Bacon with a Side of Drizzle

Drizzle

Todd and Chris

While the radar and forecast didn't call for rain, there was a drizzle that hung in the air for a few hours.  This sucks for folks like me who wear glasses.  I had to wipe them off every now and again, and came close to just riding myopically with no specs.

Fresh Meat

The new guy, Todd, showed up on a brand new steel Allez with retro down tube shifters.  Despite not having gravel tires and clipless pedals, he hung in there pretty good.  I hope to see him out there on some other rides.





Oh No! A Flat!

Pinch flat!

Somewhere near Richfield, Todd got a pinch flat.  Chris, being a roadside flat tire expert (grin), took the lead in helping Todd unmount and remount the tire.  I was pleased to offer the services of my new Lezyne pump (see Amazon link below).  It took his replacement road tube up to full pressure in just a few minutes.  The pump has a dual headed hose, and mounts securely on my frame and doesn't rattle at all.  I'm pretty sold on this pump.

Lights and Loops: They Don't Mix

Somewhere along Mahoney Road, Todd's new Planet Bike Superflash (the new 1W version is plenty bright) bounced off his seat bag loop.  He stopped to look for it while Chris and I rode on a mile or so before turning back to see what was up (oops!).  Unfortunately, he couldn't find the light.

What's the Toll?

We had a funny incident with the kid running the gate at Plate River State Park.  This guy seemed like he was 14 years old, but it was amazing how he was running the show there.  We stopped and asked how much for bikes (it's $4 for a daily pass for autos).  He scratched his chin and said, "Hmm, I don't know.  Bikes usually just ride on through.  No one has ever stopped and asked."

Respecting his authority, I told him it was up to him to tell us, however, I offered $4 for the three of us, and reminded him that the bikes plus the riders was still way lighter on the roads on than a single auto.  He looked at us, half smiling, but with a bit of sternness, making me think he'd charge us $4 each if he thought more about it.  Again, I made my offer, handing over some cash, and thankfully, he accepted, giving me a sticker pass, which I put in my pocket (I'm not going to stick it on my bike).  Whew!  


The Reward

We rolled into PRSP just in time to see Leah, Mark, and another Todd just getting ready to leave.  Leah made the Bacon Ride after having won a race title just the day before.  Wow, Leah!

Fortunately, they didn't not eat all of the food, as they indicated to me as we were parking the bikes.

Todd's plan was to call his wife to come out with the kids and spend some time at the park. 

Unaware of each other's actions, both Todd and Chris paid for my breakfast (oops!). 




The Return

Chris and I rode back along the usual Fishery/Pflug route.  It was pretty awesome.  We seemed to take turns chasing each other, which might mean we were pretty well matched for the day's ride.

Around Walnut Creek, we decided to ride back through Papillion and La Vista to save some time, versus riding back on the creek trails.  This worked out pretty well, since the residential streets protected us from the wind that was picking up.

About this time I'm beginning to notice this weird cramp/numbness with the toes on my right foot.  Does anyone know what this is all about, and how to fix it?

I think after doing this ride several times, I'm finally able to remember all of the residential streets and turns to pass more swiftly through La Vista and Papillion, saving a few miles over riding the creek trails.  I hope to do it next time without a cue sheet. 

A B-Cycle station near the Keystone Trail

On the way back on the Keystone, we saw a woman riding a B-Cycle.  We stopped at Aksarben Village to check them out.  I think it might be fun if we all rode B-Cycles on the next Bacon Ride.  That would be one heck of a workout.

Ain't Gravel Fun?

Todd climbs the Mahoney Hill

I enjoyed seeing some new roads, choosing Turkey Road out of Walnut Creek, and Mahoney Road out of Louisville.  I just really enjoy riding gravel roads, and hope to be able to explore them all before they get paved over someday.

I like trains!

Chris likes trains, too. 

A New Bike, and New Things Learned

A New Bike

The bug bit again. My trusty Trek 7300 hybrid gets me to and from work in all kinds of weather in smooth comfort. It's also the no-brainer choice for grocery store shopping, using the rack and panniers. But I've been feeling the need for something lighter and potentially faster, but still rugged enough for daily commuting.

I began restoring the 1976 Schwinn Le Tour II, and while that was fun, I don't have the time, knowledge and resources to complete it at this time. And, truth be told, I am still not 100% what I want to do with it.

On Friday afternoon I saw a Craig's List ad for a 2006 Specialized Tricross. I began researching what a cross bike was all about, and specifically, what the Tricross had to offer, and decided that this might be the bike for me.

Some of the features that attracted me were:

• road style frame and bars
• light, by comparison to the 7300 and Le Tour (about 22 pounds)
• carbon fiber fork and seat post for reduced weight and vibration dampening
  
• wide enough tires for bumpy city streets, gravel, and maybe dry dirt
• skinny enough tires for smooth, fast rolling on the paved trail and streets
  
• lots of braze-ons for racks, bottle cages, etc. The carbon fork can even take a rack.
  
• wide handlebars with extra brake levers on the tops
• short enough reach to make the bike comfortable sitting up, as well as on the drops
  

I called the owner and make arrangements to go look at the bike. We met in a parking lot and I rode it around a bit. The next day we met again and gave him the cash and he gave me the bike, and even threw in a bell. (Thanks Mark A.!)

This morning I took the Tricross out for its maiden voyage (for me; Mark had already put 5,000 miles on the bike!). I rode with Munson and Miles on about 40 miles of pavement and gravel. I was comfortable on the saddle the entire time, so I think it's a pretty good fit so far. There may be a question about the 54 cm. frame being a little small for me, but it seems to fit my inseam well enough. Time will tell, I suppose.

Here are some photos of the Tricross:

Here is the Tricross after the dirty, wet ride

And now after a bath. The previous owner, Mark A. kept it so nice, I feel obligated to keep it clean and well oiled.

Here's a view from over the rear wheel. Specialized took some liberty in using oddly shaped tubes and stays. It creates an interesting effect.

I've never seen cantilever brakes up close before. They still look weird to me. How can I keep them from shrieking like a banshee?

New Things Learned

I met Miles and Munson at 7am this morning for a gravel ride out towards Bennington. Munson had seen a gravel road called Dutch Hall Road and wanted to see where it went. Once we left the pavement and started climbing up and down wet gravel roads, I realized it was going to be slow going. I ride a lot of hills on my commutes, but my five to fifteen mile commutes are pretty short, the hills are short, and there's not time enough to get tired.

I got tired.

The levels and downhills were fun, though it was a little scary bombing down a wet gravel road on a bike I'd never ridden before. However, the constant climbs wore me out in a hurry. I firmly believe, though, that riding with stronger riders is the only way to keep myself honest and push a little harder than I might if I were by myself.

Both Munson and Miles were very gracious and kept the pace where I could hang on, albeit, back a bit, but fast enough to keep me honest. Miles had ridden a race yesterday and said he was on a recovery ride, anyway, so I'll claim that I was helping him hold the slower pace to keep from overdoing it. :)

I like lists, and I like lessons learned, so here's a list of new things learned on this ride:

• the street signs were misprinted. Instead of "Dutch Hall Road," they should have read "Dutch Hill Road"
• when a cyclist says "riding gravel", they really mean "riding hills." Munson explained that this is because the minimally improved country roads aren't graded the same way as city streets and highways. They follow the terrain.
  
• as much as it stinks to climb slowly, it's a nice sense of accomplishment when I get to the top of a long hill
• the Shimano 105 STI shifters are not too hard to get used to after a while, and actually seem pretty darn efficient
• I like the multiple hand positions available on the wide bar, especially with hands on or around the brake hoods
• lighter bikes really do go faster
• when riding gravel right behind someone on a mountain bike, prepare to get a lot of little rocks in the face. Though eating a little rock never killed anyone.
  
• wet gravel isn't as much fun as dry gravel
• wear gloves next time to help with hand fatigue and chaffing
• consider proper cycling shorts rather than simple exercise shorts, especially when I might get wet

Here are a few things I think I got right:

• brought extra snacks to share
• brought extra shirt, which I was glad to have when it got cooler after the rain
• brought rain jacket, which I didn't need, but it's nice to have

In summary, I am really pleased with the new bike. I am glad that I was able to find a nice deal on a really nice bike, and to quickly find that it was comfortable and exciting to ride, plus I think the red, black and white color scheme is super sharp. I appreciated the opportunity to ride with Munson and Miles and see some roads I would have never found on my own.

Foggy Wednesday

I didn't ride today or yesterday as a result of having to take my son to school. Maybe it's best I didn't ride today. I am not sure that my rear facing Planet Bike Super Flash would have been enough to cut through the fog on the busy stretch of my commute.

There were some spots near downtown where it felt like I could see only a few car lengths ahead of me. Drivers are distracted enough as it is, and I bet the frustration of the morning commute is aggravated when they can't see through the fog.