Thatcher's new ride - before picture

A couple of days ago Thatcher, Liam and I drove to St. Paul to pick up Thatcher's new ride - Its a vintage kids road bike. We have researched it and found out that it is likely a 1977 (August) Youth Varsity. It has 24 inch wheels. Tonight Thatcher, Liam and I pulled all the, reflectors, cables and brake pads off. We are going to replace pads, cables/housing, bar tape, and tires and tubes. Then we will polish, lube and adjust it.

Thatcher wants to leave it the way it is. I offered to strip and repaint it, but he likes the "uniqueness" of it just the way it is. He's ecstatic!!!!

I will post pics as things progress with this bike....

14.43 miles - Cedar Lake quick route - 4/30/08

14.43 miles

avg 18.6

max 26.3

cal 523.8

0.46.29

Poprad

Dropped a couple of Redbox movies off at Byerly's and headed over for a swurvy loop around Bass Lake. Then I went down the SW Corridor and headed over to Cedar Lake Trail and back by way of the Hutchinson Spur Trail. On my way back a young and pretty lady pulled out just behind me and followed me for about a mile and proceeded to pass me. We were obviously going in the same direction so I stayed behind her. I wanted to pass many times, but I thought it may be a bit sexist or pushy to pass her. She eventually slowed down intentionally so I could pass. I didn't want to freak her out, I was hoping I was being courteous by not passing. Its like when someone you don't know begins walking next to you at the same pace - you are forced to slow down or speed up - it feels awkward to keep the same pace. Did I brake some trail/biking etiquette? Should I have passed her and played a passing game?

13.67 - Commute/errands - 4/29/08

13.67 miles

25.4 max

Greenpeace (partly w/ ride-a-long)

Take Liam to preschool, lock up the ride-a-long, then off to work, then back to pick up ride-a-long, then home....
Great nighttime ride....I only wish I had more time....

8.12 - Commute - 3/28/08

8.12 miles

avg 16.8

max 31.3

cal 290.4

0.28.52

Poprad

Nice commute...no frills ride...

50.83 miles - Ironman - 4/27/08

50.83 miles

13.4 avg

34.6 max

cal 1556.0

3.46.03

Poprad

Unfortunately, I didn't remember my camera to take pictures of the Ironman Bike Ride with Thatcher and myself. Thatcher rode with me for the first 12.5 miles and I did the rest on my own - which, turned out to be a crazy day.

I signed up for the 62 mile ride. Like I said, I did the first 12.5 with my son. Then my wife picked Thatcher and his bike up (pics to come later of him and his bike). I proceeded to go from that point on to Panama Ave, where I mistakenly took the wrong turn (yes, it was clearly marked as I found out later) and ended up about 10, or so, miles north of my route ( I saw signs for New Prague). So I decided, of course, to head back to the first rest stop at 28 miles in Lonsdale - my mile 50. Right as I pulled in the American Legion parking lot it started to drizzle. After my hot dog I went outside to icy, rainy, snowy mix. On my right was the direction out of the lot, on my left was a warm bus with a trailer for taking bikes back to start. I chose the bus. I am glad I did, because when I got back to Lakeville High School and rode my bike the 1/2 mile to my car I was shivering from the rainy cold. If I would have stayed on route I would have had 35 miles of icy cold rain and no rain gear in 35 degrees. I think I made a smart move.

It was an interesting experience. The highlight was having a great discussion with my son and spending some quality time with him on the first 12.5 miles....thanks Thatcher for making my day!!!!

PS: The pics are of my Poprad with my Bontrager road tires...looks great!!! Rides great too!!!

12.72 miles - Commute Shady Oak Extension - 4/25/08

12.72 miles

avg 16.6

max 27.3

cal 437.4

0.45.58

Poprad

Rainy nighttime commute home....took the long way along Shady Oak Rd to Excelsior Blvd. It was around 35 degrees and raining steadily. Not too cold though. The danger was the rain on my glasses being reflected by oncoming car lights and not being able to keep the proper path on the road and trying to avoid potholes....but I made it home fine. It was very enjoyable watching the rain splashing up in front of me and reflecting through the headlight. I love rain!!!

505 miles total (approximate) - 185 commuting miles (approximate)

12.64 miles - Cedar Lake Quick Route - 4/24/08

12.64 miles

avg 17.1

max 22.1

cal 404.7

0.44.21

Poprad

Rain, rain, go away...steady rain for the whole ride...I only had time (like usual) for a "quick route." But it was a great ride....riding in warm rain is the best....

13.44 miles - Errands Running - 4/23/08

13.44 miles

max 25.0

Greenpeace and Ride-a-long

I ran errands to the store, pick up Liam from school and take Thatcher to yoga....a pleasant way to run errands on my very smooth and comfy bike Greenpeace....

8.94 miles - Commute - 4/22/08

8.94 miles

avg 16.0

max 25.0

cal 288.7

0.33.21

Poprad

31.51 miles - Greenway, Downtown, U of M, Cedar Lake, Lake Calhoun ride - 4/21/08

31.51 miles

avg 16.2

max 36.4

cal 984.3

1.56.27

Poprad

Title says it all about the ride...I was a little freaked out when the Minneapolis Police came flying down the trail between Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles without a warning...the squad car was probably doing about 50 mph....very stupid and very dangerous. I didn't know the car was coming until it was about 10 feet behind me.

Otherwise I am confident of having a fun ride at the Ironman next Sunday....

It was a beautiful day!!!

16.08 miles - Commute wiith Cedar Lake Extension - 4/20/08

Note To Self: Get different handlebars for Trek Commuter.

16.08 miles

avg 16.6

max 30.4

cal 513.2

0.58.01

Trek Commuter

Nice ride this morning...stopped at the Harvest Moon for a cup of Joe. Went back down the SW Corridor to the Kenwood Trail and took that to the Cedar Lake Trail all the way to Virginia and onto Cedar Lake Rd and to Penn Cycle. Return home was straight home...

I felt kinda like I need an alteration to the Trek Commuter. I have a titanium straight bar on there now and I may look at the bars on the Trek Soho as an option. My hands get really numb for lack of proper position along with maybe a better grip.

New Edition to the Bike Family - Sears 3 Speed

SOLD IT ON 5/2/08
I don't really know why. A young lady had been looking at a bike from me previously - a 1963 Schwinn Typhoon. She called back asking if I had anything else. I showed her this one. She liked it. I gave her a good price and she bought it...I miss it already...but I picked up an early black Schwinn Racer single speed...so we'll see how that goes...


These pictures are right off the car rack when I brought it home. There is something that draws me to these bikes, and I am not sure of what that might be.














I am thinking it might be the graphics and overall English 3 speed look. It would be cool to try and figure out what the graphics mean.





I'm not sure of the age, but I think I may just keep her for awhile. I paid 35 bucks from the original owner who lives across from the Armatage Park in South Minneapolis. He said it is mechanically sound, so a good cleaning and once-over might do the trick. I will probably outfit her with some new tread and black cable housing...














Here is a picture of my Sears fixie with similar graphics, but the symbol on the top tube is different...

12.69 miles - Commute Shady Oak Extension - 4/19/08

12.69 miles

avg 16.7

max 31.5

cal 422.7

0.45.39

Poprad

Rain smelled like fish this morning...wanted to get up and go for a pre-work ride, but overslept...

7.81 miles - Commute - 4/18/08

7.81 miles

avg 16.0

max 29.8

cal 256.3

0.29.13

Poprad

Standard commute...rainy going, dry coming home...

Big Dummy??

http://www.surlybikes.com/bigdummy.html

Next year I am going to be in the market for a new bike....and I am thinking UTILITY. The Surly Big Dummy seems to be the obvious choice. However, I see that Kona has a utility bike called the Ute.

The Kona Ute has 700c wheels that are more acceptable for touring (unless you are this guy: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/bikearthride but he is another story) and it also accepts panniers. I also like the idea of a 3-case-of-beer carrier!!! Hmmm, can it handle a keg???

The Big Dummy is a collaborative effort between ExtraCycle and Surly Bikes, so it accepts the trimmings of an ExtraCycle ( www.xtracycle.com/ ). The Big Dummy is only sold as a frame set, so you have to build the bike around the frame, which can get expensive, unless you have a bike laying around that you can move components from.

10 miles - Ride-a-long with Liam - 4/17/08

10 miles

Ride-a-long Rig/Greenpeace

A day for cruising with my boy Liam. First we went to Aquila Primary Center to do our Picture Person Art presentation and then we went to The Depot, which had no seating due to a private party....so we decided to hit the Harvest Moon Coffeehouse (see my other blog: http://tccoffeeshopcritic.blogspot.com/ for details), where Liam had a grilled cheese and I had the luscious Reuben sandwich and a coffee. I then pulled Liam to school....on the way I noticed that my chain was very close to breakage...made it home and decided to get a new chain...

I also hit my record for last year by weighing in at 208.0 pounds, and it is only mid-April...hopefully I can get to my goal of 195.0 lbs by my birthday - September 23rd!!!!

11.57 miles - Sprint down Excelsior - 4/16/08

11.57 miles

avg 17.3

max 33.4

cal 442.1

0.40.01

Poprad

Extreme westerly headwinds going down Minnetonka Blvd...however, the few mile sprint going east on Excelsior was freakin' awesome!!! The wind was blowing at my back and I maintained a speed from 28 to 33mph for miles because I hit every light....

Typical day when you have less than 45 minutes to get a ride in...

11.09 miles - Commute - 3/15/08

11.09 miles

avg 15.6

max 28.7

cal 352.5

0.42.36

Poprad

Freakin' crazy headwinds today...but overall nice and warm. It was a little chilly when I was pulling Liam around this morning....

15.86 miles - Ride-a-long pull - 3/14, 3/15/08

15.86 miles

max 25.8

Greenpeace w/ ride-a-long

Two days of puling the ride-a-long with Liam. Yesterday we went to The Depot and today we rode down to Dunn Bros on Hennepin Ave and then around Lake Calhoun...a good time....

Crazy Intersection at Excelsior Blvd and SW Corridor in Hopkins

Note: it doesn't show it on the map, but the SW Corridor Bike Trail runs parallel to the Soo Line train tracks.

As you may be able to see through the photo and map this intersection is on a very busy boulevard that has a railroad track running through it, a bike trail crossing, and a major on/off ramp to a major metro traffic artery.

This intersection, with HW169, Excelsior Blvd, the railway and the bike trail all conglomerate at one point.

Not only is it dangerous for an adult rider to be able to maneuver through the traffic and trust the traffic, but my kids are forced to ride parallel to the railroad tracks, while oncoming traffic is less than five feet from them.

What happens when one of my kids strays into oncoming traffic, or his wheel gets stuck in one of the rail ruts and he flies off his bike and into traffic???


This intersection is only going to get worse when Cargill the infamous corporate genetics/eugenicists open up their mega office building across the street. The traffic is going to get worse and the danger to bikers, commuters and pedestrians will only get worse. It needs addressed!!

365 miles total (approximate) - 135 commuter miles (approximate)

22.18 miles - Commute/Williston/394 frontage rd - 3/9/08

22.18 miles

avg 15.8

max 38.3

cal 713.7

1.23.41

Poprad

I decided to take Excelsior to Williston Road to the 494 frontage "path" to McGinty to Minnetonka Mills across the dirt Minnetonka Loop to Cedar Lake Rd to the shop. Pretty good ride but tired for some reason.

When I got to work I was informed, and thus shocked, that Lemond is being dissolved immediately from Trek due to advertising disputes I am told (hope to blog with link shorty on the subject).

I decided to take the 394 frontage road home...it was a nice night, but the evil snow is coming back tomorrow to torture us again!!!!! This winter never ends.......

10.94 miles - Commute/Target Stop - 3/8/08

10.94 miles
avg 15.8
max 28.7
cal 350.8
0.41.29
Poprad
Chilly day going to work had to stop at Target on the way home....not a whole lot to tell...

29.40 miles - Downtown MPLS/Lower Grande Rounds - 4/7/08

29.40 miles

avg 16.2

max 28.1

cal 929.6

1.48.32

Poprad

It was in the mid-30's today. I decided to ride into Downtown MPLS via SW Corridor/Kenwood Trail/Cedar Lake Trail so that I could research a commuter route for my wife LeeAnn. The Cedar Lake Trail ends abruptly Downtown near the Target Center. I decided to take any-ol'-street and ended up near the Convention Center. Strangely enough, there are center lane bike lane that end suddenly leaving you wondering where to go and there are bike lanes located very inconveniently between parked cars and traffic (watch those car doors). Downtown Minneapolis is NOT very bike friendly. Luckily, from my personal experience, Downtown MPLS is not very congested or else we would have a sick scenario on our hands, but from my experiences it is not a bike friendly or bike structured city center. I was not successful at finding a good route for my wife.

I decided to take Nicolette Ave out of Downtown and back towards the Uptown area so I could get on the Midtown Greenway and head east to the River and get on the lower half of Grande Rounds, which took me and my cold feet back home via the Minnehaha Parkway, Lake Hariet, Lake Calhoun and the SW Corridor.

Truly the highlight of my trip was the hawk (I believe a Cooper's Hawk) that swooped down in front of me and flew next to me for ten to 15 feet before perching on a fence behind Northland Products on the SW Corridor...what a beautiful bird!!!

20.28 miles - Commute/Williston Extension/Ottowa Ped Bridge Ext - 4/6/08

20.28 miles

avg 15.8

max 35.4

cal 656.0

1.16.42

Poprad

Rainy, rainy day! Slept in because the weather people said it was going to rain all morning...woke up dry and decided to go for an extra commute ride on Williston and also went up along US494 on the windy and fast side trail. Started to rain on Willistion and pour when I was coming down McGinty Rd...so I stopped at Dunn Bros in Minnetonka Mills for an apple fritter and a coffee. It was really pouring and chilly when I left the coffee shop. I was drenched and took a shower at work.

The ride home in the rain was awesome....the rain was warm, so I took Minnetonka Blvd to the Ottawa Ped Bridge over HW7 and took the SW Corridor home. I LOVE the rain!!! I put a seat post rear fender on the Poprad (that Doug gave me) and it worked great. I also put the Zefel quick fender on my down tube, which doesn't work so hot. The water runs off the fender and into my shoes...maybe I'll try another front fender setup...it was a short, but fun ride in the wet Minnesota spring!

4.84 miles - 1/2 Commute - 4/5/08

4.84 miles

avg 15.2

max 23.5

cal 151.7

0.19.03

Trek Commuter

Got picked up at work by my wife to eat at the Lone Spur and go to the Science Museum with the kids....

12.74 miles - Commute/Shady Oak Extension - 4/4/08

12.74 miles

avg 16.0

max 29.2

cal 414.9

0.47.34

Poprad

Rode with the kids in the afternoon....commuted to work and took the long way home...nice warm day and night...got caught by a couple of nasty potholes on Excelsior....glad I had the Poprad!

First 2008 Ride With the Boys!!! - 04/04/08

What a great day for a ride to the Depot Coffeehouse in Hopkins with Liam and Thatcher. The temp was close to 50 degrees and it was sunny - as you can see in the pics.

Liam started off better than he ended last year. He was a bit frustrated at first, but I successfully showed him how to stop and start properly. He is a speed freak once he gets going!!! He loves to blast down the trail!!! That is Liam way ahead in the top picture.

We played Tony Hawke on the PlayStation for a half-hour at the Depot and then headed home....I will be blogging later about the horrific intersection on Excelsior near the Depot...


Thatcher and I went rode down to Calhoun Village for lunch at Punch Pizza after Liam went to his buddies house. It was great hanging with Thatcher...he was really curious how the shifters work and figured out that if you reach down and pull the cable on the top tube the derailleur will shift without using the shifters....smart kid!!! I love his busyness and curiosity!!! We had a good time. His endorphins must have been at an all-time high because he was about 10 times more energetic than usual for the rest of the day. He also kept saying things like, "I wish I could do this all day every day!"

What a great day with my boys!!!!

12.84 miles - Commute/Shady Oak Extension - 4/2/08

12.84 miles

avg 15.6

max 31.8

cal 416.1

0.49.12

Poprad

A truck honked at me for no particular reason and startled me on Louisiana Ave. Also, on my way to work a couple of punks yelled out the window at me. The first guy I gave the finger to and the punks I gave the thumbs up. I think I may take the high road from now on with these ignorant acts, because just like bullies they want to get a rise out of the cyclist. If we rise above them, maybe it will take the thrill out of it....we shall see!!!

Policy and Innovation #1 - Segregated Cycling Facilities

This is the first sentence in the description of Segregated (separated) Cycling Facilities in Wikipedia:

"Segregated cycling facilities are roads, tracks, paths or marked lanes which are designated for the preferential or exclusive use of cyclists."

It seems like a decent description for an introduction to the topic. I am going to continue reading about this topic and will edit/re-post/addendum this thread as I learn more on the subject.

In the meantime, I found a You Tube clip on Portland High Tech bike signals. Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwNJYtmlyqw&feature=related

(picture courtesy of http://www.midtowngreenway.org/ )

14.81 miles - Commute-western burb's extension ride - 3/30/08

14.81 miles

avg 15.9

max 33.7

cal 478.3

0.55.45

Poprad

I took a weird ride through Hopkins and Minnetonka this morning before work b/c I had to deliver a book to the Ridgedale Library. The morning was great for a ride, but my body wasn't in the mood....it was warm (35 degrees) and a sunny...sometimes it sucks when you don't feel up to it, but...that's life!!!

15.96 miles - extended Commute-Shady Oak/Traders 3/29/08

15.96 miles

avg 15.8

max 29.1

cal 489.9

1.00.37

Poprad

FIRST ROBIN!!!! Nice chilly ride to work via Shady Oak Rd...nice but windy commute home via Trader Joe's....pleasant day...

12.41 miles - Commute - 3/28/08

12.41 miles

avg 16.2

max 27.7

cal 399.5

0.45.47

Trek Commuter

Nice day for a commute...the nighttime ride, although near 40 degrees, seemed extra chilly.

205 total miles thus far in 2008 (on the road)

15.17 miles - Williston Quick Route - 3/27/08

15.17 miles

avg 16.1

max 31.7

cal 495.5

0.56.26

Poprad

I cannot climb a friggin' hill!!! I need to work on my hill climbing. So I am going to start picking routes based on hills - few and far between, but I am convinced I can do it. The Williston Rd Quick Route is basically the same as the Shady Oak Quick Route, but extends the trip by a few miles and Williston Rd, between Excelsior Blvd and HW7 has a few big hills.

Also, a word to the wise....always keep the chain and cassette clean and lubed! I didn't have a chance to clean and lube the Poprad from yesterdays "Grande Rounds" ride and it was squeaking the whole trip. Very embarrassing, considering that squeaks are a pet peeve of mine and I always complain about other peoples' lack of bike care and maintenance. Luckily, I didn't bump into anyone I knew while I was riding....

Great day, with little to no headwinds, but cold in the mid 30's....

11.59 miles - Commute - 3/25/08 (daily total - 36.87 miles)

11.59 miles

avg 15.9

mx 26.5

cal 372.9

0.43.41

Afterwork trip to Trader Joe's for some 3 buck chuck....wonderful night for a ride...!!!

25.28 miles - Lower Grand Rounds Route - 3/25/08

25.28 miles

avg 15.7

max 24.2

cal 760.06

1.36.10

The lower half of the Grands Rounds Scenic Byway ( http://www.minneapolisparks.org/grandrounds/home.htm ) is my route where the Midtown Greenway cuts the byway in half (basically). I take the SW Corridor out of my 'hood and go east where it turns into the Midtown Greenway after the Chain of Lakes. Follow the Greenway to the River Parkway, which strolls along the Mississippi River. Go south on the parkway for a coupe of miles and follow Grand Rounds around Lake Nokomis and then follow the Minnehaha Creek (Parkway) to Lake Hariet and then Lake Calhoun and back onto the SW Corridor west.

This is a great ride in the early morning when the trails are free of people. The big annoyance today was the dogs on long retractable leashes. It was a nice ride despite the wet and exttttrrreeemely cold feet....I need some cycling boots!!!

8.08 miles - Commute - 3/24/08

8.08 miles

avg 15.6

mx 28.1

cal 264.9

0.31.09

Commute to and from work on Trek Commuter....potholes = BAD!! Getting warmer out there, despite the snow...

"Policy's and Innovation"

Here is an article by John Pucher regarding what is it takes to propel your community into a biking friendly community....
http://www.momentumplanet.ca/john-pucher-bicycle-scholar

Quote from the article:
The key policies and innovations used in Dutch, Danish, and German cities to promote safe and convenient cycling focus on:
- Extensive networks of separated cycling facilities
- Intersection modifications and priority traffic signals
- Traffic calming
- Traffic education and training
- Bike parking
- Co-ordination with public transport
- Traffic laws

I would like to research these bulletpoints more extensively. If you have any suggestions as where to start (other than Google), please let me know at vote4democracy@yahoo.com .....and, thanks!!!

8.33 miles - Commute - 3/24/08

8.33 miles

avg 14.1

max 32.5

cal 274.2

0.35.28

Commute to and from work on the Trek Commuter. I added a new CroMoto quill stem today with a 90 degree angle and 110mm in length. The old stem was 75 degree bend and 85mm long. A much improvement in that the vintage road bike geometry is odd in that the top tube is shorter and the rear wheel sits back farther and the stem offset is short. So the vintage frame requires some finagling to get correct....I will post some photos of the transformation of my Vintage Trek frame into a superb fair weather commuter soon!!!

12.81 miles - Easter Grocery Getaway - 3/23/08

12.81 miles

avg spd 15.3

max 22.5

cal 360.8

0.50.04 min

I took my Poprad on a trip to Whole Foods to get a few Easter dinner things....extended it a bit around lake Calhoun. Cold day...some snow on trail here and there...a little ice...around 35 degrees. Its a bit over 3 miles to Whole Foods in Calhoun Village. The SW Corridor Trail takes me right there. No roads, just a few crossovers.

Trek Soho Single Speed????

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/urban/soho/sohos/

After yesterday's morning commute through the snow and afternoon commute back home through the salty slush, I have been thinking hard about thinking ahead and getting for next winter's commuting. I plan to commute through the winter....no easy task.

After my salty ride home yesterday on my Lemond Poprad, I had to clean the salty mess off my bike...it was incredible how nasty and corrosive the salt is. In the five hours from the time I parked the bike to cleaning it, it had already started rusting the chain and rear cassette. I couldn't believe it....so it may look like the purchase of a new winter single speed.

Any other suggestions????

8 miles - Commute - 3/20/08

8 miles commute through the snow on my Poprad. Snow very stingy on the face in the morning due to the wetness of the snow... great fun!!!

12.31 miles - Commute - Shady Oak Route

12.31 miles

avg 15.5

mx 30.8

cal 381.7

0.47.29 min

Trek Commuter

29.27 miles - 101 to Cedar Lake Route

29.27 miles

max 31.8

Poprad

SW Corridor west to Excelsior Blvd west to HWY101 north to Minnetonka Blvd east to Virginia Ave to Hutchinson Spur Trail east to Cedar Lake south to Kenilwood Trail connects back to SW Corridor west back to the South Oak Hill Neighborhood.

Warm ride in the mid 40's today. I made the mistake of taking a segment of the unpaved SW Corridor past Shady Oak Lake - it was muddy, icy and messy. I got all mucked up and feet got really cold. I tried the cut plastic bag trick, but the water seeped down into my shoes anyway. I had to stop at Dunn Bros in Minnetonka Mills to warm my feet and have a tea.

The Poprad will get a thorough cleaning and lube tonight...it was squeaking by the end of the ride....overall a nice ride with the exception of cold toes. I may look into swapping out the tires on my Poprad, but I am going to think on it a bit more....I am going to need to swap out to street tires for the Ironman Ride on April 27....looking for suggestions????

SKS Race Blade Road Bike Fender Set

I got these fenders from a friend and am sold. I have them on my Trek Commuter and put them to the test. They are lightweight, extremely easy to install and remove, are adjustable and provide just enough coverage.

They retail for around $45.oo

PS: You can undo the rubber straps and zip-tie them to your bike if you want semi-permenant fenders.

1/18/08 - Commute - 13.86 miles - Shady Oak Loop

13.86 miles

max 29.8

Rode the Trek Commuter the long way home for an extra few miles. I went west from Penn Cycle on Cedar Lake Road to Ridgedale Dr and then onto Minnetonka Blvd, then left onto Shady Oak road and then another left onto Excelsior Blvd ad the left onto Louisiana and then home. The "Shady Oak Loop."

Homemade Chain Guide for My 1x9 Trek Vintage Frame Commuter

On the Hokey Meter this might score a 9 out of 10 - 10 being the hokiest, but I am sure that my contraption will work as intended. I have the same issue on both of my commuter bikes , which are set up the same way...1x9 and 1x 7 ... by taking the two smaller chain rings off of the cranks.

Who needs all those gears in Minnesota anyway .......there's no hills.

Both bikes have the same issue - the chains pop off of the chain ring. For my Marin mountain bike conversion commuter I have a guide that retails for about 13 dollars. It guides the inner side of the chain ring...so what happens is that the chain then pops off of the outside?

One solution is to use a chain guide and a bash guard, however, consider the other option - using a derailleur to guide the chain. Or you could take a cable housing guide, attach some strong metal and bend it creatively into a homemade chain guide. Observe the video and pics and tell me what you think.

3/14/08 Commute - 11 miles

- 11 miles exactly

- avg speed 15.9

- max speed 26.6 mph

- cal 349.3

-(odo 591.6)

Rode the Bullit, which was weighted down to the max. First ride across the Ottawa Ave pedestrian/bike bridge. I was creeped out thinking about the guy who died by falling off the bridge while in construction...anyway, it is a great addition to the city. The problem is that we need more, and not just in the elitist sections of town.

Minneapolis Ranks 2nd in Bike Commuting (as of 2007)

This may be old news, but it is encouraging...

Minneapolis Ranks High Among Bicycle Commuters, Public Transit and Walking

Published January 16, 2007 by MyFox Twin Cities

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minneapolis is full of green commuters, according to new U.S. Census numbers. The city is a national leader in the percentage of people who walk, bike and take public transit to work.

Among the 50 largest U.S. cities, Minneapolis ranks second to Portland, Ore. with 2.5 percent of commuters getting to work by bike -- a slight increase from 2005. The national average for bicycle commuters in the U.S. is only 0.4 percent.

The number of people walking to work increased from 5.8 percent in 2005 to 7.1 percent in 2006. Minneapolis holds the No. 8 ranking of walking cities in the country and ranked eleventh in the nation for rate of people taking public transit to work. In 2006, 13.2 percent of people reported they took transit to work, which is an increase over the 12.5 percent rate from 2005.
Minneapolis city leaders hope to maintain the city’s status as a bikeable and walkable city by expanding the number of new bikeways and walking trails each year. The city says more than two dozen new projects are in the works that will provide new trails, lanes and other improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.

The Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Project has recently awarded $7 million in federal money for bicycling and walking projects in Minneapolis and other Twin Cities communities. Only four cities in the country were selected to receive the grant money, and with these funds, Minneapolis plans to increase the miles of bikeways in the city and eventually double the amount of bicycle riding in the city.

Image attribution: www.stlbikefed.org/Portals/2/Bikerbetty.jpg

3/13/08 - 10 miles - Quick route - West Loop

The second outdoor ride of the season (I ride 45 minutes to an hour indoors nearly every day at the Ridgedale YMCA). I took the quick West Loop - west on the SW Corridor into Hopkins, then swing north on the Hutchinson Spur trail, which turns east to Cedar Lake in Minneapolis and back onto the SW Corridor and home.

The day was a great day for riding, at around 45 degrees with a stiff and steady westerly wind. The trail is in good condition, except for a few shady spots where ice literally covers the trail. Behind Novartis nearing the Cedar Lake trail (which is where I saw 7 deer on the first ride of the season) the trail was literally covered with a couple inches of slick ice. A fellow bikers was out with his ice breaker. I wish him well, but it is only going to freeze over again at night. The thought counts.

The other trail issue is the deep runoff water. About six or sever times I had to unclip and lift my legs so that the water didn't splash up my legs - the water was two to three inches deep in spots and went for 10 to 20 feet. I am going to pick up a set of fenders at work tomorrow....

Fun ride but way to quick...

Disastrous Crank Pull Costs Only Pastrami Burger

I don't know what possessed the makers of that crank set to install the most over engineered and stupid crank on a bike and actually replace XT cranks that came standard equip on my Kona....either way....it was ugly, but it came off with special thanks to Penn Cycle's own Doug the Magician Master Mechanic (DMMM or D3M or Dm3)....and all it will cost me is an overpriced pastrami burger from Crossroads Delicatessin (where you can get the overpriced jingoesque "Freedom Fries") - DMMM's soft spot.

The shell and threads came out remarkably unscathed considering there were cutting (with actual sparks), drilling and hammering involved.

Next step is to install the used 4 bolt LX cranks from craigslist and a fresh bottom bracket (size, yet to be determined). I installed a Bontrager Select saddle (not big deal, but the price was right). I picked up a set of Chunky Fuel ESI grips and I am going to install my Continental Supersonic 1.9 foldable tires - fast, good for singletrack.

The other creepy setback was the broken skewer, which is not just any old skewer, but an "axel skewer" that only Ritchey and a few expensive brands carry. Not a real setback, I'll just use a Deore front wheel off another of my mountain bikes....

After these additions...the Mano Mano will be ready to roll...

Kona Resurection - Part I

The Kona Mano Mano full suspension is a used bike manufactured in 1999. It came equipped with an XT crankset and derailluers, LX shifters and a Vanilla Float Rock Shox rear shock.

Unfortunately the person I bought it from received the bike from a company that she worked for that manufactured crazy, weird, needless and stupid cranks. Of course a "stupid crank" was installed on the Mano Mano. The good thing was that the bike was waaaay too big for her and instead of riding and abusing it, she let it sit in her garage. The bad part is that the crankset that is literally stuck on my bike is heavy and gay - it is designed to be pedaled both backwards and frontwards - I know, I don't get it either. the other good part is that the bike only cost me 200 bucks...

But I was quite serious in that it is literally stuck on the bike. It won't come off. Doug, the ace mechanic at Penn Cycle in Minnetonka, is in the process of cutting it off. It may be that in the process of getting the bottom bracket removed, the housing may get ruined. We have our fingers crossed, however, it doesn't look good. The future of my Mano Mano is in Doug's hands....wish him luck....

FIRST RIDE OF 08!!!!

13 miles - Hopkins/MPLS Lakes Route (approx...no computer yet)

AND FIRST RIDE ON POPRAD!!! What a difference between my old 2100 carbon/aluminum and the Poprad cyclocross bike. As soon as I pulled out of the driveway and climbed the hill (with ease I should offer!) I knew I was going to like the Poprad. It was fast, smooth (probably due to the steel frame) and handled great and I actually preferred riding in the dropouts.

During the ride I had to make an expected seat height adjustment because I was in street sneakers when I was fitted to the bike. I also turned the handlebars down a bit because I preferred to have my hands on the flats of the dropouts. I also could get ahold of the brakes and shifters better with the handlebar angle changed slightly. That adjustment did cause me to be bent over sightly more to where I was less comfy and it changed my breathing/performance. I am going to rethink the adjustment in the next few rides.

I labored in thought over taking my new bike out on a day like today - melting snow, road sand and salt does not make a bike a happy camper. But, since it IS a cyclocross bike that will spend a lot of time in the dirt while in my possession, I thought, "what the hell," and here is the result....

...besides completely frozen toes...it was a short, but sweet ride...a sign of things to come...goal is 2000+ miles in 2008...!!!

CRC (Cars-R-Coffins)

3346 Lyndale Ave. S

Minneapolis, MN 55408

612-822-4130

WiFi

Cuppa Joe $1.35

Latte $2.50

I have visited a lot of coffee shops in the Twin Cities and other parts of the country. Cars-R-Coffins (CRC) is hands down the absolutely most innovative shop in the Twin Cities. Until now my favorite coffeeshop has been Websters Bookstore Cafe in State College, Pennsylvania, because of the quality of the coffee (true shadegrown organic fair trade, handpicked from the forests of Columbia) and because of the melding together of coffee and books (and great variety of used and affordable books). CRC may overtake Websters on my all-time favorite list. CRC melds together bikes and coffee...and does it well!

I was thoroughly impressed by the thoughtfullness and cleanliness of the shop. As a man who would prefer that his bikes sleep in the same room as himself, nothing could feel more natural than to drink a cup of Peace Coffee with an old Schwinn, or a custom road bike, hanging above my head.To top it off, you can purchase yourself a bike as easily as a delicious molasses cookie (gotta have one...just like my Gramma Leese would make).

If you hear a lot of those annoying click-click, or persistent squeaks coming from your derailuer, and your brakes are wearing thin, Hurl (the owner) will tune up your bike for a small fee. Come on! Is that cool or what?

The "garage door" opens up in the summer and some cozy tables are set up on the sidewalk, so you can relax after a jut around the lakes on your bomber, while you sip your latte. After Hurl posts the hours on the front door (thats just standard procedure, or so I thought), there will be no qualms about who has the most inventive coffeeshop in the Cities.

DO NOT feel that you cannot stop if you are not a biker. CRC is a great place to visit. After all, I parked my Saturn/coffin outfront for my delicious black coffee. The only thing better would be to get a good book, have a great cup of coffee and get my vintage Trek commuter tuned up in one trip!

I only regret is not stopping sooner!

Biking Podcast Directlory

Go Here:
http://www.podcastingnews.com/forum/link_217.htm?sid=bfc045d96bb1937da53232b0b477ccd4

I am currently podcasting:

• MTBCast http://feeds.feedburner.com/MTBCast which is a local podcast on mountain biking from Georgia. I probably will cancel my subscription because it is too regional and event oriented and is less informational. Would be good if I lived in the SE, but not Minneapolis (although I did here a good review/praising the 2007 Gary Fisher ExCaliber 29er hardtail, which is where I may put my money next year)
• The Fredcast http://www.podcastingnews.com/forum/links.php?func=show&id=6978&sid=03bb04abd45069cd54d8d5c5772039fe which is a road racing podcast with a mixture of bike-centered info and race coverage. I am in the process of listening to the 20 or more podcasts covering last year's Tour De France - very cool and is a good way of keeping up with a race, that even though is one of the world's most competitive, famous and popular sporting events, is very hard to follow with the mainstream news media. Fredcast is well done and very informative. I will be listening weekly after I get finished with the 07 Tour coverage.

Please let me know (and everyone else of course) of any great cycling podcasts that YOU find!!!

Fitting a Bike

One of the things I am learning at work is how to fit a person on a road bike. It takes some general knowledge about bike fitting, plus some problem solving skills. I read a few articles to get me started. The most helpful has been an article by Peter White. Mr. White does not believe in measurements in fitting a bike. At this point I agree. Read his article and maybe you will agree also:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm
Let me know what you think of this article...

The Tour De France Companion:
A Nuts, Bolts and Spokes Guide to the Greatest Race in the World
by Bob Roll
2004
















The author, a tour competitor himself on one of Armstrong's earlier teams, has written a compeling and informative guidebook on many aspects of the Tour De France.

The guide is a quick read and would be recommended, in my humble opinion, for a beginner seeking to follow the tour. The book is broken down into many sections which allows one to go back easily to find, reference and gather info.

The book is highly illustrated so it is fun, not only to read, but to page through. I found the book to be slightly repetative in inspiring anecdotes and in its sappy overdramatic stories, especially about Lance Armstrong and Greg Lemond.
Overall it a great fun read.

No outdoor biking for me... ...this is January in Minnesota. It hasn't gotten above 5 degrees for about 6 days...

25.45 miles - City of Lakes Route - 11/16/07

The City of Lakes route is only doable when there are few people on the trails. It is a roundabout of the four Minneapolis lakes - Hariet, Calhoun, Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake. Peak time the Lakes are busy with walkers, runners, inline skaters and the like. Granted, there are walking and biking paths that parallel each other, the inline skaters and slow bikers (especially w/ kids) can slow you down and be a great annoyance. So, this is a good time of the year to take the Lakes Circuit and have fun.

I rode Bullit and took the SW Corridor down to Lake Calhoun and veered east off the trail at 38th st.(?) to have a coffee at CRC (Cars-R-Coffins coffeehouse) on Lyndale Ave. When I finished my two Italian roasts and a chocolate chip coookie Iheaded back to Lake Clhoun to tour the Lakes and head home.

The weather was November chilly with a SEastern headwind, but overal it wasn't a diifcult ride, even though I took a muscle relaxer earlier in the day for a very kinky neck.

25.45 miles

16.8 avg

26.9 max

810.6 cal

580.5 odo

1.30.26 hours

16.63 miles - Lake Calhoun Quick Route variation/night ride - 11/14/07

Night rides are exhilarating to say the least, especially when it is flurrying and there is a steady and strong Northwesterly headwind. I was very comfy in jeans over bike shorts, a wicker thermal long sleeve with a cotton shirt and biking jacket. I also don a Pearl Izumi skullcap and gloves. I wore my old Solomon trail shoes with hiking socks - surprise, no cold toes. The only real problem with the setup is the gloves. I need a layer under them. They are supposed to be windproof, but they hardly are. Maybe I will do an accessory review later.

The ride was great. I turned off of the SW Corridor heading North to City Hall. It will be great when the ped bridge is opened up over HW7. I came back to the Corridor and headed east down to Lake Calhoun and veered off into MPLS and spent some time at Dunn Bros on Hennepin Ave in South Uptown (next to Calhoun Cycle). Then headed home by way of the Lakes and the Corridor. I met about 5 other bikers in the dark - even a recumbent - who looked like commuters. I guess the numbers on the trail is going to be dwindling - including my time on the trails. I will be spending most of my saddle time on trainers at the gym - yeah, I know so don't grill me!!

Anyway, I rode The Bullit and can't wait to get my anti-chain suck mechanism for the front derailleur, so I don't ever have to stop and put the chain back on. THAT REALLY SUCKS AT NIGHT - trust me!

Its gonna be a long winter....

16.63 miles

15.9 avg

28.5 max

505.7 cal

555.1 odo

1.02.47 hours

13.38 miles - Hopkins/MPLS Lakes Route

The Hopkins\MPLS Lakes route is another short route that is easy to fit into your day. Going out of my neighborhood and right onto the SW Corridor, as soon as you get into Hopkins' territory, you swing north into St. Louis Park via the Hutchinson Spur trail and follow that around to Cedar Lake in Minneapolis. Then follow that to Lake Calhoun. Go around Lake Calhoun and back west up the SW Corridor to my neighborhood.

This is one of my favorite routes due to the lack of biker traffic and a great "downhill" behind Peter Hobart Elementary School. It has some fast turns and has some quieter spots. Today was a slow easygoing ride that was quiet and enjoyable. I rode Bullit.

13.38 miles

16.9 avg spd

31.1 max

439.4 cal

538.4 odo

0.47.19 min

12.69 Lake Calhoun Quick Route

Took a morning pre-work quick ride down the SW Corridor to Lake Calhoun and back home with deviating from the trail. Could've probably gone furthur but my cleat was plaquing my knee. Since I broke my femur as a kid and it set slightly crooked, my knee aches if my cleat isn't set properly. When I don't clip in it is fine.

The ride was great. There were a lot of people out on the trails. It was around 50+ degrees at 10:30AM and sunny.

I rode The Bullit.

12.69 miles

17.4 avg spd

23.2 max

432.6 cal

525.1 odo

0.43.33 minutes

2.41 miles - total crap decision

Terrible luck. Bike shoes kept slipping around on a standard pedal, even with a lot of sole on the spd shoe. I got upset and turned back - ran out of time for a ride.

2.41 miles

Over the Hills:
A Midlife Escape Across America by Bicycle
by David Lamb
1996

"The Bicycle was the first vehicle designed to move man without relying on animals or other humans. Though social historians seldom even acknowledge their existence, bicycles a century ago revolutionized travel and recreation in America, affected how we dressed and socialized, and challenged Victorian values: property versus pleasure, mature reserve versus youthful exuberance, femininity versus liberation." David Lamb

This book shared similarities with “Walking to Vermont” in that the author was beyond middle age and spent a lot of time reflecting on his life and achievements. Both were journalists – LA Times and NY Times. Both were very mature in their writing. Both were merely in the same physical condition. Both met up with old friends along the way. Both had a knee ailment. Both had doubts about making it and were told they were nuts by friends. Both made it! I enjoyed both books, but “Walking to Vermont” was more interesting.

Lamb took the Trans Am route across the lower states ( URL here ) where he met many characters who were generally quite friendly and helpful. The rural characters tend to be quite charismatic in their own way. In Alabama two toothless and intimidating grimy young men befriended Lamb and helped him across a dangerous bridge with heavy traffic and then disappeared into the hills.

The book was full of well-researched bicycling history which was downright fascinating. He points out many times how bicycling changed the face of the United States and was influential in the Women’s Liberation Movement, establishing a better transportation infrastructure and before the auto provided a means of transportation and economic gains for the country. These facts lend the idea that cycling has gone full circle within the one and a quarter century since the “safety” bicycle came into full production.

The trip was rather uneventful, which we surprisingly wonder how the book is even not dull, but Lamb in fills with so much info that you get lost and sidetracked when the focus isn’t on the personal story of riding across the country.The inspiration of his journey is due to his age. If a man over 50 can bike across the country in a couple of months, it can be accomplished by mostly anyone capable of climbing aboard a touring bike. Character and stamina are both built along the way.

8.26 miles - Quick Route (Bass Lake) - 11/5/07

Quick route to Bass lake and back with a very bitter and strong headwind from the NW. When I left it was flurrying. The "Quick Route" is a loop that I use when I have less than 30 minutes to ride for the day. The loop around Bass Lake is 1.4 miles and I can simply go around it as many times as I have time for on that day. There was only time for two loops today. I rode Greenpeace.

8.26 miles

16.5 avg

24.8 max

259.7 cal

509.9 odo

0.29.52 minutes

27.54 miles - Sunday morn ride - 11/4/07

Today I made some breakfast for the family and then went off on a ride to S Minneapolis - had a coffee at CRC (Cars R Coffins) on Lyndale Ave. I then rode by the Walker Art Center, by Blake School and under 394. I took the walking bride over to Bryn Mar, then to Theodore Wirth and next I went South to Cedar Lake and back around to Lake Calhoun and then home.It was chilly and there were many people on their bikes in every area I rode. I took Greenpeace again.I think I am going to put my Trek 2100 on craigslist and save up for a Paprad or a Felt cyclocross bike....
Anyway, my stats:

27.54 miles

avg 16.6

max 32.3

cal 882.3

odo 501.7

1.39.11 minutes

20.73 miles - Double Cedar Lake Loop -11/01/07

What a winderful day for a ride. In the afternoon rode west on the Sw Corridor and looped over to the Hutchinson/Spur (?) trail in Hopkins and took that to Cedar Lake. I decided to take on a few miles ad see what the distance of a loop around Cedar Lake would be - it turns out that it is 3.3 miles around the Ceadr Lake. Then I did Lake Calhoun to Trader Joe's, Bass Lake and home again. I rode the comfy and reliable Greenpeace again.

20.73 miles

avg spd - 15.9

mx spd - 28.7

cal - 642.2

474.1 - odo

1.18.06 hrs

13.15 miles - Holloween Ride10/31/07

Very chilly and windy ride (southern headwind) on Holloween Day. Rode the SW Corridor to Lake Calhoun through Linden Hills and to Trader Joes and back home on Greenpeace.

13.15 miles

avg spd - 15.7

max spd - 26.3

405.4 - cal

50.02 minutes

453.4 - odo

44.08 miles - Cannon Valley Trail, Cannon Falls, MN - 10/22/07

Wonderful crisp fall day. Very cold toes. I need to get something to keep my toes warm on days below 55 degrees. Very few people were on the trail today. Mostly older people cruising the trail. This was my longest ride of the season thus far - believe it or not.

Welsh was a sprawling metropolis of a total of five or six buildings. One an ice cream, coffee and cafe parlor...but everything was shut down for the season. Really cool, really quiet, really scenic.

I rode Greenpeace.

44.08 - miles

time - 2.37.00

Avg Spd - 16.8

max spd - 27.9

odo - 440.2

cal - 1392.0