />
<br />
So I have one other bike that seemed reasonable to ride. The Specialized Epic is a fast feeling FS 29er and this one has quite a nice build on it…carbon wheels, etc. Probably 5 pounds heavier than the Crux, it is comfy for all those washboard roads and is a great pedaling bike all around. Decision made. Use what you know.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHH3h7qoUMfN2WGYhEPfI5NCDvq8d2gQFbpL2Nz6uX4tCXJ8BJ8UE8dDb_tR3zxkQ94YN-MpUSSCYx67t9aia3gAeOlWzy2pEB8G0HkjWEnxBWLGIziZug6njDgDSylNSA3yOVREjDKI/s1600/epic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHH3h7qoUMfN2WGYhEPfI5NCDvq8d2gQFbpL2Nz6uX4tCXJ8BJ8UE8dDb_tR3zxkQ94YN-MpUSSCYx67t9aia3gAeOlWzy2pEB8G0HkjWEnxBWLGIziZug6njDgDSylNSA3yOVREjDKI/s1600/epic.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
So I set out to work on my fitness by laying out a plan that would see me building all the way till late August. It was going well and it involved a lot of road riding in the Summer heat. Then I got sick, some kind of a weird intestinal thing. That cost me a week. Then I worked 30 hours of overtime the next week. Then my house flooded and we had to move out while that was dealt with. And then I had another bout of illness that took me out for another week. Although I never stopped riding, it took one month of quality training out of my life. That sucked. But it is what it is and at least I am typically fit, but not where I wanted to be.<br />
<br />
So I had the bike - The Epic with the XX drivetrain and Carbon Roval wheels shod with fast rolling but plumpish Race King and X King tires. <br />
<br />
I had the fitness to survive, I think, but not excel. <br />
<br />
I had a plan to tweak a few things too. First, I knew the route and what to expect. Barring things like weather and wind, that would allow me to better gauge the effort I could afford to put out. Of course, the extra 25 miles of the course I never rode is a wild card. I wanted to get the weight off my back, so no hydration pack. That meant a frame bag to carry essentials like extra tube, pump, windbreaker, and drink mix packets/supplements. A bar mounted bag (<a href="https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Cockpit/Mountain-Feedbag" target="_blank">Revelate Mountain Feedbag</a>) will keep a bottle at hand and I will alternate between Fluid Performance drink mixed up double strong (@200 cals per bottle) and Camelbak fizzy lifting drink tablets. If the weather is hotter, I will mix in Elete tablytes.<br />
<br />
I will treat it more like a very fast ride, maybe even a race. That goes against my grain as I love a challenge, but the pressure of a race pace does not appeal to me. But I need to step up and change that a bit. I made a real error at the Crusher in the Tushar and it was bitter lesson. If I miss the cut off this time, it will not be due to a tourist mindset.<br />
<br />
Ed the Tall is not my travel buddy, but Navy Mike is actually race ready I think and is a very strong rider. He even has been working with a coach and had a drink mix custom blended just for him. Sheesh! I just recently got on Strava and bought a Garmin. Old mountain bikers never die, they just begrudgingly take on new technology every ten years. I predict to see Navy Mike at the beginning of the race and at the end and never more than that. I will be alone again to face my own demons of doubt and suffering but I am used to that.<br />
<br />
So off the Idaho I go. Ready or not. But don't expect a bunch of pics. I'm racing this time.grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-85485160967113963752014-04-15T09:06:00.002-07:002014-04-15T09:09:52.810-07:00Lowering the bar<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdVGgCEei9X5zho0sAhwbF_oddDaDFSyDggzh6adeV-HqvHU5OfvBZ0uKhEtJVTLPYQq3hpEijz5QDnMHZXuyhUf_StbdmaD4rqxOrDx8j9tvC9nj_hmQkgf5oQvLd8Smim-KaycoC6k/s1600/low+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdVGgCEei9X5zho0sAhwbF_oddDaDFSyDggzh6adeV-HqvHU5OfvBZ0uKhEtJVTLPYQq3hpEijz5QDnMHZXuyhUf_StbdmaD4rqxOrDx8j9tvC9nj_hmQkgf5oQvLd8Smim-KaycoC6k/s1600/low+bar.jpg" height="460" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Is this next?</span></h4>
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An interesting thing happened the other day and it has changed things up a bit regarding the way I set up bikes. I was unboxing a test bike and it had a very aggressive bar position, that being low and somewhat far out there. It was a XC/Endurance focused FS 29er, so that was not out of the norm for a cockpit set-up, but it was a bit much for me.<br />
<br />
I went to swap the stem position, but hesitated, thinking I would 'try it their way' first. In time, and really a very short time, I found I liked it. Never moved that handlebar.<br />
<br />
In fact I took my Specialized Epic, a similar bike, to a 10mm longer stem and flipped it negative. I liked it.<br />
<br />
Then I rode my single speed, a bike I had been happy with the set-up on, and felt like I was on a beach cruiser, that h-bar being high and in my lap. Huh! So I flipped that stem too. Now I was weighting the front wheel better and was happy. How odd.<br />
<br />
And it goes to show that you can get used to anything, even the wrong thing. It took a couple of bikes lately to point that out. One was the long, low XC FS bike with the flipped stem and the others were a couple of 130mm/140mm travel Fs bikes. But that taught me another lesson and one a bit different then the XC bike.<br />
<br />
<i>"Longer stems on smaller frames can be a good thing."</i><br />
<br />
I typically ride an XL, but I am a bit of a tweener in sizing. I can go either way, often as not. But I have found that the two bikes, both pretty big 29er trail bikes, were better to ride in a smaller frame (LG) with a longer stem (100mm). I found that the smaller frame and the resulting shorter wheelbase gave me a good dose of maneuverability often missing in XL bikes and the longer stem was weighting the front wheel, which was already closer under me due to the frame size reduction.<br />
<br />
And that was an epiphany. In a short time, I reversed the long march I had been on to shorter stems and longer bikes and I am stunned by how much better it was, at least on the long travel bikes.<br />
<br />
It goes to show that old dogs can indeed learn new tricks and it pays to experiment with stuff like cockpit setup now and again.grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-66451722432438867922014-01-17T09:02:00.000-08:002014-01-17T09:04:06.379-08:00I'm Not Trixie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVur70ciWPV6wNpYEBNMLue4LfobCY0dG1-5GZGe2w3NttlXUIXJR3LejYSttjlvg0-esMx_8BYgAV66DYlUaaFpUyZUNps0htr3Lc7NKdgEB2oA5Mj6w9jr-Zkzds4c8zV91k4LZHgoA/s1600/trixie+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVur70ciWPV6wNpYEBNMLue4LfobCY0dG1-5GZGe2w3NttlXUIXJR3LejYSttjlvg0-esMx_8BYgAV66DYlUaaFpUyZUNps0htr3Lc7NKdgEB2oA5Mj6w9jr-Zkzds4c8zV91k4LZHgoA/s1600/trixie+1.jpg" height="418" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Trixie.</td></tr>
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Or trick-sey. Tricksy? I don't do tricks well. Now, stop that image in your mind right now. I am talking about bike tricks. You know…wheelies, bunny-hops, manuals, etc. I suck at them. I bet any 12 year old with a bike and a paper route (do they still have those?) can crush me in a wheelie contest.<br />
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<br />
I have been aware of this for some time…years, really. And it has not gotten better with age. I thought of it again the other day during a group ride where I was following a rider down a bit of a techy single track. He was hopping and bopping over a few of the trail obstacles while I was flowing and going just as fast as he was. I was a bit jealous, actually. I wish I could do that, the hippy hoppy bunny trail approach to trail riding. <br />
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<br />
Some of these things are really practical such as the nose wheelie around tight switchbacks, the manual transitioning to a quick bunny hop for trail obstacles, etc. I am a pretty good trail rider, actually. I am even considered 'fast' in the group I ride in, but that is a 'big fish in a smaller pond' reality. Still, it takes a pretty good rider to gap me on trail. But if I have to do any trick moves, a skilled 3 year old on a straddle bike could school me. Little brats.<br />
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<br />
I am not too sure how to improve this. I guess I could set up some kind of skills course and work at it, but first I better armor-up and check my medical plan cuz' I think it might require a skin offering to the trail gods. I do wonder though, since it has been this way from the beginning, if I just lack the gene. Heck, even when I was a wanker on a BMX bike I was too attached to gravity to jump worth a fig…a flying fig in this case. It might be too late for this old dog to learn any new tricks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School is in session.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Still, I think I need to try to get better in this regard. I think it will make me a better rider and that is something that anyone, no matter how new or experienced, can benefit from. <br />
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<br />
Turning serious tricks may not be for me, but perhaps I can learn to flirt in the dirt a bit more. No street corners required.<br />
<br />
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-40044286164902396732014-01-16T08:48:00.002-08:002014-01-16T08:48:16.403-08:00My Favorite Bike<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66ApYXRefprG_4TUbR9z514DjBYLX9myh4CU0m0GqAI1P4o_jVN8q7MT1Fu-Y4hAQIZ5XQ0Ut_OzQQtSuTpwJV0e8Ov8eW7024r9YNoavDazNnPTfNyIHeCGi-ZlV1ZTHsA0BVTww8Ww/s1600/P1240138-sepia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66ApYXRefprG_4TUbR9z514DjBYLX9myh4CU0m0GqAI1P4o_jVN8q7MT1Fu-Y4hAQIZ5XQ0Ut_OzQQtSuTpwJV0e8Ov8eW7024r9YNoavDazNnPTfNyIHeCGi-ZlV1ZTHsA0BVTww8Ww/s1600/P1240138-sepia.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When it was new and unsullied.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
"This is my favorite bike I have ever owned".</h4>
I said that the other night during a group ride. And it got me to thinking.<br />
<br />
The way things are in my life right now, I typically have a couple of bikes or wheels or tires or forks or whatever in a revolving ellipse centered around my garage so I am forced to grab whatever is on the top of the dog pile for a ride in order to get the business done that needs to be done.<br />
<br />
But the other day I put together a bike that had not been ridden in, what, a year? Hard to say. Even beyond that, it had been little ridden the year previous to last year! Parts had been borrowed for other bikes and then uninstalled from the temporary builds they had been used for. This bike, nearly a chassis only at this point, hung on a back hook in the garage and languished. A shame, really, so I put it all back together with most of the original spec except for the wheels, shifters, and bars, and tuned it up again. <br />
<br />
The first real ride was the other night with 'the gang' and I was chasing Navy Mike who was riding a Scott Spark 910, or he was chasing me, depending on the trail, for a good 90 minutes. And it came to my mind that, and this was not the first time I had thought this, that this bike was my favorite bike I have ever owned, heck, maybe even ever ridden!<br />
<br />
The bike I had resurrected from the nearly-dead (Princess Bride reference there) and had just defended my honor with against the Mongol hordes of the Tuesday Night Ride was a 2010 Specialized Epic Marathon. This bike was pretty high end when it came out that year. Brain rear shock, M5 aluminum frame, SRAM XX 2x10 shifting, carbon crown/steerer Reba fork, Roval wheels, Thomson seat post, etc.<br />
<br />
I have added carbon Roval wheels and swapped to SRAM Grip Shift but besides that (and tires), it is stock. And it is one sweet ride. It is like Specialized, when they were stirring the pot of witches brew that all bikes are designed in, stole a peek into my soul and added that into the incantations, frog's legs, and dragon's gizzards that went into the cauldron.<br />
<br />
I *heart* this Epic. I always have. What is remarkable to me is how well it has held up over time even when it is compared to the newer Epics and the competition. XX may not be the wisest gearing for a older guy that lives where you climb a lot, but I get by and even when XO is really just as good and XX1 is getting all the hoopla now, XX 2x10 is still the best shifting front double crank I have ever used. Yes, it takes a student loan to replace the cassette, etc, but it is crazy light stuff and has been dead reliable. The bike, even with only 90mm of rear travel, feels balanced front to rear with that carbon Reba. I went back to the OE 105mm stem and actually flipped it to get lower, reversing the trend I was on of shorter stems and higher bars. It feels good that way.<br />
<br />
Nothing perks up a 29er like wheels. Cheap 29ers suck, mostly because the wheels get like hoops of lead and that is death to fun. The Roval Control Carbons are solid enough for a much bigger travel bike yet are light and dead easy to convert across axle types. No 142x12 rear axle for this bike. Not even a 15QR front. But the OS28 front axle caps and the well built frame deal with all that well enough and while carbon would be lighter and snappier for sure, it is no slouch when you stand and "git 'er done".<br />
<br />
And there is the Mini Brain rear suspension. If ever a technology was made for a guy like me, this is it. Yes, you give up some suppleness. Yes, it is proprietary and costly to repair. But it works so well, especially when you stand and climb. I have played with some of the latest DW link bikes and they are really, really good, likely better as an overall performing system, but the Mini Brain just has that 'something' going on that works soooo well for this type of bike.<br />
<br />
The handling is very middle ground, not too fast, not too slow. It is just right for covering ground as the hours and miles go by. It is 'dialed', to use a word. Sure, there are things here and there that are not the pinnacle of performance as time has upped the ante for what a 29er FS can be, but the sum of all this…and this is key…the sum of all the parts, angles, dimensions and specifications just rings like an old bell - smooth and clear, even if the surface is a bit tarnished. Or is it perhaps Patina, and not tarnish?<br />
<br />
What popped out of the cauldron that full moon night on trail, was a bike that, after going into 4 years of time passed, is still, if I had to have only one bike in the garage, and taking into consideration where I ride and how I ride, would be the one I would have still left on a hook when all the other hooks were empty.<br />
<br />
It's a keeper, this one is.grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-68290895454119189622014-01-08T15:27:00.001-08:002014-01-08T15:34:07.729-08:00Personally, I blame the dog.<br />
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<br />
No, not for that. Well, OK, sometimes I get away with that too, but this is altogether different. I blame my wife's new bike…2 new bikes, really…and the fact that we are signed up for three centuries next year, and the fact that I now have to consider my wife when I plan a mountain bike ride…that all falls on the dog.<br />
<br />
It all started when my son and wife were at the animal shelter for some thing or another as my wife was volunteering there for a time. Our dog, Moots, was getting pretty old and we like to bring dogs in the house so they overlap a bit. It helps the new dog settle and figure things out. Anyway, my son calls me and asks me to hurry over after work as he has found a dog and "it will not be here for long". Little did I know.<br />
<br />
As I loaded this Black Lab/Greyhound looking mix into the car, already named Sophie by my son, I did not know I was in for it. <br />
<br />
Now my wife had ridden bikes years ago but had given it up for horses, then Jazzercise, Aerobics, the gym, etc. She was never a passionate rider, just a social rider. That was fine. I was the passionate cyclist. But when Sophie came along, she was a dog that required a regular, heavy workout or there would be hell to pay. None of us are runners, and they don't like dogs in Jazzercise classes, so my wife asked if I could dust off her old 26" hard tail and get it running. It was a handmade steel frame right out of the 90s, brakes, shifting, etc. We worked out some way to tether the dog's leash to the head tube and off they went. Sophie was stoked. This dog was on a mission. Do they have Strava for canines? If not, they should. She would QOM that thing.<br />
<br />
In time, I came into a 29er hard tail that fit my wife and gave her an upgrade. We live within a 1/2 mile of a trail area so it became a regular thing, this dog exercise deal and we improved the bike/dog interface. Then my wife began tracking her times to certain parts of the trails. Hmmm. Then she started keeping heart rate stats and calories burned…gear selection in various parts of the course…oh my. Jazzercise stopped. More riding replaced it.<br />
<br />
Last year I bought her a flat bar road bike, inspired by the fun I had on my new road bike last year. Before that we would go do some simple bike path rides, maybe 30 miles at the most, but we would do it on our MTBs. Not bad, but not great. So when she got on her new road bike, she was inspired. We could ride farther and faster now. It was easier to be social too. It was not long after that we did a metric century on a short weekend away. I had helped her train for it. Afterwards she said she would have liked to go for the full hundred and that her training needed to step up. Oh oh. I smelled trouble.<br />
<br />
So when she said, during a ride, that all she wanted to do was ride bikes all day I knew I was in deep chain lube. I had created a monster. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOP8NnzkuY36kT9DQao1V7ggwMbEBNuWMNCNKhId5_otKz21los8AflQ-cMZck5g85TYuGviOOh2UVYJZq2g_jo9eBfqCEtUqa96vGoHMEkYfThvqIXAC2bUoP61NxxIdEih4fU7fRDHU/s1600/bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOP8NnzkuY36kT9DQao1V7ggwMbEBNuWMNCNKhId5_otKz21los8AflQ-cMZck5g85TYuGviOOh2UVYJZq2g_jo9eBfqCEtUqa96vGoHMEkYfThvqIXAC2bUoP61NxxIdEih4fU7fRDHU/s1600/bride.jpg" height="320" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Will a helmet ruin my hair?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So we have been testing saddles and swapping to shorter cranks and tweaking this and trying that to fine tune the road bike. But I really ratcheted up the noise when I began to build her a new MTB for the times we ride sans doggie. It has been kinda' fun and kinda' painful as I/We pick parts together based on cost, color and fit -- feng shui meets the engineering dept.<br />
<br />
Parts are tickling in as we speak. The good thing is, when your wife is the accountant and you are buying it for her, it is darn near carte blanche. "Did you order my new _____ (fill in the blanks) yet?". Yes, sweetie.<br />
<br />
Actually, all this is awesome. I mean, there must be thousands of men out there that long for their 'significant other' to be an enthused cyclist. I have seen that tried and failed many, many times. So when I gained a mutt, I did not know that included in the deal was a new riding buddy who I just happen to be married to.<br />
<br />
And for that, I can blame…and thank…the dog. Good girl. <br />
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-69724732078215752472014-01-06T09:02:00.001-08:002014-01-06T09:02:35.212-08:00Five millimeters.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Five millimeters. About the thickness of a Nilla Wafer. Likely less than an Oreo cookie. That was how far I lowered my handlebar last night when I was setting up a new bike for the first ride. Spinning around in the street in front of my house did not feel quite right at first and I was at a bit of a quandary as to how to get the bar lower than what it was without going to a lot of trouble. I had the stem flipped already. I could have turned the bar upside down and gained 5mm as the bar is designed just for that purpose but that is a lot of wrenching to do ten minutes before a ride.<br />
<br />
But I had a 5mm spacer under the stem and then it was stem to headset direct. Moving that spacer to the top was easier than flipping the bar so above the stem it went. Frankly I was not expecting much of a difference. But as soon as I pedaled out after moving the spacer I was right where I wanted to be. Good to go.<br />
<br />
And later on, as I was riding, it struck me that we, the human machine, are very perceptive creatures. 5mm higher was too high. 5mm lower was just right. It also came to me that I like Nilla Wafers and it has been far too long since I had one…or two or three.<br />
<br />
Further, it brought to mind something that is a broader subject, the macro to the 5mm micro, if you will: stem length, rider position, 29ers, and wheelbase. This has been a bit of a revolution for me. At just over 6' tall, I have tended to run towards XL 29ers to get the cockpit right for my long arms and yet still stay with an under 100mm stem. It was not always this way. Back 'in the day', I ran a steel hard tail 26er with no suspension fork, a 23.5" effective top tube and a 150mm stem. Pretty standard fare, really.<br />
<br />
As time marched on, the top tubes got longer, over 25" on an typical XL 29er, and the stems got shorter. I remember once, maybe in the mid 90s, hopping on a friends bike which was a 19" frame. Mine was a 20.5" frame of the same exact brand and maybe was a half an inch longer all around, wheelbase, etc. I was struck by how his carved around corners better than mine. It was like a short ski. Intriguing. I never forgot that but the bike was too small for me. Still, it occurred to me that as bikes get longer, they gain some things but begin to lose other things.<br />
<br />
Fast forward a decade or two and I am having a conversation with an MTB project manger of a large bike company. We are talking geometry and he mentions that he has gone back to longer stems set lower for his personal bikes as he feels it weights the front end better during turns. Then here comes the much anticipated Ibis Ripley and they created it to turn more like a 26er by keeping the top tube shorter, the head tube angle semi-slack, and the stem longer. It worked. Then Turner does nearly the same thing on his new Czar. As well, they mix in a 51mm offset fork.<br />
<br />
Then I get in two bikes for review, a Niner RIP 9 and a Scott Spark. The RIP is a LG size frame (a bit short for me according to the numbers on the geo chart) with a 100mm stem in a pretty long travel trail bike 29er FS and has the expected 69*-ish HT angle of it's ilk. I was just shredding the local trails on that bike. It turned like a dream…stayed hooked up and could drift through corners with control and poise. The Spark is all XC with a much lower than normal (for me) 100mm stem on a slack for XC 69* HT angle. The way it steers, even in an XL (but a relatively short overall bike for that size), is just right. Truly balanced.<br />
<br />
So last night, with the whole 5mm spacer deal in my mind, I went out on yet another slightly small for me top tube bike with a 100mm stem as low as the bike would let me put it. It felt great and carved up the hills like it was, to coin a tired old phrase, 'on rails'.<br />
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Then, I rode another bike, something I have had for some time now and enjoyed riding. It has a longer front center/rear center and suspension travel that is somewhere in the middle of all the other bikes I mentioned. But I am running that with a 90mm stem on an XL frame, the bar being higher in space relative to me. I was struck by how much I was fighting the front end to stay hooked up and driving through corners. Huh. It used to feel great to me, now…<br />
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So all this to say that the dimensions and angles and widths and heights and settings and intentions of any bike is a black box that is filled with science and mystery. I am beginning to think that it comes down to where the rider's weight is relative to the front wheel more than any other thing. More than chain stay length, more than seat tube or head tube angles, more than frame size.<br />
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It also relates to how I want a bike to feel as I am not in the gravity mode where loooong front centers and shorty stems make sense to get the rider off towards the back of the bike. But across several bikes that really could hardly be more different between them intent-wise, the longer stem in a lower position has been winning me over.<br />
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I have another test bike coming in that is 130mm travel F/R and, in an XL, and based on the charts, is just what I would always ride. Instead I asked for a LG and will run a longer, lower stem. Huh. Old dogs and new tricks indeed.<br />
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Now for those Nilla Wafers.grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-64970410379469726032013-12-11T12:55:00.001-08:002013-12-11T12:55:21.979-08:00The Rush to the New<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRy2i9eJG2uZa7MkUQdHI4pN-BVDjUC_y0cXe3XQP6BZ3M62jiripyM2zS5i4YMZETquz6A1_BxI54VLyrTpEP88Pyst24pAldt2u4TjUdr9Nf-LBFPaYp5BstQlJobTDICFdPrDNn5g/s1600/cut+27.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRy2i9eJG2uZa7MkUQdHI4pN-BVDjUC_y0cXe3XQP6BZ3M62jiripyM2zS5i4YMZETquz6A1_BxI54VLyrTpEP88Pyst24pAldt2u4TjUdr9Nf-LBFPaYp5BstQlJobTDICFdPrDNn5g/s640/cut+27.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was riding with KT the Man and we were talking about this new 27.5 wheel size thing. He and I were both on 29er FS bikes so we are big wheel type guys. But neither of us have an axe to grind either and he feels like I do…that one should ride the biggest wheel size that works best for them, whatever 'best' is.<br />
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He drives a demo van for a bike company and lately they have been besieged by people asking if they have any 27.5 bikes to ride on the demo visits. The question most asked him used to be "do you have any 29ers?". Times change. Now that is fine and all, as the company he works for does make a 27.5 bike(s) but they are pretty heavy duty models and really not what would suit most trail riders in most areas of the country.<br />
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However people are buying them anyway, just because they are the latest wheel size. Regardless of the obvious fact (to anyone looking at the situation with a cool and critical eye) that this person would be better suited to another bike in the line-up, wheel size regardless…or another brand's 27.5 in a more moderate build…they are buying them anyway. It makes no sense really, but there it is. And KT was shaking his head in a mix of amusement and wonder at the entire deal. Why would you buy the wrong bike, and a very expensive one too, just to have a 27.5" wheel?<br />
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And it got me thinking that the same thing happened with 29ers. There were a lot of them sold to people who got caught up in the newest thing that 'everyone' was rushing to have. However, many did not end up with a bike that was best for them. Even though that big wheel does some really cool things to the dynamic of a ride, it is not the end all be all for everyone. <br />
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This new 27.5 wheel size is certainly going to replace the 26" wheel for nearly any MTB model of bike shop quality (and Wallmart will have 'em too, if they don't already). It really is, as one industry wag noted, "A better 26" wheel". But that does not justify buying the wrong bike just to have the new hoop-hype working for you.<br />
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It will be interesting to see how this all pans out for the consumer. It is giving any 26" wheel holdout/29er nay sayers a reason to buy a new bike that appears to be an improvement over their old bike and yet maintain their disdain for the really big wheeled bikes. Not only does their pride remain intact, they get a new bike and make the bike industry money, which it surely needs. A win win, so it seems. 29ers sure did that for the industry the last few years but now, as 29ers become more and more 'just a bike', they need to do something to get folks excited about filling up the credit card. 27.5, good, better or best, will do just fine for that purpose.<br />
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And I have no problem with that. However, buy the right one for the right reasons. Whatever the wheel size, it does not transcend common sense.<br />
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-12696050459619094072013-12-04T15:16:00.001-08:002013-12-04T15:16:21.566-08:00Getting Ready to Ride Over Stuff.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back when I test rode a Trek Stache 8, I was impressed with how much fun that bike was. It was my favorite hard tail 29er with gears that I had yet ridden. The combo of a dropper post, 120mm fork, slack 68.6* HT angle with 51mm offset fork and moderate length (17.5") chainstays were a great combo.<br />
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And it got me thinking about having a bike like that in my quiver, but I did not need a complete bike, just a frame. However, Trek was not offering a frame only deal for 2013/14. So I began to look for options to the Stache that had the same vibe and combo of geometry. I pretty much struck out. Custom Ti or steel was more than I wanted to spend. Production stuff was either a miss in geometry or sizing and the one bike I did find that ticked all the boxes was a Euro model and expensive to try to get a hold of. <br />
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Well that sucks.<br />
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But it did get me thinking about a trail bike hardtail 29er that was more about fun than fast and I realized that if I opened my eyes a bit wider I could include some of the All Mountain rated frames out there. Canfield Nimble 9, Kona Honzo, etc...short chain stays and slack HT angles rated for up to a 140mm travel fork. They were not the Stache, though. Heavier for sure, these were all pretty burly frames. Super short rear centers are not very good on faster, rougher trails as you give up some 'rear trail' and a longer rear end keeps things pointed ahead and tracking well. A combo of a 140mm fork, short stem, wide bar, and short CS length can be a nightmare if you are climbing up some steep, narrow trail as the front of the bike will wander and waggle. So the more open, less technical nature of our trails here and my tendency to be more of a trail rider never seemed to be worth it to accept the extra bike weight and burly attitude of this type of bike.<br />
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But I was curious about the whole 'short back/long-slack front' hard tail deal. It was just not a priority and I dismissed the thought.<br />
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Then I rode a Niner ROS9 at Interbike and it was quite interesting. The cockpit setup was a bit close and wide for my world and the frame was on the small size for my body dimensions. But even with burly wheels/tires and a 130mm fork, I was having a LOT of fun. It got me thinking again about my dilemma with wanting a more trail capable hard tail 29er. I wondered if that, with a slightly lesser fork, say 120mm, a longer, lower stem and a slightly narrower bar, full 2x10 gears, a dropper post and a great set of wheels...well I might be in a happy place with something like a Yelli Screamy or this ROS9.<br />
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So I read and thought and read and wondered and pondered and studied geo charts and considered it all. Till today.<br />
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That is when I ordered this.<br />
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Just the frame of course (and mine will have gears), but a ROS-9 in a Large size, Grey color. The sizing for me was a bit of a tweener deal but in this bike, even with the moderate fork/build I will be running, it seemed better to 'size down' a bit. We shall see. </div>
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The frame is a bit more in cost then many in this genre, like a Kona Honzo, but is less than something like a Chromag Surface. The weight will be over 6 lbs for the LG frame and that is pretty beefy, but it is also what all the others are for the most part. There are some things I like on this frame that swayed me over. First of all, but not the most important thing, it is good looking. Some of them, like a Nimble 9 are kinda ugly. I hate ugly bikes. Function be damned. It has to please the eye. The EBB allowed for a lower CG and a 17" CS length. I did not want to be under that length. 1/4 inch may not seem like much but it matters. 17" was already pushing it IMO. No sliders. Yeah, I know that the EBB that Niner uses had teething issues in Gen 1, but this Gen 2 has been solid for folks so far and sliders are warts on a prom queen (besides shortening tubing lengths...a bit of a ride killer although this bike may not care). It's steel. I like steel bikes. The frame is well thought out with Stealth dropper ports, nice block-off plates, and clean routing of cables. </div>
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And another thing...it says Niner on it. Yeah, I know...who cares? But hey...these guys are really into big wheels so why not celebrate that? This is not a bone tossed to the circus wheel crowd by some company looking for a slice of the market. For Niner Bikes, it is the main meal, the buffet, the whole enchilada. I kind of resonate with that.</div>
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The build will be what I have laying around, but will be nice, solid parts:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Shimano SLX group with 2x10 24/38x36 gearing. Shadow Plus rear der.</li>
<li>SLX brakes with 180F/160R rotors.</li>
<li>White Brothers Loop fork. 120mm at first, but it can go 130mm or 140mm depending on what feels right to me.</li>
<li>I need to stretch the cockpit a bit so 100mm stem flipped to get weight a bit forward and down. Maybe a 90mm if I can.</li>
<li>740mm carbon bar from Answer Products.</li>
<li>Reverb Dropper post.</li>
<li>WTB Pure V saddle.</li>
<li>Options here, but I am thinking a set of American Classic Wide Lightning wheels.</li>
<li>Specialized Ground Control 2.3 rear/Purgatory 2.3 front tubeless.</li>
<li>Shimano SPDs</li>
</ul>
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That ought to be an interesting blend of parts and I am hoping for a trail bike vibe with a tilt towards fun and agility. I think this bike will be good, even on epics, as long as I am not looking to KOM all the climbs. I am hoping for a 28lb build. We shall see. </div>
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My first instincts about this type of bike may have been right and I may have just made a mistake, but it will be a fun journey in the finding out.</div>
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We shall see. C'mon, big, brown, santa. There is stuff out there that needs riding over.</div>
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<br />grannygearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896238587895388993noreply@blogger.com2