Triple D Winter Race: Training Log 7: Goodbye Snow!

Hitting the dike before the Sun does.

With several days off to get some rest, I was ready to get back on the horse and ride again. Added to this was the fact that the snow cover was dwindling over the past several days due to the recent warm up. I was wanting to get at least one more good snowy ride in before things descended into the muck and mire zone.

Wednesday was my first Wednesday off for the year, and I high tailed it out to The Green Belt to get my fix of snow before the sun got too high into the January sky. I decide to start out on the dike tops, since those would be the first places to turn to mush later on into the morning. I figured the wooded areas would hold the cold temperatures longer, then I would check out Sergeant Road Trail coming home to see what that would be like. This route plan would also mimic what I figure will likely be the Triple D course, albeit in miniature.

Well, the dike was everything you'd want in snow. Packed in by copious snowmobile traffic, I was cruising right along smoothly up there. I crossed Ansborough, and then descended into the woods where I had spied a single set of XC ski tracks. I followed those to the main trail, which was a pock marked "super-highway" as far as snow riding goes. There had been so much foot traffic that the XC track was obliterated in many places.

This was fast!

I rode along until I saw a wide, beaten down track that headed off to the East where I had never seen a dirt trail go before. I assumed it accessed the lake, and I was correct. Not long after riding around the western edge of the lake, I saw the path beaten in going back West down into the woods again. This ended up going to that little "trysting place" everyone knows about in the Cedars.

I rode by there, and the path leads out to the main access trail from the lake to the Green Belt Trail. I hooked a right and headed back toward the Black Hawk Creek. Then back on the "regular" trails along the creek until I hit the "Y" where you can go right, and eventually to the shelter on Ridgeway, or left-ish, and to the little parking lot further East up Ridgeway. I took the left way.

My aim was to get to "Marky-Mark" and see if I could use it to get back to the western side of the trail. It was lightly trafficked, maybe only a single snow shoer and definitely a single set of XC ski tracks were all I saw.

Deer post holes, snow shoe tracks, and me.

Well, it was really slow going through here. The snow was the consistency of mashed potatoes, and getting any sideways motion was going to stop your forward progress through this. Yes- I had to start and stop several times! 

Where I could ride, it was granny gear and really slow. Southern facing banks and hills were showing signs of going bare soon. I bet after I passed through several of these spots did lose their snow cover. 

This maybe isn't like anything that will be on Triple D, but I have heard that there will be more single track, so you never know! If it is the worst I'll ride and the event doesn't have anything like it, all the better. Chalk it up to training. I ground out through Marky-Mark to the shelter area, and then out to the gravel lot. By now the sun had risen high enough that the morning frost had melted and the lot was all peanut butter goo. Quite a bit different than the snow I had just been plowing through. Now over the pavement and up to Ranchero via the "left way" after the HWY 20 bridge.

Once again, the "left way" was post holed by so many deer and human feet/hooves that I could hardly discern which way the actual trail went through here. I managed to find the faintest remnants of an XC track, and set my sights to following that. I guess I should have obeyed the "Rule Of Right" on this ride!

Someone has taken a lot of time to build this.

Well, I ended up getting bogged down and the going was slow again. Once I punched through to the parking lot, I was finally back up on the big ring and making more progress. Then on to Robinson Bird Sanctuary trails.

The path was well beaten in here. I paused for several minutes as I watched a small herd of does motoring through the snow. Amazing little creatures, those deer. Nothing seems to ever be able to slow them down. I saw well over twenty deer on my ride today, by the way. The herd I saw last accounting for at least half of that number.

Well, the morning was getting on, and I needed to reach the railroad bridge and get on the bike path that uses it now. The good thing was that the snow back in here was super fast, tacky, and well......like hero dirt. I was going as fast as I had all day right through this sector. I reached the bridge and got up on the well packed in snow mobile tracks and continued to ride fast. This "T"'s into Sergeant Road Trail where I planned to turn back North and East.

The trail intersection was a bit of a surprise as it was devoid of snow and there were big dry patches of pavement down further on the trail. Anywhere the blizzard had scoured the snow down thinner was now bare pavement. Where the drifts were, or where there were shadows, the snow was still pretty deep. 

Instagram effect courtesy of dropping camera into snow!

Fortunately the snow drifts were pretty solid yet, and I motored through, and mostly over stuff with little issue. I covered the entire trail sector in far less time than it took to get out that far on single track.

By the time I had crossed all the roads before Fletcher I was pretty cooked. I was hot, and I actually had my layers unzipped down to my base layer, with thoughts of removing the gloves as well. I was also getting hungry, and I was fatigued and loving all of this.

I decided to take the bandit cut off which crosses Highway 63 North of Fletcher and takes me into the backside of my neighborhood. I was met by a torrent of water flowing towards me when I came down into the ditch off the highway. What?!! Was this all snow melt runoff? Couldn't be!

I rode through the running river, with the water covering the Big Fat Larrys in many places until I saw the source of this new creek. It was a broken water main under a little used street. The pavement was heaved up as if a small bomb had been detonated down under there.

That was the last interesting feature before I got home and stripped off my hot, sweat soaked layers and got something together for lunch. I made it almost 3 hours this day, and it was pretty good. Maybe the last time I'll be riding on decent snow packed trails for a while, anyway. It is forecast to rain tomorrow, be warmer on Friday, and warm enough to melt snow Saturday. Then it re-freezes for a few days, but by then the damage will likely have been done. We'll see. Triple D could be a real interesting mix of snow, ice, mud, and pavement this year!

The "Interbike Golden Ticket": An Opinion Part II

Notice: The following is this author's opinion and may or may not reflect the opinions of anyone else. I base my opinions today on published material from the Internet and my own personal observations and experiences from my Interbike attendance over the past several years. In the end, I suggest you make up your own mind based on your own research. Now, on with the story.....

At the end of November I posted an opinion on the initiative that Interbike has proposed to include bike shop's "better customers" at the annual trade show in Las Vegas.  The point I made was that consumers were already coming to the show- in significant numbers- and that coming on the last day "legally" was not going to appease their desire to actually ride product at the outdoor demo. I stated also that Interbike's last day was typically a poorly attended affair with little to offer consumers.

Interbike should let consumers do this...

Now a new "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" edition has come out, and in each issue, "BRAIN" asks a selected set of retailers a question, and the answers get published in each new issue. This edition's question was, "What do you think about Interbike's move to allow retailers to bring consumers to the show as VIP guests?"

Well, if you read my earlier post, you would have the majority opinion of the matter as espoused by the 10 selected dealers. There were some other interesting comments doled out that were not like my opinion. One of the more interesting ones was how a dealer felt that the industry needed to rub shoulders more with consumers and experience "firsthand the same things that the average shop sees and hears everyday". 

That is a noble idea, however, this dealer has it all backwards. Do not bring consumers to Las Vegas, Neveda to a boring convention of bike geeks if you want to truly get the industry wheelers and dealers to see what is going down with consumers on the front lines. No- you send the "generals" to the battle lines and have them observe the action first hand. In other words, Interbike is the wrong venue for getting true and honest feedback to the industry. The industry needs to visit the shops, stay awhile, observe the action on the sales floor and rub shoulders with consumers there, not the other way around.

Besides, Interbike is kind of a distraction, don't you think? And if the show isn't, then the city would be. I mean heck- where's the party? Right? Isn't that why people go to Vegas?

Party Town? Right?

Which brings me to where I see this whole initiative going. Interbike wants these consumers to come on the final day of the show. There are a lot of vendors at Interbike. How do they attract these folks to look at their stuff, and not the other guys stuff? Well, the same way they get dealers to come by at the end of the day.

That's right- Beer and babes. (I didn't say it was right, but it is what it is) So, this can't be far off the mark: Company X marketing guy says to himself, "How do I make it attractive for these special VIP consumers to see us? Hmm.... I know! I'll bring in a couple of kegs of specialty beer. maybe a Belgian, or an IPA, and we'll get some pretty gals hired to pour the brewskis while consumers line up and hear our guys talk about the 2014 line. It's a can't miss!" 

Am I right or am I right? The thing is, the consumers that are already getting into I-Bike are doing this at the end of everyday already, plus they ride at the Outdoor Demo. You know- if I were a VIP consumer, I know what part of Interbike I'd want to attend. 

Here's an idea, Interbike. Check out Sea Otter, and Outerbike. What do they do that you do not do? They allow consumers to ride bikes. I mean, that's the whole idea, no? You want to put more butts on bikes? Then let the consumers come and actually ride bicycles. Vendors are already doing demo tours, and they do that for a reason- to get folks to actually feel and experience product. You want jacked up, excited consumers to come out of Interbike and energize the marketplace, (as you stated in your press release), then this is how you do that.

Oh....and don't forget the free beers!

The "Interbike Golden Ticket": An Opinion Part II

Notice: The following is this author's opinion and may or may not reflect the opinions of anyone else. I base my opinions today on published material from the Internet and my own personal observations and experiences from my Interbike attendance over the past several years. In the end, I suggest you make up your own mind based on your own research. Now, on with the story.....

At the end of November I posted an opinion on the initiative that Interbike has proposed to include bike shop's "better customers" at the annual trade show in Las Vegas.  The point I made was that consumers were already coming to the show- in significant numbers- and that coming on the last day "legally" was not going to appease their desire to actually ride product at the outdoor demo. I stated also that Interbike's last day was typically a poorly attended affair with little to offer consumers.

Interbike should let consumers do this...

Now a new "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" edition has come out, and in each issue, "BRAIN" asks a selected set of retailers a question, and the answers get published in each new issue. This edition's question was, "What do you think about Interbike's move to allow retailers to bring consumers to the show as VIP guests?"

Well, if you read my earlier post, you would have the majority opinion of the matter as espoused by the 10 selected dealers. There were some other interesting comments doled out that were not like my opinion. One of the more interesting ones was how a dealer felt that the industry needed to rub shoulders more with consumers and experience "firsthand the same things that the average shop sees and hears everyday". 

That is a noble idea, however, this dealer has it all backwards. Do not bring consumers to Las Vegas, Neveda to a boring convention of bike geeks if you want to truly get the industry wheelers and dealers to see what is going down with consumers on the front lines. No- you send the "generals" to the battle lines and have them observe the action first hand. In other words, Interbike is the wrong venue for getting true and honest feedback to the industry. The industry needs to visit the shops, stay awhile, observe the action on the sales floor and rub shoulders with consumers there, not the other way around.

Besides, Interbike is kind of a distraction, don't you think? And if the show isn't, then the city would be. I mean heck- where's the party? Right? Isn't that why people go to Vegas?

Party Town? Right?

Which brings me to where I see this whole initiative going. Interbike wants these consumers to come on the final day of the show. There are a lot of vendors at Interbike. How do they attract these folks to look at their stuff, and not the other guys stuff? Well, the same way they get dealers to come by at the end of the day.

That's right- Beer and babes. (I didn't say it was right, but it is what it is) So, this can't be far off the mark: Company X marketing guy says to himself, "How do I make it attractive for these special VIP consumers to see us? Hmm.... I know! I'll bring in a couple of kegs of specialty beer. maybe a Belgian, or an IPA, and we'll get some pretty gals hired to pour the brewskis while consumers line up and hear our guys talk about the 2014 line. It's a can't miss!" 

Am I right or am I right? The thing is, the consumers that are already getting into I-Bike are doing this at the end of everyday already, plus they ride at the Outdoor Demo. You know- if I were a VIP consumer, I know what part of Interbike I'd want to attend. 

Here's an idea, Interbike. Check out Sea Otter, and Outerbike. What do they do that you do not do? They allow consumers to ride bikes. I mean, that's the whole idea, no? You want to put more butts on bikes? Then let the consumers come and actually ride bicycles. Vendors are already doing demo tours, and they do that for a reason- to get folks to actually feel and experience product. You want jacked up, excited consumers to come out of Interbike and energize the marketplace, (as you stated in your press release), then this is how you do that.

Oh....and don't forget the free beers!

Project White: Build Update

Calm down! It's certified.

I had no intentions of working on Project White last night. However; the Internet raised it's ugly fist and smote TNI down for a few hours. Meh!

I was planning on doing a bunch of writing, but that wasn't going to happen. So I poured the final two fingers of Woodford Reserve into a coffee cup, (since I have no proper glassware for such a drink), and headed down to the lab to wrench.

There was a lot of wrenching to be done too. I had a special little difficulty last night: I had to swap lowers on a suspension fork. The little wiper seals almost made me come undone at one point, but I managed to overcome. Once the fork was done, the rest started coming together well.

Of course, it is a single speed, so there isn't a whole lot that can go wrong, or that needs to be done. TruVativ 180mm crank, GXP bottom bracket- Check! Chris King headset pressed in- Check! Popped the fork on, then set the bars and stem onto the bike. Brakes.....yeah. Wait a minute. 

Close- but not quite ready yet.

 The rear brake needed a different adapter than I had been using. Found that, then realized why I don't like chain stay mounted calipers all that much. The caliper bolt closest to the wheel axle is always in an awkward spot. Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle.....

Then I found out that the Center Lock rotor is interfering with the brake pad tab which hangs down toward the rotor's thicker aluminum center spider. (groan!)

Well, what do ya expect? Avid Ultimate brakes and Shimano rotors? Right then. Okay, so I set up my tires, (tubeless Michelin Wild Race'R 2.25's on XT 29"er wheels), and that went swimmingly. Gotta love a true system for tubeless. Popped on with a floor pump nicely.

Then it got late, the Woodford Reserve was gone, and I needed to fall back for awhile to consider where I want to go with regard to the brakes. Modify pad? New brakes? Different brakes I already have? These questions will be answered and more on the next Project White Update!

Project White: Build Update

Calm down! It's certified.

I had no intentions of working on Project White last night. However; the Internet raised it's ugly fist and smote TNI down for a few hours. Meh!

I was planning on doing a bunch of writing, but that wasn't going to happen. So I poured the final two fingers of Woodford Reserve into a coffee cup, (since I have no proper glassware for such a drink), and headed down to the lab to wrench.

There was a lot of wrenching to be done too. I had a special little difficulty last night: I had to swap lowers on a suspension fork. The little wiper seals almost made me come undone at one point, but I managed to overcome. Once the fork was done, the rest started coming together well.

Of course, it is a single speed, so there isn't a whole lot that can go wrong, or that needs to be done. TruVativ 180mm crank, GXP bottom bracket- Check! Chris King headset pressed in- Check! Popped the fork on, then set the bars and stem onto the bike. Brakes.....yeah. Wait a minute. 

Close- but not quite ready yet.

 The rear brake needed a different adapter than I had been using. Found that, then realized why I don't like chain stay mounted calipers all that much. The caliper bolt closest to the wheel axle is always in an awkward spot. Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle.....

Then I found out that the Center Lock rotor is interfering with the brake pad tab which hangs down toward the rotor's thicker aluminum center spider. (groan!)

Well, what do ya expect? Avid Ultimate brakes and Shimano rotors? Right then. Okay, so I set up my tires, (tubeless Michelin Wild Race'R 2.25's on XT 29"er wheels), and that went swimmingly. Gotta love a true system for tubeless. Popped on with a floor pump nicely.

Then it got late, the Woodford Reserve was gone, and I needed to fall back for awhile to consider where I want to go with regard to the brakes. Modify pad? New brakes? Different brakes I already have? These questions will be answered and more on the next Project White Update!

Project White: The Frame

As a few folks guessed the other day, the new frame is an On One Inbred, but it isn't just any ol' On One either. This one, (so the website says), is from a limited edition of single speed specific frames On One had done. Yep! No derailleur thing-a-ma-bobs on this one! Not ever!

Snow Camo....

Well, I think if you have read this blog for a while, you understand that I like single speed 29"ers. So, the fact that I went for a single speed specific frame probably doesn't surprise you. However; some may wonder why a person wouldn't want a frame with some versatility. Fair question....

I think it boils down to two things for me, at any rate, and those things would be aesthetics and simplicity.

The single speed capable frames generally are just fine for most folks, and probably a smarter buy. I mean, let's say you love the bike, but you are going to go bike packing in the Rockies. Well, if you could put gears on that bike, you probably would be a wise individual to do so. I don't know that I am all that wise, but for me, the looks of a bike frame without the "extra" braze ons when it is set up single speed is better. Yes- I am picky that way, I suppose you could say. Yes- I can't see those extra braze ons when I ride. Oh well.......chalk it up to vanity, or whatever. I just like that it doesn't have extra gee-gaws hanging there that I'll never use.

The second thing- simplicity- is what single speeding is all about. Just get on and pedal. I don't have to think about shifting, just when I pedal, when I don't pedal, and how hard to pedal when I do pedal. See- that's keeping things to the basics. I like that sometimes.

These are NOT drop outs.

The next thing one might ask is why On One? That's another great question, and I've hinted at the answer before here.

On One has made a single speedable 29"er frame for several years now. I had one of the first run of production frames with the mini-slider drop outs. While the mechanism for the sliders was a bit fiddly and would slip sometimes, I managed to get mine to stay put over the course of time that I had it. So, although that design morphed into a beefier slider, and then a slot design and a modular option over the years, it was the original design that hooked me with its ride feel. I really missed that frame after selling it to a former co-worker, and so it looks like he'll never sell it back to me, (smart guy!), which necessitated action on my part.

The action came recently when I saw that On One had discounted this frame a bit, and I jumped on-line and grabbed one. It has a fork end design now, (some call 'em "track ends"), and with the slotted brake mount, it should work just fine. I'll probably use a chain tug just for some insurance.

The older On One also did not have the brake mounted to the chain stay, as this newer design does. This new mount, an integral part of the fork end, is beefy and should provide for quieter, more solid feeling braking. It also makes the chain stay tubing have asymmetrical lengths/shape, and I am not sure how, or if that might affect ride feel at this point.

So, beyond that, this frame is nearly identical to my older On One Inbred. No fancy head tube dimensions, no odd-ball bottom bracket standards here. Just good, simple, proven design that should be no problem down the trail for me.

The one thing that I am not sure of is the head angle, and I haven't dug into this yet, but it seems that my old On One was a 72° head angle while this is listed as a 71° head angle bike. It could be simply a different fork dimension that the angles were based off of, or that the head angle is actually slacked out a degree. Whatever. I am sure I will be fine either way. Those that obsess over details like that may find this to be flippant, but what is a degree, especially if I use a suspension device.

Oh, yes.......didn't I mention that? I will be using a suspended bit up front. I have to swap out the lowers on the intended component before use, but it should work quite nicely on the front of this rig. (And it will not be white!) The thing is, the On One will be pressed into duty as a test mule for Twenty Nine Inches. That way I have to ride this bike! Seems like a good plan to me, at any rate.

But getting back to that fork for a minute- I am going to use a 15mm through axle wheel up front, and the fork needs to be converted over from a standard 9mm quick release, which is necessitating the swappage.

Besides the wheels, tires, and fork, all else is coming off the old Vassago, so no big changes other than what I have detailed here. Stay tuned as Project White gets put together and I will hopefully be showing you some results of my labors here soon.

Project White: The Frame

As a few folks guessed the other day, the new frame is an On One Inbred, but it isn't just any ol' On One either. This one, (so the website says), is from a limited edition of single speed specific frames On One had done. Yep! No derailleur thing-a-ma-bobs on this one! Not ever!

Snow Camo....

Well, I think if you have read this blog for a while, you understand that I like single speed 29"ers. So, the fact that I went for a single speed specific frame probably doesn't surprise you. However; some may wonder why a person wouldn't want a frame with some versatility. Fair question....

I think it boils down to two things for me, at any rate, and those things would be aesthetics and simplicity.

The single speed capable frames generally are just fine for most folks, and probably a smarter buy. I mean, let's say you love the bike, but you are going to go bike packing in the Rockies. Well, if you could put gears on that bike, you probably would be a wise individual to do so. I don't know that I am all that wise, but for me, the looks of a bike frame without the "extra" braze ons when it is set up single speed is better. Yes- I am picky that way, I suppose you could say. Yes- I can't see those extra braze ons when I ride. Oh well.......chalk it up to vanity, or whatever. I just like that it doesn't have extra gee-gaws hanging there that I'll never use.

The second thing- simplicity- is what single speeding is all about. Just get on and pedal. I don't have to think about shifting, just when I pedal, when I don't pedal, and how hard to pedal when I do pedal. See- that's keeping things to the basics. I like that sometimes.

These are NOT drop outs.

The next thing one might ask is why On One? That's another great question, and I've hinted at the answer before here.

On One has made a single speedable 29"er frame for several years now. I had one of the first run of production frames with the mini-slider drop outs. While the mechanism for the sliders was a bit fiddly and would slip sometimes, I managed to get mine to stay put over the course of time that I had it. So, although that design morphed into a beefier slider, and then a slot design and a modular option over the years, it was the original design that hooked me with its ride feel. I really missed that frame after selling it to a former co-worker, and so it looks like he'll never sell it back to me, (smart guy!), which necessitated action on my part.

The action came recently when I saw that On One had discounted this frame a bit, and I jumped on-line and grabbed one. It has a fork end design now, (some call 'em "track ends"), and with the slotted brake mount, it should work just fine. I'll probably use a chain tug just for some insurance.

The older On One also did not have the brake mounted to the chain stay, as this newer design does. This new mount, an integral part of the fork end, is beefy and should provide for quieter, more solid feeling braking. It also makes the chain stay tubing have asymmetrical lengths/shape, and I am not sure how, or if that might affect ride feel at this point.

So, beyond that, this frame is nearly identical to my older On One Inbred. No fancy head tube dimensions, no odd-ball bottom bracket standards here. Just good, simple, proven design that should be no problem down the trail for me.

The one thing that I am not sure of is the head angle, and I haven't dug into this yet, but it seems that my old On One was a 72° head angle while this is listed as a 71° head angle bike. It could be simply a different fork dimension that the angles were based off of, or that the head angle is actually slacked out a degree. Whatever. I am sure I will be fine either way. Those that obsess over details like that may find this to be flippant, but what is a degree, especially if I use a suspension device.

Oh, yes.......didn't I mention that? I will be using a suspended bit up front. I have to swap out the lowers on the intended component before use, but it should work quite nicely on the front of this rig. (And it will not be white!) The thing is, the On One will be pressed into duty as a test mule for Twenty Nine Inches. That way I have to ride this bike! Seems like a good plan to me, at any rate.

But getting back to that fork for a minute- I am going to use a 15mm through axle wheel up front, and the fork needs to be converted over from a standard 9mm quick release, which is necessitating the swappage.

Besides the wheels, tires, and fork, all else is coming off the old Vassago, so no big changes other than what I have detailed here. Stay tuned as Project White gets put together and I will hopefully be showing you some results of my labors here soon.

A Weekend Off

Making noise through this...

Well, I decided to take some time off the bike, and I also decided it was high time for Mrs. Guitar Ted to get out of town so we did just that. I took my lovely lady and we joined with some friends to celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary. Since my wife is of Korean heritage, she loves Korean food, so this happened in the Twin Cities, because they just don't do good Korean food just anywhere.

Some things are more important than bicycles, (really), so this was a great time, albeit a very short time, to spend with special people.

In the meantime, I was at a point in riding that I needed to rest anyway. My body was really thrashed from all the cold snow riding and sledding I had been doing of late. I did ride into work Friday, but since then I have been off the bike, and Friday evening I slept like a baby. So far I feel great with the extra time off from exercise. Of course, much of it has been spent behind the wheel of an auto!

This day I played my guitar at  church in the morning and then I went back to fetch my wife, who I left up in Minnesota to have fun with her friend, who she rarely gets to see, and then it is back to a regular work week.

What?

Yes, back to the same-ol-same-ol. It's been awhile since the schedule hasn't been all jacked up around here. I'll also be getting back on board with riding, and maybe a little something extra for training that I am not talking about just yet. We'll see how that goes. One thing is for sure, with all the warmer temps, the snow is going to take a big hit around these parts. Already has, in fact.

A weekend off but still busy. It's been fun though. A lot of fun.

A Weekend Off

Making noise through this...

Well, I decided to take some time off the bike, and I also decided it was high time for Mrs. Guitar Ted to get out of town so we did just that. I took my lovely lady and we joined with some friends to celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary. Since my wife is of Korean heritage, she loves Korean food, so this happened in the Twin Cities, because they just don't do good Korean food just anywhere.

Some things are more important than bicycles, (really), so this was a great time, albeit a very short time, to spend with special people.

In the meantime, I was at a point in riding that I needed to rest anyway. My body was really thrashed from all the cold snow riding and sledding I had been doing of late. I did ride into work Friday, but since then I have been off the bike, and Friday evening I slept like a baby. So far I feel great with the extra time off from exercise. Of course, much of it has been spent behind the wheel of an auto!

This day I played my guitar at  church in the morning and then I went back to fetch my wife, who I left up in Minnesota to have fun with her friend, who she rarely gets to see, and then it is back to a regular work week.

What?

Yes, back to the same-ol-same-ol. It's been awhile since the schedule hasn't been all jacked up around here. I'll also be getting back on board with riding, and maybe a little something extra for training that I am not talking about just yet. We'll see how that goes. One thing is for sure, with all the warmer temps, the snow is going to take a big hit around these parts. Already has, in fact.

A weekend off but still busy. It's been fun though. A lot of fun.

Trans Iowa V9: Thinking About "Support"

No one is coming to get ya if'n ya break down here.

Self Supported: When Trans Iowa was formulated in the deep recesses of Jeff's and my addled brains in late 2004, we were trying to aim for the target set by the folks who had forged the Great Divide Race rules. This was an effort that was not the work of one person, but our point of contact was Mike Curiak, who at that time was one of the, if not the premier ultra-endurance off roaders, and who had a big influence on those big Western ultras and on Trans Iowa.

We learned a lot from Mike over the years, and I will admit up front that a lot of his advice and commentary on our silly gravel event took a while to sink in and get applied to T.I., but eventually it did.  We didn't go 100% with what I feel he would have done, but we did go a long ways toward his, and the rest of the GDR crew's, rules regarding self support.

Yesterday, a comment was made regarding this idea of "self support". The comment was that it used to be that the riders helped each other out, and "support crews" were unheard of. The commenter wondered if we'd lost something along the way.

Well, I am pretty sure the answer from a "GDR" point of view would be that neither idea presented in the above summation of the comment left is right, or in the spirit of "self support". I am pretty sure the idea of "self" means "you, the rider" in a singular sense, and by definition that pretty much excludes any help from any one individual, no matter if they are racing or no. At least in the strictest sense of that idea, I believe that is true.

Now I will leave the idea of that behind, because at Trans Iowa, at any rate, we do allow racers to help each other out. However; we do not allow anyone outside of the event to support the rider in any way. At least while they are eligible for an "Official Finish", or for being able to receive a new set of cue sheets at a checkpoint.

Of course, if you are in need of assistance that can not be provided for by a fellow rider, you are done as far as Trans Iowa is concerned. At that point, there has  been a divergence from what we do at T.I. and what other events see fit to require.

We suggest a person be available to come and fetch you, since anyone associated with Trans Iowa won't. Or....you could just take care of yourself, and many folks do just that. They ride back from where ever it is they decide they can not finish Trans Iowa. Either way- You Are Responsible For Yourself.  The trick is knowing "when to say when", which is long before your tank runs dry, or long before you allow your mind to descend into exhaustion induced madness. Long before your knee gives out completely, or long before you are so sunburnt you are sick. Whatever; I am sure you are getting the picture by now.

In many ways, knowing when to "pull the plug" on a Trans Iowa attempt is harder than actually riding yourself into a bad situation. In many ways, stopping when you should is a lost art. This, to my mind, is an honorable, wise, mature, and "right" thing to get straight and be capable of before you attempt something like a Trans Iowa.

 If you as a rider "get" that you need to take care of your own business out there without putting yourself or anyone else at risk, the self support issue is not a big deal. Sure- there are extenuating circumstances, and we can sit here and dream up scenarios all day long which fall outside of the above, but ya gotta agree that the vast majority of issues at these big gravel grinders, (or other ultra-endurance events), can be settled by having a good grasp on your own destiny.

Trans Iowa V9: Thinking About "Support"

No one is coming to get ya if'n ya break down here.

Self Supported: When Trans Iowa was formulated in the deep recesses of Jeff's and my addled brains in late 2004, we were trying to aim for the target set by the folks who had forged the Great Divide Race rules. This was an effort that was not the work of one person, but our point of contact was Mike Curiak, who at that time was one of the, if not the premier ultra-endurance off roaders, and who had a big influence on those big Western ultras and on Trans Iowa.

We learned a lot from Mike over the years, and I will admit up front that a lot of his advice and commentary on our silly gravel event took a while to sink in and get applied to T.I., but eventually it did.  We didn't go 100% with what I feel he would have done, but we did go a long ways toward his, and the rest of the GDR crew's, rules regarding self support.

Yesterday, a comment was made regarding this idea of "self support". The comment was that it used to be that the riders helped each other out, and "support crews" were unheard of. The commenter wondered if we'd lost something along the way.

Well, I am pretty sure the answer from a "GDR" point of view would be that neither idea presented in the above summation of the comment left is right, or in the spirit of "self support". I am pretty sure the idea of "self" means "you, the rider" in a singular sense, and by definition that pretty much excludes any help from any one individual, no matter if they are racing or no. At least in the strictest sense of that idea, I believe that is true.

Now I will leave the idea of that behind, because at Trans Iowa, at any rate, we do allow racers to help each other out. However; we do not allow anyone outside of the event to support the rider in any way. At least while they are eligible for an "Official Finish", or for being able to receive a new set of cue sheets at a checkpoint.

Of course, if you are in need of assistance that can not be provided for by a fellow rider, you are done as far as Trans Iowa is concerned. At that point, there has  been a divergence from what we do at T.I. and what other events see fit to require.

We suggest a person be available to come and fetch you, since anyone associated with Trans Iowa won't. Or....you could just take care of yourself, and many folks do just that. They ride back from where ever it is they decide they can not finish Trans Iowa. Either way- You Are Responsible For Yourself.  The trick is knowing "when to say when", which is long before your tank runs dry, or long before you allow your mind to descend into exhaustion induced madness. Long before your knee gives out completely, or long before you are so sunburnt you are sick. Whatever; I am sure you are getting the picture by now.

In many ways, knowing when to "pull the plug" on a Trans Iowa attempt is harder than actually riding yourself into a bad situation. In many ways, stopping when you should is a lost art. This, to my mind, is an honorable, wise, mature, and "right" thing to get straight and be capable of before you attempt something like a Trans Iowa.

 If you as a rider "get" that you need to take care of your own business out there without putting yourself or anyone else at risk, the self support issue is not a big deal. Sure- there are extenuating circumstances, and we can sit here and dream up scenarios all day long which fall outside of the above, but ya gotta agree that the vast majority of issues at these big gravel grinders, (or other ultra-endurance events), can be settled by having a good grasp on your own destiny.

Friday News And Views

Welcome to the first Friday News And Views of 2013. This one will be pretty fat bike heavy! Tis the season. Here we go...

Air down!

Air Pressure: 

In the Winter, many folks want to test their fat bikes on the snow. Many of you out there may be first time fat bikers or may be curious seekers that are  trying to figure this out to see if fat biking is for you. If you get nothing else from this, keep in mind, if you can't ride through snow/sand, let more air out of your rear tire!

Of course, like anything else, it is a bit more complex than this, but hang on.... It is easy to figure out what to do. The secret to optimum air pressure for any tough, loose condition is as easy as using your fingers and eyes. I would assume that if you are a cyclist, you most likely have command over the use of both of these functions.

This isn't my secret, but it was passed along by one of the most experienced fat biker's on Planet Earth, Mike Curiak. He passed this on via the fat bike forum on mtbr.com, and I have pretty much verified his advice via my personal experience. Here's what you do:

• Let enough air out of your rear tire that when you sit on the bike, (fully geared up, preferably), you see one wrinkle in the sidewall of the tire. This will be a different air pressure for different folks, so a number won't do, and a range won't either, since varying the psi by .5lb can drastically change your results. Really. But that's all there is to it to start with.

Front tire? You can usually get away with more pressure here, and it will be important that you maintain a pressure high enough that steering is not adversely affected. Experimentation will be necessary, but I typically leave about 1-2psi more in the front. Maybe more if there is a lot of hard pack "in between" the softer stuff. You'll know if the front gets too low because the tire will  get to become self-steering more.

When the going gets rough and loose...

In cases where the snow is deep, loose, and shifty, you may even find going lower yet is better. I did this recently. I was at "one wrinkle", but the stuff was still giving me fits. I got off the bike, opened the Presta Valve, and tapped it three times: hiss, hiss, hiss- and closed it off, re-mounted, and what do you know? I was going right on forward like it was no big deal.

How much did I change the air pressure? Heck- I don't have a gauge that accurate to know, but it wasn't by much. However; in terms of "go-no-go" it was a huge difference. Now I was riding through stuff that only a minute ago I could barely make headway on. The result was air pressure so low that when I hit pavement I was bouncing on every pedal stroke. I stopped and aired up with 75 strokes of my Topeak mini-pump. That made a difference, but when I got home, the air pressure reading I got on my "base" measuring pump was something below 5psi! So when I had it low enough to get me through that wicked, loose snow, I bet I was waaaay down there! I do recall that I could almost bottom the tire out by leaning hard into it with the palm of my hand, so it was at a very low psi. But again- you do what ya gotta do to get through. Then air up.

Try that on your next fat bike ride in loose or fresh snow.

So, you want to race here? 

In another stunner, the UCI has a rule that states you can not race in events that either the UCI, or apparently, USAC does not sanction. (Read the Velo story on particulars related to this here.) If you do, you can be fined, according to their rules in place now.

So, why should you care? Maybe you are a gravel grinder kind of guy and this doesn't pertain to you. Or does it? Let's say you sign up to do a few early season crits, then to get into shape, you do a gravel grinder, unsanctioned, of course, and run afoul of this rule. Maybe you are a mountain biker, and you do gravel events, or an event that isn't on the USAC calendar. Could you be at risk?

Now while it may seem far fetched that USAC or the UCI would crack down on local or regional Cat 1, 2, or 3's, it would seem apparent that the cycling federations could if they wanted to.

And this isn't anything new, but it does seem rather Draconian. In fact,other racing series, (notably NASCAR), tried doing this as well. I can see why a racing series that relies on its star drivers, or core performers, to put butts in the stadium seats, would want to keep the congregation inside its church walls. However; USAC and the UCI can hardly claim that they are losing sales to "rival races" or series because they don't have fans in the seats. They might be afraid you won't choose their events to ride in though, and with the slew of "free, grassroots" gravel races cropping up and getting a lot of attention with big numbers now, the UCI and USAC may just start taking notice here.

Or maybe not. Either way, it is interesting to note that amongst mountain bike racers I have seen commenting on this, unless they are Pro, sponsored athletes, the majority seem to be thumbing their noses at USAC. So, tell me- "Just how does this help grass roots racing and raise up a new, enthusiastic, larger core of riders under the UCI/USAC banner?" I'll tell you what....it doesn't.

And most gravel grinder guys and gals probably won't care. Oh......right then. 

Nevermind.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and maybe you'll get outside to sled, ski, or ride a bicycle.

Friday News And Views

Welcome to the first Friday News And Views of 2013. This one will be pretty fat bike heavy! Tis the season. Here we go...

Air down!

Air Pressure: 

In the Winter, many folks want to test their fat bikes on the snow. Many of you out there may be first time fat bikers or may be curious seekers that are  trying to figure this out to see if fat biking is for you. If you get nothing else from this, keep in mind, if you can't ride through snow/sand, let more air out of your rear tire!

Of course, like anything else, it is a bit more complex than this, but hang on.... It is easy to figure out what to do. The secret to optimum air pressure for any tough, loose condition is as easy as using your fingers and eyes. I would assume that if you are a cyclist, you most likely have command over the use of both of these functions.

This isn't my secret, but it was passed along by one of the most experienced fat biker's on Planet Earth, Mike Curiak. He passed this on via the fat bike forum on mtbr.com, and I have pretty much verified his advice via my personal experience. Here's what you do:

• Let enough air out of your rear tire that when you sit on the bike, (fully geared up, preferably), you see one wrinkle in the sidewall of the tire. This will be a different air pressure for different folks, so a number won't do, and a range won't either, since varying the psi by .5lb can drastically change your results. Really. But that's all there is to it to start with.

Front tire? You can usually get away with more pressure here, and it will be important that you maintain a pressure high enough that steering is not adversely affected. Experimentation will be necessary, but I typically leave about 1-2psi more in the front. Maybe more if there is a lot of hard pack "in between" the softer stuff. You'll know if the front gets too low because the tire will  get to become self-steering more.

When the going gets rough and loose...

In cases where the snow is deep, loose, and shifty, you may even find going lower yet is better. I did this recently. I was at "one wrinkle", but the stuff was still giving me fits. I got off the bike, opened the Presta Valve, and tapped it three times: hiss, hiss, hiss- and closed it off, re-mounted, and what do you know? I was going right on forward like it was no big deal.

How much did I change the air pressure? Heck- I don't have a gauge that accurate to know, but it wasn't by much. However; in terms of "go-no-go" it was a huge difference. Now I was riding through stuff that only a minute ago I could barely make headway on. The result was air pressure so low that when I hit pavement I was bouncing on every pedal stroke. I stopped and aired up with 75 strokes of my Topeak mini-pump. That made a difference, but when I got home, the air pressure reading I got on my "base" measuring pump was something below 5psi! So when I had it low enough to get me through that wicked, loose snow, I bet I was waaaay down there! I do recall that I could almost bottom the tire out by leaning hard into it with the palm of my hand, so it was at a very low psi. But again- you do what ya gotta do to get through. Then air up.

Try that on your next fat bike ride in loose or fresh snow.

So, you want to race here? 

In another stunner, the UCI has a rule that states you can not race in events that either the UCI, or apparently, USAC does not sanction. (Read the Velo story on particulars related to this here.) If you do, you can be fined, according to their rules in place now.

So, why should you care? Maybe you are a gravel grinder kind of guy and this doesn't pertain to you. Or does it? Let's say you sign up to do a few early season crits, then to get into shape, you do a gravel grinder, unsanctioned, of course, and run afoul of this rule. Maybe you are a mountain biker, and you do gravel events, or an event that isn't on the USAC calendar. Could you be at risk?

Now while it may seem far fetched that USAC or the UCI would crack down on local or regional Cat 1, 2, or 3's, it would seem apparent that the cycling federations could if they wanted to.

And this isn't anything new, but it does seem rather Draconian. In fact,other racing series, (notably NASCAR), tried doing this as well. I can see why a racing series that relies on its star drivers, or core performers, to put butts in the stadium seats, would want to keep the congregation inside its church walls. However; USAC and the UCI can hardly claim that they are losing sales to "rival races" or series because they don't have fans in the seats. They might be afraid you won't choose their events to ride in though, and with the slew of "free, grassroots" gravel races cropping up and getting a lot of attention with big numbers now, the UCI and USAC may just start taking notice here.

Or maybe not. Either way, it is interesting to note that amongst mountain bike racers I have seen commenting on this, unless they are Pro, sponsored athletes, the majority seem to be thumbing their noses at USAC. So, tell me- "Just how does this help grass roots racing and raise up a new, enthusiastic, larger core of riders under the UCI/USAC banner?" I'll tell you what....it doesn't.

And most gravel grinder guys and gals probably won't care. Oh......right then. 

Nevermind.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and maybe you'll get outside to sled, ski, or ride a bicycle.

Project White: Introduction

Project Black- the Vassago Jabberwocky

Back in the Fall, I outlined a single speed build of a Vassago Jabberwocky I dubbed "Project Black". I tried, (in vain), to keep every component black and not spend too much doing it. Well, as you can see, a blue Chris King head set I had sitting around made its way onto this bike because the cheesy black one I had was about worthless.

Well, besides the sweet Thomson post, I didn't have to spend anything on this build, since I had everything else sitting around at hand. Once it was done, I was not all that taken with the looks of the thing. Well, as you can see, there is a lot of post sticking out, and a bunch of spacers under the stem too. Vassago, for whatever reason, builds with, what is in my opinion, too short a seat tube and head tube for the top tube lengths it specs. Since I go by top tube length, (I know- old school!), this puts me on a frame that has barely enough seat post insertion and more spacers than I like to see on my steer tube.

But looks are one thing, the way a bicycle rides is another. So I took out Project Black, (I think), on three rides which were, meh! Now before everyone goes off in a snit that likes Vassago bikes, I must say that there wasn't anything necessarily wrong with the Jabber, but there was not anything necessarily great about it for me. And as long time readers know, I have plenty of single speeds, so I can afford to be picky.

What's in the box?

So, the Vassago is on the chopping block. The parts will all be transferred over, (well mostly), to new frame. A single speed specific frame. The Jabberwocky, an 18"er, is now available to anyone that is interested. (Click the "Guitar Ted's Garage Sale" link for specifics.)

The new frame is not entirely something new to me. I used to have one of its predecessors. It is steel. It is white. It should be just as good as I remember the old one being, but we shall see.

My only question mark here is what I will use for a fork. Full rigid? I have the correct fork for that, by the way. Suspension? I have something I can put on this that should be excellent. Either way, it will be black!

Which brings up an important point. I am not going to try to get everything white on this one! No- I'll probably have plenty of black, and colored stuff here. I'll likely take a different tack with this build. I'm thinking trail bike. Sturdy, sure footed, wide tires and rims. I'm not worried about weight. If this comes out as I expect, I think it will be one of my go to bikes. A keeper, in other words.

So stay tuned as I detail out this build up and as the weather permits, I'll be back with some ride reports as well.

Project White: Introduction

Project Black- the Vassago Jabberwocky

Back in the Fall, I outlined a single speed build of a Vassago Jabberwocky I dubbed "Project Black". I tried, (in vain), to keep every component black and not spend too much doing it. Well, as you can see, a blue Chris King head set I had sitting around made its way onto this bike because the cheesy black one I had was about worthless.

Well, besides the sweet Thomson post, I didn't have to spend anything on this build, since I had everything else sitting around at hand. Once it was done, I was not all that taken with the looks of the thing. Well, as you can see, there is a lot of post sticking out, and a bunch of spacers under the stem too. Vassago, for whatever reason, builds with, what is in my opinion, too short a seat tube and head tube for the top tube lengths it specs. Since I go by top tube length, (I know- old school!), this puts me on a frame that has barely enough seat post insertion and more spacers than I like to see on my steer tube.

But looks are one thing, the way a bicycle rides is another. So I took out Project Black, (I think), on three rides which were, meh! Now before everyone goes off in a snit that likes Vassago bikes, I must say that there wasn't anything necessarily wrong with the Jabber, but there was not anything necessarily great about it for me. And as long time readers know, I have plenty of single speeds, so I can afford to be picky.

What's in the box?

So, the Vassago is on the chopping block. The parts will all be transferred over, (well mostly), to new frame. A single speed specific frame. The Jabberwocky, an 18"er, is now available to anyone that is interested. (Click the "Guitar Ted's Garage Sale" link for specifics.)

The new frame is not entirely something new to me. I used to have one of its predecessors. It is steel. It is white. It should be just as good as I remember the old one being, but we shall see.

My only question mark here is what I will use for a fork. Full rigid? I have the correct fork for that, by the way. Suspension? I have something I can put on this that should be excellent. Either way, it will be black!

Which brings up an important point. I am not going to try to get everything white on this one! No- I'll probably have plenty of black, and colored stuff here. I'll likely take a different tack with this build. I'm thinking trail bike. Sturdy, sure footed, wide tires and rims. I'm not worried about weight. If this comes out as I expect, I think it will be one of my go to bikes. A keeper, in other words.

So stay tuned as I detail out this build up and as the weather permits, I'll be back with some ride reports as well.

Triple D Winter Race: Training Log 6- Into The Paint Shaker

Surprisingly rideable....

Another New Year's day, another training ride. This one goes for 3.5 hours again but with less pushing, like the last log entry. Well......I could have gone the entire time without getting off, but I sought out harder paths. You know, for training purposes.....

The temperature was pretty frigid in the morning, and I slept in late, but by noon it was crawling above zero. A good sign. Then by the time I took off at 1:30pm, I had a "warm" temperature of above 10°F to enjoy! WooHoo!

The winds were light and the sun was out, so it looked great for riding. The recent traffic on the trail near my home has compacted down a nice route to ride on, albeit a bit bumpy. I suppose even a wide tired 29"er would have been good here.

That all changed a bit once I crossed Fletcher. There I had two snow machine tracks and it was a bit looser, but not bad, really. You might have been able to negotiate this on a 29"er, but it would have been sketchy, slow going. I was still cruising along at a good clip. Then Ansborough and it got a little deeper out here. Less foot traffic, but still enough of a snow machine track to support me. It maybe was a touch slower through there. Infinitely better than the last time I had ridden here a week ago.

I made my way to Martin Road and turned off to the right to see what I could do with the lake path this time. Last time I had a long hike-a-bike through here.

...and surprisingly bumpy!

Well, the snow shoe folk had beaten a path that was rideable- rough, but rideable, through to the main trail on Black Hawk Creek. I decided to go South to the rail road bridge and hike up the embankment to the hard surface trail, then back to Sergent Road.

But I didn't take the straight way there, and before I reached Ridgeway, I had been slowed to picking a line here and there. The going was definitely fat bike only by now. I noted a few new dead tree falls, and one that blocked the trail near Ridgeway. I stopped and removed it so the main way could be used again.

Once across Ridgeway I took the left trail after the entrance and went up. This trail hasn't seen enough traffic to get the shifty snow packed in yet. It was like riding through sugar with a mashed potato base. Not much good for anything but hike-a-bike. So I walked that section until the trail re-joined the more trafficked sectors.

Once I reached the rail road bridge, I dismounted and climbed up to the trail in hopes that snowmobiles had traversed through there. You never know- the trails are not for motorized use, so it could have been nothing, or just a single pass. Both would have meant hike-a-bike for quite a long ways. Fortunately, the trail had seen plenty of snowmobiles and it was easy going here.

Inspired by GNAT

Once I reached Highway 63, turned left, and headed down the Sergeant Road Trail again, I hit on some awesome drifts that had some snowmobile traffic over them. It was super cool to be riding over three to four foot drifts without punching through.

It was the confirmation I was waiting for over a year to get. The knowledge that at the right air pressure,  Big Fat Larrys on my Rolling Darryls would be just enough to float me through deep, snowmobile trail. Still, I was wondering what a couple of Bud 4.8"ers might do on Rolling Darryls for my riding in these conditions. I bet it would be about the best. While I had considered a 3.8"er on the back, I think that extra big casing is what is keeping me from punching through, and 100mm rims are just not all that necessary here. Not that it wouldn't be nice to have, but with clearance being limited, I don't think I'll go that route with my Mukluk.

Anyway, back to Martin Road, going back to the lake and hitting the opposite shoreline, then punching through the cedar trees, through the little creek run off, and hike-a-bike to the top of the dike. I rode to the Green Belt Trail and took it back to the Ansborough trail head, then back to the Sergent Road Trail till I got to the cut-off to cross 63 and over to Summit Avenue. That takes me only a few more blocks, then back home again on alleyways and city streets.

It was a great afternoon on the bike, but the main order of business was negotiating miles of really bumpy trail. I was about to give a vital organ for a suspension fork yesterday, I'll tell ya that much! My hands and shoulders were a wreck after that one. But another great effort in the log on my way to Triple D.

Triple D Winter Race: Training Log 6- Into The Paint Shaker

Surprisingly rideable....

Another New Year's day, another training ride. This one goes for 3.5 hours again but with less pushing, like the last log entry. Well......I could have gone the entire time without getting off, but I sought out harder paths. You know, for training purposes.....

The temperature was pretty frigid in the morning, and I slept in late, but by noon it was crawling above zero. A good sign. Then by the time I took off at 1:30pm, I had a "warm" temperature of above 10°F to enjoy! WooHoo!

The winds were light and the sun was out, so it looked great for riding. The recent traffic on the trail near my home has compacted down a nice route to ride on, albeit a bit bumpy. I suppose even a wide tired 29"er would have been good here.

That all changed a bit once I crossed Fletcher. There I had two snow machine tracks and it was a bit looser, but not bad, really. You might have been able to negotiate this on a 29"er, but it would have been sketchy, slow going. I was still cruising along at a good clip. Then Ansborough and it got a little deeper out here. Less foot traffic, but still enough of a snow machine track to support me. It maybe was a touch slower through there. Infinitely better than the last time I had ridden here a week ago.

I made my way to Martin Road and turned off to the right to see what I could do with the lake path this time. Last time I had a long hike-a-bike through here.

...and surprisingly bumpy!

Well, the snow shoe folk had beaten a path that was rideable- rough, but rideable, through to the main trail on Black Hawk Creek. I decided to go South to the rail road bridge and hike up the embankment to the hard surface trail, then back to Sergent Road.

But I didn't take the straight way there, and before I reached Ridgeway, I had been slowed to picking a line here and there. The going was definitely fat bike only by now. I noted a few new dead tree falls, and one that blocked the trail near Ridgeway. I stopped and removed it so the main way could be used again.

Once across Ridgeway I took the left trail after the entrance and went up. This trail hasn't seen enough traffic to get the shifty snow packed in yet. It was like riding through sugar with a mashed potato base. Not much good for anything but hike-a-bike. So I walked that section until the trail re-joined the more trafficked sectors.

Once I reached the rail road bridge, I dismounted and climbed up to the trail in hopes that snowmobiles had traversed through there. You never know- the trails are not for motorized use, so it could have been nothing, or just a single pass. Both would have meant hike-a-bike for quite a long ways. Fortunately, the trail had seen plenty of snowmobiles and it was easy going here.

Inspired by GNAT

Once I reached Highway 63, turned left, and headed down the Sergeant Road Trail again, I hit on some awesome drifts that had some snowmobile traffic over them. It was super cool to be riding over three to four foot drifts without punching through.

It was the confirmation I was waiting for over a year to get. The knowledge that at the right air pressure,  Big Fat Larrys on my Rolling Darryls would be just enough to float me through deep, snowmobile trail. Still, I was wondering what a couple of Bud 4.8"ers might do on Rolling Darryls for my riding in these conditions. I bet it would be about the best. While I had considered a 3.8"er on the back, I think that extra big casing is what is keeping me from punching through, and 100mm rims are just not all that necessary here. Not that it wouldn't be nice to have, but with clearance being limited, I don't think I'll go that route with my Mukluk.

Anyway, back to Martin Road, going back to the lake and hitting the opposite shoreline, then punching through the cedar trees, through the little creek run off, and hike-a-bike to the top of the dike. I rode to the Green Belt Trail and took it back to the Ansborough trail head, then back to the Sergent Road Trail till I got to the cut-off to cross 63 and over to Summit Avenue. That takes me only a few more blocks, then back home again on alleyways and city streets.

It was a great afternoon on the bike, but the main order of business was negotiating miles of really bumpy trail. I was about to give a vital organ for a suspension fork yesterday, I'll tell ya that much! My hands and shoulders were a wreck after that one. But another great effort in the log on my way to Triple D.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!