[RBW] Re: Another supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
Whatever--you'll be randoing like a fiend. I'm thinking of going exclusively to flat pedals but I haven't done any rides longer than STP (2-day) with them. Maybe the trick is to wear fifteen year old Birkenstocks with worn soles. Ryan On Oct 3, 10:16 am, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote: ...a 200k brevet on platform pedals. Actually it wasn't so bad but I did get a bit of a hot spot at one point that was worse than anything I've ever had with SPDs. Since finishing my SR series back in June I've spent the summer doing 95% of my riding in platform pedals and MUSA shorts or knickers. Things fell in place to do the Bikenfest 200k and rather than switching pedals and dressing up in bibs I figured I'd just wear the getup I've been wearing all summer. This was also the first brevet I've done in a long time with no HB bag or fenders on the bike. For tires I used Panaracer T-Serves (700x35). I ended up caring my supplies in my Sackville SaddlesBag (medium) which was a bit of overkill. I hadn't done this ride before so while the weather was predicted to be nice I still packed a LS wool shirt, jacket, lights and other odds and ends I felt I'd need in case I finished after sunset. Ten miles into the ride you begin a long and steady climb out of the Gorge and up into the rolling hills of eastern Washington. The climb was great, never too steep and offering stunning views of Mt Hood and Mt Adams at times. I actually was riding well and didn't even really notice the climb as I was enjoying the talking with other randonneurs. We had and incredible descent to the Klickitat River which was somewhat marred by a group of 8 or 9 motorcyclist flying down the descent and somewhat crowding me and some other randonneurs. One of the motorcyclist ended up overshooting a corner and going into some rocks and the canyon wall but appeared to be up and okay by the time we passed. The climb out of the Klickitat River was great but my feet were kind of hurting. I had developed a hot spot on each foot. I was using a pair of Patagonia Bagleys with MKS Sneaker Pedals. Fortunately it was easy to move my feet around on the pedals and get some relief. We stopped in Glennwood, ate and then continued climbing before heading into Trout Lake where there was a short out and back followed by about 25 miles of steady descending back to the Gorge and the final control. After the stop in Glenwood my feet felt fine and I had no further problems with the hotspot. We finished in 10:05hrs which was a fine. For some reason I had thought this ride would be a lot harder. We were quite leisurely through the controls. I definitely brought way too much stuff but that's fine. Better to be prepared and it wasn't like I was shooting for a sub 8hr finish like earlier this year. I had actually been contemplating laying off randonneuring for next year but found myself saying See you at the Birkie next year at the final control. I'll most likely be out there again next year but I'll definitely be in bibs and wearing bike shoes. I gotta say though, I really didn't miss my HB bag that much and loved the way my Hilsen handled without it. I think for next year I may just try and use a trunk bag on a rack. We'll see. Here are some photos. They're not so great as I took them with my phone and often seemed to be shooting into the sun. http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335...@n00/sets/72157624961799637/ --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Another supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
Mike, out of curiosity, what size are your feet? I ask because I have fairly large feet (size 15 US/50 euro) and I recently tried some platform pedal riding. I found that for anything over 10 minutes, really, my feet got fairly uncomfortable pretty quickly, even in footwear with fairly heavy soles (like my chaco sandals). My theory is that the large difference in size between my foot and the pedal surface means that the pressure has more of an effect, because relative to the size/structure of my foot, it is focused on smaller area. I haven't tried larger platforms like the grip kings, but the truth is I really have no problem with using clipless pedals (time ATACs in my case). My sidis are by far the most comfortable shoes I own and their stiff soles mean that my feet never experience hot spots or cramps on long rides. I know i can't move my foot around that much but I found that even when riding on platform pedals my foot stayed pretty much in the same place as it would with clipless--after riding them for so long, it feels weird to have my foot anywhere else while pedaling. On Oct 3, 10:16 am, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote: ...a 200k brevet on platform pedals. Actually it wasn't so bad but I did get a bit of a hot spot at one point that was worse than anything I've ever had with SPDs. Since finishing my SR series back in June I've spent the summer doing 95% of my riding in platform pedals and MUSA shorts or knickers. Things fell in place to do the Bikenfest 200k and rather than switching pedals and dressing up in bibs I figured I'd just wear the getup I've been wearing all summer. This was also the first brevet I've done in a long time with no HB bag or fenders on the bike. For tires I used Panaracer T-Serves (700x35). I ended up caring my supplies in my Sackville SaddlesBag (medium) which was a bit of overkill. I hadn't done this ride before so while the weather was predicted to be nice I still packed a LS wool shirt, jacket, lights and other odds and ends I felt I'd need in case I finished after sunset. Ten miles into the ride you begin a long and steady climb out of the Gorge and up into the rolling hills of eastern Washington. The climb was great, never too steep and offering stunning views of Mt Hood and Mt Adams at times. I actually was riding well and didn't even really notice the climb as I was enjoying the talking with other randonneurs. We had and incredible descent to the Klickitat River which was somewhat marred by a group of 8 or 9 motorcyclist flying down the descent and somewhat crowding me and some other randonneurs. One of the motorcyclist ended up overshooting a corner and going into some rocks and the canyon wall but appeared to be up and okay by the time we passed. The climb out of the Klickitat River was great but my feet were kind of hurting. I had developed a hot spot on each foot. I was using a pair of Patagonia Bagleys with MKS Sneaker Pedals. Fortunately it was easy to move my feet around on the pedals and get some relief. We stopped in Glennwood, ate and then continued climbing before heading into Trout Lake where there was a short out and back followed by about 25 miles of steady descending back to the Gorge and the final control. After the stop in Glenwood my feet felt fine and I had no further problems with the hotspot. We finished in 10:05hrs which was a fine. For some reason I had thought this ride would be a lot harder. We were quite leisurely through the controls. I definitely brought way too much stuff but that's fine. Better to be prepared and it wasn't like I was shooting for a sub 8hr finish like earlier this year. I had actually been contemplating laying off randonneuring for next year but found myself saying See you at the Birkie next year at the final control. I'll most likely be out there again next year but I'll definitely be in bibs and wearing bike shoes. I gotta say though, I really didn't miss my HB bag that much and loved the way my Hilsen handled without it. I think for next year I may just try and use a trunk bag on a rack. We'll see. Here are some photos. They're not so great as I took them with my phone and often seemed to be shooting into the sun. http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335...@n00/sets/72157624961799637/ --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
Re: [RBW] Re: Another supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
On Sun, Oct 3, 2010 at 11:03, rcnute rcn...@hotmail.com wrote: I'm thinking of going exclusively to flat pedals but I haven't done any rides longer than STP (2-day) with them. Maybe the trick is to wear fifteen year old Birkenstocks with worn soles. You have to carefully break in your shoes to your platform pedals, a process which can take years... ;-) ( -- winking == joke) Mike: looks/sounds like a beautiful ride, hotspots notwithstanding. I want to ride down that way sometime. Probably won't happen until next year at this point, but it's something to look forward to. Thanks for the photos and write up. Stuart Fletcher Seattle, WA -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
Re: [RBW] Re: Another supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
jeremy, i have size 15 feet, and think the chaco grip king combination is a match made in heaven. i would recommend trying a significantly larger platform like a GK, as i can't abide traditional rat trap pedals myself. On Sun, Oct 3, 2010 at 11:13 AM, Jeremy Till jeremy.t...@gmail.com wrote: Mike, out of curiosity, what size are your feet? I ask because I have fairly large feet (size 15 US/50 euro) and I recently tried some platform pedal riding. I found that for anything over 10 minutes, really, my feet got fairly uncomfortable pretty quickly, even in footwear with fairly heavy soles (like my chaco sandals). My theory is that the large difference in size between my foot and the pedal surface means that the pressure has more of an effect, because relative to the size/structure of my foot, it is focused on smaller area. I haven't tried larger platforms like the grip kings, but the truth is I really have no problem with using clipless pedals (time ATACs in my case). My sidis are by far the most comfortable shoes I own and their stiff soles mean that my feet never experience hot spots or cramps on long rides. I know i can't move my foot around that much but I found that even when riding on platform pedals my foot stayed pretty much in the same place as it would with clipless--after riding them for so long, it feels weird to have my foot anywhere else while pedaling. On Oct 3, 10:16 am, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote: ...a 200k brevet on platform pedals. Actually it wasn't so bad but I did get a bit of a hot spot at one point that was worse than anything I've ever had with SPDs. Since finishing my SR series back in June I've spent the summer doing 95% of my riding in platform pedals and MUSA shorts or knickers. Things fell in place to do the Bikenfest 200k and rather than switching pedals and dressing up in bibs I figured I'd just wear the getup I've been wearing all summer. This was also the first brevet I've done in a long time with no HB bag or fenders on the bike. For tires I used Panaracer T-Serves (700x35). I ended up caring my supplies in my Sackville SaddlesBag (medium) which was a bit of overkill. I hadn't done this ride before so while the weather was predicted to be nice I still packed a LS wool shirt, jacket, lights and other odds and ends I felt I'd need in case I finished after sunset. Ten miles into the ride you begin a long and steady climb out of the Gorge and up into the rolling hills of eastern Washington. The climb was great, never too steep and offering stunning views of Mt Hood and Mt Adams at times. I actually was riding well and didn't even really notice the climb as I was enjoying the talking with other randonneurs. We had and incredible descent to the Klickitat River which was somewhat marred by a group of 8 or 9 motorcyclist flying down the descent and somewhat crowding me and some other randonneurs. One of the motorcyclist ended up overshooting a corner and going into some rocks and the canyon wall but appeared to be up and okay by the time we passed. The climb out of the Klickitat River was great but my feet were kind of hurting. I had developed a hot spot on each foot. I was using a pair of Patagonia Bagleys with MKS Sneaker Pedals. Fortunately it was easy to move my feet around on the pedals and get some relief. We stopped in Glennwood, ate and then continued climbing before heading into Trout Lake where there was a short out and back followed by about 25 miles of steady descending back to the Gorge and the final control. After the stop in Glenwood my feet felt fine and I had no further problems with the hotspot. We finished in 10:05hrs which was a fine. For some reason I had thought this ride would be a lot harder. We were quite leisurely through the controls. I definitely brought way too much stuff but that's fine. Better to be prepared and it wasn't like I was shooting for a sub 8hr finish like earlier this year. I had actually been contemplating laying off randonneuring for next year but found myself saying See you at the Birkie next year at the final control. I'll most likely be out there again next year but I'll definitely be in bibs and wearing bike shoes. I gotta say though, I really didn't miss my HB bag that much and loved the way my Hilsen handled without it. I think for next year I may just try and use a trunk bag on a rack. We'll see. Here are some photos. They're not so great as I took them with my phone and often seemed to be shooting into the sun. http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335...@n00/sets/72157624961799637/ --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[RBW] Re: Another supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
I wear size 11 shoes. I've been trying out different shoe (Vans, Patagonia Bagley, Teva sandle) and different pedals (MKS sneaker, MKS touring, GK). All work just fine for rides up to 60 miles or so. I think part of the problem on this ride was that for the first 45 miles I was riding at a good clip. And there was the long climb and some rollers which I tend to ride in the big ring and standing. My feet started to hurt right where the little traction nubs are on the pedal. But when I finally took a 15 minute or so break at one of the controls they felt much better and didn't bother me again. I have no problem using SPDs I just really like using regular shoes. I definitely won't be using 700x35 tires again for a brevet unless it includes lengthy sections of gravel. Jack Brown Greens served me well this year, I'll either continue to use them or maybe go back to Paselas (32s) and just watch the sidewalls closely. --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Another supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
I have used the MKS touring pedal with my Tevas and found I sometimes got sore spots after 30 miles or so. I switched to Crank Brothers 50/50's and some off brand magnesium sealed bearing BMX pedals with an equally larger platform and I don't get sore feet anymore. I also ride with my New balance outdoor walking/hiking shoes, Redwing boots and my rubber duck boots here in rainy Washington state. A larger surface area always results in less psi on the feet. I can see though that hard climbing or mashing the big ring could cause a hot spot. Sometimes we have to just get off the bike and rest a little. Bicycling isn't a natural activity after all..but it is fun. On Oct 3, 7:00 pm, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote: I wear size 11 shoes. I've been trying out different shoe (Vans, Patagonia Bagley, Teva sandle) and different pedals (MKS sneaker, MKS touring, GK). All work just fine for rides up to 60 miles or so. I think part of the problem on this ride was that for the first 45 miles I was riding at a good clip. And there was the long climb and some rollers which I tend to ride in the big ring and standing. My feet started to hurt right where the little traction nubs are on the pedal. But when I finally took a 15 minute or so break at one of the controls they felt much better and didn't bother me again. I have no problem using SPDs I just really like using regular shoes. I definitely won't be using 700x35 tires again for a brevet unless it includes lengthy sections of gravel. Jack Brown Greens served me well this year, I'll either continue to use them or maybe go back to Paselas (32s) and just watch the sidewalls closely. --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
Hey Mike, Great pics! Now you got me thinking about taking the QB on tomorrow's ride... BTW, you should be able to swap out the solid bolt-on axle for a QR one, without too much trouble. I did just that with my Surly hubs on the karate monkey a while back. I recommend the old enclosed cam QR's for horizontal-ish dropouts... -Jay B Denver, CO On Aug 3, 2:19 pm, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote: Sounds fun! Inquiring minds want to know: Did you shift? jim m wc ca Hey Jim, I didn't shift, 40/18 the entire way. It was definitely a good work out. The cruise down was odd, it seemed like it took forever just coasting back down. There's no real tricky turns or anything so you almost get bored with the descent. My rear wheel is a bolt-on (Surly hub fixed/free) and so it's a little harder to change. Next year I'm hoping to put on a different rear wheel, something with a QR. --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
Hey Jay, I think it's not as straight forward switching the bolt on axel for a QR on the 120mm spaced hubs but I do need to look into it. I need to adjust the bearings anyway. Perhaps I'll tackle it this weekend. --mike On Aug 3, 4:00 pm, J. Burkhalter burk...@yahoo.com wrote: Hey Mike, Great pics! Now you got me thinking about taking the QB on tomorrow's ride... BTW, you should be able to swap out the solid bolt-on axle for a QR one, without too much trouble. I did just that with my Surly hubs on the karate monkey a while back. I recommend the old enclosed cam QR's for horizontal-ish dropouts... -Jay B Denver, CO On Aug 3, 2:19 pm, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote: Sounds fun! Inquiring minds want to know: Did you shift? jim m wc ca Hey Jim, I didn't shift, 40/18 the entire way. It was definitely a good work out. The cruise down was odd, it seemed like it took forever just coasting back down. There's no real tricky turns or anything so you almost get bored with the descent. My rear wheel is a bolt-on (Surly hub fixed/free) and so it's a little harder to change. Next year I'm hoping to put on a different rear wheel, something with a QR. --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
Looks like an awesome ride. Jealous, we don't have any long climbs around here in the midwest, though I do enjoy some good rollers. On Aug 2, 6:59 pm, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote: ... Larch Mountain on my Quickbeam from my house in Portland. About 80 or so miles round trip. The 14 mile climb up to Larch Mountain went by smoothly enough for the first 10 miles but the last 4 miles were rough, much tougher than anticipated. Still, I managed and got to take in some great views from Sherrard Pt. at the summit. I'll probably ride up there once more before the end of summer but doubt I'll do it on the Quickbeam. Here are some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335...@n00/sets/72157624516053177/ --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
Sounds fun! Inquiring minds want to know: Did you shift? jim m wc ca On Aug 2, 4:59 pm, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote: ... Larch Mountain on my Quickbeam from my house in Portland. About 80 or so miles round trip. The 14 mile climb up to Larch Mountain went by smoothly enough for the first 10 miles but the last 4 miles were rough, much tougher than anticipated. Still, I managed and got to take in some great views from Sherrard Pt. at the summit. I'll probably ride up there once more before the end of summer but doubt I'll do it on the Quickbeam. Here are some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335...@n00/sets/72157624516053177/ --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
Sounds fun! Inquiring minds want to know: Did you shift? jim m wc ca Hey Jim, I didn't shift, 40/18 the entire way. It was definitely a good work out. The cruise down was odd, it seemed like it took forever just coasting back down. There's no real tricky turns or anything so you almost get bored with the descent. My rear wheel is a bolt-on (Surly hub fixed/free) and so it's a little harder to change. Next year I'm hoping to put on a different rear wheel, something with a QR. --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
Now I want to try it fixed! Ryan On Aug 2, 4:59 pm, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote: ... Larch Mountain on my Quickbeam from my house in Portland. About 80 or so miles round trip. The 14 mile climb up to Larch Mountain went by smoothly enough for the first 10 miles but the last 4 miles were rough, much tougher than anticipated. Still, I managed and got to take in some great views from Sherrard Pt. at the summit. I'll probably ride up there once more before the end of summer but doubt I'll do it on the Quickbeam. Here are some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335...@n00/sets/72157624516053177/ --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
Looks like it was a great ride, Mike. Hey man, let me know when you ride out again on a Monday. I'm game for anything local on my Quickbeam! On Aug 2, 7:07 pm, Bill Connell bconn...@gmail.com wrote: On Mon, Aug 2, 2010 at 6:59 PM, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote: ... Larch Mountain on my Quickbeam from my house in Portland. About 80 or so miles round trip. The 14 mile climb up to Larch Mountain went by smoothly enough for the first 10 miles but the last 4 miles were rough, much tougher than anticipated. Still, I managed and got to take in some great views from Sherrard Pt. at the summit. I'll probably ride up there once more before the end of summer but doubt I'll do it on the Quickbeam. Here are some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335...@n00/sets/72157624516053177/ Looks beautiful! I've found climbing easier on a fixed gear bike, but i haven't done any over 14 miles (there aren't any around here). Also: DFW FTW. -- Bill Connell St. Paul, MN -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again...
It would be a tough descent fixed, but yeah, climbing fixed would be the way to go, especially if you didn't have 10lbs of crap in the basket. @Ron, sorry I didn't touch base with you. I left pretty early, before 8am. --mike On Aug 2, 6:13 pm, rcnute rcn...@hotmail.com wrote: Now I want to try it fixed! Ryan -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
