After returning Oval Concepts (A710) clip-on aero bars, I decided to try Syntace C3 clip-ons. And what a difference!!! Syntace is a well-known name in a triathlon community and the bars were designed with Ironman races in mind. So, they are still super comfortable after 5-6-7 hours in a saddle. The basic design difference is that they have a better upper body support. My weight rests directly on elbows. Most other bars, i.e. Oval Concepts, were designed to support forearms closer to wrists, which is perfectly fine for prologues and short time trial racing but useless for anything longer. Besides, most Tour divide racers use either Syntace C2 or C3.
So, my Salsa Fargo hood is getting more crowded: Cateye Enduro cyclo-computer (barely visible under the right armrest), Garmin Edge 305 GPS and a mount for Princeton EOS bike light (which I can also use on my helmet, better for off-road riding). One more thing missing: a sleeping bag stuffed in a waterproof Outdoor Research durable dry sack tied to my aerobars;)
July 5th, 2009
Posted by
Rich |
Cycling, Equipment, Preparation |
3 comments
As for my Tour Divide plans: I’m counting the days down: 12 TO GO!!! Equipment is 90% finalized; flight tickets, Calgary-to-Banff transfer and 1st night hostel (YWCA) are set. I will take a few more test rides and pack my bike next week.
In 2007, I easily averaged 80-90 miles of riding in a day. That was with a heavier equipment and not a very strict “waking-up” record;) My old Cannondale F400 and Salsa Fargo weigh about the same. But I will carry less stuff for sure this time. Moreover, my stuff will be distributed better (inside a frame bag vs. on a rear rack), I will have aerobars for more relaxing body position and Salsa is a 29″ bike with bigger wheels and just better fit overall. I will also “try” to get rolling by 6:00am every day. Plus, I used to hang in towns and cities too long which I can cut shorter now without stressing myself much…
Preparation-wise, in the last year I had more base miles under my belt (over 2,000) and was about 8 lbs lighter. This year is a bit different. I didn’t get as much opportunity to ride but I was still active. In the first few days, I will take it easier and let my joints and tendons get used to the daily stress of big mile riding. I’m planning to average between 100-120 miles per day (or about 10-12 hours in a saddle). The most important things is not to over-stress my body and cause early injuries, knees mostly. The rest will be fine. Anyways, this ride is much more about mental grittiness and positive mindset than anything else.
My goal is to finish in less than 34 days which is about twice the current route record. Also, my flight back to NYC is on August 21st;) I’m loosely shooting for doing it a bit faster: around 28-30 days. I will definitely know better after the first week, where my “fast-touring” legs will be. I still want to have fun doing it, take some decent pictures and videos and see the complete route. So, the crossing of the Marshall pass above Salida will be a ride into an unknown;) But my ultimate goal for 2009 is TO FINISH THE TOUR DIVIDE!!!
PS: And I certainly hope for better weather. This rain has to stop one day, for crying out loud!!!
July 2nd, 2009
Posted by
Rich |
Cycling, Preparation, Tour Divide |
no comments
My Salsa Fargo has been put through paces in the past couple of weeks. Awesome ride!!! Really love it. After I exchanged my stem from 105deg/90mm to a longer one (90deg/110mm) it feels just perfect. Still waiting for my frame bag from Eric @ Epic Designs (end of June) and Oval Concepts clip-on aerobars (A710 Classic; early next week).
The frame bag is a part of a more streamlined packing setup. It offers better weight distribution, lower center of gravity, narrower profile as opposed to panniers with a rack, and it’s lighter. Plus, I will tie up a small OR waterproof dry bag (stuffed with a sleeping bag) on the bottom side of my Oval Concepts clip-ons. Re. the aerobars: I was undecided but I’m actually enjoying riding with my fore-arms rested on top of dropbars and think they will offer me more positions to rest my upper body when riding for 8 to 12 hours a day. Just need to set them up properly.
Otherwise, I think I’m set. We’ll take as little stuff as possible. Even less than in 2007. (Below is a pic of my loaded F400 Cannondale from the Great Divide Tour.) I won’t necessarily be “race ultralight” but certainly “fast-tour ultralight”. It should be fun;)
Will post some pictures as soon as we’ll get some sun here in NYC. This must be the wettest June in the last 10-20 years:( Just caught a glimpse of a weatherman crying on a local TV;)
June 18th, 2009
Posted by
Rich |
Cycling, Equipment, Preparation, Tour Divide |
no comments
It is amazing how fast PC technology advances. Only two years ago, when trying to come up with a solution to my blogging needs while on a tour around the Himalayas, I had just a few options open. Either carry a regular size laptop (13.3” or 14.1”) or use PCs in Internet cafes. Lugging a 5 or 6 lbs. heavy laptop was too cumbersome and relying on the PC cafes only wasn’t too efficient either, given their underpowered, virus infected machines. Ultra-mobile portables were out of question from the beginning. They were expensive at the time, close to and over $2,000, and fragile. At least for writing my daily reports, I came up with somewhat unique solution: HP iPAQ handheld and a foldable Bluetooth keyboard. Yes, with limited functionality but it allowed me to write anywhere and anytime rather than spending too much time in smoke-filled PC rooms transcribing my notes. In this way, it helped me to save a few bucks, too, as I could upload my reports faster.
Now, look at the same scenario today. With the proliferation of so called mini-notebooks, I can have a light (little over 2 lbs.), cheap (usually under $500) and fully functional Windows XP (or Linux) computer. Not only I can write using fully fledged word processor (I prefer OpenOffice writer) but email, store and organize my photos, too. I’m not even talking about having access to all my usual software and desktop preferences. I can even run Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, my preferred photo software. Although it helps to plug the mini-notebook into a larger external monitor through VGA connection. Seriously, I tried it;) If there is WiFi nearby, I don’t need to juggle any data transfers using cards or external hard drives. All I need is to log in into my Wordpress and Flickr accounts and upload my pictures and stories.
These notebooks are usually extremely power efficient, fairly fast, with small LCD (or LED) screens and cheap too. Personally, I think they are dream computers for long-term vagabonds like myself who cannot afford to carry heavy full size laptops or don’t want spent close to $2,000 for Macbook Air, or similar;) When looking for one I found the most important preferences to be:
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CPU: Intel Atom processors; 1.6GHz, faster than Celerons, draw only 2.5W which translates into smaller and/or longer lasting batteries.
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RAM: 1GB or more, if possible.
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HDD: 8-12GB SSD (solid state disk rather than full-fledged hard disk); no moving parts means less danger of self-destruction at high altitudes, quiet and less power hungry, too. For additional storage and backup, I prefer a light external USB hard drives: WD Passport or LaCie rugged series.
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Screen: 8.9” to 10.0” LED; they are brighter and, again more efficient than LCDs; minimum screen resolution: 1024×600 to allow easier browsing. The 1st generation devices with 7” screens and 800×600 resolution forced users to scroll too much left-to-right.
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Battery: 6-cell, or more; at least 5-6 hours on a full charge.
In today’s market, there are three-four models that look extremely enticing: Just released Dell Inspiron Mini 9 (Dell website), Acer Aspire one (read here, too), MSI Wind and Asus EEE PC 901 (more) or 1000H models. As I’m planning to get one about 3-6 months before the start of my trip (Summer ‘09), I’m sure the above specs will get even better. By the next year, Intel will come up with an updated and faster Atom CPU and SSD capacities will increase to somewhere between 16-32GB, too… Lately, she price wars in the mini-notebook market have been intensifying: ASUS Lowering Eee PC Prices To Keep Up. Competition is always a great thing for consumers;)
September 15th, 2008
Posted by
Rich |
Equipment, Preparation |
2 comments
It’s funny how when you start something in life, you have only a faint idea how far (and where) it will take you. Case in point: my cycling hobby. I have just realized that since I started biking regularly in late 2003, I’m closing on 25,000 miles traveled. This includes my tours (Asia and the U.S.), training rides and commuting in and around NYC. At the outset, I didn’t have a set of goals in mind. One day, I picked up my mountain bike and wanted to get some exercise, just to feel better, enjoy nice autumn weather… I quickly re-discovered my love for biking. Before I knew it, I was racking up 5,000 miles a year and never looked back.
If someone told me five years ago: “You will bike almost 25,000 miles in 5 years!”, I would have thought: “Yeah sure, you nuts, or something!!!” And here I am, soon to be 38 years old, I have never felt better physically and mentally. Now, I love cycling longer and longer distances, time permitting. I can jump on a bike and ride 100 miles and really enjoy it, no problem. Anything less than 30 miles, is barely stretching my quads… I justify my cycling ‘addiction’ as a kind of preventive health care, it keeps my heart in shape, my weight in check and my mind clear;)
I have always loved outdoors: hiking, climbing, trekking and skiing. Anything outside: in the sun, rain, on snow or water… Cycling, mountain biking and touring became natural extensions of these adventures. Plus, combined with my love, or better obsession, of travel to faraway places, it is a perfect way to experience the world around. Here in New York City, cycling is about the only way how I can get outside and exercise. I know I could just sign up for a gym membership and join hordes of other gym rats… But I swear, you couldn’t get me inside a gym on a regular basis. I sometimes try half-heartedly, usually during Winter months. Never have I lasted longer then a week, or two. Seriously, I’m just not a treadmill-running hamster;)
So, here is to my next 25,000 miles. Hopefully, they will be easier and even more memorable than the first one;) Since it is more or less equal to a distance of one round trip around the globe, maybe, just maybe, it is time to start planning ‘THE BIG’ one. I prepared enough already;)
On that thought, I just downloaded and watched an amazing BBC documentary about Mark Beaumont (Pedalling Around) ride to break the Guinness World record for the fastest bike ride around the globe. He did 18,400 miles in just under 195 days. Amazing!!! It’s in 4 parts, premiered in April ‘08 on BBC One in the UK (re-aired in August ‘08). It wasn’t showed in the US yet but thanks to the Internet there are ways to get it;) Here are two more clips on his achievement: a Youtube short (Mark Beaumont documentary) and a CNN video news report (Biker circles the world). Enjoy…
September 10th, 2008
Posted by
Rich |
Cycling, Preparation, Racing |
no comments
I don’t really need a bike right now. The right side of my brain, the more calculated and business-like one, is making poor attempts to convince myself that. Whereas the creative and emotional left side, is just lusting for more, always on a lookout for perfection…
Currently, I have two rides. First, my trusty Cannondale F400 mountain bike, recently overhauled, with close to 10,000 miles on it since the Fall of 2005. It’s a bit heavy and stiff but I like it;) I used it mostly for touring (Himalayas, Great Divide) and my infrequent commuting. There isn’t much dirt track around NYC, so it’s a plenty of a mountain bike for here. The other is Felt F65. When I got back from my Himalayan Adventure in December 2006, I couldn’t resist and bought myself a road bike. I’m slowly closing on 3,500 miles on this one. It’s light (17.5 lbs.), fast and efficient. Just what I need to stay in shape by exploring quieter roads of North Bergen and Rockland counties rather then over-crowded city streets and bike paths.
So, back to my bike lust. To summarize it in two words: SALSA FARGO. It is a perfect “adventure touring” bike, a 29” steel frame bike with plenty of little details that call out to long distance, epic trails, dirt road tourers. For starters: 5 or 6 braze-ons for water bottle cages, longer chain stays (18.5”), front and rear racks, disc brakes (with the rear one being installed on a chain stay to allow clean and unobstructed mounting of the rear rack), corrected for drop bars, able to take variety of tires, etc.
I wished Salsa Fargo was around when I was riding through Aksai Chin plateau in China and later in Tibet. The extremely corrugated roads were real PITA on my “harsh” aluminum frame Cannondale. Despite having a perfectly fine front suspension, I found myself more often “locking” it out. I used it on downhills only, and even that only sparsely. It was a lesson learned hard through experience: When touring loaded on dirt roads, even on the worst ones, mountain bikes with suspension are way over-rated. A nice steel frame with proper wheels and tires offers more comfort with less maintainence issues. And that’s where I believe Salsa Fargo will perform at its best.
Before this bike was announced a couple days ago, I was looking at Niner Bikes MCR9 and Surly Karate Monkey frames. Fargo is just so much better. I believe that this bike is a beginning of a trend of better and cheaper adventure oriented 29″ bikes. To get something similar before, you had to go to custom builders and pay top dollars. Can’t wait to get my hands on it and see it in person. Check out this beauty:
Nothing is perfect though. I’m not yet 100% convinced about the “Fun Guy” green color, even though folks who seen it live swear it looks awesome and it really is durable. Another issues are “drop bars” versus “flat mountain bike bars” but that can be easily fixed and I never road with bar end shifters but I think that’s easy to get used to… That’s just me nitpicking a little:) Salsa Cycles currently updated specs on the full bike which is expected to retail around $2,000 (available in Feb ‘09) and frame/fork combo around $650 (in Nov ‘08). Not bad prices;)
If you want learn more check out the links below:
- Salsa Cycles “Fargo” 29″er: Sneak Peek!
- The DirtBlog: Global Debut of the Salsa Fargo
- Salsa Cycles Fargo with detailed spec sheet
September 6th, 2008
Posted by
Rich |
Equipment, Preparation |
3 comments
So, I’m sitting in a Starbucks contemplating my plans for future adventures… As you can see in my side bar, I thought I had it all figured out this Spring, at least until the end of 2009;) But plans are only what they are, just plans!!!
My Summer ‘08 GDMTBR got canceled. On a brighter side, I don’t feel bad at all. I was too ambivalent about it anyway and couldn’t summon energy and focus to do it this year. It more and more seems like it’ll be either a Tour Divide race in June 2009 or nothing at all. I will know better in early 2009.
The Fall ‘09 Vagabonding on the Silk Route is still on… I really want to do this route! I might have to push it into 2010 and go for something longer and bigger in scope, like doing it overland from Europe (Turkey to India/China/Thailand).
Recently, I found myself more often checking out my friends’ blogs: Nicolai at Worldtravellers.dk is in the midst of his 4-year Around the World adventure enjoying a late Winter in the highlands of Argentina and Rob Thomson is inching his way to Shanghai on a World Guiness Book Record attempt to be the first person to skateboard across China. Simply amazing stuff.
Plus, I began reading Paul Theroux latest book: Ghost Train to the Eastern Star. It brings back funny travel memories and smiles on my face… He still is my favorite travel writer.
September 5th, 2008
Posted by
Rich |
Books, Preparation |
no comments
