Google Communities

We are going to abandon the Google Group that we have been using to post rides.
There is a better way.
We started a private Google Community called Wasatch Wheelmen.
Please go over and join
Wasatch Wheelmen Google Community

Cache Valley Century 2012

This year's Cache Valley Century was another winner.  The weather was perfect.  It wasn't too hot, the sky was perfectly clear and the winds were light and variable.  I don't think you could ask for a better day.  The rest stops were excellent.  There was plenty of food with very nice people at the stops.   Also, the lunch at the end was catered by Cafe Sabor and was excellent.    

They had a new route this year.  It didn't go into Preston, but there was an out and back leg to Wellsville.  The overall vertical gain is only 2000', but that nasty climb at the end gets me every year. Still, this ride is my favorite century of all time.   

The really great news is they got rid of the cow on the t-shirt.  Now I'm the proud owner of a bright orange t-shirt with the new logo.  Perfect for hunting season :)

End of the Trail

Today  I decided to find the north end of the rail trail.  OK, so it isn't that hard to find, just get on the trail and ride north.  For those of you who are afraid to venture this far, I thought I would share a picture with you.  The road that goes over the trail in the picture below is Hinckley Drive in Ogden.   I'm not sure if Ogden City has plans to extend it further to the north, but for now, you can either turn around and go back or take a left at the end of the trail and ride a short trail over to the road.    Happy riding!

Single Speed Project Part 2

I finished my single speed project.  Here are some pictures and some lessons learned.

After:

I estimate that the entire project took me about 5 hours to complete.  I got bogged down a little bit on the rear hub and getting the rear cog on correctly.  The rest of the project went fairly smooth.  No real complications.

Here is a picture of the chain tensioner and the rear cog.

I debated for several days about what to do with the bars.  They were 22" long with bar ends on the original bike.  I made the rash decision to chop two inches off each end and make the bars 18 inches.  Before I cut them I check to see what the minimum length could be.  With the way the bars are bent, the brake mounts and the 5" hand grips, the shortest I could have gone was about 17 inches.   At first I thought they were a bit short and my kids commented the same.  However, when I rode it they felt just right.  They are about the width of a road bike handlebar.   Here is a picture:

I took the bike out for a ride and after a few minor adjustments I got in a short ride around the subdivision before dark.   The bike is quiet, smooth, and fun to ride.  The gear ratio seems about right, but I need to ride a bit longer before I make the final decision.   It's the kind of bike you can jump on and run a quick errand or ride down the bike path with the family.    It was kind of fun to learn how to put together the single speed and I really enjoyed "resurrecting" an old bike from the back of the garage.

My kids were kind of skeptical, but after a couple of them road it and I saw the expression on their faces,  I doubt I will have this bike for long.  I anticipate that it will disappear this fall when one of them goes off to college.   Actually, that is good news, because I'm already thinking about my next single speed bike project.

Single Speed Project

These next few blog posts will be about my journey to turn an old bike into a single speed.  


The other day I got this crazy idea to make a single speed bicycle.  Why would I do that?  I don't know.  Why do men climb mountains?  I suppose it is because they are there.  Why a single speed?  I don't know the answer to that question either.  But, since I don't have one and other people are converting their bikes to single speeds, I thought, "why not?"  


I looked it the back of the garage and there was the dusty old bike sitting there just waiting for me to start a project.    In 1996 I bought this bike at a shop in Champaign Illinois.  The purpose of the bike was to get back and forth to graduate school at the University of Illinois.   It was a green Schwinn High Plains.   Here is a link to the specs.   1996 Schwinn High Plains  I don't remember exactly how much I paid for it, but it was in the $400 range.


It turned out to be a very good bike.  I commuted on it for a year at grad school and then it served as my mountain bike for a few years until I purchased first real mountain bike.   The kids used it for a while, but for the last few years it has been sitting in the back of the garage collecting dust.   After watching a few videos on You Tube and reading other blogs about single speed conversion, I decided to give it a try.  


One of the first decisions was to figure out what gear ratio.  Thanks to Sheldon Brown's web site, I determined that I wanted a 16 tooth rear cog.  This site also had some great tips on single speeds.


Here is a "Before" picture of the project bike:  

The picture probably makes it look better than it actually is.  Naturally, the tires are flat and need replaced,  but there are a few dots of rust on it, the chain is shot, the cables need re-done, the grips and seat are ripped, and it needs a very thorough cleaning.

Step 1:  Off to the bike shop
We are very fortunate to live in a town with a nice bike shop.  I loaded the bike in the truck and headed to Biker's Edge.  Zach has a great shop and his staff was extremely helpful.   They brought the bike in, put it on the rack and we went through the bike item by item to make sure I had everything I needed.  I was very impressed by both their knowledge and their service.


Editorial note:  I probably could have ordered the parts on the internet, but I like having a bike shop near my house, and if I want it to say in business, then I need to shop there.  Besides, you can't get the kind of help I got at Biker's Edge from a faceless web site.


First, I underestimated what this project was going to cost.  The guys at the shop knew I was trying to do this on the cheap, and they helped me find the right level of parts for the job, but I still spent more than I thought I would have to.


Here is a list of the parts and the price:
- KMC Chain $9.99 (It is an 8 speed chain, that is what they recommended)
- Giant Platform Pedals $7.19  (The ones on the bike were broken)
- Kenda 26x1.5 tires  $20.69 each  (I wanted to take the tire from a knobby to commuter tire)
- Giant heavy duty thorn resistant tubes $10.79 each (who wants a flat?)
- Lizard Skin Hand grips $8.09  (The old ones were ripped)
- Surly Singleator $44.99 (keeps the chain tight since the bike has vertical drop outs)
- Short bolts for the front chain wheel $13.49
- New front crank and chain wheel $36.89 (I hadn't planned to change the old one out, but I had to since there was no way to take the current setup down to a single - rivets and bolts to small cog)
- Single speed cog and spacers $26.69  (16T)
- MTB seat $0.00 (I had this in my parts box from when I put a Brooks on my Surly LHT)


Total bill after discounts and tax was $227.15.  This was more than I had planned mostly because there were a few parts I didn't know I needed.   Over half the cost of the parts would not be needed if you were going to convert a bike that was in good working order (crank, tires, tubes, pedals, grips) 


Here is a picture of the parts pile:

Step 2:  Get rid of the old stuff.


This is the fun part.  Taking things off the bike.  Although it was a bit of an emotional struggle to cut the shifter cables, after that I had no trouble throwing those old grip shifters away.  They weren't such a good idea in the first place.  I'm a bit of a pack rat, so I did save the shifter and the de-railer but everything else went into the trash.  


Here is a picture of the stripped down bike.  The old tires will go in the trash also, I just didn't get it done before I took the picture.  I'm going to use the same brakes.  I may have to change out the pads, but I'll check that later.  

Step 3:  Clean the bike and wheels. 


I was about to get going on this step of the project, but my kitchen pass ran out.  It will have to wait until next weekend.  


Until then . . . 

Legacy Trail

Last year I posted about the Legacy Parkway Trail.
The south end of the trail pavement ended just south of I-215.
Yesterday I went for a ride down the trail and discovered that the trail has been extended.
The connection has been made from the end of the trail over to where the river trail crosses Redwood Rd. It was only about a mile to connect the two, but they had to build a couple of bridges to get it it done.

Here is a picture of where I stopped.  It is where the trail now crosses Redwood Rd,

Here is the southern most bridge that crosses the river just before you get to Redwood. 

Here is the other bridge that crosses the wetland area. 

This is great news for everyone who uses the path.  Now you can ride from the North side of Roy all the way into Salt Lake and beyond!  I'll have to schedule another day to ride farther south.  

That Guy

This last week a good friend of mine had a heart attack.  He is 52 years old.  Lately I know he had been trying to lose some weight and get in better shape because I have seen him "jogging" past the house.  I wish him the best in his recovery, and I'm hoping that he will live a long and healthy life.

This experience gave me pause to ask myself, why do I ride?   I recently posted that is was simply for exercise.  A good friend of mine and a fellow Wheelman gave me a piece of his wisdom about 15 years ago.  He had just purchased a new bike and when I questioned him how he got the "kitchen pass" from his wife to spend that much money.  His response was, "It's cheaper than a heart attack".  Now, whenever I come back from Biker's Edge, my wife asks me how much I spent and, all I have to report is that it was cheaper than a heart attack.

You see, I don't want to be "That guy".  You know who I'm talking about.  That guy who died of a heart attack in his 50's because he was seriously overweight and never exercised.  That guy that everyone said was too young to die that early.  That guy who has serious health problems way to soon in life.  That guy who has trouble climbing a set of stairs without pausing half way up to catch his breath.

I think I would rather be that guy who rode a century when he turned 60, or 70, or even 80.   That's the guy I want to be.

Commuter

OK, I didn't make the cover, and it isn't the Rolling Stone, but check out the commuter column on page 12 of this month's Cycling Utah Magazine.   


March Cycling Utah Magazine

Frank 2 Fred Planning

We have decided to use www.trello.com for our Frank to Fred 2012 planning.
If you want to ride with us on the Frank2Fred ride then send me an e-mail and I'll add you to the site so you can collaborate in the planning.

Watch this video to get an idea how it works:

Saddle Sores

This is not a very pleasant topic, but one that certainly needs addressed.   Particularly since many of us have been off the bike a while.   As we get back into riding, there are sure to be a few tender spots until we get the sitting area toughened up a bit.  

I think we all know how to prevent saddle sores, but a quick review may be in order.  

- Wear good quality cycling shorts.  Bib shorts tend to fit better and work better because they shift less during riding.  It is the friction that causes the irritation and chaffing.  

- Don't sit around in your shorts after the ride.   The salt starts to dry and form crystals that irritate the skin.  Also, unpleasant things start to grow in warm wet places. 

- Use a good quality chamois cream.  I have tried several brands and they all seem to work well.  There are plenty of reviews out there, so do some research and find the brand you like. 

- Ride with the right saddle.  When I started cycling I used the stock seat for a while.  I quickly learned it was a mistake.  Unfortunately almost everyone is going to need to fork out the bucks to get a good saddle.  Again, there is plenty of information out there to help you choose a saddle that is right for you. 

What if you get saddle sores, then what? 

I have tried several things, but the best remedy that I have found is Maximum Strength Desitin.  Hey, if it works for babies with sore butts, then why not?  Desitin works well, but I'm sure most any ointment with zinc oxide would work.   My experience has been that the sores start to heal up within 24 hours.  Keep the area clean and apply the Desitin often.   Good luck and happy riding.  

Frank to Fred - Ride across Utah (the long way)

For some time I have had this burning desire to ride across Utah, the long way.  Right now it is just a dream that I'm working on, but it won't ever be reality unless I make a plan.

After looking for the optimum route, I think the Franklin Idaho to Fredonia Arizona route would be the best. Here is the google map   Both of these small towns are just across the border, and they have cool names that would look good on a T-shirt.  I'm thinking

I rode

Frank to Fred 2012

Across Utah

(The long way)

The route still needs some significant work. It is basically what google maps gave me when I told it to choose a bike route between the two cities. 

According to Google it is about 425 miles.  If I did about 60-70 miles a day I could make the trip in 7 travel days.   What I'm thinking right now is that I would start on a Wednesday.  Here is the basic plan.  (Mileage is approximate.  I know it doesn't add up to 425)

Day 1 - Franklin ID to Kaysville - 80 miles
Day 2 - Kaysville to Saratoga Springs - 62 miles
Day 3 - Saratoga Springs to Nephi - 52 miles
Day 4 - Nephi to Salina - 58 miles
Day 5 - Rest Day
Day 6 - Salina to Junction - 66 miles
Day 7 - Junction to Hatch - 50 miles
Day 8 - Hatch to Fredonia AZ - 60 miles

Plan B would be to do it in 6 days with no rest day.  Starting on a Monday
Day 1 - Franklin ID to Kaysville - 80 miles
Day 2 - Kaysville to Saratoga Springs - 62 miles
Day 3 - Saratoga Springs to Nephi - 52 miles
Day 4 - Nephi to Richfield - 75 miles
Day 5 - Richfield to Panguitch - 80 miles
Day 6 - Panguitch to Fredonia AZ - 75 miles

Right now I'm thinking that I would do day 1 on a road bike with minimal support and no baggage.  
After I day 1 I would ride a touring bike with a couple of panniers containing extra clothing, food and other essentials.  I would stay in hotels every night.  Basically, I would do it with no sag support.

I don't mind making this a solo adventure, but I would like someone to ride with.  Anyone else interested?
Who knows, maybe this will go somewhere.  RABGRAI had humble beginnings. 

For those of you who are asking yourself the question, Isn't there already a ride across Utah?   The answer is yes.  It is called LAGBRAU.  I looked into doing this ride, but it just didn't accomplish my goal.  First it doesn't go all the way across Utah, and if it did, they do it the short way (east to west).