Fastslow

December 27, 2013

This is a post about a very sensitive issue ... at least sensitive to many riders. The effect of tire size and weight on the speed of the ride. This is completely an unscientific report, completely without merit, or malice. Just some of my own observations, and thoughts over the passage of time. First of all, when I got my touring bike, I wanted to get the largest tires I could get on it. Why? A couple of reasons. I felt that a larger, stronger tire would hold the weight better and roll easier than a skinny one that has to be pumped up to 120 pounds just to keep the rim off the pavement. I have since loaded this bike up to a total of 72 pounds touring weight, pumped the tires up to the max on the sidewalls, which is 65 pounds, and went for a weekend ride. The bike not only handled the load excellently, it handled well, and rode superbly.
Still, however, many other riders have told me that in their experience, I really ruined the riding aspects of the bike. It's going to be really, really, really slow, slow ..... oh ..... did I mention it's going to be really, really slow!!! I even had one rider suggest that I should change the tires to skinny's, pump them up to 120 pounds, change out the wheels to lightweight wheels, Take the racks off, take the fenders off, and especially, take the kickstand off, and while I'm at it ......  change.... Hey, wait a minute ..... it's a touring bike, I already have a fast road bike.  Well, I did have the feeling of it being slower than my road bike, kind of like guiding an ocean liner down the road .... but yet..... it was oh, so comfortable, so quiet that I could ride right on by dogs snoozing on the front lawn and not get their attention until I was well past..... then the dog jumps up, gives a "what the hell was that" look ... and retires sheepishly to the back of the house. "I didn't see him, Pa .....I was behind the house".... So, as you can see, there were still some advantages even though the bike was slow. Of course there were other differences besides the tires. Overall weight was a lot different between the two bikes as well, gearing was different, there were a number of things to take into consideration.  Let's look at the two bikes in a couple of photos to compare.
First, the road bike. 15 pounds of carbon fiber racing bike. Light, responsive, skinny high pressure tires, the latest and greatest tires that Continental has to offer in size 700/25. I used to run 23's until I realized that there was only a very few grams (12) difference and the 25's rode much, much better. For general use, I run 110 pounds of air in them. It's great fun to ride!

Secondly, the touring bike. Heavy duty frame, cro-moly front fork, big gears, triple crank, luggage racks, and 700/42 tires, on 36 spoke heavy duty rims. With an unladen bike, just as you see it here, I run 40 pounds of air pressure in those big heavy Continental Touring tires. The tires, are heavy at 900 grams each, but very strong, and capable of holding up a great deal of weight. Obviously, a much heavier bike, and it is at 30 pounds, double what the road bike is.

This is an early photo of the tourer and I have since put the Brooks saddle back on and broke it in properly. I didn't like it at first, and replaced it with a Fizik, but after putting it back on, and riding a thousand miles on it, I wouldn't have anything else. It also is heavy. I've had people tell me that the Brooks saddle alone will cost me a couple miles per hour.

Well, let's see. A couple weeks ago, I took the road bike on a local ride that is almost exactly 50 miles. The wind was light at 6-8mph from the SW. There are a number of rollers, and one stretch that is a long shallow upgrade into the wind. The 50 miles took me 3 hours and 28 minutes and I averaged 14.6 mph. So...after being constantly reminded by riders about how much speed all this extra weight and big huge tires cost me, I decided to take the tourer on the same route ... just as you see it in the picture .... rack, trunk bag, and one water bottle. The day was very similar, the temperature was close to the same, the wind was SW at 6-8mph, and the route was identical. The outcome ..... 3 hours 47 minutes and the average speed was 12.9mph. Same hills, same wind, same everything. 1-3/4 mile per hour difference in average speed over 50 miles. With the tourer, I was relaxed, comfortable, and felt good, although a bit tired at the end of the ride. With the road bike, I was more tense, found myself looking at the speedometer a lot, ended the ride feeling a bit sore in the shoulders and neck and arms, but otherwise okay, and also a bit tired. 

I'm sure to some riders one and three quarters of a mile per hour and twenty minutes of riding time would be a disaster. To me.... not so much. I enjoyed the rides, both of them, and came to the conclusion that there is a lot of unnecessary hype in the bicycling industry put there by young, competitive people who would sell their soul for a mile per hour. Maybe the same type who would pay $500 for a pair of designer jeans, when $20 Wranglers do the same job. I'd rather just get on my bike and ride, enjoy the day, the scenery, and the pleasure of going somewhere on my bike If you want to race, you'll have to race by yourself, 'cause I'm here for fun.

A Little Fun In The Snow

December 8, 2013

Third day now below the freezing mark ..... I'm about to succumb to cabin fever. I was out on the roads a bit earlier in the day, and the secondary roads were still very icy. We had some freezing drizzle this morning which made things even worse. So .... not going to chance getting out on the roads even on the mountain bike. I've got a decent spin bike here inside .... but after 3 days of riding that, I've managed to bore myself to near death. It will, give me a heck of an interval workout in 45 minutes, which is about all I can stand of it. Notice my little fan addition clipped on the handlebars.... a six dollar wonderful gadget that may not keep me from sweating entirely, but does keep it down to a manageable level.

First, before I venture out on the trail, there are some things I change. Clip on pedals come off. Clips and cleats both get packed full of snow and don't work all that well, and with snow, and slippery conditions, when I need to stab a foot ..... I need to do it right now! So, a 15mm wrench and a few minutes .... turn both pedals to the rear to loosen, and both pedals to the front to tighten, I soon have platforms on. A lot of people worry about left and right threads, and which pedal has which ..... just remember that simple rule, and you will never again tighten a pedal to death trying to take it off.

And then it's "hit the trail" .... and not literally, I managed to stay upright. The ground under the snow never froze because we had snow before the bitter cold temps arrived and the snow insulated the ground and kept it from freezing hard, so there has been a little thawing from underneath even though the temperature outside has never been above 25 degrees. Still, it was challenging and fun, especially on the uphill parts.

A bit more open takes the worry of crashing into a tree away.

And .... you can see from the smile that I'm having fun. No fancy riding clothes out here, just practical clothes for the conditions. It IS 25 degrees and a 12 mph breeze.

Back through the trees again.

I finally got enough confidence in my ability to set the camera, run to the bike, get on and start pedaling without falling over, and do it all in the ten seconds that the self timer gives me. So, you get an action shot coming towards the camera.

Because this is all on my property, I can leave the camera mounted on the tripod while I go dashing around the trail for a bit, and do so without worry. Normally, on most road rides, or public trail rides, I wouldn't take the big tripod, but here, it's such a nice convenience to get me into the pictures.

I wasn't out but about an hour all told, but had a lot of fun slipping and sliding, dashing and thrashing. Finally, however, I had enough, and called it quits, picked up my stuff and went back to the house. I'm ready for it to warm up a bit! At least enough to melt the ice on the roads. Happy Trails!

Two Lakes Ride

December 3, 2013;

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma;

When the City of Oklahoma City rebuilt our cross-town freeway, they also included a beautiful pedestrian bridge in the form of an eagle (artistic license here). I'm sure to satisfy the whim of our many Indian Tribes who have some very beautiful art of their own. I would have liked to get this at night as it changes colors constantly and is just absolutely beautiful. Taken through the windshield and on the fly, but it turned out OK to put on here anyway....

Normally, I don't post these little 32 mile local rides like this on here, but, I complain much about the lack of bike routes and pathways in this State. We do, however, have several, both in Oklahoma City and in Tulsa, and they really are first rate. So, today, I headed out with a mission, to acquaint all of you with at least one of OKC's premier bike path rides. This ride circumnavigates both Lake Hefner, and Lake Overholser in Oklahoma City. Both of these are man built lakes as Oklahoma has no natural lakes in the state. It is a combination of bike path, and marked bike lanes, and is really very nice. I started out at the marina on the east side of Lake Hefner, and it was breezy enough for a few sailboats to be out. It had been very foggy again this morning and was still burning off, but the sun was coming on strong.

There were also a few thousand (here and there) of Canada geese. All bent on keeping the lawns trimmed and well fertilized in the off season.

And....many, many seagulls. Oklahoma City is a long way from the sea, but there are seagulls here.

There were also fast movers ...... A balance I suppose for us slow movers.....

After I got halfway around Lake Hefner, it was time to get off on surface streets and navigate the city roads for a bit. Much was like this ..... four lane car traffic, a skinny bike lane, (right side of the solid white line) but not a terrible amount of traffic, so it was indeed tolerable.

After the short jaunt on Wilshire Road, it was time to get back on the bike path again. And yes, it looks as though it goes up a tiny incline ...... and it actually does. Hey .... something needs to break the monotony. The wind was a headwind at this point, and unlike further east in the State, there is little to break the wind here, so even a little is noticeable.

This is an example of the marked bike lanes, both sign and road markings, very good.

Starting around Lake Overholser.

Time for a selfie ... I had stopped to peel off my tights as it was warming up a bit. Not quite warm enough to take the jacket off quite yet, however. That came later...... sort of an undress as I went sort of ride.

Talk about getting your ducks in a row .... oh wait ....these are geese....

It was also a beautiful day to walk your dog by the lakeside.

AND.... if the geese and seagulls weren't enough water birds, how about some pelicans. There were several large flocks around, but they were a long ways off, and this fellow seemed to want the publicity, so I used him here. He was quite photogenic. Somehow it always surprises me to see pelicans in Oklahoma. I've seen them before, But I would think I would be less surprised to see them in Louisiana. We ARE a bit of a ways from the sea.

 

 

This is one of those big flocks, a combination of seagulls and pelicans.

 

 

This fellow on the trike was not only pickin' 'em up and puttin' 'em down ..... he was talking on the phone at the same time ... Try THAT on your two wheeler.

Some very nice homes along the inlets. What a backyard, eh?

There was some rescue activity, which I believe was actually a training mission. Nobody appeared to be too excited anyway. Nice equipment.

I thought it might be a tad chilly in the water for an afternoon swim, but it didn't seem to bother these guys in the least.

 



 

Loved the logo on the back of the unit.

 

 

 

 

This might be time for another selfie ... but I was setting up the camera to take it and a nice gentleman stopped and offered to take it for me. Another little segment of Route 66 under my spandex! AND, now ..... the jacket's gone too. Aren't those nice trunk bags handy!

I just love these old iron truss bridges. This one had to have been built when trucks were a lot shorter than they are today. Love the patina of rust. Looking at this, you would think it was in the thirties.

Ah yes .... it IS the thirties ..... maybe that's Tom Joad coming the other way, headed west ...... See..... because it was such a LONG tour, (83 years?) this was why I needed to take the touring bike

Did I mention I LOVE old iron truss bridges......

And .... if you have a flat, you can use the handy-dandy call box alongside the trail to call the Auto Club out to fix it for you.....

Finishing up my 32 mile circle, and what better image of all this water and seabirds and all than to finish with a lighthouse and marina.

This wasn't actually the last picture, but it looks like it should be. I took it into the sun and it turned out pretty dark, but such a nice picture to save for the last. I enjoyed the day, the ride was really nice, a thoroughly enjoyable 32 mile easy-does-it kind of ride.

 

 I had been out on the bike the last six days in a row, and was feeling a bit sore in the leg muscles. I felt I'd better get as much in while I can, because in two days time, we are going to drop from the high 60's to the low 20's have a couple inches or so of accumulating ice, and later 4-6 inches of snow on top of that. Ah, yes, Oklahoma in the winter ..... if you don't like the weather, wait around a couple of minutes, it'll change! But TODAY, ..... today was perfect!!!

 

A Gravel Odyssey

November 17, 2013:

Stillwater, Oklahoma;

It was a bright and sunny day ....(this isn't a mystery, if it was, it'd be a dark and stormy night) in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and the predicted high winds did not materialize, fortunately. There were some breezes of 10 to 12 from the northwest which were noted from time to time, but all in all, a 66 degree, clear, almost perfect day for a bike ride.

A short history of this ride .... it was thought about five days before and dropped on the bike shop's Facebook page when Salsa bikes Factory Reps were going to be there. (How's that for a short history). Not too often one gets to ride with factory reps. This was NOT an organized ride, no commitment, no fee, no sag...... but lots of fun. Gravel riding is becoming all the rage lately, and this group in Stillwater already puts on a 100 miler called "The Land Run 100" which is a gravel race. A very impromptu event like this one can be a lot of fun. Their description said "30 mile group ride, 10 to 12 av. no drop, re-group at corners" ......hey, this sounds like something I could do! So, I decided to join the other three riders from the Shawnee area and ride this gravel fun route. Of the four that went up from Shawnee, I was the only one with a mountain bike, all the rest had Cyclocross bikes. 'Cross bikes are becoming all the rage anymore. I suppose, a good choice for a bike owner with one bike. Light, easy handling, capable of both pavement and gravel roads, and fast, certainly much faster than a mountain bike. The ride started at 1:30pm on Sunday the 17th of November, Stillwater is only about an hour north of me, so, we decided to make a showing of Shawnee riders at their event, and carpooled up in two vehicles. The impromptu event was put on by District Bicycles of Stillwater, and as you can see, a great number of riders showed up for this event, around 40 of us in fact. Stillwater being a University town (Oklahoma State University), the average age of the riders was a couple years (or so) younger than me, but the diversity of age is what makes bicycles so attractive. Age isn't a dividing line, but instead a good chance for young and old to mingle and enjoy time together. I prefer thinking like that rather than the "age doesn't matter" that I hear from young competitors all the time. Age doesn't matter for a gathering of bicyclists, but, as far as this old guy is concerned, it most certainly does in a competitive event. We were all there to have fun, and fun was had.

 The inside of the shop was as neat as a pin! An old restored business building on Main street in downtown Stillwater, the restored interior and polished wood floors speak of an earlier era when times were slower paced.

Stillwater showed their interest in artistry and bicycles by combining art and bicycling together in this bicycle stand on Main Street.

There were a number of diverse bike styles there for this ride, everything from this Surly Big Dummy, who's owner liked to have a diversity of hand positions..... Jones "H" bars on top, with flat mountain bike bars under them.

A growing number of "FatBikes", like this one were also noted. These are getting to be very popular in this area, and there was around 6 of them on this ride out of 40 bikes. I chatted with one of the Salsa reps who was riding one of these and he told me his tire pressure was 8 pounds..... really .... who needs suspension! They appeared to be very soft riding. The rest of the bikes were pretty well evenly split between 'cross bikes, and mountain bikes.

This is the pretty young lady who belongs to the shoes under her bike... along with yours truly.....  snagged from the Stillwater club's photo page. (Keith Reed). 
 

The ride started out on pavement for the first couple of miles, and treated us to a slight downhill as we left the town behind.

Soon, however, the gritty nature of the ride became evident. This was very, very loose for a couple of miles and had the cross riders holding on tight. I didn't have very much concern with my mountain bike, it just slowed me down a bit, and the Fatbikes just roll over anything!

As we continued out into the countryside, the gravel improved for a bit, but the interesting thing about gravel is that you can't count on it to stay either good or bad. Hills are unregulated as to gradient, they just follow the contours of the land, surface can change from smooth packed, to loose, to washboard in the span of a mile. It does it's best to keep a rider on his (or her) toes.

A good shot of the Big Dummy rider and two of the Fatbikes all together. On flat ground, riders of these bikes stayed with all the rest of us, but when we got to the hills, it was a bit of a different story. The rider of the Big Dummy told me his bike weighed around 53 pounds the way it sat today, and the Fatbikes, while they could roll over anything, and had gears capable of climbing most hills, did so very graciously.

The backwoodsy area is starting to look like winter is just around the corner, so I'm glad we still are able to enjoy some nice weather for a few more rides.

A couple of riders coming down off a small hill to the rest of the waiting group at a "re-group" point. It was evident that this club had done a few of these impromptu rides before as everything was pretty well organized for an "unorganized" ride. This did make the ride so much more fun for everyone, especially for us "persons above college age", as we were able to stay with the group from time to time.

A picture of "The Old Man and the Bike" provided by one of the Stillwater club photographers.

Crystal is proof that one does not need to be neither big, nor fat to ride a Fatbike. This was her first experience with this bike and she did well ..... until we got into the really steep and long hills during the last seven miles of the ride. She sat at our table after the ride and enjoyed a brew with us and really didn't look the least bit worn down. She said afterwards that she loved it. Stillwater area bike clubs organize races just for these bikes and they are getting to be quite popular. I still look at them as a novelty, and don't think I would want to plunk down $2500 to $5000 for one.

After the ride was over, we all congregated at a little bar next door to the bike shop for a brew and conversation. This establishment served only liquid refreshment, but allowed us to bring our bikes inside. Two doors down, however was another bar, and while not quite as bike friendly (no bikes inside), they did serve killer sandwiches. Turns out that the sandwich place would deliver our sandwiches to the bar where all the riders congregated. So we ordered, paid and tipped the nice waitress who showed up with our sandwiches about 15 minutes later. All in all, the ride, the beer, the company, AND the sandwiches were awesome. The end of a great day in the country.