Wonderbike!!!

I received my latest copy of "Bicycling" magazine, a periodical published with the sole intent of promoting the emptiness of any bicyclist's bank account. The latest foray into ridiculousness (in my opinion) is the multi-page spread devoted to promoting 27.5 inch wheels on mountain bikes. Hmmmm, just a year ago, the same periodical exclaimed the wonderful virtues of the all new 29 inch wheels on mountain bikes, and how they were faster, surer, more stabile, and an all round wonderful reason to spend $5,000 to $10,000 on a new mountain bike that would be able to handle the increased tire size with a larger frame. Never mind that even six footer's aren't able to touch the ground with both feet while straddling the frame....... Just ride, don't worry about the ground ..... it'll be just fine, you'll see. So now, the 29's are starting to gain acceptance throughout the sport, after much promoting by bicycle frame and component and tire and wheel manufacturers. And now, we are faced with yet another blitz from all the same people, but especially the media who now proclaims that well, maybe the 29's weren't all that wonderful a replacement to the 26 inch after all, they do have a few weaknesses...... although, we'd never call them by that name. But... a new, hot off the presses wheel size is taking the bike industry by blitzsturm  .... an all new size that promises to do everything the 29 inch can't do, and overcome the weaknesses of the 26 inch sizes...... it's a new   .....ready for this...... 27.5 inch tire. It'll climb stronger, descend faster, jump higher, and make anyone into a superrider... Just switch over to the new tire size, and you'll win every race you enter .....even if you've never raced before. Hmmmmm ..... where have I heard this before? And even if you overlook my attempt of obvious tongue in cheek here, and really start believing the hype put forth by the media, here is a little more to consider .......

After reading all the below article, I think I will secure my fame and fortune by promoting an all new mountain bike tire size, 26 1/4 inch tire, one that will fly higher, jump further, climb faster, descend quicker than the "old fashioned" 26 inch size, and win every race you put it in. Of course, you will have to have an altogether brand new bike with all new suspension, rims, forks, and everything else matched together for this to happen. Of course, I'll be making these new wonderbikes as fast as I can to fill orders, but mind you, this is still a custom operation, and I already have a four year time lag after you order, so the prices will naturally have to reflect this. This new wonderbike will only set you back $12,000, a bargain considering what you can accomplish with it........ If you still want one, after reading below, I'll get started on yours after a bit.......

WHAT DOES TIRE SIZE "700 C" MEAN? February 19, 2005 What does the “c” in 700c stand for? My first guess would be, of course, centimeter, but a wheel with a diameter of 700 centimeters would be nearly 23 feet across! Thanks. Chris S. Chris: The "C" formerly indicated the width of the tire. 700-size tires come in a variety of widths and "A" once meant the narrowest while "D" meant the widest. Nowadays, the letters more correctly indicate tire diameter, for reasons that remain obscure—tho not as obscure as what that "700" really means. Let me elaborate. As you’ve obviously seen, bike tires have printed on their sidewalls a sequence of two sets of characters separated by "x". The first set, usually a number, tells you the tire’s diameter (measured, allegedly, at the bead, the circular piece of metal or plastic embedded into the tire that holds it into the rim). The second set of characters indicates the tire’s width, sometimes followed by an extra letter at the end to indicate, uh, the true diameter (I swear I did not make this up). It turns out that a 700 C tire actually has a bead diameter of 622 millimeters. So why do they call it 700? For the same reason a 2-by-4 piece of wood has neither 2 nor 4 as its dimensions; it really measures 1.5 by 3.5 inches, but "2 by 4" rolls off the tongue better, and probably sells better too. To complicate matters, a tire labeled 700 B has a diameter of 635 mm and a 700 D tire has a diameter of 587 mm. This bit of subterfuge doesn’t, however, stop at 700-size tires. It seems that you can’t trust any of the inch diameters, either: A tire labeled 26" might actually come in at around 24 ¼ inches (it varies by type of tire, believe it or not), while a tire that claims 27" might measure roughly 24 ¾ inches. It gets worse. The second set of characters, the width measurement, doesn’t cause much trouble if it appears in millimeters, as in 700 x 32 (usually shown as 700 x 32 C, with the C, as I said before, indicating the true diameter—in this case, 622 mm). The mischief arises if the width appears in inches. It sometimes appears as a decimal, as in 26 x 1.75, and sometimes as a fraction, as in 26 x 1 ¾. You’d think that a 26 x 1.75 tire has the same size as a 26 x 1 ¾ tire. In reality, the first one has a slightly larger diameter. Fortunately, you won’t usually get thrown by this amusingly chaotic measurement "system" unless you want to replace your bike’s wheel or install a tire having a different width. In that case, look for another designation on your existing tire, a designation having two numbers separated by a hyphen—e.g., 32-622. This designation, established by the trusty European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation (ETRTO), tells you, in millimeters, the width followed by the true diameter. Most new tires come with the ETRTO designation, so when replacing a tire or wheel you can ignore the "x" designation. By the way: Some call the ETRTO designation the ISO (International Standards Organization) designation. Don’t ask. Mr Bike

Haunted House Ride

Today was a Blustery Day, and not just for Pooh, but for the entire forty acre woods, all the creatures in it and all the surrounding woods too...... It was blowing so hard I thought I'd better choose a bike that would "stand up to the wind"......

Yes....the touring bike...... a chore to pedal into the wind, but stabil, and low geared for my foray into the wind on the way home. I'm not really sure why I always seem to plan my trips to where I have the strong wind in my face on the way back,  after  I'm already tired, but that seems to be the way I plan things.
So....it is getting close to Halloween, and I thought a Halloween theme to my ride today would be fitting. The sky was co-operating as well, as it certainly looked like it would become devastating at any time.

Another good reason to take the tourer, just in case it rained. Besides, I really needed the extra excersize as I've been working long hours all week, and this is only the second ride this week. It does
look like a perfect day to go looking for Haunts however......

It was also a perfect day to catch a few fleeting, still hangin' in there, wildflowers.

There were also Oklahoma Road Hazards ....

Ah, but wait.....you say..... you promised us GHOSTS....... Well, I did locate a few candidates.....
First one on the list was old, and vacant....but I just couldn't scare up any ghosts

The second was also a good candidate, but alas.... just couldn't find any ghosts willing to come out and play.....

A haunted barn perhaps.......nah, cow ghosts just aren't the same.....

But wait!!!..... What's this? Certainly behind this gate there is a story...... "But Boss, I know you distinctly told me, "measure once and cut twice"..... it still looked too short, so I cut it off again just too be sure, but I made it fit OK...." Surely behind a gate like this, and up the secluded little lane, past the "trespassers will be shot" sign, there must be something REALLY spooky.....

When the Hounds Of The Baskervilles came out to eat me, I knew I was getting close. Ahhhhooooooo ......

And so, my quest for the ultimate Haunted House continued ..... until I found THIS.........

Certainly a house worthy of the "Haunted" moniker. Isn't it amazing what you can find when you are on a bike. Lost in the woods, with a 50's car in the weeds out behind, it probably has ghosts galore. It was sooo haunted in fact, and the ghosts that came out to challenge me were so strong, I barely escaped with my sanity intact. I jumped back on my bike and raced up the road only to hear behind me the wail of the "Headless Bikesman"....gaining on me with every pedal stroke.....oh why.....oh why....didn't I take the fast bike? Alas, there was no escape, and as he overtook me, I heard the swish of the sword through the air, and zip..... I lost my head......

Fortunately for me, after feeling around a bit, I found it........

And so, I was able to continue home without further incident, but hey..... "Mums" the word......

How Big's The Meatloaf!

I was asked by my friend Jim to write a blog post about rides that I've intended to do, and maybe some I've decided not, and why, so I'll give it a stab. I'm not much of one to show my cards before the hand is played because I might have to fold 'em. But, I'll give this a try and see where it goes.

My tastes in most things run a bit contrary to what you might find most people attracted to, and so, this also affects my choice of rides to do as well. For example, instead of paying $100 a plate for a three snail French dinner at a classy restaurant with a stuffy French waiter, and $50 a glass for wine, I'd much rather go to a hole in the wall diner, for a huge slice of meat loaf, and a beer for $5.95 and a sassy waitress to serve fun as well as food. So, when I was thinking about rides to do, my ideas may run a bit contrary to what you might think. Bicycling magazine just ran an article about the best rides in every state...... 50 of them. Lots to choose from there for sure, but after looking through them and realizing that sure, they are certainly the cream of the crop, there really wasn't any I'd put at the top of my list. Why?...... this is hard for me to answer, but it goes like this..... the one in Colorado was the Mt Evans road, certainly a worthy challenge. The highest paved auto road in the U.S. Five or six hours of climbing, toppping out at over 14,000 feet, certainly a worthy accomplishment. Just not mine! It goes up to the top, and then you turn around and come back down the same road ....... where's the fun in that? Here's where my different mindset comes into play. Jim suggested my thoughts on this when I posted this picture......

Two of my three bicycles, the other being a less adventurous road bike. The one, a factory made touring bike, capable of a heavily loaded tour around the world if you wanted, the other, a mountain bike, capable of light to moderate loads over rugged terrain, but probably much shorter trips. Both are important to me in their differences, as adventure is what these two are all about. So, what would I rather do instead of the Mt Evans ride....... well two come to mind. Mosquito Pass in Colorado, a rough and rugged mountain pass that jeep drivers brag about when they get over it. 13, 183 feet in elevation, and rough, rocky, and a tough climb to boot. A very worthy adversary. And....not just up and down.....but a mountain pass that I could combine with Weston Pass for a loop. Actually going somewhere, and coming back via a different route. A new challenge in each direction. Now this is my cup of tea.
While I'm in Leadville, there is yet another that I've looked seriously at, and this one is probably the more do-able of the three, and the most likely to get done by me. Hagerman Pass from Leadville over to Basalt, unpaved most of the way, but not nearly as rough or rugged as Mosquito, just longer. The return for this would be back over Independence Pass and back to Leadville. This is very do-able, and should make a really nice two day ride for the adventurous soul. Both of these I would take the mountain bike and plan on motels. Expensive motels, more than likely in that neck of the woods.
Other off road rides I've looked at and some that I am considering if I live long enough are
1:    Michelson Trail in South Dakota. This is very do-able for a two day ride, and shuttles are available to return you to your start. (For a fee).
2:     Katy Trail in Missouri..... at one time near the top of my list, and very do-able. I would take the train back from probably Washington instead of going all the way to St Louis and trying to find my way through a big city to the downtown Amtrak station. The train fare is cheap, and the ride is well known. So well known that it kind of relegates itself down the list several pegs. Peak time makes it very difficult to obtain affordable lodging, camping is hit and miss, and not always where I might want it to be. I've planned and planned on this one, and in the course of many plannings have cooled off on it a bit. Still in consideration, but not near the top.
3:     The Cowboy Trail in northern Nebraska. This would indeed be a nice ride. 193 miles in length, scenic and historical. I just haven't found a way back yet, and really don't care to do it both ways. Not even a bus route goes there. I'll keep looking, and keep thinking.
4:     A couple of trails (Womble Trail) in Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma, but these are rugged, tough single track, and not as appealing as some of the easier ones in other areas. Unbeatable for scenic beauty though. Much better if I was thirty, than seventy.
Why not Moab, people ask....... Moab is certainly the Holy Grail among bicyclists, much scenic beauty, challenging terrain, and the idea that you could ride where everybody in the country wishes to go. If I wanted to do that..... maybe the New York Gran Fondo would be next. Maybe some day, if I can plan far enough ahead to reserve a motel room 6 months in advance, and bring plenty of money. I'm not ruling it out, as there are a couple of organized rides there that would be very nice indeed.
5:     There is an overnight tour that I am going to do. It's in the works, and it'll happen next Fall if I'm still around. I've investigated motel rates (affordable lodges), and the rest of it goes with my idea of a good time too. I'm driving to Chama, New Mexico, staying in a lodge there,  Then riding my bike over Cumbres Pass to Antonito, Colorado, spending the night there at the 1911 Hotel, and taking the historic steam train back the next day. I love old steam trains! Wait a minute..... why not the original, the famous, the one everybody else wants to do..... the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge. For the same reason I like meatloaf over a fancy French dinner. But also, because the road from Chama to Antonito is very lightly travelled, no huge busses, motor homes, travel trailers, trucks, and the like that you'll find on the million dollar highway. To me, anyway, it's just a better choice.
6:     A ride that I've looked at, and I think is fairly do-able, although I've not researched it very well yet is another Colorado ride. From Gunnison up the unpaved portion of Cottonwood Pass, turning off before the summit to the old ghost gold mining town of Tincup, then continue up and over Tincup pass (another VERY rugged jeep trail) back to U.S. 50 and return to Gunnison. Probably primitive camping on this one, which means a too heavy a load for the mountain bike, and maybe Tincup pass would be a bit too challenging for the fully loaded touring bike. It'll take some more investigating.
7:     I've also looked at a southern Utah loop that would amount to about 750 miles or so when completed. It is, however, pretty far down my list because of the vast distances, long ways between water and food stops, and generally would require a lot of advance planning. It would be a beautiful trip, and a memory maker for a lifetime though. Just not sure how practical it would be on a bicycle. Maybe better for a motor cycle.
If I live long enough, there is a circle of Michigan and Wisconsin, and back across the upper peninsula and return along the lake Huron coast that I'd like to do. That one would be mostly camping (many campgrounds) and includes a ferry boat ride (historical old boat) across Lake Michigan. Looks like a fun ride. Maybe some day. So, as you can see....my plate is heaped full of dreams, maybe some will come true, probably most will not. That's why I don't usually open my plans to others, because, (a): I might try and fail, or (most likely, b): I may just never get to them. I'd rather dream up my own rides than I would ride someone else's idea of a wonderful ride. So, there you have it, a symposium of some of the rides I've been considering for the future. At least one of which will get done. There are probably many more that I have thought of that just didn't make this list, but if I get all these done, I'll be at least 122 years old when I finish the last one.
So, how many of these will I get finished? I guess it depends on "How big is the meatloaf", and whether or not my eyes were bigger than my stomach, as my Grandmother used to be fond of saying, when I'd pile my plate too high with something I liked, and then couldn't finish.

Bison Bicycle Classic 2012

This is always a big deal here in Shawnee and not only does the local university get involved, but also our club and the Bicycle Shoppe. This year promised to be the biggest and the best as almost 400 participants were registered. I had registered for the 50 mile ride, and when I got up and checked the radar, I started having second thoughts. There was a huge amount of rain just to the south of us. After watching the radar for a while though, I felt that it would never make it this far north. Still, there was this nagging doubt..... I went back and forth.... should I take the road bike and no rain gear, should I take the touring bike, and rain gear....... the touring bike won out.

Starting out in the morning, a pretty good crowd was already at hand when I arrived.

My friends and companions for the ride.....

The weather stayed nice until the ride started, then pretty smiles like Holly's were hard to find. Still, everyone I talked to had a great time, even with the weather. Once we got started, the rest of the ride looked just like this......... Rained the entire ride

Still, the rest stops were manned by smiling happy people, and the goodies were simply the best! This is one ride, I could gain weight riding. All home-made treats, some in fact fresh made from The Groove Bakery and Pizza, a local bakery.

After this, there isn't many more ride pictures because I was reluctant to drag my camera out in the wet. It had already gotten a bit wet even in it's little baggie, so I waited until the end.  Barbara Smith, in the yellow rain coat, Ciria, Connie (I always seem to catch her with her mouth full), and Jim Vernon, one of the people who brought this wonderful ride to fruition.

And.....your's truly, after the ride, and still smiling!!!!

Smiling maybe, because I knew there was a ton of fresh baked pizza from The Groove waiting for us.

This ride, put on as a joint effort by Oklahoma Baptist University, and our Pedalers Cycling Club is rapidly becoming one of the premier rides in the State. Kudos to all that worked so hard putting this ride on, and weather not withstanding, it was a success. A lot of work and effort goes into putting on a ride like this, and the average rider doesn't have the foggiest idea of what it takes to make one of these work. This one is one of the great ones. Every year it gets a little bigger and a little better. Just can't wait until next year.

Gold Belt Tour

A Mountain Bikin' Experience!!

Fresh snow on the high peaks in the distance as I leave Canon City behind.

Something a little different this time, a mountain bike tour up in the Rockies. Starting in Canon City, Colorado, and heading up the (my phrase) infamous Shelf Road to the gold mining towns of Cripple Creek and Victor, and then back down the old rail route of the Cripple Creek and Florence Railroad, and back to Canon City. Leaving the motel in Canon City, I immediately started climbing as soon as I turned left out of the driveway. Originally, I was planning to stay at the only haunted hotel in Victor, but changed my mind and figured I could loop it instead as my time was somewhat limited. Shelf road starts out paved, and easy grades through some ranching country starting up the canyon.

I was already about 5 miles into the ride when I came upon this sign ...... it didn't seem too bad... But then, I didn't really know what was in store for me yet.

After about nine miles up the canyon, the road turned into a righteous mountain bikin' road...

Yours Truly heading up the Shelf Road.

As you can see, there are no guard rails anywhere, and the drop-off is immediate, and a long ways down. It's still gentle here yet.

Looking back the way I came.

Ah, yes ..... I think things are going to be getting interesting from here on.

Like this, maybe ....... This little hill was typical of the rest of the ten miles up the canyon. When I arrived at this part, I was already in my lowest mountain bike gear (22/34) and was unable to climb any further..... it was hike-a- bike time. I thought these forays into walking my bike were tough. I almost couldn't stand, and my walking pace was slow. Believe me when I say that pictures just don't do it justice. Of course, altitude came into play here as well, and the fact that I couldn't just slow down any past the 1 1/2 mph I was already travelling to lighten the load on my lungs a bit .... at least without falling over.

This is a view of Window rock, up above the road, a natural arch about three quarters of the way up.

Window Rock from the other side.

After 30 miles of climbing, hardly a down anywhere, I was getting crampy, the legs were sore .......and.... it was 12:30pm by then, and I was starving. So, down into town I went, looking for a place to eat.

Victor is an old Gold mining town from the 1800's that hasn't gotten modern like Cripple Creek. For one thing, they don't allow gambling. Cripple Creek has as many casinos as residents, and for me anyway, it has ruined the town, Victor is still a quaint little old-fashioned historical town, virtually unchanged from it's heyday. As I'm rolling through town I spy a town constable ....... if anyone knows where a good place to eat is....it'd be the town cop! "Hey officer" .... he turns around..... "Is there a decent cafe in town".  "Sure, just go down to the next block and turn right, you'll see it, it's a bakery, but they serve sandwichs"....... "OK, thanks" And so....that's how I found this.....

And inside ...... I found THIS!

I did all I could do to finish it, but there was a half pound of roast beef, plus all the veggies, and I had to leave a couple of bites. This being a bakery, the bread was still fresh from the oven. A half loaf of fresh baked bread, split, and filled with what ever he had. It was yummy. He was from Germany, and was a bicyclist. He rides round trip to Cripple Creek every so often (12 miles, paved) on his heavy touring type bike. He thought I must be Superman for coming up Shelf Road. Made me feel good anyway. It was tough, probably one of the toughest, longest climbs I've ever done. Anyway, after a full belly, and some nice conversation, I departed. "Be careful about going down Phantom Canyon, been a lot of bear sightings on that road lately".... "Oh, OK, thanks".... And, Off I went.

This is the town of Victor after leaving and starting up the Phantom Canyon Road. One of the mines is evident up above. Victor still has a couple of operating mines. I read in a booklet in the bakery that one of the mines has taken out 930 million ounces of gold.

 Stopped to take a picture of the Aspen turning color ....

And while I was putting my camera away, a jeep came down from the road I was turning up. "Is this Phantom Canyon Road?" I asked.....    "Yes, it is, just go up here about two miles and turn right, and you'll be on it". "Thanks", I replied.  "It's mostly downhill all the way to US 50" he said ..."Should be an easy trip if you live through it"..... Ah....wait a minute here.... "Live through it?" "Yeah, saw a sow with two cubs, yearlings from the look of them about five miles back, right on the road, and another lone bear about halfway down ...... well ......have a nice trip now"  ..... "Yeah, thanks, I'm sure I will"......Apparently, there have been a lot of bear sightings there lately because of the dry summer according to the local newspaper. It seems the bears really haven't been able to find enough to forage on to build enough fat for the long winter's sleep. Aw, Hell..... they wouldn't want to chew on an old fat bicyclist anyway.....  Anyway....still had a few miles of gentle climbs (about 3%) until I topped out and started down, and it was just soooo pretty.....

It was about here, I'd just had about all the up-hill I ..... and my legs could take. Bad leg cramps. Sit down on the road, stretch, hurt, stand and stretch....stretch too far....ahhh...there.... finally, relief. Stayed there a couple more minutes ..... it was just soooo pretty anyway, and when I got back on the bike, I could pedal without any more problems. The top was only a mile and one half anyway. Topped out around 10,000 feet before starting that long, long downhill.

Phantom Canyon road was very washboardy on the upper part, and hard on the bike, even with the mountain bike suspension, but as I got down in the narrower part with the tight blind corners, and the single track road (one car- one way), the washboard went away..... the cars couldn't go fast enought to knock it out. Still.... this is the route to take uphill for any sane rider, gentle grades for 25 miles or so, nothing past about 5%, and that only the last couple miles in the  tight switchbacks near the top, most of it around 3-4%, steady grade, all the way. It IS dangerous .... there are blind corners, and the road is narrow with steep dropoffs.

But, there are also cool tunnels ......

A rugged interior. A good example of hardrock tunneling.

As well as several bridges, a couple looked original.

Heavy wooden planking on this one, well worn!

There was always a danger of falling rocks from above in the narrow canyon, DEFINITELY....wear your helmet!

There were a couple of rest stops along the way that were located in the area of old coaling and water stops for the trains. A welcome relief, indeed.

And so.....finish dropping down the canyon, another tunnel, a couple more bridges, and finally back to civilization.

The Abbey... a Catholic Monestery and winery. This is right in Canon City.

They grew their own grapes, and had their own winery. A very impressive place. They offer tours, but I was too late that day, and wasn't staying, but leaving early in the morning. Maybe another time. I understand they have wine tasting at the winery........

Just a few more miles, and I was back. 62 miles total, it was a tough, but rewarding ride. Certainly a different type of ride for me, but I'm so glad I decided to do it. Long drive up there, and sore muscles the day after yet. The legs hurt from the trip up, and the shoulders, arms, back and hands from the trip down, so I had a well rounded ache all over. Didn't miss much of me. Would I do it again. Well.....the answer is kind of like this. Going up Shelf, by the time I had gotten to Victor, the road almost defeated me ...... but stubborness won out......barely! It was a close thing, but there'll be no re-match. A smart rider knows when it's time to rest on his laurels. The reward was a mexican dinner at a local restaurant. The dinner was so-so.....BUT....I got a chance to drink a couple of Fat Tire Ales. Been wanting to try them for as long as they've been advertizing, but they don't sell in Oklahoma. Got my chance..... good beer, stout, with a lot of hops and flavor, and a pretty good kick.
Oh yeah......did I get ate by a bear?....... didn't even see one, but that was alright by me.