Fear No Rock ... Or Repair!

I love my Clackacraft 16LP MegaBox drift boat. The layout has tons of storage and is easy to access. The boat rows like a dream. And, despite having had a hard life as a working guide boat, she's in solid shape.

I also love companies who stand behind their products. Had it a year back with my Remington Versamax shotgun when not only did they replace a problem part I identified, but also checked and found a few others and sent those - despite being over a year out of warranty. Nice!

Recently I've notice that the rower's bench in my Clacka won't stay put. It rides on rails so you can adjust for different leg lengths, gear loads, etc. Even when thoroughly tightened, as soon as you get your feet on the brace and pull a good oarstroke, you slide back. Gets old fast.

So, I give Clacka a call this morning, figuring I'll need to order some new screws or something. As soon as I get the guy on the phone it's evident that he knows this problem well. "Do you have the plastic clip or the metal one...". Of course, I don't know as I've yet to take it apart. "No problem," he says "I'll send you out a set and some new screws. Just give me your address." Wow - impressive. No warranty questions, no hassles, and no charge.

And that, my friends, is why I'll likely never row another brand of drift boat. I truly value companies who stand behind their products. When I hit the Lottery ($152 mil drawing tonight, just sayin'), I'm ordering up a Clackacraft 16' Eddy in Central Michigan Chippewas maroon and gold.

Looking for a new drift boat? I can't say enough good about the Clackacraft brand. Well-built, and well-backed! Kudos!

-Sean-

Bike Fit Follow-Up

At this point, I've got in 250 or so miles since the fitting with Jess Bratus of fitmi!. I've ridden as long as 73 miles and as short as 20 miles. What I have now is a bike that gets even more comfortable the more I ride it.

Round One wasn't a rousing success. The SMP Avant saddle that felt good on the trainer in the fit studio proved not to work for me on the road - I'm actually convinced that it actually had too much padding. In an effort to get me in a more upright position, she swapped out my 8 degree stem for a taller 17 degree model. While the shorter reach felt better, bike handling quality really went downhill.

Just like ski boot fitting, bike fitting is a process. It's such a myriad of small adjustments and every body structure is different. So, back I go. Jess immediately smiles and says, "Well, sounds like we need to do a follow-up fit session - we'll get all that taken care of easily enough!" Cool - that's what I want to hear from my master fitter; confidence.

At my initial fitting, Jess mentioned that she had some new saddles coming in from SQ Labs of Germany. A number of long-distance riders are thrilled with this line and she feels really good about what she's learned. Fortunately for me, but my second visit, they had arrived. We quickly settled on 611 Race model. This model seems to fit my need for minimal padding with some flex in the seat base. Feels much better than the SMP on the trainer, so I'm cautiously optimistic.

Next is the stem. In addition to making my sweet ride look like Grandma's upright condo cruiser, introduces some really squirrely handling. At the first fit we'd discussed my traditional bend Bontrager bars (and how they fit almost no one!) and swapping them for a shorter reach bar with more compact drops. This will enable me to return to the stock stem, but get a shorter reach for a more relaxed stance. So, a pair of FSA Vero Compact bars are ordered. She's eager to get me able to comfortably ride in the drops, for more efficiency and to be able to comfortably vary riding position on longer rides.

I head off happy and feeling like we're making progress, full well knowing that the proof will be on the road.

In the morning I set off on my regular 35 mile training loop. From the outset, I'm liking this saddle. It's got the pressure relief of the SMP for the nether regions (or "soft tissue" as the industry so delicately refers to them, but rather than feeling like I'm sitting "in" it, I feel as though I'm "on" it. My sit bones seem to rest at the right location as well. It's a little harsh, but feels like this is more ass acclimitization and saddle break-in than anything else. Best of all, my ride is faster than before, while feeling like I'm not working as hard.

Lizard Skins bar tape - SWEET!

A few days later, my handlebars show up. I take advantage of this to replace the bar tape. Jess suggests the Lizard Skins DSP 3.2mm. In addition to a nice tacky grip and good cushioning, the tape is actually RED rather than the pinkish of my previous Bontrager tape.

The following day's ride is EPIC! Saddles feeling really nice and these bars are such an improvement! The miles melt away and I return home happy. In the ensuing week, I knock off a 64 and a 73 mile ride. Both feel great, but best of all is the next day - no lingering soreness. This tells me we got it! I'm now riding 50% of the time in the drops so that makes me happy.

Up next? The 'cross bike. When I started this, I was really looking to fine-tune for longer rides. Whereas on the 'cross bike, I know I have some issues.

If you're in SE Michigan and having fit issues, I highly recommend a visit to Jess. You won't be disappointed!

-Sean-

Rules of the Road

I read an article a couple of months back in Outside magazine about the significant increase in the number of cyclists being injured in motor vehicle collisions. The article has definitely been food for thought in recent weeks. It does seem clear that we all (cyclists and drivers) need to learn to follow the rules of the road. I've been much more observant of behaviors among both groups and we have a long way to go before the roads get safer for cyclists.

CYCLISTS
Since reading the article, I'm amazed at the number of stupid things I see cyclists do on the road that makes us deserve some of the driver's wrath. For example:

• Riding the wrong way on one-way streets. WTF? Cars can't do it -why are you?
• Ignoring stop signs. OK, we all slow-roll some in lightly trafficked areas. I'm talking about brazenly blasting through, often without looking.
• Riding on the sidewalk. Most non-cyclists are amazed when I tell them that in a significant number of municipalities that bicycles are illegal on the sidewalk. If you're biking on a sidewalk, you run the risk of injuring pedestrians, but you're also virtually impossible to see for drivers turning at intersections. Stay on the road.
• Not owning the lane. We expect to be treated like other vehicles on the road, yet many of us don't behave like one. Don't make a left turn from the right lane, put on your Big Girl Panties and jump in the left turn lane like a boss!
• Helmets. Wear one. And, if you do, buckle the stupid strap. In addition to making you look like an asshat, this pretty much removes any benefit the helmet might deliver.
• Riding two (or more) abreast. Unlike the previous items, which are mostly on less serious cyclists, the hardcores tend to be the issue here. Yeah, it's legal to ride two abreast. It's also stupid. And when a heard of you just takes over a lane, blind to vehicles around you, it just pisses drivers off. Particularly if you're all wearing some matching team kit...

DRIVERS

I am truly amazed at the stupidity and anger I encounter on the road. Curiously it's been better this year - maybe more bikes on the road increase awareness? But it's still there.

• If you wouldn't pass a car, don't pass me. You wouldn't pass a Buick on that twisty, hilly road. What makes you think you can somehow magically slip past me and not cross the center line? And when you do encounter that oncoming car, are you going to hit it or take me out? Yeah, we both know the answer on that one.
• Stop honking the fucking horn. Yes, I dropped the F Bomb there. For a reason. I get this all the time. I'm riding a virtually silent vehicle, and you're rolling along in 4,000 pounds powered by internal combustion. I know you didn't see me, but I heard you a LONG time ago. There's no need to "let me know you're there" with the horn. I'm quite aware. If you startle me and I fall or swerve in front of you, both of our days are ruined (oh, and I'm dead...).
• Put down the smartphone. I'm constantly scanning road looking for signs of driver distraction. You'd be surprised how many of you I see peering into tiny screens.
• Give me a little room. When you pass properly, without oncoming traffic, there's plenty of room for you to pass. Take it.
• Slow down. Many times I see that way-too-close-way-too-tight pass from people who are just driving far too fast for the road and were surprised by me. That extra 10 mph on a 10 mile drive isn't going to get you there any faster.

So, there you go - we all need some improvement with following the rules of the road. Hope these reminders are helpful, no matter which group you fall into.

-Sean-  

Charleston - Think About it

A warning to those who follow this blog for cycling, skiing, or fly fishing and who are anti-gun - we're going to talk about guns here today. And a warning for those who read for hunting and shooting - I'm going to step out of line with the NRA party line. Call me an equal opportunity offender...

The events in Charleston this week have really given me pause. As a gun owner, they've caused me to re-examine some thinking. As an American, they've stirred a lot of thought. And as a human being, they've caused me to be really disappointed in my fellow man.

Hatred
I heard a talk radio host yesterday posit the theory that the problem is we all hate each other - blacks hate whites and vice-versa. I'm sure he was firing for effect to keep the program lively, but it was a legitimate theory. Do we really all hate each other? My take is that there are extremists in every group and those people probably do hate each other. But the vast majority of us don't share those feelings. Unfortunately, social media, the Internet, and the 24/7 news cycle have given the limelight over to the extremists. Sad. We've become a nation focused on the extreme. Maybe it's time for the Moderate Majority (yeah, damn right, I capitalized that...) to seize control and get this place straight.

No Gun Zones
This one's ticklish, but this particular case is illustrative. An Emmy-award winning reporter from a Dallas TV station told the tale of an interview with a family member of a victim that Dylann Roof reloaded FIVE times. As a long-standing concealed carry permit holder, I know that churches are an identified gun-free zone. Curiously, I think this is more of a legal thing -- churches and stadiums both hold a lot of people, and therefore are gun-free. Sad, I'd actually think you'd do it out of respect for the Church as a place of peace. But I digress. He reloaded five times. And you've got to figure a 21 year old isn't going to be trained in eyes-off reloads. So he had to look down, drop the magazine, grab another, insert, and rack the slide to chamber a round. I wasn't there, so this is merely speculation, but I have to believe that during at least one of those reloads, a savvy concealed permit holder could have ended the situation. Does this mean I'm advocating eliminating gun-free churches? I'm not willing to go there yet. But in Michigan you can carry in a Church if you have written permission from the priest, minister, rabbi, etc. Makes you think.

Politics
We don't do this much on Get Outside - polly-ticks that is. I'm a confirmed fence-sitter who's beginning to align more with the Libertarian mindset. If there were really any moderate Republicans or conservative Democrats, I'd probably vote for them. But I'm incredibly disappointed in our President who took this opportunity to use this tragedy to push his personal "no guns" agenda. That's shameful. And to say that "this doesn't happen in other developed countries..." is just outright rubbish. Seen what's happened in Paris in recent years as it became a melting pot of cultures? Would you consider Pairs a developed country. This was a time for our leader to express the Country's grief for the victims, their families and loved ones, and the people of Charleston. Period.

More Politics
Obama's decision to focus on guns took everyone's eyes off the real issue. The gun in Dylann Roof's hand didn't kill those people - his finger pulling the trigger did. And his decision to reload and pull the trigger again. I own a number of firearms. None are equipped with a self-pulling trigger. The gun is simply a tool. He could have killed those people with knife, a bomb, or even a folding chair. What Obama glossed over is our utterly ruined mental health care system. All reports indicate that this was a truly troubled young man, with a history of drug abuse and violent statements. We see this pattern over and over in these shootings. Virginia Tech? Same deal. Aurora? Yup. So, I would issue this challenge to our government - how about if you devote 50% of the time, energy, and money that you spend trying to prevent law-abiding citizens from having guns and put it into fixing our broken mental health system. I have a number of friends who are mental health professionals. All will tell you the system has been gutted by cuts. It's time for real reform. And remember, this is an anti Big Government guy suggesting this...

The NRA
Sorry folks, its time to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. We need to stop protecting the rights of people like Dylann Roof and Adam Lanza. People with a history of mental illness, drug abuse, and/or violence shouldn't be able to own firearms. Period. Do whatever it takes to find a solution. Show that you are the good people you claim to be. If that means stronger background checks - good. A national database? I'm not thrilled about some aspects of that, but maybe we need to look at it. One logical place to start, in my opinion, is levelling national policies rather than the current State-by-State model. A friend told me that in Indiana you can get a concealed permit by having a simple chat with the Sheriff. Seriously? I've been an NRA member for years, but this is my last unless they start to find some way to collaborate and seek solutions.

The Family
You need a license to drive a car. A special certification to operate a motorcycle. A CDL for commercial truck drivers. And, what do you need to have a kid? Just a few sweaty moments. Dylann Roof's parents saw the external signs of hatred -- he wore Apartheid patches on his jacket and had a Confederate flag on his car. So what do they do? Buy him a gun for his 21st birthday. That's some solid parenting there. Adam Lanza's Mom thought that somehow having a Bushmaster AR would be a good idea with a kid with clear mental health issues in the house. She paid for this mistake with her life. Do I have a solution? No, but there are plenty of smart people who study family dynamics. I'm pretty sure if you got a few of them in an apolitical room, you'd get some clear, simple answers. I will give you one piece to think about -- I enjoy and value my guns. But if a family member in the household begins to have issues, they're out of the house. Immediately. The guns, BTW, not the family member...

Charleston
This city has long been one of my favorite places. It's hard to describe, but it's a place with soul. I love the State of South Carolina and the city of Charleston. I can only imagine parents in the United A.M.E. trying to convince themselves and their families that the church IS a safe place. It's a city that's had a rough year of senseless violence. Honestly, I don't know how I'd cope with it if I lived there. Just know that you're in the thoughts of an awful lot of Americans right now.

So there you go. I suppose I wrote this for me more than for the readers. Just putting some of this down was cathartic. I hope perhaps for you as a reader it was, too. Just one man's opinions.

-Sean-

Fit Is It

Pick up any cycling magazine or browse web site and somewhere in the issue you'll likely a mention of the value of a good bike fitting. Sure, a good salesperson can get you on a bike that looks like a good fit. But did you get a good salesperson? And did the wrench who assembled your bike position the bars correctly? Did the manufacturer put the brifters at the right place? Bicycle companies have come a long way with sizing and such, but every 56cm Trek Madone is the same. The people who ride it are not.

For a while now, I've been considering a pro fitting. My road bike was set-up as-built from the shop. It's comfortable enough, though I find that when I get past the 40 mile point, I get some foot numbness, some shoulder/neck pain, and my arse hurts. These days bike shops have all figured out that a fitting is a great way to make a few bucks on the fit, and sell a bunch of new gear to adapt your fit. And a decent fitting isn't cheap. So, I really wanted to find someone good.

Thanks to my cycling-connected friend, Josh, I am introduced to Jess Bratus of fitmi!. She recently fitted Josh and he absolutely raved about the difference it made. A chat with my neighbor Mike, a competitive triathlete, reveals that Jess also did his fit and he was very pleased. SOLD! An appointment is scheduled.

Jess' studio is located above Sic Transit Cycles in a historic building on the north side of Ann Arbor. From the moment I walk in, the whole experience is just about perfect. The space is bright and open with all the tools of the trade on display. Right away I can tell this won't be a big box bike store fit. Plus, she digs my bike.

I gear up while Jess gets my bike on the trainer on an elevated platform so she can observe, measure, and tweak my bike. To my surprise we don't even start off on the bike. First she wants to quantify all of my body's quirks, oddities, and issues. She finds a few things I already knew (really stiff hamstrings) and a number I didn't (a great deal of pelvic rotation and a right foot arch that's lower than the left). She looks a my stance, measures the natural angle of my feet, observes how my knees are positioned in relation to my ankles. All the while, she's methodically making notes and clearly thinking about how what she's seeing will translate on the bike.

We discuss my Fizik Alliante VS saddle. Josh had warned me about this, so it wasn't a surprise. Turns out that in addition to being overly narrow, has a reputation for excessive pressure in the nether regions. Yeah, that's not good.

Now it's time to hop on the bike. Immediately she's identified a couple of major areas. And the adjustments start. First a swap to a shorter stem to get my shoulders relaxed. Ahhh - that does feel better. Then we swap out the saddle for an Selle SMP Avant in the mid width. Immediately I can tell that the trusty Fizik wasn't supporting my sit bones at all. Then we go to work on my cleats. A positioning adjustment, followed by a shim in my right foot and things are feeling really nice.

Thus far this has all been the experienced eyeball. As we chat during the fitting I learn about the extensive training Jess has completed, both with custom builder Serotta and later with the Specialized Fit Lab training. Pretty cool.

But wait - now we're going to break out the laser. COOL! She puts an elastic band with a reflective target just below each knee. Using a laser, she's now able to visualize how my pedal stroke is tracking. The improvement is incredibly visible. My right side is now largely corrected. Given that I have a history of issues on that side (tight IT band and a funky knee) this fix feels hugely better.

All in all, a really worthwhile expenditure of time and money. Jess is like a bespoke tailor, mixed with a kinesiologist and a bike mechanic. A true intersection of art and science. She sends me away with a new understanding of my body and how it's issues intersect with my bike (and a new stem and a demo saddle to try out).

But the true test comes tonight on the road (I hope -- Michigan has been enjoying some weather that has me happy to own a drift boat as it means constructing an ark won't be necessary). Stay tuned!

-Sean-

Dry Fly Adventure

Had the pleasure of a dry fly adventure float with Capt. Jon Ray over the weekend. I've done a little dry fly fishing, but only once before out of a boat. I know enough to understand how technical this style of fishing can be. Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right cast and presentation can mean the difference between a successful outing and a skunking.

Found a dumb one (the fish)!

Fortunately, Saturday was a successful outing. We were floating a section of the Manistee river known for its big fish - but not for quantity. Jon knows I'm always up for a research project, so this stretch was chosen to give him some more knowledge on it. Plus, it's linking up some sections I've floated before. A definite dry fly adventure.

One big challenge for this adventure - angler skills. My dry fly casting skills are among my weaknesses. Blame chasing smallmouth bass and steelhead. Throwing a sink-tip, spey rod, or popper on a heavy line has a tendency to make you lazy. Plus, I haven't put in the casting practice I need this season.

A few lessons learned:

1. Slow down. Slow down your cast. Slow down your hookset. Slow down and watch the water ahead for rises. Just slow the eff down overall.  
2. There are no second chances. Trout are smart. prick 'em and miss a hookset and they vanish like a ghost.
3. Sometimes, there are second chances. But they're few and far between. I got lucky and missed a fish on a jet set. This was a dumb one, as she started rising a few moments later. On the second try, I got her!
4. This is a lifelong skill. We fished with one of Jon's long-time frequent clients. This guy had a story of a lost fish around every bend. He's done this a LOT. He had skills I didn't even know I lacked. 
5. Missed fish will haunt you. I missed what looked like a nice fish on a too-fast hookset. This one wasn't dumb enough to come back. Was it my mythical two-footer? Maybe, but we'll never know.
6. Rowing for dry fly anglers is harder than it looks. To give Jon a break, and because I'm always happy for some constructive criticism, I took the sticks for a while. In the two years I've owned my boat, I've gotten fairly competent with the basics of maneuvering the boat, river position, etc. But in dry fly adventures, I learn that now you have to watch the front fly and try to match boat speed to presentation.
7. I need to do this more. A lot more. It's fun and relaxing. But it's also demanding and you need the skills to keep up. The more I do this, the better angler I'll become.
8. I love my Abel clicker reels. My AC2 was ideal for my 6 weight Scott A4, and my Classic is perfect beneath the G2. There's nothing quite like the purr of those clickers.

An excellent day/evening on a beautiful river. And, as a bonus, I learned something. If you're looking to up your dry fly game, I highly recommend Jon, or any of the guys at Hawkins Outfitters.

-Sean-

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-