Country Views: Thinkering

Escape Route: Exchange Park

Monday. A new month. Another Country Views ride. This time I was doing a couple things. One- I was testing functions on the Karoo 2 computer. More on that in another post. Two: I was "thinkering". 

Yes- thinkering. It isn't a term I came up with. I first read this from the legendary endurance racer Mike Curiak on the mtbr.com endurance forum way back in the early 00's. I'm not sure where he came up with the term, but upon reading it in context of what he was laying down at that time, it made a lot of sense to my mind. I've adopted the term ever since. (So- Thanks Mike! I guess...)

What is thinkering? Well, I think it is trying out new ideas in mechanical form, testing them, tweaking the idea, testing it, and on and on. It probably was meant to describe the mental/physical tandem you experience while testing out ideas on the bike. You are riding, but feeling, and thinking, and planning, and then you go back and tweak, and tinker, and on and on. See? I think "thinkering" is just a compact, neat little term to describe a lot of complex ideas and physical actions which are all tied together. Somehow.... Anyway....

Headed North into the wind

 

Obviously the County had not maintained the roads North of Waterloo like they had in the South of the County!

I was thinking about the bike I was riding, the "Gravel Bus", my Twin Six Standard Rando v2 single speed bike, and what to do with a couple of things which I was wrestling with. The Limited Edition GRX Silver group which requires that certain standards exist to make it usable. I was thinking about that Singular Cycles Gryphon, now not due to arrive until the end of this year, first part of next year. I was also thinking about the possible purchase of a Mason Exposure frame and fork to put the GRX stuff on.
 

An old tractor with a wind row rake sits in a field of cut grass.

It was idyllic out Monday and I enjoyed my ride.

I've been inquiring about the Mason. While it would be a lot of fun to have tried that bike out, I just had to nix that idea for a couple of reasons. First, it is expensive. Second- I need to cut down on the number of bicycles in the house, not add numbers to my inventory. 

So, regrettably I am letting that idea go. But, I came up with what I think will end up becoming a much better plan for me overall. I not only figured out what to do while riding, or thinkering, I figured out how to make it so I only have to spend a minimal amount to use up the GRX stuff and build the Singular. 

The "corn-u-flaged" Twin Six Standard Rando v2

Some of our Waterloo alleyways resemble Level B Maintenance roads.

Yep, I figured out that I just have to get over myself and put the GRX silver stuff on my Standard Rando v2, despite the bike being yellow. It should fit the 140mm rear rotor and everything else should slot right in. I got full cable guides when I bought the frame and fork in the Summer of 2020 so that was fortuitous in the end. 

By doing this, I will displace the mostly silver TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes which are the flat mount type I need for the Singular. I will have to remove the recently built wheel with the Paul single speed hub, but.... Now I can relace that with a different rim. And I have the perfect candidate. I already own polished silver Velocity Dually's. I would likely need a front hub, might have one, and I'd have to build a set of wheels. 

That solves the conundrum with brakes and the drive train for the Singular, since I'd be going single speed. That solves the issue with the GRX since it would go on the Gravel Bus. I have a wheel set for the GRX set-up too, so that is no problem. 

That may have been the last ride on a single speed platform for this bike.

 Negatives? I would need new spokes and nipples for a wheel set to build the Singular wheels. I might need a new front hub. I would need a new bottom bracket for the Gravel Buss. I might need something like bar tape or small bits like cables, or what have you. (There is always something!) But obviously, whatever I need to build a wheel set and whatever bits and bobs become necessary to complete two bikes, it would be far less than the 2G+ a Mason Exposure would cost me and then I have added a bike to the stable. The Gryphon is already an addition, (but really a one-for-one, since I am tearing down another bike to build the Gryphon with) 

And I have a house clearing plan in store for unused bikes which is going to happen soon as well. 

Stay tuned. More "thinkering" to come.........