Fire Testing

Back in late July I had made plans for an overnight gravel grind with my Black Mountain Cycles MCD and this rack I am testing for RidingGravel.com. I had everything ready to go. I had one week that would work for this trip. I had two opportunities that week to make a go of it, and wouldn't you know? Both times got taken out by unexpected responsibilities that took precedence over going on some gravel journey. 

That's life sometimes. Since then, my schedule has been so broken up into small bits of free time that I haven't been able to piece together a slot where an overnight trip would work out. And now it's October and time is running out for 2022.

So, I figured that since things didn't look to be changing with regard to my schedule anytime soon, nor did my responsibilities seem to be clearing up, I have to regroup and see what is actually possible. That would be an out-and-back "coffee in the woods" type of ride where I use this rack to haul out a picnic and stuff to make coffee. 

Okay, but that meant that I needed to test my penny stove out. So, I got my camp kit out, some alternative fuels, and decided to have a go at this in the back yard. The results were 'spectacular'.

Mt stove and camp cooking kit fits in this Ti cup.

The contents. That orange bag contains a Ti windshield and the stand is obscured by the bag there.

I cannot remember when or where I got this all titanium cook kit from, but it is branded "Toaks" and it seems to be pretty sweet for a minimalist kit. I only had to add my handmade from a beer can "penny stove", fuel, and fire source. 

The cup has fold-out handles and the spork is a folder too. It's all super-light in weight and obviously pretty durable. Now the system is supposed to work with thiose fire-brick doodads that you can get to use with some stoves, but I decided to use the more commonly sourced white gas fuel based stove idea which can run on various fuel sources. You may have heard about the "penny stove" idea, it is a cheap way to go and works a trick. Plus, the beer can stove I made weighs next to nothing. Actually, it might be a Coca Cola can.....whatever. It works. 

So, here's a look at the stove set up in action, and admittedly, its a bit of a kludge with that Titanium stand meant for a brick of fuel. The stand folds up nicely though, and since I have it, I'm trying to make it work. More on the whole stove/stand thing in a minute. 

First I wanted to share what I had going on for fuel here. This may sound a bit nuts, but I thought, "Why not try it?", and I went for it anyway. Here's my thought process: The pandemic made it so that hand sanitizer is everywhere, and now that we really don't use the stuff again, I've noted several places that have it sitting around their entry ways, on counters, or even for free in small sample sized containers. The stuff obviously is loaded with alcohol, so...... Hmmmm... 

I poured a bunch I had into the stove and lit it. The flame was weak and what's even more alarming, the flame was invisible. Duh! Alcohol burns that way, right? The hand sanitizer was off-gassing alcohol and that was all that was burning. Hmm.... No good!

Note: Ti windshield goes on first- THEN light the fire!

It was at about this point that I was becoming somewhat concerned for safety!

Well, I didn't have any white gas, but I did have a ton of charcoal starting fluid, so.... I put some in the penny stove, lit that sucker up, and boom! We had fire alright. Too much fire! I threw the windshield around the stove as best I could, and that concentrated the heat better. But that sanitizer stuff mixed with lighter fluid? 

Rocket fuel! 

I had a blaze going in a rage for at least five minutes. It was a bit surprising and I was concerned that things were getting out of hand for a bit there, but eventually it calmed down. 

I did get the water boiling alright!

So, success, but a measured success. I have to make a couple mods which I think might be conducive to a better, safer experience. One- That windshield needs to go on before I light the fire. I can get that thing on there so it will leave barely any space between the base and the cup on the stand. 

Secondly, I can shorten up my penny stove a bit, which would bring the cup down into the windshield more. Also- I've tried using the stand upside down, but my penny stove is jussssst too big to fit between the legs of the stand. But that would be a good set up if it worked. 

And, of course, I'll get some proper white gas for the next time! Otherwise even with this bodged set up I could have made coffee, if I didn't burn down the forest first! The water did actually boil, so there ya go! 

Anyway, there is my pyrotechnical side on display! I'll hopefully have used this set up soon and I will report again on how it all went. Stay tuned....

Fire Testing

Back in late July I had made plans for an overnight gravel grind with my Black Mountain Cycles MCD and this rack I am testing for RidingGravel.com. I had everything ready to go. I had one week that would work for this trip. I had two opportunities that week to make a go of it, and wouldn't you know? Both times got taken out by unexpected responsibilities that took precedence over going on some gravel journey. 

That's life sometimes. Since then, my schedule has been so broken up into small bits of free time that I haven't been able to piece together a slot where an overnight trip would work out. And now it's October and time is running out for 2022.

So, I figured that since things didn't look to be changing with regard to my schedule anytime soon, nor did my responsibilities seem to be clearing up, I have to regroup and see what is actually possible. That would be an out-and-back "coffee in the woods" type of ride where I use this rack to haul out a picnic and stuff to make coffee. 

Okay, but that meant that I needed to test my penny stove out. So, I got my camp kit out, some alternative fuels, and decided to have a go at this in the back yard. The results were 'spectacular'.

Mt stove and camp cooking kit fits in this Ti cup.

The contents. That orange bag contains a Ti windshield and the stand is obscured by the bag there.

I cannot remember when or where I got this all titanium cook kit from, but it is branded "Toaks" and it seems to be pretty sweet for a minimalist kit. I only had to add my handmade from a beer can "penny stove", fuel, and fire source. 

The cup has fold-out handles and the spork is a folder too. It's all super-light in weight and obviously pretty durable. Now the system is supposed to work with thiose fire-brick doodads that you can get to use with some stoves, but I decided to use the more commonly sourced white gas fuel based stove idea which can run on various fuel sources. You may have heard about the "penny stove" idea, it is a cheap way to go and works a trick. Plus, the beer can stove I made weighs next to nothing. Actually, it might be a Coca Cola can.....whatever. It works. 

So, here's a look at the stove set up in action, and admittedly, its a bit of a kludge with that Titanium stand meant for a brick of fuel. The stand folds up nicely though, and since I have it, I'm trying to make it work. More on the whole stove/stand thing in a minute. 

First I wanted to share what I had going on for fuel here. This may sound a bit nuts, but I thought, "Why not try it?", and I went for it anyway. Here's my thought process: The pandemic made it so that hand sanitizer is everywhere, and now that we really don't use the stuff again, I've noted several places that have it sitting around their entry ways, on counters, or even for free in small sample sized containers. The stuff obviously is loaded with alcohol, so...... Hmmmm... 

I poured a bunch I had into the stove and lit it. The flame was weak and what's even more alarming, the flame was invisible. Duh! Alcohol burns that way, right? The hand sanitizer was off-gassing alcohol and that was all that was burning. Hmm.... No good!

Note: Ti windshield goes on first- THEN light the fire!

It was at about this point that I was becoming somewhat concerned for safety!

Well, I didn't have any white gas, but I did have a ton of charcoal starting fluid, so.... I put some in the penny stove, lit that sucker up, and boom! We had fire alright. Too much fire! I threw the windshield around the stove as best I could, and that concentrated the heat better. But that sanitizer stuff mixed with lighter fluid? 

Rocket fuel! 

I had a blaze going in a rage for at least five minutes. It was a bit surprising and I was concerned that things were getting out of hand for a bit there, but eventually it calmed down. 

I did get the water boiling alright!

So, success, but a measured success. I have to make a couple mods which I think might be conducive to a better, safer experience. One- That windshield needs to go on before I light the fire. I can get that thing on there so it will leave barely any space between the base and the cup on the stand. 

Secondly, I can shorten up my penny stove a bit, which would bring the cup down into the windshield more. Also- I've tried using the stand upside down, but my penny stove is jussssst too big to fit between the legs of the stand. But that would be a good set up if it worked. 

And, of course, I'll get some proper white gas for the next time! Otherwise even with this bodged set up I could have made coffee, if I didn't burn down the forest first! The water did actually boil, so there ya go! 

Anyway, there is my pyrotechnical side on display! I'll hopefully have used this set up soon and I will report again on how it all went. Stay tuned....

The Closure Tour: Experimental Phase 3

The set-up was tested on gravel on Monday.

 I've gone through a complete tear-down/unpacking of my bags and re-packing them and remounting them on the bike. That part went pretty smoothly, but I still need to get a few items and place them in the bags properly. It is a close-to-a-full-load as I can get now. 

That is important since I wanted to ascertain how this all was going to ride like. Loaded bikes are a different animal to ride. If you've ever given a ride to another person, or carried something heavy on your bicycle, you already know that it radically changes how a bicycle handles. 

Testing my set-up then was a critical step to undertake before I blast off on this mini-tour. Especially so since gravel can vary so much. And while I have toured, I've never done it on gravel roads. So, I wanted to gain some experience before the tour date. 

I added a full water bottle to mimic some food weight I don't have on there, but this was pretty close to max load. I also wore some clothing I think I will use, which is important for other reasons I'll get to later on. I was a bit disappointed that the weather was so moderate Monday. I was hoping it would be hot and humid because the advance forecast for my dates for the ride are looking to be hot and humid.

There was a good mix of deeper, fresh gravel, like this shown here, and smoother gravel.

I was pleased to find out that I could adapt yet to a very different feeling bike rather quickly. After about two miles I was settled in and riding smoothly. There were some pretty rough areas that had some fresh gravel dumped on them. That made for an interesting riding experience. I think that the 700 X 40 Ritchey Speedmax tires are a bit overwhelmed in the chunk, but not unrideable. I may swap out to a bigger tire before I leave, but on pavement and smoother gravel this tire is okay. 

It's the load that makes the tire act a bit skittish in the rougher stuff. Otherwise I wouldn't mind these tires at all. So, I may or I may not swap. It's going to have to be done soon, though, if I decide I am switching. I don't have a lot of time to waffle around with this. 

Other than that, the load stayed put, which was great to see. I stopped once to see how tight the toe straps were staying and I did not see anything untoward. So, I figure I'll be fine there. 

The ride was a short one, but I liked that I found some varied conditions. Loose, deep gravel, smoother gravel, and pavement helped me decide that I was on track here for a successful attempt at this tour. 

So, now all I really need to do to be ready, barring changing tires, are little details. I have to get some food to add to what I have. I need to decide on exactly what clothing to pack. I need that lighter, or matches. I need proper stove fuel yet. Logistically I need to get my cues written and find the sleeve I want to use to keep them safe. I need to finalize the exact time of departure, although as of now I have targeted the first two weeks of August to try to get this in, weather depending. 

The Redwing Blackbirds are fixing to leave. So, at least they won't be a bother!

It will be an interesting trip on gravel. I have not ridden many of the areas I am going to, although I have been on many roads around the loop I am taking in cars and trucks and on tractors. Climbing shouldn't be an issue, but winds might be. Anyway, it will be good. 

The Redwing Blackbirds are gathering now to leave, so that's a bonus. I won't have to do battle with them for a while now. I noticed many corn fields have not only tasseled out, but have grown ears and silked out as well! That was surprising. It will be good to see how things look North of here. 

Stay tuned....

The Closure Tour: Experimental Phase 3

The set-up was tested on gravel on Monday.

 I've gone through a complete tear-down/unpacking of my bags and re-packing them and remounting them on the bike. That part went pretty smoothly, but I still need to get a few items and place them in the bags properly. It is a close-to-a-full-load as I can get now. 

That is important since I wanted to ascertain how this all was going to ride like. Loaded bikes are a different animal to ride. If you've ever given a ride to another person, or carried something heavy on your bicycle, you already know that it radically changes how a bicycle handles. 

Testing my set-up then was a critical step to undertake before I blast off on this mini-tour. Especially so since gravel can vary so much. And while I have toured, I've never done it on gravel roads. So, I wanted to gain some experience before the tour date. 

I added a full water bottle to mimic some food weight I don't have on there, but this was pretty close to max load. I also wore some clothing I think I will use, which is important for other reasons I'll get to later on. I was a bit disappointed that the weather was so moderate Monday. I was hoping it would be hot and humid because the advance forecast for my dates for the ride are looking to be hot and humid.

There was a good mix of deeper, fresh gravel, like this shown here, and smoother gravel.

I was pleased to find out that I could adapt yet to a very different feeling bike rather quickly. After about two miles I was settled in and riding smoothly. There were some pretty rough areas that had some fresh gravel dumped on them. That made for an interesting riding experience. I think that the 700 X 40 Ritchey Speedmax tires are a bit overwhelmed in the chunk, but not unrideable. I may swap out to a bigger tire before I leave, but on pavement and smoother gravel this tire is okay. 

It's the load that makes the tire act a bit skittish in the rougher stuff. Otherwise I wouldn't mind these tires at all. So, I may or I may not swap. It's going to have to be done soon, though, if I decide I am switching. I don't have a lot of time to waffle around with this. 

Other than that, the load stayed put, which was great to see. I stopped once to see how tight the toe straps were staying and I did not see anything untoward. So, I figure I'll be fine there. 

The ride was a short one, but I liked that I found some varied conditions. Loose, deep gravel, smoother gravel, and pavement helped me decide that I was on track here for a successful attempt at this tour. 

So, now all I really need to do to be ready, barring changing tires, are little details. I have to get some food to add to what I have. I need to decide on exactly what clothing to pack. I need that lighter, or matches. I need proper stove fuel yet. Logistically I need to get my cues written and find the sleeve I want to use to keep them safe. I need to finalize the exact time of departure, although as of now I have targeted the first two weeks of August to try to get this in, weather depending. 

The Redwing Blackbirds are fixing to leave. So, at least they won't be a bother!

It will be an interesting trip on gravel. I have not ridden many of the areas I am going to, although I have been on many roads around the loop I am taking in cars and trucks and on tractors. Climbing shouldn't be an issue, but winds might be. Anyway, it will be good. 

The Redwing Blackbirds are gathering now to leave, so that's a bonus. I won't have to do battle with them for a while now. I noticed many corn fields have not only tasseled out, but have grown ears and silked out as well! That was surprising. It will be good to see how things look North of here. 

Stay tuned....

Unintentional Testing

From the dank, dark confines of G-Ted HQ.

 Sometimes I discover things by accident. Probably the most easily remembered time where that occurred for me was when I figured out that on tubed tires I could pump them up and when they felt 'right' days later I would make note of that pressure that they had leaked down to and then set them up that way every time. The first time that happened was completely by accident. "Unintentional Testing", is what I call it. 

Well, another instance of that just occurred here recently. It has to do with the Raleigh Tamland Two. Now generally I don't ride the Tamland a whole lot anymore because I have moved on to other 'test mules' for RidingGravel.com. So the bike often sits for weeks and sometimes a month or two before I get back to it for some reason or another.

I cannot remember when I put the Ti Regulator post on the bike, but it's been a long time now and then that Silverado saddle has been on there a while as well. Anyway, you all probably know that I grabbed this bike to do the Tubolito review. Well, just the other day when I went for a ride I thought, "Hey! I forgot how well this bike fit me." I was feeling really comfortable on it. Well, I rode it to work and after my shift was over I sat the bike against the bike repair stand for a minute while I pulled on my helmet and got ready to go home. And I glanced at that Silverado and I noticed it then.

The saddle was slid all the way back on the rails in the saddle clamp. 

Now as a mechanic for many years this generally means one thing- that clamp on the seat post is loose. It doesn't have to be very loose. It doesn't even have to be noticeable. Just your pedaling motion, your weight, and impacts from riding are enough to get that saddle creeping backward until it cannot slide back any further due to the rails shape changing as it goes up into the saddle's nose. So, I knew something was up and I grabbed a 5mm hex key.

The drive side clamp bolt was loose! Wow..... So, here I had been riding a changing saddle position over a period of time until it stopped at its furthest point back that it could go and it felt right. Now, this is shocking to me because the Ti Regulator has a healthy set back and I almost would never set a saddle up like that. Never! Hmm.... 

I grabbed a tape measure and took a measurement thinking, well, it had to be a way longer saddle to bar length now. Right? Funny thing. It was near spot on to what I have always preferred. Weird. 

But that's cool. I found out how the Tamland feels best after all these years and I never would have found out this by trying.

Unintentional Testing

From the dank, dark confines of G-Ted HQ.

 Sometimes I discover things by accident. Probably the most easily remembered time where that occurred for me was when I figured out that on tubed tires I could pump them up and when they felt 'right' days later I would make note of that pressure that they had leaked down to and then set them up that way every time. The first time that happened was completely by accident. "Unintentional Testing", is what I call it. 

Well, another instance of that just occurred here recently. It has to do with the Raleigh Tamland Two. Now generally I don't ride the Tamland a whole lot anymore because I have moved on to other 'test mules' for RidingGravel.com. So the bike often sits for weeks and sometimes a month or two before I get back to it for some reason or another.

I cannot remember when I put the Ti Regulator post on the bike, but it's been a long time now and then that Silverado saddle has been on there a while as well. Anyway, you all probably know that I grabbed this bike to do the Tubolito review. Well, just the other day when I went for a ride I thought, "Hey! I forgot how well this bike fit me." I was feeling really comfortable on it. Well, I rode it to work and after my shift was over I sat the bike against the bike repair stand for a minute while I pulled on my helmet and got ready to go home. And I glanced at that Silverado and I noticed it then.

The saddle was slid all the way back on the rails in the saddle clamp. 

Now as a mechanic for many years this generally means one thing- that clamp on the seat post is loose. It doesn't have to be very loose. It doesn't even have to be noticeable. Just your pedaling motion, your weight, and impacts from riding are enough to get that saddle creeping backward until it cannot slide back any further due to the rails shape changing as it goes up into the saddle's nose. So, I knew something was up and I grabbed a 5mm hex key.

The drive side clamp bolt was loose! Wow..... So, here I had been riding a changing saddle position over a period of time until it stopped at its furthest point back that it could go and it felt right. Now, this is shocking to me because the Ti Regulator has a healthy set back and I almost would never set a saddle up like that. Never! Hmm.... 

I grabbed a tape measure and took a measurement thinking, well, it had to be a way longer saddle to bar length now. Right? Funny thing. It was near spot on to what I have always preferred. Weird. 

But that's cool. I found out how the Tamland feels best after all these years and I never would have found out this by trying.

Guitar Ted Lube-Off Update: Blue Devil Lube Results

NOTICE:  The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all. 

These articles are done with no support from any bicycle entity unless where noted. All the lubricants in this round were purchased by me and I am not being paid, nor bribed for these posts. Now, please read that and understand that before commenting. 

Now, on with my latest findings! I decided that since I was limiting the test to six hours of actual road riding on crushed rock or dirt roads during the last round of testing, that I would continue on with that format this time. The first lubricant used for at least six hours has been the NixFrixShun Blue Devil product. 

As you may recall, this was applied to a new chain, per NixFrixShun's instructions, and then I have ridden this bike with this lubricant now for just past the six hour time check. So, with that, lets' take a look at what I have found. 

Not the worst, but not the best ether.

Here we have residue, but it is mostly along the edges of the side plates. The lubricant also left a darkened color on the cassette cogs it ran on. I did not detect any 'gunk' build-up on the jockey wheels of the derailleur either. The rollers themselves seem to be free from any dirt, dust, or build-up of lubricant/dirt/dust combinations. 

Let's see what the 'Touch-Test' shows. 

So, as I suspected, this is just build-up along the edges of the side plates. I'm not going to condemn the Blue Devil lubricant for that. However; the top dogs in my long running 'Lube-Off' tests- DuMomde Tech and Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Dry Lube- do not seem to do this much, or at all. They also tend not to leave a discoloration on my cassette cogs. So, in that I still hold those two lubricants as better than this NixFrixShun lube. That's just my take on things so far here. 

But I do like how this Blue Devil lubricant has affected shifting, which is positively, and there is zero grittiness on the drive train bits, so that is impressive. It just is not as clean as the others. That said, I plan on sticking with this lubricant and seeing how long I can run it before it needs reapplying. I've a feeling that this lubricant will run quite a while. 

It also bears noting that this is not necessarily just a dry lube. NixFrixShun claims it is an extreme conditions lubricant, and so I might give this a bit of grace when it comes to leaving some residue behind as it does not necessarily claim to run super-clean. While running it in the wetter conditions might prove interesting, I am going to stick to dry conditions riding as much as possible for this test. Maybe I'll run this later in the year in a "wet" edition of the 'Lube-Off'.

So for now, no.....this is not going to be top-dog in my testing, but it is intriguing enough that I want to keep going with it to find out more, if I can. I'll likely run this until it either gives up the ghost and needs reapplying, or if I get annoyed by the dirt accumulation. 

I'll also have an update on the other lubricant in the test soon. 

Stay tuned.....

Guitar Ted Lube-Off Update: Blue Devil Lube Results

NOTICE:  The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all. 

These articles are done with no support from any bicycle entity unless where noted. All the lubricants in this round were purchased by me and I am not being paid, nor bribed for these posts. Now, please read that and understand that before commenting. 

Now, on with my latest findings! I decided that since I was limiting the test to six hours of actual road riding on crushed rock or dirt roads during the last round of testing, that I would continue on with that format this time. The first lubricant used for at least six hours has been the NixFrixShun Blue Devil product. 

As you may recall, this was applied to a new chain, per NixFrixShun's instructions, and then I have ridden this bike with this lubricant now for just past the six hour time check. So, with that, lets' take a look at what I have found. 

Not the worst, but not the best ether.

Here we have residue, but it is mostly along the edges of the side plates. The lubricant also left a darkened color on the cassette cogs it ran on. I did not detect any 'gunk' build-up on the jockey wheels of the derailleur either. The rollers themselves seem to be free from any dirt, dust, or build-up of lubricant/dirt/dust combinations. 

Let's see what the 'Touch-Test' shows. 

So, as I suspected, this is just build-up along the edges of the side plates. I'm not going to condemn the Blue Devil lubricant for that. However; the top dogs in my long running 'Lube-Off' tests- DuMomde Tech and Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Dry Lube- do not seem to do this much, or at all. They also tend not to leave a discoloration on my cassette cogs. So, in that I still hold those two lubricants as better than this NixFrixShun lube. That's just my take on things so far here. 

But I do like how this Blue Devil lubricant has affected shifting, which is positively, and there is zero grittiness on the drive train bits, so that is impressive. It just is not as clean as the others. That said, I plan on sticking with this lubricant and seeing how long I can run it before it needs reapplying. I've a feeling that this lubricant will run quite a while. 

It also bears noting that this is not necessarily just a dry lube. NixFrixShun claims it is an extreme conditions lubricant, and so I might give this a bit of grace when it comes to leaving some residue behind as it does not necessarily claim to run super-clean. While running it in the wetter conditions might prove interesting, I am going to stick to dry conditions riding as much as possible for this test. Maybe I'll run this later in the year in a "wet" edition of the 'Lube-Off'.

So for now, no.....this is not going to be top-dog in my testing, but it is intriguing enough that I want to keep going with it to find out more, if I can. I'll likely run this until it either gives up the ghost and needs reapplying, or if I get annoyed by the dirt accumulation. 

I'll also have an update on the other lubricant in the test soon. 

Stay tuned.....

Making Up For It

Making for the muck. It's all about testing!

Recently I was lamenting the fact that we went through the transition from Winter to Spring without much of a "slop season' in between. Usually I wouldn't mind that much. It makes for cleaner bikes and longer lasting drive train bits, that's for sure. However; there are a couple of things I am tasked with which sometimes requires bad weather and bad conditions to accomplish my goals. 

Well, as if on cue, the rains came this week and soaked out everything. So now we have mud, puddles, wet dirt, and more to slog through and that's exactly what I have been doing when I have time to get out. In particular, I needed to get that Showers Pass jacket review done and I need to abuse these WTB Proterra wheels more.

We also need rain for more than just my own personal desires, of course, so I am happy to see it coming down. I was a bit surprised that Thursday and Friday were sort of wet days since the forecast said these days would be Sunny. Ha! So much for that! 

But again, that's fine. Things that grow need the water. We were uncommonly dry last Fall and early Spring, so even this wet stretch won't be enough to make it through the rest of Spring. We'll need to see even more rain yet, and hopefully it comes at regular intervals. 

I'll be out today and I'll be interested to see how this rain has affected the roads. As dry as things were, I'm betting that the roads will absorb the moisture up really well. in fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all to find the roads dusty yet. Especially if the County has kept up with laying down even more crushed rock, which I fully expect that they will have. 

I maybe won't be getting a big ride in. there are home duties calling. I have to set up a new bed for my son, and I have to get the lawn mower ready for the year. But definitely there has to be a ride put in. I also have concocted a couple of ideas for rides coming up soon. These will be different than I've done for quite some time. I also will have a big 100 miler in the works soon. So, consistency in the riding is important. 

Stay tuned....

Making Up For It

Making for the muck. It's all about testing!

Recently I was lamenting the fact that we went through the transition from Winter to Spring without much of a "slop season' in between. Usually I wouldn't mind that much. It makes for cleaner bikes and longer lasting drive train bits, that's for sure. However; there are a couple of things I am tasked with which sometimes requires bad weather and bad conditions to accomplish my goals. 

Well, as if on cue, the rains came this week and soaked out everything. So now we have mud, puddles, wet dirt, and more to slog through and that's exactly what I have been doing when I have time to get out. In particular, I needed to get that Showers Pass jacket review done and I need to abuse these WTB Proterra wheels more.

We also need rain for more than just my own personal desires, of course, so I am happy to see it coming down. I was a bit surprised that Thursday and Friday were sort of wet days since the forecast said these days would be Sunny. Ha! So much for that! 

But again, that's fine. Things that grow need the water. We were uncommonly dry last Fall and early Spring, so even this wet stretch won't be enough to make it through the rest of Spring. We'll need to see even more rain yet, and hopefully it comes at regular intervals. 

I'll be out today and I'll be interested to see how this rain has affected the roads. As dry as things were, I'm betting that the roads will absorb the moisture up really well. in fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all to find the roads dusty yet. Especially if the County has kept up with laying down even more crushed rock, which I fully expect that they will have. 

I maybe won't be getting a big ride in. there are home duties calling. I have to set up a new bed for my son, and I have to get the lawn mower ready for the year. But definitely there has to be a ride put in. I also have concocted a couple of ideas for rides coming up soon. These will be different than I've done for quite some time. I also will have a big 100 miler in the works soon. So, consistency in the riding is important. 

Stay tuned....

More Testing

Fenders installed and that Whatchamacallit Bar.

Over the weekend I got the fenders installed on the BMC MCD bike. They are the excellent, highly recommended Planet Bike Cascadia ALX fenders. I have been using these on a couple of my bikes for several years now and I have to say that they are really good. I maybe would like a tiny bit more coverage, but hey! For the money, for the ease of installation, and for the bomber performance? I'm all in on these. Get you some.....

(And for the record, I paid my own damn money for the set on this bike I have and I was not asked to write that glowing review. It's what I really think- So there!)

Sad that we live in a world where disclaimers have to be added, but anyway.....

I stuffed the Teravail Rutland 700 X 47mm tires under those fenders and they barely fit! But they fit! That's pretty cool since I was hoping to be able to run these tires quite a bit in 2021. I have really enjoyed them and they remind me a lot of my favorite WTB Resolutes, only these are a bit bigger than Reso's are. In fact, I was thinking that in the mid-00's, these would have been passed off as 29"er tires. I remember testing some Bontrager tires, in particular, that were sub-50mm tires that were being called 29"er tires. 

At any rate, I would not run a much bigger tire since the MCD is pretty close on clearances with these as it is. There is mud room- barely. Obviously there is enough room to squeeze in fenders, but where I am looking- the chain stays - The room is pretty minimal there. 

Oh! I suppose you were wondering about those whatchamacallit bars and those weird grips on there? Well, that's another silly thing, see- It's called a media embargo. I know, I know...... Just following the rules here, that's all. More can be said in about a week or so. Stay tuned......

More Testing

Fenders installed and that Whatchamacallit Bar.

Over the weekend I got the fenders installed on the BMC MCD bike. They are the excellent, highly recommended Planet Bike Cascadia ALX fenders. I have been using these on a couple of my bikes for several years now and I have to say that they are really good. I maybe would like a tiny bit more coverage, but hey! For the money, for the ease of installation, and for the bomber performance? I'm all in on these. Get you some.....

(And for the record, I paid my own damn money for the set on this bike I have and I was not asked to write that glowing review. It's what I really think- So there!)

Sad that we live in a world where disclaimers have to be added, but anyway.....

I stuffed the Teravail Rutland 700 X 47mm tires under those fenders and they barely fit! But they fit! That's pretty cool since I was hoping to be able to run these tires quite a bit in 2021. I have really enjoyed them and they remind me a lot of my favorite WTB Resolutes, only these are a bit bigger than Reso's are. In fact, I was thinking that in the mid-00's, these would have been passed off as 29"er tires. I remember testing some Bontrager tires, in particular, that were sub-50mm tires that were being called 29"er tires. 

At any rate, I would not run a much bigger tire since the MCD is pretty close on clearances with these as it is. There is mud room- barely. Obviously there is enough room to squeeze in fenders, but where I am looking- the chain stays - The room is pretty minimal there. 

Oh! I suppose you were wondering about those whatchamacallit bars and those weird grips on there? Well, that's another silly thing, see- It's called a media embargo. I know, I know...... Just following the rules here, that's all. More can be said in about a week or so. Stay tuned......