Headin home

Looking forward to seeing Hottie and speaking English...

France bike

At the end of last year I contacted Doug Curtiss of Curtlo cycles about building a new frame. My rain bike frame was showing signs that made me think the end was near. My travel over the past six months has reinforced the notion of having a travel bike. I did the math and the savings on downstream travel made this a viable option. Doug is a skilled craftsman who makes a stellar bike that he sells at a very market friendly price. He isn't fast and I had to place my order and look the other way while biting my OCD tongue to keep from harassing him week by week.

 

The bike arrived a month ago and has proven to be all I had hoped. Doug built my Cyclocross frame a few years ago (and repaired it after a crash for almost nothing) and I am a huge fan of his work a well a his philosophy on bike building.

I opted for the S&S couplers and after starring at the joints in disbelief and carrying the coupling specific wrench, I have concluded the bike is solid. The geometry matches my road bike and when I set it, up using my measurements, it was an algebraic test to see if after setting up the saddle height and setback, and putting on the correct number of spacers on the fork, would the bars be in the proper X-Y coordinates? Yes. Thank you Doug.

I went for the matte black finish as I wanted the bike to be all business. I collected the stem and seat post after some patient eBaying. If you look close you will spot the only "France-specific” part, that would be the monstrous 32 tooth silver tortilla of a back cog. In talking with my more experienced companions they all said you can't be geared too low. Call it fear, or practicality for an old Evo, I made the call and should be able to climb, albeit slowly, up whatever I come across in France.

I got a deal on the magic case and I'm getting psyched for France.

The ride is awesome and I couldn't ask for more. Compliant, yet stiff enough when climbing, i have dubbed it Velo Noir.

I know I don't deserve such a fine rig, but I won't say anything if you won't either..

Panaracer Rivendell Rolly Poly Tire Review

Almost a year ago I bought a set of Roly Poly 28mm tires for my commuter.  I considered Gatorskins and the Specialized Armadillo, but out of love of the sport, I went the Rivendell route and bought a set of these babies.

They are amazing.  I've put over a thousand miles on them and haven't had a flat.  I even ride with a frame pump.  Based on the Chouinard principle (if you carry bivouac gear you'll bivouac, if you carry rain gear it will rain, if you carry a frame pump, you'll get flats, get it?) I should get flats all the time.

I should note I ride these through anything andy don't even work to avoid ugly stuff much.  Glass, road salt, gravel, crushed rock, the bark that makes up the Shire trail.  Nothing phases these monsters.

How do they wear?  See the boxes that look all checkerboard-like? Each box has diagonal tread that alternates direction.  A thousand miles and the little diagonal tread is still there.  I wonder if I park my bike under some pyramid that channels cosmic energy. Kind of like the guy who keeps his razor under a pyramid and hasn't had to change a blade in five years...  The wear is beyond epic, it's Devine.

They make my cheap frame feel plush and since they are fat I don't fret  about pumping them up every day. This morning I did pump them up and they were about 50 when I started pumping, so they were about that for my ride earlier this week.

Let's summarize what we've learned children; they wear like steel, they ride okay, I can't imagine what you have to do to get a flat, and they cost less than those fancy schamancy tires from Europe.

Five out of five.  A bargin at twice the price.

More Bike to work

Then I hit traffic.  The bike lane is my friend..

 The sign that instills a false sense of security

 Traffic traffic traffic

 Welcome to work

 We keep our windows so clean we can see ourselves

Bike storage room.
After work I went home...

Back through The Shire..

Evo en route

This is the tree that marks the ten mile mark on my way home..

Bike to work month 2012

The machine ready to roll. Lights and bright colors

This is the gate I have to negotiate at six in the morning.  Luckily there is a gravel approach..

The cockpit is all business.  I'm almost two minutes into my ride...

Quiet streets

Crossing Edmonds way

Time for a sip of coffee...

The entrance to The Shire is deceptivly stealthy

Low light and fast rolling make this wooded trail blurry

The golf course is next door

Pay attention on this corner or you'll be eating bark. (Excellent cyclocross skills training)

This is usually where I see the Maiden of the Shire.  Not today..

Continued on the next entry...

Three weekends to go

 

When I started laying out training plans for the Alps trip, I had over 3,000 miles of riding. If you will allow me 20 miles of variance, I'm right on track. We went ninety last Saturday and I lived a pretty normal life Saturday afternoon and evening. If not for the remodel, I could have done it again on Sunday. This isn't to say I wasn't tired, but I wasn't crying either.

I am down to the short strokes on equipment selection. When your list gets down to things like sunscreen you are sitting pretty. I had planned on starting to cut my food intake in mid May, but my weight has been going where I had hoped.

I keep looking at the calendar and having a moment of panic, the remembering that My training is on track. I am doing some reconnaissance via the Internet of some of the climbs we will be doing. Talk about intimidating.

I think one of my strengths is recovery. This will be key to my survival in the French Alps. I am anxious to see if I still think recovery is an Evo strong point come July...

Warm, Sunny and Long

El Hefe getting his "Rural" on.

Two groups departed from Seattle and after fifteen miles the other group turned south and we continued north toward Snohomish.  We were all in good spirits with sunshine and warmer temperatrues.   The miles just flew by.  I didn't dig deep, we just rode tempo.

Dave (Head like a Kite) joined for the full ride.  Check out the shades.  With a straight face he said they were, "actually pretty good for cycling."  

Dave F is smiling because his feet are warm and dry.  This is what he was dreaming of during the Medina Marge (gross socks) ride in March..

McWoodie and El Hefe leading Dave and the crowd through the aromatic eastern parts of King Country.

By the time we were done we had over ninety miles and just under 5,000 feet of climbing.  It is wild to think that I've had ninety mile months, and then ninety mile weeks, recently ninety mile weekends, and now ninety mile days.