Between shoveling, naps, and a Lord of the Rings video festival at our house this weekend, I caught up on some blogs and what certain diehard bikers do when the snow starts to fly.  My hat is off to these guys (and girl) who take their commuting so seriously that they are willing to ride where most will only ski.

The most common choice seems to be picking up a pair of Nokian or Schwalbe studded tires, making sure the fender clearance is adequate, and out the door it is.  A true storm trooper will go fixed because of the alleged feedback coming from the tires/traction directly to the rider.

But then there is the Pugsley crowd.  As Jim Thill recently wrote on his Hiawatha Cycling blog, fat tire bikes are suddenly evolving from “freak bike” to adventure tourers.  His Puginstator hybrid, and the recent S24O where he basically slept out in an open field in the middle of a snow storm, is a compelling piece of kit for a compelling feat.

Add Vik and his Pugsley adventures to this formula, and it seems like the Pug has no bounds.  (What does this guy do for income, anyway?)

Ideally, I guess, the answer is to get a Pugsley with studded tires; but barring that, which should it be – studs or Pugs?

Well, given our vacation plans and the forecast for this weekend, I have probably ridden all that I can and will for this year.  2010…get ready.

That aside, I was thinking the other day about how every hobby/sport/activity has it’s own lexicon of phrases that are only recognizable by the practitioners.  There is always some overlap, especially with sports training techniques and similar activities, but I think it’s fascinating how we develop our own language.

Let’s talk biking…country biking…and the obvious place to start with gear and brand names.  For most, as soon as I say “Riv”, “Trucker”, “VO”, “Pasela”, “Brooks”, “Marathons”, and “Carradice”; there is general head nodding in recognition.  There are other brands, but I don’t think they are as universally familiar: “Titanico”, “Nitto”, “Acorn”, “Phil”, and “Sugino.”

Next, there are the people that have become synonymous with CB, and readily recognizable: Grant, Peter, Kent, and to a slightly lesser tier; Jim Thill and Scott.  For some, its their advocacy and expertise, for others; its their accomplishments and the miracle of the Internet.  Still, mention those names and you’ll usually get a rise out of a fellow country biker.

Then, there is actual biking; and the terminology that comes along with it that is somewhat unique.  Most obvious, and one that we can claim all our own: “S24O”, which you either know or you don’t.  “Out and back”, “Century”, “grind”, “Credit Card Tour” and “front loading.”

I’m sure there are countless others that escape me at the moment, but still, when spoken among kindred souls, have only one meaning: biking.

Bone posted a link highlighting the kickoff of efforts to extend the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail another 11 miles, reaching from Newville to Carlisle in Cumberland County.  I have yet to ride the CVRT, however I am familiar with the region.

Where I am headed with this are general thoughts on how trails like this should be used, because in this case, I can see some conflicts evolving.  There have always been debates about the best way to integrate bicycle transportation into the infrastructure.  The big debate is whether we should configure existing roads to encourage bikes via bike lanes and markings, etc…; or whether bike specific trails are the ticket. 

Given my riding style and experience, where I live, and my general opinions on spending tax dollars; I pretty much come down on the existing road side.  But I also realize that there are communities that have built a series of bike paths that have resulted in “transportation” networks for bikes in order to relieve stress on existing roads from car traffic and parking.  I don’t have a problem with that.

The bike paths that I have used have been mostly rail trails, and are marketed and used as multi-use (hike, bike, horse) recreational trails.  Usually, they don’t connect population centers.

So here’s the rub:  When completed, this leg of the CVRT will span from Carlisle to Shippensburg.  Both towns have significant populations, businesses, colleges, etc…; and there is probably a fair amount of commuting between the two.  With that said, I could see the 22 mile stretch developing into a transportation route for bikes.  If that were to happen, would it interfere with the recreational aspect of the existing trail?

22 miles isn’t that far on a bicycle if you’re moving along at a good pace, and on level grades like you find on a rail trail.  I’ll guess that you could cruise along between 12 and 22 mph; and here you can see the problem – that’s fine if other bikes are moving along within that range, but not so good if you’ve got families out for a day ride with kids, or hikers strolling along three and four abreast.  The different use will result in conflicts and mis-adventures when fast rolling transportation bikes come up on slow moving recreational users.

I suppose the easy answer is to declare the CVRT a recreational trail and post speed limits.  That would move transport bikes over to Route 11, which isn’t a bad road – fairly level and wide berms.  But Route 11 is already congested with truck traffic, has 50-55mph limits, and has no bike lanes/markings.  Plus, why would you spend literally hundreds of thousands of dollars to build a rail trail, and then discourage a segment of users that could result in less cars?

If we continue to invest in these trails, I can see this becoming a more widespread issue.  The Hanover Junction spur planned for the Heritage Trail in York County; the extension of the Conewago/Lebanon Valley Trail through Lebanon, etc…  We are slowly and gradually building a transportation network for bicycles.

How will we make it all work?

Given the weather forecast for the next week or so, I figured if I didn’t get out last night, it would be awhile.  This morning is pretty much frozen slush with below freezing for the next several nights.

I felt like some hills, so I did my “Old Quaker Extended” route.  With temps in the mid 30’s, I layered light and medium wool, and it was darn near perfect.  BTW, I’ve been wearing a poly balaclava the last few nights as well.

Traffic was light, and this route has a couple of stretches where there is a chance for near silence.  There are moments when I just love that feeling…riding along, quietly, just me, the bike, and the road.

On the tech side, I’m getting used to the gearing, and find that I’m shifting between the 44t and 36t chainrings more.  It feels like a step and a half, which is near perfect when coming up on a substantial grade.  Further, I feel like I can use a wider range of gears on the cassette when using either ring, so there is a bit more choices than when the big ring was the 48.  Another observation is that the Koolstops have quieted down and are not as skittish, but that could be that they are stiffer due to the cold.

Finally, I have a slight shimmy in the front.  Mind you, I only notice it when I am riding no hands about 15 mph (I needed to adjust my collar.)  The wheel looks fine, so I’m wondering if it could just be the tire not seated exactly true.  I read somewhere that Paselas, because of their sidewalls, will do that; and all you have to do is pay a little more attention when mounting them so that the tread spins evenly.  Since the last time I mounted this tire was fixing a flat on the road, it could very well be a little sloppy.

So we’ll need to see what’s going to happen with the snow and slush when things get real cold this weekend.  Maybe a little mountain biking, or put the knobbies back on the X bike…

Distance: 13. 6 miles  2009: 1154.7

Somebody Googled that and ended up here.  I suppose it’s because so many of my rides take me out by the campus, and because my daughter is currently attending there; and I write about it.

But to answer your query: turns.  I have spoken to players, coaches; watched their warm ups, and employed two of the womens National Champion Team as trainers.  The first thing they do is teach the four turns; and then they drill and drill and drill.  When the teams are warming up for a match, the last thing they do before the start is turns.  Then when they are on the field, the first thing you notice, in addition to the tight, accurate passing; is how each player can move a ball through heavy traffic: turns, fakes, off speed movements….more turns.

This past month I went to each of the mens games for the District title and then the playoffs leading up to the National Championship, which I watched on line.  What poetry!  When they were off, it seemed like the other teams were putting enough pressure on them to break up the passes; but when they were on… they can hold their own against any team – pro or World Cup – that I’ve ever witnessed.  and judging from their recruiting, they’re going to stay on top for a while.

So remember:  “turns.”

‘had to run a short errand and then I went for a ride in the snow!  The temp was around 34F and the roads were just wet, not icy.  I tried to layer a light wool shirt under a heavy one and it was too much – we’ll go light and medium next time.  Legs were wet so a little chilly, but not bad.

Saw two roadies out and about as well.

Distance: 10.1 miles  2009: 1141.1

So I’m kind of mapping out my plan on how to become an S24O camper on a budget, with the possibility of some of those trips expanding a little more.

The first issue was one of front loading an LHT.  I really like the idea of having most of the gear up front.  There are different formulas for loading bikes, but the most common that I saw was 60% of the weight up front, because most of the rider’s body weight is on the rear wheel already.  ‘problem is that there seems to be consensus that the Long Haul Trucker is configured “in the English style”, which favors rear loading based on some mysterious fork rake measurements.  Nevertheless, I talked/e-mailed with three separate LHT owners who tour front loaded, and they reported no real issues with handling.

Interestingly, if you look at cost; as in dollar per liter of carrying capacity, rear loading is a more economical choice.  This is primarily because of the larger panniers that are rear-mount specific; and it seems as if most rear racks are cheaper.  One of the concerns I had about rear loading was that the panniers would interfere with the already present Carradice Pendle; however that problem would be solved with a rear rack that mounted the bags lower.  In the states, the only one really advertised is the uber-expensive Tubus or the uber uber-expensive Nitto Campee; but I found that in Europe the Tortec rack is very popular and far cheaper at a fraction of the cost.

Still, I was torn with the idea of actually buying too much capacity, since we’re talking about S24O’s here, and that my bike pops wheelies as it is if I’m pushing along in the granny gear without any rear load.  Typical rear panniers are around 44 liters, and with the Pendle, I’d be up to 57, which a lot of baggage.

So…back to looking at front bags.  Most are too small to use just by themselves.  Average seems to be 24 liters, but looking around, I found a few that were larger, at 34.  That figure, along with the looks of a somewhat taller, narrower bag, appeals to me when I think of carrying a minimalist load.  If I do need more space, I’ve got the front rack that can handle a small front bag, a Wald basket, or just strap stuff down directly.  And if that gets loaded up, I can think about swapping the Pendle for a Camper Longflap or Super C, which would add another 10 liters above the Pendle.

If, by chance, I need even more capacity; then I would go the rear rack/rear bag route, but at that point I’m either carrying way too much or planning a world tour.

So at this point, I’m headed towards a moderate quality set of mid-sized (34 liter) panniers for mounting on the low-riders; along with a Wald basket that I can temporarily mount with zip ties a la Rivendell.  I don’t think that’s too hard on the wallet, and allows focusing on camping gear, which I am slowly educating myself about.

Speaking of which, I found that there is an Army surplus store with a pretty good inventory in Millersburg that I’d like to check out.  They have bags and pads, etc… that look like reasonable quality at far better prices than a lot of the retailers.

More to come…

Last night was a beautiful full moon and beckoned for a night ride.  After finishing off the last of the turkey leftovers, I checked the temperature on Weather.com and expected to be riding around 42F or so.  When I got out on the street, however, my thermometer was showing 33F.  Fortunately, I had put on a heavier merino wool sweater, one of the barely used ones I picked up on Ebay last year.

I was chilly for the first ten minutes or so until the blood got to flowing, then I was quite comfortable with a little sweat around the collar.  I could feel a slight chill on my skin, but my core was warm.  The sweater was covered with a lightweight Illuminite jacket; and my lower half was a pair of lycra shorts covered with a pair of Cannondale winter tights.  Even though they are lycra, I like these tights because they have a thin fleece underneath on the front side, but only the shell on the back, which seems to cool things better.  I realized at the end of the ride that I forgot to zip up the legs.

Other wool bits were a pair of hunting socks, gloves, and a wool beanie.  Once it gets below 50F, I usually leave the helmet and opt for the wool beanie, pulling it down over my forehead and ears.  I imagine I look pretty goofy, but hey! it works.  I have myself convinced that the cap will provide sufficient padding, but I suppose I should look for some sort of winter helmet system.

It was another great ride.  I think the cold weather somehow raises the adrenalin, as I found myself pushing up hills in higher gears than I typically do, and I felt like I could have kept on going.  Every so often I’d hit a stretch with no traffic and no noise, other than the sound of my breathing and the almost silent whirring of the chain circling the gears.  And there is nothing better than a swigg of near ice-cold water after pushing up a hill.

As the ride progressed, I saw that the temps had dropped to freezing, so I reminded myself to be on the lookout for any black ice.  It hadn’t rained all day, but there was still a chance.

Eventually I had to go home, but I’d chalk this ride, although short, as one of those that remind you what a joy cycling can be.

Distance: 18.5 miles  2009: 1131

Between rain showers yesterday I took a short, leisurely ride around the town.

Distance: 7.5 miles  2009: 1112.5

I was able to complete most of my pre-Thanksgiving house cleaining assignments the night before, so that left a few hours to get in a ride on Turkey Day.  Cool and overcast, but very comfortable and virtually traffic-free – certainly something to be thankful for.

Returned to manage the finishing touches before the crowds of in-law types arrived.  The smell of the upcoming feast was cause for motivation and excitement.

Red outdid herself this year.  The bar is set high, and now I shall never be content to go to one of these “family style” restaurants again and have to tolerate dry bird and anemic bread stuffing smothered in clear paste gravy.

Turkey now must be soaked in fruit and basil brine for a day, stuffed with smoked sausage and vidalia onions, and basted in a loving manner.  I won’t get into the vegetables, other than to say that brussel sprouts can rock.

I hope all had a great day, and your ride was a pleasant one.

Misc. miles: 1.6

Distance: 18.5 miles  2009: 1105.0