• OhioMarylandColorado

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    Betasso

    Betasso

    Betasso

    I’ve been busy. A weekend in Ohio, a few days in DC, back to Missouri for a day, and now I’m in Colorado. I missed the last week and a half of riding in June, but July is off to a good start.

    June Summary
    Total distance (June): 183.07 miles
    Total distance (Cumulative): 685.43 miles
    Total time (Cumulative): 57 hours, 31 minutes

    Eric and I have ridden the last three days on several trails around Denver, CO. Some of the trails we have ridden so far have been the Colorado Trail (via Waterton Canyon), the Bear Creek Trail, and a few laps on the Betasso Preserve Loop. We may ride tomorrow (the 4th), but we’ll see. The total for this trip is about 43 miles and four and a half hours.

    For a more entertaining account of the trip check out Eric’s blog.

  • Single Speed!

    Wet Bike

    June 21, 2006 (AP)
    The first day of summer — the first day of my single speed. My $2 Diamond Back 700c hybrid garage sale find has been transformed. This once mundane metallic maroon lump of a bike is now a mundane black and white single speed commuter.

    This ride now sports a custom black and white color scheme, mustache handle bars decked with Shimano aero levers, natural cork bar tape, blinky light and a nice big horn. The drivetrain features Shimano 1980 something Exage 500 CX crank with UN-25 bottom bracket, 40 tooth chain ring and 16 tooth ACS freewheel, Shimano Deore XT 8 speed chain, and some SPD/platform pedals I scored free of charge. Braking is more or less accomplished by some very protruding early 80s cantilevers with rock-hard pads. Accessories complete the package with slick Planet Bike fenders, rear rack, and stylish blue milk crate.

    The inaugural voyage of, wait, what is it? Does it have a name??? I shall call it Sterance. Anyway, the first commute for Sterance was today. It started off nice, in the 80s and a clear sky, at quarter to seven this morning. The ride home was overcast, wet and muddy; the fenders are worth their weight in the flimsy black plastic of which they are made. Sterance corners like a bread truck, and brakes like a ocean liner. What more could you ask?

    The Jethro Tule

    Well, I’ll tell you what more you can ask. How does a Surly Jethro Tule sound? This combo 15mm box wrench and bottle opener is the perfect companion for Sterance. If you have a single speed you should check one of these out.

  • Father’s Day

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    jumpy

    Eric, Dad and I went to Castlewood for a quick ride on Father’s Day. The ride started of dry, but some rain storms come through and made things very muddy. After getting a good thick coating of mud on everything we found a swollen creek. Guess what? My M2 and Eric’s Pisgah both float! I don’t remember if Dad’s Trek 970 did. Good info to have, I guess. I also discovered that it is very difficult to ride a bike when the handlebars are underwater. I’ll be overhauling the M2 soon, or will I be finishing the single speed instead???