Circling Bits

Snow Day

2010-12-27T15:06:00.003-05:00

Today is a snow day in that school-aged kid sense of the word, except I'm not a kid. The office is closed today on account of a bad snow storm (the first time in 9 years). We had fun in snow.

Fall riding

2010-10-22T20:52:00.003-04:00

Just some nice images from a recent October ride.

Reading to the Dog

2010-09-28T20:39:00.004-04:00

Estabrook

2010-09-27T16:51:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since the last post. That's not for lack of interesting goings on, it's for lack of motivation to blog. So be it.

Yesterday I finally decided to explore some dirt roads in Concord that Brian wrote about earlier this year. Brian's route starts quite a few miles east of where I joined the route, but I decided to focus on the area just north of the Old North Bridge called Estabrook Woods. Estabrook Road continues up the hill from the bridge and eventually the pavement gives way to crushed stone, and that quickly gives way to a fire road. Oolala! The trail meanders along easily enough for my "road" bike on cyclocross tires. There are just a few spots that aren't easily rideable - that makes sense considering that it was a legitimate road many many years ago. I continued along hoping to pop out where Estabrook Road regains pavement and continues up toward route 225, but somewhere I took a wrong turn and back-tracked out. The wrong turn was valuable - I figured out where I should have turned, and I realized that there is more rideable trail in those woods that I initially thought. Perhaps I'll do some more exploring this fall. This network will surely go into my small library of local dirt riding and walking trails.

Boston Brevets 200k

2010-05-05T07:22:00.006-04:00

A few days have come and gone since the Boston Brevets 2010 200k ride. I have ridden the 200k a few times before, and it is always a good trip. The route has many quiet and interesting roads and there is no shortage of good company. But last Saturday was really tough. Things just weren't right and it gives me reason to rethink long distance riding for the time being.

Well here's how the day went. I was up early that morning. Claire had not slept well and everyone was a little grumpy from a poor night's rest. A lingering cold was sapping my energy still. It had been a long week for everyone. It seemed like I ought to just listen to the signs and sit the day out. For one reason or another, I decided to go.

I grabbed a quick coffee and breakfast sandwich to jump start my system on the way to the civil air terminal in Bedford. The crowd of riders was very large. I heard 80 showed up. Maybe it's the nice weather, maybe the new PBP registration requirements, who knows. We started out promptly at 7. I foolishly fell in with a large very fast group to start. We zipped along in excess of 20 mph for the first 40 or so miles, much faster than is normally sustainable for me, but drafting really helps and I was having fun chatting with friends. There were a few in the bunch who suffered with me through the torturous weather of the 110k two weeks before, and we exchanged comments about how much nicer today would be.

Zipping along, I eventually took a turn pulling and did not recover well. It was time to ride a more reasonable (slower) pace, and there were a few other riders who apparently realized the same. We cruised into the first check point in New Boston shortly thereafter.

I checked in, filled the bottles and grabbed a snack. A few riders were getting ready to go and we rolled out together. The second leg of the 200k is considerably more hilly than the first or last, and I was happy to be with riders who were familiar and sensible. And there was a tandem in the bunch, and I just love tandems. Trying to keep up with one on a downhill is near impossible, but tandems make for very good karma on a ride. One day I'll convince Nicole of how much fun a tandem is.

On Lyndeborough Road, just a few miles out, we reached a massive wash out in the road. Recent flooding damaged many areas, and that's probably what caused a 20 foot cross section of the road to disappear. There weren't any alternate directions on the cue sheet, and we discussed whether to cross the gulf or detour. At some point someone just decided to try and cross. The footing wasn't great for bike shoes, so we carefully spaced out across the ditch and passed the bikes to one another. The team work was really quite impressive.

We continued on. There were a few moments of head scratching at some intersections. Between the memories of riders and iphone navigation we found our way. Everyone in the group spaced out a little as each rode his/her own pace over the steady onslaught of hills. Occasionally we'd bump into one another. The most pleasant vista of the ride is always on Greenville Road near Mason, NH. Sure enough, you could see for miles. The view was great, but I was wiped out. I think my lingering cold was really starting to show it's effects. Thankfully, the second checkpoint was just a few miles off in Brookline. I sat for a while there and ate a ton of watermelon, a PB&J, pretzels and more. Rehydrated. People seemed to be having a good time at the stop, but I wanted to get the ride over with. I set off for the finish.

I bumped into a few riders here an there, but I rode the last section mostly solo. This was really good because I didn't feel bad stopping a couple of times to dunk my cycling cap at river crossings. That first capful of water dumped over my head was amazing. the weather was not too hot, but I was just feeling totally depleted and kind of miserable. I really just wanted to go sit in a river for the rest of the day, but that would not get me to the finish. A capful of water would have to do. Just before Westford, two familiar riders caught up to me. One in particular is always pleasant to ride with because she's very experienced and pleasant. Her partner was steadily pulling us up some of the large hills coming into Westford. After an eternity of pedaling we finally cruised into Bedford.

On paper, the ride went well; it took me just over 7.5 hours door to door. Great! But aside from that and the many friendly riders who kept me company, this was probably the most unpleasant brevet I can remember. It just wasn't my day. I felt pretty trashed for most of the ride. Why? Going out with a very fast group of hammerheads is just dumb; I'll admit that riding with that group is fun but I don't have the legs for it. I've had a cold that won't quit, and my energy is lower than usual. I'm pretty busy with work and family, and that occupies most of my mental energy. Riding is definitely a lower priority. Sure, I've been bike commuting and riding a good amount, but I don't think I can spread myself this thin and expect to ride that distance so quickly. Maybe I'll just volunteer as ride support for the longer rides. Earlier in the year, I was planning on doing the whole brevet series, right through the 600k. I just don't see that happening now. My weekends seem short and these rides take me away from home a little too much. Riding a 600k also demands more training than I am interested in doing right now. At times during the 200k, I was thinking to myself, maybe my appetite for long rides is diminishing these days. That's OK. I'm only riding for me. It only feels weird because I've always liked to get after it. Well that's it. Not the cheeriest report, but that was it.

Wet Feet Season

2010-03-27T12:29:00.008-04:00

We've had a few wet weeks here. I don't know what the recent rainfall totals are, but it must be some kind of record. Many of the low-lying areas are flooded. Modest rivers are frothy torrents or gigantic lakes now. Several roads are underwater.

Well, maybe things are starting to dry out a bit and the water is receding, slowly. Still, many favorite bikeways of mine are wet wet wet. Some are passable and others, like the Route 117 crossing of the Sudbury River shown above, are not. Here are a few more.

Monument Street in Concord crossing what I think is the Concord River. Passable. Notice the canoe pulled up to the back door of the house. Sort of cool, sort of scary.

Just across the road, the Old North Bridge goes into a lake now. Decidedly impassable.

Claybrook Road in Dover. This street sits very low along the river. I can't believe it isn't always flooded. Passable.

Mill Street adjacent the Charles River in Dover. Impassable. Looks calm now, but the white caps were breaking over the road another time when I passed it.

Stowe

2010-02-09T15:45:00.001-05:00

Taking some time up in Stowe with family. It's an XC skier's paradise, and the established resorts are just part of it. I took a late day ski and found my way onto the recreation path going along the river toward Mt Mansfield. While very civilized, the trail is still fun. I now keep seeing trails starting though the woodside to some unknown place. Exploring more would be an adventure.

Big Things for Ought-Ten

2010-01-05T12:10:00.001-05:00

Ought-nine has come and gone. What a year is was!
1. We made a baby. Claire arrived on June 15th, and life hasn't been the same since. Mom and dad adjusted nicely to a life of doting on a giggling drooling little nut. She's already aware that I'm a dork; smart kiddo.
2. The house is finished. Early in the year we wrapped up a complex home addition and renovation. I cannot remember a more stressful period in my life. The project was over budget and behind schedule. There were no major disasters, which means that our project was a success. I'm still glad it's done. The house is beautiful. I hope we never have to move away from it.
3. Given both items one and two, I'm pretty pleased that I still managed to find time to ride. 3015.2 miles in all, not as many as in 2008, but I'm pretty happy with myself. I relish every ride these days. About half of the miles were commuting miles, the other half were recreation miles. The Rivendell A Homer Hilsen logged 1305 miles. The Trek 610 fixed-gear logged 1006 miles. A few other bikes picked up the rest.
4. Still commuting by bike. This one is more about mental wellness than anything else. It's a good way to start the day and to wind down after work. I probably average about 3 days per week by bike for most of the year. It beats driving a car every time.
5. Got a couple new bikes and sent one away. My wife bought me a Salsa Ala Carte mountain bike for my birthday, hot diggity! The Ala Carte is perfect for the trails in my area. An orange Rivendell Rambouillet frame and fork found me, yes it found me, on ebay. It took me many many months to aggregate parts and put it together. I eagerly look forward to riding it. That orange paint is the best. The Lemond Poprad now lives in Portland Oregon with my brother in law who is using it as his primary mode of transport.

Ought-ten is almost five days deep, and I've got plans.
1. Grow the baby. Claire will be my new sidekick. I hope to get her out for some cross country skiing very soon. I may think about getting a bike seat for her later this summer.
2. Bikes, bikes, bikes. Cycling is a continued obsession. Riding to work is a great way to ride regularly. I'm thinking about getting a set of rollers too. Rollers? What have I become? I never thought I was a rollers kind of cyclist because I think riding indoors is unnatural. Here's the thing. My free time is more limited these days, and planning ahead is the way to make things work. Riding in drizzle is OK, but often the weather is much worse and it's unpredictable. The weather is always fine in my basement. So maybe I can put the bike on some rollers on nasty rainy days or in the late evening when family responsibility is reduced. Why am I so determined? I'd like to complete the Boston Brevet Series this year; that's 200k, 300k, 400k and 600k. I think I could make that work with some careful planning, and I'd like to be fit enough to following through with it.
3. Stretch. I hate stretching. It is boring and takes away time used for fun activities which are usually the kind of activities that tighten my back. The cold reality is that stretching is necessary and makes me feel better. My goal is to stretch every day. I've stretched on each of the last few days and I already feel better.
4. Playing banjo. I more or less stopped playing banjo four years ago. I was tired of it, and we got a dog who kept me busy. Only recently did I rediscover the banjos in the basement. My fingers are starting to remember it. It turns out that Claire finds my shoddy playing quite entertaining, and that alone is motivation to keep it up.

That's about it for now. Best wishes in the new year.

Fork mounted Supernova E3

2009-11-19T12:10:00.005-05:00

Here is my latest bike tinkering little project. My Supernova E3 is the lefty mount version, which worked well for a handlebar hanger bracket. I recently considered the idea of a fork crown mount because I think lowering the light several inches gives a better beam on the road. The lefty mounting arm is not designed for fork crown mounting or any mounting with a hole that is in line with the light - the mounting arm is oriented perpendicular to the light. The even bigger issue is I have sidepull caliper brakes that occupy the hole to which most brackets would be attached.

My LBS suggested a B&M fork mounting bracket as a possible work around for the sidepull brake issue. The bracket is intended for use with Brompton folder bike. It is also designed to hold a light having a euro mounting tab, which the Supernova E3 lefty does not have (though there is a verision of the E3 light that is properly equipped). Despite these details , the bracket seemed adaptable and at $6 I thought I could afford experiment with it.

Miraculously, the light mounted without too much fuss after I found the right spacers. I'm happy to report that the bracket pairs solidly with the light. While the bracket is not intended for a light as substantial as the Supernova E3, the whole thing feels sturdy enough for me. At the theoretical risk of a cracking the bracket with the long term impact of low level vibrations, I am going to use it anyway.

There isn't a ton of extra room between the bracket and the headset crown race, but it's enough. The whole thing stays put without any disconcerting rattling or shaking. The on off switch is within reach. Most importantly, the light on the road from this new position is much better than the light available from a higher mounting position on the handlebars. There is a small wheel shadow right in front of the bike, but it hardly detracts from the performance of the light.
I am very happy with this setup, especially considering that it avoids the annoyance of mounting a front rack for the sole purpose of positioning a light. As you can see, the handlebars are also a bit less cluttered (please forgive the sloppy cabling), and the light is tucked neatly away ready when needed.

monster cross tires on my A Homer Hilsen

2009-11-17T08:35:00.001-05:00

Tire clearance is a top ten discussion item with the Rivendell set. How big a tire can you fit on frame xyz? The recommended range for the A Homer Hilsen goes up to 43mm. My A Homer Hilsen is now wearing a pair of Ritchey Speedmax Comp 700x40 cyclocross tires. The actual measured width is more like 36mm on narrowish road rims. Still a lot of tire though. I don't know of a beefier cyclocross tire that is not a 29er tire...if only.

Even better, there is still room to keep the SKS P45 fenders on. This set up may not be for those who are fender worriers; those who lose sleep over thoughts of junk jamming the tire in the fender. I could probably adjust the fenders a bit to get more space, but it's just fine the way it is. Without fenders, the frame could easily swallow a much larger tire.

I wouldn't use these tires all the time because moderate slick tires are more than adequate for a wide range of conditions, but for commuting in the fall fat knobby tires make sense. Thick layers of leaves cover rocks and holes and make it difficult to avoid the nastier parts of roads and bike trails. Having a little more cushion and grip between me and the ground makes that difficulty quite manageable. I think they give the bike a nice sturdy appearance too.

Liking the Traitor Crusade

2009-10-28T05:55:00.002-04:00

Sometimes you discover a new bike-ish thing that is just what you been looking for. I'm feeling lucky lately.

I've been hoping someone would make a dedicated steel single speed cyclocross frame without those cheesy semi-horizontal dropouts with derailleur hangers... and downtube shifter bosses. I like a bike built to a single purpose rather than to many needs a la Cross Check. There are few or none out there in the steel single speed cx category. Could I have canti brakes and track ends please? Can I put an honest fat tire in there too? The current off-the-shelf options are either low quality or aluminum, no thanks. A custom could be anything you ask for, but that is a very expensive can of worms. The recent Kona Major One is ss - made of scandium. That's a step in the right direction, but I am holding out for steel. Think Gunnar Crosshairs with track ends or Rivendell Quickbeam with tighter geometry. I'm not the only one looking for this, right?
Now, finally I hear about the Traitor Crusade due out in early 2010. A good one-er cross bike, fat tires, canti's and just one cog. It's a committed single speeder. Bravo. Look at the tidy drop out situation, isn't that nice? Someone is paying attention to my wishes. My only complaint is that it has a carbon fork instead of a steel fork with a proper crown. I bet it rides nicely still. The mustard orange color is terrific, probably wears dirt well. Overall, I'm optimistic on this development since Traitor can make a decent bike. I'll be all ears for any news.

Ergon BioKork Grips

2009-10-27T18:45:00.001-04:00

Cork bicycle grips have have that nice vintage look, especially when shellac'd. They are comfortable to hold. They are cheap and not particularly heavy. What's not to like? The answer is glue. You must glue cork grips to the handlebars and with really tough glue like Gorilla Glue. There is no turning back once the grips are glued, and it's a messy chore.

It follows that I'm quite excited that Ergon, a fine grip maker, is coming out with the Ergon BioKork in 2010. As with other Ergon grips, they fasten to the bars with a simple clamp. They will also have that familiar shape that is so comfortable. If that's not enough, they are made of earth friendly materials and are notexpensive. Pinch me. My Rivy will definitely get a set of these.

The Weavers

2009-10-23T11:22:00.000-04:00

They made a deal

2009-10-18T07:54:00.004-04:00

The dog and baby have been checking each other out for some time now. Even more than that, Rigby will give Claire some friendly licks and she happily watches his antics. They are getting along nicely.

Here is one interaction that I spied the other day. I generally think it's tacky to narrate pets' and babies' unspoken thoughts. I'm going to do it anyway, and I promise I won't do it again:

C - Hi dog, are you going to eat me today?
R - Perhaps, you have fattened up nicely and you taste better each day.

C - True. I'm delicious.
R - Maybe we can work something else out... Shake on it?

C - Deal. Let's keep this our little secret. Act cool.
R - Sigh.

Family of fix-its

2009-10-14T18:00:00.000-04:00

I come from a family of fix-its. I recall that no one hired plumbers, landscapers, roofers or any other home-maintenance professional. It just wasn't done. The primary reason that any of our generation came into the world was to provide a more laboring hands. I was the sole grounds crew in the unfortunately vast grassy and featured yard surrounding a house always needing paint. Why bring in the pros or high powered tools when you have help that works for just food and shelter? Of course, the way things got done was through excessive complication. A task could only be complete if it required my father to construct some Dr. Seuss contraption. Building that contraption will always be more time consuming than the simple task at hand.

I too like to do a few things myself, but I am able temper the tendency only because I lack the time to do more. Though I am occasionally reminded that the do-it-yourself gene runs strong throughout the family tree. Cousin Adam's wedding occurred recently on a very rainy Saturday in the family barn and adjacent tent. That wasn't exactly the plan, but that's what they came up with when the skies opened up. It was very pretty.

We soon realized that the power supply in the barn could not handle the lights, the cookware, the DJ, and everything else. The circuit flipped every five minutes until....
Cousin Aaron jumped up from the table without a word and disappeared only to come back twenty minutes later announcing that the problem was solved and the lights were just fine.

He did not have to look far to find a readily available extension cord to run to the house...400ft away. And that wasn't even the long cord. Out from the tent, into the other barn window...

...neatly plugged in, amid the garden of redundant industrial grade tools and the tractor. Yes, the bride and groom did go for a hayride. Well done. Admittedly, running some extension cord is no engineering marvel, and it was not made more complicated in any way. The interesting observation is, however, that in any situation any of the family households would be well-equipped to fix whatever might fall on the occasion. Had the roof started leaking, it would be quickly patched, and patched in a way that no hurricane would ever dare challenge the quadruple strength reinforcement. Do it yourself, overbuild it, and make it complicated if at all possible. That is the way of things. Thankfully we didn't need to break out the chainsaws this time.

MG TD

2009-10-12T18:21:00.004-04:00

Some times you find really good stuff by the side of the road. I found this car by the bogs in Carlisle yesterday. Maybe stuff is not the right term for a whole automobile, especially an unusual vintage type.

Vintage cars are not my thing, but I think this an MG TD model from the early 1950's. I like the proportions of this car. The hood extends way out in front of the driver and tapers toward a tall chrome grill. The round head lights float at the front of the car. The driver sits practically on the rear axle in a minimal cockpit. What a neat looking car.

It turns out that style is the only thing this car has going for it. Tom and Ray from Car Talk describe it vividly. "The driving experience is frightening. So frightening, we recommend you wear brown pants whenever you set foot in this car." They go on to say that it's an all around terrible car - unrealiable, dangerous, noisy, hungry for oil and without practical comforts. It's is redeemed only in that it has classic looks and is somehow undeniably fun. It looks great standing still on a sunny fall day. I'm sure the owner, local no-doubt, had a nice drive yesterday.

Cute baby photo of the week

2009-10-05T10:10:00.002-04:00

A while back, Nicole and I made a paddling trip out in British Columbia. We were so impressed by, well, everything that we thought moving to Canada would be a really good idea. The people are more friendly, the trees are bigger, even the airlines run more efficiently. We even started singing "O Canada..." but we did not know the rest of the song beyond that first phrase.

We now have more evidence that this earlier notion of moving north is not entirely crazy. Seems our little peanut would meld nicely into the maple fabric. What's more, grandmom seems to see it too!

Old dog, new tricks

2009-10-04T21:00:00.001-04:00

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Rigby isn't old, only four, but he's got the pace of an old dog. My wife calls him the most placid dog on the planet. At any rate, we've always had him ride in the way back of the car because it's a five-door and he has the tailgate area to fur-up as he sees fit. Now and again I get lazy and have him hop up to the shot-gun seat. He finds the seat awkward, always shifting in search of an elusive comfortable position. Unlike other dogs, he has no interest in sticking his head out the window. He's content to sit back and sniff the air that comes to him well inside the confines of the moving car, very lazy you see. I could not help but feel a little disappointed that Rigby is un-dog-like in his distaste for a more enthusiastic approach to car rides.

Today was different. He again sat beside me for a trip across town. This time he approached the open window and seemed satisfied to peek out a bit. As with his usual low-energy style he made use of the window sill for a chin rest lest he expend any unnecessary energy taking a look around. I think he likes it. Rigby still shifts trying to find that comfortable sitting spot, but the outside keeps his interest in a most dog-like manner.

Good morning

2009-09-24T13:58:00.000-04:00

There is just something so perfect about the early morning. It is far and away my favorite time of day. It would literally make my day to stop the clock at 9 o'clock and loop those first few waking hours over and over for the remainder of the day. Groggier folks may think this is lunacy, but other morning people know exactly what I'm talking about. Everything is quiet and fresh. No one is around and the world is yours alone; there are precisely two people and one dog that make good company at this hour. The air is pleasantly chilly. My sneakers get damp with dew at the toes when I bring the dog to park. Coffee is at it's best. The light is low and shines through the trees gently. It's simply the best time of day, and maybe this clip captures some that quality.

Sunday sun

2009-09-20T20:45:00.000-04:00

I zipped out for a sunny Sunday morning ride, one of those chilly fall morning days. Perfect.

The Weston town common was fluttering with flags in remembrance of each life lost on Sept 11.

The Battle Road trail near Concord was bright with yellow sunflowers leaning toward the morning light.

Stripes or Flowers?

2009-09-19T19:15:00.000-04:00

I can't decide.

Flowers

2009-09-17T12:05:00.002-04:00

A few months back we received a gift of a very nice camera, a Sony DSC-HX1. Great pictures result with minimal effort; it's the bees knees. Here are a few pictures of flowers in the yard on a rainy morning. I was experimenting with the aperture settings on close up shots. These pictures aren't hot off the press because it took me nearly three months to upload them, but they still look great.

Adios Poprad

2009-09-11T16:40:00.008-04:00

The Lemond Poprad is in transit to a new home. The new home will be in Portland Oregon. My brother in law moved there recently after graduating college and was in search of a serviceable bike for getting around and a bit of fun too. It struck me that I wasn't riding the Poprad much anymore, mainly because it didn't fit me very well and it never felt right. Luckily, Alex is about my size, or more specifically, his proportions are just enough different from mine such that the bike fits him perfectly. Furthermore, the Poprad is a cyclocross bike which translates well into a bike for both commuting and almost any other kind of riding except racing and technical single track - it's the kind of bike you'd want if you had just one. Alex took a look at the bike during a visit and was very happy with it. Perfect! Talk about an ideal transfer of gear.

I set about sprucing up the Poprad a bit with a good scrubbing and new cables, brake pads and bar tape. I rode it a bunch in the last few weeks just to reassure myself that the bike is sound. It survived some long road rides and rougher trail runs. In fact, the bike was terrific. I hate to brag, but I did a great job putting this bike back together. It works better than ever before; perhaps I have improved my tinkering skills over the years. I'm so pleased with it that I am a little sad to see it go, but I'm reassured in that it's new owner will ride it plenty.

List of likes and dislikes on this bike for posterity:
Likes: accommodates fat tires, fenders and a rack, climbs quickly, nice 853 tubing, good road feel, Vittoria Randonneur tires, Ritchey Biomax handlebars, cantilever brakes.
Dislikes: flexy around the bottom bracket which makes trimming the front derailleur a moving target, too short a top tube for my proportions, wimpy rack mounts, unicrown fork = ughhh, cantilever brakes.

Right shoe road find

2009-09-09T14:25:00.000-04:00

The strangest things are often laying at the side of the road - I've seen a few blog entries about such oddities (thanks for the idea). Shoes are not intrinsically odd, but a single shoe in the road is odd, and that is where I found this one. Why do I care? A shoe in the road invites speculation. How did it get there? Where is the left one? Is someone walking around with a bare foot? This shoe is quite close to the gym near my office, so it's possible that it leapt out of a gym bag, maybe from someone riding in a convertible. However, the shoe is really more of a boot - not the kind of footwear that you see in the gym. That undermines my initial theory. No, I didn't pick it up. A single boot is useless and a mysteriously found boot could be a little funky for my taste. Though I wonder if it will be there tomorrow.

GPS Ride in Cutler Park

2009-09-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm fortunate in that my office is located within spitting distance of Cutler Park. Therein lay miles of trails for riding. Once you get away from the main entrances, the trails become winding narrow single track with just a few technical challenges. There are a few long raised boardwalks and some rooted sections that break it up. One of my favorite things is that you can make a nice loop of 10 or 12 miles and probably more if you explore.

The other day we took a longish lunch to go out riding, and one of us had a GPS on board to document the route. We start from the Kendrick Street entrance in Cutler Park and followed the trails several miles back to the Needham Street side which I think is basically in Dedham. This loop would be counterclockwise in the above map starting in the upper left area. A few sections were overgrown but still quite passable. (Remember to pick the greenery out of you derailleur and watch the thorns!) In the interest of time we skipped all of the trails that meander to some otherwise worthwhile shorter adjoining loops. From that end we hopped over a sidewalk along several hundred yards of busy roads (route 109 and the VFW) and then picked up the return trail in Millenium Park in West Roxbury. The section in Millenium Park is fairly unremarkable going around the hill. But it leads you back into the woods in the abutting Brook Farm reserve. This next section of trail is wide and well maintained, but still wooded; we hauled through there heading back in the general direction of Wells Ave. This pops out right down the street from where we started - loop completed.

I've been over this loop a few times. I've noticed that there may be some silent stewarts maintaining some of the trickier sections with new boards traversing water sections or cutting back the bushy spots. Thank you to whoever you are. There are also some little kickers here and there which are fun. It's definitely a great local area to explore, especially with others who may know something new about it.

Project: Old Trek MTB

2009-09-02T06:59:00.008-04:00

A while back when we moved, there was a conversation on what to do with my wife's old mountain bike. This bike had been with her for a dozen years or more. The abuse of commuting to class wore harshly on it. The handlebars were not comfortable either. She bought a nice road bike a year or two ago, and at that point I thought this bike was on it's way out.

However, there are few things I like more than a bike project. This bike was actually pretty nice and had lots of potential. So I set to sprucing it up for a good around town bike - something a little less sporty for bumbling around the neighborhood or for a quick trip to the store.

Cleaning it up and replacing the rusty bits was the first order of business. There is something extremely satisfying about stripping crumbling cable housing and attaching new set of cables to bring the brakes and derailleurs back to life. The front skewer was also a mess, and seatpost binder bold was just plain ugly....both replaced.

To make the front end more comfortable and ergonomic, I added a set of On One Mary handlebars which have a very natural hand position that's a little higher and a bit closer to the saddle. They are indeed easy on the hands and wrists.

And last but not least, I replaced the broken pedals and rusty cargo rack with a spare rack and some spare MKS pedals. The bike turned out great. It is 100% better than the dusty rusty mess I started with. I'm really excited for my wife to take it for a spin. I think she'll really like it.

Dog is My Co-Pilot

2009-08-28T19:31:00.001-04:00

Peanut

2009-08-18T20:55:00.009-04:00

This explains about 99 of the 100 ways I've been busy lately. Claire was born June 15, 2009. I call her Peanut mostly. She's a good baby, but taking care of her is still a full time job. So far her tricks include smiling and sucking her fingers. It may be a while until she gets more clever than that. Below you can see that she got mom's family hair genes, and I'm making the most of it with a post-bath mohawk. I don't have a picture to show it, but Claire tends to be a quite surly when hungry. The apple fell very close to the tree on that one.

Welcome. Thanks for coming.

2009-08-17T08:27:00.002-04:00

My head is full and needs emptying. Blogging took a backseat for a while because life has been very busy and exciting; there will be more on that later. I'm making a fresh start with this but only to a point. I generally liked the content of wheeliebiscuit.blogspot.com so that stuff stays, but I did not like the name and url so that gets left behind. Circling Bits sounds fitting in many ways. Try not to think about what it means because it's mostly nonsense. Maybe there are bits of life that aren't particularly related but seem interesting as a singular bit. Those bits are circling in my head, or maybe it's the merry-go-round of life that doesn't really have a discrete end or beginning. And surely there is some relation to cycling. Whatever the case, things are anew. Thanks for coming.

8-9-10 Y socket

2009-03-13T13:26:00.000-04:00

The 8-9-10 Y socket is small but mighty. It's good for so many bike-
ish adjustments and feels just right. How did I ever tinker without
one?

More tracks

2009-01-21T13:20:00.003-05:00

Yes, more snow. Winter is unusually wintry lately. I'm making the most of it. The woods are offering plenty of snow for a quick trip.

Fluff

2009-01-12T13:39:00.006-05:00

Perfect beautiful snow, it's a rare thing. For the record, not all snow is created equal. Most of the snow that falls around here is wet, heavy and dense. It's the stuff that we get when it's just barely cold enough to turn from snain (aka wintry mix) to snow. Heavy snow still provides for winter sports, but it's barely tolerable. Every once in a while we get a good dump of cold dry snow that piles up so gently with a magical weightlessness. Even less often does it stay cold enough after the storm to preserve the fluffiness long enough for me to enjoy it.

This weekend about 6 inches of the good stuff fell, and it's still cold and fluffy today. I skied around in the woods at lunch today. There is a pocket of winding wooded trails near the office with plenty of routes for a short romp. It was perfect. There were a good number of tracks on the ground - boots, paws, snowshoes, etc. It didn't really matter because the persistent loftiness of this snow remained there for me. Additionally, last week's baked cruddy snow shielded me from the rocky rooted trails underneath. Gliding through the cloudy layer was flawless. It was sunny also. There aren't many bluebird powder days around here, but I certainly won't miss any of them.

Looking Back on 2008

2008-12-29T13:07:00.022-05:00

If you been looking for me this year, I was probably out riding a bike. This very bike-ish year is coming to a close in a few days. It is fitting I guess that I just ticked over 5000 miles for the year; 5003.2 to be exact. That's quite a few miles in my opinion. While I don't normally go out and ride solely for the sake of putting in miles, the last hundred or so of raw-weather riding were motivated by the milestone. It would have been sad to say something like "I rode 4931 miles last year." 5000 has a nicer ring.

I decided to keep a cycling log for the duration of 2008. I had a log in 2007 but didn't bother too much with it. This year, I kept track of every outing just because I wanted to be able to look back on the year and see how it turned out. The miles break out like this: 1846.9 miles of commuting, 284.4 miles of errands and 2871.9 miles of pure recreation. I rode the Rivendell A Homer Hilsen the most for 2683.1 miles, then the Gunnar Street Dog (46x17) for 1539.3 miles, then the Poprad townie bike 775.8 miles and the Motobecane (gone to a better home) 5 miles. So what does this mean? Looking back, I don't actually see much value in reading too deeply into the numbers, but on some level I'm happy that I can almost quantify the year's fun. I had a lot of great rides this year.

I think the year is better understood by a couple of themes:
- Commuting by bike is terrific in so many ways, chiefly in that it gives me a good chunk of time each day to get outside and play. Aside from the fun factor, it helps me feel great mentally and physically every day. The environmental benefit is nice too.
- Cycling can be good for a relationship. Mrs. Wheelie joined me for several outings. We raised a bunch of money on the PMC charity ride. It was great. I hope she stays with it. I got her a useful handlebar bag, a comfortable saddle and some nice wheels. Little things make a difference.
- I tried randonneuring this year with the Boston Brevet Series. Yes, riding 400km in a day is very difficult, and yet I'd love to try 600km. Getting involved in organized distance rides (not races) motivated me to get out and ride regularly. Brevets are tons of fun. The rides draw my kind of people, an altogether fantastic collection of like-minded cyclists. The D2R2 was my favorite brevet.
- Having a handful of bikes is the way to go. In 2007 I was down to 1 bike at some point, and that was fine and simple. Now there are 3 bikes, and I really enjoy the variety. Sometimes riding fixed is good, sometimes cruising on a townie bike is good, sometimes a touring bike is good. I started getting into trail riding, mainly because I moved to a less urban area with trails and because dirt road events like D2R2 helped me to branch out a little more. The A. Homer Hilsen was great for everything: roads, trails, etc; it's my favorite and feels special every time. That explains why the AHH got so many miles. I'll probably add a mountain bike to the collection soon.
- I like to tinker. I've always liked fixing things and working with my hands. Working on bicycles is fulfilling in many ways. If I had to choose between tinkering and riding I would choose riding, but I would still miss the wrench. Luckily that's not a choice I must make. There are many projects kicking around in my head. I'm on the 3rd or so iteration of the Poprad, the fixed-gear needs an overhaul, the Rivendell is in need of maintenance. The new house is almost ready, and I can't wait to set up the workshop in the basement so I can get started.
- Blogging is fun. I'm not sure if I'll keep it up long-term, but it was nice to reflect on some rides and bike thoughts and do a little writing. There is nothing as thrilling as getting a comment from some new reader. I only got a handful, but each was special. I'm addicted to reading blogs too. Leaving comments is fun.
- I try to bring a camera when I go out. Either the iphone or a point-and-shoot camera will do. Just as long as I have something handy when I see something special. I'm still hoping to get a photo of the guy who rides a Vespa with a large dog on his lap; it's impressive. Also, blogs are better with pictures.
- This last point is huge and important: I will ride a bike as long as it is fun. I was on a club ride recently when someone mentioned that it was "time to go to work." I think he meant that our group was spending too much time socializing and not enough time suffering. This comment struck me (and everyone else) as crazy; cycling should never be "work". Cycling should always be firmly in the "play" category. Ironically, I may have to work hard to make sure that cycling is never too serious. The whole concept of a ride log is somewhat counter productive in this regard. Additionally, I hope never to get an indoor trainer rig. On the fun side, I've been having a good time with simple platform pedals and unplanned exploration rides lately. Yes, these are the important things.

That's about it for this year. Hopefully 2009 will bring peace, good health, good fortune and more another bike-ish year.

Cross Country Skiing Days 1-3

2008-12-22T14:36:00.003-05:00

I've been extra good this year. I got a snowstorm for Christmas, a really good one. It snowed almost continuously for the last three days, and there is plenty of snow to show for it. I xc skied three of the last three days, and it's only the second day of winter. What a start to the season. Yes indeed, lucky me.

Lunch rides

2008-12-04T08:15:00.005-05:00

It's that time of year where there are fewer windows for good bike riding. It gets dark early and is really cold for the majority of each day. While darkness and chills in and of themselves are not bad enough to prevent all riding as the right gear can make riding through the winter possible, the combination of these conditions don't encourage fun jaunts like long summer days do. I not fond of black ice either. Nor am I so desperate for a ride that I'm going to go all in for studded tires, winter booties and the like. This is a long way of saying that I'm choosy about when I ride in the winter, but I'm working that out. Fortunately, my job allows me some liberty to take a decent ride in the middle of the day. It works out well to take a longish lunch during the warmest hours of the sometimes sunny winter days. There are plenty of worthwhile routes nearby. I've settled into a 15-20 mile lunch ride habit; long enough to go somewhere, but still manageable in the confines of my schedule. Yesterday's ride was particularly nice. Winter lunch rides are a keeper.

New England living is really all about making the seasons work for you. Lots of folks complain about winter and rain, and that's just sad and sort of pathetic. Yeah, I do it too, but I don't ever remember an improvement in weather that resulted from my grumbling about the cold. Sure, winter can seem drawn out at times, but that just means more time for activities that aren't possible during most of the year - snowshoeing, skiing, etc. Winter is a treat for me. Is there anything better than cross country skiing out your door and into the woods? Cold rain is a little more difficult, but that's why they invented things like Gortex and fenders. Bad weather is just a nice excuse to acquire more nifty gear. Lucky me.

Phillips 3-Speed

2008-11-09T12:05:00.006-05:00

There was a Phillips 3-speed sitting in the lobby of a building I was at the other day. Apparently, one of the tenants is a collector of antique typewriters and bicycles. There were several odd looking typewriters on display, but only one bike is on display on any given day. This Phillips 3-Speed was in remarkably good condition for its age and appeared to be all original. There was a similar model that lived at my family's camp house in Plymouth, but it was a step-through frame and barely ride-able with maybe one of three gears working at any one time. Even so, my father rode that old bike for years before finally getting a modern but far less interesting bicycle. I stopped for a few minutes to inspect this nice antique.

Presidential Cycling

2008-11-02T18:21:00.001-05:00

Tuesday is a special day, a day of happening. The months and weeks of political banter all come to a head on election day. This election is of monumental importance with so many big ticket issues on the line at this moment in history. The media, debates and online critics provide plenty of insight on the issues and I don't need to say more about them. Now it's time to review the candidates on some of the smaller issues that get a little less attention. In particular, who is the right candidate for the job in the eyes of the cycling community?

There is surprisingly little campaign rhetoric with regard to cycling. Obama does explicitly encourage cycling as a component of green transportation and as a part of the effort to make sprawling cities more livable. McCain doesn't have a defined position on alternative transportation that I can find. I suppose he would have to support greener modes of transportation because it is essential to political good standing these days. At the end of the day who knows what a candidates' words actually mean because they say quite a few things that don't necessarily mean much at all. I'll just see who walks the walk, or whatever the pedaling equivalent is.

Here we see Barack Obama riding about on an ordinary urban-terrain Trek. He's wearing a helmet for safety, setting a good example. That inflatable rear fender is quite tacky. How can this carnival-clown accessory be better than a simple plastic jobbie for keeping the road stuff off the rider and bike? I really hope inflatable fenders don't catch on with the "American people." The important aspect of this photo is that he's sporting the typical casual cyclist get-up. I have to admit that he looks a bit odd in casual street clothing, but I appreciate that he's serving as an example of a normal person wearing normal clothes using a bicycle as transportation. I assume he's going somewhere and not just posing, though a set of panniers or a backpack would make this scenario more credible. In any case, I'm glad that he's not pushing the lycra spandex racer mode; there are few people that can validate that ideal.

The McCain cycling material is limited. This is the only evidence I could find. Yep that's real. Isn't it? I doubt anyone will see McCain rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue on a high-wheel while wearing knickers, but the generation gap is certainly clear. To be fair, it does speak to my retro-grouch sensibility. There is a certain nostalgia in it. Is McCain the nostalgia candidate?

Obama and McCain are clearly coming from different velosophies. I see it as a trade-off between practically and Sunday-style amusement. That's my superficial review.

Let's see what the other president's ride.

George W. Bush. There many pictures of W riding his mountain bike. Sources say he is an avid cyclist. Maybe that's how he's spending his time. If he weren't the chief executive with his questionable record, he could be a decent advocate for the sport. I'd venture to say that he cycles more than the average president, but that is easily overshadowed by everything he did and didn't do in the last 8 years. He sort of looks like a bike cop, doesn't he?

Bill Clinton. Looks like these rigs are good cobweb support in the garage - the sort of bike that someone sells on Craigslist with the tag "vintage," which really means a crappy 1980's department store bike that has been neglected for a decade or more. Rumor has it that he was 22 before he learned to ride a bicycle.

George H.W. Bush pictured here as the quintessential gentleman cyclist . . . in China. I've never cycled in a sport coat, but I'd like to try it some day. What's in the basket? This reminds me of my one and only presidential siting. I was riding up near Kennebunkport Maine last September. A white convertible Ford Thunderbird (new style) passed me. As they went by, I saw a tall elderly man in the driver seat and a short woman with white bushy hair riding beside him. The license plate had a presidential seal on it. Suspecting it was who I thought it was, I tried to catch up. They were driving well below the speed limit, perhaps in an effort to be civic-minded. I almost caught up, but I wasn't quite quick enough. It was definitely them.

Ronald Reagon on/with/near a bicycle? Still working on that.

Jimmy Carter has good taste in bicycles. He's been known to ride a custom color Rivendell Atlantis. His is one of a pair built for the Carters by Joe Stark, a well regarded craftsman. This particular bike has a little controversy attached to it and it's a good story if you are at all interested in underworld of the handmade bike industry. Of all the presidents, Carter seems to look the most natural on a bike. Maybe he's just happy he has a sweet Rivendell.

Even though Sarah Palin is not president or directly in line for the job, I couldn't pass this up. When I think of a bike, it's probably something like what Mr. Carter has. Not everyone has the same idea.

Remember to vote.

Single Track Sunday at Cutler Park

2008-11-02T13:04:00.003-05:00

When you think you know a place pretty well it's time to go back there with a friend and see the place through someone else's eyes. Cutler Park is a regular go-to spot for running and biking since it is only a stone's throw from my office. I have my favorite trails. John and I were at a loss for where to go for today's casual Sunday morning jaunt so we went to Cutler. He showed me a whole new network of single track that I never knew about. It's as if I have a whole new park to explore now. Thanks John.

Very Fine November

2008-11-01T18:16:00.003-04:00

Summer has come and gone, but riding on a brisk Saturday morning in November is still very fine.

Things That Matter

2008-10-20T10:05:00.001-04:00

Some things are more important than bikes and all of the ridiculousness I spend way too much time thinking about. The election is one of them. Thank you Colin Powell for boiling the current political situation down into some sensible and direct reasoning.

Middlesex Fells

2008-10-19T21:40:00.009-04:00

The snazzy new cyclocross rubber inspired me to seek out some dirt today. The Middlesex Fells is an excellent spot to find trails, lot of trails, a short ride away. Fortunately, FellsBiker.com has tons of information to help me decide where to get started. The little map below is from their website. I selected the most obviously appropriate path, "Mountain Bike Loop." It makes a nice 6 mile curcuit around the reservoir. The trail is manageable in most places on my touring-cross-ish bike. Though there were frequent rock gardens which gave me a little wrist-rattling and occasional walks. I'm unsure if these trickier parts were part of the actual loop or if I had gone off course. This is mainly because I was navigating by a vague recollection of the map I had forgotten to bring with me. That complication aside, the riding was great, especially once I got comfortable enough with the feel of the trails to let the wheels take their course.

Tire Time with A Homer Hilsen

2008-10-17T21:13:00.001-04:00

When it comes to tires, the A Homer Hilsen is a swiss army knife. It can run a huge variety, from skinny road tires to burly cross tires. A fender usually fits too. Most people already know this about the bike because the Rivendell website talks about it plenty. I've run a variety of tires on the AHH in the last several months, and here is my assessment.

The Grand Bois Cypres 700x30. Reading anything related to Bicycle Quarterly gives you the impression that these are amazing tires. It isn't a surprise they sell them for $55 a tire, probably the most expensive tire I'd buy by a good margin. I had to see what the fuss was about, so I ordered a set. I mounted them for the recent Great River Ride and a few rides during the week, so maybe 150 miles total. I admit that they are excellent. As advertised, they roll fast and soak up bumps. Cornering is great. In these categories they are at least as good as the Rivendell Jack Browns I used for a long time. Though if they are in fact better, the difference is slim. The one thing that bugs me about the Grand Bois is that they are fairly insubstantial and reputedly not flat-resistant. I haven't had any flats yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if I did, and their lightness does not inspire me to seek out trashy surfaces. That said, they still perform well. I wouldn't say that they are life changing, but if you want some nice mid-width comfy tires for brevets or long fast rides, these are a great option especially considering that there aren't many high-quality 700x30+ slicks out there.

Ritchey Speedmax Cross Comp 700x40. Big fat cyclocross tires. Actually, they are too fat to be UCI legal ( limit 700x35), but I'm not racing anytime soon, so who cares. I enjoyed the fast and grippy 700x32 version of this tire, but I needed a little more volume for cushioning. The 700x40 is the fattest 700c tire I could find. Like the other Ritchey Speedmax tires, they balance speed and traction well. The AHH fits the 700x40 with room to spare. Clearance with a fender looks adequate but not ample, and I didn't bother with them. The Ritcheys are ideal all-around tires for roads and trails, great at everything while not superior at anything. The only improvement I could make on this tire is having it in a foldable version, but the wire bead is not difficult to mount and it's just fine.

Great River Ride 2008

2008-10-16T08:19:00.005-04:00

Sunday was a perfect fall day. It started in the wee dark hours of the morning when I woke up in my tent at Tolland State Forest. Excited for the day ahead, I jumped out of my sleeping bag into the chilly morning and made a quick oatmeal breakfast. After taking the tent down and cleaning things up, I drove over to Westfield for the start of the Great River Ride. The plan was basically to camp out in the area to avoid a long drive from home. It didn't really work out that way because Google Maps put me somewhere other than where I should have been in Westfield. I managed to get to the ride just on time or maybe a couple minutes late.

Starting out, it was about 40F and I was grateful for my layers of warm weather gear. The hills began almost immediately and climbed on for a few miles. By the first check point at mile 22, I caught up with dispersed groups of riders. I road with Jake, who I met during the Boston Brevets, for a long while. We discussed some of recent bike tinkering projects; if only I had a decent machine shop. At or around the second checkpoint, I bumped into Paul who I met and rode with in the recent D2R2. This time around he was on his super stiff Ti racer instead of the day-glo orange Kona mountain bike. We kept up our pace and conversion through the next 50 or so miles of hills. The most notable climb of the middle portion of the Great River Ride was the East River Hill at mile 64. It started inconspicuously like any other hill and then transitioned into an endless and perfectly linear slog. It was so straight and featureless that it was difficult to judge progress on the hill by any means other than counting the telephone poles we passed. We thought there were 50. Baked potatoes were a welcomed snack at the following checkpoint. By this point, the air was warm and the sun was shining - perfect fall weather. Leaving the relaxing potato stop was hard, but the rest of the ride was worth getting to. Most notable is Jacob's Ladder starting at mile 82. From what I can tell it get's its name from the sequence of hills connected by short flat stretches that more or less make steps going up and up and up. Thankfully we were going down, not up. The Ladder continues for 5 miles. It's an exciting ride all the way down with excellent views of the valleys. We pedalled through the flats to keep our speed and very quickly found ourselves with just a few miles to go..

We finished the 108 miles happily and without any mechanical issues aside from my squeaky chain. Not the fastest time (7hours 40minutes) of the day - there some impressively fast riders ahead of us. But we pedalled quickly enough to have fun while enjoying the stops and the fall day. The Great River Ride lives up to its name. The sun and unusually vibrant foliage were front and center. It was also great to see some familiar faces and get in some spectacular late season riding. The grand buffet at the end was nice too. I'll definitely be back for it next year.

On a slightly related note... I was talking to the ride organizer (Don?) about some of the Westfield events and how much I enjoyed the D2R2. He mentioned that he is putting together an event similar to D2R2 in 2009 that will take place in Vermont's Mad River Valley. I'm sure it will be as brutally hilly and as amazing as the original.

Rail Trails

2008-10-08T09:21:00.002-04:00

I have one of those Rubel cycling maps of eastern Massachusetts. This map is so good that when I packed it away in a box that is stored during the current home move, I quickly decided I needed another in it's place immediately. From it I learned a network of bike-friendly roadways stretching across my part of the world. The maps shows the nicest roads in green as well as other helpful features. It's essential gear.

The features I've been studying lately are the "Proposed multi-use" trails. These are basically old overgrown rail road beds that haven't been built up into established bike-ways yet. I hadn't heard anything about the trails from other riders and only knew of their existence through the dashed green lines on my map. Though one of my regular road routes passes on a high bridge over one of the rail lines in Weston - from there, you can clearly see a skinny single track stretching to both horizons. I resolved to some day explore the rail trails.

Saturday turned out to be the day of rail trail exploration. I set out to Concord as usual and looked for the crossing in East Acton. It wasn't easy to find, but trail looked great from where I picked it up, so I followed it. The path ran just to the side of the rotting rail road ties, sometimes crossing over the tracks to the other side for one reason or another. The surface was surprisingly smooth in parts, and difficult in others where the trail basically disappeared into the overgrown forest. I road down the middle of the rail line through a few short difficult spots. The ties are degrading into soft peat and made riding over the ties bearable where it was the only option. I abandoned the trail during a few stretches where it was completely impassable. The frequent road crossings made it pretty easy to get on and off the trail.

This section is known as the Bruce Freeman Memorial Bike Path. It runs north-south down to Sudbury. I found out after the fact that the project is underway. Sections north of where I picked up the trail are under construction - the rail bed is being dismantled, and they are beginning to build a proper pathway.

Somewhere in Wayland, I picked up the east-west Wayside Rail Trail. It turns out that this line was scheduled to be converted to a multi-use path in the 1990's. From what I gather, the town of Weston quashed the project because they generally disliked the idea of having a busy recreation path like the Minuteman Trail in their back yard. Whatever the town politics, it looks like the project is dead and the trail will remain single track which is fine for my purposes.

The Wayside trail is markedly different from the Bruce Freeman path because the Wayside line is also a corridor for electric utility lines. As a result, it's pretty open and there is a uninterrupted track presumably for utility maintenance. I didn't take pictures for comparison. In all, the trails were fun and provided an alternative method of cycling in the area. My maps tells me that the are many more miles of trail, so I suppose I'll explore those sometime soon.

I don't own a blue suit

2008-09-22T16:50:00.006-04:00

Adam Kimmel presents: Claremont HD from adam kimmel on Vimeo.

This video was on another blog I read. It's a bit copy cat-ish, but I just don't care in this case because it's too insane not to actively share. I can't decide if my favorite part is when they are making faces back into the camera while passing it back and forth or when they catch up to and pass the car. I pretty sure this one goes into the pile things I think are incredible but will never ever attempt, like base-jumping or a doctoral program in math. Some parts of life are best lived vicariously.

D2R2 2008 - best hardest day

2008-09-06T09:23:00.005-04:00

What can I say about the recent Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee? This unique event was probably the single toughest cycling event I've done. At the same time, it was also the most interesting and enjoyable.

I arrived Friday evening in Deerfield. The campground hosting the event was actually a freshly plowed cornfield, and several tentsites had already been erected by the time I arrived. People were chatty and excited about Saturday's ride. D2R2's absurd difficulty is known, but everyone seemed excited about the prospect of 100+ miles of nothing but dirt roads and steep hills. I bumped into a few of the Boston area crowd, many familiar faces from the year's Boston Brevet Series. Like myself, most had been looking forward to D2R2 all year. After a little socializing, I set up my campsite, cooked dinner and prepped my gear for the ride.

The alarm clock went off at 4:30 Saturday morning, and I awoke to see the registration tent lit up and buzzing already. The friendly volunteers offered hot coffee and bagels while checking in the riders. I set about my usual routine. Within no time, it was 6 AM and we set off. The start was energized. Most riders spread out, well warned that pacing is important in such a grueling event. A pack of roadies shot off ahead quickly; I never saw most of them again, so we can assume that a road racing bike with narrow slicks can in fact complete the course. I chose to ride my Rivendell A. Homer Hilsen with a triple gearing and Ritchey Speedmax cyclocross tires (700x32) with fenders. Aside, fenders were not necessary given the dry spell, but I left them on anyway - yay AHH tire clearance! Lots of people were riding cyclocross bikes or something similar, which made a ton of sense given the terrain and distance.

D2R2 is divided into four stages as marked by checkpoints. Every stage is a whopper; even the last section of 13 miles is tough on an empty tank. In all, it's 15,670 ft of climbing over 111.8 miles. The cue sheet is a phenomenal document with comments like "almost no flat road until three miles from the checkpoint," "turn at pole onto jeep track, " "road becomes unmaintained and washed out", "27% grade" and "ignore road closed sign". The word "hill" appears 36 times.

Section 1 is the "warm up" of 35.9 miles and 5750 ft of climbing. During these initial miles, the reality of D2R2 starts to set in. Though the main event is really the second and third stages from which cover the next 63 miles. I was lucky enough to find a couple of like-minded riders, and we stuck together for the rest of the day. We eventually proved that the cue sheet isn't necessary if we followed a simple rule of thumb at every intersection: turn uphill. It worked every time, especially at the big hills. The fabled 27% grade hill was a hoot. It's steep enough that I immediately used the tiniest gear and stood on it, but the unweighted rear tire lost traction, even with cross tires. We walked that hill, and so did everyone else except for a few mountain bikers with the burliest tires. If I'd been paying more attention, I'd be able to name one remarkable descent that I remember vividly. It was almost two miles of dirt "road" winding through steep downhill curves. This was the part of the ride where I patted myself on the back for replacing my old brake pads two days before. It's the kind of descent where you hold on and hope you don't eat it because there isn't a good place to go. I bet the mountain bikes loved this part. Everyone did, even if our hands were white from gripping so tightly. In all, there were tons of hills and extraordinary views. The best description of the course is not mine, check this out if for more details.

The last checkpoint at mile 99 was a welcome and well-earned site. It was at the top of a spectacular hill following a long slow climb up Patten Road. The three of us sat for a moment sucking on watermelon. The remaining 13 miles section was pretty straightforward except for the gnarliest downhill of the day at mile 107 on some unnamed road. The washed-out trail dumped out onto a few miles of flat pavement to the finish.

The final time for the day was 9 hours 38 minutes. I was thrilled to have done it in ten hours. In fact, I was thrilled to have finished at all. The Deerfield fair across the street offered some great food for celebration, and that's pretty much how it wrapped up.

More pictures are posted here by the event organizers.

Hit by a Truck

2008-09-05T10:18:00.005-04:00

A truck hit me the other day. It sounds bad and could have been much worse, but I'm remarkably fine. Mrs. Wheelie and I were on vacation last week up in the lakes region of western Maine, and we went riding a bit. On Wednesday afternoon, we were riding home along Route 5 just north of the Saco River crossing. The shoulder is narrow but provides enough room for a bicycle. I was riding in front. Suddenly a big thump hit hard on my left shoulder and glass went flying everywhere. It didn't knock me over, but it was quite a shocking impact. An extended sideview mirror on a full sized pick-up truck hit me square on the left side. The sideview mirror exploded into many pieces. Mrs. Wheelie just missed getting hit. A car and a couple on a motorcycle pulled over to see if we were OK.

The driver of the truck was concerned though probably more for his liability than for my condition. At first, he offered the excuse that he was trying to squeeze between me on the right and oncoming traffic on the left. Then he suggested that I had swerved into the road. I quickly corrected him on that and everyone present seemed to agree. He then noted that I had destroyed his sideview mirror - as if I should feel sorry about that. Mostly I think his defensive words were the product of panic. It wasn't worth starting an argument because there really wasn't anything to argue about. The driver was clearly at fault and it I was still in one piece. End of story.

We went our separate ways after exchanging information. I didn't notice in time that the driver didn't state his insurance company and phone number, only his P.O. box and Maine license number - was he trying to hide or something? A police car pulled up a minute later before we got rolling. Apparently someone called it in. He was quite annoyed that the driver took off because, we learned, it's illegal to leave before the police arrive. The officer took our statement and then informed us that cyclists are legally entitled to 36 inches of passing room wherever they are in the road. We were the victims. The officer seemed sufficiently fired up at the absent driver that I didn't feel the need to offer additional complaint. It was an unfortunate accident, but I only cared that it wasn't worse. Though it does give me a little satisfaction to know that the driver will likely get hassled by the state of Maine in the near future. The truck driver is in a bit of trouble it seems.

On our way out of town the next day, I slowed down to see if I could spot the remains of the sideview mirror along the road. Only little shards of mirror were visible.

The soreness in my shoulder is already gone, but I'm still at a loss on riding. Of course, I'm going to continue to ride a bicycle. Though we canceled this weekend's bike tour in down-east Maine. I guess the bad weather is a part of the reason, but no one is feeling good about riding, especially in Maine, right now. It's best to let this one sit for a while.

New Commute

2008-08-27T09:01:00.003-04:00

We moved, or are in the process of moving. I'm very pleased with my new commute. The distance is about the same, but the routes are much more interesting. There is a network of trails and walking paths in town that will make of the bulk of my ride. I haven't quite figured out what's what yet, but discovering is half the fun.

Also, I did the D2R2 on Saturday. Tons of fun, really hard. I'll post some pictures and things in a bit.

Detour

2008-08-19T09:16:00.003-04:00

A detour is sometimes a good thing. Sunday I set out on a familiar route to Concord. As luck would have it, there is still a detour at the bridge on Monument Street, so I cut through the park at the Old North Bridge to get back on track. This was a really fortunate turn of events, because riding on the little spot of dirt trail was fun and inspired me to continue on to the Battle Road trail farther down the road.

The Battle Road is a gentle six miles of dirt trail between Concord and Lexington, but it was pretty spectacular to have it to myself early in the morning. There are few informational posting near historic landmarks. Though the better part of it is the scenery it offers through shady wooded parts lined with stone walls, a few brief boardwalk bridges over marshy spots and some short twisty stretches.

Riding on some dirt trail for the first time in a long while also allowed me to see how the bike handles the terrain that I'll be riding this weekend in the D2R2 . Sure, the D2R2 is about 20 times as long with lots of hills, but this little opener gets me excited for the main event.

Old Friends

2008-08-08T16:21:00.001-04:00

I almost forgot that I lost these. I was looking for an empty locker in the office warehouse today, a place to store more junk. My old Asics were waiting patiently for me in the bottom of a locker, presumable since late 2005. I trained for my first and only marathon in these. I bought a pair of Mizuno's right before the race and immediately lost track of these. They fit just like before, perfectly. The soles are completely dead, but they are formed to my feet from an uncountable number of miles. Reunited at last.

Enough already

2008-08-08T10:54:00.002-04:00

Misty mornings and rainy evenings are fine for riding, but only to a point. I wouldn't even mind if we alternated rainy and sunny days. This recent spell of isolated thundershowers all day every day is just the pits.

Bike on a wall

2008-08-07T18:03:00.002-04:00

A favorite local pub keeps this shadowy old bike on the wall. It probably doesn't roll well anymore, but it's good background for eating.

Pan Mass Challenge

2008-08-03T07:42:00.012-04:00

Yesterday, we took part in the Pan Mass Challenge. For those who have been living under a rock or aren't from around here, the PMC an enormous bikathon to benefit cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It's a good event for a good cause. We were first timers and didn't entirely know what to expect, but it turned out to be a great day.

We chose to ride the one day route from Wellesley to Bourne. From the get-go, we met up with a few of Mrs. Wheelie's coworkers. I always enjoy riding with new people. We planned to stick together and move at a moderate pace to avoid the Lawrence Orbach's of the world and also avoid the slower tail-end of the crowd. This turned out to be a good choice for the event, but we did split up some. True to it's description, the route is a pleasant 84 miles that is basically flat. While one could speed right through it, the mood is festive and merits stopping to enjoy the scene at each rest area. Still I felt almost bad stopping every 15 or 20 miles, though it was really nice to have volunteers waiting to feed me and fill my water bottle with ice-cold Gatorade. To be honest, the riders have the easy part, the support volunteers do all of the work. Really. They serve great food, collect your bike at the end and ship it home, etc. Every time a tire flattens on the road, there is a van that rolls up and magic elves pop out and swarm the distressed bike, they instantly make it new again. If it weren't weird for the volunteers to turn the pedals too, I'm sure they would have. It makes for a pleasant day.

The PMC draws a big crowd, so it's interesting to see the different nations of the cycling world. Lot's of pro-looking roadies, bunches of garden-variety riders, and several of tandems! It appears that custom fabricator Seven is doing a good business, as is The Great Trek Bicycle-Making Company!!! What else could you expect. The fixed-gear crowd sent a delegation of one, yours truly. I was a little concerned about not meshing with the stop and start rhythm of freewheel bikes, but it wasn't an issue once the initial crowd spread out. Riding my usual 46x17 was great for a long mellow day in the saddle. If we participate next year, and there's a good chance we will, I think we'll add some helmet-top ornaments. Team Kermit zipped by a few times with green Kermit the frog totems. Several were bent in superman position - mine would have been swimming the backstroke. Entertaining and practical, especially when everyone is where the same crazy bike shirt.

Ducking Geese

2008-08-01T14:06:00.002-04:00

A bunch of geese waddling and ducking in the tall grass along the road. Looked like fun.

Something is missing

2008-07-28T11:50:00.003-04:00

What's missing from the front of this bike shop? . . . a bike rack! It isn't surprising for this shop which sells nothing of practical value. However, it turns out that even some of the very good shops nearby are without bike parking too. Only 3 of 7 bike shops in the area have racks - seems lacking. Why wouldn't every bike shop have a rack for the customers that ride bikes to the store?

Sunday Errands

2008-07-27T16:22:00.001-04:00

Spent the afternoon doing errands. It seems that my bike knows the way to every bike shop on both sides of the river. I'm also giving mobile blogging a shot - so far so good.

Indecision

2008-07-25T12:43:00.004-04:00

Indecision is an awkward problem. It must be tough to choose which modes of transport to bring for a trip around metro-west Boston. You never quite know when you'll find a river, a wave, a rapid or a triathlon - be prepared. Sadly, this roof-rack tops out at four accessories. I'm just dying to know what he had to leave behind.

Canoe Camping on the Connecticutt River

2008-07-22T22:32:00.003-04:00

We spent the weekend canoe camping with friends. It was plenty wet from all directions with a bit of scary thunderstorming for kicks. We comforted ourselves with ample servings of good food and drinks. This is perhaps one of the best aspects of having a canoe - you can bring everything. Here are a few more pictures.

Sheltering from the storm at the Hartland portage.

The sculpture garden near the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor Vermont.

Packing up camp on a misty morning.

Carter Dome Hike

2008-07-05T06:46:00.004-04:00

We spent the last few days backpacking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It was the 4th of July holiday week, so we chose to go a little farther off the beaten track so as to avoid the crowds that typically show up in more accessible areas of the mountains. The route approached Carter Dome from the Wild River Valley side closer to Maine. The unfamiliar trails were not too intimidating on paper, but there were many stretches of tough terrain. There were many beautiful spots, and we had a ton of fun.

Wednesday's hike was a short hike up to the Spruce Brook Shelter from the Wild River Campground. Leaving the campground, the Wild River Trail follows the aptly named river for an inviting 3.5 miles mostly up an old logging railway bed. Crossing the Wild River was fairly tricky and somewhat wet, but we were nicely rewarded with a terrific (and empty) campsite at the rushing confluence of Spruce Brook and the Wild River. It was a real treat to have the cold mountain river nearby. A thunderstorm rolled in and rumbled around for a bit, so we hopped into the tent for some cards and sleep.

Getting up early is the best part of camping. It's chilly when you pop out of your sleeping bag into the damp morning air. The birds are in full swing, and the river is constantly rushing. It's a great time for a cold dip in a river followed by a hot cup of tea before breakfast. The Biscuit gets out his morning crazies while we quietly begin the day.

The day's hike follows the Black Angel Trail. Maybe I should have read more into the name, maybe adding an "of Death" is warranted. It started gently with a hike through open woods at a moderate grade. It quickly transitioned into a smorgasbord of difficult trail. On this day, we experienced the full fury of black fly and mosquito season. Adding to that were many unexpected sections of boggy mess on the overgrown trail that probably hasn't seen 5 hikers this season. We slogged through and encountered the "steep, ledgy section." While there were many fine views, we focused mostly on scrambling up rocks over some sketchy ledges, passing the packs and boosting the dog in parts. Our cooperative efforts persevered and we reached Carter Dome under foreboding skies. A couple of through-hikers validated our opinion of the "Maine" trails saying that most of the of 300 miles going northeast through Maine is boggy and difficult. We hurried down off the summit. What we though would be a short hike over to the Perkins Notch Shelter turned out to be pretty difficult as well. We rolled into camp quite battered and worn.

Food cures quickly. We set up camp in a soft flat clearing and prepared some of the best Trader Joe's pre-made Indian fare ever. A little chocolate wrapped up the meal. Again it started raining, but it was blessing. We were running low on water and the No-Ketchum Pond nearby was not accessible. Our tarp caught several liters of water for us. I guess it was karma paying us back for a tough day.

The next morning we slogged through several more harsh swampy sections but reached the oasis of Spruce Brook quickly enough. By then the sun came out and our packs were empty and light. We stopped for a leisurely lunch by the river and the hurried out to were we started two days before.

Boston Brevet Series 400K

2008-06-30T09:18:00.002-04:00

The day started the day before. I planned poorly for the 300K several weeks ago; the result was that I overslept the 4AM start by several hours. I missed the 300K completely and was pretty disappointed. For the 400K, I made sure to plan ahead. The day before I checked things off my list, packed my bike and supplies, filled my bottles, and set TWO alarms. I got a few hours of restless sleep and arrived in time. I even ate some breakfast (coffee, left-over pasta with chicken and a banana).

Twenty-three riders, I'm told, showed up in Bedford for the start of the 400k. Tracy Ingle (RBA) quickly checked that we were well-equipped, wished us luck and sent us on our way. The start of the 400k is a terrific riding experience. Nothing hurts yet. It's dark, but the herd of bikes is together and lit up with every variety of bike light. Twinkling red to the front and blinding white lights behind you. People are introducing themselves or buzzing to each other about some ride or other. Everyone moves quickly with eager anticipation... something like 1 mile down, 249 to go. The first 40 or so miles is a common BBS route, but it's fun to ride it in the dark. We have the road to ourselves for a little while until the sun comes up. It's a rolling party.

The first check point was in New Boston, NH at the local historical society. PB&J and banana at 7AM, yum. It's worth noting that I had a porta-john incident. While adjusting my shirt in the john, something fell out of my back pocket, hit the seat and plopped into the abyss. Momentary panic. I checked off a mental list of important or expensive things I would hate to loose: sunglasses, cell phone, wallet, tool kit, car keys - all there. What was it? People asked my about my panicked puzzled look. As long as it isn't your brevet card in there, then you are fine they say. Good point. It's time to get rolling again. If it was wasn't important enough for me to remember then it isn't worth taking time to worry about it. Onwards. About 10 miles down the road I figured out that I dropped the safety goggles that I had put over my regular glasses for wind protection at night. They didn't work well anyway, so good riddance.

The initial herd had split up by this point in the ride, so I set out on my own. I soon paired up with the cycling Scotsman, Tom. Tom's cynical wit busied the next 150 miles or so. We talked about ride nutrition for a bit and ironically stopped at Dunkin Donuts in Laconia for coffee and breakfast sandwiches. This is nutrition cycling style. Later Tom would have beer at mile 170ish and explained the merits of that beverage for randonneuring (see Tom's blog), but I stuck to my usual and had a coffee instead.

We continued along at a quick pace and moved ahead of my intended schedule for this brevet. The middle two sections of the 400K are the hilliest. I don't remember too much of this section (you can in fact ride 100 miles and not really remember it). I do, however, remember looking forward to a mysterious direction on the cue sheet: mile 36.3 of leg 3 (mile 153) Cow One Mile. I was thinking maybe it was a giant dairy cattle statue. It was not, but I was not disappointed. The landmark is a simple cow crossing sign similar to the one below (I didn't get a photo), but with One Mile in stead of XING. Yes, it is quite remarkable. Seeing that sign was very exciting for me, though I unsure if was from figuring out the meaning of the cue or reaching another distant milestone.

Peter White's bike shop was the third checkpoint. I didn't linger all that long, but I did stay long enough to get a tour of Peter's shop, or barn I guess. It's like santa's workshop, only filled with wheel parts, headlights and shelves of miscellaneous bike parts. Peter showed me the snazzy new Edelux headlight which is supposedly bright enough to fry an egg right on the cue sheet. Maybe not, but I really enjoyed hearing about why this light is so special from Peter himself. He is a walking bike encyclopedia. Thank you Peter.

Tom and I rolled out for the final 70 miles home toward Boston filled with ravioli and recharged for the task ahead. I soon started feeling pretty worn and the rain began. I settled into a somewhat pathetic pace, and Tom went on ahead. The next several miles were downright miserable. It rained, turned dark and a got chilly. My right knee was singing with pain. What the $!@ was I doing out here? I eventually pulled over to collect myself. I had forty miles left and felt terrible. However, I was still far ahead of where I thought I would be at this time. So I put on my O2 rain jacket and hopped on. A little while down the road, my wicked bike light started shifting to reserve mode, so I got out my spare. Another rider came down the road and he welcomed me to ride in with him. Bob, the rider, is a chemistry professor from the Hudson Valley and usually rides with the randonneurs in that area. We had much to talk about and the conversation was a nice distraction, so much so that I started feeling pretty good. After a while the roads started looking familiar again. Bob and I road in together just past 11PM, a little over 19 hours. Tom was still there, and we chatted about the rest of the ride. I said goodbye to Bob, wishing him luck in the upcoming Rocky Mt 1200 in British Columbia. I thanked to Tracy. Then I went home and slept.

In sum, the 400k was really really hard. I'm still feelling sore, but I'm glad I finished. I learned quite a bit about riding ultra distance, mostly about the value of pacing and good gear. These are lessons that will be valuable for the upcoming 600K...if I can motivate to do it. The 600K is a 400k followed by another 200K. It would be be great to complete it, but I'm unsure if my body is up to the task or if it will be 200 miles of fun followed by 175 miles of misery. There are some issues that needed resolving too: lighting, soreness, nutrition. Alternately, I could do something relatively sane like joining the Adirondack 540 Preview for a single spectacular 136 mile lap. ....but finishing a 600K would be quite an achievement. We shall see.

Thanks to Mrs. Wheelie, Bob, Tom, Tracy and the gang, Dunkin Donuts breakfast sandwiches and my O2 rain jacket.

Quinobequin Road

2008-06-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

The best way home is not always the shortest. In fact, it rarely is. Many of my commute routes take me to Quinobequin Road in Newton. The road runs from just past the bridge on Ellis St for not quite 2 miles on the east shore of the Charles River. It's usually pretty quiet. The rolling turns make for some fast cruising.

The late day sun provides dramatic lighting.

I usually end up somewhere way out of the way, considering it's a ride that technically should be transportation from work to home. This spot overlooks the Pine Brook Country Club in Weston.

Tandemania!

2008-06-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

Tandems are all around us! Everywhere I go there are over-subscribed bicycles traveling down the road. I cannot remember the last time I've seen a tandem bicycle prior to my recent tandem epiphany, but they are popping up all over the place now. During a ride this weekend with Mrs. Wheelie we spotted the mother of all tandems - a triple tandem. It first looked like a cluster of bicycles in a tight pace-line coming down the road toward us. On closer inspection the reality of the thing was clear. It was like a rolling centipede with several sets of arms and legs working in unified forward motion. What I wouldn't give for a photo of it to post. Not a moment after I processed the reality of this bicycle did it pass and disappear down the road with all of the momentum and efficiency of an eight-man rowing shell. My envy was whetted. On a side note, there are even more ambitious inhabitants in the land of the bicycle built for two (or more) - if three's company, four's a crowd, and more is just stupid.

The insanity. My interest in this cycling phenomenon was soon purged by the sighting of another tandem a little later in the same ride. This more typical tandem carried a man and a woman. We stopped diagonally across from it at a traffic intersection. This allowed several minutes for inspection. I realized that this pair had taken the tandem concept to the next level with completely identical uniforms. Same yellow shirt, same black shorts, same blue helmet with black visor, same gloves, same shoes, same socks. The Double-Mint twins of cycling, but more awkward. It was ghastly. I'm only happy that it wasn't the other extreme. Could this be a sign? If it is, then I'm confused. Maybe the tandem gods are as tortuous as tandems are eccentric. I'm not sure what to make of it.

Elm Bank Reservation

2008-06-22T11:23:00.004-04:00

The Biscuit and I explored in Elm Bank Reservation the other day. The park has a large horticultural garden, but the greater portion of the park is a woodland area having trails throughout with access to the Charles River. A local paper recently reported it as one of the better places around for dogs, and it is. We explored a good portion of the trails and found some ideal dog swimming spots. The Biscuit swam himself silly.

It turns out that the Elm Bank was hosting a vintage car show that day too. Even without having any established appreciation for old cars, I was very impressed. Cars of almost every type were on display. Everyone was having a good time, though some of the car owners looked a little stressed when people were getting too close to the lovingly restored treasures. The highlight of the show was 1937 Pierce Arrow; a very rare luxury car. I heard someone remark that it was the first of only six ever made. It was stunning with its the long arching lines and fancy chrome details. I put more pictures online. The Pierce owners were great, dog people of course.

I also enjoyed checking out an old Jeep convertible. The jeep was the perfect shade of yellow. It's interesting to see that not a whole lot has changed in concept over the years for Jeeps. I guess some things are right from the start.

Jitensha Ebisu

2008-06-19T16:00:00.001-04:00

First and foremost I'll say that I'm very happy with my collection of bicycles. However, that does not preclude me from experiencing a little bike lust once in a while. The most recent object of my admiration is the line of Ebisu bikes made by Jitensha Studios. They are handmade, steal-framed, road-ish bikes made with a common sense approach to cycling. To be honest they don't seem all that different in concept than the AHH Rivendell I ride now. Both maintain a classic approach to bicycle construction rather than the current race-inspired trends. Jitensha produces bikes that are widely useful and still perform for the dedicated rider. But in contrast with the Rivendell, Ebisu bikes are modest in appearance - paint jobs are monotone and the decals are simple. Rivendells are more ornate for sure, which works well for a Rivendell. The Ebisu bikes, however, have an understated elegance which allows the craftsmanship to speak for itself. I sense that the Ebisu road is a sportier bike also. The Ebisu pricing at $1400 is reasonable. That orange road model is terrific.

It occurred to me that I've actually been to the Jitensha Studio. I didn't realize it until recently but am sure it was the same place. My wife and I were visiting Berkeley a few summers ago. Like any bike geek, I stopped in the local bike shop to nose around. Jitensha isn't the typical bike shop. For starters, there is almost nothing inside the immaculate shop but a handful of beautiful bicycles, not the usual distracting clutter. Not knowing any better at the time, I didn't think anything of the bicycles on display. I quickly looked around, thanked the shop keeper and left. In hindsight, I wish I'd looked a little more closely and chatted with the owner Hiroshi Iimura. Maybe I could have picked up some of the special Nitto Jitensha flat handlebars or reserved my place in line for a snazzy frame.

Well, my bike collection is at capacity (3) now, so the Ebisu will remain just a passing thought. Maybe sometime when I'm switching it up again, I'll see if Mr. Iimura can create something remarkable for me.

Tandem

2008-06-17T19:00:00.003-04:00

Every few days I take a look at the Craiglist bicycle listings just to see what kind of stuff people are selling. I rarely purchase anything listed, but I find the listings somehow interesting. As a whole, Craigslist is like snooping around in the dark corners of someone's basement and looking at all of the cool weird junk - stuff you never knew existed or sometimes something old and clever. My earliest memory of this type of fascination is probably at my grandparents' house. Grandma and grandpa's house was pretty dull for a little kid. I usually passed the time by stealing cookies from the cabinet and by nosing around in the garage. They never got rid of anything, and it all went into that garage. Old tools, kites, ancient sporting equipment, and stuff I didn't even recognize. Fortunately, the garage was separate from the main house, so this allowed me plenty of unsupervised time for exploring. I'd often find some dusty item of treasure. The experience was formative.
Admittedly, most of the stuff on Craigslist is worthless, but there is sometimes a diamond in the rough that gets the wheels turning. Is there a spot in my basement for that junk from someone else's basement? It just might be cool enough to justify additional clutter. During these instances, very odd things can seem momentarily sensible and right. This sort of thing happened to me recently. I was checking the listings while eating my sandwich at work. Scroll. Scroll. Old Miyata touring bike, nice. Set of wheels, not bad. Burley "Samba" Tandem - $475....hmmm. Tandems are odd... time for another flashback. I was getting breakfast many years ago at a local bakery near my then apartment in Cambridge. While sitting outside eating, I watched a tandem roll in. It was a sight to see. This was not just any bike, it was completely black, carbon-fiber-ish, and very racy looking like the stealth-bomber of bikes, but longer. The riders, in contrast, were two older men with bushy gray beards. They were plump and happy looking - they could just have easily gotten off a pair of rocking chairs except that they were dorked out in the geekiest flavor of bike garb. I surmised that they road over from an MIT lab, doing a test run in their latest materials study for NASA or something. In short, the experience left me thinking that tandems are strange and backward. But at the moment I saw the Burley "Samba" Tandem - $475 listing, it all made sense.

Mrs. Wheelie and I have been riding together (on separate bikes) a lot lately, and it's great. However, my appetite for miles exceeds hers because I cycle almost daily and have worked up to very long distances. That said, she's curious about some of the longer rides I do on my own, and it would be fun to share that in a way that is mutually enjoyable. Along comes this tandem, and wouldn't you know the sizing is about perfect, and that's rare with tandems. Better yet, it's only $475 for the whole darn bike.

It got me thinking about what riding a tandem actually involves. Sheldon Brown wrote a terrific how-to article for tandems that explains everything. Starting, stopping, coasting, captains, stokers - it's all there, and it's not uncomplicated. First and foremost, it requires a cooperative team of two. I think Mrs. Wheelie and I could do it. I emailed her to pitch the idea. She replied:

You are either
1) having a bout of amnesia (do the words "double kayak" ring a bell?),
2) kidding, or
3) in bike withdrawal because it's been a couple of months since you've
bought a new one.

Three for three. Point 1: The wife and I are both independent and stubborn. This works just fine except in situations where we are literally bound together, like when we paddled a double kayak on a trip once. We managed well enough, but we both strongly preferred the days when we had single boats. The double is also known as the divorce boat, and a tandem seems like the logical wheeled cousin to that. Point 2: I'm sort of kidding but sort of not. Riding a tandem will never cease to be a ridiculous even if we're the ones riding, but as I explained earlier tandems do have benefits. Point 3: Yes, I change bikes frequently. This particular bike isn't technically new, so it doesn't technically count.

In the end, I'm not going to buy this tandem. We're sort of in the process of moving. We don't need any more stuff. Single bikes are just fine, and point number 1 is completely applicable. Most importantly, Mrs Wheelie and I are satisfied with our current level of weirdness. We want to look forward to the days when we are older and weirder, but getting a tandem now would just accelerate that oddifying process a little too much right now. However, I fully expect the day to come when we'll be cruising in style.

Apple Pi

2008-06-16T15:52:00.000-04:00

Saturday was Apple Pi day. Mrs. Wheelie picked out the route from the library of Charles River Wheelmen cue sheets, and it was a good one. The Apple Pi ride begins in Bedford, meanders west and loops around clock-wise through hills, farms and apple orchards. I like the CRW routes - they make it easy. The collection of routes is searchable, all have nice cue sheets, many have maps, and most are well-marked on the roads. This one had white pi (π) symbols throughout which was good, because the cue sheet missed a mile (which is rare) not quite half way in and the π road blazes helped us stay on track. That said, the ride was still challenging with 2755ft of elevation over 52 miles. The middle part is the hilliest with moderate rollers that transition in a sequence of steady uphills starting with Wescott Rd in Harvard culminating 3 miles later at the turn onto Old Littleton Rd. There the road turns into a winding downhill run for the next 2.5 or 3 miles.

We also took two night breaks during the morning. The first was at the Idlewild Farm market in Acton for some ice-tea and a whoopi pie at a shady picnic table. The second was at Bumblebee Park (pictured above) in Littleton - we only sat on the stone wall eating, but there are tons of benevolent bees buzzing about the bushes.

Wicked Good Bike Rack

2008-06-15T07:00:00.002-04:00

The world is full of awful bike racks. They must be designed in the land of no-bikes, because 99% of racks are comically difficult to use for the intended purpose, like a chairs that make you want to stand up. One of my favorite blogs has meticulously cataloged the wondrous variety of inadequecy seen here and there. I, however, recently observed what might be the finest bike rack ever.

This beautiful creation sets the standard by which all racks should be measured. Five simple leaners - well spaced and tall. No oddly placed cross-bars or nasty protruding bolts at all. ANY kind of bike can roll up and lock with ease. The rack isn't crammed in a corner, behind a bush or even close to a dumpster. The picture doesn't show it, but this rack is just outside the front door of the store, next to the flowers. Sweet sweet location. And if that doesn't make you feel all warm an fuzzy, there is a nice little sign celebrating the exclusive bike parking spot. Where, you ask, is this fine rack? It's at the Whole Foods on Beacon St in Newton. Please go there and experience the joy. I did the other day and I'm still grinning like a fool.

Poprad A La Mustache

2008-06-12T22:04:00.007-04:00

The Lemond Poprad needed a do-over. I built it up from a hodge podge of parts several months ago and intended to use it as a light touring bike. It was a decent road bike, but it wasn't quite right for long rides. Then I got the AHH which is much better suited for basically everything.

I decided to set the Poprad up instead as a utility bike, a nice practical bike for this and that. Practical change numero uno is a set of regular old platform pedals - $7 special from Ebay, and good for any footwear. A cheap weatherproof saddle replaced the leather Brooks that I took for the AHH. Next I stripped down the gearing a bit by taking off the inner chain ring and front derailler - it never worked smoothly anyway, and the single big chainring with the 11-34 cassette provides plenty of gearing. I also put on a rear rack for some cargo room.

I splurged for some 700x32 Vittoria Randonneur tires. These tires are versatile but not cheap at $37 each. They are the perfect tire for riding fast on roads and burly enough for whatever else you might find - try them if you can find them. For whatever reason only the cyclocross version of the Vittoria Randonneur tire is easily found, the mellower road version is harder to come by. I found a pair in the tire pile at my LBS and snatched them up.

The final revision is a new set of generic mustache handlebars. The m'bars split the difference between cruiser bars and racier drop bars. The ends extend back nice and wide for a relaxed posture, but the curves are aggressive still. (I ran the front brake cable over the bars to avoid sharp turns in the brake cable.) The m'bars do take a bit of getting used to though - I might swap in a higher stem to make the bars really comfy. They are fine where they are now, so I wrapped them up with blue bar tape.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. The bars deliver as promised - great for zooming, great for cruising, and very different from everything else out there. (Handlebar variety is good.) I like that the bike is ready for riding with ordinary pedals and that there is room to carry whatever. All this while being a fast fun bike still. It definitely says hop on and just zoom around the neighborhood.

Need Ice?

2008-06-09T19:23:00.003-04:00

Yes, we need ice. It's about a million degrees here in Brookline, the first heat wave of the summer. It's the kind of heat that makes wearing a bike helmet feel like sticking your head in the oven. I'm not into suffering on a bike, so the past couple of days were instead mostly about staying cool if at all possible. Stay cool and think chilly thoughts.

South Shore Coastal Loop

2008-06-01T20:15:00.009-04:00

I took a longish ride today because the sun was shining and I wanted to explore more of the south shore by bike. My trusty Rubel bike map showed that the Norris Reservation in Norwell was a good starting point. Riding south, I quickly crossed the North River where a few people were out fishing.

Heading out toward Marshfield, there are a several hills, but it soon flattens out near the coast where there are... yes, marshes.

The Plymouth waterfront was next. Everyone loves Plymouth. Bus loads of people come from everywhere to learn about the settlers. Unfortunately, the storied Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower can' t occupy tourists for long. Inevitably, people busy themselves consuming the wondrous variety of tourist...ah, junk. My favorite is the classic I've-been-to-some-place sweatshirt. Thanks to the brutal yet insightful commentary of my friend Chris, the site of one now makes me simultaneously start chuckling and cringing.

This shirt proves it, I have been to Plymouth. In Massachusetts. There weren't any pirates in the area, but we were near the ocean so that's good enough. To be fair, Plymouth is really interesting, just not obviously so. Brewster Gardens is very pretty, historic buildings are hidden all over, and there are about a zillion amazing beaches down the road. I spent a lot of time there as a kid, so the whole thing cracks me up a little. If you do go to Plymouth, do stop in at Ziggy's and get a shamelessly large soft-serve ice cream. Just don't go too early in the morning like me - they don't start swirling until later in the day.

Moving along....
I continued riding south past the aforementioned beaches, arrived at Cape Cod Canal, ate lunch and road along the canal. There was a ridiculous wind blowing the wrong way, so that was fun. The route back to Norwell was simple and straight along route 58 through Carver where there is a perfect gazebo near the town offices.

I quickly sped along to the ride's end in Norwell only stopping to take a snapshot of some people fishing at Curtis Crossing in Pembroke.

Jamaica Plain Commute

2008-05-31T05:33:00.010-04:00

My bike commute is always a one of the best parts of each day. There are a bunch of different ways to go. My favorite may be the route through Jamaica Plain. A fews short turns gets me to this pathway through Olmsted Park.

Over the little bridge.

The bike path going up along the Jamaica Way.

Going past Jamaica Pond.

The long uphill on Pond St going towards Larz Anderson Park.

Not sitting in traffic near the school on Brookline Street. Watch out for the crazy minivans!

Cruising along Nahanton St.

In the back door.

Rescued from the Heap: Princeton Tec Switchback

2008-05-29T16:50:00.010-04:00

Gear failure is miserable. Bringing back good gear from the trash heap is bliss.

Recently, my Princeton Tec Switchback 3 stopped working. This was a huge disappointment because it was a terrific headlight. It's one on the nicest brightest bike headlights around, and it has very long battery life compared to similarly bright lights. These qualities are perfectly suited to my regular night-time commutes and plans to ride a couple of around-the-clock brevets this year. When the light went out, I was not looking forward to finding a new light or shelling out hundreds to buy one either. It felt like a hangover from a fleeting moment of gear euphoria.

After realizing the high cost of getting a comparable new light, I resolved to fix the one I had. My local EMS store helped to figure out that the headlight was still working and the battery pack was to blame. The battery pack is expensive to replace, so I emailed the manufacturer to see if the battery could be fixed. Robert at Princeton Tec was really helpful, and he understood the urgency of getting this thing running because I depend on it regularly. He asked me to mail the battery and light to him - that was a Tuesday. Two days later he called to say that a new battery would arrive in the mail in a two or three days; it came the next day. Quick fix. What was the problem that they fixed? The old version of the Switchback battery had female pin plugs for the power cord that were not durable and prone to failure. The new and improved version of the battery pack fixes this design problem with recessed pin plugs. Instead of hacking my old battery, Princeton Tec just sent me an entirely new battery. They also included some new straps and accessories for my troubles. The light is as good as new, better than new in fact.

My outlook on lighting and gear at large is optimistic now. I've got my favorite light working again and have no worries about replacing it. PrincetonTec was really helpful. It's good to know that they fixed the design issue instead of just sending another old battery with the same problem. They also did it for free. I don't really know if I'm still under warranty or not, but it's great that it didn't cost me anything. They could not have been more friendly, helpful and timely. Thank you Princeton Tec.

Red Sox

2008-05-27T13:00:00.002-04:00

Can you see the bicycle in this shot? That's right, they don't allow bicycles in Fenway Park. David Ortiz is at bat. I took Mrs. Wheelie to see the Sox play the Brewers recently for her birthday. She took these pictures, and I wanted to share them because there are some good shots. The good guys won 11-7. It was a great game. Below is Manny Ramirez. Shadowy mystery arm holding a bag of nuts is really excited for Manny to hit one out.

I wondered for a moment, do baseball players ride bicycles? What kind of bike would a ball player ride if he did? Definitely not a super light racing bike - too fast and too delicate. Maybe a cruiser - something easy for the off-season? Perhaps a mountain bike...bingo! It turns out that slugger Manny Ramirez was moving out of his Ritz apartment and looking for more space in the suburbs. The photo below from the news story from 2006 shows some of his stuff that took up space. Apparently he rides a nice Specialized S-Works mountain bike. It looks pretty clean, so maybe he's not riding much. That's a good thing because he should be focused on playing baseball.

Laundry Day

2008-05-26T20:45:00.008-04:00

Today we honor our fallen soldiers and celebrate Memorial Day, but the Biscuit knows this day as Laundry Day. It's a day to celebrate the blissful enjoyment of stale stinky clothing. Nothing compares to the sublime pleasure of laying in a pile of week-old sweaty polyester. Luckily for him, he can celebrate Laundry Day almost every week not just once a year like most holidays.

Commuto-Photo

2008-05-25T12:00:00.001-04:00

I took this photo the other day on my ride home from work. It's a view Boston looking over the Brookline reservoir on Beacon Street out by Boston College. I'd never noticed how amazing the view was before, and I've probably been by it 1000 times. The clouds are very intense in this shot. There are a bunch more spots along my typical routes that are pretty remarkable. I'll have to snap a few more commuto-photos sometime soon.

World's End

2008-05-20T09:30:00.002-04:00

World's End is a place down in Hingham, MA that I've been meaning to get to for a while. Saturday was a nice enough day so I rode there. The ride was considerably longer than I had estimated, but it was definitely worth it. It's surprisingly difficult to find even though there aren't that many roads in the area. Maybe it's better that way. World's End is actually a peninsula leading to another peninsula, each section has a large hill.

The park is open to hikers, bikers and dogs, but it was pretty empty. There were plenty of dirt paths that allowed me to test out the AHH off the pavement.

The Hingham cross-country race course used to finish at the top of this hill. It was always a treat to come race here back then.

Panera Bike

2008-05-19T16:04:00.005-04:00

I'm a self-proclaimed Panera-hater. Without fail, something really irritating happens each time I go into Panera Bread. Someone is really rude, or they screw up my order, or I try something new only to find that it is swimming in mayonnaise - there is really no end to the ways in which Panera can frustrate me. However, I always give them another chance once enough time has past since the last chapter of annoyance. The mini egg souffle is delicious, and Panera opens early enough for coffee during my walks with the dog. I'm really doing it to myself, but I still complain about it.

My office is full of pranksters. During my recent time away, they capitalized on the opportunity and gave me a dose of Panera whoknowswhattocallit. A bike I left in the office is now wrapped in Panera bags. Really pretty funny.

Bikes in Washington DC

2008-05-17T10:53:00.008-04:00

I just returned from a short trip to Washington DC. It was mostly for work, and my bicycle didn't make the trip. I did however take a brief survey of cycling in the area. Perhaps it was the neighborhood I was in (just north of the national mall area) or the wide avenues not well suited to bicycle traffic, but I didn't see a whole lot of bicycles around. Nevertheless, the few sitings were remarkable.

The requisite urban tall bike. Rather than the typical double decker frame, this one opts for a piggy-back. It still makes no sense. Maybe it's helpful for keeping an eye on traffic.

It must be nice when your beater bike is an Independent Fabrications with snazziest parts around. Love the spoke cards.

Nice vintage step-through.

Pile of abstract bicycle wheels at the Hirshhorn Museum.

Boston Brevet Series 200K

2008-05-17T10:28:00.011-04:00

There is something very satisfying about a good tough ride. The Boston Brevet Series 200K was last Saturday (I'm a little behind in updating), and it did not disappoint.

A sizable crowd of maybe 40 showed at 7AM in Bedford under overcast skies. It was nice to see a bigger group than that of the 100K a few weeks ago. Maybe it was the nicer weather, maybe some randonneurs don't get out of bed for only 100 kilometers. The best part of milling around before the start is chatting with new people and checking out the bikes. Randonneurs rarely ride bikes that I would consider normal or commonplace. Most bikes have at least some interesting aspect that you wouldn't get off the shelf. The variety of fenders is exhausting. You could write volumes on gearing and drive-trains. Perhaps my favorite was the sun-burst finish Gunnar Crosshairs with dirt drop style handlebars - the spread on these is enormous and I bet they work nicely for long rides. I wish I had snapped a photo of that bike. Anyway, lot's of unusual bicycles, though they were all in some way perfectly suited to the day's task. I suppose I'll have something on lights in the longer brevets.

The ride started out nicely with a very large pack cruising along to the first check point. Lots of chatting with familiar riders. I now realize that the question "what have you been up too?" is silly in this context, because the answer is almost always "riding, a lot." Gradually, the crowd spread out and I took a quick break to shed some layers and get a snack. Getting back on the road, I caught up with some scattered riders. One rider Jake, explained how he had built his bicycle in a class held at Hot Tubes. Overall the craftsmanship was impressive and the neon green paint job is perfect for a bicycle. We also discussed the merits of generator vs battery lighting - neither are perfect, but both have merits. We soon arrived at the first checkpoint in New Boston, NH.

The forty miles between the first and second checkpoint was the most challenging part of the ride but also the most enjoyable. Straight out of New Boston, there is a significant amount of climbing. The ride up to Mt Vernon is long. Coming down the other side is fast and exciting, perhaps even a little scary. If one wanted to know how fast a bike can go, this is a good place to find out. Scenic vistas are frequent and provide a nice distraction from the difficulty of this section. Soon enough the hard part is over. The second checkpoint in Brookline, NH came up eventually even though I thought I was completely lost until I was right at the checkpoint.

Coming back into Bedford was pleasant enough, though I rode mostly alone. This last forty miles has relatively little climbing and I was very happy about that having 90 miles under me already. I stopped briefly to snack and take in the sun. Coming through Westford was generally pretty hilly with a downhill that leads to the crumbiest pavement in Carlyle. Though crossing into Concord, the road is smooth and easy. An older rider caught up with me and pulled me along for a bit - a demonstration that sometimes the guys who have been pedaling forever can teach you a thing or two. I was very tired and very thankful for the pull. Soon enough I was back in Bedford, finished. At this point, I had a real hankering for a chocolate shake, and I quickly took off in search of that. In all, the ride was challenging, but I enjoyed it tremendously.

Gray Rainy Day

2008-05-03T20:09:00.005-04:00

Today was a gray rainy day, the kind that's damp, cold and dark. I'd been looking forward to a leisurely long ride this weekend, but the weather decided not to cooperate. I let the morning pass by and hoped the afternoon would look better. It didn't, but I resolved that I would head out anyway at least for a shorter ride and maybe explore a little. Riding in the rain has been surprisingly fun lately.

Well I should have stayed home because the gray rainy day got the better of me. The ride started well enough as I took a new road to the same old place I like to go - it had recently been paved. That was quite a treat. I turned a corner and then things started to just feel...blah. My energy faded even though I had plenty of food with me. I looked down and saw that my rear tire was squishy. Flats are something I'm usually able to avoid and don't mind fixing when they occur, but l've had a string of them lately. It happens on different bikes, so I suspect it's bad karma rather than a faulty wheel or tire. This was just one too many. Changing was a feast of grime and rainy road nastiness. The CO2 inflater was temperamental too - I'm switching to hand pumps from now on. I finished and debated continuing my planned ride, but the raw afternoon was starting to get to me, and the darkness was more evident by the minute. Maybe I'd cut short and head home by a good bike shop and pick up a new hand pump - perhaps that would salvage the day. The store just closed when I arrived, perfect. I rolled home and decided to tidy up the bike mess in the basement only to find that my almost new expensive wonderful bike light appeared not to be working at all. Terrific, just perfect.

Most days I think riding a bicycle is one of the most pleasurable activities that I could happily do forever, each and every day without ever getting bored. Today is a different story. After today, I could take it or leave it, and I certainly am not looking forward the next commute or ride or whatever. Some times things just get annoying, difficult and tiresome. One bad day out of many good days is a pretty good record still. The gray rainy day just got to me.

Rivendell A. Homer Hilsen review

2008-04-26T21:27:00.005-04:00

I picked up the new bicycle about a week ago, just in time for an unprecedented week of good weather. I spent plenty of time getting to know the AHH, riding over 250 miles. Here are my impressions.

The AHH is quite nice to look at. The blue and cream color scheme is classic and highlights the frame detail well. The lug-work is terrific; a tasteful amount of curls and points. The fork has a nice long curve. This is a nicely made frame and it shows. While the bike looks terrific, I am most pleased with how it rides.

My AHH is quick and comfortable. The bike is built mainly as a light touring and brevet bike. The components are similar to the more common Rivendell builds you see - Nitto randonneur bars with bar end shifters, 36 spoke XT hubs and Mavic Open Sport rims, Jack Brown tires, Sugino triple, 12-27 gearing, and a Brooks B17. (Special thanks to Elton at Harris Cyclery for putting this together for me.) This set up is ideal and I'm extremely pleased with how everything works together. The drive-train is quiet and the shifting is crisp. It's probably the first time I've been pleased with a geared system. The Nitto Randonneur handlebars have a noticeable sweep outward that not only looks great, but allows several comfy hand positions. The bar-ends extend back a little farther than those of other handlebars, which is really nice for riding in the drops. The wheels are ultra smooth, and the Jack Brown tires live up to the hype. Jack Browns look a little odd with their fat roundness, but they soak up bumps and roll just as fast as any other skinnier tire I've used.

The AHH frame brings everything together nicely with it's long dimensions and somewhat slack angles. There is a good bit of trail in the fork, which provides very steady handling - you almost don't need to steer at all. The relaxed geometry holds the road well. Perhaps the most noticeable thing about the AHH is how well it goes downhill. For a while I've been skeptical of all the Rivendell hype. People talk about Rivendell bicycles like they are magic or something - lot's of people drinking kool-aid. There are many Rivendell-isms or token highlights. One of these is how people talk about a Riv being a good "descender." What? Gravity is gravity and all bikes roll downhill. How can some be better at it than others? Well, I have to say that I'm converted. I don't think I'll give up my clipless pedals for sandals and platforms, but I will concede that there are some special bicycles and Rivendell is certainly in that category. As far as descending, the AHH loves the downhill. Instead of holding on and trying not to die as on other bikes, riding the AHH downhill more like flying along hoping that there is another steeper hill ahead. Perhaps the only con is that this is not a lightweight bike. Mine weighs in at 24 pounds (without the huge seat-bag), but you wouldn't know it when you are pedaling. The way I see it, the added weight gives back in overall handling ten fold. I spent many many hours riding this week and couldn't be happier. My former skepticism is cured.

Bird Update

2008-04-25T07:38:00.003-04:00

A good picture of the bird and the two chics doing well

Cape Ann loop

2008-04-24T10:00:00.003-04:00

Cape Ann is one of my favorite places to ride. It's a bit north of Boston on the north shore, so I make an effort to go up there once in a while to cruise around. In the past I've just used a Rubel map to guide me to the best roads, but I recently found a good cue sheet online that details a few new interesting routes. Last weekend Mrs Wheelie and I did a loop starting in the elegant Magnolia neighborhood and cycled out and around the Cape. We brought some snacks and a camera. It was great. A couple of things to note. Cape Ann is great for scenery with a nice endowment of coastline and elegant homes or with the hustle an bustle of seaside towns like Gloucester and Rockport. The area is not known for its roads - most are just fine, but there are a few exceptional pieces of pavement, if you want to call them that. Eden Road in Rockport is probably the toughest patchwork of surface you'll ever see, but the scenery alongside makes the bone-rattling traverse worthwhile. Perhaps my favorite spot along the route is a little detour as you re-enter Gloucester from the north east and pass through the village of Annisquam. You eventually work your way down to Lobster Cove, a narrow harbor filled with a mish-mash of working boats, house boats and other floaters. The best part is the continuation of the aptly named Bridgewater Street as a very long pedestrian bridge across the water. It's a very unique place to go on two wheels.

One Less Bicycle

2008-04-23T21:13:00.005-04:00

I sold a bike a today. The converted Motobecane Grand Record fixed-gear is gone by way of Craigslist. I think it found a good and appreciative home. That matters because it's a good bike and someone should ride and enjoy it. It was a 1980's lugged frame of Vitus tubing and a Reynolds 531 fork. There was some chrome detail too. A long while ago, I carefully cleaned it up, re-greased everything, added a few new bits and found it to be a fine fixed-gear, as quick and comfortable as could be. I did my first 100 miler on it. At any rate, a recent purchase motivated me to consider thinning the herd. My bikes numbered four; some say that's a lot, some say that's too few, but three feels about right to me. The appropriate number of bikes to own is a complex issue for another time. Anyway I decided to get rid of a bike that doesn't completely suit me anymore. The Motobecane was a terrific ride, but it was flawed in a way that I could not accept. It was French - meaning having odd French-sized parts. Replacement parts are almost impossible to find. The best shops couldn't even determine what the bolt spacing was on the chainrings, much less find a replacement ring. Keeping this one rolling was more about nursing old parts along rather than replacing worn out rings and things with more durable newer parts. This is something that can be done with considerable time and effort. Though my bikes get too much wear and tear to make that trade-off sustainable. So it goes, maybe I'll have to find another oldie but goodie to bring back to life.

The Bird

2008-04-21T21:23:00.005-04:00

A bird nested on our window sill this spring, and we've been watching her. She's taken up residence in a window box that normally holds some flowers. Several weeks ago, we noticed two little eggs. Since then, we've been waiting for an opportunity to get a snapshot of the eggs. Wouldn't you know, the bird is always sitting there minding her eggs so getting another look at the eggs was almost impossible. I opened the window shade about a week ago to check on her and I noticed a little chic sitting there too. The chic mostly hides underneath the mother bird's fluffy feathers so it's hard to see it clearly, and I'm not able to tell if there are one or two chics. The little birds are still gray and lanky with baby fuzz instead of feathers. We'll be watching as they get bigger and more bird like.

Boston Brevet Series 107K Populaire

2008-04-14T11:55:00.007-04:00

Earlier this year during the winter when the thought of “spring-time” riding seem relatively sublime, I made the decision to give randonneuring a try. Luckily, the Boston Brevet Series is local, so I signed up. Saturday was the first event of the year, the 107K Populaire. I watched throughout the week as the forecast for Saturday got progressively worse. On waking Saturday at 6 or so, it was pouring and miserable; this was going to be a wet day on the bike (thank goodness for my new and improved fenders). Things were still looking pretty rotten even as I arrived at the parking lot in Bedford, MA, and everyone seemed to express silent acknowledgement of this reality by staying in their cars for as long possible before the ride began.

By some stroke of luck, the weather turned around just at the right time. About 20 or so riders finally appeared. Everyone was thrilled to get started with the first event of the season despite the raw conditions. Just as the organizer Tracy Ingle concluded her ride explanation, the rain slowed to a light drizzle and it almost started to feel nice outside.

We rolled out promptly at 8AM heading for the turn-around in Sterling MA. I joined a group of riders moving quickly along as we pedaled over the first decent hill into Lincoln. Several miles down the road, the group broke up a bit as a few of us stopped to flip cue sheets and take a drink. We then worked our way over some long and steep hills through some orchards and farms in Bolton. We arrived shortly thereafter at the checkpoint in Sterling where a nice spread of goodies awaited us. The sun was starting to come out and the air was getting a little warmer. I happily shed a few layers and enjoyed a sesame bagel covered with peanut butter and Nutella, delicious.

Boston Brevet 107K (2007) leg1

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

No sooner had I finished the last bite of the bagel, than did a few of my companions from earlier start buzzing about heading out. About five of us grouped up for the ride back. I’ll stop and talk about bikes here. The variety of bikes present, something I had been curious about, was pretty wide - a few minimalist roadies, some touring bikes, a 3-speed, some classic-style randonneur rigs, and a handful of fixed-gears. Excellent, I thought, riding fixed (46x17) wasn’t going to cause a stir in this crowd (no silly remarks like, "it must be hard going up hill on that..."), and it didn't at all. So, the little group I joined was zooming along and I was definitely not up to spinning the cranks fast enough for that pace... it was fast. Whatever, it’s not a race. I was happy to ease off considerably and take my sweet time enjoying the sunny morning and scenery. The last 30 miles flew by. Eventually, another rider and I made our way up the last little hill before the final turn. We agreed that it turned out to be a terrific ride.

Boston Brevet 107K (2007) leg 2

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

People were milling around a bit after the ride chatting about this ride, other rides, bikes, but most of all about food. Cyclists like food, a lot. Talking about food is almost as good as eating it. Everyone seemed to have a food philosophy. I personally like Dunkin Donuts breakfast sandwiches – lots of calories, delicious, and readily available everywhere around here (but I didn’t stop for one this day). Everyone shared their food favorites. At any rate, it was nice conclusion to a good of day riding, and I look forward to coming back for the 200K in May.

Take Two

2008-04-09T17:00:00.003-04:00

Great scenery on a ride yesterday afternoon. I remembered the camera this time.

The waterfall in south Natick.

Sunset over Spy Pond in Arlington

A. Homer Hilsen

2008-04-07T17:27:00.011-04:00

A new bike is on the way. I've spent many months trying to find the perfect bicycle. For me, that means a relaxed steel-framed road-ish bike that has clearance for fatter tires and has eyelets for racks and fenders - a bicycle that I can take on roads or trails, on a fast ride or a slow tour - an all-arounder. The Rivendell A. Homer Hilsen fits that bill perfectly, but it's only produced in 57cm and larger. That size is just a bit too big for me, so I've been considering alternatives like the Gunnar Sport, Rivendell Rambouillet or Saluki. All are fine bicycles and achieve their intended purposes well, but none meets my criteria entirely. In my experience, Gunnar makes a terrific bike and is probably the best bang for the buck, but the Sport just isn't versatile in the right way. The Gunnar Sport can really only take a 28c tire with a fender. The Rambouillet has the same problem and probably won't be available until the end of 2008. The Saluki is nice, but I'd rather not add the 650B wheel size to my collection of 700c wheeled bikes. So I searched. Recently I called Rivendell to ask some questions about their sizing methods. They off-handedly mentioned they had a few AHH's made in the 55cm size this time around, and still with 700c wheels!!! Could this be a sign? More importantly, was I prepared to plunk down 1500 for a frame and as much again for components and everything else? To add to that, there is definitely a certain sentiment about riding an expensive retro-grouch bicycle made of lugs and fairy dust that stands firmly against modern and popular cycling trends. That's a lot to consider.

Despite the price-tags and cynics, I like the Rivendell practically and aesthetic; it's suits me well. I talked to my LBS and put down a deposit on an AHH in their next shipment. It should be ready in a couple of weeks. I only need to go and pick out components, and then it should be on the road. Just in time for some long spring rides.

A Thousand Words

2008-04-04T10:19:00.001-04:00

There is little that is regrettable about going for a long bike ride. Riding just about anywhere and in any condition is better than not doing it at all. Though going unprepared is not a good thing. For example, every time I ride more than a few miles, I take along a small tool kit. A flat tire or a loose nut is no big deal with the right tool. To that list of must-haves I usually add the cellphone, wallet, waterbottle and lights.

Yesterday I was prepared as usual, and decided to go ride for a few hours because I got out of work early. I took the long way home first through Dover and then continued north through Wellesley and Bedford and looped around the air base before heading back to Brookline. Great ride!!! The road is fast in some spots and meanders in others, but the scenery is good almost everywhere. There are horses in Dover, a small damn and a pretty bridge in south Natick, airplanes in Bedford. When I finally stopped at Spy Pond in Arlington, I realized I forgot something...the camera. The sun was setting over the pond and it was literally picture perfect. Though you wouldn't know it because I don't have a picture. From now on, I'm going to add the camera to the list of must-haves because there is a lot to see and remember on a long ride. If what they say is true about a picture being worth a 1000 words, then having a camera will make things a lot easier. I'm about 250 words into this post, and I wouldn't want to have to write another 750.

Tight Squeeze Fenders with Reacharound Brackets

2008-03-30T10:24:00.008-04:00

Life is good when your bike has fenders in the rain. Life is bad when the your favorite bike doesn't take fenders. Until recently, I was considering selling my favorite bike, a Gunnar Street Dog, because it lacks the clearance for full fenders - I can barely squeeze a 28mm tire in there, and a full fender is out of the question. I tried the clip-on race blade fenders with some success, but they really don't provide the protection of full fenders. Things get pretty soaked every time I have to commute in nasty wet weather. Google found a solution. Rivercity Bicycles in Portland, Oregon makes Reacharound Brackets which allow the fenders to be interrupted where the frame clearance is tight, at the rear brake bridge and the front fork crown. It's explained here.

The Rivercity Bicycles website says to call on the phone, so i called. The conversation went like this:

Me: "Hi. I saw those reacharound brackets on your website. How can I get some?"

RB: "Oh yeah, hold on.....Hi? You're looking for brackets? Sure we install them here in the shop."

Me: "Hmm. I'm in Massachusetts, could you mail me some?"

RB: "Well we're almost out right now and don't know when we'll be getting more. You could make them out of some rear rack stays, just bend them here and there."

Me: "OK, uh...that doesn't sound too hard, do you know where I would get some rack stays?"

RB: "You know what, I'll just make a set for you and mail them out. No problem."

Me: "Wow! Great. Thanks!"

A neat little package of perfect brackets and simple directions soon arrived in the mail. I picked up some SKS fenders - these are supposedly the best for this because they resist cracking when drilled or cut because there is a metal strip embedded the plastic. I cut the rear fender in two and, after a little trial and error, managed to fit the fender to the rear reacharound brackets. The front fender installation was more complicated. The bike's front fork doesn't have fender eyelets, so I used some P-clamps to substitute. Additionally, the lower stack of the headset is really close to the brake hole, so there isn't enough room for the front reacharound bracket to clear the front brake OR room to attach the original fender bracket to the back of the brake hole without hitting the lower stack. I used a set of Sheldon fender nuts to provide the right spacing for the original bracket and attached the portion of the fender behind the front wheel. I left off the front portion of the front fender for now, but I'm going to fashion a special bracket for the front half soon. Very complicated, but worth it. The Gunnar is now rain worthy. Wouldn't you know, it hasn't really rained yet, but I've gone through almost every standing puddle and the preliminary results are good. More pictures are here.

On a related note, I visited Rivercity Bicycles recently. I was visiting some good friends who live in Portland and we were driving by the shop. We stopped in to check it out. The shop is bigger and fancier than I expected, having every variety of bikes... the usual racing and MTB stock, but also ton of CX, several touring rigs, nice steel bikes, and a thoughtful selection of bags and clothing. The staff is as friendly as they were earlier on the phone. I finally got to try out a Surly Long Haul Trucker, terrific bike. It's worth noting that the shop was serving free espresso. I found this a little odd given the context and my grouchy east-coast sensibility, but I imagine it fits nicely with the progressive cycling Portland scene. Whatever, it's free coffee and that's great. In all, the shop has a nice wide variety of gear and helpful staff, that's rare these days. I couldn't bring the Surly home, but I got a funny t-shirt. Check it out if you are ever in Portland.

Lobster Claws

2008-03-27T12:34:00.008-04:00

I made an impulse buy over the weekend, and my life has been 100% better since then. I bought some lobster claw gloves, Craft Split Finger Thermal gloves to be specific. They were on sale at my LBS, and while $40 isn't exactly a steal, the price was good enough. I quickly made the purchase before thinking of some silly reason why I shouldn't have them, why my ratty set of cross-country ski gloves which double as winter bike gloves is good enough and why I should continue searching around for a better deal. Craziness. The tags were gone in a flash...no going back now. I put them on immediately and rode away.

Every gear head knows that some gear is just hype and some gear is life changing. These gloves are the latter. This is because they accomplish things that neither mittens or gloves can. Mittens are terrifically warm, but allow the dexterity of a flipper. Regular gloves give the fingers freedom but often lead to individually chilly fingers. The Craft Split Finger gloves do it all... pretty much. They couple two fingers together and keep them toasty warm. While I probably couldn't accurately dial a cell phone with the split fingers on, I can punch the key pad outside my office - the dexterity is good. One benefit I did not foresee, but am extremely pleased with, is that these new gloves allow a very comfortable hand position while riding a bike. I often ride resting my hands on the brake hoods, two fingers on the brake lever, two on the bars, thumb around the back. This would be impossible with mittens, and regular gloves can't keep the little fingers warm in this position. The split finger gloves are perfect, split in exactly the right place. Perhaps the designer had this in mind early on, perhaps not, but either way it's great. They are also windproof, water-resistant and have a nice nose wiper on the backside of the thumbs. The styling is also pretty modest which I find refreshing in the usually gaudy world of cycling apparel. I suppose they'll be great for cross-country skiing too. Goodbye ratty old gloves.

Happy Belated Easter

2008-03-24T21:18:00.003-04:00

An oldie but goodie, the Easter Bunny rides again.

Eat Some Fruit

2008-03-24T16:39:00.001-04:00

We trying to improve our eating habits. Mrs. Wheelie subscribed to a fruit and vegetable delivery service recently. Every other Thursday, we now get a bin of various fruits and vegetables like spinach, pears, garlic, tangerines, broccoli, etc. In our initial excitement over this new healthy habit, we plowed through our two week ration in just 7 days. (Feeling healthier already) Anyway, we resolved to supply the next 7 days by buying a pile of veggies and fruits at the local store. One thing we forgot to factor into this purchase is that we planned many meals away from home during the Easter weekend and Mrs. Wheelie is traveling for work this week. So I've taken it upon myself to eat all of the veggies and fruits before they go bad and go to waste. To this end, I posted a simple note on the front door... "Eat Some Fruit." As of this morning there are two grapefruits, 4 bananas, 1 cantaloupe, 1 old apple, 3 pears, some garlic, a head of red lettuce, and maybe some more broccoli. We're getting more on Thursday, so I'm really under the gun here. So far today, I've gone through 1 banana, 1 grapefruit, and a pear, and that's better than usual so I think the sign is working. Experts say the new rule is five to NINE servings a day (4.5 cups); that's impossible! I might be able to choke down a salad tonight, and I really do love salad, but I'm not sure if I can keep this up. The cantaloupe is intimidating.

Wind hates a bicycle

2008-03-22T09:15:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a windy day, one of those days where the gusts bend trees over in a relentless sort of way. The forecast showed steady wind at 25 mph gusting as high as 50 mph. However, the sun was out, the thermometer was reading above 30 in March, and I had the day off on account of it being Good Friday. I had to go for a ride; a little wind wouldn't kill me. I was right, the wind didn't kill me, but it made for a pretty tough ride. I'm pretty sure the wind brought me to a dead stop at one point...while going downhill. Don't get me wrong, the ride was still great and I was thrilled to pedal the afternoon away and explore some new roads, but it was exhausting.

Just how exhausting was it? It's hard to say precisely. There are a bunch of web articles that say this and that about the effect of a headwind on effort required to continue rolling forward. One says there is an exponential relationship between windspeed and pedaling resistance; doubling the wind speed more than doubles pedaling resistance. Yay! You can quantify this miserable truth here. In real world terms, wind resistance is supposedly second only to going uphill in making a cyclist more exhausted (bicycle weight is pretty far down the list experts say). I guess one could go get a super aerodynamic bike and practice posing like a human torpedo, but that's kind of tedious, expensive and probably not that much fun. Instead I'll just appreciate the days when the wind is a little more forgiving and pedaling is comparatively effortless.

Entry Number One

2008-03-20T15:00:00.001-04:00

What is a wheelie biscuit? For starters, it's a combination of words that wasn't claimed by anyone else. Other than that, it's vague name for a blog that isn't well-planned or designed for any particular purpose. All I can say is whatever entries that follow are likely to range in topic from something relating to bikes, bicycling or bike-thoughts to outdoor adventures with my wonderful wife and dog (who in the spirit of web anonymity shall be known henceforth as Mrs. Wheelie and the Biscuit)...I'll just be me.

Seeing as it's that time of year when a noticeably larger number of bikers are joining everyone else on the road, let's start this blog off by taking a few moments to sharpen our powers of observation with a fun awareness video test. Enjoy and be safe.