Powderhorn 24

This is the third time I've ridden the Powderhorn 24. I've enjoyed the ride each year, but this year was different because I participated in the bonus lap activities:

• Printed my own spoke card on a printing press mounted on a bicycle on top of the Sabo Bridge
• Made a talisman for myself
• Rode a back-and-forth maze and ate taffy at 2 AM
• Decorated my bike and helmet with glo-sticks
• And others

The bonus lap stops in the middle of the night were trippy.

Another New Bike -- But this one really is New!

I took my broken Fisher frame to the bike shop where I purchased it in 2007. They took photos of the crack and filed a warranty claim with Trek. Trek responded with a generous credit toward a new bike. None of the old components were compatible with anything they now sell.

So I looked through the Trek catalog and found their Stache line which feature 29+ tires. I've wanted a Krampus since I first saw one, so this seemed like a good choice. I have a dual-suspension 29er, a fat bike, a single-speed 29er, and a drop-bar, 8-speed 29er. So I didn't need any of those and the Stache line turns me on. 

I test rode one at the dealer and really liked it. I figured they'd have to order it for me, but they let me have one from stock. I took a bike home that day.

It really rides well and I enjoy the light weight -- 24.5 lbs.  The best part is the front end geometry. It handles better than any of my other bikes. I cut corners faster than ever and the plus tires keep traction when I expect them to slide out. I've lost traction three times on the front end and instead of meeting the dirt, I saved it. This bike has allowed me to be a better bike handler. I don't miss the suspension parts either.

I will sell a couple of my older off-road bikes and rely on this as my main ride. 

It has a more relaxed headtube angle than I'm used to. It has a 70mm stem -- very short. It has very wide bars too. I think it would be valuable to apply these items to my fat bike and see if it handles any better. I don't really like it's handling, but I'm stuck with it in the winter.

New Bike for Rob

My Gary Fisher Sugar broke last fall near the end of riding season. I stripped the parts and found a used replacement frame pretty quickly. Surprisingly, all the parts fit the replacement frame, a Salsa Big Mama. I rode it once or twice before fat-bike season arrived.

I bought the Sugar in 2007 and Trek has a lifetime warranty. Trek owns the Fisher name, in case you didn't know. The replacement frame looks a little small doesn't it? It rides enough like the Fisher, that I am happy with it.

Got My Stolen Bike Back

My Redline Monocog 29er was stolen from my garage one Sunday afternoon in fall of 2007.

A couple months ago, a guy messaged me through the local mountain bike site. He asked if I such a bike stolen, because he had it.

After a couple back and forth messages, he called me and we arranged for him to bring the bike to me. He explained that he bought it for $100 recently from a guy who had it in his garage for years.

He delivered the bike and I gave him $100 for his trouble. The bike was unused and rode like the day it was stolen.

I installed dirt drops on it with a Jtek shifter for the 8-speed IGH I had installed right before the theft. It rode well and I really like it.

The NASA Million Dollar Pen Story is a Myth or Another Example of Everything You Know is Wrong

I've had the story of the $1,000,000 NASA pen bouncing around in my head for many years. Now, I find out it is not true. I'm disappointed and realize my knowledge is built on other myths.

http://kottke.org/13/10/the-myth-of-nasas-expensive-space-pens

This article is based on a story in Scientific American and Snopes has also debunked the NASA pen story.

My Knards are Mounted!

Mounting my new Knards was not easy! One of them was a little loose and I had to seat it twice.

I used my crappy air compressor (garage sale for $25). Airing up fat-bike tires three or four times would have killed me if I had to do it with my skinny little floor pump.

I aired them up to a little less than 30 psi (the max printed on the sidewall) and I rode them around the neighborhood. They felt fast, but new equipment almost always feels that way. I stood up and sprinted -- well I consider it a sprint.

I'm really looking forward to riding them off road, especially Elm Creek. I need a do-over on that trail.

Pugsley Looses a Tire

I've been riding the Pugsley as my main off-road bike lately.

Since riding it in the snow, I have looked forward to riding it on familiar dirt trails this summer.

In the meantime, I picked up a single-speed 29er and have also been riding it. This third (fourth) off-road bike gives me the flexibility to outfit my family with bikes. J rides the Fisher 29er. C rides the Pugsley, and I ride the single speed.

The Fisher started making terrible noises so I put it aside and jumped on the Pugsley for the Saturday ride with friends. It went so well, I stayed with it. The first ride wasn't great -- I felt slower than the other guys and the Pugs handled like a pig.

I increased the tire pressure, installed a longer stem, and lowered the stem by switching spacers. The Pugs now handles great. I'm so pleased that when riding it, I imagine ignoring the other off-road bikes in my garage.

Last Sunday, I went to Elm Creek trail to ride. I got in a few miles of fun before I heard a scraping sound in the rear. I figured it was a stick, but it my tire had popped off the rim. I couldn't get the bead to seat again -- it was as if the wire bead was damaged. I walked out to the parking lot and drove home.

Coincidentally, I had ordered a pair of Surly Knards the Friday before. I expect on Tuesday. I'll install them and give it a try.

Display Windows 7 Computer Properties: Windows key + Pause/Break key

To display the Windows 7 Computer Properties, press the Windows key + Pause/Break key.

This provides a reason for those keys on top of the keyboard to exist.

This post provides a reason for this blog to exist.

Book Review: "The Wonderful Ride"

I finished reading "The Wonderful Ride." Kent Peterson reviewed it here: http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/media/books/The-10-Best-Books-on-Bicycles-10-The-Wonderful-Ride.html for Outside magazine. His review is a good description so I won't rehash it. Instead, I'll add a couple notes.

Bicyclists had a tough time in 1895 when Mr. Loher rode across the U.S. There were very few roads and most of them were poorly maintained dirt. Reading this book reminded me over and over again, that today's cyclists have it easy. Well, except for the existence of automobiles. Next time you complain about a bumpy road, remember that it's much better than riding on railroad tracks.

In chapter 8, Mr. Loher describes riding through Minnesota and the people he encounters there.

"It is useless for anyone to go to Europe on a wheeling tour when he has the same opportunity to wheel through it in America. I had gone through a little Germany in North Dakota, and now I was traveling through Norway and Sweden. I would ask ten- and twelve-year old, white-headed, American-born children questions in regard to the roads and distances from town to town, only to be stared at in a frightened manner, as they could not speak a word of English. What an unacceptable state of affairs in our glorious republic. Our free schools have thrown open wide their doors for education of our childern, only to see them grow up unable to speak our understand the English language."

This is a near identical rant I heard the other day, after our presidential election, from a guy who works in the same building I do, but he was complaining about Somalis.

Bigotry and a lack of knowledge of how immigrants fit into their new homes is not new.

Book review: Joy Ride

I recently completed reading "Joy Ride" by Mia Birk. Mia served as the Portland Bicycle Coordinator in the past and this book tells lots of short stories about what she encountered as she worked to add bicycling infrastructure in Portland and later as a consultant.

The book is definitely worth reading if you have an interest in bicycling infrastructure like bike lanes, bike trails, bike boxes, etc.

The most striking thing I can say about the book is that it caused me to be mindful and thankful of the hard work that's been put for me and other cyclists by people like Mia Birk. They've worked their butts off to make cycling more accessible and safer. Thanks.

I can loan you the book if you are one of those two readers who lives nearby. If you are the third reader who lives out of town, too bad. I'm not mailing it to you.

Welcome Spammers!

I just turned off the captcha quiz. I also turned off moderation of comments when the post is less than 14 days old.

Welcome back spammers.

Dirty Riding

I was really looking forward to a Saturday off-road ride, but I got started late and the rain began to fall. I don't ride single-track trails when it's raining to prevent trail damage.

The disappointment turned into an idea. Could I ride the MN river bottoms? Those trails east of a certain point (Indian Mound school, if you care) are partially limestone packed and double track. Those types of surfaces are not damaged by wet riding.

I gave it a try and a couple hours later was happy that I didn't cancel the ride. Most of the muck on the bike is sand and leaves sticking to the water.

This bike is great on that type of trail. However, on Sunday I rode at Murphy Hanrehan and this bike kicked my butt. The Murphy trails are rooty and rocky. The little tires on this bike make that a rough ride. There is an ideal bike for every condition and rider. Someone with better skills than me could fly at Murphy while riding a cyclo-cross bike. But I'm slow, fat, and a poor bike handler. This means a dual-suspension 29er is best for me because it provides forgiveness for my mistakes, of which there are many.

Problem Solvers Products

I read the Problem Solvers blog and usually discover the cure for a problem that my bikes don't have. I wish I had more bike problems just so I could use some of their products. They show lots of smart solutions in their blog that are not their products, so their blog is not just a shill site.

One item I wish I had known about is the front brake cable hanger Problem Solvers sells. I bought the Paul Components version and it's really nice, as all most all Paul Components are, but I bet the Problem Solver version is much cheaper.

I have fun browsing both the Paul and Problem Solvers websites for little gadgets that make things work better.
For example, behold this headset spacer/locknut combo gizmo:

'73 Raleigh Super Course Completed

Note to GrimmTim: Yes, if the guy who moderates this blog would perform his moderation duties in a timely manner, this would be more fun.

Anyway, this is the Raleigh Super Course with all the modifications I felt it needed:
1. Narrow saddle (some kinda Brooks knock off)
2. Drop bars (Nitto deep drops)
3. French brake levers (Mafac)
4. New cables
5. Non-plastic shift levers (Suntour ratcheting)
6. Non-plastic rear derailleur (Huret)
7. Double-sided pedals (MKS)
8. Foofy saddle bag (Frost River)
9. New tires (Michelin World Tour)
10. Fenders (White Somas that look like Blumels)

It rides really nicely and I enjoy it. It seems like the right bike to ride around in the fall.

I forgot to mention that this is my third brown bike in three years. Does that count as a poop reference?

Blogging Used to be Fun

I just reread this post and the comments: http://3speedblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/nearly-instant-laxative.html

It has the second highest hit count of all my posts.

Blogging used to be fun. Maybe I need to throw in a few scatological references and that'll make blogging fun again.

Bike Lane on Park Avenue, Minneapolis

Minneapolis recently resurfaced Portland and Park Avenues. The city took the opportunity to re-stripe the bike lanes on these streets. I rode Park Avenue the other day and took a video to show the nice improvements.

Notice the "buffer zones" next to the bike lane.

Foggy with a chance of Snot

I had a cold or something like that all week and I didn't feel like riding or much else. This morning I felt much better and rode to work. From one vantage point over the Minnesota River Valley, I could see a fog bank that I would later encounter while crossing the bridge in the distance.

Here's what the fog bank looked like up close. It was a wall on my left and I couldn't see through it until I climbed the hill on the far side of the bridge. I cleared lots of mucus during the ride and that's what it's really all about, right?

Cold

I've got a cold and don't feel like riding my bike to work or anywhere. It's too bad because we're having some fabulous weather and it won't last long.

As any Minnesotan will tell you, winter will be here soon. That thinking provides us with the excuse to ditch work early and have fun outdoors. It's funny to hear people use this excuse to leave the office early each day, all week long -- that's fine with me.

For me, my favorite outdoor activity is riding my bike in the crunchy leaves on dirt trails. Although riding the road is great too.

My cold will undoubtedly pass soon and I'll be turning the pedals again.

Cross Check Serial Number

M9040386 

2010 Surly Cross Check

Plastic Simplex Shift Levers are Still Bad After all these Years

Just because a bike part has lasted for 39 years doesn't mean it works right. This shift lever is rubbery and slips under pressure. I found this out many years ago replacing broken ones just like it in bike shops.

I discovered it again this morning while climbing the hill in front of historic Ft. Snelling. For you out-of-towners, I say "historic" because there are two parts of Ft. Snelling: the state park and the old historic fort. They both have noticeable hills.

While climbing the hill, I had to reach down every few pedal strokes and pull the lever back into place to prevent it from upshifting and stopping me. At the top of the hill, I pulled out the adjustable wrench and tightened the fixing bolt. Now I have to apply more force to the lever when shifting. This will eventually cause the rubbery lever to break. Maybe I should replace it before this happens and keep the shift lever as a museum piece (in a parts box in the basement).