Thursday at Murphy

This week I finally got the Fat Front Fisher up and running for the season.  In the summer I move the 100 mm Pugsley fork from the 1x1 to the Fisher so it can fit a fat front set-up.  I run the same headsets and brake levers/calipers on both bikes, so the switch only takes 10-15 minutes.  

The 1x1 gets 2.5 Maxxis Hookworm tires in the summer and the stock 1x1 fork provides plenty of clearance, along with a steeper head angle for quicker steering.

I hadn't been out to Murphy since there was snow on the ground, and a visit was way overdue.  It seems whenever I go to Murphy I see someone I know... yesterday it was Mike and PK.  I hadn't seen Mike since last year sometime and it was good to catch up.  Mike was just passing by, but PK was meeting the rest of the Salsa crew to do a photo shoot of the new 2010 Salsas.

It was appropriate they picked Murphy for the photos.  QBP, Salsa's parent company, helped pay for the trail construction.  PK was also part of the crew (along with myself) that did the initial design of the new Murphy singletrack.

Gnat was there on a fat front El Mariachi with (what looked like) a Surly Larry tire and a Fat Sheba Rim.  I didn't get the chance to talk to him in the lot, but I figured I'd see him on the trail.  Somehow I never caught up to his group.  I was hoping to ask him about the bike he was riding... how he liked the fat front, what he thought of the Larry, and of course to tell him that I'm a big fan of his blog.  I'm tempted to buy a Larry to replace the 2.7 Nevegal up front, but the Larry is just so damn pricey and I'm wondering if it's a noticeable improvement over the Nevegal.

I look forward to seeing the Murphy pics on their website and/or in magazines.  Hopefully they got a pic of someone riding the 61 skinny or the 63 Rock Garden.  Those are two trail projects I am particularly proud of...

The trail had a few slick spots and mud puddles, but overall it was in great shape and a fun ride.  The Murphy singletrack is maturing nicely.  It's not as smooth as it was when it first opened, but it's not overly rough either.  That first season was great riding... once it got packed in, the trail was like butter.  Tons of fun.  But trails are dynamic, and will never be as smooth as the day they opened.  A good, sustainable trail will eventually find an equilibrium between smooth and rough.  I think that equilibrium is still a few years off for Murphy.

Murphy is still a comfortable ride on a (somewhat) rigid bike, but rougher than it once was.  I'm interested to see the trail in a few more years... it should be even more rugged.  The day was warm, a bit hazy from fires in Canada, and the bugs were out in full force (two ticks and a whole bunch of mosquito bites).  A summer day on Minnesota singletrack... it was great.

Over the winter I had picked up a set of Suntour XC Pro thumbshifters, and am using the rear shifter on the Fisher.  It was nice to have indexing for the 3 speed drivetrain - with the old friction shifter it was difficult to find the middle gear.  It still needs a bit of adjusting, but it was a big improvement.  I might even try adding a fourth gear.  Or maybe even build up a 7 speed to match the shifter... we'll see.

Rides of Summer I

The ride I had planned for earlier in the week kept getting postponed due to weather and bike projects, but yesterday I finally found the time.  I drove out to the Luce Line for some gravel and dirt (and a little pavement).  The Luce Line Trail, a railroad bed converted into a crushed limestone trail, runs from the city to central Minnesota.  It's a beautiful trail that takes you from the suburbs to farm country.  

I took the trail out to the Ox Yoke Lake area, where I headed north on the local gravel roads toward Lake Rebecca Park Reserve.  Although I was running low on time, I ended up riding some of the dirt/grass/gravel mtb trails in the park.  Lake Rebecca is a beautiful park with lakes and ponds surrounded by rolling hills of grass and forests.  I'll be sure and devote more time to exploring the park next time I ride this route.

The gravel roads between Lake Rebecca and the Luce Line had enough moisture so dust wasn't an issue, but some of the hills took their toll on my energy.  I ended up with a bit over 40 miles, and the last few were pretty rough... my lack of riding over the last few weeks definitely shows.

I recently made some additions to the Fargo... a sort of beginning of summer gift to myself.  Specifically water bottle cages for the fork, a new 3-ring crankset, and a front derailleur.  The drivetrain changes were noticeable improvements - I appreciated having the big ring on some of the gravel downhills, while the granny ring came in handy on the mountain bike trails.

Summer!

Work wrapped up last week, and summer is finally here!  Expect more frequent posts.  Some projects, both around the house and bike related, have kept me busy and off the bike.  The weather hasn't helped much either... so far in June we've only had 2 or 3 days without rain. I'm not a big fan of getting muddy.

But not for much longer... we had some big storms roll through our area tonight, and starting tomorrow the forecast looks much drier.  I hope to get out on the Fargo in the next couple days for some gravel, and maybe a bit of dirt (if it's dry enough).

Here are a couple pics of today's post-storm sunset.  The sky was pretty crazy this evening... 

I like the approaching plane in this one...

Ride The Divide - Part II

Tuesday's screening of the film Ride The Divide was simply incredible.  So good in fact, that I am ordering a copy of the film.  Thank you to Salsa Cycles for sponsoring the event... it was awesome seeing the film on the big screen.

The 2010 Tour Divide Race - the self-supported, one stage race (2745 miles) along the Continental Divide from Banff to Mexico - is going on right now... and last year's winner, Matthew Lee, is currently leading.  Info about the race, the route, and a cool real-time race map showing where each racer is on the course can be seen at the Tour Divide website here.