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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54693038501607388252014-10-14T08:11:24.644-07:00Vintage One: 20 years of Mtn Bike passion and counting.Thoughts, ramblings, and insights to the mtn biker lifegrannygearhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-89679190970602812122014-08-26T12:26:00.003-07:002014-08-26T12:26:39.989-07:00Idaho Revisited: Rebecca's Private Idaho 2014

I was not going to do it, you know. Too far to drive. Costs money. Takes time. Takes training. Meh!

But then Navy Mike said he was looking to do something semi-epic this year and did I have any plans? Not really. Past the Crusher in the Tushar, I had nothing but a bunch of road centuries and they do not really require training, just lots of riding to be ready for them. But after a few minutes of texting and emailing, it was settled. I was going to Idaho. Again.

My time there was bittersweet in 2013.

Part One.

Part Two.

Part Three.

I was slower than I wanted to be, but not by much, yet I barely made the cutoff. Feeling the strain, I flipped early and only rode 72 of the 93 miles for the full course. So if I was going to go back, I was going to keep my fitness a bit higher and ride it more like a race and less like a tour. Less pic taking, Posie sniffing, and casual pedaling might get me an hour faster than last year overall. Maybe.

I also had to decide what bike to ride. Last year I reserved a Specialized Crux and that was really fun to ride, never having been on a cross bike before. I had just built up a hard tail 29er for The Crusher race but I did not really like the way that 29er HT worked for me so it caws stripped. That left me with two choices…reserve a bike again or race whatever I had left that was kinda fast. The Crux was light and all, but the gearing was higher than I have on my new road bike. And that 36T/28T low combo was not enough to let me spin up the first long climb out of town. Being able to spin really helps me stay fresh for the next few hours of riding and so deeper gears would offset the lighter bike IMO.

So I have one other bike that seemed reasonable to ride. The Specialized Epic is a fast feeling FS 29er and this one has quite a nice build on it…carbon wheels, etc. Probably 5 pounds heavier than the Crux, it is comfy for all those washboard roads and is a great pedaling bike all around. Decision made. Use what you know.

So I set out to work on my fitness by laying out a plan that would see me building all the way till late August. It was going well and it involved a lot of road riding in the Summer heat. Then I got sick, some kind of a weird intestinal thing. That cost me a week. Then I worked 30 hours of overtime the next week. Then my house flooded and we had to move out while that was dealt with. And then I had another bout of illness that took me out for another week. Although I never stopped riding, it took one month of quality training out of my life. That sucked. But it is what it is and at least I am typically fit, but not where I wanted to be.

So I had the bike - The Epic with the XX drivetrain and Carbon Roval wheels shod with fast rolling but plumpish Race King and X King tires.

I had the fitness to survive, I think, but not excel.

I had a plan to tweak a few things too. First, I knew the route and what to expect. Barring things like weather and wind, that would allow me to better gauge the effort I could afford to put out. Of course, the extra 25 miles of the course I never rode is a wild card. I wanted to get the weight off my back, so no hydration pack. That meant a frame bag to carry essentials like extra tube, pump, windbreaker, and drink mix packets/supplements. A bar mounted bag (Revelate Mountain Feedbag) will keep a bottle at hand and I will alternate between Fluid Performance drink mixed up double strong (@200 cals per bottle) and Camelbak fizzy lifting drink tablets. If the weather is hotter, I will mix in Elete tablytes.

I will treat it more like a very fast ride, maybe even a race. That goes against my grain as I love a challenge, but the pressure of a race pace does not appeal to me. But I need to step up and change that a bit. I made a real error at the Crusher in the Tushar and it was bitter lesson. If I miss the cut off this time, it will not be due to a tourist mindset.

Ed the Tall is not my travel buddy, but Navy Mike is actually race ready I think and is a very strong rider. He even has been working with a coach and had a drink mix custom blended just for him. Sheesh! I just recently got on Strava and bought a Garmin. Old mountain bikers never die, they just begrudgingly take on new technology every ten years. I predict to see Navy Mike at the beginning of the race and at the end and never more than that. I will be alone again to face my own demons of doubt and suffering but I am used to that.

So off the Idaho I go. Ready or not. But don't expect a bunch of pics. I'm racing this time.grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-85485160967113963752014-04-15T09:06:00.002-07:002014-04-15T09:09:52.810-07:00Lowering the bar

Is this next?

An interesting thing happened the other day and it has changed things up a bit regarding the way I set up bikes. I was unboxing a test bike and it had a very aggressive bar position, that being low and somewhat far out there. It was a XC/Endurance focused FS 29er, so that was not out of the norm for a cockpit set-up, but it was a bit much for me.

I went to swap the stem position, but hesitated, thinking I would 'try it their way' first. In time, and really a very short time, I found I liked it. Never moved that handlebar.

In fact I took my Specialized Epic, a similar bike, to a 10mm longer stem and flipped it negative. I liked it.

Then I rode my single speed, a bike I had been happy with the set-up on, and felt like I was on a beach cruiser, that h-bar being high and in my lap. Huh! So I flipped that stem too. Now I was weighting the front wheel better and was happy. How odd.

And it goes to show that you can get used to anything, even the wrong thing. It took a couple of bikes lately to point that out. One was the long, low XC FS bike with the flipped stem and the others were a couple of 130mm/140mm travel Fs bikes. But that taught me another lesson and one a bit different then the XC bike.

"Longer stems on smaller frames can be a good thing."

 I typically ride an XL, but I am a bit of a tweener in sizing. I can go either way, often as not. But I have found that the two bikes, both pretty big 29er trail bikes, were better to ride in a smaller frame (LG) with a longer stem (100mm). I found that the smaller frame and the resulting shorter wheelbase gave me a good dose of maneuverability often missing in XL bikes and the longer stem was weighting the front wheel, which was already closer under me due to the frame size reduction.

And that was an epiphany. In a short time, I reversed the long march I had been on to shorter stems and longer bikes and I am stunned by how much better it was, at least on the long travel bikes.

It goes to show that old dogs can indeed learn new tricks and it pays to experiment with stuff like cockpit setup now and again.grannygearhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-66451722432438867922014-01-17T09:02:00.000-08:002014-01-17T09:04:06.379-08:00I'm Not Trixie

Meet Trixie.

Or trick-sey. Tricksy? I don't do tricks well. Now, stop that image in your mind right now. I am talking about bike tricks. You know…wheelies, bunny-hops, manuals, etc. I suck at them. I bet any 12 year old with a bike and a paper route (do they still have those?) can crush me in a wheelie contest.

I have been aware of this for some time…years, really. And it has not gotten better with age. I thought of it again the other day during a group ride where I was following a rider down a bit of a techy single track. He was hopping and bopping over a few of the trail obstacles while I was flowing and going just as fast as he was. I was a bit jealous, actually. I wish I could do that, the hippy hoppy bunny trail approach to trail riding.

Some of these things are really practical such as the nose wheelie around tight switchbacks, the manual transitioning to a quick bunny hop for trail obstacles, etc. I am a pretty good trail rider, actually. I am even considered 'fast' in the group I ride in, but that is a 'big fish in a smaller pond' reality. Still, it takes a pretty good rider to gap me on trail. But if I have to do any trick moves, a skilled 3 year old on a straddle bike could school me. Little brats.

I am not too sure how to improve this. I guess I could set up some kind of skills course and work at it, but first I better armor-up and check my medical plan cuz' I think it might require a skin offering to the trail gods. I do wonder though, since it has been this way from the beginning, if I just lack the gene. Heck, even when I was a wanker on a BMX bike I was too attached to gravity to jump worth a fig…a flying fig in this case. It might be too late for this old dog to learn any new tricks.

School is in session.

Still, I think I need to try to get better in this regard. I think it will make me a better rider and that is something that anyone, no matter how new or experienced, can benefit from.

Turning serious tricks may not be for me, but perhaps I can learn to flirt in the dirt a bit more. No street corners required.

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-40044286164902396732014-01-16T08:48:00.002-08:002014-01-16T08:48:16.403-08:00My Favorite Bike

When it was new and unsullied.

"This is my favorite bike I have ever owned".
I said that the other night during a group ride. And it got me to thinking.

The way things are in my life right now, I typically have a couple of bikes or wheels or tires or forks or whatever in a revolving ellipse centered around my garage so I am forced to grab whatever is on the top of the dog pile for a ride in order to get the business done that needs to be done.

But the other day I put together a bike that had not been ridden in, what, a year? Hard to say. Even beyond that, it had been little ridden the year previous to last year! Parts had been borrowed for other bikes and then uninstalled from the temporary builds they had been used for. This bike, nearly a chassis only at this point, hung on a back hook in the garage and languished. A shame, really, so I put it all back together with most of the original spec except for the wheels, shifters, and bars, and tuned it up again.

The first real ride was the other night with 'the gang' and I was chasing Navy Mike who was riding a Scott Spark 910, or he was chasing me, depending on the trail, for a good 90 minutes. And it came to my mind that, and this was not the first time I had thought this, that this bike was my favorite bike I have ever owned, heck, maybe even ever ridden!

The bike I had resurrected from the nearly-dead (Princess Bride reference there) and had just defended my honor with against the Mongol hordes of the Tuesday Night Ride was a 2010 Specialized Epic Marathon. This bike was pretty high end when it came out that year. Brain rear shock, M5 aluminum frame, SRAM XX 2x10 shifting, carbon crown/steerer Reba fork, Roval wheels, Thomson seat post, etc.

I have added carbon Roval wheels and swapped to SRAM Grip Shift but besides that (and tires), it is stock. And it is one sweet ride. It is like Specialized, when they were stirring the pot of witches brew that all bikes are designed in, stole a peek into my soul and added that into the incantations, frog's legs, and dragon's gizzards that went into the cauldron.

I *heart* this Epic. I always have. What is remarkable to me is how well it has held up over time even when it is compared to the newer Epics and the competition. XX may not be the wisest gearing for a older guy that lives where you climb a lot, but I get by and even when XO is really just as good and XX1 is getting all the hoopla now, XX 2x10 is still the best shifting front double crank I have ever used. Yes, it takes a student loan to replace the cassette, etc, but it is crazy light stuff and has been dead reliable. The bike, even with only 90mm of rear travel, feels balanced front to rear with that carbon Reba. I went back to the OE 105mm stem and actually flipped it to get lower, reversing the trend I was on of shorter stems and higher bars. It feels good that way.

Nothing perks up a 29er like wheels. Cheap 29ers suck, mostly because the wheels get like hoops of lead and that is death to fun. The Roval Control Carbons are solid enough for a much bigger travel bike yet are light and dead easy to convert across axle types. No 142x12 rear axle for this bike. Not even a 15QR front. But the OS28 front axle caps and the well built frame deal with all that well enough and while carbon would be lighter and snappier for sure, it is no slouch when you stand and "git 'er done".

And there is the Mini Brain rear suspension. If ever a technology was made for a guy like me, this is it. Yes, you give up some suppleness. Yes, it is proprietary and costly to repair. But it works so well, especially when you stand and climb. I have played with some of the latest DW link bikes and they are really, really good, likely better as an overall performing system, but the Mini Brain just has that 'something' going on that works soooo well for this type of bike.

The handling is very middle ground, not too fast, not too slow. It is just right for covering ground as the hours and miles go by. It is 'dialed', to use a word. Sure, there are things here and there that are not the pinnacle of performance as time has upped the ante for what a 29er FS can be, but the sum of all this…and this is key…the sum of all the parts, angles, dimensions and specifications just rings like an old bell - smooth and clear, even if the surface is a bit tarnished. Or is it perhaps Patina, and not tarnish?

What popped out of the cauldron that full moon night on trail, was a bike that, after going into 4 years of time passed, is still, if I had to have only one bike in the garage, and taking into consideration where I ride and how I ride, would be the one I would have still left on a hook when all the other hooks were empty.

It's a keeper, this one is.grannygearhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-68290895454119189622014-01-08T15:27:00.001-08:002014-01-08T15:34:07.729-08:00Personally, I blame the dog.

No, not for that. Well, OK, sometimes I get away with that too, but this is altogether different. I blame my wife's new bike…2 new bikes, really…and the fact that we are signed up for three centuries next year, and the fact that I now have to consider my wife when I plan a mountain bike ride…that all falls on the dog.

It all started when my son and wife were at the animal shelter for some thing or another as my wife was volunteering there for a time. Our dog, Moots, was getting pretty old and we like to bring dogs in the house so they overlap a bit. It helps the new dog settle and figure things out. Anyway, my son calls me and asks me to hurry over after work as he has found a dog and "it will not be here for long". Little did I know.

As I loaded this Black Lab/Greyhound looking mix into the car, already named Sophie by my son, I did not know I was in for it.

Now my wife had ridden bikes years ago but had given it up for horses, then Jazzercise, Aerobics, the gym, etc. She was never a passionate rider, just a social rider. That was fine. I was the passionate cyclist. But when Sophie came along, she was a dog that required a regular, heavy workout or there would be hell to pay. None of us are runners, and they don't like dogs in Jazzercise classes, so my wife asked if I could dust off her old 26" hard tail and get it running. It was a handmade steel frame right out of the 90s, brakes, shifting, etc. We worked out some way to tether the dog's leash to the head tube and off they went. Sophie was stoked. This dog was on a mission. Do they have Strava for canines? If not, they should. She would QOM that thing.

In time, I came into a 29er hard tail that fit my wife and gave her an upgrade. We live within a 1/2 mile of a trail area so it became a regular thing, this dog exercise deal and we improved the bike/dog interface. Then my wife began tracking her times to certain parts of the trails. Hmmm. Then she started keeping heart rate stats and calories burned…gear selection in various parts of the course…oh my. Jazzercise stopped. More riding replaced it.

Last year I bought her a flat bar road bike, inspired by the fun I had on my new road bike last year. Before that we would go do some simple bike path rides, maybe 30 miles at the most, but we would do it on our MTBs. Not bad, but not great. So when she got on her new road bike, she was inspired. We could ride farther and faster now. It was easier to be social too. It was not long after that we did a metric century on a short weekend away. I had helped her train for it. Afterwards she said she would have liked to go for the full hundred and that her training needed to step up. Oh oh. I smelled trouble.

So when she said, during a ride, that all she wanted to do was ride bikes all day I knew I was in deep chain lube. I had created a monster.

"Will a helmet ruin my hair?"

So we have been testing saddles and swapping to shorter cranks and tweaking this and trying that to fine tune the road bike. But I really ratcheted up the noise when I began to build her a new MTB for the times we ride sans doggie. It has been kinda' fun and kinda' painful as I/We pick parts together based on cost, color and fit -- feng shui meets the engineering dept.

Parts are tickling in as we speak. The good thing is, when your wife is the accountant and you are buying it for her, it is darn near carte blanche. "Did you order my new _____ (fill in the blanks) yet?". Yes, sweetie.

Actually, all this is awesome. I mean, there must be thousands of men out there that long for their 'significant other' to be an enthused cyclist. I have seen that tried and failed many, many times. So when I gained a mutt, I did not know that included in the deal was a new riding buddy who I just happen to be married to.

And for that, I can blame…and thank…the dog. Good girl.

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-69724732078215752472014-01-06T09:02:00.001-08:002014-01-06T09:02:35.212-08:00Five millimeters.

Five millimeters. About the thickness of a Nilla Wafer. Likely less than an Oreo cookie. That was how far I lowered my handlebar last night when I was setting up a new bike for the first ride. Spinning around in the street in front of my house did not feel quite right at first and I was at a bit of a quandary as to how to get the bar lower than what it was without going to a lot of trouble. I had the stem flipped already. I could have turned the bar upside down and gained 5mm as the bar is designed just for that purpose but that is a lot of wrenching to do ten minutes before a ride.

But I had a 5mm spacer under the stem and then it was stem to headset direct. Moving that spacer to the top was easier than flipping the bar so above the stem it went. Frankly I was not expecting much of a difference. But as soon as I pedaled out after moving the spacer I was right where I wanted to be. Good to go.

And later on, as I was riding, it struck me that we, the human machine, are very perceptive creatures. 5mm higher was too high. 5mm lower was just right. It also came to me that I like Nilla Wafers and it has been far too long since I had one…or two or three.

Further, it brought to mind something that is a broader subject, the macro to the 5mm micro, if you will: stem length, rider position, 29ers, and wheelbase. This has been a bit of a revolution for me. At just over 6' tall, I have tended to run towards XL 29ers to get the cockpit right for my long arms and yet still stay with an under 100mm stem. It was not always this way. Back 'in the day', I ran a steel hard tail 26er with no suspension fork, a 23.5" effective top tube and a 150mm stem. Pretty standard fare, really.

As time marched on, the top tubes got longer, over 25" on an typical XL 29er, and the stems got shorter. I remember once, maybe in the mid 90s, hopping on a friends bike which was a 19" frame. Mine was a 20.5" frame of the same exact brand and maybe was a half an inch longer all around, wheelbase, etc. I was struck by how his carved around corners better than mine. It was like a short ski. Intriguing. I never forgot that but the bike was too small for me. Still, it occurred to me that as bikes get longer, they gain some things but begin to lose other things.

Fast forward a decade or two and I am having a conversation with an MTB project manger of a large bike company. We are talking geometry and he mentions that he has gone back to longer stems set lower for his personal bikes as he feels it weights the front end better during turns. Then here comes the much anticipated Ibis Ripley and they created it to turn more like a 26er by keeping the top tube shorter, the head tube angle semi-slack, and the stem longer. It worked. Then Turner does nearly the same thing on his new Czar. As well, they mix in a 51mm offset fork.

Then I get in two bikes for review, a Niner RIP 9 and a Scott Spark. The RIP is a LG size frame (a bit short for me according to the numbers on the geo chart) with a 100mm stem in a pretty long travel trail bike 29er FS and has the expected 69*-ish HT angle of it's ilk. I was just shredding the local trails on that bike. It turned like a dream…stayed hooked up and could drift through corners with control and poise. The Spark is all XC with a much lower than normal (for me) 100mm stem on a slack for XC 69* HT angle. The way it steers, even in an XL (but a relatively short overall bike for that size), is just right. Truly balanced.

So last night, with the whole 5mm spacer deal in my mind, I went out on yet another slightly small for me top tube bike with a 100mm stem as low as the bike would let me put it. It felt great and carved up the hills like it was, to coin a tired old phrase, 'on rails'.

Then, I rode another bike, something I have had for some time now and enjoyed riding. It has a longer front center/rear center and suspension travel that is somewhere in the middle of all the other bikes I mentioned. But I am running that with a 90mm stem on an XL frame, the bar being higher in space relative to me. I was struck by how much I was fighting the front end to stay hooked up and driving through corners. Huh. It used to feel great to me, now…

So all this to say that the dimensions and angles and widths and heights and settings and intentions of any bike is a black box that is filled with science and mystery. I am beginning to think that it comes down to where the rider's weight is relative to the front wheel more than any other thing. More than chain stay length, more than seat tube or head tube angles, more than frame size.

It also relates to how I want a bike to feel as I am not in the gravity mode where loooong front centers and shorty stems make sense to get the rider off towards the back of the bike. But across several bikes that really could hardly be more different between them intent-wise, the longer stem in a lower position has been winning me over.

I have another test bike coming in that is 130mm travel F/R and, in an XL, and based on the charts, is just what I would always ride. Instead I asked for a LG and will run a longer, lower stem. Huh. Old dogs and new tricks indeed.

Now for those Nilla Wafers.grannygearhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-64970410379469726032013-12-11T12:55:00.001-08:002013-12-11T12:55:21.979-08:00The Rush to the New

I was riding with KT the Man and we were talking about this new 27.5 wheel size thing. He and I were both on 29er FS bikes so we are big wheel type guys. But neither of us have an axe to grind either and he feels like I do…that one should ride the biggest wheel size that works best for them, whatever 'best' is.

He drives a demo van for a bike company and lately they have been besieged by people asking if they have any 27.5 bikes to ride on the demo visits. The question most asked him used to be "do you have any 29ers?". Times change. Now that is fine and all, as the company he works for does make a 27.5 bike(s) but they are pretty heavy duty models and really not what would suit most trail riders in most areas of the country.

However people are buying them anyway, just because they are the latest wheel size. Regardless of the obvious fact (to anyone looking at the situation with a cool and critical eye) that this person would be better suited to another bike in the line-up, wheel size regardless…or another brand's 27.5 in a more moderate build…they are buying them anyway. It makes no sense really, but there it is. And KT was shaking his head in a mix of amusement and wonder at the entire deal. Why would you buy the wrong bike, and a very expensive one too, just to have a 27.5" wheel?

And it got me thinking that the same thing happened with 29ers. There were a lot of them sold to people who got caught up in the newest thing that 'everyone' was rushing to have. However, many did not end up with a bike that was best for them. Even though that big wheel does some really cool things to the dynamic of a ride, it is not the end all be all for everyone.

This new 27.5 wheel size is certainly going to replace the 26" wheel for nearly any MTB model of bike shop quality (and Wallmart will have 'em too, if they don't already). It really is, as one industry wag noted, "A better 26" wheel". But that does not justify buying the wrong bike just to have the new hoop-hype working for you.

It will be interesting to see how this all pans out for the consumer. It is giving any 26" wheel holdout/29er nay sayers a reason to buy a new bike that appears to be an improvement over their old bike and yet maintain their disdain for the really big wheeled bikes. Not only does their pride remain intact, they get a new bike and make the bike industry money, which it surely needs. A win win, so it seems. 29ers sure did that for the industry the last few years but now, as 29ers become more and more 'just a bike', they need to do something to get folks excited about filling up the credit card. 27.5, good, better or best, will do just fine for that purpose.

And I have no problem with that. However, buy the right one for the right reasons. Whatever the wheel size, it does not transcend common sense.

grannygearhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-12696050459619094072013-12-04T15:16:00.001-08:002013-12-04T15:16:21.566-08:00Getting Ready to Ride Over Stuff.

Back when I test rode a Trek Stache 8, I was impressed with how much fun that bike was. It was my favorite hard tail 29er with gears that I had yet ridden. The combo of a dropper post, 120mm fork, slack 68.6* HT angle with 51mm offset fork and moderate length (17.5") chainstays were a great combo.

And it got me thinking about having a bike like that in my quiver, but I did not need a complete bike, just a frame. However, Trek was not offering a frame only deal for 2013/14. So I began to look for options to the Stache that had the same vibe and combo of geometry. I pretty much struck out. Custom Ti or steel was more than I wanted to spend. Production stuff was either a miss in geometry or sizing and the one bike I did find that ticked all the boxes was a Euro model and expensive to try to get a hold of.

Well that sucks.

But it did get me thinking about a trail bike hardtail 29er that was more about fun than fast and I realized that if I opened my eyes a bit wider I could include some of the All Mountain rated frames out there. Canfield Nimble 9, Kona Honzo, etc...short chain stays and slack HT angles rated for up to a 140mm travel fork. They were not the Stache, though. Heavier for sure, these were all pretty burly frames. Super short rear centers are not very good on faster, rougher trails as you give up some 'rear trail' and a longer rear end keeps things pointed ahead and tracking well. A combo of a 140mm fork, short stem, wide bar, and short CS length can be a nightmare if you are climbing up some steep, narrow trail as the front of the bike will wander and waggle. So the more open, less technical nature of our trails here and my tendency to be more of a trail rider never seemed to be worth it to accept the extra bike weight and burly attitude of this type of bike.

But I was curious about the whole 'short back/long-slack front' hard tail deal. It was just not a priority and I dismissed the thought.

Then I rode a Niner ROS9 at Interbike and it was quite interesting. The cockpit setup was a bit close and wide for my world and the frame was on the small size for my body dimensions. But even with burly wheels/tires and a 130mm fork, I was having a LOT of fun. It got me thinking again about my dilemma with wanting a more trail capable hard tail 29er. I wondered if that, with a slightly lesser fork, say 120mm, a longer, lower stem and a slightly narrower bar, full 2x10 gears, a dropper post and a great set of wheels...well I might be in a happy place with something like a Yelli Screamy or this ROS9.

So I read and thought and read and wondered and pondered and studied geo charts and considered it all. Till today.

That is when I ordered this.

Just the frame of course (and mine will have gears), but a ROS-9 in a Large size, Grey color. The sizing for me was a bit of a tweener deal but in this bike, even with the moderate fork/build I will be running, it seemed better to 'size down' a bit. We shall see.

The frame is a bit more in cost then many in this genre, like a Kona Honzo, but is less than something like a Chromag Surface. The weight will be over 6 lbs for the LG frame and that is pretty beefy, but it is also what all the others are for the most part. There are some things I like on this frame that swayed me over. First of all, but not the most important thing, it is good looking. Some of them, like a Nimble 9 are kinda ugly. I hate ugly bikes. Function be damned. It has to please the eye. The EBB allowed for a lower CG and a 17" CS length. I did not want to be under that length. 1/4 inch may not seem like much but it matters. 17" was already pushing it IMO. No sliders. Yeah, I know that the EBB that Niner uses had teething issues in Gen 1, but this Gen 2 has been solid for folks so far and sliders are warts on a prom queen (besides shortening tubing lengths...a bit of a ride killer although this bike may not care). It's steel. I like steel bikes. The frame is well thought out with Stealth dropper ports, nice block-off plates, and clean routing of cables.

And another thing...it says Niner on it. Yeah, I know...who cares? But hey...these guys are really into big wheels so why not celebrate that? This is not a bone tossed to the circus wheel crowd by some company looking for a slice of the market. For Niner Bikes, it is the main meal, the buffet, the whole enchilada. I kind of resonate with that.

The build will be what I have laying around, but will be nice, solid parts:

Shimano SLX group with 2x10 24/38x36 gearing. Shadow Plus rear der.

SLX brakes with 180F/160R rotors.

White Brothers Loop fork. 120mm at first, but it can go 130mm or 140mm depending on what feels right to me.

I need to stretch the cockpit a bit so 100mm stem flipped to get weight a bit forward and down. Maybe a 90mm if I can.

740mm carbon bar from Answer Products.

Reverb Dropper post.

WTB Pure V saddle.

Options here, but I am thinking a set of American Classic Wide Lightning wheels.

Specialized Ground Control 2.3 rear/Purgatory 2.3 front tubeless.

Shimano SPDs

That ought to be an interesting blend of parts and I am hoping for a trail bike vibe with a tilt towards fun and agility. I think this bike will be good, even on epics, as long as I am not looking to KOM all the climbs. I am hoping for a 28lb build. We shall see.

My first instincts about this type of bike may have been right and I may have just made a mistake, but it will be a fun journey in the finding out.

We shall see. C'mon, big, brown, santa. There is stuff out there that needs riding over.

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-20778721127986722312013-11-28T09:37:00.000-08:002013-11-28T09:37:37.063-08:00Thankful.Thankful that.....

God has given me a life companion that has only gotten better with time. Godly woman, lover, buddy, mother to my son, business owner, banker, and friend to all things with wet noses and wagging tails.

And a cyclist.

Happy Thanksgiving all.

  "An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:10-12

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-42772622569046514632013-11-27T09:31:00.000-08:002013-11-27T09:31:05.400-08:00Wade Simmons, Virtuoso.Music is where you find it.

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-15177413088587319762013-11-13T08:09:00.000-08:002013-11-13T08:09:02.514-08:00Quiver adjustments: Sorting the arrows.Well as winter comes in to Southern California and we prepare for 'Storm Watch 2014', where we get two inches of rain over two days and forget how to drive our cars again, I am looking at shifting a few bikes and parts around.

It is so odd, thinking of when I had just one bike. Weird. If I had to choose just one it would be agonizing to come to a decision. But I still need to change things up a bit and slim things down...sort of.

The Ti Lynskey just is not getting used and is not working out like I expected so that is on the chopping block. Some lucky buyer will be happy with that.

The Epic Marathon from a few years ago has been sitting around with flat tires and a missing front brake caliper adapter I borrowed for another bike. Shame, that, as it has some carbon wheels and XX parts on it. I always loved that bike and I think I need to rekindle that flame.

The carbon Stumpy SS is good to go. Nothing has shown up to topple that from the single speed throne.

The Camber and FSR are getting a bit long in the tooth and with the progression in 29ers, I think I could marry the best of both of them into one bike with 130mm of travel and a carbon frame. The search may be on for that set up for 2014.

The Karate Monkey frame may get a reason to get off the garage hook and be back in action as a bikepacking set up. We shall see. Darn versatile frame that KM, but I would never use it as a regular XC/trail ride again.

There are a few more frames and parts that need to see ebay listings, but there is room for another bike that is something quite different from anything else in the garage. It is a bike I thought I would never own yet I am drawn toward the notion regardless. Moths to a bright blue frame, so to speak. We shall see.

Meanwhile, I am getting out the heavy winter clothing to get ready for winter. You know...sweatshirts and long pants. Southern California will kill ya' if you are not prepared.

This guy is all about the quiver.

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-78189797334525240942013-11-04T10:30:00.001-08:002013-11-04T10:30:40.349-08:00Everlasting Gobstopper award: Jandd seat bag.

I have no idea how old this seat bag is, but it has outlived so many bikes I cannot recall them all. In a world where we increasingly accept disposable goods and technology...consider ink jet printers, for example...things that are made well, do what they are supposed to do, and last a long time are a marvel, really. The other day one of the zipper pulls fell off. A bit of parachute cord will fix it right up. Other than that, nada. Good as new except for the fine patina it proudly wears.

Jandd, thanks for all the memories on bikes and rides where your bag safely kept all my stuff intact. To you I offer the Everlasting Gobstopper award.

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-30740640560267069312013-10-31T11:16:00.003-07:002013-10-31T11:22:48.674-07:00The Great Divide.It beckons to me, that beast of a ride.

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-44175454082944932642013-10-28T12:01:00.000-07:002013-10-28T12:01:54.918-07:00JeffJ is turning 100.

Miles that is. I am not sure when the mad plan was hatched, but it sure was incubated as our road miles accrued and his fitness increased. The day we pedaled to 80 miles he said to me that this was the farthest that he had ridden on a bike...ever. Cool.

Let's go farther, yes?

So the 'century' ride, as in 100 miles in a day, was the next thing to shoot for. The route was determined...nothing wild, just reasonable and coastal to avoid the late in the year mid 80s temps that the inland areas were seeing...and the invites went out.

The attendees were his daughter, JenJo, who was a CAT2 road racer until not too long ago, a young man she knows named Andres, Ed the Tall, Stevie Ray and yours truly. I was not sure about the new guy, Andres, until I saw his bike. It was a Specialized Venge with carbon wheels and Di2 shifting. Oh. Ok. The team kit he wore (and races for) said the rest. I think he will make it. I knew JenJo would be fine and Ed the Tall is always strong. Stevie Ray is a CAT1 MTB racer, or was when he raced and he is still a grey hound even though there is more grey than there used to be.

So the only doubts were the two old guys...JeffJ and I. Even money bet for both of us.

But in the end, we rolled back to the car with 101.xx miles on the clock and most of our faculties intact. It was a fun day and once again showed me that cycling is a boundary crossing activity. We were wide spread in ages, fitness, backgrounds, education, gender, and abilities yet we all supported, encouraged and strengthened each other. In the process we became more as a whole than we were as individuals.

In short, it worked. We won.

The big guy came rolling in next to Ed the Tall with a big ol' grin on his face. He hit a milestone along the good old 'path of life' and did it on two wheels, 27 gears, and next to friends and family. We could have done much, much worse with our Saturday and I would not have wanted to be anywhere else.

Congrats, BMOC (Big Man On a Cannondale). Thanks for sharing your life with us.

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-90611837668073543422013-09-23T12:38:00.002-07:002013-09-23T12:38:38.910-07:00What a Difference a Cheeseburger Makes.

Those words were said by JeffJ as we uploaded calories of a greasy kind after a 65 mile road ride. We had spent the day riding with a group of triathletes as they prepared for an upcoming Ironman event in Arizona. It was an interesting day.

I had never met any of them before but we had an invite to the group through a friend of my wife. I had pretty good feelings about the group dynamic and the route so off we went at a ridiculously early hour on a Saturday morning, pointing ourselves toward the promised cooler temps of the So Cal coastline. JeffJ was a bit more concerned that he would be a pariah, seeing that he tends to ride in baggies and a visored, bass boat green MTB helmet. A bit Freddish, but we are all mountain bikers at heart anyway. Introducing himself as "Jeff, or you can call me Fred" did not register at all with the group and just resulted in nervous laughter and odd stares. Exit, stage left for Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har.

So we were pilgrims in a strange land, this try-ath-a-leete deal. And as the bikes were unloaded and clothing assembled, I was struck by the complexity of the bikes. Oh my! There were angles and wedges and bobbles and bangles and widgets and bottles and wings and bags all over those bikes. They had handlebars that reached waaaay out in front so you could, I presume, steer with your elbows which makes some sense as I do not recall ever using my elbows much on a ride anyway, so they should do some work too.

I had an extra tube strapped to my bike.

I asked the group where the button was to transform the bikes into Optimus Prime. No one laughed. Serious folks, these tri people. No Fred jokes, no Transformers jokes. Got it.

Be careful what button you push or...

...you get this.

Rolling out into the quiet of the morning coastal fog, we began at a nice, friendly pace. This, I was told, was 'Zone 1' training. Later we would get into Zone 2 and 3. Hold on...what is a zone? Is it like a zip code for cyclists? I am not sure I have zones. When I am riding the SS up some stupid long climb and my tongue sticks to the stem, what zone is that? There is more to this tri stuff than meets the eye, and that is saying a lot as the bikes were just so complex looking, but still cool in an odd way. I am thinking that tri-folks are the golfers of the cycling world, always looking for that new 'thing' that will give them the edge.

Riding alongside the leader, a very fit lady on a very carbon bike, I asked her if that bike was comfortable to ride as it looked pretty stiff, all those airfoil shapes. She glanced at me with an odd look and then said, "it goes real fast in a straight line". Then she clicked up a gear or two, got onto the tri-bars, and showed me how that worked. Well, I guess so. See ya!

Seriously, that was pretty cool. She would just ride away from me with what looked to be barely any increased effort and I would have to up the wattage dial to just hang on. I guess riding the cycling equivalent of a Cruise missile aerodynamics study has its advantages, even if comfiness is not one of them. Zoom zoom. I considered tossing the extra inner tube strapped to my seat stays to see if that would help but I think I was just entering zone 2 and I did not want to mess that up. I might not ever get there again or if I do, they will not let me in.

So here we were, JeffJ and I, on our round tubed, old school road bikes, having a very nice ride at a very decent pace along with a very nice group of very well equipped people pedaling two wheeled airplanes. At some point we split the group as most folks were heading out to get some required training work done that apparently we had not done enough of and then they had to run across the county or some such thing and we better not stop too long here or we will drop into Zone 1.65 and that could be fatal. Whew! Close call, that one.

What zone are YOU in?

And so when JeffJ, seated outside the pearly gates of In-And-Out, said that immortal statement of truth-ness..."What a difference a cheeseburger makes!", it struck me that this revelation born of beef patties and grilled onions on a toasted bun was about more than just a much needed celebration of un-holy calories. No, it also was all about the day and the dynamic of the ride. JeffJ and I were just riding with no agenda than to see some new roads and ride our bikes hard in the company of some new faces. At least one other lady rider was out for fun as well, but all the others were there for a singular purpose - to be in Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, etc for the required time to get the required data to get the required result.

Now I respect that, even though it may not seem like it, because if you have a serious goal then you need a serious plan. And a full Ironman is no joke. I can throw a rock farther than I can swim. Running? No thanks. So I do understand the world of a serious athlete and the dedication it takes to make it happen, especially if you are making a living at it.

But.

If you are just Joe and Jill average and you do not own a bike without a PowerTap hub and deep dish carbon wheels guaranteed to slice .006 seconds off a 2 kilometer time trial, then something is wrong. Because all the data downloads in the world cannot make up for missed opportunities like where a deer bounds alongside the road in a woodland echelon and you missed the sight, being so wrapped up in 'the zone'.

There are roads never taken that beckon a hard right turn just to see where they go. Close the laptop and be your own Google Earth. Pause long enough at a rest stop to rest. Life is a mad rush at the least.

Zone zero is OK every so often.

And a cheeseburger, when it is all said and done, makes all the difference in the world.

Although I still wonder how you steer with your elbows.grannygearhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-49778605608370422122013-09-13T10:11:00.002-07:002013-09-13T10:11:34.273-07:00Idaho Gravel: Part Three

The last oasis.

I could see the flags in the distance. Pivotal flags, as they heralded the rest stop that was at the beginning and end of the lollipop 'loop' section that was the top of the 93 mile route. I rolled in and asked what the cut off time was. He looked at me and said, "You are it, but you are welcome to take the loop."

I had made the cut. But did I care? I considered my options. I had been riding at a 10mph average pace what with my less than 'Type A' personality and pic taking, etc. I felt OK at 35 miles and I knew what I had before me if I flipped now. A lot of that return would be into the wind on a slight to more than slight grade. The next 25 miles if I did the loop included another good climb and was an unknown otherwise. It was supposed to be quite beautiful as far as scenery goes, but the smoke was kinda limiting that. If I flipped now, I would be at 72 miles or so and that was still pretty far. On the other hand, did I come here to ride 93 miles or turn away and accept less?

Oh my.

I decided to flip and make this the apex of the ride. I relaxed a bit, ate some goodies and watched some of the fast folks come in and go out. Rebecca was there, being the queen bee and talking to Levi Leipheimer. They looked pretty fresh as they rode out chatting.

I have to confess I felt a bit alone now. If I had been with someone I might have pressed on, but looking down that road into the last loop, it seemed a bit much. That typically does not deter me as I have relished many long hours of alone time on a bike. But in the back of my main was the limitations of my body. I tend to leg cramps. I rarely if ever just run out of gas, but leg cramps have always been my kryptonite. I manage them better now with keeping fitness up and with good supplements, but walking up the last climb at 80 miles had little appeal.

Back I went, tail slightly tucked in but still resolved to it. Then the road tilted in my favor and I roared out of the last checkpoint toward home. Well, it felt like roaring until I was passed by two riders, one a lady-type, in a particularly rough section of washboard like I was tied down. Wow. The downhill had me feeling pretty good and I was seriously bummed about not taking the loop. But later on, Ed the Tall would tell me that this 27 miles had the worst road conditions in the entire ride and was actually harder than the rest of the route. I did not know that as I rode along, doubting my decision, but at around 50 miles, when the road turned up again, only a slight grade now, but into a headwind...well, I think I was wise to cut my losses.

As I rode this direction, the air, now in my face, also was clearing out some of the smoke and that was nice. It was almost worth the extra effort it required, just for the cleaner air. I tried to hop a freight train or two (pace lines) going by but they were just a gear above what I could manage and still feel good about the distance. So, I sat up, pulled the reins in and let the other horses go.

My photo pal. She and I were hopscotching along for a bit as we would take turns stopping for pics. She was the only person I spoke to for hours.

I recognized the last climb of the day towards the first/last aid station and knew that I had a couple of miles of climbing, then the loooong downhill towards town. I was feeling pretty tired now, but still could climb out of the saddle and put down some power, but not for any length of time. I had some odd twinges about mid/low outside left calf that felt weird, but no other signs of leg issues. Golden!

Over the crest, having tanked up with one last bottle and a couple of roasted/salted potatoes with rosemary, I dropped into the descent. It was buuuUUumMMmPpPpppEEeeEee. Washboard hell.

Holy smokes. There were a few times that I nearly reached the physical limits of being able to grasp the hoods, brake, and steer all at once. The drops were an answer to that, but that was a bigger strain on an already tired neck. Did I actually climb this about 6 hours earlier? I guess so. Here is one of the places I would have loved to have a real mountain bike with some kind of suspension fork. Any kind. But I still was going pretty good and once on the pavement rollers back into town, I was surprised how strong I felt. Must have been those Idaho potatoes.

I felt great rolling through the banner, tired, dirty, salty, crusty, but great. Until I got off the bike and found that my left ankle was really, really mad at me. It only hurt when I walked. It hurt a lot. Weird. that was just like the time on that desert bikepacking trip, only then it was the right ankle. I thought it was from walking for 6 hours in bike shoes pushing my 45 pound beast through the sand. I could pedal, but not walk without pain.

So here I was again, but no hiking to explain it. Odd. That would require some bio-forensics to see what is triggering that response. I rode back to the car, changed, drove back to drop off the bike and waited for Ed the Tall while I enjoyed a root beer float. Done and done.

But I left some things undone. I would like to come back here and see this place under clearer skies. I would like to see that unridden 27 miles of gravel. Things left undone.

That evening, full of food, including some of the best grilled chicken I have ever had, and, after a shower in the swankiest YMCA I have ever seen, Ed and I talked about the day and what was next on the adventure calendar. Tomorrow would be a long day's drive back to So Cal, away from Idaho and a long stretch of gravel road that calls to me still. It is a friendly voice that calls, calm and soft, but there is a bit of a challenge underneath those soft tones. A questioning lilt that turns up the corner of the mouth as it is spoken. A twinkle in the eye, perhaps? Part happy memory and part challenge, that is what I am hearing. A mix of "thanks for being here" and "is that all you got, son?"

Things left undone are often like that.

grannygearhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-11938962397953534142013-09-12T12:29:00.002-07:002013-09-12T12:29:49.582-07:00Idaho Gravel: Part 2

Gentlemen, this is a gravel road.

It was with the rising of the Sunday morning sun that we could tell the winds had shifted, literally, and it was not in our favor. There were some big fires burning in Idaho, one that threatened to erase Sun Valley/Ketchum before it was beaten back by some valiant efforts by firefighters.

But the smoke of the still burning but distant fires was now holding thick in the valleys where we would be riding all day. It was not all that unpleasant to breath, but it sure would kill the otherwise stunning views that a place like this normally offers.

The camp stove brought us hot coffee, tea, oatmeal, and some home made egg/bread/spinach muffins topped with 'borrowed' green salsa packets from Taco Bell. Number plates were pinned on, bottles were filled, packs packed. Off we went.

Parking near the venue, we unloaded and rode over to the start, already crowded with the eager riders, onlookers, and associated support crews. The local police lead us out of town at the starting bell and the first few miles out of town were pleasant enough; paved and on a gradual grade towards the mountains.

The gradual part did not last long and soon we were grinding up a stutter bumped gravel road toward the sunrise. I ran out of gears pretty quickly on the Crux and settled into a low RPM grunt along with the Fat Bikes, Tag-alongs, unicycles and Tandems pulling Burley trailers loaded with livestock. I am and will always be a leisurely climber and I was not about to burn all the matches on the first climb of a long day. Ed the Tall disappeared into the distance. Fare thee well, brother.

I stopped to adjust layers of clothing, and pressed on toward the summit, now in view. The first checkpoint went by in a flash as we let gravity do the work for us, and I let the Crux have it's head, passing all the fat bikes and more timid descenders. Wheeeeeee! That turned to a slight downhill grade for miles as the valley opened up. As I feared, the smoke really was a buzz kill as it smudged the expansive views that must normally be a part of this route. Oh well.

From here, the cross bike really paid off. It was darn fast on the sections of road that were not too beat up from all the vehicle traffic, but a good deal of the time I was in search of the thin, smooth line. Usually there was some part of the road that was not too washboarded so that was doable and the rough road surface was no match for the tires on the Crux. You just had to believe and pedal. It opened my eyes to what is possible on a burly road bike. I might want one of these.

I passed the 50 mile route right turn and continued towards the 93 mile route.

Pedal, pedal. I would grab my camera out of the chest mounted case, turn it on, and shoot a pic all while riding. I managed to not toss my Sony NEX5 into the dust of Idaho and the ride continued. Almost completely alone, I was seldom passed unless I stopped to take a pic. All the fast folks were ahead and anyone behind me was about the same as I pace wise. I stopped here and there for photos. Yeah, I know, but I was in Idaho for crying out loud! I may never get here again. Pace be damned.

At about 32 miles, when the road was no longer smooth and easy, I spotted a lone cyclist approaching. That was Burke, the winner coming back on his way towards town. He had ridden about 64 miles in the time I had ridden 32 miles. Oh my. Wonder what that is like, wearing that big red S underwear when riding? Go superman!

I was nearing the 35 mile mark and the final checkpoint. That would be a decision point for me. Go big or? I passed into the Copper Basin area and pondered my options. I still had time to think as the dirt passed by, punctuated by passing vehicles and clouds of dust. Just me, the Lone Ranger, and my thoughts. Hi Ho Silver and away.

Next, it is decision time. I wonder what Tonto would do?

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-49976275723054523292013-09-11T11:45:00.000-07:002013-09-11T11:45:26.876-07:00Idaho Gravel: Part one.The tent wall brushes my face as I roll over to find it still dark outside. What time is it? I wriggle an arm out of my down quilt and reach for my phone, the one with the alarm set for o-dark-thirty and find it to be deader than a doornail. Nuts. That requires a further search for my reading glasses and Petzl light so my watch can give me a clue. 06:00 AM. In a tent. In Idaho. Ride day today. How did I get here?

It began with an email invite to Rebecca's Private Idaho, a 93 mile gravel road event to be held in Ketchum, ID. The idea intrigued me. I had never been to Idaho. Never ridden gravel. And only once before had I come to the century mark off road. I put it in my calendar and got back to day to day life, but I had a goal to get there in some state of readiness.

My summer was hardly a firestorm of riding success, as is typically the case. I find So Cal summers to be pretty uninspiring for MTB riding. It gets hot, dry, brown, dusty and hot. Yuck. Then the fires came though and burned a lot of the area I most like to ride. Double yuck. What to do? I needed to get miles and hours in the legs, not just do hill efforts on the SS. So I actually got out the old road bike and made some adjustments to get it worthy of some longer rides, clicked in, and pedaled for a while. That, combined with the weekly MTB rides would have to do. Would it be enough? I was skeptical, but undaunted. To Idaho we go.

I was lucky to have Ed the Tall with me for the folly in the Saw Tooth Mtns. It would make the 16 hour drive palatable and give me a stalwart companion for the adventure. Ed is a strong rider and fully capable of nearly a hundred miles off road with altitude tossed in and he was ready for a road trip. Next stop, Ketchum.

Ed the Tall (middle) shows Rebecca that his last name has no vowels in it. Always good for a laugh.

Salt Lake, Utah, kinda sucks. I have driven through there twice now and both times it was hot, crowded traffic wise, and just did nothing to make me want to linger. But leading up to that was a surprising showing across the Nevada desert of greenery. Lots of it. Big patches of grass and mud puddles lined the road, a mute but vibrant testimony to the heavy monsoonal rains that have been sweeping through the deserts and the tenacity of the flora here. Nature is an opportunist and when it rains and in this case, pours, things just get all happy and make the best of it. That led to the southern Utah area of St George and Cedar City, both parts of my favorite areas of Utah. But Salt Lake? No thanks.

We crossed into Idaho in the darkness and took a big gamble that there would be a campsite somewhere near Ketchum that we could base out of. God was gracious and we found a killer site for two tents full of two tired persons and settled in right about midnight. I really need to get a tent that does not require a refresher course in tent pole geometry every time I go camping. Sleep found us and carried us away to the sounds of running water in the distance.

About 50' behind our tents.

The next day was all about getting to know Ketchum, eating pancakes cooked by a volunteer group in town, parade watching, shopping (don't go to Idaho without a sun hat), picking up our race packets, and grabbing our bikes. We never figured out the whole duck race thing but that was a great wagon.

Oh yeah. the bikes.

I would have just run fast tires on my best hard tail 29er, but Specialized had a better idea. They offered a test ride on some cyclocross scoots that were tailor made for this type of ride. I normally do not risk taking something so unknown into the wilds but support would be generous and I did not expect and real surprises. I had never ridden a cross bike before, so this would be new for me. Can you ride a road bike in the dirt, even if it has sort of knobby tires? Dunno. I hedged my bet by bringing a saddle that I trusted that was attached to a smooooth riding ti seat post. If the butt is happy, so is the rest of me, or close enough.

My Crux

Ed's Crux

And then, we set around the campfire, tossed out all kinds of thoughts about this and that, and then tucked in for a bit of nervous sleep. And that is where I found myself...in a tent in the dark in Idaho, getting ready to get ready in the cold and dark of a smoky Sunday morning. Ed was stirring in his tent too and we were on a course to adventure and quite possibly a good amount of suffering.

More to come...grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-46654978718012436192013-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:002013-08-31T06:00:04.762-07:00Sometimes you have to follow your heart.

Cupids with too much time to think...

The heart is not to be trusted. This must be clearly understood right from the beginning. It is a self serving trickster that is no good compass for steering the ship of your life.

But sometimes you just need to follow it anyway, especially if it is not a life shattering decision or anything that will get your name known to the local magistrate. So that is what I did in large part, followed my heart but not without a bit of hard thinking to back me up.

I bought a steel framed road bike. Well, a frame at least and the parts to go with it. And I bet in the minds of most bike riders you might talk to, that decision makes no sense at all.

The heart said "ohhhh!". But the pocketbook said "whoa!" And then the mind said "go!". Or something in that order. It is all still a bit fuzzy.

And now I have this in a box in the dining room.

Ain't she a sweetie, though?

Why not carbon or aluminum or Ti? Great carbon is amazing. It is the best material there is to make a sporting/performance bike from. But great carbon costs a great deal of money and average carbon is still pretty costly and is not so special. Great aluminum is affordable and is, in my opinion, better all around then average carbon. Ti is the stuff dreams are made of in some ways, but great Ti is big bucks and average Ti is no better or may be worse than great steel.

So I had narrowed it down to a very well spec'd alu framed complete bike and was ready to pull the trigger when the bottom dropped out on the supply of that model and things went into limbo for a bit. That gave me time to think and web surf. That is a dangerous combo. And I began to look at other options and found myself at the Ritcheylogic.com site. And the Logic 2.0 frame set caught my eye. Subtle graphics. Thin tubes. Graceful lines. All carbon fork. And I started day-dreaming about riding it. I had not romanticized about riding the aluminum frame when I was getting ready to buy that. So what gives?

I found myself thinking about long rides up the coast in the fog while astride this steel framed assembly of slender tubes and tidy welds. I was pedaling along, mist condensing on my helmet edge, dripping off as I looked down at the svelte, grey top tube. It inspired me.

It was not all goose pimples and fluttering heart beats though. It said Ritchey on the side of it and that meant that Tom had his hands elbow deep into the bike's design and construction, even if he did not hold the torch. And that guy is pretty smart. It is a modern take on classic road geometry, at least to my mind. Not a Gran Fondo/Endurance approach, but a classic all-rounder. And since I am just learning here, that seemed like a good place to begin.

But it was still a tough decision. It cost me more than the alu bike would and it weighs about a pound and a half more, neither being convincing arguments for buying it. It is out of fashion, but so am I. And I have to admit that I got a certain satisfaction when I thought about riding that steel frame in world full of resin injected, carbon wrapped, moulded machines. Can you imagine the looks from the cycling cognoscenti as I ride past them on the road? Makes me grin just thinking about it.

So parts gathering is well in hand and soon the wrenches will be spinning in earnest. Will reality match my heart's desire? We shall see.

If not, I can always blame Cupid. grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-82615124205339357112013-08-29T06:42:00.000-07:002013-08-29T06:42:18.077-07:00Les vrais hommes montent acier.

I slide back in the saddle as I click up a gear and push harder on the pedals. The French countryside gently rises to meet me and field stone walls flash by in a blur. A cigarette dangles out of the corner of my mouth, the ash threatening to break off and land down the front of my wool jersey. I do not care. My sweat will put out the embers.

I am a man and real men ride steel.

As I pass a roadside cafe' the smell of croissants and coffee wafts through the air and mixes with the smell of the farm, my sweat, and cigarette smoke. It is a heady and familiar mix. I wonder to myself...when did I last wash that wool jersey? I cannot remember. It does not matter. "Elle est ce qu'elle est".

I am a man and real men ride steel.

Women watch me as I ride by. They desire me. Their husbands scowl. They envy me. My cigarette is done so I toss it aside and reach into my jersey pocket for a baguette. I ride on. The world does not stop while I eat so why should I?

I am a man and real men ride steel.

My hair does not blow in the wind and the rain. Chain lube and hair oil. Is there a difference? "Non!" I squint into the rain as it hits my face. Hair grease...chain grease...a squint into the rain.

I am a man and real men ride steel.

I ride past a group of other men on steel bikes. We know things. Secret things. Man things. Steel things. We squint at each other but do not wave.

We are men and real men ride steel.

A car drives up alongside me and the passenger, a French woman with pouting lips and wild hair, opens the door as we stop to talk and says that I am late. I am French. I do not care if I am late. There are mountains to climb. French mountains. She secretly wants me...in my wool jersey.

The woman is persistent. She says I am late for work, turns away and leaves. That voice? I know that voice. When did my wife start speaking French? I open my eyes and look around my bedroom and the French woman, the pouting lips, the countryside, the smells all come to a screeching halt as the reality of life comes crashing into focus. Oh yeah. It's Monday. I am not in France. I do not smoke. No husbands scowl at my existence. I am late, the world is still not waiting for me and we are fresh out of baguettes.

But there is a shiny, new steel road bike frame sitting in a box in the corner. That part is real and the road lies ahead. Ladies...I am on my way!

"Les vrais hommes montent acier."

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-90527993287232616072013-08-27T21:44:00.001-07:002013-08-28T08:37:32.650-07:00Fools with tools.It should have been no big deal. A flat tire on a road ride. In town. Ten minutes tops. But that assumes we were prepared as well as we thought we were. Oh no...not even close.

JeffJ and I. That is me on the left.

JeffJ and I were about 70 miles into an 80 mile loop and we were just beginning to feel the strain of the day. I had some time constraints, so when we pulled out of the gas station/mini mart after tanking up on water, I was not real happy about feeling that soft and squishy response to pedaling. No, not a fully loaded chamois, just a rear flat.

So we pulled over into the shade of a gas station across the street and set to fixin' things in the grass of a planter area. No biggy. We had three tubes between us along with two sets of quick fills, two pumps, one patch kit, etc, and it is not like this is my first rodeo with an airless tire. So I whipped off the rear wheel and opened up my tool bag to find no tire levers. Really? No idea where they went. But JeffJ had some so that was fine. It takes a village you know. Buddy system and all that.

Tire removed, I set about finding the source of the leak. A thin piece of wire had pierced the casing in the tread and about ten minutes later I had it out of there with my fingernails. Note to self: Add metal tipped tweezers to road bike tool kit.

I grabbed my spare tube, which I keep carefully wrapped in a baggie so it survives rot and rubbing, and went to put it in only to find that the valve stem barely made it through the rim. When I swapped wheels it had not occurred to me look at the valve stem length of the spare tube. Rats. OK, we had grabbed a spare tube out of JeffJ's garage before we left and that was in my jersey pocket.

JeffJ's garage

I install that and grab my pump but JeffJ's pump is a bit more full-figured so he hands me that. It does everything I ask of it except put air into the tube. Why? Dunno. So I go to grab my pump and JeffJ offers his quick fill. Ok. Sheesh! This is getting to be quite a circus and time is passing by.

A quick blast and we are at pressure. Into the bike the wheel goes and about the time I close the QR, I realize the tire is flat. I ask JeffJ, "was that a good tube?" He does not know. Take any bets on it? So he grabs the tube out of his bike's seat pouch. In that goes and I try my quick fill. The dispenser will not move, like the plunger is frozen but I only find this out after I pierce the cartridge. I have never used this device and it must have gotten wet in the bag and so here we are. I grab the frozen, non-air dispensing device of dismay and, holding it both hands, press the nozzle against the sidewalk and push HARD.

'paaaaWIIIISHHHHhhhhhhh' goes all the cO2 in a frenzy of frosty air pressure escaping into the mid day heat. The valve, once it got moving, stayed open. Nice. I could just cry or laugh and I stand there, staring at the comedic circumstances unfolding before me uncertain which is the most appropriate response.

You never tested your quick fill dispenser AND your tube has a short stem AND your tire levers are missing?

So we still have my pump and out it comes with the tube number three from JeffJ's seat bag. He had been bragging to me about how good his tires were and how it had been YEARS since he had a flat and so on and so forth and all this is still ringing in my ears as I pump frantically with air escaping out the tube in every crease of the tube's folds. Rotten to the core. Really? Is someone filming this?

My spare tube is rotten?

Time is slipping by. I am going to be late for sure for my afternoon appointment, but the bigger thought is that we are fast running out of options here. So I grab the tube that has one hole in it from the wire and try to patch it but the wind is so strong that I cannot feel the air leak. I take it all in my arms and go behind the gas station into an area that must be the urinal for every homeless person in Ventura County. No deal...cannot get enough air in there with a tiny pump to feel the leak and I am fresh out of water barrels, koi ponds, or deep puddles to submerge the tube in.

Amazing. About now the Mexican gardener comes by and looks at us as he stands next to his running lawnmower. The lawn he wants to mow is the one we have bikes and parts spread allll over. Really, dude? Verdad? Verdad.

We pile it all on the sidewalk and keep at it.

So as a last resort, in goes the good spare tube I had (with the short stem) and JeffJ grabs his last quick fill and crams it on there, hits the button, but the connection is not good and canned air air goes everywhere but in the tube. Then he bends the valve core as he pulls the tool off the stem.

KEEEEEERRAAAAAPPPPPPPP!!!!!!$%#&;*^%%%!!!

Plan B. It was close to this...too close.

I straighten that without having it break and thread my pump on there hoping there are enough threads to get it to seal. There are, but barely. It is our last hope before we hit the rescue flares or I ride on JeffJ's handlebars back to the car. It works and inflates but we are on a wing and a prayer for the last 15 miles back to the car. One more flat and we are toast.

So some morals to this slapstick comedy of a story. Check yer stuff. Do your tools actually work? Are they in the bag? Is your spare tube just a long rubber band? We made it back and after a post ride burrito, discussed what we should do next, what we learned from all this and we came to a decision.

Ah...epiphany!

There really was only one career path for JeffJ and I to pursue. One way for us to help others learn from our mistakes. Come by and see us some time. We fix flats.

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-16440104762277752142013-08-26T12:48:00.000-07:002013-08-27T07:11:43.463-07:00A cyclist, perhaps?

Not parked...just pausing.

It was somewhere around the mid 1990's. I was on that road bike pictured above, climbing up a local canyon road along with a small group of friends. Next to me rode 'Little Ray'. Ray was Italian by birth and a cyclist by choice. MTB, road, whatever. The "little" part of the nickname came from the fact that Ray was small of stature. He used to be a professional horse jockey. Seemed to me that he raced with some of the greats until a fall and injuries took that option off the table. At least that is the way I remember it. One time, on a night MTB ride, in a difficult canyon dirt climb that was known for high winds, we came around a corner with Ray a few bike lengths ahead of me. The wind hit us straight in the face while we already in our low gear and it stopped Ray dead and blew him over before he could unclip. He laid there, laughing like crazy as I rode by. Sometimes it pays to be big and heavy.

He had a temper bigger than his silhouette and was a force to be reckoned with on a bike, being a fierce competitor. This day he rode up alongside me as we stood and climbed out of the saddle, bikes rocking back and forth, hands lightly balanced on the bars, feet stepping on the revolving dance floor. He said something I have never forgotten but only recently recalled. He said, "you are doing well...you are becoming a cyclist".

A cyclist. Webster's has that as: One who rides a cycle.

I am a mountain biker. I bleed dirty blood and wear knobby socks. It is one of the things that defines me and I am OK with that. But am I a cyclist? An MTB is a cycle, right? Yes, but what Ray was saying was that I was transitioning from being just a dirt rider to a more complex animal. The addition of road riding was expanding my horizons and had me on a journey to another level as a bike rider. Then, for whatever reason, I backpedaled, if you will, and fell away from anything road related. I went from a here-and-there century ride with regular group rides to a semi-often road ride with a buddy or two then right to nil. Zip. It was knobs or nada.

Till recently. I am still not sure what happened. Seasons, I guess and the timing of all that. Every summer when the hills get brown and dry and the air temps go up toward triple digits in So Cal, my thoughts turn to road riding where at least you have the potential to make your own breeze. Then the Tour De France, which I watch but do so with limited knowledge or interest, always peaks my curiosity for road bikes. I mean, those bikes they ride look so cool! So I would invest in a new set of road tires to replace the rotted ones, take the road bike off the hook, do some wrenching and hit the road.

And once again I would remember why I did not do this, this road bike thing. The bike sucked. The shifting was some odd compromise of a 7 speed Sachs freewheel (yes...7 speed freewheel) on Bullseye hubs and Mavic rims with Shimano bar end shifters. Horrible combo. It never shifted right and did not get better with age. The riding position was just as bad with a gooseneck steel stem welded into quite a negative angle and a bar shaped with more than a good bit of reach and drop. It put me waaaay over the bars when on the hoods and what used to be OK to me in the 90s was terrifying now. Add in 53/39 crank gearing and a 12-25 freewheel and it was always a dream-bubble buster every time I got back on the bike.

So every year I would entertain either a new road bike or updating the parts and correcting the fit on this one. I was torn. It was a handmade steel frame from Curtlo Cycles with modern geometry and an SR Prism alu fork. The parts were mostly Shimano 600 or 105 but it just did not mesh. Was it worth upgrading? Then I would get into the pursuit of a new MTB and the road bike would go back on the hook for another year. Priorities, you know.

That was until last year, when I picked up a set of road bike wheels from JeffJ for 50 bucks. They were decent but not great wheels, maybe 1800g, and had the minimal spoking pattern that was so popular these days. But the best part was that they would allow me to go to a proper 8spd cassette from Shimano. So I figured it was worth 100 dollars to see this along a bit farther. I paired the wheels and new cassette with an 8spd set of bar end shifters I had around. Now we had great shifting and a 12-26 gear cluster for a slightly lower gear. I would have liked brifters, but they are kinda costly.

Fit was another thing. I did not know what I did not know and I just figured that all road bikes felt like this in the cockpit. But I would see bikes go by that looked so much different...the hoods were not so far away and low and riding them just had to be better. But getting there would mean sourcing eBay 8spd brifters and new bars and what about that old quill stem? I sure would like to get to where I could run the assortment of threadless 1 1/8" stems I had laying around. So in increments, I pressed on. I installed an aftermarket adapter (big chunk of metal) into the threaded 1" steerer that let me run 1 1/8" threadless stems for a better selection of options. That raised my bar position up and I was seeing rays of hope break though the clouds.

So naturally I did the next logical thing...I hung the bike on the hooks again. Why? No motivation. Wrong season. Timing is key. There were lots of bikes to be riding and all of them had fat, knobby tires on them. Till this year. An event was coming up that would be a difficult day and it would be good to get some miles in to prepare. But long training miles during the summer in So Cal are hard on an MTB. Unless you begin at 04:00 AM, forget having any fun there. Too hot. And recent fires had closed a lot of the areas that would be tolerable for such efforts.

So it got me thinking. And thinking (and acting on those thoughts) led to this pic of the Curtlo resting (not parked) at the halfway point of a 60 mile ride up and around some remote canyon roads. I have been tweaking the fit a bit more, but that is just for a brief time as I am knee deep into a new road bike build. It will be a mix of the modern and the traditional and the new bike should settle the fit issues, shed a bit of weight, and get me a bit lower gearing.

WIll I ride it enough to make it worthwhile? Well this is the interesting thing. In the process of getting some miles in for this specific event, I have been very surprised by how much I am enjoying the road bike experience. It is different, for sure, but that is not a bad thing. Sometimes the rut in the trail gets big enough for us to hide in, more a trench than a rut, and I am enjoying learning about the road side of things. I am finding myself planning long road rides which has made me chuckle at myself more than a few times. I have had two weekends in a row that have been right at 100 miles. Huh! How 'bout that?

I will always be a mountain biker but if this trend continues I may get back on track to being something else.

A cyclist.

Thanks for the reminder, Ray.grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-88922161159377959282013-07-03T09:11:00.000-07:002013-07-03T09:11:50.689-07:00Grew a Tooth.

Navy Mike on his trial run.

It is no secret that I love riding single speed 29ers. They are harsh and cruel mistresses, but aside from the whipping you get, there is a reward too. Sometimes the reward wins and sometimes the whip wins, but there it is. You get what you get.

The other day a fellow SS rider took his gearing from the somewhat typical for where we live 32x20 to a 32x18. Big step up, that. He did that to accommodate a local XC race series where the flats are long enough to be difficult with hill climbing gears. And he found that he was surprised by how he was still able to ride most of the normal stuff too, it just took more effort, sometimes a LOT more, but in many cases he was going very fast uphill without a lot more stress on the body. He is also a strong and determined rider by nature.

So he suggested I do the same...go to a taller gear, and he offered his 20T rear cog to try it out. Now I run a 34x21 gearing as I find that, even though it is not much different that a 32x20, that I like the bigger chainwheels. They feel smoother to me and smoother feels faster as well. It may not be truly so, but I like it.

Let us look at some numbers. Gear Inches is a way to represent the result of gear combinations. It tells you how far in inches that one revolution of a crank gets ya'. The bigger the number, the farther you will go per pedal stroke and the taller the gear makes it harder to pedal uphill too.

32x20 = 46.6

That is what Navy Mike had when he began.

32x18 = 51.8

This is what he has now. He gained 5 gear inches. When we went riding he would match my cadence and just pull away from me. Hmmmm.

I was running...

34x21 = 47.2

Pretty close to a 32x20 actually. Slightly taller. Now I have...

34x20 = 49.5

That is still way off a 32x18 so maybe halfway there in relation to the change that Navy Mike made to his old gearing. And I have been running this for two rides now. They have been somewhat hard rides and routes that I am very familiar with. It has been interesting as to how it has felt. It felt harder in some cases. When I was in a situation where I was really under a gear, grinding it out, it hurt a lot, maybe to the point where I could not make the hill or obstacle. But when I was pedaling well, it was fast. Quite a difference.

I could tell that, more than my cardio, it was stressing my leg strength. It was squats at the gym more than running stairs. Interesting. As long as my knees hold up and I can rise to the occasion, I should grow stronger and get faster. In short, I will adapt.

Guitar Ted says that you should go up one gear tooth at a time as the season brings your fitness up until the point where you simply cannot move that bigger gear, than go back one. Your fitness will rise to the challenge. Could be. Wise person, that GT. What I have not done yet was a long, grinding climb where it just beats you down over time. That may be an issue as I will only get sooooo fit here but I also know I have lots of room to grow so we shall see. We shall see. And if nothing else, my walking gear is still the same. :)

But it was a lesson to me in being willing to push things a bit instead of letting the status quo keep me comfy. If an SS is ever comfy for any time at all.grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-75070997298283455602013-06-28T12:22:00.000-07:002013-06-28T12:22:35.047-07:00Mind Games?

I recent trip to Arizona pointed out a few things to me. I need to take my tech skills up a notch. I need to relax and trust my abilities. I need to get out more.

I cannot remember ever being that intimidated by the trails I was riding and frankly, they were not all THAT much to deal with. There were sure more rocks and ledgy stuff to deal with but I have done that before so it was not unknown territory to me. Typically the first day riding in a new place is the hardest, especially if it is someplace like Moab. It typically takes me a good long ride to just relax and trust the bike and myself to where I am just riding things without a death grip on the bars and fear in my heart. Usually, by the end of a couple days it is just the same old same old and I am dropping off stuff like I have been doing it forever.

But that did not happen on this trip. I really never relaxed and just rode without fear. And it affected my abilities on the bike as well as bothering the heck out of me. Intimidated. Tense. Breathless. It sucked. Fred on trail, that was me...or at least it felt that way.

Actually I was riding OK, but I never FELT ok about it. My years of riding experience took care of me and I am no slouch on trail but it was the battle of the mind I never won? And now, many weeks later, it still bugs me. Was it peer pressure? Is it age creeping in on me and letting me know I need to begin shopping for that recumbent?

No doubt I have slowed down with age. I seldom run down trails at the speeds I used to. Maturity brings common sense. It has been a long time since I raced the Mammoth Kamikaze DH with no suspension and not one pad on the body. 44.5 mph on that dirt drop out of the heavens, circa 1989/90. No more of that nonsense for me. But this was just riding in Arizona, not death defying foolishness.

And I like to think I can still do it well, or at least as well as I used to within reason but maybe that is a false hope. I can still remember my feelings each time I pedaled out on that trip and it bugs me to this day.

grannygearhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469303850160738825.post-32909839461025811802013-05-09T10:41:00.000-07:002013-05-09T10:42:12.206-07:00Fun on purpose.

This bike is fun. Trek/Fisher Stache 8

I bet most of us, when we really get down to it, ride because it is fun. And unless you are truly driven or are in this for cash or acclaim, when it stops being fun we stop riding. So here is a bike that, according to the builder, is all about 'fun'.

A 29er hardtail with a twist here...120mm fork with 51mm (G2) offset, 68.6* HT angle 72* ST angle, 17.5" stays, dropper post ready, 2.3 tires stock. Long TT, long-ish stem. Typical 2x10 XC gearing. SO what is it? AM hard tail? No...not short enough or burly enough. XC racer? No, too heavy with that dropper post and big tires plus the HT angle...no, not an XC racer. Endurance bike? Well kinda over qualified for that too. SO what is it?

Just a fun bike to ride in the way that maybe 90% of the people that do ride, ride. That being, out with the gang, on the trail, up the hills, down the hills, across town, over the horizon, maybe fast, maybe not fast, checking Strava, checking in to life, checking out of life.

Why is this bike so different then, so 'more fun'? Here is what I think.

The relaxed HT angle and overall weight distribution works to keep YOU relaxed and smiling. You are off the front wheel, back in the center of the bike. So while this is against you in some cases, like steep seated climbs up a switchback, it is for you most all the other 99.9% of the rides. This is the first time I have been...wait...the second time I have been impressed with a bike that had a 51mm offset fork on it on purpose; this G2 Trek and an Ibis Ripley.

It loves to just play down the trail, bopping off everything, taking rougher lines just for fun, whatever. Speed feels really good on this, keeping in mind the hardtail limitations.

Dropper post. Man, those things make a bike into a whole new animal and let you do things with your weight balance that a normal post will not do (unless you stop and drop, raise, drop raise, etc)

Fattish tires. More rubber is more gooder on trail rides.

120mm of travel and a 17.5" CS length. Just right for anything short of full on BC log drops and yet you can sit and spin along, having some hope of getting up the steeps without needing to perch on the nose of a faux leather, ti railed suppository.

The vibe is right. Yeah it all just comes together to not be the 'nth' degree of anything but the meat of everything we like about riding. In fact the closest thing to this I have felt in an FS is that Ripley 29er, but that was just a brief impression.

No pretense of being all serious. Trek seemed to get it marketing wise and I think riders will respond once they stop obsessing over perceived needs like under 17" CS lengths and 140mm forks on hardtails, and conversely, steeper than required 71+* HT angles and bike set-ups that only feel really good when we are trying to go very fast uphill or on some smooth course.

Like anything, this simple but slightly unique 29er is not for everyone but I really came to appreciate it and I had to think to myself that it was, more often than not, more fun to ride on any given day than many other bikes I have hanging around the garage. And that was quite interesting to me, at least.

Maybe to you as well.

And if I was to go out and order a custom bike right now, I would take the specs of this Stache 8 and have it rendered in Ti just for kicks. And then I would ride and smile, having fun.

grannygearhttp://email@example.com


text:
The pilot said that prior to the helicopter's liftoff he checked for and had freedom of controls and no warning or caution lights. He said he had no lights on in the cockpit except "very dim instrument and nav-radio lights." The moon was full, overhead, and bright. The pilot elected not to turn on his searchlight and landing and taxi lights for takeoff. The helicopter came up light on the skids and began a vertical ascent. "The nose began to go left, so I applied right pedal - it seemed stuck/blocked. Within 1 to 2 seconds the aircraft began a right roll. I applied left pressure with the cyclic, but it too seemed extremely stiff and/or stuck." The helicopter rolled over on its right side causing substantial damage. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were reported as clear skies, 10 miles visibility, and winds of 170 degrees at 4 knots. An examination of the helicopter's flight controls and other systems revealed no anomalies. The helipad was located in a former gravel pit with pale white-colored sandy soil surrounding and rising above the pad in all quadrants. Ground scars and paint transfers observed were consistent with the ground resonance spring on the right skid coming in contact with the pad. The ground scars' pattern indicated the helicopter was moving laterally and aft when the spring made first contact with the pad, subsequently initiating a dynamic rollover of the aircraft.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
Index for Sep2004 | Index of months

subset: commoncrawl


text:
view bio »
By the numbers
• $1.08 billion - Trade with Canada in metropolitan Chattanooga
• $751 million - Trade with Mexico in metropolitan Chattanooga
• 32 percent - North American share of global trade in metropolitan Chattanooga
• $885 billion - Total international trade between the United States and Canada or Mexico
Source: 2010 trade data compiled by Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings and the Global Cities Initiative
Top trading commodities
Chattanooga's top trading commodities in North America during 2010, including imports and exports between Chattanooga and Mexico and Canada.
1) Motor vehicles and parts, $535 million
2) Machinery and tools, $334 ,million
3) Chemicals and plastics $223 million
4) Electronics, $155 million
5) Metals, $88 million
Source: 2010 trade data compiled by Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings and the Global Cities Initiative
Despite the influx of German and Japanese investment in Tennessee over the past two decades, nearly a third of Chattanooga's international trade is much closer to home.
Aided by the duty-free North American Free Trade Agreement, Canada and Mexico remain the biggest trading partners for many U.S. companies.
"When people think of new export markets in recent years they've almost been overly thrilled about China, India, Brazil and other emerging markets and they've almost forgot that there are still a ton of opportunities here in our continent," said Joseph Parilla, research analyst at the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program.
A new Brookings Institution study shows trade between Chattanooga and cities in Canada or Mexico totaled more than $1.8 billion in 2010, the last year in which such data exists. Canada is the No. 1 trading partner, and Mexico is No. 3. Trade with such countries has tripled since the NAFTA pact among the nations became effective 20 years ago in January.
"The world is emerging as a network of cites that link together through trade and learn from each other about how to best urbanize," said Bruce Katz, a Brookings vice president. "Nowhere is that more clear than in North America, given the integrated nature of the U.S., Mexican and Canadian economies."
The biggest new investments in the Chattanooga region over the past five years have come from Europe, including the $2 billion polysilicon plant being built in Charleston, Tenn., by German-based Wacker Chemical, the $1 billion assembly plant erected in Chattanooga by the German automaker Volkswagen and the $300 million expansion by the French-based Alstom Power. But much of that investment has fueled trade relations among advanced manufacturers in North America, Parilla said.
"In Chattanooga, there is a lot of specialization in the automotive industry which has built strong trading relationships with cites in both Canada and Mexico," he said.
The top metro trading partners with Chattanooga, according to the Brookings study, are Toronto ($217 million), Mexico City ($118 million), Montreal ($95 million) and Monterrey, Mexico ($86 million).
Although Chattanooga is competing with cities in Mexico to land production of a new sports utility vehicle planned by Volkswagen, Brookings experts suggest that cities like Chattanooga also need to do more to cooperate and promote North American trade relations.
"With new opportunities emerging to increase domestic manufacturing, metropolitan leaders in the United States, Canada and Mexico should work with their federal partners to strengthen trade relationships and grow jobs and exports across the continent," said Alan Berube, the Brookings senior fellow who authored the report on North American trade.
NAFTA eliminated most tariff and other trade barriers between the United States, Canada and Mexico when it became effective on Jan. 1, 1994. The volume of international trade among the U.S. and its North American counterparts has since tripled to more than $885 billion, Brookings reported.
Parilla said the importance of such trade is even more important in metro areas like Chattanooga, which ranked 15th among the 100 biggest U.S. metro areas in the share of its trade coming from North America.
"We tend to think of trade on the national level, but production tends to be at the regional and metropolitan area where firms cluster and critical assets like workforce, innovation and infrastructure are concentrated," Parilla said. "The leadership in each community needs to set their own global trade strategy."
Contact Dave Flessner at email@example.com or at 757-6340
Dave Flessner is the business editor for the Times Free Press. A journalist for 35 years, Dave has been business editor and projects editor for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, city editor for The Chattanooga Times, business and county reporter for the Chattanooga Times, correspondent for the Lansing State Journal and Ingham County News in Michigan, staff writer for the Hastings Daily Tribune in Nebraska, and news director for WCBN-FM in Michigan. Dave, a native ...


text:
Added Apr 2, 2013
by Milena Bella
Tel Aviv, Israel
This is the dress I made for the 40's inspired challenge. I combined a vintage pattern with a self drafted one. Followed strict "make and mend" principles- was very resoursful and used only vintage sewing techniques. Had LOTS of fun. true time travel. I dedicated this dress to my belated grandmother, and actually acidently (or not) posted on her birthday. Read more on the blog – http://thehomeblues.blogspot.co.il/2013/04/sewing-for-victory-40-chalenge-dress.html , I posted lots of detail pic too.
Rayon. 2 meters plus one for the skirt lining.
Apr 8, 2013, 09.14 PMby claudinka
Great dress. And the fabric goes so well with the style. And fits you very, very well.
Apr 5, 2013, 06.40 PMby Madelyn H-L
Just beautiful! And the color is stunning on you :)
Apr 7, 2013, 10.21 AMby Milena Bella
Thanks so much! :)
Apr 3, 2013, 12.53 PMby kathhhhhy
Oh wow! This is gorgeous! I really like vintage dress patterns but wouldn't feel comfortable wearing them…. but I want this one!! It's fantastic! Plus the green/blue color with tiny polka dots is lovely!
Apr 7, 2013, 10.21 AMby Milena Bella
I think you would totally work them. Fashion today is so vintage inspired that most looks feel contemporary. And thank you:)
Apr 2, 2013, 05.43 PMby sleepy-dumpling
You look fabulous! The dress is so beautiful x
Apr 2, 2013, 05.00 PMby Mary Athey
oh wow!!!! this is gorgeous. i love the pattern you used and with some self drafting you made a fabulous dress. the fabrics lovely as well x
Apr 2, 2013, 04.25 PMby ariation
Your dress is beautiful……….It really looks vintage….nice
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