Poetry Pays Off!

I'm pretty excited today.

I'd actually forgotten about it, until I received an e-mail from Rivendell today. There has been an ongoing contest published in the Rivendell Reader, where readers are challenged to rewrite chosen verses of Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven. The catch is, you must rewrite the poem without using the letter 'e' anywhere in the text, except for the proper noun "Lenore".

The winner would receive a $100 credit toward merchandise purchased from Rivendell Bicycle Works. I believe there were three runner up spots as well, each receiving $20 or so each.

So I open my e-mail today, and I see the following...

From: Grant [mailto:grant@rivbike.com]Sent: Fri 12/26/2008 6:41 PM

To: Dau, Dwight

Subject: Rivendell Raven contest

Hi Dwight,Well done! You've won the Raven contest, and $100 of credit, as shown below. Your e-less verse will be printed in Reader #41. I really liked the line "dark maw scary" and the smooth use of the word "thusly."

Nice job,

Katie

Rivendell Bicycle Works

kpeters2@macalester.edu6

Yahoo! Not only is my poetry going to be published, but I get a nice prize as well. I'm going to purchase a Nigel Smythe seat bag. It will look great on my Rambouillet!

Here's the original Poe Raven verse:

Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, Lenore?,

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word,"Lenore!"

Merely this, and nothing more.

Now, the improved e-less (excluding "Lenore", of course) Dau Raven version:

Far into that dark maw scary, long I stood fast, wanting, wary,
Doubting, drooling mortal drool upon my bathroom floor;
But thusly hush was nigh unstopping, and a dark night’s slow hint dropping,
And a singular word said “Shh! Lenore?”
This through my lips, a murmur backward, “Lenore!”
Just a word, without a roar.

It's not that I haven't ever been published. I had a couple of poems published on the Rivendell A. Homer Hilsen website http://homerhilsen.com/, or per Cyclofiend http://www.ahomerhilsen.com/. You can look but unfortunately that site seems to be under construction. I don't recall saving any of my Hilsen poems, so they may well be lost forever.

Thanks to GP and company for conducting the Raven contest, and giving us regular old manly men a chance to practice our poetic chops! And also, I thank RBW very much for the $100 prize.

-Dwight :>))

Getting up to speed, slowly

After returning from a well deserved holiday vacation, I figured it was time to resume my Soma build. I want to build my wheels up, the hubs and rims are in my basement...but the spokes and nipples are in some bicycle parts warehouse, somewhere.

Of course it's time to purchase a few more bike parts!

Might as well grab some drivetrain components while I'm at it. So, I picked up the following from JensonUSA:

SRAM POWERGLIDE PG-970 9SP CASSETTE 11-34T
SRAM X.7 TRIGGER SHIFTERS '07 Speed Silver
SRAM X.7 REAR DERAILLEUR Long Cage
SRAM X.7 DUALPULL FRONT DERAILLEUR 07 Black, High Clamp, 28.6/31.8/34.9
DT SWISS COMP. 2.0/1.8 SPOKES - BLACK 291mm, Box Of 72 (including spoke nipples)
WELLGO WPD-823 CLIPLESS MOUNTAIN PEDALS Silver, 9/16", Aluminium

This should be the last major component purchase. All I have left now are odds and ends, maybe a brake or shifter cable, etc, etc. Otherwise, this last shipment should spur a flurry of building. In the meantime, I might blog a bit about spoke length calculations...so stay tuned!

I picked up the Wellgo pedals because they were about 50% cheaper than Shimano SPD's, and they're supposed to be compatible. All my cycling shoes have SPD cleats. Seems like a good deal, but we'll see how well they work.

Ride report: None. The weather has been cold and extra crappy, and I really need to get out and ride. I think it's cabin fever, coupled with the fact that I've had a nasty cold that's been lingering the last couple of weeks. A good spin on the bike should burn that sucker right out of me. Right now, I've resigned myself to the home treadmill and work gym attempting to maintain a decent level of fitness through the holidays. Maybe I shouldn't have drank all that beer at my in-laws, but I certainly couldn't pass it up! Beer is a food!

I have some New Years resolutions and goals that I'll share with you as that milestone comes near. In the meantime, have a safe and happy holiday!

-Dwight

Happy Holidays!

Hi all!

Just wanted to wish everyone Happy Holidays! I'm out and about, more specifically I'm on vacation in Oklahoma visiting my in-laws. All my bikes are sleeping peacefully in my Iowa basement, and I don't anticipate much bike riding, tinkering, or blogging until after New Years. I need to get some spokes ordered for my Soma 29'er build and I might get that done prior to heading back home. Otherwise, I will be extremely busy relaxing and enjoying myself.

To all my reader(s)... :>) .... have a safe and joyous Holiday season!

-Dwight

BETRAYED! The Sequel

I'll add these comments from ESPN's Mark Schlabach, nuff said!

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=3769005

-Dwight

BETRAYED!

WARNING: NON-BIKE RELATED CONTENT

Someone is on my sh*t list. In fact, this guy has placed himself on a whole PILE of sh*t lists.

Normally, I wouldn't stray this far off topic. My blog is about bikes...riding bikes, building bikes, enjoying bikes, and so on. I'm pretty passionate about the bikes.

But I'm also passionate about my alma mater. Back in the stone ages, I attended Iowa State University and actually acquired a degree from that fine institution. I've always been a Cyclone fan and athletic supporter :>). If you watch ESPN at all, you'll know that Auburn has recently hired a new head football coach, Mr. Gene Chizik. Mr. Chizik was formerly the head football coach at ISU. Note that I'm not referring to Mr. Chizik as 'Coach'. You will understand why.

Mr. Chizik

A little background, if you're not an ISU fan. ISU has never been a football powerhouse, in fact, their history has been mostly dismal. About 12 years ago or so, Coach Dan McCarney was hired as ISU's head football coach. After a couple of years with a less than impressive record, Coach McCarney built the program up and actually took us to a few bowl games. In fact, ISU won their very first bowl game under McCarney's tenure. You'd think we won a national championship.

A few years ago, the school hired a new AD - Jamie Pollard. The program had a couple of hard years and Coach McCarney was asked to step down (he's an assistant head coach at Florida right now...and they are going to the national championship this year). At that time Mr. Chizik was the defensive coordinator for Texas and they'd just won a national championship. He was voted one of the most outstanding young football coaches and was considered a top head coaching prospect at the time.

Lucky for us (it seemed so at the time), ISU managed to snag the coveted Mr. Chizik. It was a great hire for our program and hopes were high. In his first year, Mr. Chizik's record was 3 - 9, 2 of those wins were in the Big 12. Not totally unexpected, being his first year without any of his own recruits. But ISU fans were hopeful.

This year, Mr. Chizik amassed a 2 - 10 record, 10 straight losses and zero wins in the conference. Disappointing, but Mr. Chizik explained to us that this was a 'journey', be patient, then publically professed his love of living in Ames, love for the fans, love for the University...basically informing all the fans, students, and alumni that he was in this for the long haul and would do what it took to make the program successful. He demoted the offensive and defensive coordinators, fired the quarterbacks coach, fired another coach.

And out of the blue this weekend, he quit. QUIT.

Yes, Mr. Chizik quit. Took his two 'proven' years of head coaching experience (5 - 19 record, 2 Big 12 wins), and accepted the open head coaching position at Auburn.

Our AD held a press conference, and based on what he said I can say that he was definitely not happy. I have been looking at the ISU message boards and I can tell you Cyclone fans are definitely not happy. I've also taken a peek at the ESPN and Auburn message boards and guess what? They definitely aren't happy. Why would they want this guy, with a 5 - 19 record? The general fan consensus was that it was a stupid hire, and their fans fear that Auburn is going to turn into the Iowa State of the SEC.

Ouch.

Well, there may be a silver lining to all this. Although this could be a big setback for the Cyclones' football program maybe we can snag an experienced head coach, get someone in here who knows how to rebuild a program, knows how to motivate players and coaches, knows how to treat athletic program supporters and will actually give a damn. Turner Gill might be looking for a job. :>)

Good riddance, Mr. Chizik. You were not our Coach. Coach is a title reserved for loyal individuals with integrity who have earned respect.

My condolences to Auburn students, alumni, boosters, and fans. You deserved better.

Sincerely,
One pissed-off Cyclone

Hoops n' Hubs

A few more parts arrived, courtesy of Speedgoat.com:

Two WTB Laser Disc Trail 29'er rims, along with front and rear Shimano Deore XT disc hubs. I haven't yet purchased the spokes...once I get measurements for flange diameter and hub offsets I'll calculate the proper spoke length. Then I'll put in an order for them sometime in the next week or so, planning on doing some wheelbuilding sometime after Christmas.

Basically, all I have left are shifters, cassette, front and rear derailleur. I'm thinking SRAM x.7 or x.9 for the shifter and derailleur parts, SRAM cassette as well. I already have a chain, and I may have the various cables and housings lying around somewhere in my growing pile of bike tools/parts. Is there anything I've missed?

I want to riiiiiiide. I've been fighting a bad cold for the better part of the week, it put me down Monday and I had to call in sick for work. I'm now just beginning to get over it, and the weather today is over 50 degrees (albeit a bit windy). I'd like to try to get out for a little while today maybe for a quick spin. I don't think I'll have many opportunities to ride in the next week, since our forecast is in the teens, with snow. Then I'll be heading out of town Friday for the holidays.

Wish for warmer weather! :>)

-Dwight

All forked up - Part 2

Once I had the right tool, cutting the steerer tube to length was no problem!

Enter the Park Tool SG-7 Oversized Adjustable Saw Guide. I simply clamped the steerer tube in place, aligned my hacksaw blade to my scribe mark and hacked away. One note: if you already have the star-fangled nut installed in your steerer tube, make sure you have it inserted far enough so you don't accidentally saw through it!

Here's the saw guide and fork clamped securely in place on my portable work bench. I also use this work bench as a platform for my wheel truing stand. I believe I picked my work bench up for around $30 at Home Depot, relatively inexpensive and money well spent!

A close up end-view of the steerer tube clamped in the guide, after cutting

Next on my to-do list was crown race installation. I want to show you the special tools I used for that particular operation:

Yup, mallet and flat-bladed screwdriver. I've heard folks using pieces of iron pipe, PVC tubing, etc. but I saw a YouTube demonstration of a crown race installation using this method.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0FaQy07t80

I carefully tapped around the circumference of the crown race using the screwdriver as a punch, pushing down one side, then the other until the race was fully seated. No problems!

All that was left was reassembly. I used my digital calipers to measure the depth of my star-fangled nut installation (15mm), threaded the steerer tube bolt in and tapped it with my mallet until I reached the proper depth. Then install the lower bearing, fork, upper bearing assembly, headset spacers, stem, bolt and headset cap and tighten the headset bolt until the bearing are properly preloaded. Position the handlebars, tighten the stem bolts, and finished!

-Dwight

All forked up - Part 1

Headset cup press...piece of cake! Time for forking! :>)

I had a fluid leakage issue with my 'new' fork. I'm hoping I've resolved that particular problem and I'm going ahead with the installation. I'll just have to keep an eye on it.

First order of business: cut the steering tube to length. Luckily, the folks at Cane Creek provided some excellent instructions on how to measure the various components and calculate the proper steering tube length. The formula is:

Lower cup height + Upper cup height + stem height + head tube length + headset spacer height - 3mm = steerer tube length

The best way to measure these items? This tool has become one of the most indispensable items in my burgeoning pile of mostly working bike tools:

6" Mitutoyo Digital Calipers. Don't leave home without them.

Bearing cup height measures the flange containing the bearing only, not the part of the cup that presses into the head tube. My lower cup height is 10.9 mm, and the upper cup height is 16.5mm. I'm using 3 spacers to bring my bars up a bit, total height 25.3 mm. Add in my stem height (the height of the stem clamp, fits on the steering tube)...40.0mm, and a head tube length of 110.2mm and the total is 202.9mm. Let's round that up a tenth to make it an even 203. Subtract 3mm and the steerer tube length is a nice round figure of 200mm.

However, before I started chopping at my steerer tube willy nilly I wanted to make sure my arithmetic was correct. The tried-and-true maxim of "measure twice, cut once" certainly applies here! So, after I measured the steerer tube and scribed a line at exactly 200mm, I prefit all the parts as a precaution. The top of the steering tube should be 3mm below the top of the stem clamp, or the headset top cap.

As you can see in the picture below, the steering tube extends past the stem clamp before cutting. I don't see my scribe line at 200mm...this is a good thing. That means it lies somewhere below covered by the stem clamp.

I used a pencil to mark the steering tube circumference at the point where it meets the stem clamp, then I disassembled everything to check my work.

A bit fuzzy here, but you should be able to see my pencil line around the circumference of the steering tube, and the short scribe line directly below. Measuring the distance with my trusty digital calipers, I get an approximate distance of 4mm. I haven't yet installed the crown race on my fork (I probably should have done that first before I preassembled the parts), but I don't think that will add much more distance so I believe my measurements are accurate and correct.

Next: cutting the steerer tube to length.

-Dwight

A pressing issue

My saw guide arrived yesterday, along with some other parts I'd ordered from Speedgoat.

Fork issues notwithstanding, I was finally ready to install my headset. But I needed a tool to press in the bearing cups.

Gravelo to the rescue!

I call this tool my 'Gravelo Headset Press'. A couple of weeks ago, my fellow blogger posted his version of a homemade headset press. I decided to follow his lead and hit the hardware store, acquiring the necessary parts. This is my interpretation of his suggested design:

I purchased a length of 7/16" allthread and cut it in half..about 18" long. Add two 7/16" nuts, two washers, two large fender washers along with two bronze thrust washers and voila! One headset press.

But does it work?

Well, check this out! Headset bearing cups in place:

Press in place and ready to go

Cranking on the nuts :>)

Cups in place, no problem!

My sincere thanks to Gravelo!

-Dwight

I think I've been forked

My fork showed up yesterday, via UPS. I didn't actually find it until later in the evening, since the delivery man left it next to the front steps in the flower bed. Since I came home after dark, it was a bit hard to see in the shadows.

I was very happy to see it since it means when my saw guide shows up, I can cut the steerer tube cut down and install my headset. I'm ready to see the frame come to life!

I opened the box and inspected my prize. Everything seemed to look fine, until I looked at the rebound control lever at the bottom of the fork.

Fluid. I noticed fluid leaking around the rebound contol knob. I pulled out the knob and removed the bolt going into the shock tube. It appeared the fluid leaked from the inside of the shock tube where the rebound control shaft fits into a hex recess in the bottom of the bolt hole. The shock tube bolt is hollow since the rebound control shaft has to pass through it. The fluid traveled through the bolt into the rebound control knob, which is held in place by an O-ring. The fluid leaked past the O-ring onto the knob and the fork.

It's not a gusher, more of a seepage. However, it shouldn't leak at all and the seller didn't indicate there were any problems. When I wrote the seller about the issue, the seller suggested tightening the bolt. That's fine, but the bolt is hollow so tightening it really doesn't seem like it will fix the problem. Of course, the shock wasn't leaking when the seller shipped it.

So now what? The sellers eBay page indicates they won't take returns, and the item is used so no warranty work. The fork does seem to work OK, but I don't want all the fluid to leak out and totally ruin it. I guess I could complain to eBay, but it all seems like a huge hassle.

BTW, I did a Google search on 'leaking Rock Shox Dart 3 forks', and found several reviews written by folks who had the exact same problem...leaking around the rebound control knob. My suspicion is that this particular fork was prone to leaking (and several other problems) so folks just swapped them out for a higher end model, then pawned them off on unsuspecting suckers like myself looking for a smokin' deal on eBay. I've always had good experiences with eBay, but I'm sure the averages were bound to catch up with me. Live and learn, Caveat Emptor!

I had a brain fart, however. I could hit the hardware store to find a bolt the same size as the shock tube/rebound control bolt and similar in length. I could adjust the rebound control where I want, and replace the hollow bolt with the solid one, using some teflon tape on the threads. I'll lose the easy rebound adjustability, but it shouldn't continue leaking. Then I'll just ride it as long as possible to get my money's worth out of it. Maybe it'll work just fine, and I figure for the buck or so it'll cost me for the bolt it's worth a try.

It's better to be forked than screwed, I guess :>))

-Dwight

A Thanksgiving Diversion

A few T-giving funnies, a former co-worker sent these to me. Good for a few yuks...

Tools, Tires, Tubes, etcetera .. $$ ..

I needed a new bike tool.

Since I was buying a 'new' fork, which of course needed the steerer tube cut down, I had to have a new tool. Of course, I read several blogs and bulletin board postings of folks saying.."You don't need a tool...just hack it off...use tape as a guide...hose clamps...mark it with a sharpie...plumbers tubing cutter...eyeball it and hope for the best...take it to your LBS...etc, etc. All great advice nuggets, but I've hacked tubing with a hacksaw before and I can tell you, if I ever cut it in a straight line it was divine providence at work. Just eyeballing it wasn't gonna cut it, at least for me. So I purchased a Park Tool SG-7 Oversized Adjustable Saw Guide. My cache of mostly working bike tools continues to grow!

It seems you need a special bike tool for everything now. I purchased a new bike take-off FSA crank (read used price, but unused part) with the 'new' style external bottom bracket, and of course you need a special wrench to tighten the bb cups into the frame. No homemade tools will cut it here, so drop the Park BBT-9 Bottom Bracket Wrench into the shopping cart. Cha-ching!

I purchased these tools from Speedgoat.com. I discovered if you spend $100 or over, you will get shipping for free. So of course I threw in some Panaracer Rampage 2.35" 29er tires, tubes, and an SRAM 9-speed chain. That easily pushed me over the $100 free shipping limit, and Merry Christmas to me!

Cha-ching! $$ :>)

Note to self: I must now purchase my lovely wife an extra nice Christmas present.

-Dwight

Slowly, I visualize

A few more parts came today.

My brake levers, seatpost, and seat showed up. What a great opportunity to assemble a few things on the bike!

I've also assembled my handlebars, grips, stem, and brake levers. Yeah, I know I'll have to remove the grips to install the shifters, but I just wanted to visualize those parts on my bike. I was standing downstairs in my combination laundry room/showering facility/bike shop holding my bars up next to the frame, seat and seatpost installed, trying to imagine myself sitting astride my latest masterpiece :>)

I picked up a lightly used 29'er suspension fork on eBay, an OEM Rock Shox Dart 3 unit. It's considered entry level, but it's also inexpensive as far as 29'er forks go and I'm sure it will work fine for it's intended purpose. Besides, it leaves room for future upgrades if I get the notion! Plus, I won't be as nervous as I would be if I were cutting a steerer tube on a $500 fork.

Once the fork comes, the steerer tube cutting and headset installation shall commence!

-Dwight

Cruising the Ramby (Pictures!)

Since the mercury hit mid 50's today, I thought I'd take the trusty Ramby out for a spin. Ya know, I don't think I've ever posted photos of the bike in it's completely finished state. So for your viewing pleasure, a few pictures of my pride and joy!

After all, I'm still calling this blog "My Rambouillet Build". Even if I've finished building it :>)

A few good parts

My first shipment of 29'er build parts arrived on Thursday.


Easton EA70 Monkey Bars (hi-rise), Easton EA70 stem, Cane Creek S-3 headset, handgrips with locking collars, alloy headset spacers, and star nut. I'm still looking for a good used fork on eBay. I was bidding on a Rock Shox Dart 3, but it got away from me at the last minute. However, several others showed up on eBay and I'm watching them intently. Hopefully my luck and my bidding skills will improve! However, I did win a bid on a slightly used Avid 160mm disc brake set, which should be arriving within a few days.

I've ordered several other parts which were shipped in two shipments. I found an excellent deal on a saddle, seatpost, seatpost locking collar, and some Avid brake levers. The shipment was divided into two parts and the seatpost locking collar, a 30mm Surly constrictor, arrived today. Fits perfectly!

I've recently received some very helpful information from a fellow blogger regarding a homebuilt headset press tool. (Thanks Gravelo!) I plan on scrounging the local hardware store tomorrow to acquire the necessary pieces. I'll let you know what I come up with.

-Dwight

Bits and Pieces

I began scrounging for parts for my winter 29'er project.

I'm hitting eBay a bit harder on this project. I'm thinking I might find some better deals on some components...suspension forks for 29'ers tend to be expensive and I won't be as picky as far as using brand spanking new components. Good lightly used components in some areas will work just fine.

So far, I've got a couple of bids in on some used hydraulic disc brake components and a used suspension fork. I'm also thinking about picking up a rigid fork as well, but I haven't yet decided. I've already purchased some discounted closeout components from Jenson's, including a Cane Creek headset, Easton handlebars and stem, grips, and a few other miscellaneous hardware items. Not high end items, but good serviceable stuff and probably more than adequate to the task at hand. I think I can build up a great bike with decent components without having to break the bank.

I'm still planning on building up some good wheels, and this will probably be my largest expense.
I found some WTB rims that look nice, and if I can find some decent disc brake hubs I'll be in business. Maybe I'll find some smokin' deals on some wheels out there, but I'm just not in any huge hurry right now.

Since I've purchased a bare frame, I'll either have to take it to my LBS to have the headset cups installed or I could be a bit more adventurous and do that particular task myself. I'm choosing the adventurous route. Headset presses aren't inexpensive, however, I've been doing a bit of internet research and some very resourceful individuals out there have been building their own headset installation and removal tools on the cheap. So I'm going to give that a try (great blog fodder, of course!)

-Dwight

Juiced!

I've been out of town this last week on business in Mosinee, Wisconsin. It's not the most enticing location in November, and it rained most of the time I was there. I'm certain if it weren't so cold and dreary, the scenery would have been much more enjoyable. I ate well, though!

I had to get up with the dawn patrol this morning to catch my flight, wheels up at 6:07 a.m. I didn't relish the thought of getting up at 4 a.m., but I did get home before noon and was able to relax a bit this afternoon.

While I was resting and relaxing, the UPS guy surprised me by dropping off a package...

...which after opening, appeared to contain a plastic wrapped bike frame of some sort

The frame unwrapped

A close up headtube shot

In my combination bike wrenching/laundry room, clamped in the stand:


After I was done unpacking my frame, I found a nice surprise in the bottom of the box. A package of organic sports chews, a.k.a. gummy 'Sharkies'. A tasty treat!

Poetry

I've written some pretty bad poetry in my life. I write most of my poems to my wife, and I call them my DPOL's (Daily Professions Of Love). She seems to like them, even if they are corny and sometimes don't even rhyme.

I tried one of Riv's poetry contests, rewriting Edgar Allen Poe "The Raven" verses. It was in the last Rivendell Reader, and the next one hasn't been published yet. I scanned it very closely to make there weren't any stray e's. Those of you who are familiar with the contest know that you are supposed to rewrite the verse without any e's, except when you use the proper name 'Lenore'. Besides that, I don't know if it meets Rivendell standards for good poetry but I did put some thought into it. Hopefully it will earn me some kind of prize or at least recognition, but I'm not counting on it.

I would think my great friend and detractor Ciclista believes that poetry is a big waste of time. After all, you'd really have to be desperate for something to do if you are actually writing poetry. Next, you'll try to learn the guitar, or take up painting, or maybe even attempt to actually create something meaningful or beautiful. So I'm going to utilize some of my vast repository of infinite time to subject you, the reader, to some awfully bad poetry.

I apologize in advance.

Oh Mr. Ciclista,
You sure make me glad,
That I'm wasting my time,
Learning to rhyme,
Writing verses that are bad, oh so bad.

Whatever happened,
To imagination, ingenuity and art,
A bit of soul,
And a lot of heart.

Gene, Gene, made a machine..oh, no!
Let's not go in that direction,
However, a dirty limerick or two,
Would bear much closer inspection!

So let's say hip hip hooray,
For writing poetry today,
Although it's not good,
We didn't print it, and saved a bit of wood,
And that's all I gotta say!

- Dwight

What? Another bike??

The 29'er is becoming a reality.

I found a brand new 20" Soma Juice frame on eBay, cheap. So I grabbed it.
Yes, it's silver.

The next step will be headset installation, facing the bearing surfaces and chasing BB threads. I think I'll leave that to a willing LBS, provided they aren't too pissed about me not buying the frame from them. I was considering a Salsa El Mariachi but frame and rigid fork would have been around $850 from the LBS. Yeah, I already have a Soma Double Cross but it's been a wonderful bike, so I expect this will be a nice frame as well. Plus, it's steel!

I'm going to take my time with this build, one component at a time. I think the wheel build will follow headset installation, once I figure out which hubs and rims I'll want. Disc brakes, 3 x 9 drivetrain, SRAM components.

I'm thinking about taking a shot at Leadville next year, and this would be the bike I'd use.

I expect the frame to show up next week, so look out for pics!

-Dwight

Wintertime and bike dreams

Winter has officially arrived. Temps here are in the 30's, and tonight winds are 20 mph +

No bike commuting tomorrow, and definitely none next week since I'll be out of town on business. I've got a bad bike jones and the weekend weather looks none too promising. Looks like I'll be off the bike for a while.

I've got a good taste of some bike commuting before the weather turned bad, though. Gives me something to look forward to. I can spend some time cleaning and tuning up the bikes this weekend, amongst a few other chores of course. I like tinkering with them almost as much as I like riding them!

I'm considering building up a 29'er. I'm leaning toward a Salsa El Mariachi frame, size LG (steel of course!), and I'm doing some research on componentry. If anyone out there reading this blog has this particular frame built up please tell me about your bike and how you like it.

If I decide to build up another bike, one will have to go. Just not enough time and space to build the stable beyond the seven I already have. My old Diamondback 'bakfietsen' mountain bike will most likely be up for grabs. I don't think I'd miss it a whole lot if I had a nice, shiny steel 29'er mountain bike to ride.

First things first, however. Of course, I'll need to buy my lovely wife a VERY nice Christmas gift! I owe her, big time :>)

-Dwight

Radfahren Verboten!

Took a ride over the pedestrian bridge, but instead of heading towards work I took a left and headed toward the Heartland Of America Park. The centerpiece of the park is a small lake (or large pond, if you prefer), with a nice fountain smack dab in the middle. Since it was 70 degrees again today, the fountain was in full spew.

I upgraded my cell phone yesterday. It's an LG Dare, a super nice touch screen phone and yes, I like it a lot! The phone includes an excellent 3 megapixel camera with an LED flash, so I decided I'd try it out on my ride today. And what better bike to take on a photo tour than my trusty orange Quickbeam.

As I looped around the 'pond', I noticed the path really wasn't built to accomodate bicyclists. Lots of twists and turns, 90 degree bends, etc. But there were other cyclists riding the path so I really didn't give it a second thought. Here are a couple of photos I snapped using the fountain as background:

A nice fountain shot with QB in foreground

A shot from another location and angle, with a nice view of the bike, some great fall colors, fountain in background, my left leg, and my right foot. Ansel Adams, I'm not.

...and, another shot same as the first, but at a different angle

Note the prominent sign to the right of the picture...

BIKING
PROHIBITED

I didn't really notice any signs when I hopped on this loop around the pond. And there were other bikers on the path, and I also didn't notice any bike path police...at least not in the general vicinity. I envisioned Omaha bike cops chasing me down, one hand on the handlebars and the other clutching a taser gun. Spread eagle against a tree in the park, patted down, cuffed and stuffed. Was there video surveillance in the area? I started to feel a bit paranoid about big brother watching, writing me out a big fat ticket and corresponding fine.

I felt bad about breaking the law, at least briefly. But then I felt a twinge of indignation. What's wrong with biking on the pond path? Maybe the pond path was meant for walkers and not bikers, but I felt a bit discriminated against. And why was the pond path designed for walkers only, and not cyclists as well?

And another thing, they call the new bridge the Bob Kerrey PEDESTRIAN bridge, not the Bob Kerry Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge. So am I banned from riding there as well?

Then my wave of angry paranoia passed. It was Sunday, nobody cared and neither did I. The Five Man Electrical Band tucked their hair back under their hats again looking like fine upstanding young men, and we finished our ride :>))

-Dwight

Logistics, Night Moves, and Food Day Cookies

The weather here has been unseasonably temperate for the past few days. Usually, it gets a bit nippy when the trick-or-treaters hit the streets. But today, we hit an afternoon high of 70. Best to take advantage of it while it lasts, and there's no time like the present.

Of course I did the 'park and ride' today. But it was a bit different than usual.

My department was having a food day to celebrate Halloween. Now I don't usually participate in "food days", but one of our managers was giving me hard time yesterday and guilted me into bringing something. So on the way home I picked up the supplies for making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and cooked up several batches last night.

This created a slight logistics problem.

I certainly didn't want to pass up the great weather today, but I felt obligated to bring in some food for food day. But where was I going to carry all this? I have one rear rack on the Quickie Blue Fixie, which gives me enough room for my Carradice Nelson Longflap and my lunch bag. Because most food days are usually only sweets, cookies (ahem!), chips, and assorted junk food, I wanted to bring my lunch just in case. I might have been able to strap all this on the bike somewhere, but I had visions of two platefuls of cookies hitting the trail, scattering and breaking into a million pieces. I'm sure the raccoons, squirrels, and other various and sundry critters wandering the trail would have been deliriously sugar rushed.

When all else fails, wife to the rescue!

My generous and lovely wife graciously offered to meet me at work with the cookies. But, she had to be at an 8 am meeting. So that meant I had to meet her at 7:40 am, NO LATER, so she could make the meeting. That meant I had to leave the house at 5:30 am, meaning I needed to get up no later than 5:00 am. Maaaan, that's early.

Now that's either dedication or just plain dorky weirdness. You can keep your opinions to yourself :>)

So I was on the trail by 6:00 am-ish. Yeah, this time of year it's still quite dark that time of day. Luckily, I've figured out a dual headlight system that lights the way adequately. I have two battery powered LED headlights, and managed to figure out a way to mount both on the QBF. Each light by itself is somewhat anemic...enough so that someone could see you coming but not really sufficient for bombing down an unlighted trail in the pitch-black wee hours. Both lights together, however, provide sufficient illumination to see more than a few feet in front of me and are plenty bright to scare most critters off the trail. The poor raccoon fleeing down the trail this morning as my lights were blazing, bell ringing, and reflectors reflecting, must have thought I was some macabre wheeled halloween spectre. I'm sure they aren't used to seeing humans on the trail so early in the morning.

Long story short, I made it to the cookie rendezvous on time, and the cookies were delivered undamaged.

And food day was saved! :>)

-Speedblend Guy (thanks Gravelo)

Leaves and Temperatures

The weather is taking a turn for the worse, as far as my bike commuting plans are concerned.

In order to get to work by 8-ish, I have to be on the bike before 7 a.m. The temps this week are forecasted to be around 25 degrees around that time of day, but are supposed to warm up to mid 50's, low 60's by the afternoon...sunny and no precipitation. I don't generally like to ride below 40 degrees, even when I'm wearing my cold weather gear.

I wanted to brave the 25 degree morning temps but was vetoed. However, my vetoer offered to drop me and my bike off at work, then I could ride back to the trailhead in 60 degree afternoon temperatures. I'm definitely thinking about taking her up on that offer.

I like that invigoriating morning ride. Probably not below freezing invigorating, though :>)

-Dwight

Soma Double Cross

Took a little recreational ride over the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian bridge today, then a trip south on the Wabash trail to the Mineola steakhouse for a couple of beers. Beer is a food!

I wanted to measure the mileage from the Wabash trailhead to my work. I've been parking my truck at the trailhead and bike commuting to work, and I was curious about the distance.

The bikes I've been riding lately are computerless. I've been commuting on the Quickie Blue Fixie, and the Rambouillet has been getting an inordinate amount of attention as of late. I decided this morning I'd take my Soma Double Cross, which of course has a cycling computer mounted along with some other tasty bits.

My Soma is actually a fusion of an old road bike I bought several years ago, along with a few new parts. A little background, perhaps?

A few years ago, I purchased a Giant OCR2. This was the first road bike I'd owned since college, when I terrorized the campus on my black 10-speed Zebrakenko Golden Sports. It had some decent components, 105 rear derailleur, Tiagra front, STI brifters, Xero 20 spoke wheels and hubs, Truvativ Touro crank. The frame is aluminum, 'compact geometry', sized XL.

It fit OK...not great. It may have been a bit large for me but I have long arms so I had no problems reaching the handlebars. The stock saddle put my wedding tackle to sleep so I purchased a new 'ergonomic' model with the center cutout. This was only my second bike at the time, so it got quite a bit of use.

I'd been reading about the advantages of steel frames, and had been drooling over the Rivendell bikes on their website. Since I wasn't yet willing to shell out the bucks for one, I purchased a 62cm 12-speed 80's vintage Schwinn LeTour on eBay at a very reasonable price. This bike probably hadn't been ridden more than a few times...it still had the original Schwinn tires with hardly any wear (although they were seriously weatherchecked). I replaced the tires, did some minor tuning and it was ready to go.

I fell in love with this bike. It fit me so much better than my Giant, and the ride seemed so much smoother...less harsh than the aluminum bike. Although it was heavier, I preferred the fit and ride and spent quite a bit of time on it. I call it my 'Pepe LeTour', although it definitely does NOT stink :>)

Because of my experience with the Schwinn, I decided to take the plunge and purchased my Quickbeam from Rivendell. Again, another bike that I absolutely love. The QB fits me perfectly and though it's a bit heavy it's a wonderful ride.

The Giant OCR languished in my basement. I definitely wanted to go steel and decided I'd find a decent multipurpose steel frame at a reasonable price, and swap out my OCR components. I looked at several frames and narrowed it down to either the Surly Cross Check or the Soma Double cross. I found a local dealer selling Soma frames and struck a deal. He would install a new headset and bottom bracket, and do the component swap. I dropped my bike off at the shop and waited in anticipation.

Several weeks later, my bike was finished! I picked up my new Soma and my old OCR frame and I've never regretted making the swap. It's kind of a 'light tourer'. I could classify it as a randonneur or maybe an Audax bike, since it has road bike components but I've outfitted it with a Tubus cargo rack, fenders, headlight and tail light, and a mounting bracket for my Carradice Nelson Longflap. I'm planning on using this for a commuter bike when I want to coast and shift.

I've posted some pics on cyclofiend.com, so check it out!

http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2007/cc353-dwightdau0807.html

BTW, it's 13.7 miles from the trailhead to the parking garage at my work :>)

-Dwight

Dorky and Weird

My wife is very proud of my blog. She's so proud of it in fact, that she introduced several of her co-workers to it.

To which they responded, collectively, "This blog is dorky and your husband is weird."

I'm not offended by this statement. Actually, I really don't mind being 'dorky and weird'. Really. And they are absolutely correct…however, I'd like to put that statement in context. If my interest in bikes seems a bit extreme to some folks, maybe that seems weird to them in their world. A grown American man riding a bicycle? Is he trying to be Lance Armstrong? Building your own bike? Wrapping and shellacking your handlebars? Mulitcolored Rivendell Pasela Speedblend tires on an orange bicycle? Seems dorky to me!

It's easy to judge. The lady down the street who has 50 cats must certainly be weird. The kid with the thick glasses and mismatched clothing who'd rather read a book instead of playing video games is definitely dorky. But they seem to be happy, anyway.

I'll blog and ride my dorky bikes until my legs fall off, with a weird, silly smile on my face.

To each, his (or her) own :>),
-Dwight

I HAVE RESPECT FOR BEER

When the wife and I go out, I usually have a beer with dinner.

Pairing beer (or wine) with food is always fun, and enhances the flavor of the food. But beer is a food all by itself, isn't it? Sure!

What's in beer? Water, mainly. Add some hops, malt extract, yeast, and grain and you have nutritional content. If it has nutritional content, it's food. Thus, beer is a food.

The relatively mild alcoholic content of one beer acts as a mild sedative, allowing you to more fully enjoy the experience and unwind after a hard day. Multiply that by two, three, or more and it begins to improve your mood and affect the hearing. Ever notice after you've had a few beers you talk louder? And get more affectionate? I LOOOOVE YOU BUDDY!! YOU'RE MY BESTEST FRIEND EVER!!

Lite beers? Screw 'em. It's not the beer that makes you fat, it's the pizza and fried breaded cheese sticks you washed down with your lite beer, hog. I like a good stout or porter myself, Guinness is one of my perennial favorites. Beer you can almost chew. Beer with color.

So the next time you enjoy a colorful, real non-lite beer, remember, you are getting some good nutrition too. After all, why do they call it a 'cereal malt beverage'? Cereal is a food, isn't it?

I rest my case. I'll go back to my Fat Tire now :>)

-Dwight

Park and Ride

After my Great Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge Adventure, I wondered if I could actually commute from the Wabash Trace trailhead to work. Yesterday, I decided to give it a try.

The wife was concerned. "That's a long ride", "You'll have to ride through downtown traffic", "It will be cold", and so on. She worries a lot, but that's just because she loves me :>) Nevertheless, I was determined to try.

There were some logistics to consider. I certainly couldn't ever bicycle commute the entire way from my small rural town. And, in the past, even if I did live close enough there wouldn't have been a way for me to safely cross the Missouri river into Nebraska.

With the new bridge, I can park near the trail system and ride nearly all the way to my work downtown without having to deal with vehicle traffic. After exiting the trail, I would only need to ride a few blocks on city streets and if I timed it right, the traffic would be light. I began to formulate a plan...

My employer provides a workout facility in the building, along with lockers and showers. I could wear my bike clothes, then change and shower at work. Another convenience...one of the bank parking garages has bike racks inside, nice and dry and security patrolled. Since I have a number of bikes I can choose from, I chose the Quickie Blue Fixie. I wrote about this bike in an earlier post. It's nothing fancy, an old Schwinn frame converted to fixed gear. It looks like a beater, but it's really a good ride. The paint is chipped and scratched, with no expensive wheels or other components that would make it especially attractive to unscrupulous 'free bicycle procurement artists'. I have a decent cable lock as well, nice and thick with a heavy duty combination lock.

I'd already set up this bike as a potential commuter. I added some Planet Bike clip on fenders and a Pletscher rack knock-off. These parts probably set me back about $20...not pretty, but very functional. Again, not real attractive to anyone who'd be looking for expensive components. I needed a bag to carry clothes, bike tools, wallet, security badge, sunglasses, etc, etc. I already own a Carradice Nelson Longflap bag, and a quick release I'd purchased from Rivendell. The quick release consists of a stainless steel bracket which clamps to the seat rails, and a quick release skewer and shaft modified to fit through the bag mounting loops. The skewer fits into slots milled into the bracket, and also acts as a carrying handle for the bag. It's as easy as dropping the skewer 'handle' into the bracket slots and closing the quick release. I just had to move the bracket from my Soma to the Quickie Blue Fixie.

I needed to carry my lunch bag with me as well. Not a problem, the rear rack has a spring loaded clamp that fits perfectly under the handle of the lunch bag. Easy!

My plan: I'd get up and dress in my bike clothes, load the bike in the back of my truck, grab my bike bag and lunch bag and drive to the trailhead. I'd park, then ride the trail to work. Stop at the fitness center, shower, change clothes. When I got off work that evening, I'd just do it all in reverse.

This actually worked out pretty well. It took me a bit longer than I'd anticipated, since it took me awhile to get organized to make sure I had everything I needed for the day. I made it to the trailhead and got on the trail around 7 a.m. It took me about 45 or 50 minutes to get to work from there. It was dark when I started, but I have a headlight and taillight installed on the QBF so it wasn't a problem. It was about 40 degrees so it was a brisk ride when I started. I dressed in my inclement weather gear, jacket and bibs along with skull cap, balaclava, and cold weather cycling gloves. My fingers and exposed parts of my face were a bit cold, but as soon as the sun started coming up they warmed quickly.

There were no other cyclists on the trail with me, but I did see quite a variety of wildlife. A buck deer passed directly in front of me and I saw several others, along with a few squirrels and a fox. And I got to pass over the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian bridge as well, a bonus! Once I left the trail, it was a direct shot to work, a few blocks in light traffic. From there, I parked the bike in the garage and it was a quick walk to the fitness center. After I was done there, I made it into work about 8:30.

I felt great riding to work. I was wide awake and invigorated when I arrived, not groggy, grumpy and half asleep as I usually would be if I'd driven the entire way myself. I was going to do it again today since the wife had to work late this evening and we couldn't ride together. I got up this morning, dressed in my bike clothes, grabbed my stuff and walked out the door...

...and it was raining.

No bike commute today. But I'm definitely going to make this part of my routine, when I'm not carpooling.

Weather permitting, of course :>)

-Dwight

Ride Report: The Great Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge Adventure PART 2

At last, I'd reached the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge...

As I moved closer, I was amazed by the size of the bridge and the amount of traffic. Hundreds of people were moving across the bridge sightseeing, taking pictures. A few intrepid bike riders were moving across with the pedestrians, so I decided to join them. Starting from the Iowa side...

A good view of the suspension supports and cables

A support close up

Looking north up the Missouri River

And a southern view

A view of the park under construction on the Omaha side of the bridge

Over the river, on the Nebraska side


Another view, off the bridge from the Nebraska side

A view from under the bridge

The bridge definitely moved and swayed under the weight of the pedestrians, coupled with the wind that day. It wasn't alarming, however, and the views were fantastic.

Visions of a daily bike commute over this bridge are dancing through my head :>)

-Dwight

Ride Report: The Great Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge Adventure PART 1

To give you a little background, I'll start with a news article:

Images: Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge To Open September 28
POSTED: 12:27 pm CDT September 11, 2008
UPDATED: 2:36 pm CDT September 11, 2008

OMAHA, Neb. -- Council Bluffs city officials announced on Thursday that the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge will open to the public on Sunday, Sept. 28.

Part of the celebration will include a festival that will last from noon to 3:00 p.m. which will take place on the Council Bluffs side of the river, at Playland Park.

“This is a truly historic occasion,” said Mayor Hanafan and Mayor Fahey in a joint statement. “The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge connects two strong communities and two great states with a monument that is as practical as it is artistic, one that will be a source of identity and pride for generations.”

The ribbon cutting will begin with a joint performance by two metro high schools: Monticello’s Regiment from Thomas Jefferson High School and Omaha Central Eagle Marching Band.
The bridge will officially open to the public shortly after 1 p.m. when Mayor Fahey and Mayor Hafanan cut a ceremonial red ribbon.

Metro Area Transit buses will be there, that's because MAT is adding a new Playland Park bus stop.

Council Bluffs is currently working on a plan to select the first person to cross the bridge.
This weekend, the public is invited to see the official lighting of the bridge on Sept. 13. This time the celebration will be on the Omaha side of the river and will begin with music and other festivities at 4:30 p.m. and end with a fireworks show scheduled at 9 p.m.

The $22 million bridge is the nation's only pedestrian bridge linking two states and one of the longest pedestrian spans ever constructed.

See the bridge at night

Both the grand opening of the bridge and the lighting ceremony are free and open to the public.

Of course, I had to go check out the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. But I hadn't intended to.

I originally intended to ride the Wabash Trace Nature Trail. It's a rails-to-trails project, starting in Council Bluffs, Iowa heading south through several small towns ending up near the Missouri Border. You can read more about it here: http://www.wabashtrace.org/

However, when I started from the trailhead this morning, I saw a sign pointing in the general direction of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. I figured why the heck not? Instead of heading south, I took the trail heading towards the river.

It was a bit windy today, but the temperature was in the upper 60's - low 70's and no rain. Of course, I took the Ramby. She rode like a dream.

The trail heads west, around Lake Manawa, then north into Council Bluffs. Of course, I followed the path and ended up in downtown CB, where the path promptly ended. I've never been on this trail before, so I rode around a bit trying to get my bearings. The trail didn't continue any further north, so I tried heading west on a few side streets. I ended up in a Union Pacific rail yard and a mobile home park, but no bridge...not even a sign.

Time to backtrack. I headed back toward the Lake Manawa area. As I passed over Highway 92 (a.k.a. South Omaha Bridge Road), I saw some construction on what looked like a trail. I decided to give it a shot.

This looked promising. I rode west on a trail under construction which eventually turned into concrete slab pavement. I crossed a street past the Metro Crossing shopping area, past some soccer fields and onto the Iowa Riverfront Trail.

This trail headed into west into a nice wooded area:

Which of course ended up going through an industrial area and past two Council Bluffs casinos, Ameristar and Harrah's. There were a couple of nice Missouri river views, though.

...looking North past the Ameristar casino. You can see the riverboat on the right.

On the way past the casino, I took a picture of the Omaha skyline. That tall building is the First National Bank Tower, and I work for them. I don't work in that building, but I work at the tech center which is in the same general area.

No bridge yet, though. Since I have quite a few pictures, one post is going to be quite longish. So stay tuned for some bridge pics. Trust me, it's pretty cool!

-Dwight