Whoops.

Why are there two bikes on the car, but only one front wheel in the back? How was it possible that I loaded the bike, but forget her wheel? She forgave me. We walked down to the river, watched it roll by for a while, then came home. Oh well.

Not much riding lately

Smoke smoke smoke

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This is not the most fun way to ride, but there was a bit less smoke today and I really really missed my bike rides. #smoke

A post shared by curtis corlew (@cccorlew) on Aug 23, 2020 at 12:11pm PDT

Riding in California is a bit tougher these days. It's been so smokey I skipped a couple of days, but there are limits. Riding in a mask like this isn't great, but it's better than not riding at all.And today was actually better than the last few. I'm thankful this is my biggest problem right now, and that unlike so many my home and family are safe.

Bonus photos from Colorado

Lafayette Colorado, where our daughter, grandson and brand new grandson live.

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Coal Creek trail. Should have brought wider tires or a different bike. Still, it was beautiful.

A post shared by curtis corlew (@cccorlew) on Jul 25, 2020 at 1:19pm PDT

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Fun bicycle public art in Lafayette Colorado makes a wonderful background for yet another photo of my bike.

A post shared by curtis corlew (@cccorlew) on Jul 26, 2020 at 10:39am PDT

Tricia's 2020 birthday ride

We can't really go anywhere with the world shut down, so Tricia rode her age on local roads.

Touched by his noodley appendage

Look at my bike leaning on...

Cycling film promises to be great.

I'm looking forward to this amazing movie. The trailer looks stunning!

Bike to Work Day 2020 COVID-19 version

Our local bike to work day was supposed to be today. We did it even though it was postponed. 45 seconds of commuter bliss.

Sign of the times

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Tricia and get outside for our "socially distanced" bike rides (not from each other, silly) but still are reminded of the seriousness with our current situation. We both are starting to realize we won't be going back to school or seeing our students this semester. Stay safe, youze guys.

A post shared by curtis corlew (@cccorlew) on Mar 31, 2020 at 5:03pm PDT

Red Shift stem and big ol' tires

Gravel. Bumpy roads. They're a real transition for an old roadie. In an effort to prepare for our planned Cycle the Divide ride in Montana this summer I  put big ol' tires (bigger than 23!) on a set of 650B wheels. I have a Specialized Pathfinder 47 in front, but it wouldn't quite fit in the rear, so I tossed a Soma Casadaro 42 back there.

But in case that wouldn't be enough I added a RedShift suspension stem. I've done one ride on it and so far it seems like a winner. It doesn't bounce as I feared it would. Between the tires running at (for a roadie) insanely low pressure and this stem the ride is plush, or as my Path Less Pedaled folk say, Supple. It's remarkably stable as well. On the road the disappearance of road buzz (even with the big tread tires) is almost disconcerting. On the gravel the bike is a lot more fun as I'm not being bashed about.

I also installed Soma Casadaro tires on Tricia's Salsa. Her fame fits 50s, which are huge. It sure looks cool, and she seems happy with them.

We managed to get in a short social distancing test ride in Black Diamond Mines Regional Park. I may never be a gravel lover, but it sure is nice to be out in the green and away from cars.

This weekend the weather is a mess, and I just can't make myself ride in cold rain for fun, so further testing will have to wait.

Riding in the time of Covid 19

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In anticipation of our planned Montana gravel ride along the divide that now may not happen, I bought set of 650B wheels and some really fat tires. I realized today that I wouldn’t be using my bike as a commuter in the foreseeable future so I took off the fenders and rack and popped the new wheels on. I sure enjoyed the beauty of Black Diamond Mines. I can see why this gravel thing is becoming a thing, even though I’m still a roadie in my heart.

A post shared by curtis corlew (@cccorlew) on Mar 21, 2020 at 5:43pm PDT

Tricia almost wins wheel contest

Our favorite Youtube content creators, The Path Less Pedaled, held a contest/giveaway for a set of amazing wheels, pair of Chris King R45D hubs laced to the super light and strong ENVE G27 rims! To win you needed to write up what you'd do with them and send along a photo. We watched the live announcement.

Here's Tricia's minute of fame (linked directly to where they talk about her)


Tricia was one of the top 10. They read her story and showed her photo. It was fun to see the live comments "Let the teacher win!" From there they drew numbers from a helmet. All the finalists were interesting, and though Tricia would have liked to win, she felt like the winner really deserved it. Fun was had. You can check out all the Path Less Pedaled internet presence in various places, and you'll be happy you did.
PLP Web site
The Path Less Pedaled Youtube

Wine loop around Comanche and Pardee

We ride a lot out our front. We like not having to drive to get to ride, but the same old routes get old. So in honor of our three day weekend we decided to actually have some fun. We had wine club wine to pick up at Klinker Brick in Lodi, so we took the bikes to the nearby tiny town of Clements to ride around Comanche Reservoir  and across the damn at Pardee Reservoir before collecting our Zinfandel. 

The day was beautiful, though cool, and the wine was a delight. We did have a few closer passes than we would have liked, and one jerk.. well, watch the short video. But overall, it was a win, and our first "away" ride of the year.

2020 Diablo summit

Once again, our pilgrimage to up to the Mt. Diablo Summit with its 3,760 feet of climbing to kick off the year. We cheated a bit and waited until January 2 just to avoid the madhouse of New Years Day. But still we kicked off the year right.

I think it's getting more steep each year. Tricia says it's because the mountain was created by geologic compression and uplift, and is still uplifting. It's happening slowly enough that kids don't notice, but those of us who have been riding awhile can tell it's a little harder to get up every year.

2019 year end totals

That's 7,231 miles. When nothing goes wrong that seems to be about what I get in a year. Lots of commutes, one good tour (two weeks in Germany and Austria this year,) lots of 30-40 miler on weekends and a few organized rides all adds up.

While the mileage seems to stay the same, I am getting slower. That's annoying, but oh well.

For the record, Tricia hit 5,207. She says she's blaming her grandkids for distracting her. But she's added running to her life, so I don't see her as slacking off at all.

650b gravel conversion, The Supple Life, slight progress

When we last left our hero he (meaning me) was lamenting the lack of clearance for the Specialized Pathfinder Pros 47mm tires on the back end  of his gravel/commuter bike , whining in general, and wondering what to do.

The front tire fit, so even though I'd have a mismatched pair I ordered a Soma Cazadero in 42 hoping it would fit. It appears to. Yea! And now I have a backup front tire (like that's something I need.)

I also bought an 11-36 cassette and a RoadLink. I've put the cassette on and am going to see if it will work without the RoadLink. Internet research is inconclusive.

I also bought a RedShift ShockStoop suspension stem because it was on sale, I had a weak moment and can't resist innerCaps in product names.

A lot of my testing will have to wait until Winter break as I use my bike in fully fendered glory every day for my commute.

Slowly things are happening, tough I don't know where it will all end. Maybe the whole project is silly and I should have just planned on using my old 90s Cannondale hardtail mountain bike with its triple chain ring and eight-speed drive train. But would that really have been as much fun and stress?

650b gravel conversion, The Supple Life, endless issues

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

—Mike Tyson

I had a plan. I want to ride a gravel tour next summer. I have a bike I’m using as a commuter bike that’s sold as a gravel bike, so perfect, right? I’d even swapped out the compact (50-34) crankset for a 46-30 already, giving me reasonably low gears But I wanted bigger wider tires, having been seduced by the Path Less Pedaled wonderful youtube channel (and also their web site.) I wanted The Supple Life, as they call it. 

With that supple dream in mind I bought a set of FSA 650b wheels. They’re smaller in diameter than the normal 700c wheels that come on road bikes, and my commuter/gravel bike as well. The idea is that you can run big ol’ tires that provide a smooth ride over unpaved roads on a bike they wouldn’t otherwise fit. Disc brakes means there are no worries about matching a rim brake surface as the discs are in the same place on any wheel size. What a great idea. 

I chose, after entirely too much agonizing, Specialized Pathfinder Pros in 47mm width in beautiful natural gum sidewall glory. They come in 38 and 42 as well, but I’m seeking supple, so 47 it was.

I’ve learned lots thus far and still have a ways to go.

• New wheels do not come with discs (as in disc brakes), which are essential to stopping, so one needs to buy them separately.
• Mine are held on via “center lock” rather than “Six-bolt.” which means I need a special tool to install them. The good news (you won’t see much of that here) is that the tool is the as same tool for installing cassettes, which I already had. Yea!
• The wheels came with tape for the insides so I could run tires without tubes. Or so I thought. After exploding a new tube (twice) I realized I needed the tape even if I was using tubes so the tube wouldn’t expand into the recessed dimples inside the rims where the spoke ends are and then blow up.
• “Seating” the tires is much harder than seating road tires. They just don’t want to be even all the way around, which makes them budge oddly, which makes the ride just stupid. Apparently inflating them to a higher pressure than you’d ride at helps seat them. It also exposes the inner tube to the previously mentioned spoke indentations. Boom.
• New rotors don’t alway align exactly the same as the old rotors, which necessitates brake adjustment.

Eventually I had the rim tape on, the tire on and seated reasonably well, and the cassette installed. My bike has fenders installed for commuting, and I knew the wheels would be a tight fit with the fenders on if they fit at all. That's OK, it’s just a test. 

The fenders are really too narrow for these tires to work completely as fenders, but there was still room to mount the wheels. 

But.

You knew that was coming, right? Even though there’s enough room “north and south” for the tire/wheel combo, the large tire barely clears the chain stays. As in just a couple of  millimeters. I’m guessing that isn’t enough for the real world where I would expect the tire deflect a little over bumps, expanding to rub the stay.

Ironically the chain stays have small indentations just out of where my tire ends. If I’d used 700c tires the same width they might have actually fit. Maybe.

Now what?

I could just pretend it fits, but that’s stupid. 

I could get new less wide tires and sacrifice some of the much heralded supple life. Then eBay the 47s at a loss. Will 42s fit? Who knows... Or just get a 42 for the back because the 47 in the front is just fine?

I could give the tire wheel combo to my wife to use on her Salsa Vaya. She’d get the 640b supple life advantage and I’d have to figure out how to install the end caps for use with her thru-axel. At least the caps were included.

Update from hell

I'd put a tube in the front wheel and pumped it up to seat it. I did this before realizing the tape was important, but the at least the tube didn't pop. I deflated it to remove the tire and install rim tape. Alas I cannot remove the tire. It is apparently exactly where it's supposed to be. I can't get a tire lever under it, I can't roll it sideways. I was going to try a screwdriver, but it's too tight for that as well, and probably not a good idea anyway. How is it possible to remove this tire? I am so stuck.

If I ever solve this I’ll try to figure out if my 32 tooth cassette is low enough, or should I go to 34 or even 36. And if I do that, do I need Wolfstooth Roadlink, or a new derailleur line Shimano’s GRX 810 that is speced to handle a 34. But could it be stretched to take a 36?

I haven't actually signed up for the gravel ride yet. I've not put down a deposit. Maybe this is a message from the bike gods telling me I'm a roadie and need to stay in my lane and get out while I've only wasted money on wheels, discs, tubes and tires and not a new chain, cassette, derailleur and tour fee.

Update from heck

I finally got the tire off, the rim tape on and the tire back on. I may have figured out how to do it; by squeezing the bead into the center and swearing loudly.

I'll be riding to work Monday with this set up to see how it rolls. I'mm still concerned about that tiny 1mm or so of not-reallly-enough-space for the tire.

Worst helmet ever or just more Antioch weirdness?

I can not explain this. He rode past as I was waiting at a stop light.No shirt and a sock or something over his head. Maybe it's just the worst helmet ever. Feel free to weigh in with your interpretation.

Riding around Lake Tahoe

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Riding around Tahoe with @lanceoldstrong was a blast. Perfect weather, great views. Fun hills.

A post shared by curtis corlew (@cccorlew) on Aug 14, 2019 at 7:31am PDT

I've always wanted to ride around Lake Tahoe. But I waned to do if off peak tourist season and mid-week to avoid as much auto traffic as possible as possible. With my school starting the semester later this I finally got a chance. I invited old friend Dan aka Lance Oldstrong to ride with me because fun is better shared.

We drove up on a Monday, stayed neat the "Y" in South Lake Tahoe and started our clockwise loop early enough to miss heavy traffic over the first climb between the stunning Fallen Leaf Lake and Emerald Bay. I've driven it, and it's terrifying. You feel like you're on a knife edge, ready to plunge off the road on either side. It's not so bad on a bike.

Though there's traffic along the North Shore it isn't horrible and I always felt like I had room to ride.

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Dan aka @lanceoldstrong and I circumnavigated Lake Tahoe and got to ride the wonderful new path and bridges at Sand Harbor. A good time was had by all.

A post shared by curtis corlew (@cccorlew) on Aug 13, 2019 at 4:22pm PDT

I was thrilled with the new bike path near Sand Harbor. That part of the road has been a dangerous very dangerous for cyclists. Now it's a delight, with smooth riding, no cars and stunning views.

I was enjoying myself right up until we got to Highway 50 to return to South Shore. I'm glad we picked a low traffic day, because there is either almost no room for cyclists or really no room for cyclists along that busy section. I was very concerned. Thankfully the drivers were kind, with many changing lanes to give us more room. But had I known how little space there was I might not have started this ride.

In the end, we made it back with not even a close call. But still...

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I was gifted this Australian Laterne Rouge club jersey when I was in (no kangaroos) Austria. I wanted to wear it somewhere worthy, so here it is at a ride around Lake Tahoe.

A post shared by curtis corlew (@cccorlew) on Aug 14, 2019 at 7:35am PDT

Pedalfest Oakland 2019

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The award for the jersey that amused me most at Pedalfest goes to this one.

A post shared by curtis corlew (@cccorlew) on Aug 3, 2019 at 3:30pm PDT

We missed last year's Pedalfest and sure didn't want to miss it again. The 2019 edition was even better than the previous ones we've been to.

It's a real cycling celebration. As commuters/roadies/tourists/commuters I generally think we're pretty up on all sorts of cycling. But we've missed all sorts of fun cycle sorta things. The festival had unicycles, big wheel unicycles, amphibious art bike races, amazingly cool lowrider bikes and bikes I'm not even sure what they are, all being ridden about by actual people, and not just on display. There were stunt demos to watch and eBike and cargo bike demos to test ride. They even had a pedal powered music stage where the amps were powered by stationary bikes. It was a delight to see all kinds of bikes and all ages and flavors of people enjoying the day and bicycles.

Plus, there were so many interesting booths, most cycling related. I got bike trail map from East Bay Regional Parks, and a Bay Trail map. And I heard about a lot of rides I may be interested in.

There were also more than a few vendors selling not-your-usual-stuff. Tricia and I both bought bags from EoGear that were "just right sized" for us. Tricia bought an interesting book — "Understand and Report the News in Your Community" — from the Microcosm Press booth a Portland-based publisher that puts out "Bikes in Space" anthologies and other feminist bike oriented books. I even got a couple of Continental Grand Prix All Season tires at an amazing price.

We also renewed our Bike East Bay memberships and got a bag of swag that included an Oakland A's ticket.

All in all, a wonderful event. The only snag was that we elected to ride to Antioch BART and take our bike to Oakland, then ride to the event. BART had work on the tracks delays so it took us over two hours to get there.

Usually this blog is all about the photos, but the light at noon is horrible, and I only had my phone. So...

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In line to try vegan soul food.

A post shared by curtis corlew (@cccorlew) on Aug 3, 2019 at 1:41pm PDT

Unrelated to biking, we tried Souley Vegan right near the event. I give it a thumbs up!