The Tsunami Rides

The Irish Tsunami and I have spent a lot of time on bikes lately.  Please do not confuse a lot of time on bikes with getting somewhere.  The important thing is that they are not in front of a screen.  Simon has been the most willing participant.  Simon loves to ride and he will go the distance.  I suppose with short legs, tiny tires, and training wheels it is the equivalent of a long distance; the dog year of cycling.  The problem with him is that when he is done…..he is DONE!  If we turn around to soon and get back to the car, he gets mad.  If we go too far and don’t turn around soon enough, he gets mad and protests by moving at snail speed. 

This bike is clearly too small.  Kids and bikes are tough since they grow like weeds.

Vance has been complaining that his tires are not fast enough.  A few years ago I bought Olivia a nice Giant kid’s mountain bike.  It came with ridiculous tires, huge lugs (like a kid is goint to ride through a swamp).   It is more expensive than a kid’s bike should be, but is easily on its second kid.  It has been worth it.  Two kids have learned how to ride bikes on it.  I had to replace the front brakes because they got damaged in an accident and I just replaced the tires with “faster” tires.  Appearently they work because he takes off and leaves us in his dust (which angers me because I don’t need him a half mile ahead). 

I am going for Father of the Year:  No helmet and standing on his bike frame.

Olivia is getting tall; she outgrew her bike (now Vance’s) last summer.  I bought her a new one for her birthday.   I may have crossed the line into excess but it was a great deal.  Again, I like to buy nice bikes for the kids, they take care of them and they last much longer than department store bikes.  It is crazy to think that I am buying my daughter a small adult 26” mountain bike.  

    

The Long Way Home

When I signed up for the RAGBRAI at the beginning of the year I initiated my tried and true training plan.



My preparation strategy was the same as before.

1. Ride as much as possible
2. Get a good set of tires
3. Drink a bunch of water
4. Shove my jersey pockets as full of Jelly Belly Caffeine Sports Beans and Pearson's Salted Nut Rolls


This is a tried and true recipe for success.  RAGBRAI is not for another month so really all I need to do right now is #1 the rest can wait, besides, diet Pepsi has water in it.  It is liquid..... The hard part about #1 is finding the time to put in the hours necessary to avoid pain on a 6 day bike ride across the state of Iowa.  I work long hours and the Irish Tsunami must be kept at bay, both of which compete for my time.  Not to mention I like to sleep sometimes.


The best solution is biking to work.  There is a reason that so many people drive.  Bicycle commuting requires planning, organization, and discipline.  The good thing is that I posses all of the qualities necessary to plan, organize, and demonstrate the required discipline; just not all three at the same time.  I have been riding the Ogre to work nearly every day and I can say that it takes everything I have to plan, organize my stuff, and the muster the necessary discipline to get up at 0400 in the morning shave and hit the road.  

Though it is painful to get up at that hour of the morning I do occasionally get nice views as I cross the Mississippi on the Government Bridge.

Old Man River is calm and happy.

The only problem with that plan is that it is only 16 miles round trip, hardly enough to get conditioned for 600 miles.  My solution is to take a couple of days and take the long way home.  Davenport provides ample opportunities with several great bike paths.  Most days, I am exhausted when it is time to go home and changing into commuting clothes is often a challenge.  But the long way home provides a great end to a long and stressful day.  It may not be enough but it fulfills strategy #1.

Tires.

I love my Ogre, it has been a pleasure to ride.  It is a touch on the heavy side to carry it up the flight of stairs to my office, but the feel and durability pay off on the harsh streets.  I recently purchased some Specialized Borough XC 700 x 45c tires.




 As far as a multi-use tire goes they are nice, low rolling resistance, a little traction for dirt, and the width helps prevent falling into the seams between the concrete sections of road.  My only concern is a lack of puncture resistance, though I have not had an issue yet.    

Ideally, I would like to get some Schwalbe Dureme 700 x 50c but at $90 a tire, I would have to sell a kidney.  Maybe someday when I am rich!

Every One Has a Story: My bikes tell mine.

I love bikes.  There are times I try to figure out why; they cause me to sweat, bleed, curse, and hurt.  The best explanation is that they make me feel timeless.  When ever I walk into a bike shop I feel the same as I did in 1992.  When I get on a bike and ride I feel the same as I did in 1998 (mentally, physically not so much).  My life is very different than I ever dreamed, however, there has been one constant:  Bikes.  I have done things that some would not dare and that others wish they could. I have lived an amazing life and I have scars (both visible and invisible) to prove it. I would not trade those scars for anything in the world. If I were to pass tomorrow I would be more than satisfied with the life I lived. By the way, I don't plan on passing tomorrow, there are many to many more scars left to get!

I love bikes and each of them have a story and have helped me heal some of the invisible scars. Here are their stories (and mine).

Salsa Las Cruces: aka Old Faithful

Over the years I outgrew my GT triple triangle mountain bike and stopped riding it. I had shopped for several years and couldn't afford the bikes I wanted. Then came a combat tour in Iraq. It was an opportunity to make a little extra money and a bike would be a great we to decompress from a stressful year.

I spent precious down time waiting to access the Internet so I could shop for the bike I wanted and could now afford. I wanted something I could ride just about anywhere and decided a cyclocross bike would be the best combination of speed, comfort, and utility. I fell in love with the Salsa Las Cruces' color. Every one needs an orange bike just like everyone needs a bike called Old Faithful.

Emily found a bike shop in Fairbanks, AK and ordered it so it would there when I got home in August of that year. Only I didn't get home in August. I got home 4 months later for a total of 16 months. Two days from going home we were extended and sent to Baghdad.


This was a dark (mainly because I did the night shift) and scary (I think I can say that now) time in my life. I had led an infantry platoon for a year and now I had four more months! While the Las Cruces hang in a bike shop half way around the world I discovered what true stress and sacrifice is.  Then I lost a squad leader to a sniper in a Baghdad slum. Most of those experiences and emotions I will never share publicly. However, Old Faithful has shared every one of those emotions. Over thousands of miles we have shared pain, sorrow, laughter, and a few tears have fallen on that orange painted aluminum.  To this day, this has been the most maintenance free bike I have.  It is definitely my favorite ride.

Salsa El Mariachi: aka the Red Headed Stepchild

I have always loved the outdoors and I have amazing memories of mountain biking in Montana with the crew from the Morning Light. Like so many young people, I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. So I mountain biked and all but lived at my friend Dan's house, his parents even set an extra plate for me at the table. Dan and I were far from great but rain, snow, or shine we rode.

I missed mountain biking and had abandon the purple GT in all of its purple anodized glory. I was looking at low maintenance hard tails with decent front suspension and as usual the price got in the way. At the time 29ers were common but only produced by a select group of manufacturers. The trend was to have a steel rigid 29er which saved a ton of money. 

It was a rough time in the Army and there was a lot of attrition. I was considering getting out when Uncle Sugar offered a retention bonus. I figured that if taking the money meant another year over there, I might as well get that El Mariachi.

I liked the options that Salsa advertised. It had a sweet stem painted to match the frame which allowed me to relive the glory days of purple anodizing. It had a 1x9 setup which met my goal of keeping it simple. It boasted a Bushnell eccentric bottom bracket so it could easily be set up as a single speed. Above all it had Salsa's beautiful detailing and amazing red paint that sparkled even in low light.

So why the "Red Headed Stepchild" (I will call it the RHS and no offense to anyone who may have red hair)?  This bike has been the least favorite and has caused nothing but frustration.  By far the least favored.  I ordered it and it arrived after a  grueling 36 hour Army induced ordeal.  Sleep deprived I drove to the bike shop to get it.  There it sat in it's beautiful red glory.  I took it home and adjusted the seat height (not checking the bolts that the bike shop should have tightened to hold the seat on) and went for a ride.  It turns out that no one at the shop turned a wrench on that thing.  The seat popped off, the eccentric bottom bracket shifted to the left and right causing the chain line to shift and in turn the chain jumped from gear to gear.  The cables wore through the red paint to the steel on the first ride.  The seat post would not clamp in place and I would have to raise it every half hour as the steel frame cut grooves in the post (I later learned about carbon paste which creates enough friction to keep it in place).  The tires were ridiculous, they were the widest 29er tire on the market and there was little to no clearance for mud which tore up the paint.  Then there was the recall on the beautiful matching red stem and just like purple anodizing, it was gone too.  So after countless trips to the bike shop for them to adjust this and that and find out that it was something else the bike fell out of my favor.  It is nice to ride but the EBB has always given me fits. 

I have now converted it to a single speed and I despise the EBB (something that Salsa has moved away from on subsequent models).  Maybe the bike was a mistake like taking the bonus.  But whatever, I have the bike and a job!

The Basso Lotto:  aka The Mistress.

This story begins a few years ago in a nice community called Mosul, Iraq.  During the course of a year I was patrolling this city, I was hit by four road side bombs.  This did not include the many rocks that hit me in the head (and fortunate for us no one was injured in Baghdad by the friendly guys dropping cinder blocks from an eight story building).  A friend of mine who was retiring recommended that I get this documented and get some testing done for mTBI.  "It will make it easier down the road." he said.  This turned into numerous trips to Portsmouth Naval Hospital and I don't think it made it easier.

This involved a long drive with lousy traffic (four times).  One day I noticed a small bike shop in Portsmouth and having some time I stepped in.  Nothing unusual, it was a bike shop like so many others.  Except a thing of beauty.  A 1994 Italian Lugged steel bike.  Just so happens it was my size.  It had never be ridden!  Fortunately for me most people don't have gorilla genes like the Irish Tsunami have.  It was perfect the guy never put pedals on it.  Outfit with a classic Campagnolo Chorus 16 speed components and white handle bar tape (which always looks hot until the first time it is used).  Never ridden!  It would be mine, it had to.  I will spare you more details and refer you to the following blog post.  The bottom line is that I had to wait a month or two to save and pay cash (Household 6 rules) and I was worried the whole time that some other tall guy who wanted a 16 year old bike would randomly walk and buy it.

She became mine, and I love her.  Though the 16 speeds are geared for racing and not for a great slow beast like me.  The last century I rode with it I cussed at the limited number of options.  Amazing bike with a pretty good story.

By the way, I have a hard head and apparently bombs and rocks made no difference to my average intelligence.

Giant Anthem X 29er:  aka the bike of freedom

I have never been overly interested in full suspension.  Mainly because I didn't understand it.  I always thought it was about cushioning the blow of rocks and roots.  Why would I want to spend a bunch of money on a complex bike when the point was to have the challenge of rocks and roots?  If I wanted a cushion I would sit on the couch!  I have since learned that it is not about cushioning the impact, rather, it is about keeping the tires in contact with the ground.  This means traction, which means control at higher speeds.

I volunteered to for a free trip to Iraq.  A couple of weeks before I was to depart, I still didn't have orders.  Then one day there were orders....to Islamabad, Pakistan.  I am still trying to figure this one out, it really shouldn't have happened, but it did.  Because of some "administrative" errors, I was unable to go on a mid-tour leave and ended up spending 350 consecutive days there.  It was a great experience, one I love, have fond memories of, and will always cherish.

It was also very stressful.  Not the same kind of stress that I had in Iraq.  I had my frustration, and trust me, after 350 days in Islamabad while watching friends come and go got to me.  It had it's scary times too.  Much like the the Salsa Las Cruces I was going to use this as an opportunity to get the bike I wanted.  I spoke to a friend at my preferred bike shop and told him I wanted a Felt.  He told me that I didn't want a Felt, that I wanted the soon to be released Anthem X 29er.

So I committed.  A lot, considering it wasn't even on the market yet and I hadn't had a test ride.  Again, the Anthem X 29er sat on the show room floor for some time before I was able to ride it.  I will never do this bike justice and it has made me a better rider.  I feel as though I have a ton of control, allowing me to step outside my comfort zone, which is an important place to be.  Admittedly, I wreck more on this bike than any other, but it is because I am testing my limits.

Every time I ride it, I get the same feeling I felt when I landed on American soil after 350 days of "administrative" error.  The feeling of the wind through my "hair."  FREEDOM!

Surly Ogre:  I haven't had it long enough to give it an aka.

  

So far I like it.  It feels right.  It represents the desire I have to get out and explore the world.  To experience life and be able to overcome any obstacles in the way.

Finally Complete

The plan was simple, purchase a part here and part there to complete the list of items I had.  If a box shows up from Amazon or Price Point from time to time it is less noticeable than saying, "hey, I need $300 or so to finish this up."  At least that is what I tell myself, there is no fooling Household 6, she know what I am up to and it all adds up to $300.  Because most of my creative brainpower is used for work, I ended up saying "hey, I need $300 or so to finish."  The end result is an affordable durable ride that is capable of just about anything.

I am not going to take pictures of every aspect and part because it really is quite plain.  

I wanted something that I could run on and off road and planned on putting a road crank so I wouldn't spin out on the flats.  It is top pull and since I could not find a top pull road derailleur I went with a Shimano SLX capable of running up to a 48 tooth chain ring.  That is a good compromise because I was looking at a 50 tooth.  I used a Shimano Deore crank with the hollow tech II to provide stiffness.  My only complaint is that spacers and small parts are plastic instead of aluminum.  I am not found of the headset, but it was the right price and it is what you get when you don't do research.

I would say that the highlight so far has been the Jeff Jones Loop Bar.  I love the variety of hand positions, it makes for a comfortable ride.  I did the first 20 miles on it yesterday to listen for creaks, moans, squeaks, or rubbing.  Everything went well and I know that I am going to get a ton of use out of this bike.  It is very versatile and there are plenty of options to upgrade in the future.

I have some multi-cam Porcelain Rocket products on order.

Specs:

Ogre 22" frame

Headset:  FSA Pig headset

Crank set and BB:  Shimano Deore 26/36/48 

Cassette:  Sram X.9 11-34

Front derailleur:  Shimano triple SLX

Rear derailleur:  Sram X.9

Shifters:  Sram X.9 trigger

Stem: Giant Connect 90mm

Handlebar:  Jeff Jones Loop bar

Brakes and levers:  Avid Single Digit 7 Linear Pull.

Wheels:  Shimano XT hubs with Salsa Delgado Cross rims

Seat Post:  Salsa Shaft

Almost Done

I am almost done assembling my new Surly Ogre.  This will be my gravel grinder and commuting bike.  It has a mixture of old and new parts.  Nothing fancy, my goal is quality and function.  My biggest challenge is the gearing.  I was going to go with a road crank for a large chain ring.  Turns out nobody makes a top pull road derailleur.  The result is a 48 tooth mountain crank, the Shimano LX front derailleur will handle it.       

I am excited to use the Jeff Jones Loop Bar.  I anticipate it will be comfortable with the swept back grips and multiple hand positions available.  I am going to ride it a little bit and ensure the position of the brake levers and shifters before wrapping the remainder with handlebar tape.  I think I may need a shorter stem.  Again I will ride then make the decision.

Here is my Multi-Cam Porcelain Rocket Mission Control handlebar bag. 

Decisions: Frame Bag or Panniers?

Spring is definitely here.  I am settled into a routine and it is time to start working on a bike commuting plan.  I love to ride but it can be difficult to find time to ride.  Commuting is a great way to use time to ride.  Commuting however has a number of challenges and it is probably why more people do not ride to work.

Here are the problems I face:

1.  Time:  My work hours are dismal.  I have to be to work at very early times.  This means that to make my roughly 8 mile commute and be showered and clean I would have to allow about 1 1/2 hours time.  That translates to really early.  This just means I have to go to bed earlier and I can sit and stare at the wall before I leave in the morning.

2.  Stuff:  I have a very specific problem, I can't wear flip-flops at work and my boots are big and heavy.  This is probably my biggest challenge.  I would assume that this is the biggest challenge for every one and the main reason most don't bike commute.    Here are the options for this and some of the things I have tried:

• Back--This is the old school Sherpa style.  Carrying all of this on my back is uncomfortable and gets heavy after a long day.  I have tried numerous bags and backpacks.  Backpacks tend to ride high and make it difficult to see over my shoulder.  I like my Timbuk2 but it fills up quick with boots, towel, uniform, lunch.......
• Trailer--I bought and used a B.O.B. trailer.  It fits on any bike which makes it nice.  This is a great trailer when it is moving, I barely noticed it was there.  This is great for long days of touring.    Stationary, it is a pain.  A serious pain.  I believe it would be easier to park a Mack truck with trailer.  Getting it alongside a bike rack is not easy and since it only has one wheel it wants to shift the weight making it difficult to load.  Surly makes some but they are two wheel and bulky.  I have not interest in owning more trailers.

Right now I am trying to decide how to set up the Ogre, it has braze on capabilities for panniers and trailers.  I am also interested in going a little more stream lined with a frame bag like Porcelain Rocket, but again volume is an issue.  In the mean time, I will continue to carry the load on my back.