Sand Trap

Yesterday I rode from the Mall of America to Bloomington Ferry Road, via the Minnesota River.  The spring floods had deposited a lot of sand on the trail, making some stretches unrideable.  I did a lot of walking yesterday...

Long Meadow Lake trail, the first section of this route, was in great shape.  The Fish and Wildlife Service had cleared most of the sand from the trail, and it was rideable all the way to Hwy 77.

Beyond Hwy 77 hadn't seen any maintenance, and deep sand covered the trail in many spots throughout the remainder of the ride to Bloomington Ferry.  I should have switched the 700x35 rear tire to a 29x2.1, oh well.  There were also many sections between 77 and Lyndale that are already overgrown.

When there wasn't any sand the trail was tons of fun.  It was a gorgeous, warm day with clear skies.  The sunlight and blue sky peaking through the canopy made for some beautiful scenery... it was an awesome day to be in the woods.

And the Fargo felt great - smooth, comfortable, and the big wheels helped get me over all the branches and logs on the trail.

Crossing 9 Mile Creek isn't always possible, so I was glad to see I had the option.  The raft is stuck mid-stream, but I crossed on the decked tree (which is useable, although partially submerged at one end).

With the exception of all the sand and some overgrown sections, this is a really fun route.  It is very flat (which is good for my current fitness level) and brings you through some really pretty scenery... from open fields to dense forests with gigantic cottonwoods.

Ride The Divide

The movie "Ride The Divide" will be showing for one night at the Riverview Theater in South Minneapolis on Tuesday, June 15th.  "Ride The Divide" follows three racers on the continental divide route... a +2700 mile route from Banff to the Mexico border.

Check out the trailer here.

Salsa Cycles is sponsoring the event.  More info about the Mpls screening here.

MWBPC8

Midwest Bike Polo Championships - Minneapolis, MN May 22-23, 2010

Huge props to Mpls Bike Polo, Inc. and all those that helped put on this awesome event.  Forty-four teams from all over the US (and at least one from Canada) came to town for the biggest hardcourt bike polo tourney the Twin Cities has ever seen.

The team I was playing on didn't make the cut the second day, but we had a lot of fun playing, hanging out, and watching some of the best polo players in the sport.  And thanks to Deschutes Brewery for the 4 free kegs of beer for Saturday night's post-polo party... I had forgotten how much I liked Black Butte Porter.

Some more pics from day 2:

Fargo

I got my new Salsa Fargo frameset built up this weekend, and took it out for a test ride...

With the exception of the headset and front brake, all the parts were taken from my previous "All-Rounder" bike.  The Fargo is a big improvement over it's predecessor, which was simply a 29er frame with a long, uncut steerer and a tall stem.

Component highlights include Titec J-Bars, Ergon Grips, front and rear Topeak bags, and a Cane Creek Thudbuster ST seatpost.  It currently has a Ritchey SpeedMax tire on back that will likely be switched to a Maxxis CrossMark to match the front.  The uncut Fargo fork allows me to run a second, lower stem to mount a couple lights and a bell.  The beauty of the Titec bar is the variety of hand positions it offers, and any accessories (like lights) mounted on the J-Bar will use up valuable real estate.  The lower stem holds a small section of handlebar to mount accessories, and is low enough to keep the the lights from being blocked by the handlebar bag.

The Topeak Compact Handlebar Bag fits very nicely between the extensions of the J-Bar:

The cool, rainy weather finally subsided, and this weekend was gorgeous.  I got the Fargo out on a 50 mile test ride; mostly pavement with a little dirt and a few miles of gravel.  The Fargo handled great, and doesn't suffer from any front-end shimmy like my 29er did (it's nice to be able to confidently ride no-handed again).  The tall front end provides the comfortable riding position I am looking for in an 'all-rounder' kind of bike.  And it's nice to be back on a steel frame.  I am very impressed with the Fargo so far...

The only issue I had with the build was the fork disc mount; the alignment of the fork mount put the lower Avid BB-5 caliper mounting bolt too close to the rotor, and the mounting bolt washers hit the rotor.  A few minutes with a metal file on the washers created enough clearance.  Something to keep an eye on.  Other than that, it was a piece of cake to build.

A big thanks to Salsa Cycles for making such a cool frameset (and in an XXL size!).  And an even bigger thanks to Hiawatha Cyclery for such great service - they have truly set the bar up a notch when it comes to service.  I recommend Hiawatha Cyclery to anyone and everyone looking for a non-traditional (or traditional, depending on how you look at it) bike build.

Returning To One's Roots

Recently the idea of packing up my mountain bike and gear, driving to a trail, and riding a looped trail in a park has lost some of its appeal.  Don't get me wrong, I love riding singletrack trails like Theo Wirth, Lebanon Hills, and Murphy-Hanrehan.  But this spring I've also really enjoyed riding right from home, especially when I'm exploring a new park/trail/route.

I feel like I've returned to my roots, so to speak.  I first began mountain biking in the late 80's as a way to get out of the house, learn the city, and (most importantly) explore the local woods.  I began to see the bicycle as a viable form of transportation, not just recreation.  My fondness for biking is the main reason I didn't get a driver's license until I was in my 20's.  Later I attended college in Montana, where I could bike to the mountain bike trails right from town... traveling by bike was part of the experience.

After moving back to MN, I got in the habit of driving to the trailhead.  What's missing when I drive to a trail?  It's the feeling of actually going somewhere on my bike... the feeling that I've travelled some distance under my own power.  And it's compounded by the fact that most singletrack trails are packed into relatively small areas.  I may ride (and thoroughly enjoy) 5-10 miles of singletrack, but since many local trails cover the same terrain over and over, it doesn't feel like I'm actually going anywhere.  The whole experience seems to be missing the "traveling by bike" component.

I have a feeling this summer will include a lot of rides right from home... and hopefully a lot of singletrack too.

Camera Bag

Today I tested out a camera bag to hold my DSLR.  It's a small Tamrac camera bag that I mounted to a hip belt pad from a camping backpack that I don't use anymore.  Many years of being an avid backpacker has left me with a bunch of webbing, buckles, and straps... and crappy knees ensure that it gets little to no use.

Recently I've been moving gear off of my back and onto my bike, which I think makes riding much more comfortable.  It's been surprisingly nice to ride without a Camelback. The one thing I'm not sure about putting in a bike-mounted bag is a camera.  It just seems like a DSLR would need extra shock absorption... the kind provided by my arms and legs.

I had been looking around for a pack to hold my camera, and just my camera.  All the waist packs I found online or in stores were too big and bulky, and so were the backpacks.  I wanted a minimalist camera pack that sat low on my back, and I just couldn't find one.  So I made my own...

I'm sure there will be improvements made, but it worked really well for the first time out.  I'll likely add some more attachment points between the camera bag and the hip belt.  I may also try configuring it like a low-rider backpack with some lightweight shoulder straps (sort of like the packs Wingnut makes, if you are familiar with them).

May Day

I did a fun loop today... Minnehaha Falls > Fort Snelling > Sibley House > MN Valley Trail > Hwy 77 Ped Bridge > Long Meadow Lake Trail > Light Rail > Minnehaha Falls. Ended up with 20 miles of actual riding (part of the loop was on the Hiawatha Light Rail).

The spring floods deposited a LOT of sand and debris on the south side of the river (MN Valley Trail), especially between 494 and 77.  I had recently switched to a Ritchey SpeedMax CX tire in back, and it was far from ideal in the deep, fine sand.  The return ride on the Long Meadow Trail was much better - the only sand I hit was right near Hwy 77 where the trail is close to the river.

It was a great ride, especially the sections that were clear of sand/debris.  It was nice to see all the green; both on the ground and in the canopy.

After riding in the woods for a couple hours it is strange to pop out right by the Mall of America, and all the hotels and parking lots.  The Long Meadow Trail ends 2 blocks from a light rail stop.  Very convenient, but it's strange to go between two very different environments in such a short distance.