Falling Head Over Wheels

08 Apr 2012 1 Comment

by rendezvouswithsneakers in cycling Tags: , , ,

It’s funny to think that last year yesterday (well, the day of the Tour of Battenkill for those of you who are roadies) is when I took my very first mountain bike ride. I fell head over wheels for the sport–literally.

This past weekend, awaiting Easter to arrive, I was lucky to be blessed being able to spend three days in a row mountain biking. It’s amazing how (1) time flies and (2) how much you improve at something. I’m far from being a mountain bike pro, and falls happen more than I’d like to admit….And I cannot wear the Easter dress I was going to wear today due to all the scars, bruises, scratches, and scrapes that cover my lower limbs. But, those bruises were worth the short amount of pain during the crash. You continue to ride, and if at first you don’t get over a log, just try it out again. You’ll be surprised at what you can do, and how you can overcome your fears so easily!

Here is the original post of my first ever mountain bike ride just a year ago: Me? On a Mountain bike?

And, some photos from a ride through Jockey Hill (the Fats in the Cats have GREAT group rides, and since I’m still learning, go with them,) and then some from Ferncliff Forest which we did today.

Jockey Hill

My Leader

Oops

Love riding!!!

Kevin, of Fats in the Cats, loves biking!

Kinda dicey

You know, taking photos at 0730 in the morning.....

Comin' through!

Photo op

I can be gansta when I wanna be.

Ferncliff Forest

Easter morning, 0715. First ones there!

Waiting for me...I probably fell or something

Looking out at the Catskills

It goes down very steepily (is that a word?)

Peddle peddle peddle

Riding through pretty flowers

Showing off his skillz

Nice singletrack

Break time.

Taking more photos. What's more fashionable than being in skin-tight lycra biking gear?

Duck pond

Artsy head shot

Whomever says you can't be stylish in bike gear is lying to you.

Happy Easter!

And, I pray you have a blessed Easter, and a spring that is full of new exciting adventures, happiness, love, a renewed spirit, and take time to thinking about what the holiday is really about. 

Easter creations and decorations

Yes, I got lazy and made an Easter cake instead of Cake pops....

I Made It!

24 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by rendezvouswithsneakers in cycling Tags: ,

Yes, you pro/expert mountain bikers out there will scoff at this, thinking it is nothing…Anyone could go over those logs. Piece of cake.

For some reason, they’ve been one of my greatest fears…And I’ve attempted (and fallen) over logs three times the size. But I’ve never even tried to go over these.

But, today I did it. Well, I kind of moved a rock to act as a little ramp. But still.

I did it. Clipped in. And, didn’t fall.

Mini ramp (above)

And, just some photos because I take way too many pictures.

Spring is here

Bring it on, you branches, logs, rocks, roots, and hills. I will conquer you.

And We Now Return to Triathlon Training

21 Mar 2012 3 Comments

by rendezvouswithsneakers in cycling, triathlon Tags: , ,

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve written about my training–did you know how many blogs out there are by triathletes following their training and racing? Reading them makes me feel lazy. But, my “real” tri training for Timberman started this week. And, after last year, I think with proper nutrition, enough sleep, not working night shifts, and simply being smart about it all will help in my favor to finish it. Not only that, but now I can actually swim…Outside…Which I actually prefer to do than in a pool.

Monday was a run day–running without my Garmin, nor a HR monitor has somewhat bothered me… ohh well. The weather made up for it.

View from Burger Hill, Rhinebeck, NY

But, running, which was something I’ve been okay at and have done for years, I mean, I’ve done marathons, half marathons, trail races….Has not been going so great lately. Last week I went for a longer than usual run (you know, instead of 4 miles you run 13–who does that?) and did something to my hip. I let it rest, stretched, and did what I’ve been told to do, but my run Monday was a killer and ended up being a walk–so painful I couldn’t walk up the stairs in my house. So, that is somewhat concerning, especially since I have a half marathon to run in less than 4 days. :-/

To give my hip a rest, yesterday I went for a great road ride which ended up being an easy 25miles–I’m saving my longer one for friday. And, to think I was riding in almost 70 degree weather in March is unheard of. It’s hotter in NY than in Austin, TX! Spring is here!

Catskills in the background, taken from the road ride

Today, since I went for a mountain bike ride last night as well, I’m taking a rest day…Maybe go to the pool later…We’ll see. (I actually do have a training plan that I follow–I really do!).

However, my race schedule this year, which really depends on work schedule, includes some different, and I’d say more challenging in certain aspects,  races: mountain bike races. I ended up going for a short spin last night before the sun really set and realized (1) I love going fast and (2) I love mountain biking, even if it really hurts, and (3) it’s simply fun, technical, difficult, challenging, and a blast. So, why not give this type of racing a try?

Trying to race the setting sun in the woods

This....

Caused this...Amongst the other bruises and scrapes all over my body.

Last car in the parking lot with my bike...Gotta love it

Soon, I’ll be racing with these guys…Well, women. And, maybe not the World Cup right away….

WinterBike and Kingdom Trails in the Winter

21 Mar 2012 6 Comments

by rendezvouswithsneakers in cycling Tags: , , , , , , ,

They say the first time you attempt something and don’t succeed, try, try again.

And that’s what I do–whether it be mountain biking, swimming, or xc skiing.

Months ago, a friend and I decided to head up to Kingdom Trails in East Burke, VT for a mid-winter gettaway. I’ve shared my first (solo, mind you) mountain biking trip there this summer here . And, in the summer, it is amazing. Miles and miles of single or double track for mountain biking, technical trails and downhill for  those adrenalen junkies, to leisurely groomed paths.

co. of Winterbike

Ofcourse, I didn’t go up to go mountain biking in March. Well, that is a lie, because technically, the reason for the trip was to go to WinterBike, an event that started this year where mountain bikers from all over are invited to come and ride together on groomed cross country paths. A sweet idea. They had rides for riders of every level– fatbike rides, studded tyre rides, inntermediate, and “leisurly” paced rides. Towards the end, they even served Vermont cheese (yumm!) and a variety of local brews. After the main event, there was a race for those hardcore mountain bikers who really have no fear at all…I’m pretty sure they were stoked about the ability to race in the winter. I’m definitely going again next year.

As with the rest of the Northeast, East Burke did not get a huge amount of snow. As I recall, driving into Lyndonville looking over at my driver saying, “Umm, where is the snow?” thinking that there would be feet and feet of snow everywhere you looked. Nope. Fortunetly, at higher altitutes, there was more snow…Super for WinterBike! I did notice there was snow on Burke Mountain, so entering the town of East Burke observing visitors bundled up in ski gear gave me hope there would be enough snow to ski on. But, with the weather we’ve had, I think we managed to embrace the last of the snow of their winter snow season. **Meaning, next time I go, it’ll be for pure mountain bike pleasure!**

Kingdom Trails is amazing and has so much to offer for every season. In the winter, it has has special Nordic Trails only for cross country ski and snowshoe use. There is Darling Hill, which has about 20 km of trails which can be used for skiing, as well as Dashney Farm, with about 50km of trails–this is where the WinterBike event was held.

Some Winterbike Photos

Most courtesy of K.Young

Fatbikes!

Mountain bikers are simply hardcore. Shorts? Wicked awesome.

Vermont cheese, bread, PB, water, local beer, local vodka...What else do you need?

Cross Country Skiing

Okay, it’s actually a lie that I’ve never been cross-country skiing before. I have. Years ago. Furthermore, once upon a time, we owned a “Nordic Track™” which I used religiously before we gave it away. During winters as a child my family would travel to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (in Bavaria) so my siblings and I could downhill ski, or snowboard. But that was years ago. Truth be told, with the winter we had last year in the Hudson Valley, I thought I’d be getting much more use out of my cx skis than I did this year. But, the Molly philosophy on learning how to do something is to go full speed ahead and simply, do it. Thankfully, I had an amazing person with me who actually does ski (and worked at a ski shop) and could teach me the correct way to cross-country ski.

Oh, and if you were wondering, exercising on a Nordic Track™ is nothing compared to actually cross-country skiing. For one, you don’t have hills; two, you don’t have ice, and three, with a Nordic Track™ you have something to rest your abdomen against. 

We were fortunate to stay at the Wildflower Inn, a Bed and Breakfast on Darling Hill, right from which you could clip in the skis and ski (or ride in the summer). It’s an amazing place, and has activities for the whole family–if you have a family that is. Plus, they have the best pancakes with REAL maple syrup and their breakfasts are phenomenal. Not only that, they are accommodating to vegetarians and those who must eat gluten-free. Their restaurant, Juniper’s, has incredible food too. I highly recommend it. Plus, I must admit, having a weekend with no phone, computer, television (not that I ever actually watch TV) was amazing. I may be old-fashioned, but I do miss the days when society was not so dependant on technology as we are now.

Fun at Wildflower

Courtesy of K.Trails...Darling Hill Nordic trails

Mountain bikes and skis in one car...And missing my bike

The Inn

Sledding at night behind the Carriage House where we stayed

He is an extreme sledder

The Inn has hot cider, tea, crackers, Vermont Cheddar Cheese, and homemade cookies every afternoon

View from Heaven's Bench in the winter

Where we stayed

Besides the point, after a five-hour drive to get to the Inn, it was time to learn how to ski. The person I was with had no problem whatsoever photographing my dread, terror, and fear.

With the lack of snow, most of the trails of Darling Hill were fields and tracks of ice. Not the best conditions for learning how to ski. (I’m pretty sure downhill skiing, from what I remember, is much easier than cross-country skiing). After some side-step instructions, learning how to snow plow, learning how to get in and out of the skis, we were off on the Bemis Trail. It took some time to get used to the movement, especially since I’m not used to the use of the poles and upper body, but I managed with only a few “Craaaaaaaps,”  “I can’t do this,” and, “I’m coming!!!Slowly.” Thank goodness for my skiing partner. He could not have been more patient with me.

Preparing for skiing

Mentally preparing myself

Coming along slowly…

Best teacher ever

The Nordic Center

Courtesy of Kingdom Trails

Before heading back south to NY, we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and do some more skiing at Dashney Hill Farm. It had been nicely groomed from the WinterBike event the day before, but with the 40° weather, the snow was melting fast, and making trails turn into trails of ice. Going up was fine. Going down, however, was a different story. But, we were able to spend a couple of wonderful hours skiing, only passing a few snowshoe-ers along the way.

 We tend to wear matching colored hats and same-brand sunglasses.

All in all, it was a fantastic, fun, sometimes terrifying weekend BUT with no broken bones or hospital visits. If you are into mountain biking on the east coast, Kingdom Trails is the place to go. And now we know you can cross-country ski there, as well as downhill!

Thank you, to the volunteers at the Kingdom, the organizers of WinterBike (my t-shirt is the bomb), and the friendly, welcoming staff at the Wildflower Inn.

Ohh, and one last thing. If you decide to travel to East Burke, it is vital to stop at the Country Store, located right across from the Burke Sports store and gas station. They have the most appetizing homemade maple-oat or maple-wheat bread, and delicious sandwiches. 🙂

Mountain Biking—Clipped in

19 Mar 2012 2 Comments

by rendezvouswithsneakers in cycling Tags: , , , , ,

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot. ~Eleanor Roosevelt  

They say that your first time clipped into pedals on a bike can be intimidating. Yes, over a year ago I went clipless with my Mavic’s on my road bike, and that was nerve-wrecking, especially stopping intime for cars and traffic etc etc. But with time, the thought of having normal pedals became an idea of the past. Plus, with duathlons and triathlons, my biking shoes are clipless. It’s something that I got used to.

Being clipped into a mountain bike is, yes, intimidating, but it is also terrifying, atleast for a beginner.

I’ve done my share of mountain biking around Dutchess County– mostly 909 and Ferncliff Forest, but have also dabbled in Round Top in Greene County and Onteora in Ulster County. There are amazing Mountain bike clubs, such as Fats in the Cats and the up-and-coming Round Top Mountain Bike Association who have done really a great job at keeping mountain bike trails biker friendly and have group rides if you are ever interested. Heck, I even went to Kingdom Trails by myself–alone–to mountain bike ride. For those rides, though, I was never clipped into the pedals of the bike. Simply put, being clipped in is being attached to the bike. You and the bike are one. **In basic terms, you are stuck to the bike.*** 

With the amazing March weather we’ve had, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to spend more time mountain biking than normally. And, found out there are many more bike trails at Ferncliff than I ever really new which is amazing for me since it’s about a 3mile ride from my house.  Anyway, I decided it’s time to put on my big girl pedals on my mountain bike, and take them off my cross bike until next season, and learn how to ride clipped in. Actually, I need to know how to ride clipped in, because the first mountain bike race of the New York State Mountain bike series is in June. And, I need to crush that race (What, me? Competitive? Pu-leeez, not at all.)

Sun setting on the Hudson

Yesterday was my first time clipped in. And within the first seven minutes riding on trails I’ve done many times before, I fell four times. That’s when all the confidence built up from prior riding simply oozed out my pores and left me fearful, and dreading being stuck to my bike. Ohh, by the way, when you fall, your shoes actually clip out of the pedals without you even knowing it! The ride was fun, but with shattered confidence, I rode home after an hour, full of scratches and bruises over parts of my body, thinking “I’m never mountain biking again clipped in. I will forever be horrible at this. Everything hurts. Ughhhhhh why is there a hill on Mt. Rusten road going back to Rhinebeck?” (Yes, I wasn’t very chipper).

This morning I woke up and decided, after an amazing cup of coffee, the only way to conquer a fear is to face it full on…That, and to practice…and just know you are going to fall and get hurt. I got to the parking lot, clipped in, and was off. Riding a mtn bike clipped in is much easier for going up hill (1) because you can keep up momentum and (2) your shoes don’t slide off the pedals.

My car and bike--first in the lot!

And, after LOTS of psyching myself up…I was able to weave through trees, ride up over roots, and on descents jump off the rocks.Okay, they weren’t huge cliffs, but I’d say riding off a large 6-7 inch high rock is pretty decent for being concerned for my safety. ***Another FYI, it’s easier to go faster than to go slower when clipped in.***

Fun

Coming down...It's steeper than it looks

Then, the inevitable happened. No, I did not fall off a bridge into water like last year (which can be read about here). But I fell. And hard. You know, the type of hard where the end of the handle bar jabs you right in your trachea and kinda “blows the wind outta ya.” But, it’s bound to happen. I just hope the bar jabbing into my windpipe won’t happen again (knock on wood), but I did make it out of the forest alive and with more confidence mountain biking than I ever had using normal pedals. (Which, by the way, I switched off my cross bike all.by. myself…Learning how to build a bike from scratch really teaches you things.)

Seriously...It is steeper than it looks

So, if you are ever hesitant about going clipless, it just takes time, practice, no fear, and knowing that you’ll fall and hurt yourself at somepoint. And, you WILL get better. Trust me.

**Ohh, and it’s a smart idea to have health insurance, too, if you do such an activity. And to let someone know where you are going, just incase.And having a mobile phone isn’t always the best thing, since some dislike being thrown from your CamelBak or crushed against rocks when you fall. ***

Goose in pond....Just because I like taking pictures

Building a Bike: Bottom Bracket, Crankset, and Rear Derailleur

05 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by rendezvouswithsneakers in cycling Tags: , , , , ,

Building a bike from scratch isn’t actually that difficult if you have all the parts and know what you are doing. Having short weekends has not helped my burning desire to finish this bike. But, my bike will be built soon, I hope, for I have many outdoor adventures I want to have it for. No, it’s not that I don’t have any other bikes–I have four already, but this bike is special.

Bike before

Below are the parts, and tools, that were used today:

  • Suntour XCE Crank
  • Eastern BMX Platform Pedals (which can be changed later if I decide I do not really like them)
  • Shimano Altus front/rear derailleurs
  • TOOLS: 25mm/36mm Bottom Bracket fixed cup wrench
  • Lock ring
  • Pin spanner
  • screw driver
  • 14mm socket wrench
Suntour XCE Crank with crank arm and spindle with bearings
Tools neded

greased threads in the bottom bracket

1.I started with greasing the threads in the big bracket shell. Then, I greased the cup and put it into the threads using my hands to turn the cup until I could no longer do it with my hands. That’s when I turned to a 35mm wrench.

sliding the bearing over the spindle, then sliding the adjustable cup over the spindle

2.I then greased the bearings, quite liberally, because those will be used a lot during riding.After, I slid the bearings on each end of the spindle-note: make sure the bearings face outward. Then,I greased up the threads on the ends of the spindle because eventually the ends will receive a nut.

3. Now I returned to the adjustable cup. After greasing the threads at the ends of the spindle, I slid the spindle through the adjustable cup. The Bottom Bracket shell is an important component because it houses the parts of the bike which rotate– the adjustable cups make sure the spindle stays in place, and the crankarms which are attached to the ends of the spindle, allow for the bike to move.

4. When you add the adjustable cup, you do not want the spindle loose. Hand tighten the cup down until it takes up as much “free play” as possible. Then, you use the lock ring pliers  and bottom bracket fixed cup wrench, at the same time, to tighten the lock right–the lock ring keeps the adjustable cup from moving.

tightening the spindle into place

** When you remove the tools, and there is a little bit of “leeway” with the spindle,it is okay.

5. Now it’s time for the rear derailleur. You need to grease the threads and this is when you will need your ALLEN KEY. There are two types of rear deraileurs–short cage and long cage. “Cage refers to the two side plates that hole the derailleur pulleys apart. A short cage derailleur is used primarily in conjuction with two-chainring drivetrains like those commong on road racing bikes.Long cage deraillerus allow for a greater difference in cogset and chainring combinations and are most or very wide-range cogset in the rear. there are also mid-cage or medium care gear derailleurs that are sometimes favored by mountain bikers  who opt for two from chainrings instead of the usual three” ( Downs, The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance &Repair, Rodale Inc, 2010, p. 227).

rear derailleur and fixing it to the bike

6. For the rear derailleur, you need to grease the threads and attach to the  bike using an allen key.You want the derailleur to be snug.

7. The front derailleur/Crankset

 FYI the crankset is composed ot chainrings, the spindle in the bottom bracket which ultimetely attaches to the crankarm, the retaining ring, chainring bolts, the “spider,” and the chainring bolt and chainring fixing bolt. The Front Derailleur is composed of a cable anchor, clamp band with clamp bolt, pivots, an outer arm, an inner arm, an outer cage plate, and an inner cage plate. You want the face plate (a.k.a. the outer cage plate) of the front derailleur to be parallel with the chainring before you secure the derailleur to the “seat tube” of the bike. When fastening the front derailleur to the bike, it is also vital that there is no clearance between the upper teeth of the chainring and the plate of the derailleur. You use your allen key to secure the derailleur in place using the clamp bolt, a part of the derailleur.

fixing the chainring, adding the crankarm

Front derailleur and rear

tightening the left sided crankarm

8.  Pedals are one of the next step *Note, there is more than one way to  put together a bike. This is simply the way we did it. I have platform pedals. The key to pedals is to know the left pedal is reverse threaded, which means you must turn it counterclockwise (after you grease the threads, of course) when inserting it in the crankarm. The right pedal twists in clockwise. And, it is vise versa when you remove them.

Putting on the pedals!

And, that’s it (for now). Learning to build a is a tedious but fun activity to learn how to do! The next installment in this series on bike assembly will be coming shortly.

Fur Ball helping with the writing and research of this post.

My bike building guide

Back to Tri’s

07 Feb 2012 2 Comments

by rendezvouswithsneakers in cycling, triathlon Tags: , ,

I feel like it’s been forever since I have written about some sort of training, and, indeed, it has. Creating Cake Pops, trying new foods, fevers, building a bike, and attempting to get my cat Lucky to accept my newly adopted kitten Fur Ball (well, she’s about a year old, still a kitten in my eyes) has been taking me away from training. I’m not saying I’ve been inactive. But it’s February already–can you believe it–and time to settle down and get back on track.

Meet Fur Ball, the newest addition to the family (and no, for the first time, the newest addition is actually NOT a bike!)

Yesterday we were blessed with almost- mid 50 degree weather–in February! Last year at this time we were still up to our knees in snow. I’m happy with such forgiving nice weather, but it does kind of inhibit my use of my new cross country skis. Anyway, even though according to my plan for the week, my longer ride isn’t scheduled until Saturday (with a transition to run afterwards), I had to take advantage of the blue sky and went for an amazing ride on some roads I’ve actually never been on.

Just a heads up: If a sign on a road warns that the surface is uneven, for once road authorities are not lying. Despite the warning sign, I did decide to take a road that had a surface which was rideable, and it was gorgeous. Upon stopping to take the photo below, and wipe my non-stop dripping nose on the sleeve of my jacket, I noticed someone driving in an old red Kawasaki tractor from behind the farm close to where I was standing. As the farmer drove up to me, I put my phone back in my pocket and started to clip in. Then, he stopped next to me with a huge toothless grin. I noticed an old Border Collie in the back of the truck next to a well-used wooden cane.

“You okay?” He asked, cheerfully.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine, thanks.”

He nodded to my bike, “you broken? I have tools if you need help.”

I think my heart melted inside. It is rare to meet genuinely sweet people in this world full of  greed–where people only think of themselves.

“No, no, it’s not broken, I was just taking a break. Cute dog!”

“Okay then, you drive safe,” the farmer nodded and smiled with his toothless grin and drove off, the border collie taking in the scene. I could not help but feel a grin appear across my face and thought of the farmer’s words for me to “drive” safe on my bike.

My almost-40 mile loop through Dutchess County

Our interaction may have lasted less than two minutes, but it reminded me that not everyone out there is a self-centered human being—something which I worry about when I see a lot of people nowadays who could care less about other people. It made me happy.

View from Odak Farm Road

The 40 (well, 39.98)mile ride was awesome, and it felt wonderful to be in the sun, even though some little things somewhat annoyed me (i.e. the odometer on my bike wasn’t working, not was my HR monitor). Today’s plan is a long run, and depending on the weather later, I might take my Contessa out for a spin.

Goals for 2012 Race Season (yes, I said race season)

  • Compete in a mountain bike race (meaning I need to get over my fear of going fast through trees) without killing myself
  • Finish a road (bike) race–nothing to insane
  • Finish an actual triathlon (not a duathlon)–to be more specific, finish Timberman
  • Finish a half marathon (totally do-able, since I ran 14 miles for “fun” a couple weeks ago)
  • Work on race nutrition (so I don’t “bonk” on long rides/runs)
  • Biggest goal: not compare myself to other people training for race

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
Mark Twain

Impressive Bike Handling Skills

01 Feb 2012 Leave a comment

by rendezvouswithsneakers in cycling Tags: ,

Watch, and you’ll be in awe of Danny’s skills.

The Down and Dirty of Mountain Biking

01 Feb 2012 Leave a comment

by rendezvouswithsneakers in cycling Tags: , ,

If you don’t get hurt once in a while, you’re not trying hard enough.

Riding bikes along the forest paths of Bambesch and Hermeschter as a child first introduced me to the idea of riding a bike in the woods. In fact, most of the family bike rides when I was a child occurred on these paths–it was not until I was older when I realized the endless road routes that could be done on a road bike. Perhaps the fact I grew up riding in the woods had something to do with my desire to start mountain biking. Scratch that; I know it had something to do with mountain biking…Along with the fact I turn to putty in bicycle shops and have no self control whatsoever when it comes to purchasing bicycles.

Um, which side do I ride on?

It’s taken awhile for me to become accostomed to mountain biking–actually, do you ever really become completely at ease? I feel I’m never in control of the bike. I’m terrified of bridges (perhaps because I fell off a bridge while riding? I’ve written about that here) but am working on that fear. My biggest concern, however, is falling, which is somewhat irrational, as I’ve fallen off my bikes more times than I’d like to admit. And today for the first time I realized the reason mountain biking has been a difficult sport to grasp is that I’ve been allowing my fear get in the way of enjoying myself. My hands have always been white-knuckled, clutching the handlebars and brakes as if my life depended on it. With mountain biking, it’s actually more difficult when you go slow. You just need to peddle, look where you are going, and know that at some point, you’ll fall. It’s bound to happen. And, falling isn’t the end of the world. Stopping before a large branch is more time consuming, and actually more difficult, than simply riding over it!

Instead of going for my scheduled 40-mile road ride today (I’ll do that tomorrow), I decided to go for a mountain bike ride followed by a short run. I could not ignore the gorgeous weather we’ve been blessed with, and wanted to check out some new trails to which I was introduced to the other day. I’ve ridden in this particular forest before (it was the first place I rode my Scott in the spring) and the riding conditions were perfect. The winter chill hardened areas of soggy mud, making riding over it easier. There’s nothing better than weaving your way through trees with the warmth of the sun gleaming down, it’s rays causing the frost on leaves covering the ground to sparkle–a phenomenon you miss when only riding on roads. Totally epic.

Newly found paths!

I arrived at the newly discovered trails which have clearly been ridden on recently, and, I must admit, are great trails to ride on off the main trails of the forest. Not only are they “off the beaten path,” but they are slightly more challenging and rocky (I would say technical…then again, I still think most things are technical when it comes to this biking). I was actually pretty proud that I managed some of the “more technical” bits.

And then the inevitable happened–what I’ve been fearing. I fell.  It was my silly back wheel’s fault of course, and had nothing everything to do with the fact I was going incredibly slow, trying to maneuver the bike through jagged sharp rocks, and turn to go uphill. Yes, it hurt, and yes, my run after the bike ride was slightly painful and I have a black-and-blue knee, but I’ll survive–just like every other mountain biker who falls off their bike. Mountain biking is like anything else in life–it’s a matter of trial and error, patience, trusting your own athletic and bike handling skills, and just a matter of getting out there and going for it, with gusto…and speed.

All I need is a Canadian accent, downhill bike,  insurance, body armor, a full face helmet and soon I’ll be riding just like these guys.

Building a Bicycle:Stems and Handlebar

31 Jan 2012 2 Comments

by rendezvouswithsneakers in cycling Tags: , , ,

It’s time to return to  writing about assembling a bicycle. I left off after having attached the wheels to the bicycle frame.Part deux is composed of adding the stems (a Quill stem, seat post) and the handlebar (a Velo Orange Porteur Handlebar). This is when it starts to get a little greasy–literally. As mentioned in the first part, I used Phil brand waterproof grease.

From Jim Langley

1. Take the quill stem–the part which holds the handlebars in place–and slides into the fork. The handlebar actually is held in place by tightening up the stem faceplate (basically, just a tube that you thread the handlebars through). On the other end of the Quill style stem (which is L-shaped) there is an expanding wedge on the bottom, which when tightened, moves (expands) to jam itself against the inside the fork, securing it in place. I used an Allen Key to tighten the parts.  On the expanding end of the stem, there is a small notch, which is the minimum depth that the stem needs to be in the fork. Using a small amount of waterproof grease, lube up the bottom of the stem up to the notch. It might be handy to have a piece of tissue or rag handy because you will get greasy. 

Mmmmmm grease

2. Once you have greased the lower part of the stem, you need to drop it into the fork (or slide it) until the small notch is at the top rim of the fork. Tighten the top bolt on the stem with the Allen Key until it’s snug in the fork. The height of the stem might be changed after, once the seat is on. 

Making sure I can see the notch

Tightening the bolt

3. Once that is in place, it is time to slide the handlebars through. The handlebars I have can face “up” or “down”–ultimately whichever way they face will affect the body position on the bike. Slide the handlebars through the groove between the stem and stem faceplate. Then, to center the handlebars, it is easier to stand in front of the bike and make sure the middle of the bars is basically in a straight line with the stem and top tube. Using the Allen Key, tighten the bolts in the faceplate, which will secure the handlebars in place.

Tightening bolts

Total Concentration

4. Now, time for the seatpost. My seatpost already came assembled with a saddle clamp and bolts needed. This step is similar to the insertion of the Quill stem. There will be a notch (the manufacturer’s line indicating minimum recommended height) on the seatpost. Using grease, lube up the seatpost.

5. Now, slide the seatpost into the seat tube. The height of the post is not important, since the saddle has not been placed yet. But, slide the post until you see the manufacturer’s line. Then, tighten, tighten!

It's easier to stand behind so you can try to keep the post in line with the top tube

Tighten away

Et voilà, your bike is now ready for a saddle…and the rest of the parts still needed!

What still needs to be added

It's coming along!

It helps when you have a good teacher

Get a bicycle.  You will certainly not regret it, if you live.

–Mark Twain

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