Giro d' Vino 2011

I was pretty sure it was going to be a good day when BenRidin of BikeForums.net NorCal directed us to the most primo, best possible parking spot at the Woodbridge Winery starting point for the 2011 Giro d' Vino in Lodi, California. It was a might chilly, but we dressed for it, and carried our rain wear just in case. We were very happy we didn't need it at all.

We opted for the 100K plus route, and decided that it was a wine tasting on bikes, not a bike ride. The first winery came up so quickly we were hardly warmed up, but at 8:40 AM or so, there we were, tasting a nice Tempranillo and sampling Portuguese cheese at the St. George winery, buying a bottle, and riding on. We'd repeat this pattern numerous times as the day went on.



We hooked up with BigBossMan, Bikingsheer and MarcoPolo from Bikeforums, and spent at lot of time on the road with them, trading insults, discussing the Paleo diet, child rearing and solving most of the world's problems.



Among the highlights of the day was the Cycles Gladiator stop. I've loved their wine label forever, but never bought their jersey. They had last year's Hincapie bibs and jerseys on sale for 65% off. We each bought both, and some wine too. The photo is this year's jersey, you'll have to wait to see us in our new ones.



Not only did we get to taste and buy wine (delivered back to the ride start) but we got to talk with wine makers and label designers as well. There were a couple of labels I just loved. I'm looking forward to sharing them with my graphics students, whose current project is to design a California wine label.

The ride was stunningly flat, but the organizers managed to find what may be the only bump in Lodi. It wasn't long, but it did hit 18%. I was impressed, so I bought more wine.

One flat tire later (Thanks for the tube, BenRidin and sag support!) we were on our way back to the car. Total time: all day. Ave rolling speed: 15.3. Miles 67. Wine purchases: 10 bottles. Rain: Zero. Fun: Max.

Summer cycling vacation 2011 part 1

I'm having trouble getting motivated and organized enough to post our fantastic cycling vacation of 2011. Tricia suggested I just try to do a lot of short posts. Because I always listen to her, that's what I'll do. Here's part one.

With bikes on the roof, we left beautiful Antioch on July 7, headed toward Ashland Oregon, with plans to visit the Columbia River Gorge, Washington, Victoria and Vancouver, BC, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, and cycle everywhere we stopped.

Our friend Joyce made us a traveling CD mix (complete with custom cover), filled with songs about bicycling and the places we'd go. I couldn't wait and had it on the CD player by the time we hit Interstate 5. It was a blast waiting for each song to come up.



We'd purchased tickets to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland quite a while before our trip. When we arrived the theater it was supposed to be in was closed due to a structural issue. They had erected a huge air conditioned tent in the nearby park as a replacement venue. We were impressed with the ingenuity, but not as much by the result. Still, the play, Measure for Measure, set in the 70s of all things, was a lot of fun and very creative.



We camped at Jackson Wellsprings, a campground with hot springs that feels like 1969. The aroma of sulfur from the hot springs, patchouli oil, and magic medicinal herb floats about the place. There also were some "interesting" fellow campers. We watched a young woman with a 4x5 camera photograph an aging hippie/homeless/strange-agent. She said she was photographing campers in similar places all across America. The hot springs themselves are nice and warm. We didn't stay around after dark during the clothing-optional hours.


We managed to get in a good bike ride as well. There are some delightful hills nearby, and the drivers don't seem as intent on running over cyclists as they are in Antioch. We saw actual beef on the hoof as we pedaled on roads with names like "Dark Hollow Road."

All in all, Ashland is a delight. They have a charming downtown, a brew pub, bike sharing with covered parking, banjo players in the park and Shakespeare.

Morgan Territory and Diablo with Bike Forums

When Bike Forums member Joel from Sacramento posted "I want to ride Diablo" Lanceoldstrong went into action and planned a ride around and up the mountain. Complete with custom route slips (including an elevation profile) 21 of us launched from Heather Farms part at 9:00 am.

I almost didn't go as I was feeling pretty ill, but I'm glad I did. Tricia and I managed to hang in pretty well until Morgan, then the younger, thinner and more studdly took off. They were kind enough to regroup at the top.

This may be the first time I took "the plunge" down Morgan without huge crosswinds. It is still both exhilarating and terrifying. At about 42 mph I was passed by Joel, Lanceoldstrong and company like I wasn't moving.

After a lunch stop in Danville, Tricia and I slogged up Diablo, and back to the parking lot. After satisfying my usual post-ride sushi craving, we headed home.

Thanks BF! A good ride was had.

Foxy's Fall Century 2011 and the world's ugliest jersey

Even though the 2011 Foxy's Fall Century was sold out, we'd heard that if we arrived early enough we'd be able to get in. When we arrived at 6:20 there was a heck of a line waiting to get in, but they were still handing out pens and forms so we scribbled our info in the dark. By the time the doors opened our spot in line looked golden; there were three times as many folks behind us. The line went very quickly once it started moving, and after a bit of panic about "Cash Only" (We had enough. Barely.) We managed to hit the road at 7:15.

Starting early kept us out of most of the boy-racer-without-skills and I've-never-ridden-a-bike-before madness, though I'm always surprised how many of my fellow cyclists think "Share the Road" signs are an invitation to take their spot out of the middle of the lane.

The weather was just about perfect too. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. This ride is different from what we're use to. I think there was less than 100 feet of climbing in the first 25 miles. Still, rolling through the farmlands at dawn near Davis is a wonderful way to start the day.

We had an uneventful but fun ride to lunch. Then, as I ate my peanut butter sandwich,  we heard a very loud, airy explosion and saw a big puff of dust... coming from where I'd put my bike down. Yep, my front tire had exploded! It had blown off the rim. A bystander suggested it was because I parked in the sun. Yeah, I'm sure that was it. Because I never ride in the sun or anything. The tire was OK, we tossed in a new tube, and then I saw it...

I realize there is a wide variety of taste, one man's ceiling is another man's floor, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all that. But this, this is without doubt, the most ugly. ugly, triple-ugly cycling jersey I have ever seen. It didn't appear to be ironically ugly, or humorously ugly, it was just amazingly ugly. I present it to you here and challenge you to find one worse. If you can, post a link in the comment section

From the fifty-mile lunch stop the ride actually climbs a bit. Tricia and I are always surprised that so many people who blow past us on the flats sections crawl, suffer, blow up and even stop on the hills. But like all hills they eventually end, and we got a nice downhill back toward Davis.

There's a bike swap at the finish, and usually a booth selling DeFeet socks, so we bought a few pairs and went home happy.

Magazine cover. Kind of.

I've been working too much to ride enough or even post about not riding enough. But I do have this:

When I gave my InDesign class an assignment to create a magazine cover they complained it was too hard. So I knocked this out in half an hour to show them how easy it could be.

Here's hoping I can ride more again soon, and not become so fat I don't fit my cycling clothes any more. At least I'm getting my daily bike commute in. With the wind and the new sticker-proof extra-fat super-slow tires it is at least a workout.

Goathead puncture vine

It's that time of year: Goathead! AKA bindii, bullhead, burra gokharu, caltrop, cat's head, devil's eyelashes, devil's thorn and devil's weed. They are everywhere, and they feed on bike tire rubber and my pain. They are 19 feet tall, quick as cats and as mean as the meanest thing you can think of. Even meaner.
I pulled this one out of my tire Wednesday. But there are more lurking out there.

A bicycle song. About me.

I met the amazing Ashely at a Journalism conference for community college students. A truck load of students were twittering their fingers off, but her tweets were so insightful and funny I tracked her down just to see who she was. I added her to my twitter followings.

A short while later she tweeted she'd had her iPhone stolen. She was using a fund raising social media site to raise money to replace it. One service she offered in her fundraising efforts was to write a song. I sent money and asked her to write about me and bicycles. Then I forgot all about it.

Today my song arrived with a note:
Hey,
I wrote two songs for you. One was inside of my now broken computer, but I borrowed a friend's and wrote an entirely different one. It's very short, and for that I apologize. But there is a kazoo in this one, if that helps. If I ever fix my computer, I'll send the other too.
Hope you enjoy, and sorry about the wait.

It was worth the wait. After all, it has kazoos!

Pigs Bears, Wildcat, El Toyonal and some dirt

On July 4 Dan and I planned to squeak in 30 miles at 6 am. Somehow we ended up doing 62, and along the way tried El Toyonal (painfully steep) and a trail off Wildcat Canyon (lacking pavement.) That's right, no pavement. With road bikes.

A good time was had.

Steven Cozza's Giro Bello Ride 2011

Just about everything went right and even the things that went wrong went well.

Steve Cozza's Giro Bello is a grand idea for a wonderful cause. Starting in Sebastopol and winding up toward Cloverdale, it's well beautiful and well-organized ride. Even the tee shirt looks good.
You can read about Steve's selfless efforts here.

I'd checked the weather before we drove up Friday night with LanceOldStrong to meet with Steve the afternoon before the ride. It promised to be cool in the morning and not hot in the the afternoon. I didn't even bring any warm clothes. That night the forecast changed to the 40's for the morning.

But, good thing number 1: I managed to buy a tee shirt to wear under my jersey at the second hand store across from the motel for only $1.00.


Good thing number 2: It wasn't really as cold as the 45 degrees the weather station said it was going to be.


Good thing number 3: My Garmin 305 mount broke on the first major climb. That's bad, but when it bounced it didn't break. I may have a second mount I can use, and even if I don't have it, a replacement is cheap.

Good thing number 4: The Geysers climb was really really hard, but I lived through it, and by the time we reached the top I was getting used to moving at 3mph. The temperature was perfect. I'd have hated that climb at 100 degrees.

Good thing number 5: The descent was over some of the most riddled holes I've ever ridden. I didn't crash. Dan broke a spoke, (bummer)  but the wheel stayed round enough (good thing 5a) that he managed to finish the ride. At the lunch stop he asked the mechanic from Healdsburg Spoke Folk if he had a spoke. Ironically, he did not.

Good thing number 6: The unique post-ride meal. We were issued meal tickets we could use at any number of different food vendors. I had some tandoori chicken with rice that was right tasty.

We'd started at 6:30. Steve Cozza started at 7. We had a pool about when he'd pass us, and later a pool about when he'd pass us on the climb. I won pool one, and tied Tricia on pool two. Really, I think he was able to pass us partly because he's a pro cycling god, and partly because he had a motorcycle to carry his water and spare wheels. We carry our own pumps, spare tubes and patch kits.  And our bikes weigh more — partly because big sprockets weigh more than small sprockets. Plus, I'm fatter. So really, who's doing more work? And, therefore it only makes sense to ask: Who's more tough and studdly? Yep. That's right.

Anyway, despite making a wrong turn right out of the parking lot (Hey, shouldn't there be road markers? Where are the road markers? Oh…) and adding a mile to our 106 mile day, we all had a good time at a wonderful ride on a grand course.

Perfect weather for an afternoon ride

I managed to sneak a fun 30 mile ride in with LanceOldStrong on Thursday evening. We climbed about 2500 feet, including Old Briones Road off Alhambra. We slid through Lafayette and the secret hills above Walnut Creek.

Two bridges, three murder sites, squirrels and flowers ride

When famed tour guide LanceOldStrong proposed a ride across the Benicia and Vallejo bridges that also included:

• The Frontage Road behind the Airport in Concord
• The Sewage Treatment Plant
• Concord's 100-year-old paupers' field cemetery for the unclaimed and indigent.
• Three other graveyards along the route
• County Jail 
• Bail Bond Row
• Murder #1: The site of the murder of Dr. John Marsh in 1856
• Murder #2 a Zodiac killer murder site
• Murder #3 another Zodiac killer murder site
• Other points of historical oddness.

How could we not go?


Our first major site (if you don't count the sewage treatment plant we saw in the distance) was the Pacheco Cemetery. They've recently started locking the gate, and we couldn't fit through the crack in the sad wall. We were reasonably content to peer in over the fence. We also stopped briefly in Martinez by a California Historical Marker (and big rig parking spot) of the murder of California pioneer John Marsh.

From there we rode past the county jail and courthouse on our way to cross the Benicia bridge. We ducked into Benicia and rolled down to the Benicia State Recreation Area where Mr. LanceOldStrong shared his snack with some ground squirrels that live in the sewer there. It was like a scene from Willard.

Leaving the shoreline we rode over about 4 feet of genuine cobblestones, just so I could say "Yes, the Roubaix handles the cobbles very well, thank you." We also dropped in on the Benicia Camel Barns, home of the US Camel Corps in 1863-64.
We saw the Cytomax factory on our way to Lake Herman Road, site of perhaps the first of the Zodiac serial killer slayings in 1968. It's just a wide spot in the road, but someone had ominously graffitied a nearby sign with the Zodiac's signature symbol.

From there we headed out Lake Herman Road toward beautiful Vallejo, stopped off at the Catholic Cemetery, and eventually passed the "Second Baptist Church." Is that the biggest claim to fame they can come up with, "Second?" After dealing with odd intersections, lights that don't sense bicycles, and interesting neighborhoods we found our way to the Vallejo Bridge, and made our way to Crockett for lunch, where we visited with a couple our real-live touring cyclists headed for Napa.

Following lunch we headed toward Port Costa. We'd been promised history, and Mr. LanceOldStrong came through with a lesson about the Eckley Pier, shipping, trains, wheat growing in Contra Costa. (See interesting link in comments for details)

Riding the The Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail is always fun, and though I'm sure they are illegal, the road paintings always make me smile. The trail, undriveable by cars, makes for a colorful flower-filled ride.





Our last cemetery of the day was Saint Catherine of Siena on the edge of Martinez. I think if I'm ever in a cemetery I'll request goats rather than flowers.

Executive summary: Metric century, touring pace. Lots of looking at stuff, good lunch, much laughing.

Canyon Classic Century 2011 and Ride For Matt fundraiser

There might have been a better way to celebrate our 12th anniversary weekend than riding 111 miles Saturday and 72 miles Sunday. Wait...  Nope, I can't think of one.

All the cool kids must hang out here.

We started our weekend with the Canyon Classic,  a century ride that starts in Patterson, heads up to Mines Rd, drops into Livermore and heads home through the farmlands of the Central Valley. It's a very pretty ride with wonderful volunteers. Though they apparently aren't aware that "century" means 100 and not 111. After 100, 11 is a really big number. Most of the 5,672 feet of climbing comes in the first 33 miles. After that there's a downhill, this year featuring a huge headwind and some exciting gusts. It was all worthwhile for the endless downhill with a massive tailwind on Tesla Road.

We lunched at Bent Creek Winery. I'm usually rushing Tricia through the rest stops. This time she teased me because I insisted on tasting their wine and buying a couple of bottles. She didn't, however,  seem to mind helping drink them later.

I didn't really transport the wine back on my bike.

Ride for Matt
We learned through our friend Joel about his friend Matt who'd been hit by a car in early 2011. Matt's friends planned a benefit ride for him. They did an amazing job, from their Ride4Matt.org website to the route markings. We don't know Matt, but because we're only one degree of separation away, as we are with so many Northern California cyclists, we wanted to support the efforts to help him.

We went with our friend Joyce, starting our drive to Roseville entirely too early and way too worn out from the Canyon Classic. We got an early start on the 70 mile route. Though some folks were less than thrilled with the bike path start, I enjoyed riding under bridges next to creeks. It didn't last long, and with our early start we didn't have to contend with much other traffic.

The rest of the route was just right. We'd ridden pieces of this before, and enjoyed them all. We've ridden so many rural Northern California roads that they all seem familiar, like home.

Though I was tired, and not riding fast, near the end I found myself annoyed that I was passed by a few... heavier.. riders. Then I realized I was seeing people who were on the 30 mile loop, and felt a bit better, kicked it in a bit and put a stop to that nonsense. Yep, life is a Cat 6 race.

When we arrived at the park finish it was like being in a small town. There was a band playing old standards and a crowd of riders eating their barbeque lunches. It just felt nice. We had to leave before Matt spoke, but we understand the ride was a huge success, getting more participants than expected and raising a goodly sum for Matt. We wish him well.

Joyce complained there weren't any new photos of her, so here she is with Tricia.

More on Ultegra 6700 and 6600 shifter problems

Following my last entry and a post on Bikeforums.net mechanics forum I've learned some interesting information: My shifter problem is not unique.

"200miler" on bike forums, who's provided a lot of support for double centuries, shared some interesting info with me.

Curtis, I've been running across this problem/issue for the last 3 years, or so, while providing roving support on various doubles. I get a minimum of one instance per ride. My DMD instance happened on Mines between the water stop and the Junction after I'd left you folks at the Mines RS.

About 1 year and a half back, I had a phone conversation with Shimano Tech support in SoCal. There was a more than a bit of hemming and hawing, but I finally got, IMO, a tacit agreement that there was a design issue [his words!]. The angle that the cable leaves the indexing rachet retainer and goes thru the brifter housing and into the cable housing causes "undue stresses" and wears the outer strands of the cable until, BINGO, you've got what you experienced with your 6600's. Getting the nubbin out after the cable is broken is as you relate, a real PITA. In some cases the nubbin gets jammed inside and can't be shaken loose; a new brifter is the only solution. Catching the cable in its frayed condition can be a field repair if done with due caution [on Quack events of course!]. With a broken cable it's a crap shoot; depends on where the nubbin is.

The relevant brifters include the 6600 and 6700 Ultegra, and 7800 and 7900 series Dura Ace. I haven't run across any of the 5700 brifters "in trouble" but I think that's only because they are not in wide distribution yet. Note that this applies to 10-speed only; I've never run across, nor heard of, any 9-speed issue. There is no particular cable recommended to replace a damaged one. If a 3rd party cable is used it won't necessarily prolong its eventual replacement. Of course, there *COULD* have been a flying production change on the Shimano production line.....

The only real way to prevent this from being an event-ender is to visually inspect the RD cable on a regular interval, or when ever you sense a change in shifting smoothness.
YMMV
-dg

I've made a permanent page with repair instructions.

Here's a web site that might help

I should point out that I was able to fish out the broken end on 6600 shifter without going to such extremes, but it did take a long while.

Ultegra 6700 shifting badly. Could it be...?

Why won't my bike shift well?
New chain? Check
New cassette? Check.
Adjusted with love and care? Check.
What of what could cause the normally-delightful Ultegra 6700 to shift like ... like something that doesn't shift well?

I'm getting ready for some long rides and thought I should do the new cable thing. I got Gore Ride-on brake and shift cables. Son of a gun, when the right shifter cable came out is was frayed as all get out.

New cables = wonderful shifting. And oh, what a pain if it had broken in the middle of nowhere.

I'd had a similar issue with my 6600 Ultegra brake/shifters. The end actually came off and took forever to dig out. I wonder if this is a design problem, that perhaps they route the cable through too may turns. I don't think this should have happened after only 4500 miles.

UPDATE: See this post

Maker faire and crazy bikes

Whiskydrome death-defying wall of death fun.

Tricia convinced me that it would be a good idea to to, the day after the Davis Double, take BART from Bay Point to Millbrae then ride bikes to the San Mateo Fairgrounds to see the Maker Faire. I guess she was right, but my body didn't entirely agree that day. At least we got $5 off admission for riding there and parking in their very nice bike parking area.

Two Penny is one of several huge and amazing pedal-powered machines we saw. ToddBarricklow.com

We went to see all the wild bicycle stuff, of which there was plenty. We also wanted to enjoy the sustainable gardening/farming exhibits, amazing sculpture, steam punk corner, and general wacky atmosphere. I've heard the event described as Burning Man for Geeks, and that may be close. It's very kid friendly and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I found it so crowded I had trouble making clean photos, so only a couple are mine. I did try to make a movie on Tricia's Flip camera, and proved in the process that I'm a still photographer at heart. Here's a Youtube link to the   video.


Woodbikes.com featured these amazingly crafted wooden bikes. I don't know that I'd care to ride one, but I'd love to have it in my living room.