Snow Day

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

Just some nice images from a recent October ride.

Reading to the Dog

Estabrook

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They made a deal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.