Test fit of the Salsa Anything Cages. Awaiting some 6×12 OR drybags I found on clearance to see if handling is affected.
Not sure if I’ll need them for the upcoming trip, but I’ve been looking at these for quite awhile.
Planning
Planning a ~230m mixed terrain tour, from BTV to Moose River Plains (I rode the Pugsley here last winter) and then south to the Utica area to hang with family for a weekend. Staring at maps, downloading GIS data from the NY DEC to ponder in GoogleEarth, and generally day dreaming.
Fargo, bikepacking gear, 1 or 2 nights depending on how much ‘mixed’ terrain I can connect. Right now I’m thinking pave and dirt road to Indian Lake, then Cedar Lake road to Moose River Road, connecting to the Otter Brook truck trail.
From there we have options – ride west connecting back to Moose River Road and connect to NY 28 near Limekiln Lake, then pave south to the Utica area, or, just maybe I’ll feel up to an 8 mile carry on a footpath through a wilderness area to connect south to some more dirt. I’d have to come up with a way to put the bike on my back*. Maybe like this, or like this, or even this. With the hike I’d exit somewhere near Rt. 8 in Piseco, where I can connect to NY 10 and then Powley Rd.
Torn, and scouring maps to see if there is anyway to make some other connections work, to get to ride the length of MRP, then head south, and maybe connect over on some supposed hike and bike trails in the Black River Wild Forest, and get to ride Powley Road. I’ve done a single day double century (all paved), and I had an aborted attempt to mix in some dirt and gravel roads – so I’m hoping to mix in as much dirt as possible this time around.
*Bikes are verboten in Wilderness (I won’t go into how I feel about human powered transport in the wild here) – so I’d have to get the wheels off the ground and be sure it was obvious I was ‘hiking’. If I did the hike, I’d then hit more dirt road, with less touristy paved routes as I work my way south.
Growing^?
Go away for a few days to have a baby, and the garden goes mad. We’re into our 8th or 9th zucchini, cucumbers are coming in every 3-4 days, beans get cleaned out weekly, peppers looking good, tomatoes will be ready early next week, corn is moving slowly but surely, baby eggplants have appeared, snap peas have blossomed, and the chard continues to climb skyward.
Daddy^2
Woodchipper Setup
Finally getting the drop bar dialed on the Fargo for trail / gravel / dirt / road. Stem is a temp (thanks Aaron!) – its close – so I’ll ride it for a week. I think I need ~2deg more of rise.
I need to pull the tape and slide the levers down just a bit on the bars – but bar angle seems to be right on. I’ve also been playing with SRAM’s lever reach adjustment (why don’t all brakes / levers come with this feature?) – currently riding in the middle position – but may slide them in a bit closer for a week.
Creative Parking
Met the wife downtown for lunch. No bike parking at Magnolia’s? Burlington’s first ‘green’ restaurant? And one that sells t-shirts about riding a bike instead of driving…
Brutally Smooth
Indeed. As seen in a glossy cycling mag I browsed at a local cafe. Wonder if the open brakes were a oversight, or intentional. Can’t make out from the spec’s what size tire they can run – but brakes are listed as Dura Ace. Not sure if you can fit anything more than a 25 under there. Or maybe a Conti ’28’.
Same Spot, Different Bike
Local trails, Fargo this morning.
Lowered the saddle once I settled into the singletrack. That made a huge difference, especially on the technical bits. Tweaked the bar position.
Think I’m getting it dialed for both gravel and trail. This morning was – make adjustment, ride a lap, rinse, repeat.
The Vulpines roll well on the gravel and dirt – but they are definitely not a wet, snot, rock tire. Would love to have a 2.2 or 2.4 up front – and something sticky like a Nevegal. Would give me some more confidence in the slick. That said – rolling on a knobby isn’t fun – so the Race Kings or Vulpines will do for now, until I set up a second wheelset for eaiser changes. Riding trail on essentially a large cross tire is fun – and I can’t complain – I used to ride these same woods on 35s and 42s back when the CrossCheck was my ‘all-terrain-a-saurus’
Pugsley in the Woods
Been riding the Pugs in the woods. Good fun to climb up and over rock and root.
First time I rode this short section, and hiked back to ride over this rock twice. Carry speed from the backside, and get behind the saddle coming down the front side.
Gaining confidence in the woods – it will be a long long time before I’m an effective technical rider though. Starting to enjoy the little obstacles that riding in the northeast gives you – rocks, rocks, roots, rocks, wet, slime – all in places least likely to allow your wheels to roll smoothly over them.
Growing (some more)
