Keeping with the trend

Keeping with my after work riding thing... This time I turned left at the top of Dogfood instead of right. It hurt some, in effort, but it was all new trails to me. And it came with an awesome view.

Looking across the top of Elden from the side of the Peaks... I didn't know there was a trail here.

I want to say I topped out around 9,000 feet in elevation. Not bad for an after work ride. All downhill from there, and man was it glorious.

Mileage: 27.3

Bike to Work Week!

And I'm going to miss most of it! *cry*

Part of the reason I've been working so hard is so I can take this coming week off. Well, most of it.

This involved spending this past Saturday at the shop, after which I decided that a mountain ride was in order. Josh agreed, and we set out after I got off work. Nothing insane, just a fun mountain ride to relax on.

We found a flowing spring, Orion Spring.

Schultz Creek, and Schultz Creek Trail.

Ditto.

Today was the beginning of Bike to Work Week, which kicked off at Heritage Square with a bike swap and bike parade. It's always fun, and I missed it last year. You always see some cool bikes, meet cool and fun people, and sometimes you can score good deals on bike stuff. I came away with stickers and some patch kits.

We also saw the biggest cruiser ever:

Exe with the Monster Cruiser.

After some confusion (lack of announcements) as to where and exactly when the parade started, we caught up with the group.

It's Henry's friend! I ended up pacing him, for the rare double Dummy spectacle. Wish I had pictures of it.

Afterwards, we swung by Absolute for some stuff, then went home. I ended up giving some love to the rest of my bikes, as they were all in need of some attention. Clean chains for Bi and Tri, as well as I'm giving Ergon grips a try on Tri, who also got a better stem.

Nothing says obsession like oiling each individual roller on the chain at a time.

Also at Absolute, I found out about some trails to try out when I get back. Back from where?

Backpacking in Zion! Should be fun.

At least my bikes will all be ready to ride when I get back.

Ride your bikes to work this week!

Mileage: 9.1

After Work Riding

Often, I describe my rides as "Self Inflicted Torture." In reality, it's a release for me, a chance to get lost, then find myself... or something. I think I really just enjoy riding my bikes around. I enjoy too many aspects of it to list, and the pain from pushing myself to get better at it is something I just put to the back of my mind. The fact that I'm slowly getting a little stronger, faster, and maybe even a little more skilled is just an added side bonus.

I have decided that going on longer rides after work are making longer work weeks easier to handle.

Wednesday, I met up with TC after work, and we rode out to Fisher Point. She had her mountain bike, while I took STeve, the cross bike with skinny tires. Happily, I didn't bite any rocks, therefore I didn't get any flats. TC had the satisfaction of being faster than me on the downhills.

The bottom of Fisher Point, as the sun began setting.

"Hai!"

That night, I decided I wanted some real singletrack riding, on some real singletrack trail. (Not to say that the trail out to Fisher Point isn't real, but it is short and tame, fun as it is.) So, I got Tri ready for an outing. I wound up heading up Dog Food to Pipeline, which I took across to Secret and the Arizona Trail, then hooked up with Schultz Creek back towards town, where I met up with family for dinner.

I pushed myself on this ride, as I really wanted to make it to Schultz Pass, for the full blast downhill, but I also really wanted to hang out with everyone at dinner. When faced with such a decision, I chose both, and pedaled harder. I left work at 4:30, was at the Schultz parking lot at 5:00, and Schultz Pass at 6:00, which was when everyone was meeting for dinner. By 6:50, I was sitting at the table with everyone, too. I think I made good time.

Today, I decided to take it easy, and took Slide up Freidlein Prairie Road. It was beautiful, and it'll only get better as the aspens get their leaves.

Obstacle! I don't think I can get Slide to hop over this one...

Riding Slide like this is really helping me figure out just what I want to do with Slide, how to set the bike up best for what I do with it. The list of changes and adjustments grows with each ride...

Good riding.

Mileage: Didn't keep track, but it was on a moto... does it count?

50 hour weeks will end me.

Yeah... working some overtime at work. The day I used to more or less dedicate to recovering from working four 10 hour days so I could spend the next two days riding is now spent making more donuts. Donuts that look suspiciously like picture frames. Mmm... donuts...

But all is not bad though... I've found that when I go on a long ride after a long day at work, I feel better the next day. This is a discovery I seem to make anew every year around this time, though this time it was harder to find, because, let's face it... at the end of the day, I just want to relax... and the thought of taking a 10+ mile route home versus a 2 mile ride home doesn't seem relaxing... until I actually do it.

It's not often one Big Dummy meets another. Henry makes a friend outside the bank today.

Looks like Spring to me... this was last week.

I've been trying to ride a motorcycle to work at least once a week, with a good after-work ride. So I took Slide up to Snowbowl the other day.

The weather is warming up, though the temperature is doing it's usual Flagstaff thing for spring, warm for a few days, then cold, with a generous side of wind. I'll be ramping up my outdoorsey stuff soon, I fear. It will be good.

Mileage: 15.5

Sunrise Windows

I get to see sunrises on my way to work for two 3 week windows a year... once in spring, once in fall. Before that, I get to work before the colors appear, and after, the sun is up. But, for three weeks, I get to watch the sun rise. Right now is the time for my spring sunrises.

Hard to believe it's supposed to rain and snow for the rest of the week... the trails were dry, too.

However, I was in for a real treat on the way home. I had read about a B-17 (One of my favorite planes making a visit, but wasn't sure if I'd get a chance to see it. So I swung by the airport:

Aluminum Overcast, a fully restored B-17G, one of the very few still flying.

Yeah.

Mileage: 12.3

Working on a different bike.

I like bikes. I like riding them, and I like working on them. I'm not sure which part I like more.

I'm not just talking about bicycles, either.

None of this is news to anyone, I'm sure.

Thus is why I spent most of today up to my elbows in the engine of my KLR, Slide. Slide's a great bike, but there was one flaw in the engine that I needed to take care of, which was to replace the engine balance chain tension lever, hereafter to be referred to as the "Doohicky." The original part tends to run away from its home, and take a grand tour of the engine, sometimes causing havoc, in the worst case. Often, it's as simple as just not adjusting the chain properly.

Better to take care of the problem now, instead of being stranded somewhere. I've been dreading doing this, because I was afraid of what I'd find when I took the over off. Fortunately nothing was horribly wrong, I didn't need to go fishing for broken parts in the engine, and once I had the right tool, everything was smooth sailing.

As I started bolting things back together, Josh showed up on his KLR, Tinkerbell. Turns out he needs a new doohicky too. Looks like I get to do it all over again next week.

I actually went a bit further in, but I forgot to take pictures. Still cool to see.

Old doohicky on the left, new one on the right. The old one makes a great keyfob.

While I waited for gasket sealer to dry, I bolted on some crash bars and a skid plate, further protection for the bike should I turf it. After all that, it was time for a test ride.

Tinkerbell and Slide.

This was work I had been putting off for a few months now. The bike doesn't feel profoundly different, but there are changes. Some knocks I've grown used to are gone, replaced by a sewing machine type whir, and it feels smoother at speed. The biggest improvement is the peace of mind, and the confidence in knowing that there's not a time-bomb in the engine that'll leave me stranded somewhere.

Since that was something that's limited my time on Slide, I can see myself putting more miles on it... if gas prices go down.

...or if I'm not riding my bicycles.

Mileage: this many! *points over yonder*

How to make it snow:

Let's face it, the solutions are obvious when it comes to making the weather do something: Plan for nice weather, and the weather will do the exact opposite that you've planned for.

Example one: A week and a half ago, Josh and I rode up Elden. The trails were mostly dry, as was the road, and fun was had, even if the temperature did drop and the wind kicked up, which made us freeze on the way back down.





The next day... this happened:

Leaving work.

Bi, rocking some snow-aero rims.

Fast forward a week. The sun is out, the snow is melting rapidly, no ice on the roads, and it's actually around freezing in the morning. 65 degrees for a high today. So I did something to guarantee snow.

I took the studded tires off Bi.

I like fat tires and I cannot lie...

With fat, semi-slicks on, I fully plan on waking up to 2 feet of snow tomorrow.

On the studded tires:

You might remember when I re-studded these tires using sheetmetal screws to replace the worn studs. Overall, the experiment was a success. I made it through another winter with no ice related crashes, and had decent traction for the entire season. I did end up trimming them down before I mounted them on the bike, as they would have been unrideable otherwise. However, they did wear down fast, and while I got two seasons out of the original studs, the screws will need to be replaced before next winter:

Front | Rear

The rear is missing about 10 or so studs, and the front is missing two, most of which I lost in the first couple rides. This didn't have an impact on traction. The tire casing still looks to be in good shape, so I think I'll buy another box of the same screws, and re-do both tires the same way for next winter.

Now to watch for snow.

Mileage: 4.5

Jump Jets and Dumpster Bikes...

The title to this post is best read to the tune of Cake's Stick Shifts and Safety Belts.

It's getting warmer here. The snake I saw on the urban trail said so. The fact that I'm starting to see colors to the east on my way to work also tells me that Spring is on the way. Which means the trails are slowly drying out. The FUTS out to Fort Tuthill is pretty much dry, so I've been riding out that way after work.

One of the perks of that particular trail is that it goes by the Flagstaff International Airport, Hair Care, and Tire Center. This is a perk for two reasons. First is the smell from the Joy Cone plant that always seems to be upwind when I ride by. Second, every now and then, you see something cool at the airport, either landing, taking off, or parked on the tarmac.

Like today, when I was riding in front of the terminal, and heard a very loud roar from the downwind end of the runway.


I saw them flying the holding pattern around the airport, and was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time when the Harriers landed. A minute later, this guy followed them in.

So, I feel pretty good, as I usually do when I see some cool thing on a ride, truck on home, and as I ride by the dumpsters at the back of the apartment complex, I spied some familiar shapes.

Three very weathered bikes parked around the dumpsters.

Curious, I stopped, and checked them out.

Can I keep it? Huh? Huh? Can I? Huh?

It needs a lot of love, but it's that lugged steel bike that I've been on the hunt for, even if it is a little big for me. Let's see what I can make of it.

Mileage: 11.4

Bikepacking: A Shakedown.

Apparently scraping my shoulder off wasn't enough.

So I've been wanting to get into more bikepacking/camping/touring-in-general for quite a while, since before my attempt at the Grand Canyon. What I know now, is I was doing it wrong then. Since then, I've been doing a lot of reading, scheming, plotting, and making. And this past weekend was the trial run for it all.

Josh and I packed up our gear, and headed down to Black Canyon City to camp out from Friday night to Sunday. After weeding out some bad directions, we made it to the trailhead and proceeded to get ready. The camping spot we had been told of was only a mile and a half away, all of 2 miles from I-17, and 3 miles from Black Canyon City. Extra water was in the truck if needed, and we had plenty of bailout options. Josh brought his dog Lucy, and would be hiking to the camp spot. I brought Tri, and would be riding.

Tri, all loaded down. The backpack on the tailgate is also mine.

I've never ridden this trail, let alone at night with a loaded down bike. Adventure!

All went well, and I wound up at the Agua Fria River in short order, where I waited for Josh. He made good time, and before too long, we found a spot to set up our tents.

Josh's on the left, mine on the right.

Testing my little alcohol stove to make breakfast.

After waking up and getting everything situated, we set off to do our different things for the day. I had seen pictures and read about the Black Canyon Trail System, and I've been wanting to ride it ever since I heard of it. It looked like an incredibly fun trail, with stunning views and well routed singletrack. So I set off to ride.

Looking back at camp.

South.

The trail has a very natural look and feel to it. It really is a part of the landscape, not an addition to it.

Bike sculpture at the top of one of the climbs.

Riding amongst the Saguaros. It's a lot different than dodging trees.

Black Canyon City.

I found Josh and Lucy at the bike sculpture on the way back, and had lunch, before heading back down to camp. I had ridden 7 miles out, and while I wasn't tired, I had limited water, and knew I had to either go to the truck for more, or boil water out of the river.

First thing's first, though...

Always wanted to chill with my feet in a stream after a ride.

Josh returned not too long after, and we spent the afternoon boiling water for drinking with our stoves, reading, and napping.

Sunday, we packed up, biked/hiked back to the truck, and headed back up the hill.

Overall, it was a fun and successful trip. I think I packed the perfect balance of gear and food, and had room for more, which I probably would (Should) use for more water. Everything worked, nothing failed, and while I do have a couple niggling changes to make to the setup, they're very minor and by no means necessary. I feel more confident in that bikepacking is entirely doable for me, and that it's fun.

So, now to do a real bike packing trip... once the weather warms up here a bit more.

Mileage: 4.5