I had no discipline at last night’s Car-Free Happy Hour, but I did have fun, and probably gained 3lbs.

Unfortunately, the only tool I find effective is discipline.

Fortunately, discipline is has other, unanticipated, rewards as well.

If walking is not too painful, have you tried a “very upright” bicycle, maybe with albatross bars set up nice and high? Just thinkin’…

Make it happen!

=)

Barturtle,
I don’t do tech support, but I sit at a computer all day. I’ve thought about the standing desk thing *before* my neck issue, but honestly I’m more comfortable reclined in a chair than standing.

Yes, I do recline at work since the neck issue began. It probably makes me look lazy(ier?), but I don’t care.

She rode on the back of the Big Dummy last night. We went to Za’s. I like Za’s for good pizza and good beer. She like’s Za’s for good pizza and Bud Light (eek!).

And as to neck, hope the ‘bent can be a viable alternative.

Barturtle,
I still have adjustments to make. I think I need to lower the cable hanger a tad.

Mark,
I don’t corner hard with the studded tires, but otherwise, no big deal. There is a bit more rolling resistance, but my commute is short. I won’t be riding that bike much unless we get some actual winter weather. I had to make sure it was ready though. Come spring, it’ll be my primary bike again, once I switch the tires again.

SC,
I’ve found the BarMitts to be great in a wide variety of temperatures. You still have ventilation when using them. In warm-ish temperatures I’ll leave my hands bare. In cold weather a thin pair of wool gloves is all I need. The mitts block the wind, but don’t seal the moisture in.

Where I live a bad day on the bike is when you don’t make it home ! commuting round here is a success when you don’t get knocked off lol

I think a little more craziness happens on the roads when it’s cold (especially cold and grey). I think winter makes Louisville drivers nervous.

I still have more changes I want/need to make, but in time… in time.

Tim, yep, four ready to roll.

Asher, It’s been a touring machine, a race machine, a commuting machine, and a road machine. Nice mix. Soon I’ll have new racks and lighting for it.

Robin, welcome to Dave’s world! Sit down, have a sip of something tasty, and enjoy meeting his crazy cadre of friends, some of whom, like me, ride bikes to get where we are going (but drive once in a while, just to throw off those who think we are too predictable). Oddly enough, my wife does not read my blog. I’ve told her there is nothing in there I wouldn’t want her to see, but maybe she just doesn’t want to spend the time on it.

The Morning Wood was rather good. It’s an ale with a smoky flavor (wood), and made with coffee (morning).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_wood

You did make me laugh with your beer called “Morning Wood” though. Once again that transatlantic translation means something completely different over here in the UK !!!!
Ha ha a beer called Morning Wood would probably be banned here because of the name and I shall leave that to your imagination as why .

As I look back over my records on myfitnesspal, that’s pretty much the story every day of late. Ugh. I need to get back to a place where I’d rather eat salmon than pizza (I also need to figure out how to make my kitchen not completely suck for cooking). I also need to get myself riding with people more.

I hate to admit it, but excepting the weird-but-tasty little vegan seed bar thing I got at Heine’s this AM, it’s likely that the *healthiest* thing I ate today was an egg McMuffin while I was waiting for DD to pick me up (well, I’ve also sucked down something like a half gallon of water, but that’s not *eating*).

I think what it comes down to — for both you and me — is life-structure changes. Both of us made major progress in terms of fitness and nutrition when the structure of our lives looked one way, and then those structures changed dramatically (for the better in both cases, I think, in terms of long-term happiness), and maybe we just haven’t adapted yet.

It’s a weird kind of challenge — life is moving forward; maybe we just have to figure out how to catch up.

Timothy,
I want the Tubus Duo front rack. No real way to mount a light to that. I used to have the Surly rack on the front, which has a braze-on in the front for the headlight. It worked, but I was smacking the headlight into walls.

Unlike low profile brakes, wide profile cantilevers need longer straddle cables. You want a 90 degree angle between the effective brake arm and the cable when the pad hits the rim. The cables that come with the CR720 aren’t quite long enough to do this, so leave them as long as you can.

One last thing. Hang on to at least one of your Oryx brakes. Depending on your rear rack and frame size, you may find that the wide profile brake is in the way of your panniers or the straddle won’t clear the rack stays. A CR720 up front for good, quiet braking with an Oryx out back isn’t a bad combination at all.

Pondero, I wish I had a fireplace. I would warm up in front of it after the ride.

I get GAS sometimes but I’m broke now, and mostly the kind of GAS I’m getting right now is for photography gear.

As for Stendal, be wary.

Just another option to consider.

Asher,
Yep, I love the beer cave. You could get a few more miles in, and enjoy better beer, if you rode to Mid-City.
My experience is more riding doesn’t help my weight at all unless my eating is under control.

I can confirm that more riding, even when the eating isn’t going perfectly, really can trim the weight (now I just need to get that principle operating in my life again — it’s amazing how lazy one can be when one only actually *has to* leave the house three times a week!).

Well, I think the truck had 12,000 miles on it when I bought it, so it did get used. I drove it to West Virginia, Florida, Washington DC.

It’s been a strange trip for me. I bought a bike for exercise in April 2008, and by August of that year I was thinking about a car-free lifestyle. I also recognized the difficulty having that lifestyle while living in Charlestown.

Once I moved to Louisville (September 2010), it was a no-brainer. My marriage situation prevented me from selling the truck, but once the situation changed I started planning.

It’s been really cool to follow your journey from bike commuter to car-free full-time bike-everywhere-er. Very inspiring!

(Also, mad props for not being afraid to be on the innertubes in your skivvies. I am *so* not that brave!)

You can have 3.3 of my miles for the month if you want

Re-reading my post, I realize how rambling and disorganized my thoughts were. Oh well. I did go straight to bed after writing that.

I just downloaded a new WordPress theme and customized it a bit. I’m not much of a web designer.

I felt fine physically before and after the ride. During was a mixed bag. I still have problems eating and drinking on the bike. I tend to choke on my food and water.

And @DerrickP, you’re cordially invited. We’ll find a good ride for you.

I brought a mostly healthy lunch of reasonable size to work today. Since I won’t be eating at my desk, I sat with some co-workers. It was nice to have the company.

Early forecasts for Saturday look to be the same as we had for this ride: 50s and rainy. Timothy is hoping for colder and dry. I don’t know what I want. I just don’t want to end up with hypothermia.

I also got to sleep in a bit from what I would have had to do to meet when you were rolling.

Of course, since >I< was off work, Timothy was working (at least in the morning).

Barturtle,
I did want to go over there. We probably would have tracked our wet bodies and bikes through the building though. We also didn’t want to spend too much time riding in the dark. Even our stop at Frascelli’s was fairly quick at 50 minutes.

Ready for the sequel…

Like I said before, I was really thinking I made a mistake early on, but things got better. After I finished the ride, I can’t see it as anything but good.

I will need to remember that a brevet/populaire/randonnee/audax is not a group ride, but a bunch of individual riders who may, or may not ride together during portions of the ride. Then I can keep my expectations in line with reality.

I don’t refer to Brevet riding as “group rides” they are expressly individual events. If you happen to find someone who is riding your pace, that’s nice too. One of the main things about doing the populaires for me is forcing myself to create the route, and having to try to finish in time on the route I created. It makes a day I have to ride a fairly good amount at a fairly good pace, whether I feel much like doing it or not. Learning that I can g out and complete these rides and do so in decent times really helps with my confidence that I can go out and complete any ride I desire to.

I had to work pretty hard to keep from getting dropped on the climbs by the two I was riding with most of the day…and when we were getting pushed by tailwinds I was running out of gears! Sometime I need to put back on my 50T chainring and get back some of the top-end I lose with the 46T

Derrick: Wow, loaded, that route would be tough. I saw the “abandoned trailer” you posted. I’m not sure it was abandoned completely…

Pondero: True, having someone map a route and drag my butt out there was a huge part of it. I do need to work on the fitness (a lot) to get to where I can keep up with these guys. I’ll still listen to you.

Don’t listen to me. I’ve never done a populaire.

At this point, in fact, I’ve begun to believe we’ve misinterpreted the legends: vampires are really just folks with bad chest colds (hence the pale, peaked look) who have devised a clever way to sleep standing up (close-fitting box keeps you from flopping over sideways, the door keeps you from falling out) so they don’t cough their lungs out in the mornings!

Yes, my old knees are worn out, much like other of my old parts.

I have noticed you’re snot blowing. I’m getting pretty good at dodging it.

As for knee, Old Man.

I’m finding (counterintuitively) that riding seems to blow the snot out of my chest for a while, though it does come back. I’ve also been having issues with it interfering with sleep, though.

I felt crappy again this morning. I can’t seem to shake this crud. A warm bowl of oatmeal, hot coffee, and a hot shower did wonders though.

Oh, and my knee was hurting from last night’s effort. I was a bit concerned about that as I wanted to ride the single-speed. After less than five minutes of slow gentle riding, the knee pain went away. So I upped the pace for the rest of the ride to work. I feel pretty good now.

Yep, I’ve been commuting for a while. The truck has barely been used by me in the last year. It was time.

I’m not afraid of being different… and I am different. I’ve been without a TV for a few months now (done that before for years) and I don’t miss it.

My mother told me I’m just “not right”. That’s okay. The rest of the world can adjust.

The best thing about living w/o a car is how well you feel. You arrive at work in good shape and the ride home is exhilarating.

My neck is plenty good enough for me to ride. It’s just an inconvenience.

Also, I’m pretty sure that the red brick Baptist church visible in the “Tim walking back to his bike” photo is where I was baptized as a kid and spent a lot of summers attending VBS. My uncle and my cousin were each mayor at some point.

It’s extremely pretty there, with the rock walls and creeks and woods, but the entire town is in the flood plain for the Kentucky, and all the homes are uninsurable, since it’s a virtual certainty they’ll flood about every 10 years. It’s a shame because it’s a really pretty town with a lot of history. In the turn of the last century, the locks on the Kentucky River made it a booming river town. But most of the people there accept that at some point, the town will probably cease to exist as fewer houses get rebuilt after the 10 year floods. One more centennial flood will probably be the end of it.

The Awards ceremony for the Grovel starts 6.5 hours after go time. the course closes at 8 hours. If we keep our stopped time to a minimum, the awards ceremony should be possible. I doubt the roads will be a torturous as the ones we were on that day, but more likely similar to the ones we road in Indiana.

For the roads in Indiana, Beast was a bit overkill, as Tim was faster than me all day, but for the chunky stuff on this day, it was more in its element.

Anyway, your commitment is very impressive, and also inspiring. Thanks for posting. Good luck out there and keep pedaling.

On a positive note, you can now make it to this month’s populaire.

I’ve been hoping to do a S24O sometime. I’ve managed to get all my camping gear down where it fits in or on my Carradice SQR Slim. It’s within the weight limits Carradice gives, but I’m not sure I’d wanna try it on anything other than paved roads.

Tim,
Time is running out! I was going to take the truck to CarMax today (although I have little faith they’d give me enough to cover the loan), but I ended up at Zeppelin Cafe instead.

Tom,
You have your email. I’d love for you to make good use of the truck.

I know how you feel, I lost 120lbs between February 2009 and ~December of 2010 and I have slowly putting weight back on (was at 175 and am sitting around 200 at the moment.)

I also enjoy beer quite a bit (much to the dismay of my wife.) Anyway, I am active tech geek as well as used to track my weight at a site called PhysicsDiet but when they went down I started my own called SubtractTheFat.com and am trying to keep a daily weight log running.

STF & PD both use a moving average to calculate your average weight so that daily fluctuations don’t look so bad. Just thought you may be interested in something like that (STF produces charts and you can set up goals to try to keep you on track.)

Not spam, just thought you may be interested. Good luck on your continued journey to a healthier you!

My liver is just fine. MRI showed nothing abnormal.

If I were leaving unattended for longer, I’d lock it up like any other bike.

I would change tires and remove fenders and rear rack for a race.

The single-speed has a little more pedal clearance. Initially it had better clearance, but the 27″ wheel to 700c conversion took away some of it, yet the shorter cranks help. It also has a shorter wheelbase than the LHT so the tight turns would be slightly easier.

I would strip the rack, fenders, and lights from it, and change tires.

How’s the BB height on the singlespeed?

Asher,
The thing is so big and imposing looking, that nobody seems to think it strange when you take up a car parking spot.

Mark,
As soon as the bike is mine I’ll be adding a set of fenders. There were fenders on it in the past. I don’t know why they were removed.

Congrats on the weight loss! (And I second what Tim said )

Here’s hoping your results will be good as well!

Speaking of which, I need to go buy more soup.

All in all, it’s much better than any other time I’ve gone over the bars.

Sorry you missed out on your mt bike ride. Get out and ride this week… even if it’s just commuting.

We’re not the praying type but we’ve both been thinking about you a lot the past few days. So glad to hear you’re home!

-Sarah (Michael’s wife)

Now there saying I don’t get to go home until tomorrow (Sunday) Aaagh! I asked the nurse to talk to the doctor to get a clear reason (everything has passed now). The nurse said she would, but I haven’t seen her since.

Mostly I want my own bed and solid food again.

Although, I admit that after being allowed nothing by mouth yesterday, that my meals of broth, jello, and juice were rather tasty today.

Get well soon!

@Patrick,
I’m under the impression that the lower straddle wire is needed for the low-profile brakes. I will say they feel much better and stop fine. They’re just squealing.

I did a little research on the 720s. They get mixed reviews, but they are a wide-profile, which allows for more leverage and a higher straddle wire. They’re also a cheap, easy switch. I’ll probably do it. The higher straddle wire will give me the necessary clearance for mounting the headlight on the fork crown.

Two words: Tektro 720.

PJ

I had actually completely forgotten about the Park Tool book. I dug it out and took a look, and yep, rubber bands.

I’m done messing with it tonight, but I think I’ll work on that bike and the single-speed and try to get the toe-in set properly later in the week.

Now to scrounge up some rubber bands…

Canti brakes need to be adjusted from the outside in (get the cable right, then get the arms parallel, then adjust the pads individually–it should be pretty symmetric when you are done). Sometimes it’s easier to adjust cantis with the tire off the rim, especially if you have fenders. The pad should hit the rim squarely from top to bottom, and just a bit toe-in (hence the rubber band trick).

Brake squeal is a function of pads “chattering” against the rim. Adjust the pads so that they hold smooth to the rim instead of chattering off (again with the toe-in thing?!).

Best results!

I keep forgetting the Gravel Grovel is a race. I really have no intentions of riding it like one. I think that’d ruin the fun.

That’s my 1980s Raleigh Record single-speed conversion. It started out as my light weight fun bike, but I keep adding to it.

It’s my daily ride to work these days. I’ll use the LHT for grocery shopping or towing the trailer, because gears are good when needed.

I did ride this bike on the populaire a couple of weeks ago.

I took the front dyno-wheel off of the LHT and put it on this bike. That means the wheels don’t match, but I’ll eventually get another SON hub, and a new wheel built around it for this bike.

My LHT has 700 wheels. Patrick has some 47s he’ll loan me.

Thanks though.

I’ll throw some suggestions out there:
Bontrager XR1 (Team Issue) $$$
Schwalbe Racing Ralph $$$$
Kenda Happy Medium $$
Kenda Small Block Eight $$

If you just don’t care and don’t wanna part with any money, I’ve got a set of 1.95s that are el-cheapos, but will work, and I’ll give them to you for nothin’.

I’m pulling for you today — and I know that you will start to feel much better soon.

My goal weight is still 175lbs. I’ve been under 200 twice since beginning this adventure, and I sit here now over 230.

Focus.

Must focus.

After going to bed last night I was fine. I woke up groggy and without enough sleep this morning, but otherwise fine.

I didn’t cancel the epidural, and I feel fine about that.

It was a bizarre experience.

If not its “Let your soul be your pilot” by sting

Best of luck

Take care of yourself. Go for a ride. I look forward to riding with you soon, Oct/Gravel Grovel both should be awesome!

How wide are your tires? Are you thinking of making any changes in that department?

There aren’t many new steel road bikes in stock in the area to test ride different size. I got lucky with the LHT.

Based on recent discussions, I need my “fast bike” and a “gravel bike”. I’ll use the LHT for a gravel bike, if I need to, but a mountain bike would be better.

Standover height is affected by a few things. My 59cm Raleigh would actually we a tad close on standover if it had the original 27″ wheels and fattish tires (not sure it would fit the fattish tires with 27″ wheels, but that’s a different issue). With the 700c wheels and fattish 700x-32 tires, it had enough clearance.

A bike with a sloping top tube would eliminate the standover issue (the Surly actually has a minor slope to the top tube).

Chainstay length and fork rake have an effect on handling, but not on fit. I’m not looking to build a frame, just make sure one that I buy will fit me.

Have fun…

Tim,
The last thing I need is four stomachs!

Mark,
My bike was laying on the ground right next to my tent. I would have heard anyone messing with it. I really wasn’t worried about it though. My neighbors were just noisy, not thieves. Campgrounds here are usually quite safe.

Excellent. Congratulations on the mileage.

The summer has struck a severe blow to what I love to do, but I’m fighting back. You are an encouragement to me, and I’m looking forward to the camping story.

I doubt we’ll see it again at this point. A police report was filed – serial number was given. I posted on a number of local sites and mailing lists.

In any case, she needs transportation, so I loaned her my folding bike.

A new bike will be forthcoming, but I don’t have the money currently. I’ll want to replicate some of what she had which will cost some money.

Cheers

Clive

Apertome,
Yep, I’ve learned more living in the city for just under a year than I did living nearby for ten years.

Hope your neck pain is manageable … sounds like it is, most of the time. At least you are able to ride now.

That shot of the house on Dayton pretty much sums it up.

Great shot of Tim, BTW!

Always good to see a group of friends on a bicycle outing…

I’m sure all these changes will mean a difficult transition … I hope you are able to cope well. The bike definitely helps.

Come visit some time. I’ve got a bike you could borrow.

It does sound like things are heading in the right direction, anyway.

That said, if I ever get there, I’ll do my best to sample every beer.

My neck issue will probably be life-long. Sometimes better, sometimes worse, but it won’t stop me from riding.

The waiting, as Tom Petty says, is the hardest part — but it sounds like a brighter time is in the cards.

Keep us posted on your neck situation — I hope it will start to improve again with more time on the ‘bent.

Asher,
It is a turning point. I just don’t know what direction I’m turning yet.

I think I had been doing about 22mph at one point on Bardstown. Luckily I was only doing 15 or 16 when the crash occurred. 8mph would have been preferable though.

Are you coming to car-free happy hour tonight?

I’m really glad the epidurals are helping. I’m also glad that there was no major damage from the crash — I’ve had similar ones on wet roads. And, hey, on the up-side, it means you were feeling well enough to go pretty fast, right?

Mark, Welcome back! I hadn’t heard from you in a while. I see you have a blog now. I’ve added a link to yours. 100 miles? What’s the most you’ve done before? I think if you can do 70, you can do 100.

Asher, I’ll have my GPS next time. It’s my secret weapon to combat the fact that I tend to be “directionally challenged”.

I don’t think I have ever been happier to see River Road in all my days

I have a GPS, but haven’t found a good mounting position on the ‘bent (I bump it with my knees). Wolf Pen Branch Rd was confusing for me. Too many turns just to stay on the same road. Luckily I was riding with Asher at that point, and he navigated better than I could have.

I am tentatively planning the rest of the rides in the series. I’ll try to eat faster.

After going over my GPS data, I was a bit surprised how much time my bike spent not moving. Over an hour and forty minutes! I knew I’d probably be spending a bit more time socializing to see if everyone was enjoying the ride, but had hoped for a slightly better time. I only got in maybe 15 minutes before you guys did. Total ride time of 6:15 out of a max of 6:40. I won’t have as much time to waste on the August route.

Despite being one of the organizers of the ride, I hadn’t actually seen the route until that morning, as there were last minute changes due to store hours not working out. I was lucky to be very familiar with all the roads, so I knew where I needed to rest for upcoming efforts and where to get some momentum going to help with rollers.

I hope you enjoyed it and will come out for more of the rides.

I guess next time I go out for one of these, I’ll try to keep the ‘very long individual time trial’ thing that Tim said in mind, heh.

@Apertome: Thanks too! The old brakes were Tektro IO. They were serviceable, but a pain to adjust. The BB7s feel better, stop better, and are supposed to adjust easily. I’ll get some riding this weekend, maybe even something worthy of bringing the camera for, but I’m riding solo because I’ll probably average 9 mph.

I’m glad that you are making some progress, even if it is slowly. I do hope there is a good long-term solution and that you can find it soon.

We’re doing a ride on Sunday — we will miss you!

I hope that if surgery is necessary it won’t prove too invasive or require too long a lay-up period — and that it will help keep you rolling.

By the way, you might say that “nothing feels positive”, and I get that. However, I believe what you are doing IS positive whether if feels like right now, or not. Do it.

I’m still fighting. I’m (mostly) not riding. I took a short spin on the folding bike yesterday with the handlebars up high. I still ended up riding one-handed most of the time.

The latest doctor visit means I’ll be getting an MRI of my neck soon.

Once I gave up on riding my bike to work and resigned myself to fighting this, it’s easier to cope. I have a plan. I don’t know how long recovery will be, or even what it will consist of, but not dealing with it is not an option.

I’ve now had two doctors tell me that I’m too young to be limited by this. I agree.

I hope you are back on the bike soon, and in the meantime you find a way to stay active, and on course. Find and set new goals. Keep us updated.

I’m at work. It hurts to sit here. I did ride my recumbent to work, but I spent most of the time riding with one had. Every bump hurt. It was a slow ride.

I called a chiropractor. The soonest I could get in was Thursday. So, I keep trudging until Thursday… and possibly beyond.

I’ve heard good things about Kirk. I saw his work at the NAHBS in Austin this year, and the craftsmanship was stand-out fantastic.

It’s awesome that the CART guy photographed your daughter. New cyclists deserve recognition. It can be tough getting started, and takes ‘gumption.’

It’s been amazing to see how many bikes are out on the road now … I’m wondering what will happen to the economy, too, but also hoping to see more people out riding as result of higher gas prices.

I didn’t ride many miles over the weekend. It was all urban riding, but it was interesting riding.

Yep, most of the world has more expensive gasoline than the US. The problem is that over decades this country has become too dependent on cars. I was guilty of that also.

I don’t think $4.00/gallon gas will change that much, but if it climbs even higher – say $8.00 or more per gallon, then there will be a gradual shift in lifestyles.

The real question is whether this can happen without completely destroying the economy.

I have Tourguard paselas on my LHT, and they’ve been great (knock on wood). You’re right, they sure do ride well. And the price is right.

I think I did. I had a wonderful Monday. That’s saying a lot for a Monday.

I made another change in the bike today. I replaced the Panaracer Pasela tires with the Tourguard version, as I was getting too many flats. These new tires have the gumwall, which isn’t exactly what I wanted, but they were in stock and still look good.

I will have a stripped down road bike, but it won’t be a single-speed. It’ll be steel (probably lugged) and have a retro-shiny look to it. I don’t have the money now, but eventually…

I won’t add on it to it, because I won’t commute on it, and will try not to ride it in the rain.

As to accessories, Dave and I have spoken at length about the merits of accoutrements vs. a stripped-down go fast existence.

I want a light and simple bike. But if I really had one, I’d probably want to accessorize it to make it practical. And then I’d want to buy a light and simple bike…

Happy (belated) Birthday, and as many more as you enjoy!

Happy birthday, my friend!

You’re right, it’s not bad. On the other hand, I really need to lose some more weight. The extra I’m carrying is belly fat, which is an unhealthy place to carry it.

Yo Soy
Tu Eres
Ella es
Nosotros Somos
Ellas son

You know, I think that the rim actually has much less to do with wheel strength than does the build, dish, tire size, etc. I can’t believe a difference of 50 grams is going to make that much differece (A23 426gr, Dyad 480gr…and they are similar in shape) in the world of loaded touring. I’m starting to think spokes (double butted versus straight gauge) is a bunch of crap too.

Whatever. I know what works for me, thats for sure. And it’s taken me about 15 wheels to figure it out.

The A23 rim was recommended by Drew. I’m not sure it’s ideal for my LHT, so that’s why I’m thinking about moving the dyno wheel to the single-speed and getting a new one based on a Dyad (or some other touring rim) for the LHT.

I don’t have the money to do that now, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Get out and ride a bike for a while–purify your mind for a bit!

Overall, though i think you’ll really enjoy it.

I’m pretty pleased with my choice of bikes for the day.

The less-hilly terrain makes me think: singlespeed?

About county roads: sometimes the road number changes if the road curves, or if it follows a diagonal path. Google and Garmin may label the road in different places, or might not have all the possible road names. That’s where the discrepancy comes from, I bet. If you zoom all the way in, can you see the road changing “names?”

The Acorn bag looks great. I look forward to comparing next time we ride, it definitely looks like the design has changed a bit.

I have a guess about the LHT. Will be looking forward to seeing what you’re working on.

I had a similar experience today riding to school in the pouring rain. All the drivers deported themselves admirably. I assumed they were giving me a wide berth because they figured I was probably insane

I did get out for a longer version of my commute this morning. I saw two other commuters.

I’m trying.

Sometimes, I’m VERY trying…

My wife understands this. We thus have eight bikes at the moment.

If I buy more bikes, I’ll resemble you.

You last line sums it up perfectly.

I like the idea of simplification, but I’m just no good at it.

That said, I always support each rider’s right to make his/her own safety decisions.

I have a baby boy now, too. If it helps me in the unlikely event of a crash, cool. To me, the helmet is a little like health insurance: You never know for sure if it’s gonna cover you, but it might.

I wonder if the Lazy Randonneur has health insurance. Do you think he sees it as driven by fear?

@Pondero: Wisdom? Not even close. You can learn from my mistakes though.

That last road is known as Staton Rd, or Station Rd, or Old State Rd, depending on where you are and who you ask.

It was here:
http://tinyurl.com/5uecqbq

I was looking north when taking the picture.

I’m glad you made it back safely. What an awesome tour!

A tour that had a truly epic ending! Weather! Searching for cover!

Excellent.

I don’t see too many cars in those pictures.

Patrick

I agree with Apertome….what great scenery!

@Pondero: I’m not quite sure I’ve made the transition yet, but I’ll keep trying.

@Patrick: “Capped off with 20 miles of suburban sprawl” I love it! Am I drinking enough? Water? yes. Beer? Not quite yet.

I’m enjoying your tour reports so far. It’s neat to be able to vicariously accompany you on your ride!

I hope the riding today is great!

I have to agree w/ Michael — 81 miles, loaded, in the wind, is a major accomplishment!

Gorgeous shots, here. I especially love the little jonquils or narcissus or whatever they are with the rock — an iconic image of Spring!

By the by, I actually used to know a three-legged dog named ‘Tripod!’ He was a Jack Russel mix of some kind, and totally unaware that he was supposed to be ‘handicapped.’

Excellent. Part of the total experience.

Are you drinking enough?

Sunday’s ride, which I have yet to write-up, took us (Michael rode with me part of the way) through Yellowood State Forest, which I believe he said has camping. There’s also Morgan-Monroe State Forest.

Saturday and Sunday both were big days in their own way. 80 miles each day. Wind, hills, and weight. Sunday also had more traffic, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

I can’t wait to hear about day 2.

Did you pass any camping opportunities along the way (non-stealth)?

It didn’t stay dirt for long. I didn’t see a lot of gravel or dirt, except a few stretches here and there, or other dead-end streets.

It would still be a neat area to ride again, without all the luggage.

Actually, my brother and sister have called me that for 25 years and all my kids and neices and nephews call me that too.

Whatever. I’ll answer to just about anything.

Your bike looks great.

PJ

For this weekend’s mini-tour, I’ll be riding it as pictured. I plan on getting some front panniers at some point. I’d like ones big enough for my laptop, so I could use them for commuting without lugging around the GT-54s – They are HUGE.

My old commuting panniers have fallen apart.

I’d like a handlebar bag, but I have space issues on the handlebars. Once I go with a hub dynamo light, I can mount it to the front of the front rack, and free up some handlebar space. We’ll see.

Patrick, Asher, Tim: Join me for the next one.

Apertome, Pondero, PaddyAnne: Each of you has quite a distance to get here, but you’d be welcome too.

I’m beginning to think that a GPS unit could be really handy for finding detours and logging rides.

Two friends and I have never toured before, but we’d like to get into it. On Monday, we’re leaving from Middletown to Lexington and staying the night in a hotel. The next day, we’ll ride around and camp out somewhere near Frankfort. On the third day, we’ll return home.

We’re taking the trailer and it’s going to make things a lot easier. Now we have plenty of room for a full-size pump, (hand pumps are a pain to me), extra clothes, and other things we wouldn’t normally bring if we were just using the panniers on our rear racks.

Plus, whenever I ride on Preston with that trailer behind me, people give me tons of room. Maybe it’s the sticker that says “Baby on Board” or something.

Do the brackets just bold to the existing reflector brackets?

Now I just need to rig up SuperFlash mounts like you have.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s52/bikeolounger/bike%20stuff/GroceryGetter2.jpg

Good choice!

I’ve got on older model Arkel Utility Basket, that I’ve been using for over 6 years now. It’s been awesome. Other than a cracked keeper clip on the shoulder strap, there have been no problems at all with it. Trips to Lowes, the grocery and school have all been a breeze with it. I’ve hauled enough weight in it that the rack deflected to one side and rubbed the tire on every pedal stroke.

You can see what mine looks like here http://bentupcycles.com/merchant/777/images/large/UtilityBasketcopy.jpg

I’ve been toying with getting a set of front panniers and I’m torn between the T-28′s and the Carradice. The Arkels are undoubtedly awesome, but most of my other bags are canvas: Carradice, Acorn and Minnehaha…

Then I have to decide on a front rack…

Choices. I like having them, but hate making them.

I had been thinking about the Ortlieb panniers for a while, but I like the organization of these. I’m also familiar with Arkel, as I have the Tailrider trunk bag. It’s held up quite well.

I’ve had no problems with my contacts while riding. I usually wear sunglasses in warmer, sunny weather, but go without when it’s cold and cloudy (or raining).

The contacts allow me to see without having to worry about glasses fogging up, or raindrops.

I’m not sure how it’ll be in bitter cold (may go back to ski goggles) or hot weather, but I’ll find out soon enough.

The only issue I have with my contacts is near-vision. I’m having a little bit of an issue reading my computer screen. I had a follow-up visit with an eye doctor, and he said I’ll get used to it. So this week, I’m wearing the contacts at work and trying to adjust.

That red screams bloody murder too. A real plus in the visibility department. And Asher is right about the Tent bag. Sweet.

Also, your wife is awesome

Do you have trouble with your contacts drying out at all while you ride? I’m debating whether or not to switch back to contacts after a long hiatus, and that’s my one concern.

I’d also been planning on buying a mountain bike. That’s being put on hold.

I had a rough day yesterday when I wrote this. I’ll still write, but only when I want to rather than when I feel I need to.

He replies, “For a word to be spoken, there must be silence. Both before and after.”

I think periods of silence have their value in our writing lives as well. Maybe now is a good time to just let your thoughts percolate for a while.

Likewise, my therapist pointed out that my recent struggle with inertia may have as much to do with being over-committed as with anything.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that, while it’s always nice to read your thoughts, I don’t think there could be any harm in taking a break, in just blogging a little less for the time being, if it helps you get more space for your mind and heart to do whatever work they need to do. I think all of us who read your blog regularly will probably still be here when the muse strikes you next.

Heh, this comment is now longer than your post. Sorry about that.

We both know about the Jekyll/Hyde thing–just ask Walt Disney about “Motor Mania.”

Seriously, the above is not my recommendation because riding for fun is more fun than training.

I hope you have a fantastic tour, and I can’t wait for the photos.

Also, I think Tim’s suggestions make a lot of sense.

I never have any idea where my ‘overdoing it’ threshold lies until I’ve stumbled across it and landed flat on my face, but for me, taking one to two solid rest days each week has made a phenomenal difference (even though at the moment it means I miss pretty much all the fun weekend group rides because my job involves riding five days a week, or will once I can ride again ).

But what the hell do I know? Really?

Maybe I’ll just push enough so that I feel I can actually complete the triathlon. The swimming still needs the most work. The running will be okay as long as I run once a week or so, building up to a 10k.

When I was training, I felt diminishing returns on a daily basis. One ache would lead to another and at some point I never felt as strong as I did the day before. Not enough rest? So I’d change something. Then something else would start hurting or tweak. The fact is that I dove headfirst into it, began doing “bricks” very soon after starting training. I was not ready (nor maybe will I ever be).
So here’s what I did: I abandoned the Triathlon. I kept running in maintenence mode and immediately set a lofty goal in my best discipline: cycling. I decided I would be the strongest I could possibly be on my summer tour over Mt. St Helens so that I wouldn’t suffer for one second and could take in the brilliant majesty of Gifford Pinchot Forest. I got the best fitness of my life and had the greatest rides of my life.

Good luck.

Getting up at 4:00 is hard. I’ve done it three days in a row now. I get to do it again tomorrow. I have a 6:30 appointment with a “wellness coach”.

Friday is supposed to be a rest day, but I’m still going to get up early so I don’t throw my schedule off.

After a few months, I’ll be a morning person… or something.

Getting up early is the hardest part though. I also have a new project at work that’s been keeping me busy and adding to my stress level.

I did avoid overeating tonight. I was going to go out, but had a peanut-butter sandwich and a banana instead.

Traction could have been an issue. for me in two ways. I don’t have Yaktrax, and I had taken the studded tires off the bike, so riding there would have been sketchy.

I’m probably going to have to re-mount the studded tires.

The big thing for me would be traction. I’m not a runner, but I would most definitely have Yaktrax on if I was going to run today. I almost put them on just to walk the dog this morning.

I had intended to ride to work today, but the ice kept me from doing so. I don’t have any ice tires–yet–and none of the currently-available tires will fit my bikes. I can get a studded tire for the front of my Vanguard, but the correct size in the rear tire is out of stock for the season. I don’t have room for 2″ wide tires inside that fender.

One ride that I did had lousy elevation data. RideWithGPS seemed to know that and prompted me to use it’s elevation data. Most of the time it works fine though.

It also has a compass, but it’s worthless unless the unit is completely horizontal. Not a big deal, as GPS can figure heading as long as your moving.

If I turn auto-routing off, it’ll plot direct lines from one point to another. A route is limited to 50 points.

Tracks can have many more points, but it won’t route, I just have to look down and see where I am on the map. It works okay that way.

I’ve used both RideWithGPS and Garmin Basecamp (replacement for MapSource?). Neither is perfect, but I prefer RideWithGPS.

Maybe you can turn the auto-routing off to force it to follow your route? Also, what are you using to create the routes? I have found that that is a weak point of RideWithGPS. If I go into Garmin MapSource and draw the routes, I have more control, and it works better.

Enjoy the rides!

Come out to the LBC Polar Bear Ride at 11:00! Route and distance will be a function of the weather, and there will be a pot-luck chili dinner afterward!

No, I haven’t bought a dynohub, but I will at some point. I’m considering selling a bike to fund it.

I understand the scheduling problems. I hope you get to hang with us more too.

Did you ever get a generator hub?

Happy New Year!

Patrick

Michael,
It is very cool. It’s even cooler now that I’ve got the maps loaded. Now I won’t get lost anymore. Apparently Garmin’s website was overloaded on Christmas day due to people and their new gadgets.

Oh, and I didn’t get up on time this morning to go to the Y. I barely made it to work on time.

I love the idea of riding to a pizza place far away (what, 20 miles away?) to offset the pizza eating. Brilliant!

Tom,
I’m not doing the Ironman, I’m doing an Olympic distance event, so maybe I can actually pull it off. I’m going to be obsessive about it, for 2011, then we’ll see. I may never want anything to do with a Triathlon again.

I checked out the link to the Trizophrenia book, just the cover is hilarious.

Indeed, the Oldham County Multi-Sport group will tell you that OCMS stands for Obsessive-Compulsive Multi-Sport.

Be prepared to perseverate over training regimen minutia and such, especially as the date of your race nears.

Jef Mallett, known far and wide for the Frazz comic strip, wrote Trizophrenia, and it may be worth a read. Or it may not. >;-)

http://www.velopress.com/triathlon.php?id=288 and I’m sure Carmichael’s will get it for you.

I’ve ridden it a few times, but this was the first time riding there alone. I think a couple of RCCS rides briefly rode on it.

It’s not the most bike-friendly road, but I’ll ride it again if I have to.

This seems to be true for the drivers as well … every time I’ve ridden on that bit of road, I’ve been honked at by at least one driver (whilst operating my velocipede in a legal fashion and usually at a pretty good clip) … though perhaps they’ve just been trying to figure out what I was, since I added two long red reflective strips to my road bike’s seat stays

I wish I had studded shoes! Walking down the back steps and out to the alley was by far the most hazardous part of my commute.

My dogs were spasticly happy when I let them out, they both ran, slipped, and fell on the ground. It was amusing. I think Jenn’s dog is smarter than my dogs.

Jenn’s dog was looking longingly at the Yaktrax, since he was having so much trouble walking on the street. He WAS smart enough to figure out that he could walk on the ice-covered snow better than he could on the driveways and sidewalks.

Studded tires, small metal (carbide-tipped steel) studs that stick a very short distance out of the tire. Gives traction even on smooth ice.

I’m using the Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires, but there are other brands.

I live around Preston highway and Indian Trail. It’s not entirely bike friendly, but I don’t let it stop me.

It sounds a little like what a few of are doing here in Louisville with The River City Cycling Society.
http://rivercitycyclingsociety.com/

We just need a mascot.

=)

Apertome:
It was a great day. I was the odd one out of the bunch: no blue jacket, reflective vest, lights, non-mountain bike, studded tires. No matter what equipment we had, it was fun.

You guys have a great ride, and take care in that interesting weather.

I’m leaving the studded tires on the LHT. I’m riding the single-speed tomorrrow.

Apertome,
I really have come to loathe driving. I get more stressed out in traffic in car than in the same traffic on m bike.

Yes, I need to buy a boot a size or two too big. I just haven’t gotten around to doing it yet.

I found my Christmas lights a while back because I was moving into the new house, and ran across them. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have found them, and I would have bought new ones, or skipped it this year. I really need to get organized.

It also looks quite a bit different than the pictures I found on the web of that condition.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1103971-overview

Sounds like you need some bigger shoes or boots. I’m in the same boat, really. I can’t wear more than one layer of socks without overly constricting my feet.

I have Christmas lights for my bike too, but I haven’t unpacked them since we moved. It’ll probably take a while for me to find them, but I intend to do just that, and put them on the bike. I’m not a big fan of Christmas in general, but any excuse to add lights to my bike is good!

Are you “un-studding” or will that be the freezing junk bike the rest of the winter?

I’m glad you were motivated. Congrats.

My life has changed quite a bit for the better, but I’ve been struggling with controlling my eating yet again. This is not something I’ll ever “beat”. I’ll just have to be aware of my eating.

After some more bad days, I did better yesterday and hope to continue for a while longer before splurging on pizza and beer.

When it’s light out I run both lights on flash. They make an eye-catching pair. When it’s dark I’ll put at least one of them on steady. I’m also running two tail lights.

I both headlights on one side of the stem. The other side has a small bag in the way.

I commuted for the first time with the new rear rack and smaller panniers. Other than having to squeeze the laptop in, it worked well.

I don’t even think it looks silly.

…of course i also run a helmet light…

Since I ride a little farther south than you do, I get honked at and sometimes yelled at quite a bit. Up until around 6 months ago I always responded by giving them the middle finger or yelling back. Now that I’ve decided to pretend I didn’t hear them, riding is a lot less stressful.

I haven’t been honked or yelled at in a few months though, so maybe Louisville is becoming more respectful to its cyclists.

The dual lights may look a little funny, but more light is better, I say! I use two headlights sometimes. Usually one that blinks and one solid one.

But I’ve been too non-committal to actually put it in writing. You da man.

Funny how the TARC bus had no problem passing us in the left lane, but the honking troll apparently didn’t feel the same. Oh well. Karma will catch up to those types eventually.

Be safe out there.

Good that you were able to enjoy your ride!

Tim,
Nope. I slept in. I don’t regret that one bit.