catchup...

Well, I got my first century under the belt. I think it about 103 miles total. It was a mix of rail trails and the road with a nice ending loop through Valley Forge National Park. I got a cramp at mile 85 and mile 102 on the last hill. I said, "Screw it!" and pedaled with one leg until it worked itself out. My butt was a swollen the next day. I think it's time for a Brooks Saddle!

Taking a break while the fat tired road bike changes his flat...

No one on my facebook got that that was 100 miles. People run a stupid 5k and they get 100 likes. I ride 100 miles and get 2.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm post century grilling.

I've been toying with the idea of setting up my old Schwinn Moab as a gravel grinder road bike. Here's some pictures of it mocked up. I didn't like how high the seat was in comparison to the bars. So it goes back to being a vintage mountain bike that I never use. Bummer.

A week after the century I went to MT Penn for the first time. It beat me up. 32x19, with 1700 feet of elevation change in 10 miles, and east coast rocks. Most of the trails are downhill trails that people shuttle up but, the few crazies like myself who decide to SS it. Next time I go I'm taking the FS and having some fun!

I had a horrible week of flats commuting. It was bicycle nightmare. I had some glass hidden in my tire that would be fine for a while then poke my tube. A bad valve stem after that kept me guessing. Finally got it straightened out, I think. I saw this picture wayyy too many times that week.

This past Sunday I was able to get out to the trails I volunteer at. I haven't been there in a while so, it was good to go see what kind of damage took place from the two heavy rainstorms we got in the past two weeks. Trails were fine. The fire roads... not so much. I wish I would of taken some pictures of how bad the roads are. I need to ride there more often. We have the most obstacles in the area and you're either climbing or descending. A good workout even if it's only 7 miles.
Within the first 50 feet of the trail I bashed my finger between my handlebars and a fence post. Man, did that hurt! Just loss of skin though. Nothing broken.

Today being Memorial day we went out for an early ride at Nockamixon. Got about 20 miles in. It was pretty fantastic. They added a bunch of skinnies and we had fun on them. Here you can see me falling off. I know you're thinking, "That looks like a really really easy skinny." Well, There is a weird muddy rut right before you get on the skinny that messes you up. Took us both a few times to get it. Coated your tires in some nice muck and slowed you down to a crawl. Which isn't good SS.
They have alot of fun with their chainsaws at this place. There are a bunch of stump carvings hidden throughout the trails and log couches everywhere.

Work has been incredibly busy the last few weeks and hadn't much time to blog. Doesn't mean I'm not biking. Last Saturday, I did a brutal 20 mile SS mtb ride. It was brutal for a few reasons. 1. I had wings for dinner the night before. 2. I was out late. 3. I'm still getting used to the 32x19 gearing I started running. Nothing like knowing you can do more but, your body telling you, "NO!" I guess every now and then you need a reminder that diet is just as important as riding all the time.
The next day we did a 52 mile road, rail trail, and singletrack ride. We were supposed to do a century but, it got pushed back so others could have time to get in shape for it.

It was nice to have my road bike stripped of all it's commuting gear. It's nice and light now. We did have one flat on pavement about 30 miles in. Not on the single track with big rocks and roots everywhere. On the paved rail trail right after someone made a comment about a flat...

Of course the spare tube had a slit in it and we wasted a CO2 on it before we discovered that. Luckily, I always carry a pump and CO2. I've had my share of CO2 failures and pump failures to know better. Once we discovered the slit, I patched the original tube and we were on our way.

While I was going downhill on one section of road I was close to 38 mph and I started getting crazy front wheel wobble. Scared the crap out of me. I never experienced it before so naturally, I loosened my grip and took weight off the front while braking, making it wobble even worse. I thought I was going to be skinned alive. I finally managed to slow down enough for it to stop. Later on I researched it and found out that you need to add more weight to the front and grip the frame with your knees and hope that fixes it. Scary.

A few weeks ago my wife's uncle gave me a 1989 Trek 1100 aluminum framed road bike with a cromo fork. It rides beautifully. Since, it was just sitting in my shed and I liked having my specialized without all the commuting crap on it. Yesterday, I decided to set it up for commuting for a while. At least until after our century.

I think I need a shorter stem on it but, I'll ride it a week and see. I might just need to raise up the current one. I need to get a battery for the computer and see if that works, too.

My wife wanted to go for a ride yesterday so, I took her to the local rail trail. I took the Dolomighty. You get lots of stares and smiles on that thing.

Finally today, me and a friend took a trip to Delaware to ride White Clay State Park. I love that place. It's pure trail bliss. IMBA helped in building it and the Trailspinners do a fantastic job of keeping up with it. A lot of skinnies throughout the park, rollers, climbs, creek crossings, a skills park and about 30 miles of trails. Can't beat it.

I just love my Raleigh XXIX. It's pretty much perfect. I would like to put a 180mm rotor in the front but, other than that I think it's my perfect bike.

first ride video

How to drill your rims.

We've all seen the "holes in the rim" look seen all those expensive fat bikes. Well, You can do that yourself, on the cheap, and save some weight. Here's how to do it:
1. Take the wheel off the bike.
2. Take the tire, tube, and rimstrip off the rim.
3. Mark out your center holes. They should be equally spaced between each spoke, like so

I kept away from the tubes valve hole. the 1.5" just seemed too close. I heard you could use a 1'' one but, I didn't have one on me.
I set my wheels on my workbench, pressed up against the wall, on two 2x4s to give me a flat and steady surface to work with. This kept me from bending the brake rotor or putting unstable pressure on the axle.

4. Take a small drill bit and drill out a pilot hole. You do this to ensure accuracy of the hole saw

5. Take a bit larger than the one you just used but, smaller than the hole saw drill bit, and drill your pilot holes bigger. You do this to make sure the hole saw bit doesn't catch, bind up, and break.

6. Get an 1.5" hole saw and a drill. I used an electric drill. I knew it'd be a lot of drilling and the batteries on my drill aren't the best, anymore. The benefit of a battery drill would be instant stop when you let go of the trigger. While the electric one keeps spinning for a while. I use these things all the time at work and have the feel for it so, I knew I'd be safe.

7. It's going to get messy. Put a sheet down to catch all the metal shavings.
[Not the one off your bed. That'll pis your wife or mom off}
8. Drill, baby, Drill! I kept the rim secure by having it on the floor between my legs. Worked fine. Make sure as soon as the hole saw goes through you pull it back up. It'll mangle your spokes if you don't. You also want to drill straight down. Not like it looks in the picture. That was for illustration purposes only. Also, spray some oil on the rim where you are drilling. It'll save your bit and it'll cut quicker.

9. Once you're done drilling, go back onto your 2x4 platform and take a rounded file and get rid of all the extra metal hangnails. Smooth out the edges of your holes. I picked up this file at a home improvement store for 8 bucks.

10. Give the rims a good wipe down from all the metal shavings. Inside and out.
11. Now you need to cover the holes with something. Some people use gift wrapping ribbon for special colors. I thought about white but, it would get really dirty and I didn't want to have to take them apart all the time. I stuck with a black waterproof gorilla duct tape. I wrapped around the rim twice with the black side facing the holes. I put the rimstrip then over the duct tape.

12. Replace tube and tire and you're ready to roll!

Now everyone will want to ride your fattie!

Finally, Found Dirt!

This morning I woke up dark and early to head far east to the land of good drainage, New Jersey. Batsto Village to be exact. It's fast and flowy. Nothing technical at all. Super flat. I don't think there was one time where I stopped pedaling. Either going down or up. Total I think it's about 23 miles. Good way to kick off the season!

They did an awesome job of marking these trails. There are mileage markers every few miles and half way through the 19 mile loop here is that map kiosk from the above picture. They have that at the start of the trails, too. Every trail is color coded.
As you can see the terrain is sand and pine needles. It must get really dense in the summer time. I am also testing a new cockpit setup. I'm testing to own a set of Carver ti handlebars. I think they're 710mm. A little bit wider than my 680mm. I also put on a 65mm SunlineV stem. My other one is a 90mm. I loved the setup but, my left arm was asleep the whole time. I had that trouble before with this stem. I think it puts me in too much of an upright position. I'm going to swap back to the 90mm next time I ride.

The Beast...errr... Dolomite has arrived!

And it's sweet! Sweet looking at least. I only got to ride it from the back to the front of my shed, so far.
I was busy the first night tearing things apart and regreasing everything. I swapped out the handlebars, pedals, brake levers, and stem for stuff I had laying around. The fact that I can do this is one of the reasons this bike is better than your other Walmart bikes. The BB5's I was planning on using didn't work with the brake mounts. So This morning before work I quickly swapped the stock ones back on. They work pretty well. I've been planning on upgrading my SS's rotors to something higher; at that point I'll use those mounts and put the BB5's on. I need to get some seat post shims so I can use the one I have laying around. I'll probably wake up early again tomorrow and work on it for a few minutes before work.

The frame had some skuffs on it from packaging I imagine. Stickers are a little bubbly. I'm probably going to rip those off and have a "Walgoose" sticker made or something to make it look like it was an expensive bike.

I planned on getting starting on drilling out the wheels tonight but, our sink drain started leaking so I had to attend to that. Of course I had everything but, the one little washer that makes all the difference in the world. Such is life.

Dolomite is on it's way!

My Mongoose Dolomite should be here the end of the day on the 11th! Can't wait. I already got my spare parts waiting on the work bench to go on it. I'm going to drill the wheels out per fat-bike.com's instructions before I even put them on. Of course once I get it, spring will be rearing it's beautiful head around the corner. Average temp for the beginning of this week will be in the 50s. I'm actually going to be able to shed some layers for the commute in to work! Of course by the end of the week there is a chance of snow with lows in the 20s.
Speaking of commuting. I got a flat tire on the front last week. I fixed it rode it a few times, just went out to the shed to toy around and it was flat again. ugh. There are a cuts in the tire. So I switched out the Mavic Aksion tire that came with the rim to a more burly 25mm all weather tire that came with the bike when I got it. Hopefully, I like it. I think I should be rolling on a fatter tire anyway. Anyone have a recommendation on a 28c tire?
Remember my cracked shoe? Well I finally took it to the LBS. I thought I was going to have to take it in and wait for the Mavic rep to look at it for the warranty stuff. That's the way the LBS made it sound. So I was going to wait til it was warmer and could switch out to my too snug road shoes. I decided to take them in on Saturday. He swapped them out for a brand new pair of a different model. saweet! New stuff is always fun!

Now available

The Mongoose Dolomite is now available at Walmart.com Mine is expecting to be here on March 17th. bummer it can't be sooner!

Mongoose fat bike (s) recap

Last Thursday, Mongoose and Walmart released the 20" Mongoose Massif.

This obviously made everyone waiting for the Dolomite refresh Walmart's page a million times a day. A couple people were able to pre-order the Dolomite direct from Pacific Cycles last week. Rumor is that they shipped them out to Walmart now and pre-ordering is no longer an option. Hopefully, that means this week we can order them at some point. Price rumor is under 250$ A test rider for Mongoose has given us the frame specs which are:
24" effective top tube
19" chain stays
70d head tube angle
73d seat tube angle
Will have the same tires as the beast
Full alloy 1 1/8" stem
Hubs are steel nutted disc freewheels

fat-bike.com reported a spy shot of another Mongoose fat bike that's supposed to come out later this year. Yes, that will be three new fat bikes this year from Mongoose. This is a sub 1k$ bike with a 10 speed Shimano drivetrain. You can check that out here I'll be interested to see the actual price point and full specs and see how it compares to the sub 1500$ bikes and if having the Mongoose name will be a deciding factor for some people. Me? I can't justify that kind of money for a bike I won't use all the time.

Winter Blues

Man, I was doing great riding in the cold. We've been having the freeze thaw thing going on. Snow piles melting into the streets and then freezing into black ice, just in time for my commute. On Monday, I had what was probably the most elegant fall of my life. I gracefully slid down onto my left slide and spun around on my side all on a nice big sheet of black ice. There was a car following behind me but, saw it coming...luckily. I don't know if that spoofed me or just bummed me out but, I think I rode one other day last week and that was it. We did have some serious high winds, too. They aren't very motivating.

I've been craving dirt like crazy. Thursday me and a buddy wanted to see what the trails were like that we take care of. After work we went out. One person had walked on them since being covered in snow. There is probably a good 6 inches of snow still on the trails. Just frozen enough to be a pain to ride in. Needless, to say I felt like a kid on a stryder bike the whole time. We were able to do traverse the main loop. It had alot of small trees and brush down but, nothing requiring a chainsaw. Thankfully. I'd like to get out there sometime in March to clean it up... If this snow ever stops falling.

Having my road bike done up all commuter like makes me not want to ride it for anything else but, commuting. I haven't been doing long weekend rides like I used to do. I'm hoping once it warms up, I'll be more motivated. My Mavic mtb shoes have a nice crack next to my cleat. These shoes are less than a year old. I got to give them back to the LBS so he can contact Mavic to see what they want to do about it. The problem is, I use them. How long am I gonna be without my shoes? I have a pair of road shoes but, they're too small for winter layering. This is just Another thing that is un-motivating me way too quickly.

On top of that, I park my truck on the street in front of my house. I hadn't moved it for a month. Someone, somehow ran into the front of it and drove off. Thankfully, it only messed up the bottom plastic skin that is 60$ and not the whole bumper. The thing costs me money even when I'm not driving it.

How to keep your feet warm... Or at least try

 

Yeah, that's my shoe. I used gaffers tape and a bag my wife got from Gap. I Cut a piece to fit under my insole. Wrapped the toe cover in plastic and taped up all the vent holes. This plus shoe covers. I use the Pearl Izumi Mtb barrier Elites. They work well. They velcro around the back for a seamless front to maximize wind blockage

They're a tad pricey but, I knew I was going to be riding in sub zero temperatures and wanted the "best." These plus, those neoprene socks I got a few weeks ago, along with a wool type work sock, keep my feet pretty dang warm. Now, you do wool sock first. Then neoprene sock. This is something I did not know and had to research to find out. My feet usually feel wet by the end of my ride but, not cold. I'm not sure how it would fair in a longer ride situation. I'm usually only in the saddle for about 45 minutes max on my commutes so, keep that in mind. Hopefully, this keeps your feet warm.

Walmart fat bike

So, this is interesting.
 Rumor on the streets is Mongoose will be releasing a sub 300$ fat bike called the "Dolomite." Sporting a 1x7 drivetrain, threadless fork, and disc brakes. Supposed to be available Feb. 23. Now I know what you're thinking! A Walgoose? Come on! Well, the original Mongoose beast has a cult following. A cult following that has welded on their own disc mounts, v-brake mounts, who knows what else. I've seen people who've cut them in half and welded them back together to make them longer.All while laughing and having fun. I could see myself having fun on this... Especially at night during snow storms. Cruising around empty Main St.  Will it turn around your hatred for Walgooses, or fan the flames?

Changing it up

For a while now I've been telling the wife that the base layer shirts I have while effective in wicking moisture away and keeping me at temperature; I never get that comfy cozy warm feeling. I have one pair of base layer pants that have a thin felt type like inside. These work perfectly. Well, today she picked me up a shirt similar to those pants. I'm on the fence about using it tomorrow. This morning it was -1f with a -15f degree wind chill. It was cold. I remembered to wear a long John shirt over my layers and between my jacket but, failed to do that in between my pant layers. Big mistake! My legs were freezing. Tomorrow is supposed to be colder and I'm not so sure about messing with what works already. I might do a thin base, the new softer one, then my jacket and nix the long John.
Were expecting 6-12" of snow Wednesday night to Thursday plus, an inch of ice. You'd think I lived in Alaska.

YOU STINK!

Yes, you! You who ride your bike to work. Don't worry it's not so bad. There a few ways to keep the stink down.

1.It seems obvious but, wash your clothes often. I haven't used any of the "special" active wear detergent but, I have tried the home brews. Hydrogen peroxide just makes your clothes smell like hydrogen peroxide. The best thing I've found is to pre-soak in detergent before you wash. I do this maybe once a month and it helps a lot. Lot's of detergent.

2.Always air dry your clothes. Never put them in the dryer. Not only does the dryer cut down on the lifespan of the clothes but, it casts it's own stench into the clothes.

My helmet smells!
I had this with my first helmet and I'd wash the foam inserts and after a month they're worthless, right? Right. On my second helmet I wised up and started leaving it near the dehumidifier in the basement. This seems to suck out all the moisture with the stink before it has a chance to settle into the helmet pads. I've never washed the pads in my current helmet and it doesn't smell at all and I've had it for over a year.

I smell!
Well besides keeping your kit clean. Obviously, you need to keep clean. I keep a towel, cologne, deodorant, and baby wipes at the shop. You'd be amazed how refreshing a couple baby wipes feel after a ride into work on a 100 degree morning with 100% humidity.
Keep these tips in mind and you're co-workers might stop complaining about your stink sooner or later.

How Do You Carry Everything?

I only need to carry my lunch into work usually. My church is right next to where I work so, Sunday mornings I drop off a backpack full of clean clothes to last me the week and just leave it at work. I'm an electrician and as such I need a water jug, too. It works out really well. In the summer time I have an active mini-fridge that I can keep fruit, drinks, and ice packs in.
 I know other people use full racks and pannier setups. I'm glad I don't need all that. I just have a single rear rack that attaches to the seatpost of my bike. It's another hand me down from my wife's grandfather. It's plastic, and has a tiny storage spot for tire levers and a patch kit. It works and I've never had a desire to upgrade it.
 When I first started commuting to work, I used a backpack. After a while that just hurts. I have poor posture and that certainly didn't help any.
I've had different lunch box configurations over the last three years. The hardshell Igloos and the softshell Igloos. Right now I'm using a bike specific one from Avenir that I love. It's not fully waterproof though so I'll wrap it in a grocery bag if it's a raining pretty hard. I've fit a full wardrobe plus my lunch in this thing before. It's perfect for those days that are freezing in the morning but, 40s or 50s  during the right home. You can stuff your outerwear in it and not have to worry about it.  Look out how big this thing extends...{That's what she said}

This is a shot with the Thermos in the bag.

Compact mode.

It has a pocket on the outside for a water bottle. I use that for my headlight battery and hook my keys on the loop that's there. I also keep a multi-tool, spare tube,wallet, and phone all on the outer pockets. I could even have my pump strapped to it but, that's on the bike frame. It is a complete softshell. I took a hard plastic liner from another lunchbox and use that inside to keep my lunch together. The insulation isn't as thick as a normal lunch box. I'm not quite sure how it'll hold up all day sitting in a hot truck in the summer. I'll probably bring a cooler to work and transfer my lunch over in the summer. The three velcro straps hold it tight to the rack. I've never had it so much as move and I have hit some pretty serious potholes up here in the northeast.

It's got a trendy messenger bag type strap for carrying it and an assortment of loops for attaching random stuff to.

Avenir Excursion Rack-Top Bag (830 Cubic Inches)

Beautiful ride home

It's so nice to have daylight on the way home. I don't mind night riding but, there is something about being able to see your surroundings that's comforting.
The roads were really good up until I got into town. I had to ride on the sidewalk and opposite side of the road a few blocks. I even had to walk one. We're expecting another 1-6 inches and then it's supposed to turn into freezing rain.