Getting Fatter

Last weekend I treated myself to a pre-holiday present...

The Rolling Darryl really spreads out the Nate nicely.  This tire was made for a wider rim like Darryl...

The Rolling Darryls provide more width and lighter weight... a very welcome upgrade for the PMP.  The new rim requires that I remove the disc caliper from the 100mm Pugsley fork when installing or removing the wheel, but that is a relatively quick and easy process.  I built it up this weekend, but haven't had a chance to test ride it yet; maybe tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to trying out the new combo in the snow.  And I'm really looking forward to modifying the frame to fit this combo in the back... unfortunately that will have to wait until next year.

The long weekend also allowed me to get out for a group ride on Friday night.  It was an unseasonably  warm, humid fall night with temps in the 50s.  According to a local weather website it was warmer when I got home at 12:30 than when I left the house at 8:30.  Crazy.

It was a big group this week (8 riders), and the pace was a bit faster than usual.  I can usually keep up alright, but I was feeling the weight of my Fargo "road bike" last night.  In its current state the bike weighs over 40 lbs (without beer)... and a lot of the guys last night were riding lightweight road bikes.  In hindsight I probably should have switched tires and left some of the extra tools/supplies at home.  I rarely have mechanical issues and those 50mm Big Apples weigh a ton.

In other news my welding class is winding down.  I only have a couple lab days left, but I should have enough work time to finish another project... a storage rack for wheels and tires (both of which I've acquired a fair number of over the years).


Stopping is half the fun...

First Snow 2011

It snowed in Mpls for the first time this season... which has put me in the mood for winter riding.  I got out for a short ride this morning, but not on my fat bike.  Last night I set up my Fisher GED for winter riding and wanted to take it out for a test ride.

It was nice to be out riding in the snow again; the cold air on my face, the crunch of the crusty ice, and the soft silence of riding through fresh, untracked snow.  Being that it is so early in the season, the snow had turned to ice on most of the roads... I had forgotten how the challenge of staying upright turns even a short errand into a fun bike ride.

This is the bike I'll be running studded tires on for the winter.  I'm hoping for good creek riding conditions this season.  Last year was pretty bad.  This year the dry autumn means the creek is running low and slow.  Once we get consistently cold temps, it should make for some good riding.  Regardless of the fact that the snow and ice will probably be gone by this weekend, it was nice to see the white stuff on the ground and the ice starting to cover the creek.

I was planning to run my DIY studded tires, but now I'm thinking of getting a pair of 45Nrth studded tires for the GED.  The 45Nrth Arcwelders are a 2.1" knobby tire with 268 studs, and are less than $60 a piece... that's quite a bit less than a lot of studded tires our there.  I'm guessing the studs aren't as wear resistant as some other tires, but with the amount I use this bike, and the amount of pavement it'll see, I think the Arcwelder will fit my needs just fine.  I should probably just put new studs in my DIY tires, but it's tempting to try some purpose-built studded tires.  We'll see...

On a side note, my welding class is about 1/3 over and I finished my first project.  It is a simple, low stool made out of carbon steel tubing and plywood.  Nothing fancy, but should be a nice seat for when I'm working on my bikes.

Now I'm trying to figure out what else I can make during the last few classes.  I'm thinking some sort of bike stand.  I'm really looking forward to when it is warm enough for me to head out to the garage and start working on some real bike projects with better tubing, brazing rod, and flux.  For the time being, I'll keep practicing, acquiring tools, and sourcing supplies.  Later this winter I plan to start putting together a jig for my first real bike building project.


Stopping can be as fun as riding...

Moonlander

Surly brought a Moonlander over to a local shop, Hiawatha Cyclery, for test rides on Saturday.  I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't resist...

The thing was awesome!  And it was light, especially compared to my tank-like Poor Man's Pug.  The Clown Shoe rims made my Marges look skinny (and heavy), and the Big Fat Larry tires were absolutely enormous on the 100mm rims.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the Moonlander, but I certainly didn't expect it to ride so nice.  The weight was probably a big part of it, but I was surprised how dramatically different it rode from my plump bike.  It was just so smooth, and it rolled really, really well.  The extra volume of the fatter rims/tires was definitely noticeable.  Being a tall clyde, this bike is very appealing to me... I want all the volume I can get.  After riding the Moonlander yesterday, I'm trying to figure out how to piece together a bike that'll fit the Clown Shoes and Big Fat Larrys.

I also liked the feel of the MicroShift thumbshifters.  It's great to see someone bringing back this style of shifter.  Some of us have been waiting a long time for a company to produce a quality thumbshifter again.

Today I went for a ride with PR along the MN River; from Sibley House to Nine Mile Creek, and back.  During the ride I kept thinking about how nice it would be to have a Moonlander... especially while I was fishtailing through the particularly deep, soft sand sections.

This was the third weekend in a row that I've ridden the sandy river trails.  I keep telling myself this will be the last nice weekend before winter sets in, so I have to take advantage of it by going for a long ride... but we just keep getting nice weekends.

Shortly after getting onto the MN Valley Trail we came across this buck and a doe... the buck wasn't too happy with us.  I think we were cramping his style while he was trying to impress the doe...

At noon we stopped at some old lawn chairs along the riverbank, and had a much deserved lunchtime beer.

This may have actually been my last trip along the MN River for a while, at least until it's covered with snow.  Four weekends in row might be a little much.  If it's nice again next weekend, I'll try to hit some singletrack for the last time this season.  Winter has got to be right around the corner...


Stopping can be as fun as riding...

River Ramble

I awoke before dawn on Saturday... a rare thing for a weekend.  But I was excited to do so because that morning was Gnat's River Ramble.  I've been a long time reader of Gnat's AWESOME blog and was looking forward to meeting him.

It was a beautiful morning for a ride in the woods... unseasonably warm and windy.  I rode through South Mpls, past Minnehaha Falls, and through Fort Snelling State Park.  When I hit the state park I had the option of taking the commuter trail along the highway, or the trail through the park.  Given that the headwind was making an already slow ride slower, I chose to take the wooded trail through the park... I have to admit, in the early morning darkness it felt like I was riding through Sleepy Hollow.

I spent the night before getting the Poor Man's Pug ready for the ride.  I put the Nate 3.8 on front, and a 2.7 Nevegal on back... this is the set-up I was thinking of using for the fast approaching snow-riding season.  I had a tough time deciding between the 2.35 Vredestein Bull Lock and the Nevegal, but I figured since all the other riders would be on fully fat bikes, I should go with the fattest possible rear tire.

Post-Ride Photo at Minnehaha Falls

After riding the Nevegal on Saturday I think I'll be switching to the Bull Lock.  The Nevegal has a lot of traction and is one of the fattest tires on the market that'll still fit in the frame, but it is just so heavy and has such a thick, stiff casing.  The Bull Lock has a surprising amount of volume for a 2.35" tire, it's light, and it has a nice supple casing.  If Vredestein made this tire in a 2.7 or 3.0, I'd be all over it.  

I got to the Sibley House with plenty of time to hang out and meet the other riders... the crew included Ben, Eric, Brian from Hudson WI, a local guy named Chris, PK from Salsa, and of course Gnat.  Everyone was super cool; it was a lot of fun to talk and ride with other fat tire fanatics.  In all we had five Mukluks, one Pugsley, and my plump frankenbike.

The seven of us started out in the grey light before sunrise, but were soon riding in the dawn's golden glow.

I've ridden the trail through this area many, many times... but today was different.  Much of our time was spent off-trail bushwacking.  Nearly every year this area gets wiped clean by the spring floods.  It makes for a fun fat bike playground... riding in and out of the sparsely-spaced woods, through leaf-covered sand, and over countless downed trees.

We would jump back on the trail whenever the downfall got too dense to ride through, and cut back in as soon as the woods opened up again.  It was fun to explore an area that I've simply passed by on so many occasions.

I was a little worried about my drivetrain since the derailleur hanger is welded onto the stock 1x1 dropout, but the only issue I had was some intermittent chain suck.  Understandable given the riding conditions.

After a couple hours I said my farewells, and headed back home.  Five of the original seven riders continued upstream.  PK had to get back early too... it was nice to have some company for the ride back to Mendota.  By the time I arrived home, I had ridden about 23 miles.  A HUGE thanks to Gnat for organizing such a fun ride.  If it happens again, I'll be sure to allot more time so I don't have to skip out early.

On my ride home I stopped at Minnehaha Falls Park for a much needed snack...

This is the pergola overlooking the deep valley just after the falls... it's where I got married over 8 years ago.  Stopping here reminded me of what a great wife I have.  One of the many, many reasons being that she puts up with all my bikes, bike talk, and time spent riding and working on bikes.  After I got home, took a shower and had some lunch, we both took the dog down to Fort Snelling for a hike.  Then pizza and a movie.  Normally I like to sleep in on the weekends, but this early morning ride thing is pretty slick... I got a fun ride in, and still had plenty of time for family.

I'm interested to hear how far the rest of the riders made it, the adventures they had, and I'm especially looking forward to seeing the photos they took.  Below is one of my favorite photos I shot yesterday... the blur isn't an effect I added, it happened on its own.  I like the sense of motion you get when you look at the in-focus area between the two bikes.  It makes me a bit dizzy if I look at the full size pic for too long, but I really like how it turned out.

What a day!  Thanks to everyone that made it such a great one.


Stopping can be as much fun as riding...