Gravel Therapy

It's been a stressful week of Presidential chaos. I hesitate to say that "my" candidate didn't win because I really didn't like either option. And social media has been blowing up with wailing about how crushed people are at the outcome.

Yesterday I was working from home and making good progress when a 55 degree, sunny November day spoke to me. It was time to finally go ride the gravel near my new house!

This was my first outing, but I'd already been thinking of places I wanted to explore. Since time was limited, I set off toward a known road, rather than meandering. I'll save that for this weekend.

I haven't been able to ride much with the shorter days and a busy schedule. It's been at least a couple of months since I've been on the Crux. But as soon as I was in the saddle, I knew I'd made the right call.

After only a mile or so, I could feel the stress of this week's events melting away. The sun. The sounds. The beautiful countryside in my area. They all combined in this perfect mix of gravel-induced euphoria. 

I'm so happy I discovered the joys of dirt roads. They really are gravel therapy. So much so that I'm considering selling my Giant Defy Advanced road bike and putting the money toward a custom built-for-me Seven Evergreen gravel bike. I'm already plotting the build I'd want, the options I'd add, and all that. Perhaps it's a nice fantasy. Perhaps it will become reality.

At the end of my ride, I'd logged a few miles, and shed a pile of stress. As simple reminder to get out there!

-Sean-

On the Road Again

View from the cockpit

Took advantage of a wonderful 62 degree day to get in a road ride yesterday. Words can't even express how good it felt to get out and stretch my legs, get my heart rate up, and cleanse both mind and soul. The trainer is a reasonable Winter fitness solution, but it really does rather suck. It's the exercise of cycling, only without any of the richness.

Yesterday, I enjoyed the sunshine, the remnants of a foot of snow from earlier in the week, and just how fucking great it was to be outside, doing something I love. I was talking to a friend about churches over the weekend and observed that by and large, the outdoors is my church. It's where I go to re-connect and re-center.

Well, so much for the deep BS, how was the ride?

Legs were surprisingly strong, as was cardio. I felt like I had a reasonable amount of jump, and even the daunting Delhi Hill wasn't too bad. Wind was up pretty high, but I really didn't notice. So, all things considered, I think my Winter regimen of riding the trainer and skiing has worked. I also haven't gained the weight I normally do. Double-bonus!

The other thing was the addition of the Specialized Crux Comp to my stable is huge and doing exactly what I planned by extending my seasons. My road bike is still set-up on the trainer, so I have that when it snows again (tomorrow...). And, with the road bike being carbon with carbon wheels, it's nice to have a more rugged alternative. She's just too pretty to ride in the slop and debris of late Winter. I also found the November Nimbus Alloy TI wheels really enjoyable on the roads. Those White Industries hubs are SO smooooooooth!

In two weeks, I head to Colorado for a Spring ski trip. I'm sure I will return satiated by Winter and eager for Spring! Yesterday was proof.

-Sean-

Product Review: November Bicycles Nimbus Alloy TI Wheelset

It seems so common that factory bikes lately have one Achilles Heel - the wheels. Nearly every review I read seems to say something to the effect of, "an upgraded wheel package would make this bike faster/better climbing/more durable...". This appears to be the area where manufacturers control costs. Most buyers don't really understand much about wheels, while they can immediately spot the difference between Shimano Sora and Ultegra. Too bad - wheels are easily the biggest single game changer for many bikes.

After a few gravel rides on my Specialized Crux, I began to feel that was likely an issue for me as well. At 20 spokes front, 24 rear the Roval Pave SL wheels feel a bit flexy and undersized for my 200+ pounds. I'm not saying I'm some sort of Road Beast, but I'm a decent-sized guy who's reasonably strong. Had a wheel guru at a local shop take a look at the wheels. As seems to be the case with Specialized wheels, the bearings are pretty small. Especially up front. Two strikes.

But what are my alternatives? My wheel guru builds great wheelsets. But we chat and I'm looking at just over a grand for that. Nope. Took a quick look at Mavic, but something leaves me cold about these. 

Enter November Bicycles. I first ran across these guys on the RoadBikeReview online wheel and tire forum. Everyone comments on the great quality and tremendous value. A visit to their web site and now I'm intrigued. Semi-custom 'cross wheels for 600 bucks? For real? After some dialogue with owner Dave (great guy), I settle on the Alloy Nimbus TI with Pacenti SL25 rims in a 28/32 spoke configuration. The hubs are made for November by White Industries - basically a White T11 with a simpler shell and available only in a standard pewter color. I have a White ENO on the rear of my single-speed mountain bike and it's SOLID gear. November offers these wheels in a wide range of spoke configurations, rim choices, etc. so you're sure to find something that meets your needs. And if you don't know what you need, I found them really helpful in guiding my decisions.

Good looking ride!

I love getting sweet bike gear shipments. And November didn't disappoint. In a word: solid. These wheels look durable and solid, without feeling "overbuilt". The hubs are a great color and the bearings are butter-smooth. I really like the T11's titanium drive - nearly as light as aluminum and as strong as steel. And the Pacenti rims have a great profile, a great matte black finish, and even some pretty sweet graphics (hey, I'm a marketing guy by profession).

Once the wheels are mounted, I'm even happier. Somehow they just clean up the look and pull the bike together visually. I love that November even does their own skewers that are just a touch unique and match the hubs. Nice attention to detail.

OK, that's all fine, but what's it ride like?

Bomber rear hub!

Sublime. Smooth. Solid. The smooth-rolling hubs carry momentum wonderfully -- blast the descent on a roller and you get half-way up the next hill! The added rigidity of the higher spoke count and more rugged rim means flex is GONE. Every pedal stroke translates into maximum forward motion.

The Alloy Nimbus TI has transformed the Crux from a bike that I liked a lot to one I love. That's pretty cool. And surprisingly affordable.

Of course, this has me eyeing November's Rail 52 carbon road wheels. My Roval Rapides have been fine, but with a low 16/21 spoke count and the same small bearings, I wonder if I'm crushing them. Ah well, a consideration for next Spring.

If you're looking for a handbuilt wheelset with top-notch components at a mass-market price, I strongly recommend checking out November. Great product!

-Sean-

Gear Lust

Been having a bit of a run-in with gear lust just lately. You know the feeling, "Do I need a gravel bike with disc brakes? What about a skinnier ski for those hardpack situations when it hasn't snowed in 10 days and the temps have been in the single digits? Dang, having a second Muskie fly rod that I could put an intermediate line on would be cool. Maybe I need that cool new superlight road bike?" Damn near bought a Kona Jake the Snake 'cross bike on Saturday.

Then I went for a bike ride yesterday.

That simple act reminded me of why I love all this stuff so much. It's time spent outdoors. It's the sights, sounds, and smells. The feeling of the sun warming you on a cool Fall day. The strain of muscles that sit at a desk too much.

And its freedom. Freedom from the tedium of a job, a house, and a life. Where you can just escape for some pure "me time". Last Monday as part of a whirlwind trip that included Michigan's Upper Peninsula, I got to float the storied Big Two Hearted River. Yup, the one of Hemingway lore. I've waded it a couple of times, and even kayaked it years back. But seeing a river from a raft or a drift boat is just another experience. We didn't catch much - or even turn much - but it didn't matter. I got to spend a day with my Dad, and a good friend. On one of the most remote rivers in Michigan. In a place where cell phones don't work and GPS' can't be trusted. Truly off-the-grid.

This phase of gear lust will pass. And until it does, I need to remember - use the shit you already own. That will give you far more joy. When you wear it out; you can get something new!

-Sean-

Houston, We Have A Problem...

Ran into a little snag on the 'cross bike. On my first real dirt ride after my fitting, I noticed my saddle was pretty low about 3/4 through. I knew Josh had said he'd had some issues with this, so not surprising. I adjusted back to about the right height, re-tightened and finished my ride. Later I took the measurements from my fitting with FitMI and put it in the right spot. Oh, and since this is MY bike, I put a scratch in the seatpost for reference.

 On the next my next ride, I noticed it slipping again. Re-adjusted and this time put a little brute force on the bolt. Like until I heard a solid creak. And, yes, I know that isn't "tourqued to specifications...". A few miles later, I'm low-riding. Another stop, another adjustment, only this time, the second creak turns to a loud, "SNAP". F@CK!!!! I'm 8-1/2 miles in to a 24 mile ride and at a pretty good distance from my truck. I limp back as directly as possible in a combination of standing and riding on an all-the-way-down seat that fully swivels. Fun.

At first, I'm blaming the non-stock Zipp seatpost. Figuring maybe it's not quite a true 27.2mm size. But after I get home and start doing some research, I find that this problem is a known issue with the Specialized Crux Comp. A wide range of fixes are suggested (including shimming with a cut-out from an aluminum beer can), but most center on the seat clamp. The general consensus is that the Thomson seat clamp is the ticket.

OK, cool, but the Specialized clamp also has an integrated cable hanger for the rear cantilever brake. No problem. I like an engineering challenge. A little more time with The Google and I find the Problem Solvers Cross Cable Hanger. OK, I can put this on the seatpost just above the clamp. Good enough. Oh, wait, the hanger is 1-1/8" ID and the post is 27.2mm. D@mmit! Ah, but there's a shim available. Click. Click. Credit card. Order complete.

As I'm waiting for delivery, I realize that this rig - while functional - is going to look full-on hillbilly. Not acceptable. A little more research leads me to the IRD Long Drop Cable Hanger. Better still I can order locally and have it in a couple of days. Sweet!

On Monday night I finally have all the needed parts. I'm sweating if the cable and housing will be long enough, but I dive in. Installation goes smoothly and the cable and housing just fit. With the clamp properly torqued, seat can't be twisted when tugging (it could before). And, the installation looks nice and clean. Perfect.

Planning the first ride on Saturday; fingers crossed! Somehow I have an odd love for this sort of problem-solving.

-Sean-


FOLLOW-UP
Good news! Did a nice 23 miler on gravel today and everything held fast. Didn't slip a millimeter! Kudos to Thomson for a top-notch seat clamp that does it's job. Ride was a blast and felt great! I love that bike.

Early Season Progress Report

Cycling season is off to a solid start. By the end of April I had surpassed the 40 mile mark several times. Each ride was generally solid with decent pace, despite often-windy conditions. All in all I feel like the off-season work on the trainer, mixed with some skiing, helped me maintain some semblance of fitness. This is a nice feeling as the past Winter was UGLY. Got really good at watching TV and gaining weight.

Thus far, I'm enjoying the new carbon wheels. Lighter rotating parts do make a big difference and I'm feeling some of the aero benefits. We'll see how durable they are - so far things seem to be holding true, but I haven't really got a ton of miles on them yet.

On Saturday, I had a nice day with a relatively free agenda so I thought I'd attempt to break the 50 mile mark. Not only did I accomplish that goal, I did it by adding on the loop up through Hell, MI. If you haven't ridden that area, it's known for being pretty rolling. I needed to spend some time on hills and I must say it went pretty well. In fact, my final mileage was 56.75. Actually closer to 60 than 50, so I'm quite pleased by that. And, I had enough energy to do just over 30 miles with Bike Ypsi

Another notable addition to this season is joining Strava. I had some reservations about this (how much sharing is too much?) but I've actually found that having a smaller community with other active friends has been good for me. If I see that Josh or Jeff did a ride and I skipped, it, I'm more motivated for the next time. And when I put up a solid ride, I get kudos. Best of all, it syncs automatically from my Garmin Connect account, and shares with my LoseIt! app. Pretty cool and some interesting data is now flowing in all directions.

As of now, I've really got the road bike dialed. Everything fits me well and I'm comfortable riding fairly long distances. On Sunday I rode the cross bike and realized we still have some fine-tuning to do. The first is going to be picking up a Fizik Aliante VS K:ium saddle. This is the same saddle my road bike has on it and we're used to each other. I also think it's probably time to score some decent MTB shoes for this bike. My old original entry-level Pearl Izumi's from a decade ago really aren't doing it. Especially after the oh-so-comfy Bonts on my road bike (and sadly Bont doesn't have a two-bolt pattern that will fit the SPD cleats on the 'cross bike).

It's early May, I've got some solid miles in and I'm eager for more. I started fundraising in earnest for the Susan G. Komen Ride for the Cure (feel free to donate!) last week. Thus far, the season is off to a solid start for this cyclist.

-Sean-

Light it Up

I read an article in Bicycling magazine (which I curiously can't find right now) that showed the main ways in which cyclists are hit by cars. I wish I could find it, but one number really stuck out at me - over 60% of the time they are hit from the rear. I can't recall the other numbers, but do remember that this was over double any other direction.

This really struck me (bad pun, I know...). I have a rear light, but until I read this article, I was a bit too casual about turning it on. Mostly I'd use it on late rides at dusk. Not now. Every. Freakin'. Time. Cyclists are hard enough to see from the side or three-quarters perspective, but from the rear -- we practically disappear.

I'm a big fan of Lezyne products. They're beautifully engineered and manufactured. And they WORK. My Classic Floor Drive pump is the best pump I've ever owned. Today on Facebook I see a post on their newest rear light - the Zecto Auto. I'm getting one. Now. It's tempting to order one each for the road and cross bikes, but they're a bit spendy. So, this cool light has technology that senses motion and turns on. And after three minutes stopped, it shuts off. Presto! No more forgetting to turn the blinker light on. Beyond awesome! I like when I can easily build in safety to my rides.

-Sean-

Time Flies

Holy crap - when did I last post? Geez, poor blog's been neglected. On the upside, I was having some pretty awesome outdoor adventures, but time flies! I'll post more on them soon, but here are some highlights from December:

• Three days steelhead fishing in Western NY - including getting a fish on the Niagara River, as well as a personal best record of 7 steelhead landed in a single day (hooked up on 11 total).
  
• My first visit to Lambeau Field for a Green Bay Packers home game. Not your conventional "outdoor" venture, but I was outside and it was cold! And awesome! Packers fans truly are the about the nicest people you could ever meet. As a Yooper (born in Michigan's Upper Peninsula), I reserve the right to cheer both the Lions and Packers, so this was a pretty cool experience!
  
• A week on the Big Island of Hawaii - including a visit to the volcanoes, as well as a day spent sportfishing on a beautiful 43' Merritt boat.
  
• The addition of a new cyclocross bike (and my first dirt road ride).
  
• My first outing on the new Blizzard Bonfide skis. In short - superfriggin' cool

So, uh yeah, been too busy to blog about all this cool stuff. As I said earlier, time flies. Stay tuned.

-Sean-

Weighty Issue

Ernest Gagnon is a pretty damn impressive fellow. Two years ago he tipped the scales at over 500 pounds and had a wealth of other health issues. Instead of surgery, or simply doing nothing he decides he's going to lose the weight training for and competing in a cyclocross race. Now he's down 240 pounds. You can read the full story here.

I'm mightily impressed with his accomplishments, but what I find equally cool is the acceptance and support he found in the cycling community. Serious cyclists can be an intimidating. Lycra. Gazillion dollar carbon rides. Jackrabbit bodies. And a language that only vaguely resembles English. And, that's just the serious road folks. Racers are an even more intense crew.

Yet these awesome folks accepted this morbidly obese man, and even helped him on his journey. I've found mostly accepting, encouraging people in cycling. Yes, there are bike snobs -- but there are snobs in any pursuit whether you're talking wine or wingshooting. But this group went above and beyond to help a man struggling with a major life issue achieve a positive outcome.

Why the mass media doesn't seem to be able to find stories like these amazes me. We can spend hours on Justin Bieber's antics, but a guy loses 240 pounds through personal strength and courage and he's overlooked. In an era of rampant Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and other weight-impacted health issues, we should all hoist Mr. Gagnon on our shoulders and lap the cyclocross course with him.

Kudos to all involved in this fantastic story.

-Sean-