tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846550295154619972024-03-13T14:02:23.743-07:00The Texas RandonneurCycling, especially randonneuring, is my obsession. Random opinions on riding and equipment.Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-28769601797611867082008-09-21T19:34:00.000-07:002008-09-21T19:42:33.241-07:00The Anti-Social RandonneurWell, that's what it seems anyway. I missed the Lone Star Randonneurs 400K this weekend because of business travel. Add that to missing last months night brevet, and it's starting to look like I don't want to ride with anyone. That's not the case, of course. I would prefer to have spent all of Saturday and part of Sunday morning riding from Cleburne to Mineral Wells and back - especially since we had a nice detour to avoid a closed bridge. But, duty called and I couldn't make it. So, here I am doing another solo permanent. It was a last minute thing so I had to do another of my routes. I don't have many left in the 200K range that I hadn't done this year, so I did the Marko Polo Permanent Populaire. Only 170K, but it was close to home. I really didn't expect to get any riding in this weekend, so these are all bonus miles so to speak.<br /><br />The route is named for a fellow Randonneur who passed away earlier this year, named Mark Sachnik. Mark, who liked to go by Marko Polo was an enthusiastic cyclist and was a popular ride leader with the Plano Bicycle Association. The route is on bikely <a href="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Marko-Polo-Century">here</a>.<br /><br />I really wasn't too happy with my riding today. Felt like a slug, though I really didn't have a bad finish time. Just never felt like I had any power in my legs.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SNcEhiUDMZI/AAAAAAAAAH8/0dXUm8jhYfc/s1600-h/DSCF0661.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; clear: both; float: right;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SNcEhiUDMZI/AAAAAAAAAH8/0dXUm8jhYfc/s320/DSCF0661.JPG" border="0" /></a>I did get a few pictures along the way. I've ridden this route three times now this year, but the first two were scheduled Populaires. I've also ridden these roads many times on other rides. But today was the first time I recall seeing the buffalo along FM-455, so I got a couple pictures of them. This guy was just standing around waiting to have his picture taken.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SNcEiHJ7WCI/AAAAAAAAAIE/SIdIyFpXsEI/s1600-h/DSCF0662.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; clear: both; float: right;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SNcEiHJ7WCI/AAAAAAAAAIE/SIdIyFpXsEI/s320/DSCF0662.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This group was part of the main herd.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SNcEiYcC50I/AAAAAAAAAIM/qK4E2w2oN6k/s1600-h/DSCF0663.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; clear: both; float: right;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SNcEiYcC50I/AAAAAAAAAIM/qK4E2w2oN6k/s320/DSCF0663.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's Yet Another run down old shack/barn.<div style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-64114434520792934952008-09-13T10:41:00.000-07:002008-09-13T10:48:21.750-07:00Kickapoo Joy Juice 200K Permanent<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://picasaweb.google.com/TexasRandonneur/TheTexasRandonneur?authkey=L9H0Cn47sUg#5245562686175059042"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/TexasRandonneur/TheTexasRandonneur?authkey=L9H0Cn47sUg#5245562686175059042" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Hurricane Ike was on it's way to Houston, so took off work on Thursday before to get a 200K in before the weekend. I rode the Kickapoo Joy Juice permanent route from Canton, TX to Palesetine, TX in an out-and-back route using mostly county roads and very low traffic FM roads. The route is a bucolic celebration with some steep hills, a little rough road, lots of rural scenery, and a few dogs just for fun. The route can be found on <a href="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Kickapoo-Joy-Juice">Bikely</a>.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I only got a couple pictures because I forgot to put the memory card back in the camera after the last ride!<br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/Users/george/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-3.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/george/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.jpg" alt="" /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SMv7eIyCHGI/AAAAAAAAAHs/uwC4YqGtvJs/s1600-h/DSCF0658.JPG"><img style="width: 550px; height: 411px;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SMv7eIyCHGI/AAAAAAAAAHs/uwC4YqGtvJs/s320/DSCF0658.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This picture is just a little past the turn onto the county road south of Martins Mill. Tree canopied roads are common along this route. Just ahead a bit I came to the first of several dogs. The northern county roads were pretty doggiefied this day. I suspect that lots of folks just let the dogs out when they go to work hoping they'll protect the property from wayward cyclists like me.</div></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SMv7eLIFoEI/AAAAAAAAAH0/0tvkWgJE_cs/s1600-h/DSCF0659.JPG"><img style="width: 581px; height: 435px;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SMv7eLIFoEI/AAAAAAAAAH0/0tvkWgJE_cs/s320/DSCF0659.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Another shot along the roads north of Athens. Unfortunately, without a memory card, two pictures filled up the tiny internal memory of the camera, so that was it. But, here you can see some of the typical rough roads encountered along the way. It was pretty variable. Some of the roads were very smooth. Some stretches quite rough, but most had rough patches that were easily avoidable or minimized.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The southern section of the route, as it gets within about 10 miles of Palestine, gets very huilly with numerous short, but steep climbs one after another. Then, after reaching Palestine and have a bit to eat, you turn around and do it all over again the other direction. By the time I get back to Athens, my legs are pretty trashed, so the gentler hills from there back to Canton are a welcome relief.</div></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-64397496734706767872008-09-07T18:40:00.000-07:002008-09-08T19:14:40.544-07:00<div style="text-align: left;">This post might be called, "Interesting Things along the Permanent". I rode the OK is OK route out of Greenville, TX looping up through very southern Oklahoma. It's a nice route that I've done a bunch of times previously and uses lots of low traffic roads. I was really just looking for an easy 200K and have been saving this route for such a time. You can see the route <a href="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/OK-is-OK5514">here</a> although the route may be reverse. I rode clockwise.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, I took the camera along and found a few interesting things long the way.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/TexasRandonneur/SMSHo2JnSJI/AAAAAAAAAGc/o9jFaOMFT7c/s720/DSCF0645.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" />This isn't the most interesting though it does show some of the typical scenery along the route. I took this picture after climbing the "Leonard Hills", a series of short, but steep rises between Leonard and Randolph<br />
<div><br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/TexasRandonneur/SMSHHWObj8I/AAAAAAAAAF8/2dddSB40FlI/s512/DSCF0649.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" />This is the Carpenters Bluff Bridge. It was built in the the very early 1900's as a railroad bridge across the Red River separating Texas and Oklahoma. Years later, a cantelevered addition was built onto the side of the bridge and a toll was charged for wagons to cross. More years later the railroad that built the bridge went under, the bridge was given to the county on the Oklahoma side and it was converted to a one-lane auto bridge. This is the oldest bridge between the two states I know of that can be crossed by bike (or car) and is way-cool to ride across.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/TexasRandonneur/SMSHHYk606I/AAAAAAAAAGE/7PFLtHeosLM/s720/DSCF0650.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">While crossing the bridge into Oklahoma, I looked down and saw an old pickup truck stuck in the sand. How this truck got here, and whether the folks on the right have anything to do with it (I doubt) I have no idea. But something tells me that alcohol was involved.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/TexasRandonneur/SMSHHrL2ICI/AAAAAAAAAGM/lgXr8yy22Ck/s720/DSCF0652.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Silver Dollar Cafe is a little convenience store/eatery just north of the bridge. It looks like a real dump, and, yeah, it is. but they have nice weekend lunuch buffet that is small, but has excellent fried catfish. I didn't stop today as it was still kind of early. Maybe next time.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/TexasRandonneur/SMSHH_EaYWI/AAAAAAAAAGU/eOI4ymcU7T0/s512/DSCF0653.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
There wasn't much to photograph elsewhere in Oklahoma. I did pass a huge dairy butit was about a quarter mile off the road and they didn't accept visitors on Sunday. It looked like it might be worth a look on a Saturday if I can get there before noon. So, back across the Red river on a different bridge. This one is quite a bit newer than the other, built, I think in the 1940's or 50's. It's still got a lot more character than the newer bridges.</div><div><br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/TexasRandonneur/SMSHo0OiQ6I/AAAAAAAAAGk/fIUyj3MMRUU/s720/DSCF0655.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is always a welcome sight. Riding through Indian Territories is all very nice, but it's good to be home.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/TexasRandonneur/SMSHpCTYEiI/AAAAAAAAAGs/wUZ6uh4of8s/s720/DSCF0656.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/TexasRandonneur/SMSHpCTYEiI/AAAAAAAAAGs/wUZ6uh4of8s/s720/DSCF0656.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<div><div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div>I found this old barn just south of Gober. Kind quaint in a rustic run down way. Sort of like most of Gober.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/TexasRandonneur/SMSHpHQKnrI/AAAAAAAAAG0/UMRaHjs2Ja8/s720/DSCF0657.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline;"><br />
</span></div></div><div>OK, so here's the wierd sigting of the day. Just north of Wolfe City on TX-34. As far as I can tell, the victim sits in the chair and gets spun around every which way imaginable until he, or his tormenter, have had enough. Bodily fluids then are ejected from the mouth at a high velocity.</div><div><br />
How the owner happened to come into possession, or why he would want to own a device with the sole purpose of making people vomit is beyond me. But, you could own it next. I'll pass on taking a twirl.</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-2881852220661111392008-09-02T17:55:00.000-07:002008-09-04T19:49:43.342-07:00Homemade Generator Taillight<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Several months ago, I built my own generator taillight. I wanted something very bright but that won't blind riders close behind me. One of my pet peeves is randonneurs who mount bright taillight pointing upward as if they're signaling UFOs.<br /><br />My taillight is made from a red CREE LED emitter and a fan-beam lens. the lens is oriented to give a wide beam from side to side, but very narrow in the vertical direction. the intent is to help keep the light from blinding other riders close behind me.<br /><br />To house the emitter, I used a 1 inch copper pipe cap and cut it down to the length of the emitter and lens holder. The LED came mounted to a "star" plate with solder pads for the power wires. I mounted the star to the bottom of the pipe cap by tapping two holes in the cap and screwing the star down with some thermal grease for heatsinking.<br /><br />The lens holder wasn't made specifically for this LED so I had to cut way at parts of it to fit. I then used silicone adhesive to hold it in place inside the pipe cap. The power wires come in through a small hole in the back that is sealed with more silicone.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3gq-rW9sI/AAAAAAAAABk/V-Zki1nOuGc/s1600-h/DSCF0597.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3gq-rW9sI/AAAAAAAAABk/V-Zki1nOuGc/s320/DSCF0597.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Here you can see the finished light with the lens attached. The domed shape of the lens and the internal ridges give it the desired beam pattern. The light is ready for mounting on the bike.<br /></div> </div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3grMTQoaI/AAAAAAAAABs/2MgOBA7xgVw/s1600-h/DSCF0600.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3grMTQoaI/AAAAAAAAABs/2MgOBA7xgVw/s320/DSCF0600.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div>I didn't make a mounting adapter for the light. Instead, I used a padded adele clamp (basically a large P-clamp) that was attached to a Cateye taillight clamp sized to fit the bike's chainstay. the wires are zip tied to the frame and run up to an LED headlight that provides a rectified current from the dynohub to the taillight.<br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3grbNlj1I/AAAAAAAAAB0/gb93WWFESpw/s1600-h/DSCF0606.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3grbNlj1I/AAAAAAAAAB0/gb93WWFESpw/s320/DSCF0606.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here's another shot of the mounted light.<br /></div></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3grYQNiTI/AAAAAAAAAB8/KCvAiCowKDY/s1600-h/DSCF0613.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3grYQNiTI/AAAAAAAAAB8/KCvAiCowKDY/s320/DSCF0613.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />So, how bright is the light? Very, very bright. Other riders have told me that they can see the light a long way off even in full sun. The LED puts very little extra load on the generator and I have it, and the twin LED headlights operating day or night. By the way, the generator light is brighter than the Planet Bike SuperFlash on the right chainstay that I keep for backup.<br /></div> </div>Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-45921227617916869522008-09-02T17:50:00.000-07:002008-09-02T17:50:47.300-07:00I Agree<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3fR6snnFI/AAAAAAAAABc/2UZq_NWq52I/s1600-h/DSCF0620.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3fR6snnFI/AAAAAAAAABc/2UZq_NWq52I/s320/DSCF0620.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sort of says it all, don't you think?</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-84022979621044735592008-09-02T16:56:00.000-07:002008-09-02T17:06:39.397-07:00Emergency Supplies<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><div style="text-align: left;">One of the main tenats of randonneuring is to be self-sufficient and prepared to fix problems along the route. But, more than once I have seen randonneurs who sacrifice preparedness in favor of reducing weight. But, being prepared for common problems really requires very little extra weight. Here's the contents of my emergency kit:<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3TEKZ7SJI/AAAAAAAAAA8/ddkrMGg3kqg/s1600-h/DSCF0635.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3TEKZ7SJI/AAAAAAAAAA8/ddkrMGg3kqg/s320/DSCF0635.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">As you can see, everything here fits into a small seatbag. to be fair, I also carry a spare tire in my handlebar bag or, sometimes in a larger seatbag, a pump attached to the frame, and some duct tape wrapped around my seatpost. But aside from that, what you see is what I carry. There's a spare tube, of course, tire levers, multitool, zip ties, and some miscellaneous items in the Altoids-sized tin. Let's look inside the tin.<br /></div></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3TELA0LjI/AAAAAAAAABE/-pqnu6Tosnk/s1600-h/DSCF0636.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3TELA0LjI/AAAAAAAAABE/-pqnu6Tosnk/s320/DSCF0636.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here you can see inside the tin. Everything packs fairly neatly within. It's pretty full but everything is pretty light.<br /></div></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3TEV21FHI/AAAAAAAAABM/jjvUGi6OIh8/s1600-h/DSCF0637.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3TEV21FHI/AAAAAAAAABM/jjvUGi6OIh8/s320/DSCF0637.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Opening up the tin and spreading out the items, I have the following:<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Patch kit (cement, patches, sandpaper<br /></li><li>FiberFix emergency spoke and instructions<br /></li><li>Lacing tape (useful for lots of repair jobs)<br /></li><li>Small bag containing a spare PowerLink, Presta to Shrader adapter, and a few "instant" patches<br /></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;">The presta to schrader adapter is there only in the event I forget to bring my pump. Sad to say, this has happened more than once on a solo ride. In such case, at least I'll have hope of inflating a tire if I can find my way to a gas station.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The lacing tape, used in the aerospace industry for tying wire bundles, is a flat string that doesn't easily tangle, is very strong, and is quite useful when neither tape nor zip ties are a good solution. A reasonable substitute would be dental floss.</div></div></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3TElBjq0I/AAAAAAAAABU/V84dnRb4sCE/s1600-h/DSCF0638.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/SL3TElBjq0I/AAAAAAAAABU/V84dnRb4sCE/s320/DSCF0638.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I also carry a couple tools on my keyring. I have a folding pair of pliers and a knife. Each of these also has a few screwdrivers for good measure. I use generator lights so the pliers and knife are to help repair a broken wire. Of course, they can come in handy for other repairs.</div></div>Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-20424935696209152862008-09-01T17:07:00.000-07:002008-09-02T17:23:35.641-07:00Wylie to Yantis 230K PermanentOne of our Lone Star Randonneurs members, Shellene, manages an easy, enjoyable out-and-back permanent between <a href="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Wylie-to-Yantis-225K">Wylie, TX and Yantis, TX</a>. The route is pretty flat with no real climbs to speak of. It's mainly east/west so, with our prevailing north or south winds, it's usually reasonably wind neutral.<div><br /></div><div>I rode this route Monday, 1 Sept, with one of my LSR buddies, Jeff. Neither of us was able to do the night brevet the previous Saturday, so we made up for it with this route. We were fortunate to also ride with Shellene and her boyfriend Bryan part of the way. They were doing a different permanent that shared our route for the first 20 miles or so.</div><div><br /></div><div>The ride went quite well. We had a bit of headwind on the way out, presumably due to the distant hurricane Gustav, which was coming ashore in Louisiana. It was pretty muggy with an expected high temperature of 97 degrees. As we got closer to the turnaround point in the tiny town of Yantis, the wind got progressively stronger. This was a good sign.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the way back, the wind continued to increase so we came out ahead on the headwind vs tailwind. It's nice when that happens though it's all too infrequent. It even clouded up fairly well so the heat wasn't nearly as bad as it normally is.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today was also the opening day of Dove season so for about a 10 mile stretch near the beginning of the ride we saw (and heard) countless hunters in the recently harvested corn fields.</div><div><br /></div><div>No pictures from the ride. I did bring the camera, but it forgot about it and didn't take any photos.</div>Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-33198025134768791012007-11-11T16:16:00.001-08:002007-11-11T16:51:05.578-08:00How not to Mount LightsI have been mounting two Schmidt E6 halogen lights on a Minoura Swing Grip attached to my stem. This has, until yesterday, worked wonderfully. The lights are lower than the handlebar, which helps bring out texture of the road surface and helps spot any debris or potholes. And, the lights are easily accessible. This is great when climbing steep hills so I can turn off the secondary light.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/RzeiQa8OyjI/AAAAAAAAAAM/0yhOAhg-C8k/s1600-h/DSCF0460.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/RzeiQa8OyjI/AAAAAAAAAAM/0yhOAhg-C8k/s320/DSCF0460.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131748703405525554" border="0" /></a>However, there's always a catch. Yesterday, during the second half of the "Arduous Arbuckles" 200 miles permanent, the T-bar on the Space Grip broke. It was a clean, fatigue break caused, no doubt, by nearly 8000 miles of riding in this configuration. Fortunately, the bar didn't completely separate from the center section as it was sort of held by the light wiring strapped to the center section. But, something had to be done before nightfall to keep the lights from flopping around.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/Rzeipq8OykI/AAAAAAAAAAU/Q_RcyEjB9p4/s1600-h/DSCF0457.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JuvSg-XiDww/Rzeipq8OykI/AAAAAAAAAAU/Q_RcyEjB9p4/s320/DSCF0457.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131749137197222466" border="0" /></a>My rando solution was to use a length of duct tape (you do carry duct tape, right?) to bandaid the assembly together. Fortunately, the tape did the trick and I was able to use the lights for the 53 miles from the last control to the finish.<br /><br />I guess I'm back to mounting the lights on the forks using stubs.Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-48774546344707798932007-11-05T17:11:00.000-08:002007-11-05T17:19:44.277-08:00Grand Prairie 400KI did my third 400K brevet for the year last Sturday. This was a new route for the Lonestar Randonneurs and it's a winner. Nice, easy route that's pretty flat. Started at Lynn Creek Marina and ran south to Buffalo, TX and back.<br /><br />Real nice weather for this one. Moderate temperatures and a tailwind all the way to Buffalo. Then, the wind died out for the trip back home! Sweet!<br /><br />I rode with two guys who were doing their first 400K brevets and we had a good time enjoying the scenery - at least until it turned dark. But we had a clear sky with no moon until early in the morning. We could see the Milky Way up in the sky at one brief stop along the road.<br /><br />Most of the roads became devoid of traffic after about 8 PM so we had the rural roads to ourselves. That's my favorite time to ride and with twin Schmidt lights, I really enjoyed myself.Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-75206448018063673422007-10-20T18:17:00.000-07:002007-10-20T19:00:27.905-07:00Italy Brevet and DNFOh, woe is me. For the fist time in two years of Randonneuring, I DNF'd a brevet.<br /><br />I signed up for a RUSA 300K brevet out of Italy, TX put on by the Lonestar Randonneurs, my home organization. I arrived early and felt great. The weather was quite cool but expected to warm up to the high 80s with stiff south winds. There was a good turnout split evenly between the 300K and a 200K route offered at the same time. Most of the riders were wearing light jackets. I opted to leave mine behind as I knew that a few minutes of riding would warm me up and I would just end up carrying the jacket for no reason. That was a good decision.<br /><br />The route was basically south for 95 miles then back to the start in an elongated loop. We all started out well and for the first three miles, I was riding up in the front group. Then, I noticed I had left my pump in the car. Oh, bother. I'm not that fast a rider and I knew I would be drifting to the back of the pack and possibly end up riding on my own. The thought of getting a flat out on a rural road wasn't very appealing, especially since my cell phone usually doesn't get a signal unless you can throw a rock and have it land on an interstate highway. I've done a couple solo 200K rides without a pump and although I've always been lucky, I spend the whole ride looking down at my tires wondering if they're going low.<br /><br />So, I reluctantly slowed down, did a U-turn and hightailed it back three miles to the start, got the pump, and set out again, 20 minutes behind and facing the prospect of fighting increasing headwinds to make the first control 30 miles away.<br /><br />I put in some good effort and rode much of the route in the drops, making really good time. Most of the winds were coming broadside and weren't hurting speed too much. I worked pretty hard, wanting to at least catch up to some of the slower riders so I would get some help with the wind later on.<br /><br />About a mile from the first control, I caught my first rider, Don. Unfortunately, for him, just as I came up to him, there was a loud snap and he broke a rear bladed spoke. I stopped to help him out and we got the spoke, which broke at the nipple, wrapped up out of the way and opened up his rear brake. But the tire was still rubbing the chainstay. Don had a spoke tool and was going to simply adjust the nearby spokes to true the wheel up a bit and so he sent me on my way.<br /><br />At the control, I met up with a Nelson, who was just about to depart. I ran into the store, got my card signed, went to pee, and back on the bike. Shortests control stop ever. Couldn't have been longer than three minutes. But Nelson was taking it real easy, so I continued on ahead chasing down another rider.<br /><br />I caught two more riders, both doing 200K, before I saw several more in the distance. So I kept chasing and finally caught Sharon, Jeff, Edward, and Dennis. Edward and Dennis were doing 200K, but Sharon and Jeff were doing 300K. Perfect! I like to ride with Sharon and Jeff and at the speed they were riding, I felt I could keep up with them for the duration, or at least down the turnaround point where we would pick up a tailwind. At this point, we're at mile 50.<br /><br />Just as I'm starting to feel good about things, I start getting some stomach cramps. Now this is unusual. I've rarely had this on a ride. So, I hang on for the next 6 or 7 miles to get to the second control in Mexia and head for the restroom.<br /><br />Afterward, I was feeling better, but still a little strange but I pressed on. It was only 13 miles to the next control anyway. Well, those were some of the longest 13 miles. I kept having stomach cramps and eventually fell of the back of our small group for the last couple miles into Teague. Once there, it's back to the restroom.<br /><br />By now, I'm really feeling wiped out. I'm worried that I might be coming down with food poisoning or some other ailment. I'm 75 miles from the start, and that's about 75 miles from home! Since I was about 2 hours ahead of the cutoff for this control, I considered just staying behind for an hour to see if I felt better. But that would mean fighting the ever increasing headwind the next 30+ miles to Jewett on my own. And if I wasn't feeling very good, It would really be a chore. And even then, I might need to call it quits with an even longer wait for a ride home.<br /><br />So, sad to say, I decided to just quit then and not risk it. I called my wife, who wasn't very thrilled with having to come pick me up, then go out of our way home to collect my car from Italy.<br /><br />Of course, you know what happens. After about an hour, I get to feeling better and by the time my ride appears, I'm back to normal. Oh, well. I didn't need the brevet for mileage goals or any other award other than to keep my second R-12 series going. So, I'll need to do at least a 200K next weekend for that. But, I did get in 50 miles of good tempo riding, and that should count for something.Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784655029515461997.post-37218471912688235332007-10-18T17:02:00.000-07:002007-10-18T17:17:12.733-07:00WelcomeWelcome to a journal on cycling. I expect this to be weighted heavily toward randonneuring, a form of long distance, self supported, non-competitive riding, but probably touch on other forms of cycling as well.<br /><br />So, what is randonneuring?<br /><br />Randonneuring is a form of long distance riding. It's not touring as the rides are done all at once with little, if any sleep. It's not racing, though the rides are timed and you must ride a predetermined route within a prescribed time.<br /><br />Basically, you are given a cue sheet and possibly a map by the ride organizer. You, and everyone else who turns out for the ride, start at a specific time and follow that cue sheet to the finish - usually the same as the start point. The rides are typically 200, 300, 400, or 600 Km long. That's between 125 and 375 miles. However, there are sometimes rides as short as 100 Km or as long as 1200 Km.<br /><br />Randonneurs tend to be great folks and go out of there way to help you overcome any obstacles along the way. In fact, finding ways to overcome problems, mechanical, health, weather, etc. is a great source of pride among randonneurs.<br /><br />For more information on the sport of randonneuring, check the Randonneurs USA link on the left. There, you can find a much better description of what randonneuring is all about and links to local organizations that host rides.Supreme Commanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02538962675224770345noreply@blogger.com0