Like A Yo-Yo

Say goodbye to good fat biking snow.....for now.

 The last several days have been a bit of a roller coaster from the weather perspective. We were up near freezing, then way below zero, then back up near freezing again. Now we're supposed to have two days straight of 'snow-melting' weather and I think that will about do in the fat biking snow we've had. 

Really, we've had about two shovel-able snows this season, and that's it. The last one was the big one. An eight-incher. But that was back in mid-January and since then we've only had a dusting or three of powdery snow that didn't amount to much. Meanwhile, snow evaporates, gets wind driven, and melts, to the point that our original eight inches is maybe four now in reality. 

This Sun, wind, and higher temperatures are going to zap that leftover, dried up, broken down snow in a big hurry. I suspect that unless we get another good four to five inches of snow before mid-March, well fat biking season could be over early this year. 

That just means that gravel riding is right around the corner now. And my knees are getting tuned up, and that moving gig is over, so I suspect I'll be ready to go when the weather allows it. That means I need to tune-up the fleet here. Get things dialed in, and replace a few parts. I already have a couple things in to review, so I am itching to get going now. 

The Raleigh Tamland Two with something old, something 'borrowed', and something blue.

I have a few things in process, but one of the more interesting - well, to me anyway - things is this Raleigh Tamland Two set up. I have a specific part on here that is getting a review and test, which required that I find an old accessory item I had to use in conjunction with this test. You've probably already guessed it. That old handle bar bag. There is a bit of a story there......

In my stories I wrote for "The Touring Series", I have a story on the "Race Against Death" tour. During that self-supported tour I used a - at that time - new handle bar bag. It was a Cycle Pro bar bag. I really liked that bag for its functionality. I had all sorts of stuff in it and my map case, (remember navigating by paper maps?), snapped to the top of it. It was really a great system. This bag had those 'guy wires' to the front drop-out eyelets and a big, bent metal 'hangar' piece that suspended the bag from an old forged, quill style stem. 

I further accessorized this bag with some 'temple bells' I purchased at a local 'head shop' and draped those over the front of the bag. This was really supposed to be a necklace, and it is all Sterling Silver, by the way. First class here! Anyway, these things tinkle and jingle as you ride down the road. It drove my touring mates nuts back in '95! 

Anyway, I dug that old Cycle Pro bag out and stuck it on there using my review/test product I have there as a base, and strapped it on using some Velcro strips and an old toe strap. It's rock solid! I'll probably be heard for a mile away when I get this out soon!

But I had to do some tuning up on the old Raleigh. New derailleur cables, housings, and a wheel swap was done. The old aluminum Irwin wheels broke a spoke on the rear, so I decided this old Raleigh deserved the carbon Irwin wheels I have, and I swapped those over. However; I have to source a different, lower profile rotor lock ring to clear the carbon fork. Ahh......!! It's always something! So, when that part, and a new chain, come in, I'll have this rig out and about. 

I'm sure the weather will yo-yo a few times before it settles down. I'll have to probably ride another of my bikes when we get this spate of warmer weather here, because I am sure it won't last all that long. The Raleigh will have to wait for a bit, but I'll be looking forward to the old 'jingle-jangle' sound of this old handle bar bag again after so many years.