Miles: 26.5
Time: 2:35:22
Elevation: 575
Average Speed: 10.2
Max Speed: 26.2
A pleasant afternoon ride to the airport, park HQ and return. High 60's and a mild W. breeze. Bike performed flawlessly.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
01-29-2013 - First Serious Ride on Dahon
Miles: 26.5
Time: 2:26:14
Elevation: 542
Average Speed: 10.9
Max Speed: 22.9
This was my first serious ride on this bike which my buddy Doug calls a clown bike. I told him after I bought it that all I needed was a clown suit and a Tammy Fae Baker makeup kit. Previously I had put about 6 miles on the bike riding around my neighborhood. I have been a bit reluctant to take it out on the road but last night I ordered a tube mounted bottle cage mount and cage and they came this morning which ruined my good excuses especially since I already had an extra tube. I mounted the bottle cage and a seat bag with tube inside and put my mini-pump in my back pocket and hit the road. The following are my first impressions: The first thing you notice about this bike are that it is not as fast as a 700c or 26" bike or at least does not feel as fast. The claimed weight is 32 pounds. Next comes the fact that the 8 speed Shimano Nexus internally geared hub and twist shifter requires a clockwise twist for smaller (lower) gears and counter clockwise for larger (higher). This is the reverse of a standard derailleur system which all my other bikes have. I am still having some occasional occurrences of shifting backwards but that is a small issue and will go away with more miles. After 2-3 miles I started to feel the stock Biologic seat. Ideally one would forget he was even sitting on a seat. This one is not bad for a plastic seat but not as good as my Brooks Flyer which has me completely spoiled. After a few more miles the seat issues did seem to fade away but I will certainly try the Brooks before I do any serious miles. Over the length of this ride I has no issues with hand position or comfort. There are at least 2 positions available on the bars and they can easily be adjusted up or down or rotated if a change of position is called for. The gear spacing is a bit wide compared to my other bikes but that is to be expected when 8 speeds are spread over a pretty decent gear inch range, 24" to 74". The stock setup is a 39 tooth chain ring and a 16 tooth rear sprocket. I have ordered a 20 tooth rear sprocket which will drop the range to about 20" to 63". The low end will be more appropriate for some of the local climbs and hopefully loaded touring but the top will be pretty limited. It will take some experimentation to find what will be best for my riding routes and style and I my end up changing the sprocket to suit the ride at hand. So far I have not found the 20" wheels to be an issue. This ride was about the same comfort wise as on any of my other bikes. The 1.5" Schwalby tires and the suspended seat post no doubt help in this regard. I am learning to like the step through frame. With a load it is very hard for me to get my old leg over my 700c touring bike. This bike has no such issues. I found the handling to be acceptable. Doug thought the bike was "twitchy" when he rode it and it may well be but I have not noticed it so far. For me the important handling test is the ability to get as close to the edge of the pavement as possible when being overtaken by motor vehicles on Amboy Road and Highway 62 without going off into the deep sand which would result in a fall most or all of the time. I had no problems doing so with comfort today. The folding mechanism is easy to use and appears to be of good quality. I can envision many circumstances where it will be very advantageous to have a bike that can be folded into a compact package an easily transported. The verdict? In spite of looking like a "clown Bike" this is a serious bike with a good frame and quality components. I would not hesitate to ride it any time, anyplace (on pavement of course), including on multi-day tours.
Time: 2:26:14
Elevation: 542
Average Speed: 10.9
Max Speed: 22.9
This was my first serious ride on this bike which my buddy Doug calls a clown bike. I told him after I bought it that all I needed was a clown suit and a Tammy Fae Baker makeup kit. Previously I had put about 6 miles on the bike riding around my neighborhood. I have been a bit reluctant to take it out on the road but last night I ordered a tube mounted bottle cage mount and cage and they came this morning which ruined my good excuses especially since I already had an extra tube. I mounted the bottle cage and a seat bag with tube inside and put my mini-pump in my back pocket and hit the road. The following are my first impressions: The first thing you notice about this bike are that it is not as fast as a 700c or 26" bike or at least does not feel as fast. The claimed weight is 32 pounds. Next comes the fact that the 8 speed Shimano Nexus internally geared hub and twist shifter requires a clockwise twist for smaller (lower) gears and counter clockwise for larger (higher). This is the reverse of a standard derailleur system which all my other bikes have. I am still having some occasional occurrences of shifting backwards but that is a small issue and will go away with more miles. After 2-3 miles I started to feel the stock Biologic seat. Ideally one would forget he was even sitting on a seat. This one is not bad for a plastic seat but not as good as my Brooks Flyer which has me completely spoiled. After a few more miles the seat issues did seem to fade away but I will certainly try the Brooks before I do any serious miles. Over the length of this ride I has no issues with hand position or comfort. There are at least 2 positions available on the bars and they can easily be adjusted up or down or rotated if a change of position is called for. The gear spacing is a bit wide compared to my other bikes but that is to be expected when 8 speeds are spread over a pretty decent gear inch range, 24" to 74". The stock setup is a 39 tooth chain ring and a 16 tooth rear sprocket. I have ordered a 20 tooth rear sprocket which will drop the range to about 20" to 63". The low end will be more appropriate for some of the local climbs and hopefully loaded touring but the top will be pretty limited. It will take some experimentation to find what will be best for my riding routes and style and I my end up changing the sprocket to suit the ride at hand. So far I have not found the 20" wheels to be an issue. This ride was about the same comfort wise as on any of my other bikes. The 1.5" Schwalby tires and the suspended seat post no doubt help in this regard. I am learning to like the step through frame. With a load it is very hard for me to get my old leg over my 700c touring bike. This bike has no such issues. I found the handling to be acceptable. Doug thought the bike was "twitchy" when he rode it and it may well be but I have not noticed it so far. For me the important handling test is the ability to get as close to the edge of the pavement as possible when being overtaken by motor vehicles on Amboy Road and Highway 62 without going off into the deep sand which would result in a fall most or all of the time. I had no problems doing so with comfort today. The folding mechanism is easy to use and appears to be of good quality. I can envision many circumstances where it will be very advantageous to have a bike that can be folded into a compact package an easily transported. The verdict? In spite of looking like a "clown Bike" this is a serious bike with a good frame and quality components. I would not hesitate to ride it any time, anyplace (on pavement of course), including on multi-day tours.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
01/27/2013 - Short Ride on New Dahon and Airport Loop on Tourer
Miles: 4.0
Time: 0:26:052
Elevation: 0
Average Speed: 9.1
Max Speed: 15.0
Ride around park and neighborhood to get feel of Dahon. Not bad! Shifting is great. Gear spread is a bit long but to be expected given inch range (24-74) and speeds (8). Too much wind which made bike seem sluggish. Steering post has some play. I need to investigate to see what I can do to tighten it up. No adjustment is obvious. May have to use some shims.
Miles: 22.3
Time: 2:04:18
Elevation: 409
Average Speed: 10.7
Max Speed: 22.3
Airport loop on Tour bike in the wind. I am surprised the average is as high as it is given the wind. This ride seems like what many tour day could be, slow and steady, requiring much patience. Bad traffic. On Amboy east of Pinto Mt. some guy passed 3 cars right in my face. As soon a I could see he would probably not hit me and had a clear view of me I gave him the finger. Maybe he will refrain the next time he is in a similar situation or in any situation were he is around a bike.
Time: 0:26:052
Elevation: 0
Average Speed: 9.1
Max Speed: 15.0
Ride around park and neighborhood to get feel of Dahon. Not bad! Shifting is great. Gear spread is a bit long but to be expected given inch range (24-74) and speeds (8). Too much wind which made bike seem sluggish. Steering post has some play. I need to investigate to see what I can do to tighten it up. No adjustment is obvious. May have to use some shims.
Miles: 22.3
Time: 2:04:18
Elevation: 409
Average Speed: 10.7
Max Speed: 22.3
Airport loop on Tour bike in the wind. I am surprised the average is as high as it is given the wind. This ride seems like what many tour day could be, slow and steady, requiring much patience. Bad traffic. On Amboy east of Pinto Mt. some guy passed 3 cars right in my face. As soon a I could see he would probably not hit me and had a clear view of me I gave him the finger. Maybe he will refrain the next time he is in a similar situation or in any situation were he is around a bike.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
01-22-2013 - Airport Loop + Lear Road on Touring Bike
Miles: 36.3
Time: 3:11:32
Elevation: 1128
Average Speed: 11.4
Max Speed: 34.9
Took the touring bike out on the usual airport loop then added a jaunt out Highway 62 to Lear Road with a return via 2 Mile and Adobe Roads. A nice afternoon although not as warm as advertised especially going into the cool NE Breeze. A guy on a fully loaded Big Dummy passed me going east out near Lear Road on 62. He was on the other side of the busy highway so I did not get to talk to him. He looked tired and his rig looked heavy. He was probably sick of fighting the headwind. I have not ridden the tour bike for some time. It is a comfortable ride. It goes via cadence and not power which takes a few miles to adjust to.
Time: 3:11:32
Elevation: 1128
Average Speed: 11.4
Max Speed: 34.9
Took the touring bike out on the usual airport loop then added a jaunt out Highway 62 to Lear Road with a return via 2 Mile and Adobe Roads. A nice afternoon although not as warm as advertised especially going into the cool NE Breeze. A guy on a fully loaded Big Dummy passed me going east out near Lear Road on 62. He was on the other side of the busy highway so I did not get to talk to him. He looked tired and his rig looked heavy. He was probably sick of fighting the headwind. I have not ridden the tour bike for some time. It is a comfortable ride. It goes via cadence and not power which takes a few miles to adjust to.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
01-20-2013 - Pinto Mt. Loop
Miles: 14.2
Time: 1:07:30
Elevation: 161
Average Speed: 12.7 /Mi
Max Speed: 25.2
Usual Pinto Mountain Road loop after 49'er win! Sun went down at Pinto and Amboy. It cooled down faster than I expected but it was OK.
Time: 1:07:30
Elevation: 161
Average Speed: 12.7 /Mi
Max Speed: 25.2
Usual Pinto Mountain Road loop after 49'er win! Sun went down at Pinto and Amboy. It cooled down faster than I expected but it was OK.
Friday, January 18, 2013
01-18-2013 - Pinto Mt. Loop
Miles: 14.2
Time: 1:04:53
Elevation: 161
Average Speed: 13.2 /Mi
Max Speed: 22.0
Nice afternoon. 65 degrees. Almost no wind. It felt good. Decided that in a week or so I will stop riding road bike and use tourer only to get read to go.
Time: 1:04:53
Elevation: 161
Average Speed: 13.2 /Mi
Max Speed: 22.0
Nice afternoon. 65 degrees. Almost no wind. It felt good. Decided that in a week or so I will stop riding road bike and use tourer only to get read to go.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
01-16-2013 - Pinto Mt. Loop
Miles: 14.2
Time: 1:09:22
Elevation: 160
Average Speed: 12.3 /Mi
Max Speed: 21.9
A short and brisk ride in the NW wind. About 58 out.
Time: 1:09:22
Elevation: 160
Average Speed: 12.3 /Mi
Max Speed: 21.9
A short and brisk ride in the NW wind. About 58 out.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
01-13-2013 - Neighborhood Walk
Miles: 7.2
Time: 2:14:37
Elevation: 95
Average Speed: 18.48 /mile
Max Speed: N/A
Walk around the Boullion Mountain Road loop. Mid 40's afternoon. I do not like riding the bike in the cold. Also I am tired of riding locally. I want to go but I realize I must ride enough to keep my conditioning up until the time is right to start to Florida.
Time: 2:14:37
Elevation: 95
Average Speed: 18.48 /mile
Max Speed: N/A
Walk around the Boullion Mountain Road loop. Mid 40's afternoon. I do not like riding the bike in the cold. Also I am tired of riding locally. I want to go but I realize I must ride enough to keep my conditioning up until the time is right to start to Florida.
Friday, January 11, 2013
01-11-2013 - Neighborhood Walk
Miles: 5.4
Time: 1:40:34
Elevation: 51
Average Speed: 18:41 /Mi
Max Speed: N/A
A nice walk around the Bagdad Highway loop on a beautiful cool high 40's winter afternoon. Sky was a very beautiful shade of blue, scattered clouds and a chilly NW wind. Axiom bags came today.
Time: 1:40:34
Elevation: 51
Average Speed: 18:41 /Mi
Max Speed: N/A
A nice walk around the Bagdad Highway loop on a beautiful cool high 40's winter afternoon. Sky was a very beautiful shade of blue, scattered clouds and a chilly NW wind. Axiom bags came today.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
01-08-2013 - Airport Loop in the Wind
Miles: 23.3
Time: 1:52:31:05
Elevation: 457
Average Speed: 12.4.1
Max Speed: 27.8
A sunny 65 degree afternoon with a 5-10 MPH NNW wind. I had a hard time getting into riding but did around mile 10 then had a very good time even coming back to town uphill and against the wind. My faith in biking is restored! I will order bags, tent and tires for tour.
Time: 1:52:31:05
Elevation: 457
Average Speed: 12.4.1
Max Speed: 27.8
A sunny 65 degree afternoon with a 5-10 MPH NNW wind. I had a hard time getting into riding but did around mile 10 then had a very good time even coming back to town uphill and against the wind. My faith in biking is restored! I will order bags, tent and tires for tour.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
01-06-2012 - Pinto Mountain Loop
Miles: 14.2.0
Time: 1:04:57
Elevation: 160
Average Speed: 13.2
Max Speed: 21.4
Chilly ride around Pinto Mountain Road loop. Met Daniel, a touring biker from Atlanta on Amboy Road. He had been to Martinez and was headed east. He was riding a beater Trek mountain bike with 700C wheels and disc brakes. His equipment looked like hell but that happens after some time on the road. He had a beat up Ortlieb and some other brand of dry bag on the rear and a pair of new K-mart bags on the front. He seemed kind of discouraged. His plan was to go to Amboy then Needles and end up in Durango, CO. I gave him the water from my small bottle. When I got home I took him a gallon of water and a few food items from my limited pantry. He was a few miles beyond Goodwin Road on Amboy. We talked more about route and he decided to take Iron Age Road to 62 to Parker then 60 to New Mexico and 10 and 20 to Dallas where he has an uncle. I think it is a wise decision this time of year. I was glad I could help him out.
Time: 1:04:57
Elevation: 160
Average Speed: 13.2
Max Speed: 21.4
Chilly ride around Pinto Mountain Road loop. Met Daniel, a touring biker from Atlanta on Amboy Road. He had been to Martinez and was headed east. He was riding a beater Trek mountain bike with 700C wheels and disc brakes. His equipment looked like hell but that happens after some time on the road. He had a beat up Ortlieb and some other brand of dry bag on the rear and a pair of new K-mart bags on the front. He seemed kind of discouraged. His plan was to go to Amboy then Needles and end up in Durango, CO. I gave him the water from my small bottle. When I got home I took him a gallon of water and a few food items from my limited pantry. He was a few miles beyond Goodwin Road on Amboy. We talked more about route and he decided to take Iron Age Road to 62 to Parker then 60 to New Mexico and 10 and 20 to Dallas where he has an uncle. I think it is a wise decision this time of year. I was glad I could help him out.
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