PBP Medal In the Mail

Yes, here it is at long last. I also got my PBP brevet card, a results booklet that features Capn Ende's family on Page 51, and a DVD of the event.

I've seen a few reports of medals being lost in shipping. Mine almost suffered that fate -- the envelope had a five-inch gash in it.

Progress: Fork & Rack

Chuck just sent a picture of the fork and rack, and has declared that the bike is "pretty much done." Of course, there's still the paint and the build, but we're talking a completed project in under three weeks.

Chuck is going to display the frame next Monday when he gives a talk on steel frames at the Greensboro Velo Club meeting. So you Triad riders will get a chance to see it before I do.

My good friends Capn Ende and JoeRay have me conflicted over the color. Capn suggested painting the frame a salmon color to match the bike's name. He also said the color would make it easy to find at big bike events. JoeRay says stick with black or white.

Update: My buddy JD has suggested "pink with orange stripes." Hmm. I'll have to ponder that one for a while....Okay, done. Nope.

The Progress Continues

Chuck has been a busy man. He put in a wood stove and insert this week -- and finished up the rear triangle of my new randonneur frame. Also, he's completed most of the braze-ons. All good stuff. Notice the nice bullet cable stops on the top tube. That was one of my requests.

Next up is the fork. I'm going with the modern, unthreaded steerer rather than the quill stem. The reason is simple: the modern set-up is much easier to travel with. With that detail settled, I suspect I'll see pictures of it soon.

We've discussed how to attach the front rack. Here's what Chuck suggested, based on another fork he's done.



I like, and told him to go ahead with that design.

Some other odds & ends:

I'm going to go with a clamp-on front der versus one that mounts to a braze on.

I'm going with Dura Ace Bar end shifters. I guess that means a 10-speed set-up. Chuck mentioned the 10 chain is not as strong. But they're stronger than I am. I've yet to break one. So no worries there.

Brother Rob has a low-mileage Campy carbon compact crank (50/34) and square taper BB. He's being generous on the price, so in they'll go. We'll soon find out how they like their Shimano neighbors.

Rob has also suggested a medium length rear der, which would allow a 29 rear sprocket. If that's available in Shimano Ultegra (haven't checked) I'll go that way. Otherwise, it will be a 27.

Chuck has been great to work with. It's been a very enjoyable experience to be involved in all of these little details.

Stay tuned.

Red Means Go?

The car roared by three feet from my front wheel. 40 miles an hour- right across the crosswalk I was in- right through a light that had been red for over a minute. He never even got off the gas until he tapped his brakes halfway across the intersection. One second difference and I would have been killed. No doubt. It was- That. Close.

My friend Ed has blogged on The Daily Randonneur about DC drivers regarding red lights as "suggestions." RTP drivers aren't much better, but this was different. I imagine this driver was distracted on his cell, being asked to pick up 1% milk on his way home- or was that 2%- and his microwave dinner was getting cold. As my startled face blurred by, he realized how close he'd come to killing someone. Or at least, that's what I choose to believe.

The point is (and don't take this as fear-mongering) please keep your eyes open. Ride happy, but ride defensively. All the lights and reflective gear in the world don't matter when a careless driver is running late for supper.

Now please excuse me. I have some shorts to clean out.

Siler City Express / Feb. 16, 2008

I've been waiting for my buddy Jerry to post about this ride. I guess he's too tired from pulling my ass around on Saturday. So I'll take over from the back.

Here's what happened. Me, Jerry and JD did a leisurely cruise from Siler City to the turnaround in the heart of the Uwharries. It was a day that beat expectations on the weather front. What was supposed to be temps in the mid 30s was actually closer to the mid 40s -- and it kept getting warmer until finally I was riding without a wind vest and without the long-fingered gloves.

Man! Life was good. We were the stuff. After we talked through every twist and turn of PBP, Jerry told us a great story about his first 10-speed. How he'd borrowed his dad's bike to run down to the grocery store for his mom. He was home so quick, his dad couldn't believe it and insisted on clocking him later that day in the car. In the next couple of weeks, Jerry's own bike showed up, a very early birthday present.

JD told about coming of age as a cyclist at the age of 13 on a tour of Holland, Belgium and Germany with his aunt. I think that's when the travel bug bit him. He also told us about the clash of egos in the thin air of 8,000-meter mountain climbing, and of the tea houses of Tibet. And of drinking vodka and Red Bull out of a monstrous trophy. And his morning question from the early morning formations of his Army days: "Staff sergeant, how do they get the cream in the Twinkies?"

Friends, the fun dried up on the return trip through the steep hills of the Uwharries. We had the wind in our teeth, the temperatures were up and my legs turned to stone. Jerry kept up his pace and rode off the front. Me and JD got a refresher course in lowland hypoxia. The world was doing the whirlygig by the time I climbed the last long grade to the Seagrove control. Thankfully, JD did one of the best stalls I've ever seen. He bought about 10 different kinds of snack foods, and took his sweet time diving into each one. It gave me the break I needed.

We put Jerry on the front of the wagon train for the 33 miles back to the barn and finished up at 4:30 or so, for a 9:30 total time. Thanks, Jerry, we owe ya.

JD said it best at the finish: "I always forget how hard that section is."

Another fun and exhausting day on the bikes. Speaking of bikes, I forgot to mention that JD was on his Landshark single speed. The color scheme he requested: "Inner Earth to Outer Earth." Check it out.

Confession Time...

Okay, it's time to own up. I'm getting a frame from Chuck Lathe. It wasn't a very hard decision. I rode with Chuck a couple times, once on a permanent, once on a brevet. I like Chuck, and I like his bikes. And he's a local builder dedicated to making bikes for the sport I love. Randonneuring.

I got the green light from my beautiful wife Kelly, and Chuck and I began talking. I know a lot about what I want in a bike. Chuck is a good listener, and he's going to build me exactly what I'm after.

So far, the very best part of the process has been the test ride. I met Chuck last Saturday at Pittsboro General Store. He brought two of his bikes: a yellow one with a slightly steep "race" geometry, and a more relaxed randonneuring bike. Chuck and I are just about the same size. The only thing we had to change was the pedals, although in retrospect, I wish I'd raise the seat a bit.

We first headed south, down toward the dam for Jordan Lake. Kelly's brother is building a house down that way, and it seemed like a good destination. I rode the yellow bike for that portion of the ride. I liked the ride, but the seat position put me a bit forward on the bike. I could live with this bike, but it wasn't love at first ride.

But riding the other bike on the way back sold me. It felt right from the first pedal stroke. A comfortable fit, confident steering, and I liked the way the rear triangle reacted up the hills and out of the saddle. This was a bike I could spend all day on. And friends, that's the plan.

Over lunch at the General Store, the deal was done, and hands were shook. Chuck is now hard at work, although a few distractions have reared their heads. Like his new wood stove.

The devil, and the delight, is now in the details. But some preliminary decisions have been made about the interplay of wheels, fenders and brakes. It will have a compact double crank. The lugs have been settled on. In a nod to my prized Raleigh Intls, I'm getting cable stops on the top tube. Not sure yet about the stem/handlebar set-up. Will have the ability to use a front rack with lights.

Chuck sent me a couple pictures of the build under way. Here's one of them. (Chuck I hope it's okay to post.)



I've not yet settled on a color, but I'm leaning toward black. Persuade me otherwise.

As things move along, I'll keep you posted.

Hard to believe that in 35 years of riding, this will be my first custom bike. But it's my good fortune to have such a skilled builder in my backyard.

Bikes on parade

Anyone else wishing to be in Portland this weekend? Here is a blog with some great coverage of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show from a local Portlander's perspective. Coverage from the Christian Science Monitor(!) here. CyclingNews here. Dirt Rag here.

It's the fourth annual version of the show, its first in Portland. Looks like the sky is the limit.

Downhill dreaming..

An email exchange about the DC Randonneurs' Lost River 300K, "The Mother Of All 300Ks," reminded me about this video by a great guy, George Winkert. Bet it'll make you smile and say "Wheeeeee!"too. This year's Lost River 300 is slated for April 12th. Until then, to paraphrase The Dread Pirate Roberts, "Rest well, and dream of long downhills."

Ground Hog Day 200K

The groundhog definitely saw his shadow on yesterday’s 200K. How could he miss it? Out in the Pacific Northwest, rides were cancelled for snow and ice at elevation. Here in the Tar Heel state, the sun blazed after an icy start and the afternoon temperatures made the ambitious climb to 60.



Tony Goodnight has done a great job hosting our two early season rides. An appreciative crowd of 20-plus riders showed up for yesterday’s 200K or 300K.



The field included five or six riders from Raleigh, and Brother Rob from Charlotte, who is pedaling his way back into shape this season. We also had a guest, Chris from Ohio. He’s an exceptionally strong rider, and he was one of the five riders in our little peloton, which formed after Wes and I struck out ahead of the others at the 55-mile mark in Landis.

For a while we had a sixth member, Joel, but he went his separate way at mile 80 to complete the 300K. I enjoyed Joel’s company while it lasted. He spun a wonderful tale of his rich family history of beekeeping. You’ll recall that I received a pound of Richard’s Gold at the Jan. 1 ride, and he gave me another jar yesterday. Which means I’m all set for making dessert crepes. C’mon over. Richard is a terrific booster for randonneuring, and you can always count on him showing up at the start to cheer on riders.

We also had Lin and Jerry helping out with pulls. Lin has been riding the best carbon randonneuring frame I’ve seen so far. It’s a Trek Pilot. There’s room for 25 tires with fenders, and the rear dropouts have eyelets.



Lin has it tricked out with Brooks leather and bar end shifters. Very sharp. But not as sharp as Lin’s old beater pick-up truck. He must be living right. Speaking of Jerry, he’s doing a NCBC talk on PBP tomorrow. Definitely worth checking out, and I know he’ll do a fine job representing the local riders.

Our little group began to show signs of wear at the century mark, especially after the four-mile stretch on busy Hwy 64, one of the only choices for crossing the Yadkin River. However, Chris found his legs toward the end of the ride, so much so that we jokingly tagged him with the “Sandbagger” moniker. He was in fine form with several strong pulls back into Lexington.

We finished a few minutes after 4:00 and waited on Branson and Paul to roll in. Being in Lexington, aka Hog Heaven, we had a post-ride barbecue feast at Jimmy’s, which Branson noted served vinegar-based Eastern cue, rather than the Western style which is the trademark of Lexington. For $7, I got a big plate of chopped pig, French fries and red slaw, plus all the hushpuppies and rolls I could eat. It don’t get much better…

As I headed home, I got a call from Susan, Rob’s wife, wondering what time she should start worrying about Rob. I told her there were no worries – he was probably in good company with Sridhar and a few others. That was indeed the case. Rob himself called about a half-hour later to say he was safely in. A big congrats to the Bro!

Another great day on the bikes.