Tire Test, Frying Pan Lament and Camera Wishes.

Well it's official. These tires rock. They roll over everything. I mean
everything. I've almost stopped almost stopped avoiding potholes and if
it wasn't for worrying about my mediocre wheels I would stop avoiding
them altogether. I only have 32 spokes though and I don't want them to
break so I take it easy. This photo was taken when I stopped to cook
myself a burrito for lunch. The frying pan I am carrying is crap. I have
started thrifting again to see if I can find a better one. I am
confident that it will be no problem. People throw away the nicest
things. All it all it was pretty sweet. 6 hours to do 51.8 miles
including a couple of one hour breaks to chat with people and check out
the Chicago Botanic Gardens. I don't do plant pictures, they never turn
out well.

In other news, as you can see from the above photo, I am going to need
to take a camera on tour with me instead of just my phone. 2MP is just
not enough to take really awesome photos of anything if you want to be
able to crop at all. If anyone has any suggestions about cameras that
aren't huge and use AA batteries, let me know.

The Cockpit

I want to talk a little bit about the choices that I have made for my cockpit. You will notice that there seems to be a lack of technology, and with the exception of the Knog N.E.R.D. 12 computer that my local bike shop Smart Bike Parts sold me for a song, you would be right. I haven't the patience for things like STi or Caliper brakes. I am much happier with my cantilevers , basic brake levers and bar end friction shifters. What happens if my fancy STi cracks off when my bike falls over under a load? Will a local bike shop in the middle of nowhere have one in stock? will I be able to afford to purchase it? These are problems I would rather not deal with.

So, for me, simpler is better. I can ride and still shift without ever signifigantly changing my riding position AND they wont fail if I happen to shift incorrectly (although other failures can happen, b0rk3n chain and such).

As for the cantilever brakes, they fit any size tire. All the time, period. I'm riding a Salsa Cyles Bell Lap bar which is actually a Cyclo-cross bar. I'm thinking about a euro bar for the big tour but this bar affords a ton of real estate for ones multiple positions.

Where The Rubber Meets The Road.

When I opened the box from Schwalbe North America, I was surprised to see the tires jammed in there in, what seemed to me, a hap-hazard sort of way. The first thing I noticed was that everything was twisted together and folded onto themselves without crimping the bead of the Marathon Plus HS 348 622-37 (700c x 35). These are the fattest tires that I feel will allow me to go down the road smoothly while not giving way under the extra 60lbs of gear that I'm riding with.The second thing I noticed was was the totally bitchin' reflective stripe down the sidewall of the tire. Awesome. Although I hope never to have to rely on them for my only visibility, crazier things have happened.I had heard and was expecting that these tires would be hard to put on. I didn't experience this at all. They were a dream to get on. In fact, after everything I had heard, it felt like they were too easy to put on. I'm sure it's all in my head. So my lady has new shoes (yes my bicycle is a she, but she doesn't have a name yet). These tires are HEAVY. I mean they probably weigh at least a pound each (at least, and I don't have time to check the specs). So in retrospect I think I might have gone with all three Marathon XR which are much MUCH lighter, have a folding bead (as seen above) and some of the most luscious rubber I've ever felt on a tire.

This is all pre test ride, so I will post more on this in the near future. Now I gotta ride.

Where The Rubber Meets The Road...

I just got my box from schwalbe north america today! They gave me a really good deal on a couple of Marathon Plus HS 348 tires. I also picked up a Marathon XR folding bead tire while I was at it so in the event of a blow out (which I have never heard of with Schwalbe tires but its better to be safe than sorry 300 miles from nowhere). I've just put them on and will give them a hard test tomorrow and let you know more.

Belated

So I've been posting all these delicious food photos that I took while in Portland. I don't know where I got it from but it was delicious.

Delicious

File this one under must have when and if you find yourself in Portland, Oregon. First, get a delicious bacon maple bar from Voodoo Donuts and then walk up the street and get a delicious latte at Stumptown Coffee and you have; drum roll please! That's right! The breakfast of champions!

Cooking

I just purchased a pressure cooker of the 1.5 liter variety and have tried it out several times now. Food that comes out of this darling little pot has never tasted so good. Cook pasta in two minutes, cook rice in three! Want some beans? Soak them in a spare bottle for a couple of hours and they cook up in 5 minutes!

Why hadn't anyone told me of this before?!? Thanks Ira and Andrea over at BikeTour2K6. Until then I had never heard of anyone taking one of these puppies anywhere but from the shelf to the kitchen.

As it turns out the one from GSI is quite expensive (for me) and it's made in China anyway (not that it's necessarily a bad thing but does Chinese cuisine require a lot of pressure cooking?) and it's pretty big (around three liters). Perfect for a pair but not so perfect for me. I mean a cup of rice and beans will feed me after the longest of days until I'm bursting with nutritious goodness. So I opted for a much smaller (1.5 liter) and I'm assuming, more efficient (in terms of weight and size, cooking capacity and fuel efficiency). The made in India model A00 from Hawkins. It's a bit awkwardly shaped for stuffing into Pannier but I think I can work it out considering it's not that much larger than my original cookware and replaces both pots. I think I may still take the frying pan for things like bacon, eggs and pancakes (mainly breakfast I guess).

Anyway, I haven't taken it on a ride yet but I can definitely recommend it for your kitchen for one and definitely goes on my desert island gear list for it's quick fuel efficient cooking.

Planning: IL CICLO DI CIRCUITO DEL LAGO MICHGAN

Initially I thought that I would probably be able to do 100 miles a day. Very funny. After two lovely days in the saddle to the Indiana National Lakeshore Dunewood campground and back I have decided that no less than 80km per day and no more than 110km per day is about the maximum with fully loaded bike.

The reason for this is simple. I want to enjoy myself. 110km is a pretty sweet distance (around 70 miles) to go and still be a quite enjoyable ride in any weather, wind, rain, hopefully not hail. These distances keep me mellow and allow me to meander now and again, off the beaten path. I am in now hurry. This is definately not a race.

I hope to complete the tour in 21 days and at 2100km these limits fit nicely in with the idea of having a rest day somewhere way up north in the middle of no where.

The calumet fisheries inc.

Delicious fried smelt and a smoked chub for the road. dinner tonight promises to be quite sustaining. 

Test

This is a test of my mobile posting ability.

Test ride.

To the Indiana Dunes and the Indiana National Lakefront.

Around 50 miles. Just testing my existing gear and readiness level.

Back tomorrow, or the next day.

Planning: IL CICLO DI CIRCUITO DEL LAGO MICHGAN Day One

Day One has been planned and a test ride will be conducted on May 6th. You can view the route here.

SUPPORT IL CICLO DI CIRCUITO DEL LAGO MICHGAN

So, I've decided to go for a little bicycle ride. By little I mean 1200 miles of open road with nothing but myself to rely on. The purpose of the tour is to prove that human power is better than oil power. I need to prove it to myself obviously and in turn that will convince others as well.

I tried to fund the entire tour myself but after falling in love with the Surly Cross Check and blowing my entire bank on it. I'm soliciting sponsors for my ride. The official list of possible sponsors includes:

Teko socks makers of the best socks in the world.
IceBreaker makers of fine wool products.
Ortlieb makers of panniers.
Jandd Mountaineering makers of panniers and other wonderful bags.
Surly makers of amazing bicycles and the infamous Nice Rack. Replied and has offered no assistance.
Agu Makers of all things cycling, including really nice panniers.
Arkel Makers of fine cycling bags and accessories. Replied and has offered a generous 33% savings.
Schwalbe Makers of the fine bicycle tires.
Continental Makers of fine bicycle tires.
SmartWool Makers of fine wool products.
Canari Makers of fine cycling clothing.
Pearl Izumi Makers of fine cycling clothing.
Alex Global Technology Makers of fine bicycle wheels.
Planet Bike Makers of fine bicycle accessories.
Chris King Makers of precision bicycle parts.
Cane Creek Makers of precision bicycle parts.
Shimano Makers of precision bicycle parts
SRAM makers of precision bicyle parts.
Brooks England Makers of fine leather saddles and bags.
Mountain Safety Research Makers of fine backpacking gear.
Primus Makers of fine backpacking cooking gear.
Mountain House Makers of fine backpacking cuisine.
W. L. Gore, Inc. Makers of fine outdoor clothing and textiles.
Recreational Equipment Incorporated An outdoor gear cooperative.
Smart Bike Parts My local bike shop.

Hopefully some of these guys can help me out because WOW, cycling just got more cash intensive. Of course, it's nowhere near what a car would cost.