Statrix Redux

I made it to Omaha in fairly good shape. The flights were fine, I had plenty of leg room in Economy Plus and no annoying seat mates…I trust I wasn’t one myself.
I checked into my hotel quickly, I’ve been here before and it’s as nice as I recall. It’s really more of a studio than a hotel room as it’s meant for longer term business travel folk…those people staying a few days and wanting to get work done and not be running out all the time.
Naturally I soon figured out what I’d forgotten. Actually I noticed the first missing item while I was at HNL. My helmet. I’d meant to bring one as they are required on a group ride such as this…darn it. I also worried about forgetting my GPS, but I’d actually remember that item. It’s not that I really need a full GPS unit on a ride like this but they are fun to have.
What to do?
Well the obvious answer was to go get a new helmet. The problem is I’m cheap. Sigh.
In any case I found a nice bike shop, Greenstreet, just a couple of miles from the hotel. I found a helmet that fit and didn’t break the budge. The person that helped me was genuinely friendly, helpful, happy to be there, and gosh, just made the whole thing fun. I ended up buying a t-shirt from the store and some lube as well…that being something else I’d forgotten.
I did a couple off miles of riding after that just to shake out the cobwebs. Ultimately after a long flight the cobwebs won and I had to retire from the field for a nap. Now I’m up and waiting for Erich to arrive…hope it’s soon. Not sure if he wants to do anything, it’s already 10:15 (though really only 5 or 6 for me – though I’m still tired and figure I’ll adjust soon).
I’m using Tumblr to micro-blog this trip as it’s wee bit easier than that WP, though really, not by much. I’ll try to post stuff here too, but you can follow the feed at:
veloahu.tumblr.com
That’s it for now…stay tuned as there’s a whole lot of fun in the future!

http://veloahu.tumblr.com/post/55807820174

As my friends know, I ride a variety of Brooks Saddles (specifically the B-17 shape in a variety of models). Well…the one on my Friday squeaks and creaks a bit (a lot really). Sometimes it’s a comforting sound, sometimes it makes me nuts.
The one I have on my Friday is older, I’ve had it since just after I got the Friday back in 2008 I think. It’s definitely broken in, sometimes I think perhaps a bit too much, but it does fit like a glove if one wore a glove on one’s…ummm…perhaps not the best analogy.
So…what to do?
First I decided I’d oil the areas where the metal frame contacted the leather. It seemed to help for about 50-100 yards. Okay, maybe not the problem.
Next I decided I’d try the C-17 saddle I was entrusted with by Brooks. Well it’s not really as comfortable as this old leather model but it is comfortable enough, I’ve ridden long distances on it. Sadly, though it didn’t creak on my Rivendells, it did on my Friday.
Maybe the seatpost. Okay, I had an extra 350mm seatpost (need long ones for Fridays in general). I made the swap and discovered that the new 350mm seatpost is about 10mm shorter than my old 350mm seatpost. Really? How the heck? As it turns out the post is the same length but the head that hold the saddle is designed differently and that makes it ever so much shorter. In fact I was now at the limit for the post…any further out and I’d be above the safety line. Not a good thing as this can damage the bike frame. With a Friday it wouldn’t be the end of the world (assuming it failed slowly and without hurting me) as it fits into another post that can be removed and hence, replaced. But still this didn’t really seem to be the answer.
Then I realized that the old seatpost really is old, the teeth that allow adjustments in angle are worn down (actually they have been for sometime, I’d just really wrenched down on the bolt till everything held). So what to do?
Okay, I needed to use the new seatpost which works fine when I wear my sandals. However with the added padding in my walking shoes I’m a wee bit to low. I can’t raise the seatpost because I’d then be over the safety line…
New seatpost. That’s what I needed. I needed a 400mm seatpost. And, sadly, I need one in the slightly odd size of 28.6. There just aren’t a lot of choices out there and none of them would ship soon. Rats.
Then I realized I could use a 27.2 post with a shim from 27.2 to 28.6. Now there’s an under $10 solution to the problem. But I still needed something quick. Amazon is usually good for this sort of stuff…but they use outside sources for many bike things and that would hold shipping up for 2 to 3 days and that means I wouldn’t have my stuff till after my plane leaves.
Enter Universal Cycles. They seem to be a big place with several locations and a huge selection. They had all the bits and pieces I needed, at a good price, and, with a little extra shipping fee, a delivery date of this coming Friday.
Whew…
But ya know…this isn’t going to solve my problem. I’ll bet that when push comes to shove, no matter which of my saddles I use, and I do lean towards the old one), it’ll squeak. Yep. No doubt.
Well that’s okay. I’m used to it at this point.
The moral of the story is twofold: Don’t fix what ain’t broke…and never put off ordering parts till tomorrow when you can order them weeks before RAGBRAI. Sigh.

Yep, seventeen days and change till RAGBRAI starts. Let’s see, how am I doing…
I’ve ridden 1775 miles since the middle of March. That sounds like a lot, but in fact it’s really only about one hundred miles a week. Still my average week when I’m not getting ready for something is around fifty miles, maybe a bit more if I do a longer ride on the weekend, so I am stepping up a bit.
In fact this week I’m planning on one hundred fifty miles. I’ve already done eighty-three of them so life is good. Next week I’ll try to get in one hundred seventy-five miles which will be a bit more difficult; not because it’s particularly hard but because time starts being an issue.
Here’s a fly-by of the route from Ewa to town I rode last week…I love these things…

What else?
Laundry.
Yesterday I did my laundry and tossed in a bunch of things for the trip. I don’t wear special bike clothing which makes things easy, but I do have some highly wicking Columbia long sleeve shirts I like for this stuff. I try to keep covered up as I’ve been treated for skin cancer once (very minor) and don’t relish the prospect of worse. These aren’t cycling specific items, indeed they are really base layer clothing for other sports. The good news is they breath, are lightweight, and dry quick.
I’ll be bringing four of them, all a couple of years old and definitely replaceable. The trick to RAGBRAI (or any other long trip) is to bring the old stuff. If it gets trashed, lost, or whatevah’d it’s no big loss.
What next?
I found a few little tears in a few items I’d like to fix up before I go. Being a forgetful tailor I can never find needle and thread when I want them so I continue to purchase new needles and spools as I go. I must have dozens of the things…somewhere. Sigh.
That’s about it for now though. It’s time for a coffee refill and some sewing supplies. Enjoy the fly-by.

RAGBRAI 2013 will be starting really soon now. Okay, it’s 24 days and change from now, but I really do need to get cracking. Cracking on what you ask?
I’ve still got some riding to do. This week I’m trying for 130 miles, next week it’s 150, and then…ouch, 175. I’m not sure I’ll actually get to those numbers, but I am over the number of miles I’ve set myself as a goal for the entire run up to RAGBRAI. I think my low end was 1475 miles leading up to RAGBRAI and I’ve ridden 1600+ since I started tracking back in mid-March.
My bike? Actually I’m pretty good there. I’ve recabled my Friday and put on new brake levers. The rest is really just cleaning and lubing and frankly, there’s not a lot to do there either. Thank goodness Bike Friday’s are darn near bulletproof.
Clothing? Nah. I’ve discovered that for long rides one needs to be really comfortable and I’ve got plenty of comfortable riding clothing. I don’t wear cycling specific clothing, but I do like long sleeves to keep the sun off, longer shorts or knickers – same idea, and this is important, everything must breath and dry quickly. If I cycled in colder climes I’d probably go with wool which doesn’t exactly dry quickly but does breath and retain heat. I don’t want to retain heat. I want cool. I’ve found that there are any number of synthetics that do a pretty good job. They do stink up after a while, but hey, after a few miles in the hot sun no one notices.
What then? Shopping for stuff…
The stuff I need is the stuff that makes life just a wee bit more tolerable on the road. Think a bit of toilet paper ‘just in case the Kybo is empty.’ Think wipes for the glasses because nothing you carry is giong to be dry or clean within a day. Think salves and balms and Band-Aids for the odd aches and scrapes. Think your favorite soap because it’s really nice to clean at the end of the day. Really, really nice.
Basically I’ve got to do a wee bit of shopping and then pack. I’ve found it’s a really good idea to pack up early, give it a couple of days, and then see what’s missing. Inevitably, even if I’ve used a list, something is not there – batteries for the fan, whatever. Since I’m not carrying my own gear it’s okay to have a bit too much, as long as it all fits and isn’t overly heavy (so the Porkers can lift it into the trucks without too much work – they’ve a lot to do in little time every day – bless ’em).
And yes, it’s a great idea to re-up those prescriptions…something I think I should do soon. Thanks for reminding me. I did pick up my vitamins already (I’m multi-vitamin sort and don’t have bottles and bottles of pills and potions).
Perhaps I’ll post a list later, mostly in case I do this again…which is, of course, quite possible.
Aloha!

My good friend Erich is back in town. It’s his sister’s birthday and there’s going to be a blowout this weekend. Erich and I met when rode RAGBRAI in 2011 where we found ourselves occupying tents near each other amidst the Pork Belly Ventures camp. Having similar riding styles, out for enjoyment more than for speed (he is faster, I am fatter – faster, fatter, just one letter separates ’em folks), we made good partners in Iowa.
Last year we rode the Oregon coast together as well as getting in rides during his visits to Honolulu. This year we don’t have a ‘big ride’ planned, but he’s visiting a lot and will be coming to RAGBRAI for the first couple of days (actually just one day of riding, but a couple of days of visiting in Omaha and Council Bluffs).
Here he is yesterday when we rode around Diamond Head before taking in a bit of the shoreline in Honolulu.

You may note he rides a Bike Friday. Yep. He liked mine in Iowa and ended up purchasing – well – more than one. 🙂
Here I am looking fat and sassy with mine. 🙂

Since sometime in March I’ve bicycled almost 1500 miles in preparation for RABGRAI 2013. While I’ll never be fast, I’m pretty confident I can ride the miles.
But…
Today I’m not able to ride. I’m visiting some friends in Ocean View and didn’t bring a bike. I might have ridden in Hilo this morning, but it was pouring. Luckily RABGRAI isn’t just about riding. There are other ways to prepare. Other needs must be met.
Yes, it was Kybo practice day. If you don’t know what a Kybo is you probably call it something else…

Click the picture to be taken to a site that has a few comments ’bout The Lore of the Kybo.
While I didn’t get in any mile on my bicycle, I wasn’t idle.

And now the final bit, at least for now. I rode the new C-17 Cambium from Honolulu to Haleiwa (73.5 miles from where I started to where I stopped).

The saddle was fine and my rump doesn’t feel like it had a bad time of it. I think that I might have been slightly more comfortable with one of my reliable B-17s (like the I did this ride with on Memorial Day). On the other hand it may simple be the way I was feeling today. I’d really have to A/B this several times to report reliably.

The saddle did pick up a bit of dirt today, mostly from my hands though I tried to be careful. It is the natural color version and this wouldn’t be an issue with black or another darker color.

So far so good with the Cambium. I think it’s really going to come down to a matter of taste as to whether one likes this thing or not. I’m not going to switch out all my leather saddles for the C-17, but I’m finding it to be a quality product that’s comfortable without break-in, looks good if it’s to your taste, and doesn’t involve livestock.

The ride itself was nice. I had a couple of mechanical issues after 60 or so miles. I started hearing a lot of rattling. On my RIvs that’s pretty rare so I slowed and tried to narrow down the noise. Turns out that, even though I did use beeswax, one of my bottle cages had loosened. Not a biggie. A couple turns with a handy tool and I was off….

…only to find that I could seem to select certain gears and when I tried I heard…a lot of rattling. Hmmm…this seemed a bit more serious so I immediately pulled over. Looking down at the rear derailleur I discovered that a bit of wire had wrapped itself around the rear cassette. It took a couple of minutes to untangle but didn’t do any damage. Once I took off my gears worked normally and everything was silent again.

When I got to Haleiwa I had a quick smoothie and then sat outside at a Thai place so I could get a nice bowl of Tom Ka – Thai coconut based soup. Yum. Just thing after a long ride.

I then hopped the regular bus (all our buses have bike racks) and my troubles really began. I had no trouble putting bike in the rack, fit fine and the springed loop was tight around my front wheel as far as I could tell.

Later, as we approached town (after 30 miles) the driver called out and said, “You’d better get your bike, you didn’t put it on properly.” BS. In any case, the springed loop was off and my biking was leaning forward pretty far. I secured it and had to endure a lecture from the driver on using bungie cords (I’ve never needed one before btw). Finally I just said fine, I’ll take my bike. I took it off, he drove away and I discovered I was f’d.

The bike had leaned so far forward it has actually damaged my rear rim. It wobbled something fierce and I figured I’d have to true it up. I wish. As it turns out the rim was actually cracked. It didn’t look particularly safe to ride, but after opening the back brake I gave it a try and decided that as it was broken anyway I might as well try to get home the final 6 miles. It held. Not something I’d really want to do but I take really low traffic streets so I figured it was better than walking.

I’ve got a few photos from the ride today and you can see a couple pictures of the rim taken after the fact.

When I got home I switched seat posts and saddles with the Quickbeam so I can ride to work tomorrow. I’ll take a few pictures of how it looks on the QB and let everyone know how I like it on a single speed.

Aloha!

I’ve written several emails to the RBW Owners Group about my new Brooks Cambium C-17. You might be able to read the entire thread.
The gist is, I’m impressed and like the saddle so far. I haven’t taken a long ride, perhaps tomorrow, but so far so good.

I put the C-17 on my Hunq (after fixing a flat…of course) and off I went for my first ride. The saddle feels fine and I suspect I’ll like it…but of course I need to fine tune the position first and I don’t have time for that today. Suffice to say I’m pretty impressed so far.