Came back empty handed

Went all the way to NYC and did not get a single picture of a bike. I guess you could say the weather had something do with it.  Cold and rainy, what do they say?  April Showers bring May Flowers.  Had the camera, just no opportunity to get any pictures. I saw some pretty hip fixers on Park Ave and another rig locked to a sign with bullhorns and aero levers.

If you like trains, I got a few pictures of the Brookville BL-20s that are pulling what the state calls the Shuttle Lines, that made the Danbury and Waterbury runs. Here is the 5:16, BL-20 GH#127 pulling into Stamford Station.

And here it is heading towards the yard after discharging it's passengers.

Ready to Race!

I spent a few hours Saturday night after the kids went to bed working on bikes and drinking PBR. I switched rear wheels on the Bridgestone Commuter so that I can rebuild my Fetish Fixation into single speed hard tail. Got some spacers from Monroe Cycle Fitness and hooked up the 16t on the rear wheel that came with the Bridgestone. Just needed to tighten a few spokes put on a tire and it was done. Made some brake adjustments and then went for a little test ride in the dark down the driveway.

Next up, the Fetish Fixation. It has seen many configurations but it's time to go back to what it was made for, all mountain single speed. I repaced the Ritchey Stem for the Cammodized SIC stem that I have had for two years. Put on the Azonic strip bars and replaced the Surly 1x1 with my old Manitou Splice.

That is far as I got because still needed to work on the Qball.

I replaced my existing Salsa stem with the Ritchey because it was 10 mm longer and out on the trail yesterday it made the difference.

While on the trail, I had to make a few more adjustments to the grips and brakes.

Lastly, I added the San Marco Carbon Fiber saddle. It's actually quite comfortable. So, this is my race bike. Planning on two races in April and then we'll see what I can do after that.

RbW: Flat bars on the Qball

Rode before Work Friday morning and headed out to Upper Paugussett State Forest. Haven't been there in over a month and it was time to check out what was happening with the logging. The Forest Road, up to the intersection with the white trail is a literal logging road now. The loading area at the intersection to the white trail appears to be finished. The logging company bladed the area and bladed the Logging Road back to the next staging area they are going to start using.

I submitted a Trail Report to New England Mountain Biking Association, CT Chapter, describing in detail along with more pictures of the changes. Of course if I am riding Upper Paugussett then of course I will always hit the Upper Gussy Trail and it looks really nice. The rest of the forest road is still the same.

I put flat bars on the Qball the night before and it really changed the cock pit. Maybe it was the way the risers were positioned but I felt scrunched in more and not as stretched out. After the ride up the logging road I started to get used to bars but still couldn't get used to the Ergon bar ends. I think they were pointed to far up and need to be aimed down more.

I wouldn't say that this little misshap was caused by the different bars. The rocks were wet and I always struggle with the approach to this little rock garden we call the Wet Spot, which despite the rain was still pretty dry.

It was a yard sale for the bike but luckily I was able to jump off in time. Still, I scratched one the Ergons pretty good. Over all, the ride quality wasn't that bad and as I was climbing the driveway I finally found a good hand position to increase my leverage using the Ergon horns. I think I am going to put on a longer stem and I am thinking of trying my San Marco Carbon Fiber saddle as well. Pretty soon, the Qball could be reverted back to it's original configuration. I doubt I will ever go back to rigid on this bike, though.

First Commute of Spring

Made a few more changes on the Bridgestone and what a difference! First of all, I raised the stem an inch and replaced the flat bars with risers. I canted them forwards a little bit and then added the grips. I no longer feel scrunched while riding! The bars are now high enough so that when I climb it's like being in position #2 during spin class.

There was no chance of the Chicken Schizt meter this morning. While eating a bowl of Trader Joes Triple Berrios, I got suited up which just got me psyched up even more. It was 36 degrees out so I threw on the overbooties just to be safe. The only thing bothering me as I left is that the Edge wouldn't aquire. It finally did when I got down to Pond Brook Rd.

The Nashbar Pannier garment bag is really nice. One thing I found when riding to work is that I often forget to bring a jacket so today I schlepped an additional jacket to leave at work. It was a good ride in and quick one home. I really pushed it and got home in 40 minutes.

Ergo-licious

I put these Erogons on the Qball this weekend and then tried them out on my Tour de Trumbull. They are really comfortable but overkill with riser bars. I found that my risers are so wide that go out on the bar ends decreased my leverage greatly. I think what I will have to do is switch out these bars for my Ritchey Flat bars and use these grips with them. The Flat bars are shorter and I think I will get more leverage out on the bar ends while climbing.

Planning on riding Hop Brook this weekend in preparation for the race. It will be a good test for the new configuration as well as familiarize myself with the terrain.