Crazy Idea: Testing Again

 Last week I posted on the Velo Orange Eccentric Bottom Bracket and let you know I had decided on switching over to 1X 10 for the drive train. In this update I wanted to share my thoughts after the latest test ride of the newest set-up.

Going without a front derailleur seems like the "smart way to go" for many of you readers, I would guess. I do not prefer it, to be honest. I will admit to being pretty overly sensitive to certain elements of a bicycle's drive train, touch points, or other nuances many people do not even consider a "real thing".  I think many read my thoughts and probably think I am making things up. Well, that simply is not the case for me, at any rate. These things are real.

So, when my chain gets pretty angled going from a single drive ring to one of the lower gears on the cassette, I can feel this. Don't ask me how, but I can shift to a gear I feel is "good" and almost 100% of the time it is the straightest from the cassette to the drive ring possible. So, 1X set ups have never really been my preference as 2X or 3X allows you to keep your chain the straightest and most efficient.

This makes me wonder if I need a lower end range if I would not be better off going smaller on the drive ring. Bigger rear cogs create more extreme chain angles in the lower gears, so sacrificing high speed combinations for the lower end makes sense while allowing me to keep the rear cassette I have now on the bike. I'll have to examine some gear ratio comparisons before I decide, but this is where I am at with the drive train at the moment.

The bearing still needs to be upgraded on the non-drive side of the bottom bracket, although it spun well enough on this test ride. I still need a proper lower cup on the head set. And I still have not found my stash of six bolt rotors. I cannot mount a single speed cog on the front wheel until I settle on what is happening with the drive train. I'm getting closer to being done, but I'm not quite there yet. 

More soon. 

Re-Entry

 The clock doesn't stop and whether or not I was ready to do this, I was determined to do it. It may not seem like a big deal to many people, but I went back to work on Saturday for the first time since my son died a little over a week ago now.

So.....it isn't a thing I would know anything about. I was going at this blind to what may occur. I could only guess and maybe I would be alright, or maybe I wouldn't. You end up just pushing off from shore and hope the boat is sealed up tight.

My co-worker, Carl, is someone pretty special to me. He's been through a lot in life, and he deals with tough health issues and mental issues as well. He adored my son Jacob. Carl often reminded me at random times while we worked how special Jacob was and that I was a lucky dad. He wasn't wrong.

Well, the day Jacob died I was supposed to be at work. I had to call Carl because I didn't want him to find out later from someone else what had happened and why I did not come into work. I hated to have to make that call, and Carl's reaction, while not surprising to me, made me feel really bad. He was crushed. 

Actually, it was the first thing I felt that day besides shock. I was still very upset about it when I went back to work, and I felt I needed to apologize to Carl for how this made everything turn upside down for him. But he was gracious and he said he was glad I called and he wasn't upset about what I did. He confirmed my feeling when he told me he didn't want to hear the news second hand.

Work started, I kind of was numb to it all. I wasn't myself, but I didn't probably show it to many. My friend Tony was in and I knew he could see it. He's pretty sharp. But I sold two bicycles and we made progress on finishing up a couple of bikes for the floor. All in all, it wasn't bad. 

I made it.  I didn't sink.

A "Thank You"

 Instead of the "Weekly Top Five" post, which was obviously dominated by the posts concerning my son's death, I wanted to take out some time to express my gratitude. I think it is only right to do so. 

There have been so, so many people who have reached out, texted, and visited over this past week. When you think you are toiling away in a corner in this world and you find yourself thinking, "Probably no one is watching", this comes as a total surprise.  My family is overwhelmed and grateful for all of you who have expressed concern, or have even thought about us at all, since last weekend's tragedy.

While all this is extremely encouraging, helpful, and reminds us we are not alone, there is still a long way to go before we get out of this storm we're in here. The seas have calmed significantly, but there are still times when grief hits like a bolt of lightning. The rain comes in the form of tears. I suspect the ragged edges of this storm will be with us for quite some time.  

Still, we treasure each of you who either have contacted me directly here, via email, text, or on social media. We treasure all the hugs and kind words we received at Jacob's memorial service Friday. We are blown away by the support we received via a GoFundMe set up by one of my wife's associates. The support of our church family has been nothing short of a miracle working in an outpouring of love from our congregation. 

So, there is no way I could ever thank you all, or ever be able to express, our gratitude for even the smallest gesture. Please understand we here truly do appreciate it all and you. 

 I will simply just say "Thank You". 

Drop Bar MTB's To Take Over Leadville 100

From Dylan Johnson's Face Book post. 

 Drop bar mountain bikes seem set to be a big deal amongst the Pro level riders at the Leadville 100, set to occur next weekend. The trend toward using bicycles like this has been slowly gaining traction.  This year it has been said, by at least on top competitor in the event, that this trend is about to blow the top off preconceived notions about drop bar MTB's in races.

One of the most commonly referred to examples of drop bar MTB use in the past is John Tomac. He did use a drop bar fitted to a standard, for his day, mountain bike in the 1990 season while racing for the Yeti brand. John won the first event he used a drop bar Yeti for and continued to use a drop bar Yeti C-26 bike throughout the 1990 season. 

While it is widely known Tomac did this, it is not widely understood why he did  use the drop bar. A quote from him, found online, is illuminating and may kind of douse some of the reasoning people like to use when they refer to Tomac's use of a drop bar MTB. He said, " I ran the drop bars so that I could keep the same position as I had on my road bike." Tomac had spent the previous season racing for the 7-11 road team, and his form was developed on a drop bar road bike, so the reasoning was to keep his form on the road and transfer it over to MTB, which he felt was predicated on his position on the bike. 

It wasn't necessarily because he felt drop bars were an advantage over flat bars, and Tomac did eventually return to flat bars after his dalliance with drop bar MTB usage for the remainder of his storied career.

So, to my mind, Tomac is not a very good example for drop bar MTB usage. But drop bar MTB use today is on the rise and it isn't "fashion" or a way to preserve a road fitness/positioning. There is data out there showing the advantages. A Face Book post recently by Dylan Johnson claims this new data and a top placing last year by a racer using such a set up is pushing more top riders into seriously considering a drop bar MTB for the event.

Is this just a Leadville thing, or will we start seeing this appear at more events outside of the high-altitude, mountain event? What would this sort of thing do for gravel events where having "real suspension" performance prove to be an advantage? It is an interesting development, wherever this trend ends up going and worth keeping an eye on. 

A Eulogy For Jacob

 

Today, instead of your regular FN&V, I hope you will indulge me in this. I wanted to honor my son, who died in his sleep last Saturday, August 2nd, by sharing the eulogy I wrote for him. Thank you for your consideration and grace in this matter. 

Jacob Isaiah Stevenson

When Phyllis and I were pregnant with Jacob Isaiah Stevenson in late 2002 we were attending a conference at Heartland Vineyard Church. During worship, God impressed upon Phyllis that she should bow down and although she resisted this, eventually she obeyed and then heard in her spirit that the child inside of her was to be named Jacob. Phyllis had already settled on his name being Isaiah, but when this happened, she obeyed and made her choice, his middle name instead.

Jacob was born while I (Mark) was on RAGBRAI working as a mechanic for the riders. He wasn't supposed to be born until August, late in the first week.  But he came early, and I was called at around 5:00am in the morning when Phyllis told me "He is coming now, you need to get home!"

Ever since then Jacob seemingly always had to be early, or first. He wasn't a tiny baby for long, and he grew quickly. As a child he was temperamental. It was apparent to us early on Jacob had a fire inside of him. A passionate fire that was not easily quenched.

Alongside his sister, Izabel, they made quite the pair. Izzy with her quieter, more introspective nature versus Jacob's gregarious, outgoing, wild nature. Their bond grew as they grew, and many times we would stand back and smile as we saw them interact growing up. It was obvious that they loved each other, but - let me tell you - there were days of friction. But overall, they learned to love each other deeply. 

Jacob's first day of school of the 2013/2014 school year.

Jacob was - well....let's be honest here. He was somewhat of a terror at times. Caretakers at the church and throughout his schooling and daycare periods found out that Jacob wasn't suited to sitting still for very long. His make-up was not like many other kids. Jacob also wanted closeness, contact, and he hated being alone as a child. We learned early on that typical discipline measures didn't work as well with him as time alone did. You had to get his attention, and once he understood he couldn't interact with people unless he dialed things back, he was willing to change his course.

My cousin, Dave Houdek, shared this early remembrance of Jacob with me "...the first time I met Jacob. he was around 3 or 4 years old and you guys were at my parents’ house (for Thanksgiving) Jacob was running around the house like a wild man trying to tackle me,. Your Mom (Jacob's grandmother) looked at me with a big smile and said, "That's Jacob!". Yes....yes, that was Jacob in his early years! He was running around like he was on fire almost all the time. 

Jacob photobombing a family picture of friends of ours.

This characteristic of Jacob was due to his passion for people and relationships. We learned he loved deeply, and he hurt deeply when his peers did not respond to him in kind. Jacob did not have many friends growing up, and it wasn't until he started playing football in middle school that he started to connect with others his age. I think it is important to note here that without the Holy Spirit working in us as parents and within our church family that Jacob may not have grown into what he became. He had critical points during his elementary years where teachers, like Jamie Oberheu, made a big impact on Jacob's development. There were some very difficult times for Jacob in his elementary years and early in middle school. But by the grace of God, he was delivered through it all.

Being in the football program and his involvement in Heartland Vineyard's Youth Group made a huge impact upon Jacob. At a special service, around 2011, Heartland Vineyard had an evangelistic weightlifting crew come in to demonstrate feats of strength and share the Gospel. A call went out for those in the congregation to accept Christ as their savior. Jacob responded to the call. So, thanks to Jesus and the willingness of the church to provide that opportunity which assured Jacob a place in God's kingdom.

Youth group was a highlight of the week for Jacob. He was tabbed as the person to run the snack sales. Youth attending soon found out there were no freebies, no stealing, and if they tried, Jacob wasn't having any of it. This did not surprise Phyllis and I, as we had noted a strong sense of justice and fairness within Jacob at an early age. Jacob detested cheating, stealing, and any attempts at shirking your obligations. Josh Paxton, pastor at the time of Jacob's service in Youth Group, shared a story of Jacob concerning this trait of his.

Jacob apparently was made aware that Josh's son, Cooper Paxton had not paid for his snack. The youth were gathered in the sanctuary for worship and teaching when Jacob marched in, confronted Cooper and was about to drag him out to have him pay when Cooper’s mother, Stephanie Paxton explained to Jacob she had paid for Cooper’s snack in advance. Michael Reed, our current pastor, told us that the snack sales were never really under control until Jacob oversaw them.

This sense of justice and fairness only grew stronger with Jacob as he matured. It impacted a lot of people along the way. His head football coach at West High, Lonnie Moore had this to say about the impact Jacob had. 

Jacob graduated from high school in 2021

"Jacob was a special young man who made a lasting impact on our team and on me personally. He brought a strong work ethic, and a great attitude every time he stepped on the field. His presence will truly be missed, not just as a player, but as a part of our football family"

Jacob also made an impact on those he was involved in Chorus with at West High. During can drives and at practices, Jacob influenced many of his peers. We know this from the several messages we have received since Jacob's death. Jacob loved singing, and he continued to sing even after high school. We were "blessed" to hear his voice singing along to various favorite hard core, dub step, techno, Christian, and heavy metal songs he liked, along with other tunes by various artists. Jacob loved music and had a wide-ranging playlist on his phone. He often shared his favorites with us.

Jacob was a dedicated employee at his first job st the Isle Casino where he was a security guard. He moved on from there to Criterion Manufacturing after his graduation from Hawkeye Tech, where he earned his CNC machining/ tool and die certificate He was drawn to working in metal from a class at the Waterloo Career Center and decided to go to Hawkeye Tech based heavily upon the fact that Chad Smith, was an instructor at the program. Chad had a major influence on Jacob and was a big help in Jacob's success in school and in his work.

I know most of you who knew Jacob will remember him for his hugs. Big, crushing hugs, which at times felt like your atoms were being fused with his. He learned to dial this back for many of you, which is probably a good thing!

But can I tell you about a side of Jacob you may not have been aware of? While he turned out to be a big, imposing figure at 6' 3" and nearly 400lbs, he was never afraid to show his heart to those he loved. His passion for his family and friends was truly palpable.

But what I feel best exemplifies his heart, to me at any rate, was that Jacob was never afraid to reach out and hold my hand. In fact, he did this regularly, in casual situations and even in public. We took a walk around the graveyard near my home recently when he reached out and held my hand for several minutes. He never said a word when he did this, but we would meet eyes, and I knew we shared a deep love for each other.

He had that same heart for many of you. This is what we will miss the most about Jacob. However, I am proud of him. He came into adulthood as an exemplary human being, not because we were great parents, but by the grace of God. And in a typical Jacob way, he was first again. He made it into the loving arms of his Father first before us.

Quotes:

“The power of one man doesn’t amount to much. But, however little strength I’m capable of…. I’ll do everything humanly possible to protect the people I love, and in turn they’ll protect the ones they love. It seems like the least we tiny humans can do for each other” – Roy Mustang from “Full Metal Alchemist”


“On the final day I die, I want to hold my head up high.

I want to tell You that I tried

To live it like a song

And when I reach the other side,

I want to look You in the eye

And know that I’ve arrived

In a world where I belong” – Jon Foreman, Switchfoot


Proverbs 31: v8-9

Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, for the rights of all those who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Velo Orange Eccentric Bottom Bracket: Update

 Note: The Velo Orange Eccentric English Threaded Bottom Bracket for 24mm spindle cranks was purchased by Guitar Ted at retail. Velo Orange did not ask for this review and all opinions are Guitar Ted's.

In the introduction to this component, I revealed a couple of limitations to its use which have made me make a decision on my direction concerning the drive train for the Singular  Buzzard. (Crazy Idea)

The big thing here is I had set up the bike as a 2X, so there is a left shifter and a front derailleur. I had this dialed in perfectly, as in "chef's kiss" perfect, and I was loathe to remove it to go 1X. Making the change to 1X would simplify things 100% though, so.... I guess I was going to have to do this and scrap my plan for the 2X.

Of course, this would mean I would either have to convert the 2X crank to 1X, or find a 1X crank somewhere. Fortunately N.Y. Roll had given me an XTR 1X crank set a few years ago and despite some cosmetic blemishes, it was in fine working order. Using an Enduro bearing in the drive side, which I had found in my parts stash, made for a set up with no "top hat" shim on that side. I still have to decide what I want to do on the non-drive side. I suppose another Enduro bearing wouldn't be a bad idea there. 

I need to think about the gearing now that I have a single front ring. That ring, as you can see from the image here, is a 36T. I'm good with this as a front drive ring. My low gear in the cassette is currently a 34T. Yeah..... That's probably not quite enough.

So, I'm probably going to be looking for a wider ranged ten speed cassette, a new chain, and a decision on bearings on the bottom bracket. I'd like to have used the stock Velo Orange top hat shims and bearings but they just are not quite right.

I'll get something figured out with this entire set up sometime soon, but it may take me a bit, ya know, considering all I have been going through here. But now you know the plan and where I hope to end up.

Once I get all those bits on the bike and running I just need to find my stash of six bolt rotors and the front wheel can then be fitted with the proper rotor. The final part will be a single speed freewheel. If all goes well my "Crazy Idea" bike will be finished and I can demonstrate the single speed bail-out mode which the Velo Orange bottom bracket will be an integral part.

Programming Note: Tomorrow is my son's memorial service. Instead of running the usual FN&V I am going to post his eulogy which I wrote. So, that will be Friday's post and then we'll get back to regular blogging on Saturday. Thank you all for your kind comments and support during this difficult time. 

Country Views: A Search For Solace

Escape Route: Dead end of Falls Avenue.

 This week has been a tale of mountain-top highs and the deepest valleys. A whirlwind of emotions and things to take care of, including ourselves. (If you just clicked in here and you don't know the context of these statements, see HERE)

We had a slew of visitors which I and my family really did appreciate, but I was itching to ride a bicycle since I hadn't ridden at all for three days. Which, I know, doesn't sound like much, but combined with my current situation, I was in desperate need of some mind-cleansing and a chance to do some reflecting on the tragedy.

So, I cleared out some time on Tuesday afternoon to get on my bicycle and ride. I chose the single speed Honeman Flyer. I decided to head out North of town, despite the Southerly wind, and see the old church at the corner of Burton and Marquise Road. 

The first gravel I'd ridden on in quite a while. (For me, at any rate)

Looking up Mount Vernon Road to the West

It was a typical Summer day. Hot, not too humid, and breezy. I headed up out of town on Burton Road with the thought in the back of my head saying, "Be careful! The last thing we need is another tragedy or trouble!" I was extra nervous around cars. More than normal. Maybe it is a good fear, and a heightened awareness maybe was due. 

Local honey for sale here. Take a jar, leave your cash. 

I started rolling over what happened Saturday morning in my head, but I had to shut those thoughts down. It's very difficult to ride a bicycle with tears in your eyes, as it turns out. My thoughts have been to consider my time with my son as a blessing. Something I never thought would happen when I was younger, and an experience that was, for the most part, very enjoyable. Things could have gone very differently. I just need to look around me to see many examples of this, including my own relationship with my father. 

First rest stop.

My experience didn't last as long as many other father-son relationships have. But I'm okay with what I was blessed to have. I didn't deserve such a thing in the first place, and the way it turned out for Jacob, well, I thought it was a smashing success.

I mean, I considered what I was doing at 22 years of age, and what preceded those days for me. Whew! Yeah.... Let's just say I'm very fortunate to have lived through it. I shouldn't have, Jacob should have. Life isn't fair. You do what you can with what you have, and hopefully you maximize your potential, not squander it. Jacob did the former, I did the latter.

Things are not looking so great up at East Janesville Church these days. 

The road goes forever on and on down from the door where it began.... (JRR Tolkien)

I had a long bit of thought during this ride. I wondered aloud why some things Jacob did, which I felt were awesome, were making me cry. Why? Because I am selfish. I won't get to experience those things again. But shouldn't I be happy I did get to experience those things when I consider them in the future? Shouldn't those things make me happy, put a smile on my face, and bring me joy instead? 

Can it be both things at the same time? Mountain-top highs, and deepest valleys......

 

I turned East on Marquise Road, flew down the hill with the wind in my face. It was a beautiful day out. One of those you yearn to experience on a bicycle ride, if you are like I am. The crickets sang there creaky songs in the weeds and the wind masked everything else. Vehicles would appear, seemingly out of nowhere, from behind me. Lazy dust clouds flew off into the ditches in the breeze. Dappled Sunlight chased me on the road going North, but now was rushing past me.

 

It's a big rock, but it isn't my Rock. 

I felt alive. I was breathing the fresh air. Wildfire smoke was cleansed from the area. Blue skies appeared on this day where before they were a washed out white. I was riding well. Better than I had expected. But I carried a weight on my soul which was heavy. I felt an emptiness inside. A big hole is healing. It will take time. It may never close up. I don't know. 

You can look at my son's life in one manner where it can be said he was cut short. He never had the experiences an adult person maybe should be able to have in life. He never held a woman close. He will never get to have children, as I have. But he won't have to bear the burdens of this World. The sadness, The heartache. The nights of worrying about those you love. Disease. Sickness. You get the picture.

I'm not angry. I am sad, yes, but I am glad he is free. He is Home now. 

And that is good.