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Fall Classic

Rainbow over the big lake... and then the rain came!
Rainbow over the big lake... and then the rain came!

We curtailed a planned run of my now ‘Fall Classic’ mixed terrain route. Rain, cold, and a late start conspired against us. Patrick just returned from the EM1240k where he suffered and eventually pulled the plug at mile ~424 in mid 30s to 40s temps with rain and endless climbing (the name of the event is the Endless Mountains afterall…). Jim and Judy were on the fence with how long to ride… and I had dinner plans at home with the family. Late start + ugly weather made for a short day.

View to the ADKs
View to the ADKs

We sat out the rain in a cafe, snacked on yummy baked goods and drank hot hot caffeine to ward off the chill while listening to tales of scenery and pleasure and woe and cold from Patrick’s adventure. Long after the rain stopped and sun came out we rolled back to town and Jim and I salvaged the day by heading to Shelburne Pond. All told I logged 40+ for the day, took in some fall colors, and got to hang with friends. If some new gear arrives and the weather looks decent I’m hoping for a quick bikecamping trip next weekend – otherwise we talked about repeating the classic route to take in the last of fall.

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Valve Core Issue

Flat this morning in the rain. 35 degrees and dark. Of course I needed to be home so Jen could get in her swim workout. Pulled the wheel tire and tube. Sloppy mess. Got the new tube on with no issues. Pump pump. Unscrew the Lezyne from the valve – and the core comes out with all the air. Screw it back in tight. Pump pump pump. Same results. 5 tries later manage to get the pump off and only lose 1/3 the air. WTF? This is the second flat on these tires – same issue last time with another tube (from the QBP). Seems the threads down on the valve core are messing up the whole works. Grabbed a coffee to warm up then took it easy to get home so I didn’t pinch flat.

Only to be locked out. My keys are probably sitting where I dumped my bag to change the tire. Amateur.

But – mobile WordPress is good for these situations… Aside from the fact that I’m standing outside my house cowering from the rain feeling that wet cold seeping in. Glad I put on the RainLegs this morning. Helped to keep me that much warmer.

Going to have to research the valve issue a bit and figure out WTF is going on. Pretty sure the way my CO2 threads on I’d have the same issue. And I’ve never seen this on the IF – but I’m pretty sure I’m running a different brand of tube. I do use a different Lezyne pump model but it uses the same method for attaching to the tube.

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Epic

Bags. They have arrived and they are wonderful. Check out more of Eric’s work.

Standard seat bag stuffed with tools and extra layers.
Standard seat bag stuffed with tools and extra layers.

I’ll try to get a full review after I get some time with them. I have the standard seat pack and the narrow handlebar harness system with small pocket. These have replaced my Acorn bags… which while well crafted just weren’t for me.

Roll top closure - the fabric is not waterproof - but nothing I've used save my Ortlieb's really are.
Roll top closure - the fabric is not waterproof - but nothing I've used save my Ortlieb's really are.
Harness and compression system - this bag is about 50% loaded.
Harness and compression system - this bag is about 50% loaded.

And – there is snow on the High Peaks and the tops of the Greens. Fall color is peaking. A repeat of last year’s October mixed terrain is in the works.

The ADK High Peaks. A dusting of snow to complement the color.
The ADK High Peaks. A dusting of snow to complement the color.
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Quiet

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Sunrise over the big mountain. Been quiet. Family worked through being sick starting with the little one, more travel, and a bathroom model. More to come – lots of fall riding in VT planned…

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Montreal

Quick trip north to Montreal. Jen had a training session at her company’s Canadian office. Ava and I wandered town while I worked virtually – answering emails and phone via a fast data connection and the magic of international calling on a cell phone – while climbing, eating, sliding, eating, climbing, walking and bike gawking.

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Exploration

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Took some reinforcements and managed to make the Rogers ‘Road’ connection work. We took off in the dry on some familiar roads, then tackled Coon Hill, Galvin Hill, and Austin House dirt in the pouring rain. The usual suspects were wet, tired, cold and hungry by the time we made it to the climb on Hardscrabble – with uncharted territory and a questionable connection ahead of us. We made it to the dead end and laughed as the ‘road’ was in worse condition than my solo adventure. Lots of mud. Slick rock. Roots. At one point we were essentially riding in what seemed to be a creek bed. There were a few instances of cursing and sliding off the bikes – but we made the connection and descended to Stage Road. A quick burn on the rolling and sticky dirt into Essex led us to the Clover Natural Market. Homemade soup and chili hit the spot. Warmed and relatively dry we wheeled back to town on a mix of dirt and pavement for about 60 of mixed terrain in the chill and the wet.