Hmm, a white Lincoln.

What?

Hmmm…

Every Labor Day for the past nine years I’ve gone to the once Busses By the Arch and now Busses Nowhere Near the Arch. This year was the first year I’ve attended without a VW. Last year was in the old Jetta VR6, every other year in a Vanagon or Bus. The Honda was banished to the boat dock parking lot to hang out with the empty boat trailers. I rode in on the singlespeed laden with all of may camping gear plus titanium spork.

The weather was great and it was nice to see old friends. Ed’s TDI powered Vanagon was impressive and fun to drive. Steve’s RC splitty with remote adjustable suspension was also fun. A different Steve’s TDI Golf was there, and of course with more modifications. Brian’s Syncro Vanagon and Eurovan Weekender were both there. Kurt even made it in from Australia and donated some premium Milwaukee’s Best Ice.

Sterance was not the only singlespeed at the event. Ed brought a newly converted singlespeed mountain bike, and there was a nice red low rider.

One of the highlights of the weekend was on site coffee provided by www.volkskaffee.net. This converted Westy coffee house was just what we needed. I especially liked the “redeye”, a double shot of espresso diluted with a big cup of dark roast coffee.

MS 150 Update: I just finished cleaning and preparing the bikes for the MS 150. I swapped the pedals off of the M2 since the 747s are getting a little worn. I also switched to road tires, re-calibrated the speedometer, cleaned / lubed everything and waxed the chain. Rachel’s Specialized received a similar treatment. Also, if you ever get a chance to try Jelly Belly brand “Energy Beans” they are great. An excellent alternative to Gu; what they lack in caffeine they make up for with sugar.

Fundraising: I’ve raised $75 so far, plus two pledges of unknown amount. So, with the pledge matching promise I have raised at least $150. The total amount is not reflected on the MS 150 site because some of the pledges were not submitted online. Thanks to all those who have pledged their support. Now back to your normal NPR programming…

Training: So far I can count 74.8 miles towards training for the MS 150. That would be two rides; one this past Sunday, and one the Sunday before. Hmm, that is a little more than 1/3 the total mileage for the tour. I suppose I should be training more. It is not as bad as it sounds. I have just under 1000 miles logged since this spring, and commute everyday. I am not counting my commuter miles towards training. FWIW, I have a little over 50 miles commuting to work for August 1 through August 22.

Repairs: I finally ordered a new crankset and chain for the M2. Somehow a new crankset with integrated bottom bracket for the Gunnar also found its way on the order. The drive-side bottom bracket cup has been cracked on the Gunnar for several months. The M2 is getting a replacement XT crankset, while the Gunnar is getting an FSA Gossamer Cross MegaExo crankset. I am going to try my luck with another SRAM PC-971 chain; hopefully this one won’t explode. The old chain will end up on the singlespeed when the current chain fails.

Ok, so what is the deal with the photo? I don’t have any relevant photos, so this is a Vanagon 2.1 L exhaust system. It is being sold (hopefully) along with my Vanagon in September. Note that the cat and tailpipe are not included in the photo. For those who are interested in Vanagon exhaust systems: Stay away from S&S headers. They are cheap, rust through quickly and are poorly constructed. That is all.