First Rides

Miles so far: 52

I've ridden four times this year. The first ride was only 2 miles, in what I later learned was 10 degree wind-chill. My ankles were numb when I got back.

The second was 4.5 miles. It was a gorgeous day, I had 90 minutes between meetings, and I decided to put on Sue's new computer. (Sue is my wife). As I got the computer on, Ben (my step son) told me he wanted to ride as well, so he got my old Randonee ready while I got my clothes on. Then Sue got home and she wanted to go. Once we hooked up the Burley (to Sue), got the grand-kids loaded and hit the road, I had about 25 minutes until my next meeting, so I rode with Sue, Annie, Mark and Ben to the park and then I returned right away. "Look honey, no hands!"

The third was in a pouring rainstorm. I figured rain was warmer than snow, so I spent an hour riding south to the State Park, then east to a property we own, then north home. That was 12 very wet miles, and I was very cold when I got back.

Finally, Don and I went on a real ride yesterday to Coloma. I took a "Myspace picture" right before I started, with ice floes in the background.

My bike is far more photogenic than I:

Don is my normal riding partner. We did about 1500 miles together last year. He did a few without me and vice versa, but he – along with his little brother – is the person I ride with the most.

Don is Sue's dad and 82 years old; he rides a Cannondale t2000. He lives about a mile from us. I usually don't get to see Don from the front; I usually see him like this:

There and back was about 33 miles, and we took three hours on the bike. We also spent a wonderful hour at Friendly's Tavern.

The ride is a little too short, but it's flat and starts at our door. Both of us showed up for spin the next day (Spin starts at 6am).

Equipment: Ortlieb Ultimte5 Classic Handlebar Bag-Medium

I really like having a handlebar bag. I keep my wallet, keys, phone, snacks -- anything I want handy while I'm riding. However, I'm not so coordinated I can answer the phone without stopping, but maybe someday. It works like a purse in that you have an easy-to-remove, easy to carry bag with your most liquid possessions, so you can take it in with you to a restaurant. The best part about it, though, is having a map holder. I realize that using maps today is "retro", and in fact I have a GPS unit which would also mount on this bar, but there are a variety of issues using GPS that I'll discuss in another post.

Ortlieb makes a durable, waterproof bag with plenty of room. I paid $80 for it, so it's not cheap. You can check the Ortlieb website for official volume, but you can hold a grown cat in there securely (or so I've.. um.. heard). The side notches are for a removable carry strap, but like every Ortlieb carry strap I've seen reviewed, it's pointless, and I don't use it. The bag you see here has about a half a season on it (1000 miles), including some very wet riding, and shows absolutely no signs of wear. The mount is extremely secure, using cables to connect the mount to the handlebars and stem. Moving the mount from one bike to another took me hours, and if I was going to do it again, I'd just buy a new mount for $20.

Removing the bag from the bike can be done with one hand, with practice, but I usually use two hands.

Ortlieb charges extra for a map holder ($18). It's a nice map holder, with lots of waterproof visible space. It holds your map securely, and it's easy to unfold. What's hard is getting the map in there in the first place -- it's got waterproof Velcro seals at the top and the plastic is thin and sticky. Once there it's safe, secure and easy to use -- until the next time you need to turn the page. Note that it snaps securely to the top of the bag.

The GPS holder did not meet the same standards that I've come to expect from Ortlieb. The first day I used my GPS in the holder one of the straps broke (see second picture below). As I don't mount the GPS to the top of my bag, it's not much of an issue. The batteries on my GPS don't last long to begin with, and it's not bright enough to see in direct sunlight, so I use my GPS to track where I've gone and if I get lost, determine where I am. The GPS holder does keep my gps dry.

I like the Ortlieb handlebar bag. I could use a smaller bag, but I love the map case, and having all my valuables in one, easy to take package.

Equipment: Spanninga Retroled Headlamp

Bikes are a fun way to get from point A to point B. They aren't useful -- at least to me -- if they can't be used when it's necessary to get from A to B. When I was a commuter, I'd leave before dawn most days, and often return after sunset during the winter. This means I had to have lights. Not only is this the law (you must have lights on vehicles when vision is impaired), it's also the only safe way to share the road with other vehicles. If you want to know why the government requires bikes be sold with useless reflectors, but be ridden with lights at night, well, you'll probably find the answer here.



I bought the Spanninga Retroled solely based on it's looks. It looks great on my bike. It's got one LED and uses two AA Alkaline batteries, but it's purported to last 600 hours. As a result, you wouldn't expect it to light a dark road at night, and it doesn't. It will let you be seen, and I can use enough ambient light, or go slowly enough, so that the amount of light isn't important . Sure, I'd love a generator system someday, but this is OK for now. I tried using rechargeable batteries, but the amount of light produced was drastically smaller, and with the low discharge rate, I stuck with the batteries that came with it.







I used a B&M Headlight mount to mount it to the fork crown; this way it would be below my handlebar bags and still be unobstructed. I used an old bolt to take up the space in the mount, and that worked well.







The Retroled is fragile. The first one arrived broken, and Velo-Orange, to their credit, immediately sent me a new one. That one arrived unscathed, but broke identically when I dropped it putting it on my bike. I used electrical tape, then shiny duct tape, to fix it.







The Retroled looks great and works adequately. I spent about $27 for the hardware, light and shipping. If I had a different criteria -- one other than looks -- I'd probably opt for a CATEYE or PLANETBIKE 1 watt LED system.

Equipment: Keen Commuter Sandals

Last year I returned to cycling, and I bought myself some new equipment. One of the best buys I made were the Keen Commuter Sandals -- I made it based on this review. The ones you see here are about a year old; they have 1700 biking miles and over a hundred hours in spin class. As you can see, they have SPD cleats and plenty of tread left:


Off the bike: I do not hike in them, but I do use them to and from spin class, and off the bike as necessary, and it's not a problem. The cleat will contact the ground in cement, but they are still comfortable for walking. It's probably best to be careful on hardwood floors. Cleaning is easy -- wear them in the shower or hose them off.

On the bike: This is where they shine -- as you might expect. They are stiff, and fit my feet well. I do not have to tighten them with the straps you see here, but that's available if they stretch. They are comfortable, and I just don't think about using another pair.

There is one drawback to these sandals, and that's at about 40 - 45 degrees F. My feet get numb until the day warms up. I don't wear socks -- I haven't worn socks in spin class or on the bike since I bought them. However, I may reconsider this policy when the temperature is 10 degrees with wind chill, as it was a few days ago.

These are -- for me -- perfect cycling shoes, and I wouldn't want anything else.

Raliegh Sojourn -- First Impression

I bought the 2008 Raliegh Soujourn from Cross Country Cycles on Valentine's Day, February 14th. Yes, there is a large bank of snow outside the store.

Here's what I can tell you:

It has disc brakes. These are different than traditional rim brakes, but they can still stop you, and they are very common on mountain bikes.

It has Bar End Shifters. The triple is friction, the 9-speed rear is indexed.

It weighs 34.8 pounds with a Kickstand and M520 pedals.

There are three bottle cage mounts.

There are two spare spokes. I would guess that these are for the rear wheel, but it's not clear.

The wheels themselves are used on Tandems, so although they are 32 spoke, the strength of the wheels should not be an issue.

It has Brooks Handlebar tape and a Brooks Aged B17 Saddle.

It tracked well during my 1/2 mile test ride in a small amount of snow, wet pavement and ice.

This is exactly the bike I wanted.

Bike Lust -- update

I rode the Cannondale and the Raliegh on the (momentarily) snow-free streets last night. Both bikes felt great. After a lot of soul searching, I decided that riding something a little different was going to be more fun, and frankly, the Raliegh just grabs my heart. It's not the logical choice, it's just more fun.

Today I'll go visit my new favorite LBS: Cross Country Cycles and buy the Raliegh they so patiently sold me.

At the Cannondale dealer, my wife, two grandkids (9 and 21 months) and a niece (6) sat in the car while I went in to the shop. At Cross Country Cycles, they came in and browsed all the kid bikes, and Laura helped my niece ride on a "big girl" bike on their large, carpet riding area, while I wiped drool off the Raleigh. I like this shop so much better than any other shops I've browsed.

Bike Lust

I am reconnected to cycling. Last year I put in 1400 miles -- not the 4000 I used to put in before, but respectable for a recreational cyclist. I used to commute every day to work, and I lived in Southern California where riding is year-round.

Now I'm in Michigan, a beautiful state, and more importantly I am married to someone who shares this love of cycling. She might not be quite as obsessed -- but she does enjoy it for herself, and wants to share it with me.

I am going to give up my Navarra Randonee for a new touring bike -- but which one? What do I really want? What do I really need?

I had no idea what was out there.

So I read touring blogs, forums, mailing lists and searched for brands I knew. Last time I used rec.bicycles.marketplace to get opinions; this time I never had to say a word.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/reviews/board/?o=3Tzut&board_id=3566&v=4

That place also has cycling journals from all over the world, and can be very distracting to someone who works from home.

This is what I knew:

1. I want a touring bike That is, I want a bike which is comfortable for several consecutive long days, and requires a minimum of effort to pedal. Which means that there has to be some aerodynamic positions for headwind, and comfortable upright positions for traffic and sight-seeing. Which means drop bars, but higher. It also means that I want 700C over 26"wheels because 26" wheels have higher rolling resistance; but I want to add rolling resistance for wider tires so that it's more comfortable on rough pavement, more stable, and less prone to flats.
2. I also want 700C tires because everyone I ride with uses this size, so we can share spare tubes if necessary.
3. It needs to take loaded touring. I'm 50 lbs heavier than my commuting weight, so there's me. It should be able to do a cross-country bike trip with a minimum of trouble. I want to throw on water bottles (3), racks, panniers, a bell and maybe even lights. Oh, and a computer of some sort. And fenders.
4. Reliable. I want a bike that I can get on and go. When I shift, it should shift and not think about it and make a decision later.
5. I want a Brooks saddle. I've always wanted a Brooks and I regret not buying one before.

I wasn't worried too much about aesthetics or color.

So with that list of requirements, I began to read.

Waterford

"America's Dream Bike". Waterford makes fantastic bikes, and maybe someday I'll buy one. But right now I don't know enough about what I want in a bike frame in terms of fit or geometry to make a custom frame worth it. And, for the same price, I could buy a great production bike AND a plow truck. OK, the plow truck would be used, but still. Not worth it -- yet.

Rivendell Atlantis

Last year on the PALM I saw someone on a beautiful bike, which turned out to be a Rivendell Atlantis. It's a beautiful bike and I love that company. Unfortunately, it's impossible to test ride them, and they run about $3500 complete. Is it worth it? Well... no. I ride a small/medium frame, and the wheels for this bike are 26" in my size. This probably helps with toe overlap, and rides beautifully, but I want 700C wheels.

Surly Long Haul Trucker

When anyone asks on the net "What touring bike should I buy", the answer always the LHT. It's a $1,000 version of the Atlantis; similar geometry, but the frame is made elsewhere, and not lugged. Since it's so well recommended, and since it's so reasonably priced, I considered it in spite of the wheel size. However, the LBS (Local Bike Shop) who sells it, and had one in stock, wasn't all that impressed with it, and just let me look at it, leaning against a wall with no handlebar tape. It looked OK, but I didn't want to buy a bike from this guy. And I still wanted 700C wheels. And I didn't want to be yet another guy on a Surly.

Trek 520

Boring. Yet... I would bet more long tours have been done on this bike than any other. It's a mature, stable platform; reliable, solid, and once was my "attainable dream bike". This year's model has everything I want -- including the gearing -- but there's only one Trek dealer near me. And they didn't want me to ride it because there was a puddle in the parking lot. My stepson has a Trek from this shop. They were not interested in selling a touring bike.

Cannondale T1/T2

I love Cannondales, but I have yet to ride one. (Maybe later today) My wife owns a Cannondale Hybrid; My father in law rides a T2000 from 2000. The dealer we would buy from is currently on Winter Break, or I'd have already ordered it. I tried riding one at a different bike shop -- the same one with the Surly -- but that bike wasn't rideable. The Cannondale Touring bike was my "UNattainable dream bike", just because it was so close to being the perfect touring bike out of the box, and so expensive. The T1 has good components and a fantastic color scheme. The T2 has better gearing and decent components with an OK color scheme. Again, I barely remember the color of my Randonee, so I don't know why I care what the color of my next bike is. No bike shop is going to cut me a break, and they all will take two weeks to get a medium. So do I buy it because I know it's what I've always wanted, or do I ride it first?

Raleigh Sojourn

What a beautiful bike! I don't remember being quite so impressed with a bike's looks before. I found a dealer I like who showed me one in my size. It already has fenders and a Brooks Saddle. The handlebars look great. It rides straight, solid no-nonsense, and it does have three bottle cage mounts and a heavy-duty rack. The wheels and brakes are not what I thought I wanted: disc brakes and only 32 spoke wheels. When he told me the price I almost plonked down my credit card. However, I promised myself I would wait until I ride a Cannondale. Is it love or lust? I don't know, but I like the dealer, and I love the looks of the bike.

T2 vs Sojourn

Both bikes have a lifetime frame warranty. The T2 has better components and better gearing and weighs about eight pounds less. The Sojourn is $500 cheaper, when the fenders and saddle are added to the T2, but much closer in price if I swapped out the front chainring and derailleur. There are differences, but I'm hard pressed to say that these differences matter that much to me. T2 is aluminum, Sojourn is Steel. T2 has canti brakes, Sojourn has disc. T2 has STI shifters, Sojourn has bar ends.

The Sojourn is really pretty. The Cannondale is... nice.

Stay tuned