Shauck Metric Century

My Saturday started the same way a work day begins, with a 6:30AM alarm. It sure is easier to get up for a bike ride than it is for work. After getting dressed in cycling gear, brewing some coffee, and making a peanut butter and egg sandwich I was standing in the driveway waiting for Ryan to show up.

We were on the road by 7:15 and heading for Shauck, south of Lexington, for a metric century to benefit the Johnsville volunteer fire department. We figured it would be a good way to get 62 miles in the legs and see some new roads while doing so. At the fire station we signed in for the road and headed out.

Arriving on scene.

It was a damp 40 degree start to the ride, not so much rain as a misty fog. We stopped within a handful of miles to take off our glasses as they were too wet to see out of. For the beginning of the ride I began to feel underdressed and was not staying warm. The sun never came out but it must have warmed a few degrees and I became more comfortable.

A quick stop to dig out some food... and take a picture.

We rode to Fredericktown and then up to Butler. In Butler the route took us onto the rails to trails and we rode the former railway bed all the way to Lexington. The route was mostly flat or mildly rolling but we did enjoy a good uphill grade riding south out of Lexington.

Gas station stop in Butler to refill bottles.

It was a good ride, though the route was somewhat non-distinctive. I guess that makes sense for a flat ride, it’s usually the hills that make an impression on me. For this time of year it was a good ride to get the legs up to speed.

 Pedaling along the rail trail.

Grandpa Franks Visit

It's been a long time since I've been to my grandfather's grave.  This morning, while KT and Daniel were stuck in the house under the weather, I headed out on a ride without much of a plan as to where I would go.  As it turned out I ended up riding by Reedsburg and saw the cemetery from a distance.  Remembering my grandfather I stopped in to visit his grave.

 

This is how it ends for everyone.  No matter how many
miles we ride or how many good intentions we have.

 

But Christ represents us, if we ask, and makes
this the beginning instead of the end.

I continued on my ride, thinking of my grandfather, a short while later I spotted no less than eight deer out in a field.  Fitting because my grandfather was an avid outdoors-man and hunter.  I stopped to snap a picture and captured about half the herd crossing the road.

A deer paceline.

I've worn through my first pair of Look cleats.  I was not having any issues with the worn cleats but figured I'd replace them before beginning to have issues.  Fortunately I had a spare pair on the shelf, thanks to a Christmas gift from mom and dad a couple years ago.

The new 3 cleat system.

The first ride of the year on the Litespeed had me feeling like I was pedaling with my toes.  I'm guessing it's from riding an indoor exercise bike so much over the winter, so I've shifted my pedals rear ward a touch. Actually they are shifted rear ward as far as possible with these shoes.

The wear dots on the old cleats were about gone.

Yesterday Ryan and I went for a ride around the block.  The thermo told us it was in the upper 30's and we dressed warm as we intended to ride a mild pace. 

 Washed out on Carr Road.

We rode north on Carr Road from Ryan's house and felt the 10 to 15mph wind directly in our face on the way out.  After a right hand turn we rode east to the county line and turned south.  Eventually we returned to Carr Road and enjoyed a tail wind on the way back to Apple Creek.

 Washed out on Deerfield Road.

It felt good to be out for a couple hours!

Windy on the way to Flickinger

I came home from work and headed out for short ride, destination Flickinger Hill.  I knew it was windy... but it was really windy.  Headwind all the way to Flickinger, climb the hill, then cross winds, and finally some tailwind on the way back.  It felt like more of a ride than what it was.

 The flags are proof, it was windy.

First Paragon Ride

What a perfect day for a mountain bike ride at Mohican State Park.  The weather was very nice for a mid March day, it was 45 and sunny, and the trail was in great condition.  The water of the past couple weeks had drained away and left behind a grippy runway.

 Two Gary Fisher 29ers ready to roll.

It was mid afternoon when Ryan and I pulled into the parking lot.  I unloaded my new Paragon from Ryan's  trunk rack, ready for the first ride on my 29er.

About half a mile into the ride we stopped and I shed a layer.  The warmth of the sun through the leafless trees felt good.  In the opening, mostly uphill, section of the trail I was feeling benefit from the larger wheels.  The bike was rolling over roots with more ease than my previous 26" wheeled GF Wahoo.  I figure the plusher front fork on the Paragon also contributed to the better feel.

 Nothing like the first ride on a new bike.

As we continued through first five miles I was really liking several aspects of the new bike.  The hydraulic brakes are much better than on my Wahoo.  The new stoppers provided a solid feel with an ability to modulate braking force.  The larger front rotor and 29" tire patch certainly contributed to better braking as well.  I also noticed gear changes were less drastic than on my previous bike.  The Wahoo was 8 speed while the Paragon is 10 speed, and I could feel the smaller change in gear ratio between shifts on the Paragon.

 Ryan enjoying the warm sunshine.

At mile 8 we turned around to retrace our route.  Somewhere along the ride back I was noticing traction benefits with the Paragon.  I was happy with my tire choice and I think the new tires were certainly contributing to the traction combined with the larger contact patch of the 29" wheels.  On an uphill corner I stood up to pedal as I turned sharply.  On this same corner I often lost traction and had to put a foot down while riding the Wahoo.  On the Paragon I stood, felt a tiny amount of rear wheel slip, but then it connected up and pushed me through the corner.  Nice.

 Hey, my support vehicle showed up.

I'm sure there are plenty more things to discover about the new bike.  In spite of a dream the night before where I didn't notice a difference between the Wahoo and Paragon, there's a big difference.  And I like it.

Another New Ride

No, I didn't get another new bike... but we did go to the zoo today.

Giddy up.

Jellyfish tank.

Wet Left Foot

Despite the gloomy and overcast weather I gathered up some ambition and headed out for a ride.  It was breezy and cool with temperatures in the upper 30’s as I rolled out.  With camera in my pocket I was hoping to come across some picture worthy scenes.  I was in luck.

Doing my best to keep the wind in my face for the first half of the ride I rode west on Angling Road.  I stopped near the base of a cell tower looming over US30 and thought the perspective of the tower and guy wires looked interesting.  Picture #1 acquired.

A short distance later I turned north on Firestone Road and came across a pothole collection that caught my eye.  Picture #2 acquired.

An even short distance later, still on Firestone Road, I saw something familiar alongside the road.  I squeezed hard on the brake levers and pulled a u-turn.  It was a cell phone along the edge of the road and looked like it had been there for a while.  The phone was waterlogged and looked like it had been through a few freeze / thaw cycles.  Picture #3 acquired.

After a few jig jogs I pedaled west out of Reedsburg and turned south on Funk Road.  I wondered if this low lying section of road would be open after all the recent flooding.  The road was open but there were many fresh ponds throughout the valley.  Glancing over my shoulder at one such pond I spotted several large birds blending in with the scenery.  I thought they were blue herons at first but later realized they were sand hill cranes.  The quality of the digital zoom on the camera surprised me.  Picture #4 acquired.

A short time later I was back to Angling Road.  The “road closed” signs were up for Angling Road east of Funk but I thought it may be passable on bike so I turned left.  Water was across the road at the road’s lowest point, yep that’s the way water works.  There was a current moving left to right across the road but I decided it was worth the risk to pedal across slowly.  Before crossing I pulled the camera out, took a picture, and securely sealed in a ziploc bag in case of a splashdown.  Picture #5 acquired.

Crossing the water was mostly okay except it was deep enough in the middle that I was dunking my left foot with each pedal revolution.  I had unclipped my right foot and held it up in the air when I realized the water was getting deep.  Thank God for Thorlo socks, they kept my feet warm the rest of the ride home despite the left one being water logged.

To get back home I took Uhl Road to connect Jefferson to Smyser.  Upon turning north onto Uhl I encountered an even better photo op of a ruinous pothole.  Photo #6 acquired.

There’s nothing like a wandering, picture filled bike ride to help forget your body and mind’s confusion over setting the clocks forward an hour!

New Horse in the Stable

Here it is, my new 2011 Trek / Gary Fisher Paragon!

25.1 pounds out of the box.

Given the flooding and generally wet conditions of late, it may be a little while before I take her out on the maiden voyage.  But that's okay, I have a project or two in mind before hitting the trail.  More to come later...

No Train

The weather forecast for today prompted me to mount the light on my cross bike and commute to and from work.  This would be the first commute of the year and it was a nice way to start off.

It was 37 degrees when I left the house this morning.  I rode through town but took a slightly different route than normal.  As I crossed the tracks that run through town I heard a train rumble and whistle.  I thought it would be a neat picture to with my bike propped up alongside the tracks and a train passing by in the background, at least I figured Daniel would like the train pic.  After waiting for several minutes I realized the train was on a different set of tracks.  Oh well, I'll have to try this picture idea later.

Sitting alongside the rail waiting for a train.

The ride home was even warmer, it was 57 degrees when I left the office.  The wind was supposed to be out of the south at 15 to 20mph but it sure didn't feel like it as I rode mostly due south.  The skies were overcast but it was a nice first commute of the year.  Spring is near!

A Mid-February Ride

With the thermometer reading 47 degrees in the sun and the wind blowing at 15mph from the SW I headed west towards Apple Creek on Messner Road.  The plan was to meet-up with Ryan on the road and then ride south together.

We road south on Cutter Road and the climb to the top of Moreland hill felt like an accomplishment.  After a couple of turns in downtown Fredericksburg, the zero stoplight burg that it is, we road west on Harrison Road.  Reaching the high ground once again felt like an accomplishment.

Plenty of dirty snow lining the roads on this ride.

The wind was in our faces until we turned north.  Via a diversion taking us down and then up James Road we made it to our splitting point.  Ryan headed east on Messner while I headed west.

Through the swamp on Messner Road.

With the sun setting lower in the sky and a head wind I was feeling cooler.  I rode through the swamps and looked to my left thinking a scene for a picture was developing.  When a large tree came into the frame I was imagining, I abruptly braked and held the camera down low for a shot.

I arrived home thinking about food and a hot shower, knowing my legs were going to feel this one tomorrow.  It was a nice mid-February ride indeed.

Tire Cleaning in the Snow

I've been doing some annual cleaning and maintenance on several of our bikes.  Today I took a pair of tires/wheels outside to scrub in the snow.  Warm water kept my hands warm and the snow made it easy to prop up the wheels!

No More Sick

What a fun past couple weeks.  Two weeks ago I came home after work on Friday thinking about what movie to watch during a long trainer ride the next day.  My plans changed when I woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and severe body aches.  A week later the flu was gone but I was tired and weak.

The past couple days I've felt some energy back but have held off on doing anything.  Today I had enough and thought it was time for a ride.  The roads were clear although littered with cinders so I put on the cross tires and fenders.  I've never used my fenders with cross tires but a quick adjustment of the fenders allowed ample clearance.

Planet Bike fenders over a Ritchey Speedium cross tire.

I had planned to ride a short loop but was feeling okay and I added on distance a couple times.  I ended up out past Moreland and riding on James Road.  Eventually I turned towards home and was met with a cold headwind.  For some reason I never even thought about wind direction as I chose my route.  Oh well, I stayed mostly warm.

Riding through the swamp on a snow covered road.

All the other roads on the ride were clear pavement.

There nothing like being down and out for a couple weeks to make you really appreciate getting out on a ride!

Hydrapak = Excellent Customer Service

Recently I noticed a small issue developing with my Hydrapak hydration pack.  The small loop inside the pack from which the hydration bladder hangs was beginning to detach.  I've figured that one of these days I would open the pack after a ride and find the loop had given way.

I sent the folks at Hydrapak an email with an image of the frayed loop attached.  Within 24 hours I had a reply stating the loop must not have been sewed properly.  They asked for my address to send a new pack.  Wow, prompt and very fair service.

 My replacement Hydrapak Flume.

About 7 to 10 days later a package was sitting on the front porch.  I had wondered if they would send just the pack itself or a complete pack, bladder and drinking tube.  After opening the mailing envelope I was excited to find the whole deal, including what appears to be a newer version 45 degree bite valve than my 90 degree bite valve.  Nice!

I give Hydrapak customer service very high marks.  Nobody wants to have a problem with a product but we all know mistakes happen and the important thing is the service you receive if the problem happens to you.  Very well done Hydrapak!

Also, I should point out the Hydrapak system is best in its category in my opinion.  Check out their web site (www.hydrapak.com) and study up on the ease of use and cleaning of their bladder.

2011's First Ride

Having not been able to do a New Year’s Day ride, Ryan and I set our sights on a second-day-of-the-year ride.  We debated the pros/cons of a road ride versus an off road ride.  It was warm enough on Saturday to melt all the snow and it was cold enough last night to refreeze the ground.  Today’s forecast called for sunny but windy conditions. 

We decided to avoid the wind on the open roads and head to the woods.  The Knob or Mohican?  We figured the drainage at Mohican better handled yesterday’s thaw so we drove south.

There were several cars in the mountain bike parking lot but only one with a bike rack.  We bundled up with multiple layers, heavy gloves and over boots.  Gotta love the warming effect of the first uphill mile.  We crunched along on frozen ground for 8 miles before turning around.  I’m still amused by how the trail feels different in the opposite direction.  It’s more than just downhills becoming uphills and vice-versa.  There is some good flow to be found in the first couple miles after the turnaround.

At mile marker 4 we chose the short loop return to the start.  The section along the campground is good fun and we had not ridden this section last time.  I always like the last 500 yards of the trail.  It’s slightly downhill with some rocks to drop over and then you come blasting out in the grass alongside the parking lot.

I stayed pretty toasty despite the sub freezing temperatures.  The bite valve on my Hydrapak was constantly freezing up.  Fortunately I could chew the bite valve and suck to get my Gatoraide flowing again.  Ryan enjoyed a slushy bottle of sports drink.

It was invigorating to get outside on a ride, a good start to the year for cycling!

First project of the year

Happy New Year!  I had hoped for a New Years Day ride but the weather was not cooperative.  Although warm it rained the entire day.  Instead I spent some time in the basement on a long over due project... bike storage.

I screwed bike hooks to a 2x4 and hung it from the

floor joists with some perforated angle iron pieces. 

 The bikes are hung by the furnace with care,

in hopes that a rider would soon be there.

The hooks are 16" on center.  I wouldn't go any closer

else the bikes may interfere with each other.  As it is,

they must be hung in alternating directions.

Final ride of the year... flats!

Ryan and I originally planned to do a night ride last night but he left work earlier than expected and we headed out in the afternoon.  We both left from our houses and rode towards each other on Messner Rd.  Just east of Fredericksburg Rd. I came upon Ryan stopped alongside the road, he was checking in with another cyclist who appeared to be changing a flat tire.  As I rolled up to the scene I realized it was Jeremy Grimm.

Back on the bike Jeremy joined us as we rode over to Honeytown and south to Fredericksburg.  It was good to chat with Jeremy and hear how he and his family have been.  We rode into Fredericksburg and climbed Harrison to the west.  Jeremy headed north on Nonpariel as we continued across 83 and onto County Line Road.

Aaron heading downhill on Force Road.

The day was overcast but warm for the season, the thermometer in the back yard showed 41 when I left the house.  Road conditions were wet from melted snow and the roads were covered with cinders.  It felt great to be outside on the bike.

We rode down Force Rd. to connect up with Cemetery Rd. and here began our problems.  Apparently the pre-ride adjustments I made to my front derailleur were not so good.  In a 500 yard section of road I managed to drop my chain to the outside and then inside.  Wow, that's a new one.  Stopped in the road and with Ryan holding my bike up I managed to get the chain back on and start rolling again.

About five minutes later we were on Cemetary Rd. and Ryan announced his rear tire was going flat.  No big deal, we stopped along side the road and got to work on a tube swap out.  Ryan searched for a foreign object in the tire and found none.  With a new tube, this one full of air, on the rear wheel we started rolling again... again.

Flat tire change #1 for the day.

"I've got some bad news..." Ryan stated a few minutes later.  His rear tire was flat again.  We pulled into a gravel parking area along side the road near the Killbuck marsh.  Ryan flipped his bike over and we both looked down to see bubbles puttering out of a hole in his wet tire.  I reached down and picked a pointy cinder out of the hole.  Wheel off, tube changed, tube inflated, wheel back on.  We started rolling again... again... again.

The culprit!

With our spare tubes exhausted another flat tire would result in a call for vehicular pickup alongside the road.  We rode up the old 226 bypass and turned west on Willow.  Just before reaching the Kister Mill Ryan called out, "my front tire is flat!"  I reached for my cell phone.

KT was glad to hear we were only a few miles from home and she picked us up in the truck.  Ryan announced we had set a new record, it was the first time the two of us had ever required a pick up on the road to get back home.  Oh well, it had some comic relief to it. 

Ryan is now shopping for new tires.

It was not the cleanest day on the road.

Christmas!

 Daniel was up bright and early on Christmas morning.

 I made a little guitar for Daniel.  He was excited to find out

what I had been working on in the basement that denied him from coming down.

 Daniel and KT taking a gift to the neighbor on Christmas morning.

I also made a guitar for my nephew Sam.  He was

even more excited than Daniel to play his own guitar.

Playin' Dead

Not much "real" cycling to post about but I haven't been playing dead.  This month I signed up to use our corporate fitness room and have been riding the stationary bike, rowing, and doing core work at lunch.  It's made for a nice break in the middle of the day and helps me sleep better at night.  Hopefully it also translates into some fitness advances come spring.

One less road kill to swerve around in the spring.

Speaking of playing dead... this strategy did not work so will for the possum Rock found in the back yard last night.  After playing with the possum for a while Rocky went in for the kill as Katie, Daniel and I watched from the porch window.  Katie made me brush his teeth after letting him back in the house.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

We hiked out into the Christmas tree field and found

the perfect tree for our house.

I helped Daddy cut it down with a saw.

Mommy and I stood it up in the house

and decorated it!

Staying Warm on a Mountain Bike

The temperature was 30 and there was skim coat of snow on the ground as Ryan and I pulled our bikes from the truck and geared up.  Two other vehicles were parked in the Mohican MTB parking lot.  The bike rack on the back told us one vehicle belonged to a mountain biker but the second vehicle, a truck, may have been a hunter. 

Getting ready to roll out.

In the previous two weekend rides I had done at Mohican I never saw a hunter, but we donned neon colors just to be sure we were not mistaken for venison on the bone.  The extra layer couldn't hurt either, given the temperature.

Self timer pic from the truck's tailgate.

A good thing about riding at Mohican when it's cold is the first uphill mile activates your body heat right away.  Despite the snow dusting throughout the woods, the trail itself was clear other than leaves.  Snow must not stick as easily to the compressed trail, maybe the ground temp of the trail is higher?

 The trail was obvious amongst the snow.

As we rode out to mile 8 we passed about 4 to 5 hunters.  Some were sitting close enough to the trail that I could have thrown and hit them with a water bottle.  They were obviously in violation of the law prohibiting hunters from being within 500 yards of the trail.  At least these guys were facing away from the trail.  I wondered what they thought of us as we came crashing through the woods.

At the 8 mile mark, where bi-directional riding ends, we turned around.  It's a different trail in the opposite direction, culminating in a mostly downhill final mile.  There were some cold moments along the way but I think we stayed comfortable most of the ride.  Ryan made two evaluations of the ride: "Hey, we didn't get shot" and "it was invigorating."  I agree.

Back at the parking lot a few more vehicles had showed up and we had passed four riders on our way back to the start.  One of the vehicles caught our attention as it looked like a sweet setup for bike road trips.  Check out the extra locks on rear and side door.  I'd never seen these type of locks before but quickly found them on the web, it's a guarded hasp with a hockey puck lock:  http://www.lockitt.com/TrailerDoorLocks.htm

This vehicle says "ready for adventure".