This is a very good thing. I like where fat is going. Now to get it off me and get it on the bike!
http://fat-bike.com/2012/08/new-45-nrths-dillinger-escalator-tires/
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
SingleSpeed USA 2012
Quite a different experience for me than most:
Saturday morning I got up and gathered all of my things, loaded the truck and was ready to roll. I then realized that I was a bit early to make the journey to Stowe. I ate breakfast and hung out at home for a little while. I rolled out feeling like I was forgetting something even though I had been over it a dozen times insuring myself that I was all set. The trip over gave me plenty of time to think of things and I realized that I had a tube in case I lost a tubeless setup. I also had a patch kit in case I lost said tube. As far as inflation, I only had a big air cartridge which would probably only cover one, maybe two flats. I got nervous and when I got to Stowe I promptly looked for a bike shop. I found one that opened at 8am and found a pump that I bought to have on hand just in case. Of course, as it goes, I didn't need it and I didn't have any mechanicals.
After the pitstop to the bikeshop, I headed over to the Stowe Polo Fields. I was still early and there wasn't any sign of a bike event to be seen. I headed back over to town and pulled in to the parking lot by the theater. I saw signs of other single speeders so I pulled in to chat a bit. I found a couple guys that were over from NY and they were chatting about trying to find a place to park. I told them if they wanted to follow me, I would show them were the closest bike path parking lot was. We got there and suited up and rode the bike path down and over to the polo fields. At this point there was a collection of bikes starting to accumulate.
After some mingling and such (I knew quite a bit of people there) we got some quick instruction from George of Bike29 and then we were off. It seemed to have come out of nowhere so most everyone wasn't sure that is was go time. We rolled out of the Polo Fields and up a long paved climb that came right at the beginning and all to soon. At the top of the climb we turned into the woods for some nice, fast single track. I will share something. I am no single speeder. It is super fun and I like working with the one gear but you have to have the skills to make it work. Hind sight would say that I should've ran 32/22 not 32/20.
I did this race because it came to Vermont. That was pretty much the single reason. I guess it was also a good excuse to ride trails in Stowe, which I had never done.
I was at the back of the pack (roughly 200 riders) straight out of the gate. I stayed there. I only got back into the mix throughout the race because people would hang out at the aid stations. There was water BUT there was mostly junk food, beer, and liquor. Single speeders are off road hipsters and they like to do things their way and quite different that the norm.
Below is a picture of a stop that I made after the half way aid station where people were chugging 40oz beers and shots of whiskey and tequila. I stayed away from the festivities for two reasons. The first and one at hand was to maintain a level of survival in the race. The second is because I stopped drinking alcohol during my year long training session for Tour Divide. I digress. While I took a moment to clean some shit out of my shoe, someone that I later learned named Seth rolled back towards me and was thinking he was going the wrong. Mind you this guy was just at the mid station doing a 40. I got him steered in the right direction and I watched him trip all over the place falling and crashing. I was worried for him but they were always slow speed crashes and quite funny.
It wasn't long that Seth left me behind. Even drunk, he seemed to make light work of the trails ahead. I never saw him again. Matter of fact the only people I kept seeing were some riders from DrunkCyclist.com and the sweep that was on a full suspension geared bike. He helped two people that were riding in the vicinity of me get off the trail and back to town early. They didn't want to continue. Not much later he said to me that the section coming up is pretty technical and if I want to get out, now is a good time. I firmly told him that I wasn't stopping, he accepted and we made good of what we had.
Before too long after one of the hardest climbs I've ever done, he turned to me and said that is it for the climbing. It was a rough gravel and stone section that climbed up somewhere onto the Trapps property and went on and on for what seemed like forever. The last section of the course was about 2 miles of downhill singletrack. I quickly dubbed that as "REWARD". It was so fast and flowy that I actually had to stop twice to shake the hands out from the pressure they were taken on from gravity. Me behind them and my rigid fork in front of them put alot of emphasis on my wrist. Nothing bad but noticeable. I believe the name of this trail is Kimmers which let out across a nice wooden bridge at a trailhead. That was the finish. I had done it and it was over! There were still about 30 people hanging around drinking and such when I pulled in seven hours after I had started. I was greeted like royalty. Last place! DFL! I stuck to it and got it done.
Things that I took away from this event:
here are a couple of other perspectives of the event.
Saturday morning I got up and gathered all of my things, loaded the truck and was ready to roll. I then realized that I was a bit early to make the journey to Stowe. I ate breakfast and hung out at home for a little while. I rolled out feeling like I was forgetting something even though I had been over it a dozen times insuring myself that I was all set. The trip over gave me plenty of time to think of things and I realized that I had a tube in case I lost a tubeless setup. I also had a patch kit in case I lost said tube. As far as inflation, I only had a big air cartridge which would probably only cover one, maybe two flats. I got nervous and when I got to Stowe I promptly looked for a bike shop. I found one that opened at 8am and found a pump that I bought to have on hand just in case. Of course, as it goes, I didn't need it and I didn't have any mechanicals.
After the pitstop to the bikeshop, I headed over to the Stowe Polo Fields. I was still early and there wasn't any sign of a bike event to be seen. I headed back over to town and pulled in to the parking lot by the theater. I saw signs of other single speeders so I pulled in to chat a bit. I found a couple guys that were over from NY and they were chatting about trying to find a place to park. I told them if they wanted to follow me, I would show them were the closest bike path parking lot was. We got there and suited up and rode the bike path down and over to the polo fields. At this point there was a collection of bikes starting to accumulate.
 |
| ready for the start |
I did this race because it came to Vermont. That was pretty much the single reason. I guess it was also a good excuse to ride trails in Stowe, which I had never done.
 |
| man, this shit's hard |
Below is a picture of a stop that I made after the half way aid station where people were chugging 40oz beers and shots of whiskey and tequila. I stayed away from the festivities for two reasons. The first and one at hand was to maintain a level of survival in the race. The second is because I stopped drinking alcohol during my year long training session for Tour Divide. I digress. While I took a moment to clean some shit out of my shoe, someone that I later learned named Seth rolled back towards me and was thinking he was going the wrong. Mind you this guy was just at the mid station doing a 40. I got him steered in the right direction and I watched him trip all over the place falling and crashing. I was worried for him but they were always slow speed crashes and quite funny.
It wasn't long that Seth left me behind. Even drunk, he seemed to make light work of the trails ahead. I never saw him again. Matter of fact the only people I kept seeing were some riders from DrunkCyclist.com and the sweep that was on a full suspension geared bike. He helped two people that were riding in the vicinity of me get off the trail and back to town early. They didn't want to continue. Not much later he said to me that the section coming up is pretty technical and if I want to get out, now is a good time. I firmly told him that I wasn't stopping, he accepted and we made good of what we had.
 |
| this was a pretty nice section of the course |
 |
 |
| a note from my daughter |
- I am not (currently) a single speeder - it is super fun but you have to be quite fit to pull it off
- I was last in a very large field but I beat everyone that pulled out and technically all those who didn't even do it. (for whatever that is worth)
- a single speed bike is fun, quiet, and simple
- know your terrain and choose a gear that is suitable for it and your abilities
- don't worry about anyone else out there.
- very easy to drain the tank when putting in a hard effort
- little to know rest or recovery while riding
- have comfortable shoes that allow hiking/walking (it happens)
- SS hipsters, although weird and different, are cool people and mostly judgment free
here are a couple of other perspectives of the event.
- Mark
- George (Bike29)
- Mandy (the one and only)
- drunk cyclist (warning: sketchy)
Friday, July 27, 2012
the eve of SSUSA
Once this race is over, I will start gathering the things I need to set the Voodoo back up with some gears and get to training for Tour Divide. Until then, I might have a few more slower paced rides in the single speed flavor. Once it is setup for touring, I will be all about miles not trails. Commuting will pick up to a higher level than it has been. I will also plan out some nice bikepacking trips. That's what excites me the most.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
time flies!
It has been a while since I have posted anything. I have been real busy with work but now things are a bit more settled in.
Since my last post, I did another 200k and was successful at completing it. I decided that I need to focus on some trail riding since I have SSUSA coming up in two weeks. A couple weeks ago, on a super wet day, I decided to race Catamount for the first time this season. It would be only the third time since I broke my collarbone. I was going good until about half way through my first lap I got out on the rocky fire road connector and HISS HISS HISS HISS. I punctured the tire set up tubeless. I walked out of the woods and started thinking about how I under sealed the tire when I set it up. I tucked my tail between my legs and took it hope to fix it up. (mind you the same thing would have happened if I had a tube in the tire).
I vulcanized a patch to the inside of the tire, remounted it to the rim, added more (the proper amount) of sealant and pumped it up. It held and continues to do so weeks later. Seems to be the fix. The next Wednesday was July 4th so I was out of town camping with the family. No race. This past week I went back to Catamount for another go at a race. I am only doing two laps to work myself back into the demands of racing. Three laps is a bit out of expectation right now.
I have to say that I had an absolute blast on the course. I also have to say that the Voodoo is setup full rigid, single speed. I am not a single speeder but I love the way it acts out in the woods. It is such a basic sensation riding a bike that has nothing fancy going on with it.
There were just three of us in my age group and I finished last at it. BUT I am pleased to say that I was only 1.5 minutes back and they were on full squishy bikes with gears. I'm happy with that.
My rear brake has been acting up since I replaced my pads. Way too tight. No clearance between pads and rotor. Complete rubbing and squealing. Riding with the brake on. It was time to deal with it. I removed the pads and took the caliper off the bike. I pumped the lever to bring the pistons out and found that one of them was not moving. I gave it a heavy douse of brake clean and kept working it until it let go. Some how there is too much fluid (or it expanded) in the lines keeping the pistons from going in far enough. I cracked open the banjo joint and let a small amount of fluid to escape and put it all back together. Money!
I still need to shorten the lines so I will bleed the brakes when I do that. Moving on I will continue to ride the Voodoo as a single speed until after SSUSA. It will then go back to 1x9 and get setup for my Tour Divide training. I have many thoughts on this and will make another post on the subject.
Oh yeah, and I have this to play with now too!
Since my last post, I did another 200k and was successful at completing it. I decided that I need to focus on some trail riding since I have SSUSA coming up in two weeks. A couple weeks ago, on a super wet day, I decided to race Catamount for the first time this season. It would be only the third time since I broke my collarbone. I was going good until about half way through my first lap I got out on the rocky fire road connector and HISS HISS HISS HISS. I punctured the tire set up tubeless. I walked out of the woods and started thinking about how I under sealed the tire when I set it up. I tucked my tail between my legs and took it hope to fix it up. (mind you the same thing would have happened if I had a tube in the tire).
I have to say that I had an absolute blast on the course. I also have to say that the Voodoo is setup full rigid, single speed. I am not a single speeder but I love the way it acts out in the woods. It is such a basic sensation riding a bike that has nothing fancy going on with it.
There were just three of us in my age group and I finished last at it. BUT I am pleased to say that I was only 1.5 minutes back and they were on full squishy bikes with gears. I'm happy with that.
My rear brake has been acting up since I replaced my pads. Way too tight. No clearance between pads and rotor. Complete rubbing and squealing. Riding with the brake on. It was time to deal with it. I removed the pads and took the caliper off the bike. I pumped the lever to bring the pistons out and found that one of them was not moving. I gave it a heavy douse of brake clean and kept working it until it let go. Some how there is too much fluid (or it expanded) in the lines keeping the pistons from going in far enough. I cracked open the banjo joint and let a small amount of fluid to escape and put it all back together. Money!
I still need to shorten the lines so I will bleed the brakes when I do that. Moving on I will continue to ride the Voodoo as a single speed until after SSUSA. It will then go back to 1x9 and get setup for my Tour Divide training. I have many thoughts on this and will make another post on the subject.
Oh yeah, and I have this to play with now too!
Monday, May 14, 2012
200k - FAIL!
Saturday was my first long ride of the season. 131 miles! I had (have) no base to speak of and it was a long shot but I felt pretty good. I had done a 30 mile ride the week before. Not prepared by any stretch of the imagination but I am pretty good at pushing through and finishing. Well, this was not the case. ~20 miles to go and I had nothing left in the tank. Nothing!
I had a monkey on my back for most of the ride. With 90 miles behind me, I got to Middlebury for a much needed rest. I took about 45 minutes off from the ride and tried to recover. I think now that I fell short mostly because I wasn't quite fueled right during the ride. I was able to get another 20 miles or so before I hit Vergennes and call for an air strike. My wife already knew I was in trouble and had headed out to find me. That was about all it took to realize that it was time to call it.
I got picked up with my tail between my legs yet surprisingly proud of my accomplishment giving my recent health concerns. I definitely realized what I have to do to get where I want to be. June 9th is the date for the 300k. There is a 200k option which I will probably go for. I still have a positive outlook to start and complete the 400k on June 30th. Time to get to work.
I had a monkey on my back for most of the ride. With 90 miles behind me, I got to Middlebury for a much needed rest. I took about 45 minutes off from the ride and tried to recover. I think now that I fell short mostly because I wasn't quite fueled right during the ride. I was able to get another 20 miles or so before I hit Vergennes and call for an air strike. My wife already knew I was in trouble and had headed out to find me. That was about all it took to realize that it was time to call it.
I got picked up with my tail between my legs yet surprisingly proud of my accomplishment giving my recent health concerns. I definitely realized what I have to do to get where I want to be. June 9th is the date for the 300k. There is a 200k option which I will probably go for. I still have a positive outlook to start and complete the 400k on June 30th. Time to get to work.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
FrankenBianchi shakedown, longish ride, first in a while
Today, my wife and I joined a large group and did a covered bridge ride with the Green Mountain Bicycle Club. It was an awesome day to ride and we took advantage of it. We got in 30 miles of very punchy terrain. It was nice to be riding and putting the new set up of the San Jose to the test.
Let's start with the build. The woodchipper bars are absolutely lovely. I like the flare on them. It allows for a more natural and comfortable position of the wrists when you are in the drops. They are the narrow ones and they work perfect for a road bike. The fork is nice. It had the good feel I like of a steel fork and the rake and trail make for a very stable ride. I feel (or at least want to) an improvement over the old fork. The disc up front is a very nice added feature. It seems a bit underpowered when I first took it for a small spin. After my ride today, I feel that it has worked it self in real nice. I would prefer hydros over mechanical but that is a different time with a different bike. The dynamo hub is yet to be tested. I don't have a light yet. I am sure that it will be just fine. The only other thing that I did on the bike is put a new canti on the rear. I went with Avid Shorty Ultimate. It is a sweet brake that sets up real nice. I love the engineering that went into it. It is powerful and smooth.
Other than that, the bike is still the same bike (aside the fact that I put a King headset on it) and it is a blast to ride. I think that this bike has the potential of being so many things. I has been a platform for thoughts and I had a really nice bike in mind in the future.
I felt pretty good today on the bike. My fitness level has dropped quite a bit. I have this week coming to ride a bit before my 200k this coming weekend. Should be interesting. I look forward to the butt window. I have a bigger picture here and I need to step it up!
For the meantime, I have to focus on something real important to me:
Let's start with the build. The woodchipper bars are absolutely lovely. I like the flare on them. It allows for a more natural and comfortable position of the wrists when you are in the drops. They are the narrow ones and they work perfect for a road bike. The fork is nice. It had the good feel I like of a steel fork and the rake and trail make for a very stable ride. I feel (or at least want to) an improvement over the old fork. The disc up front is a very nice added feature. It seems a bit underpowered when I first took it for a small spin. After my ride today, I feel that it has worked it self in real nice. I would prefer hydros over mechanical but that is a different time with a different bike. The dynamo hub is yet to be tested. I don't have a light yet. I am sure that it will be just fine. The only other thing that I did on the bike is put a new canti on the rear. I went with Avid Shorty Ultimate. It is a sweet brake that sets up real nice. I love the engineering that went into it. It is powerful and smooth.
Other than that, the bike is still the same bike (aside the fact that I put a King headset on it) and it is a blast to ride. I think that this bike has the potential of being so many things. I has been a platform for thoughts and I had a really nice bike in mind in the future.
I felt pretty good today on the bike. My fitness level has dropped quite a bit. I have this week coming to ride a bit before my 200k this coming weekend. Should be interesting. I look forward to the butt window. I have a bigger picture here and I need to step it up!
For the meantime, I have to focus on something real important to me:
Sunday, April 29, 2012
more progress with the San Jose
I got the rim tape on and got the rubber on the rims. I got the Afine back together (shift components) and set up the chain. I decided to leave it at 38/20 which is where it was the last time I rode it. Technically it was this past winter but I didn't really put much time in on it. I had some trouble with the studded tires hooking up so I got a little gun shy for a bit. The drivetrain is all good to go. I mounted up the front disc and caliper. The Formula adapter is pretty sweet but it seems to push the rotor outboard quite a bit. Look how much clearance (or lack) there is between the rotor and fork.
This might have to change. I am not sure if there will be any flex in the front end that will cause the rotor to hit the fork. I will find out when I ride it. If it becomes an issue I have two ways to solve it. The first may be the easiest and that is to order and centerlock rotor. I was trying to avoid that because the brakes already came with a rotor that I can use. The second option is to dimple the fork leg on the inside where the rotor is close so that there is more clearance. Since I plan on doing some drilling and brazing to the fork, I could do this method and then repaint the fork. We'll see!
I have the cockpit all set up. I talked in the last post about being able to adjust it a little by flipping the stem. Well I got on the bike to check out the position and was not satisfied with it. I went ahead and flipped the stem and now it seems to be right on.
So, it seems that I am down to the tedious tasks of finishing everything up. I need to run cables for the brakes and IGH, wrap the bars (which I always cringe at doing) and mount up the rear brakes. I ended up going with the AVID shorty ultimate cantis. You can set them up in either wide or narrow depending on your needs. They seem to be made well and hopefully they perform well too.
Hopefully I can get a bit closer to being done with it all tonight. I'm eager to get it rolling and I need some saddle time before 5/12.
This might have to change. I am not sure if there will be any flex in the front end that will cause the rotor to hit the fork. I will find out when I ride it. If it becomes an issue I have two ways to solve it. The first may be the easiest and that is to order and centerlock rotor. I was trying to avoid that because the brakes already came with a rotor that I can use. The second option is to dimple the fork leg on the inside where the rotor is close so that there is more clearance. Since I plan on doing some drilling and brazing to the fork, I could do this method and then repaint the fork. We'll see!
 |
| I like the look. I do wish they were hydro! hmmm, next build |
 |
| Salsa woodchipper bars courtesy of Mike B. |
Hopefully I can get a bit closer to being done with it all tonight. I'm eager to get it rolling and I need some saddle time before 5/12.
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