Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Member's Gallery => Topic started by: JimK on November 25, 2010, 07:12:18 pm
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This is right about 42° 1'39.40"N 74° 8'50.43"W :
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_0911.jpg)
The little break to snap a photo helped me catch my breath, too. I have the 38x16 gearing but still these hills are too much for me. The Kryptonite New York u-Lock is most of the weight in my panniers.
Bit by bit I am tweaking the set-up & the bike is getting more and more comfortable. I need to get the nose of the saddle up still another few mm. Then to get the grips rotated optimally.
Sure I spun out the high gear going down the other side. Very scary fast though - no need to go any faster than that! As soon as the road started to level out & I felt like pushing ahead a bit, I could pedal. The high gear is fine & if I had more range I'd add it at the low end! But maybe the range will have to come from my leg muscles!
Jim
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Looking good!
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Thanks for sharing!
Nice countruside! :)
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Here's an action shot!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_0912.jpg)
One thing I have noticed is that I can ride the Nomad no-hands quite easily. None of my other bikes let me do that. It's odd, because I have had other bikes that I could ride no-hands for miles.
Here's a little bicycle background:
http://interdependentscience.blogspot.com/2010/10/few-decades-of-bicycles.html
Jim
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Here was my clever idea of the last hour or two. Or at least it seems clever to me. Maybe I destroyed my bike with all my cleverness?
This whole threadless headset business is new to me. How much should I tighten that top bolt?
Out on my bike today, stopped at a crossroad, I started playing around & then it occurred to me - here is a good test of play in the headset bearings:
Grab the handlebars and apply the front brake. Rock the bike forwards and backwards. That really stresses the bottom head bearing. If it's loose, it'll move around and knock.
So: tight that top headset nut, just until that knocking stops.
Actually I am too scared to overtighten so I have a tiny bit of play left. But that was practically a full turn beyond where I had it before my clever idea!
Certainly I can still turn the handlebars freely, so I didn't overdo too horribly severely.
Well, it's all a learning process! I get to experience the consequences of my actions!
JIm
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Jim,
That is the way I adjust my headset, except I take out that tiny bit of play you have left in.
As it gets close I turn the bolt smaller and smaller amounts.
I also turn the wheel at right angles and rock back and forth, just in case the tiny bit of play is in the brake bosses rather than the headset bearings.
The ultimate test is lift the bike up by the top tube and check that the handlebars still turn freely with no binding of the bearings.
Julian.
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Jim,
That is the way I adjust my headset, except I take out that tiny bit of play you have left in.
As it gets close I turn the bolt smaller and smaller amounts.
I also turn the wheel at right angles and rock back and forth, just in case the tiny bit of play is in the brake bosses rather than the headset bearings.
The ultimate test is lift the bike up by the top tube and check that the handlebars still turn freely with no binding of the bearings.
Julian.
Hello
It is very difficult to tighten this type of headset too much! Just tighten until no movement-simply.
John
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Here's an action shot!
Jim
Jim,
Looking at your position on the bike it seemed to me that it is a little small for you, isn't it?
In another post I read that one guy said SJSC too conservative on sizes.
Is it 540L? And how tall are you? if it is not a secret.
RGDS,
Cedric
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The bike is a size 565L. I am 1.8 m tall in bare feet, with an 85 cm standover in bike shoes. I also sent the Thorn folk some measurements from the Trek 520 I've been riding the last ten or fifteen years.
So far I would say the bike is very comfortable for me. It feels very close to what I asked for - probably they picked a stem of the right length, but anyway it feels good. After I got the handlebars to a good height, I have been tweaking the seat. Now that seems just right too. Except it is a new Brooks! I have a B17 on my old Trek - I guess I didn't realize that the break-in period is not just a myth! Anyway, I am resting nicely on my sit bones and not sliding forward or backward, so that is what I want.
I took my new bike to the grocery store this morning & came back with maybe 15 pounds of food. Lots of short but steep ups and downs along the way. Really nice to be able to shift like 5 or 8 steps on the Rohloff so quickly and easily!
Jim
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Thanks for answering, Jim! :)
Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS! I'm happy for you!
Is it worth to import such a bike into US? I mean to compare with any other local producers I know only Bruce Gordon and Co-Motion).
RGDS,
Cedric
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like the action shot very cool ;)
well done on your new bike many years of happy cycling.
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Is it worth to import such a bike into US? I mean to compare with any other local producers I know only Bruce Gordon and Co-Motion).
Embarrassing to admit but I did remarkably little shopping before spending all that money. I was pretty far along toward importing a Koga World Traveler but the USA distributor seems to be splitting from Koga - maybe they have worked out a deal by now, but anyway the uncertainty got me looking around more. I did glance at the Co-Motion Pangea but that seems to be a good chunk more money.
It's a curious puzzle, how to make an optimum choice when my criteria are highly uncertain. I play through a variety of scenarios and I guess it's like fuzzy logic from there. Mostly my ideas are around utility cycling, i.e. using the bike to transport myself to various places I might want to go, or to transport smallish things like books and food. Maybe I want to go to a yoga seminar in Michigan which is probably a two week ride or so.
This sort of bike is so far outside the usual market that is blown by gales of fashion. I guess I am a believer in dissensus:
http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2010/11/no-time-for-lullabies.html
Maybe sometimes it might be smart to be crazy!
Jim
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Jim,
Looking at your position on the bike it seemed to me that it is a little small for you, isn't it?
When I bought my Trek Smover (on my netsite, the one with the Cyber Nexus automatic groupset), I spoke to quite a few dealers in the Benelux, trying to find one who would ship it to me. There were two sizes 55 and 61cm, effective. Normally I take a 58cm bike. The consensus of opinion was to choose the smaller one, 'for the control'. I did, and after a bit of trouble getting the handlebars up above the seat, because I like to sit upright, it fitted me very comfortably. This is an extremely nippy bike, in and out of the traffic like quicksilver but you need to pay attention on the fast curvy downhills if the road is rough. When I got a Utopia Kranich, the idea was different. Their official line is that you buy the size frame which give you the pedal-seat distance with the minimum seat tub extension, and then adjust the length and angle of the stem to bring the handlebars into the right position. It works brilliantly, but its definitely a different paradigm, resulting in a bigger 59cm bike under me. My local bike mechanic, a very old chappie, took one look at it and said, 'That's how a bike should be sized.' It's anyway a different sort of bike to the Trek, with a huge wheelbase, but it feels noticeably more stable, though the turn-in is slower and on the same fast curvy downhills at the more sporting Trek's speeds it takes up more of the road because it wants to understeer, so that you have to pay attention for a different reason, that you don't drift over into the next lane. Oddly enough, on the flat and straight and sweeping bends of main roads the Utopia with its fat tyres is faster and much more fun than the Trek which under those 'ideal' circumstances draws attention to itself by demanding constant small corrections. I do have another bike which at a first glance is nearer the Trek, a Gazelle Toulouse in 58cm, but it's geometry is much more relaxed than the Trek's, and it has the same restful behaviour on the road as the Utopia despite having the same sort of tyres in the same size (Marathon Plus).
If you have a choice between two sizes in the Thorn range, Cedric, you should consider your roads and your riding style before you make the choice. Also which tyres you will use most of the time. If it were me, if I was going to use the bike for relaxed day rides, I'd definitely choose fat tyres, maybe even balloons, and the longer wheelbase. Even fast touring on narrower tyres would be more restful on the longer wheelbase. But if I were talking fast exercise rides on hilly lanes like mine, with either tyre I'd take the shorter wheelbase for the super-responsive handling. (That's different from the Kranich I now use for exercise rides, but the Kranich was intended as an all-round utility bike and just grew to be an all-round favourite for its comfort, whereas now we're talking about a fun bike for a presumably younger, faster man.) Others may have different opinions.
On the roads Jim K are showing -- gee, he wasn't joking about it being hilly! -- that bike under him looks like the sporting choice, though I'd personally move the bars up, and move the grips back by fitting North Road bars, to give a more upright posture for better visibility and steering control. Meeting a big car or a truck at speed on such narrow road can be fraught.
Like Julian says, that action shot is very cool indeed.
Andre Jute
Visit Jute on Bicycles at
http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/fiultra/BICYCLE%20%26%20CYCLING.html
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This whole threadless headset business is new to me. How much should I tighten that top bolt?
The idea is that you tighten the bolt until the steering starts to stiffen up, then back off an eighth of a turn. There should be no knocking, for sure, and no perceptible looseless at the crown race either. Press down hard on the bars with the front brake held, hold your finger at the bottom of the head tube overlapping the collar of the lower bearing, and you should feel no movement at all when you rock the bike. Whenever I get a new bike, I take it along to my bike mechanic for an opinion on whether I set up the headset right; an experienced man can tell instantly by feel. -- Andre Jute
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The idea is that you tighten the bolt until the steering starts to stiffen up, then back off an eighth of a turn. There should be no knocking, for sure, and no perceptible looseless at the crown race either. Press down hard on the bars with the front brake held, hold your finger at the bottom of the head tube overlapping the collar of the lower bearing, and you should feel no movement at all when you rock the bike.
I like the "finger at the bottom" idea. Julian had brought up the point that a little knocking could come from the brakes rather than the headset. The finger trick ought to be a good way to distinguish between these.
Ah, the plot thickens. At this point I have things tight enough that the steering is starting to stiffen. Holding the front of the bike up, the wheel doesn't really flop right over. There is some asymmetry - if I set the bars turned a bit right, it'll flop over the rest of the way - ha, and knock my crown-mounted headlight off center! But if I set the bars over to the left, they won't flop the rest of the way.
And yet - rocking the bike back and forth with the front brake engaged, if I put my finger down at that bottom race, I can feel some movement, some play in the bearings.
At this point I figure I have probably split the difference - there isn't much play in the bearings, and the steering has only stiffened up a little.
Plus, the thing does seem to evolve as I ride it - I can imagine some of the bearing races are getting more snugly seated in the head tube or wherever. I am riding around with my Allen wrenches and rechecking every five or ten miles!
A new bike - it is a project!
Thanks for all the tips!
Jim
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/threebikes.jpg)
Here are my three bikes. In front is my new 565L Thorn Nomad MkII. Behind that is my 1996 Trek 520. I think it is a 59 cm size, or maybe 58 cm. Behind those is a Dutch bike, a Henry Workcycles / Azor Super Transport - a 61 cm frame. The standover on that Azor is really in the danger zone for me!! But it is a super-comfy ride!
The grips on the Nomad look a bit higher up from the saddle than with the 520. But the horizontal distance from the saddle to the grips is right about the same... I was looking to have the distance on the Thorn match that spot on the 520's drops right above the hoods - it's really on the dot!
That Azor probably has about the same wheelbase but look at that relaxed head tube angle and then the swept back handlebars - definitely a challenge with the Azor is that in a tight turn the handlebars will collide with my thighs!
Anyway, here is a little study in frame geometries!
Jim
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Jim,
By this picture you raised the question I just was going to post :)
So what is your impression on the Nomad geometry in comparison with horizontal frames?
RGDS,
Cedric
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So what is your impression on the Nomad geometry in comparison with horizontal frames?
I certainly haven't noticed anything strange about the way the bike handles any stresses - high torque pedaling, bumps, etc. I suppose there is a bit less room on the seat tube for big water bottles! But honestly I don't notice the sloping top tube hardly at all. I have slung my foot across that way a few times, though, which I would not do with a horizontal top tube!
There seem to be very subtle details of frame geometry that make a huge difference in how a bike handles - and then again, one can play across a wide range with these gross features, and it doesn't really make much difference. I gather the main point of the sloping top tube is just to provide extra standover clearance when suspension shocks are unloaded and lift the front end a few inches. If the extra clearance is essentially free, I don't mind it!
Jim
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for the record, the serial number of my Rohloff hub is 127514.
I swapped out my Schwalbe Supremes and replaced them with Schwalbe studded winter tires. I've just had them out on a couple short rides so far but they're less work than I was expecting. There's grit down on the roads here to help with traction on the ice and snow - the noise from the studs is pretty much masked by the noise from the grit!
I don't plan to ride much over the winter - the crazy drivers and the narrowing of the roads from the snow banks left by the plows make it just too hazardous - but still, on the occasional nice days, or even for an emergency when the bike might be more robust than the car - the winter tires will be essential!
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A bright crisp day, so I ride my fearless Nomad just four miles or so to our local grocery store, load up with a basket of oranges, banana, pineapple - ah, tropical fruits! Carting it back up and over the hill between - it really is a great bike!
But then the bad news - a month after the bike arrived, comes the bill for import duty. Something like the 11% I was dreading. Ouch!
I will really have to put that bike to work to get a good return on all that investment!
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Count yourself lucky, Jim. We pay more import duty, and 21 per cent VAT on top, and, the final insult, the duty also attracts VAT, so a double tax. -- André Jute
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the duty also attracts VAT
Ouch! That is really nasty!
There was a little rocky trail that is a short cut from the road to the back of the parking lot where I was headed. I decided to give that a try today - the Nomad didn't even notice. I do feel lucky! Now I just need to make good use of all this luck!
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Thanks to Doug who is enjoying his new Audax Mk3 - along the way he mentioned that the frame serial number is on the bottom of the bottom bracket. Underneath lot of mud! But there it is!
C565L10010
I did get out for 20 miles or so on New Years Day. Start at 600 ft elevation, down to about 320, up to 800, back home at 600. Right at the start of the climb there is a mean section, up 120 ft in 1000 ft, but the middle part of that is even worse - perhaps 18%. That's what I get for living in the mountains!
Jim
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We've had lots of snow, but a bit of a break for a few days, so finally I could get out a bit:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/winterthorn.jpg)
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We've had lots of snow, but a bit of a break for a few days, so finally I could get out a bit:
Be difficult for a motorist to overlook you, Jim.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/winterthorn.jpg)
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Be difficult for a motorist to overlook you, Jim.
I like the harmony of the colors, the blue mittens and the yellow jacket!
Seriously though, that was my first ride with mittens. A key event that precipitated the acquisition of my new Nomad was the failure of the STI shifters on my 1996 Trek 520. No way to use big floppy mittens with STI shifters! But with the Rohloff twist shift, no problem at all! My hands were nice and toasty!
I'm starting to look at warmer SPD boots, but I'd better leave those in the queue for a while - got to eat, too!
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By the Ashokan Reservoir, part of the system that supplies New York City with drinking water.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1000.jpg)
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On 28A, the road that runs along the south edge of the Ashokan Reservoir.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/28a.jpg)
Today I rode along High Point Mountain Road, which parallels 28A a bit higher up. The climb up from Peekamoose Road wasn't as bad as I expected - I only stopped once to catch my breath. There is a whole network of country roads from there to the Southeast, down to Route 209. That's one of my big projects for the year, exploring that territory. The basic reservoir loop is 30 miles. The more I explore, the longer the ride.
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Great scenery Jim, keep exploring and keep the pics coming.
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On 28A, the road that runs along the south edge of the Ashokan Reservoir.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/28a.jpg)
By golly, I love your roads, Jim. -- Andre
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1020.jpg)
I guess it's called Fish Creek - that's Fish Creek Rd that crosses over the bridge in the distance. There's a fellow fishing off the bridge, and another guy fishing on the right.
Here I am approaching Platte Clove Rd:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1021.jpg)
It's mighty scary just to drive a car up through there. The road is closed in the winter - opens again on April 15. Someday I hope to ride my bike up through there, but there is a lot of strength and stamina building between me and that goal!
http://www.everydayhealth.com/blogs/workoutandloseweight/the-platte-clove-bicycle-workout (http://www.everydayhealth.com/blogs/workoutandloseweight/the-platte-clove-bicycle-workout) is somebody else's story of that climb.
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1072.jpg)
Overlook Mountain behind the Ashokan reservoir.
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Jim,
Really nice picture.
And nice weather too. :)
Cedric.
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/library.jpg)
The Phoenicia Library burned down a few months ago. So I thought a nice project would be to haul some books over there: a 15 mile ride with 750 feet of climbing. A good way to take advantage of the strengths of the bike!
The librarian told me they're not accepting book donations anymore, but I told her I really didn't want to lug them back home on my bike, so she accepted them. Whew!
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/rt47.jpg)
Old King's highway, north of Saugerties. Looking west, toward the Catskills.
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/kingstonrhinecliffbridge.jpg)
At the east end of the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge, that crosses the Hudson River.
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/hutchinhilljim.jpg)
at the top of Hutchin Hill Rd. Woodstock village is at 600 foot elevation. The bottom of Hutchin Hill Rd is 950. The top is 1850. It's hard to say where the road ends and the last private drive starts... I suppose we could have ridden a bit further!
That last 900 foot climb was about a mile long - roughly an 18% grade. Even more fun, the top half or so was gravel that was quite thick in places. I don't know what tires would have worked, but the Marathon Supremes were not a lot of fun. My riding partner had full knobby mountain bike tires and he was spinning in the gravel too. But we made it!
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1127.jpg)
Mill Rd, Olivebridge, NY
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Hurricane Irene hit us pretty hard. Here's a bridge that got washed out:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1158.jpg)
Power was out for almost three days. We're right in the village - folks out in the country might be out another week or so. Whole sections of some towns got flooded.
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Lots of fallen trees and downed power wires, in every configuration.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1148.jpg)
The back roads are a real obstacle course! There was a utility crew here from Topeka, Kansas, helping to put things back together. That's a 23 hour drive. Thanks, guys!
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Here's a new report with some terrifying footage:
http://wildfire.gigya.com/facebook/preview.aspx?fb_sig_api_key=f7667e9ebccf2157d6f15f991a5e3ce9&wid=578499962&p=bHQ9MTMxNDgxMDY3ODk4MyZwdD%2AxMzE%2AODEwNjgwODU4JnA9MTI1ODQxMSZkPUFCQ%2A5ld3NfU%2AZQX%2AxvY2tlX%2AVtYmVkXzE%2ANDAyOTY%2AX%2Ah1cnJpY2FuZUlyZW5lV2FzaGVzQXdheUNhdHNraWxsc1Rvd24mbj1mYWNlYm9vayZnPTUmbz%2A5ZWE2MWVkM2ZhNzM%2ANjgwOTUzM2M%2AMWEyMGMxZTI4MiZzPWZhY2Vib29rJm9mPTA%3D&s=1 (http://wildfire.gigya.com/facebook/preview.aspx?fb_sig_api_key=f7667e9ebccf2157d6f15f991a5e3ce9&wid=578499962&p=bHQ9MTMxNDgxMDY3ODk4MyZwdD%2AxMzE%2AODEwNjgwODU4JnA9MTI1ODQxMSZkPUFCQ%2A5ld3NfU%2AZQX%2AxvY2tlX%2AVtYmVkXzE%2ANDAyOTY%2AX%2Ah1cnJpY2FuZUlyZW5lV2FzaGVzQXdheUNhdHNraWxsc1Rvd24mbj1mYWNlYm9vayZnPTUmbz%2A5ZWE2MWVkM2ZhNzM%2ANjgwOTUzM2M%2AMWEyMGMxZTI4MiZzPWZhY2Vib29rJm9mPTA%3D&s=1)
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wow jimk hope you escaped any damage looks terrifying.
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Jim,
That footage shows horrendous conditions.
I don't know how people face up to losing say their home.
Hope you have come through without any losses.
Julian.
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Our little family came through just fine. We had to throw away the stuff in the freezer, but it was a good opportunity for a thorough cleaning which was past due anyway.
I was just down at the local grocer where they were tossing out all the stuff they lost from their freezers. Ouch, that must have been very expensive!
With some key bridges out, I will have to figure out some new biking routes. With all the local damage it could be a long time before everything gets fixed. I have seen remnants of bridges around that look to have been washed away decades ago - perhaps some local bridges will just be abandoned - but probably only the least useful ones.
Looking at the images from the towns not too far away, we sure do feel lucky to have come away essentially unscathed.
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Jim is that weather a regular thing over there,
here in Ireland we don't get extreams of weather, loads of rain but only the misty stuff ;D
anyway jim glad you and yours are okay, guess theres not to bikes like that in your area.
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The last big hurricane to hit around here was Floyd in 1999. But that was definitely less impact. On the radio I heard somebody say this sort of thing comes around every 40 years or so.
Any kind of bike like mine is quite rare in these parts. The local bike shop owner had never heard of Thorn, and he's quite a hip fellow. I was on a 50 mile group ride in the middle of the month and people looked rather perplexed at the Rohloff - no flickers of recognition detected.
I have seen a couple bikes around in the same general class though - 8 speed nexus hubs, generator hubs in the front. I talked to the lady once & she said her husband is into randonneuring and had been on PBP twice.
Here is one entry point into that intersection:
http://thehudsonvalleyrandonneur.blogspot.com/ (http://thehudsonvalleyrandonneur.blogspot.com/)
Sometimes I start to thinking that an Audax MkIII would be a lovely complement to the Nomad. Then I regain my sanity! All these possible lives but I get to live only one!
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Here's another cyclist's report on storm damage in our area:
http://thehudsonvalleyrandonneur.blogspot.com/2011/09/surveying-devastation-catskill.html (http://thehudsonvalleyrandonneur.blogspot.com/2011/09/surveying-devastation-catskill.html)
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1174.jpg)
When the power goes out and takes internet access along with it, radio is handy! But down here in our snug little valley, there isn't much reception. How about up a couple hundred feet and more around the side of the mountain? Yup, a lot more stations! But, a lot more mosquitoes, too! Got to find a better spot for listening!
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man that looks like a really cool place are on a day ride or are you touring.
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a day ride or are you touring.
This is just a short ride - and up about 250 feet - from home. I am really lucky to live in such a beautiful place!
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How are you finding the Nomad ? ( Given that in a lot of your pics it appears to be fairly lightly loaded )
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How are you finding the Nomad ? ( Given that in a lot of your pics it appears to be fairly lightly loaded )
Yeah, I have not given it anything close to a load test. But I have put on maybe 40 pounds of groceries, which the bike doesn't seem to notice at all - maybe handles a bit better with the weight!
My sweetheart has an aluminum commuter bike. When I pull that up from the basement, it is practically weightless, even with its rear rack and front basket. The Nomad, with three water bottles and whatever else in the saddlebags - it is a handful to haul that up! No way I could call it a responsive bike. But solid, absolutely. I like that it is very easy to ride no-hands. I mostly just ride 30 miles or so in a day, but I don't get too beat up from that - between the 2 inch tires and the springs on the Brooks Champion, that bit of suspension really helps.
Another thing, the brakes are really great. We have serious hills here. Most of my other bikes have a hard time stopping coming down such hills. Whether it's the XTR mechanism or the carbide coating or what, but the stopping power is really impressive.
I have the 38x16 gearing and use the full range quite regularly. I find myself crawling up hills at 3 mph quite regularly, despite being essentially unloaded. I do find myself gradually getting stronger, though!
I dream about some camping trips - maybe next year!
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jimk you could always take off your front rack if your not touring , put a good set of slick tires on that beauty it would make a big difference in weight and speed .
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I was curious as to how you found the Nomad with a light load for general riding given that you have other (lighter) bikes... Sounds like the Nomad is your favourite (?)
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the Nomad is your favourite
My only other serious bike is my Trek 520, & right now it doesn't even have pedals! The gearing on the 520 is not very low - I gather it varies from year to year & it seems in 1996 it was on the high side. Plus I have both rims on that bike a bit dented. Zooming down a big hill and slamming into a pothole - with the rims already a bit weakened... it scares me. I have never laced a wheel... one of my ideas is that maybe I should use that 520 as a project bike and start with the wheels. But I don't have any real space here to set up a workbench. Yeah, camping with the Nomad sounds really good!
I really like the Rohloff. Some of my main roads here go up and down so I need to switch from high gears to low gears and back again quite quickly. With derailleurs I have to manage shifting both front and rear, and especially when I am tired it is a real nuisance. The Rohloff shines on this sort of terrain.
Certainly for what I am doing these days the Tour would be a better bike. Ah, I was just today at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. They had an exhibition of Naxi art from Lijiang, in Yunnan province in China. How about a loop, Chengdu to Lijiang and then up through eastern Tibet to Xining and then back to Chengdu. Yeah, I dream big, and the Nomad is a big bike. It works for me!
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Hope you get to live the dream Jim, The Nomad will certainly let you do it !
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Hi, JimK-
I surely have been enjoying your photos, and each time I look, I see something new. I know you've had great luck with the Click-Stand, and I've decided to get one myself as soon as the Sherpa arrives so I can take accurate measurements.
I do notice you're using a toe strap or something similar to secure your front wheel when using the Click-Stand. Is that right? How does it compare to the little bungee-loops Click-Stand provides for securing the brake levers? I've long used a Blackburn Stop-Block from the early 1980s to lock-up my front brake, but I may not have a place to store it on the new Tektros. Does it take you long to secure the toe strap? Is there a risk of paint scratches from the buckle?
Inquiring minds hafta know! :D
Yes, there just has to be a Big Trip in your future; nothing like getting out and camping/adventuring with the bike.
Thanks, Jim.
Best,
Dan.
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That's not a toe-strap I use with the click-stand. It's a bit of nylon webbing with a plastic fastex buckle. I just found it in some bag of miscellaneous whatever in my storage unit. The brake bands actually work quite well. I just like how my strap keeps the front wheel from turning much. I keep the strap in the outer side pocket of my Carradice handlebar bag, so it is quite quick to apply. Sometimes I will use just that to secure the bike while I root around in the saddlebag & let the bike lean against me.
I tried a short cut today on a new route. Ooops! The paved road ended but some good fellows with their mountain bikes and beer where hanging around: oh yeah, take that path there, then bear right at the two puddles, then left to go downhilll... or did I get that backwards? Anyway, I lived to tell!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1178.jpg)
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Here's a fun toy that I am still trying to figure out:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/51116650 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/51116650)
My altimeter watch says I climbed 1614 feet but this website says 971. That website seems to skip a lot of small hills!
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Jim,
That last photo really captures the experience of "rough-stuff" riding! Keep 'em coming! They're all good. Your accounts are enjoyable also, and you've a choice bit of country to ride in; so glad it is so close to home for you.
As for the elevation chart on your last ride, may I suggest a possible alternative at: http://ridewithgps.com/ I have found their results to be a bit more accurate for my needs, thought they are not as good in other areas as mapmyride.
Thanks for telling all about your wheel-holding strap; a close look at the photos shows me how you use it, and has given me some ideas of my own to try as well. Good to know the little bungee loops from Click-Stand work alright too, though I like your approach for a more secure "stop". Besides, your strap works a bit like the old Flickstand in keeping the front wheel from turning while stopped. Having the bike turned into a rigid panel is a huge help when loading and unloading, and is bound to make nearly any support option work that much better.
Best regards
Dan.
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yes keep them coming Jim!
good to see another time atac user. There's more than just Spd to make the world go round.
cheers
Jos
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Yes, I moved those Time ATAC pedals off my Trek 520. They've worked great for me - why give them up!
Today's ride:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/51199030/ (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/51199030/)
Route 28 is one of the main roads through the Catskills, southeast to northwest. The stretch I was on follows the Esopus Creek - a big wide valley. At one point there today, about maybe a quarter mile ahead of me, with quite a bit of traffic on the highway, I saw a big black bear just tear across the road, really flying. I'd heard it before, but now I have seen it - those animals can really move fast! Glad it was plenty far away!
This is at the top of Piney Point hill, the high point of my ride today. I have yet to manage the climb back up that hill, without stopping to catch my breath three or four times. I plan my routes to take me down it, whenever possible!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/pineypoint.jpg)
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More rain here! Still many bridges and roads out, some "long term". This stuff is going to freeze before it gets a chance to dry out!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1185.jpg)
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The Catskills from the south:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1197.jpg)
today's ride:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/53492030 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/53492030)
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Hi Jim, always look forward to seeing your posts. Keep them coming!
Cheers
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Several key bridges out for the long term:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1200.jpg)
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/53754984
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/color.jpg)
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Wonderful photos *as always*, Jim; just like being there. Please keep posting.
Question re: the Rohloff -- do you find the low adequately low for the really long/tall hill slopes you've pictured? Have you considered going to a larger rear cog or smaller chainwheel, or are things just about right for the majority of your use?
I'm adjusting to the gearing on the Sherpa but will switch to an 11-34 cassette. I'm used to half-step-and-granny gearing, so the current 3-ring/9-cog setup actually has fewer unique combos than my three half-step setups on other bikes, which range from 6 to 7 cogs with triple cranks. Effectively, the Sherpa has roughly the same 14 gears you do with the Rohloff, but not as equally spaced nor as readily accessible (lots of duplicates or near-dupes in my case, hence the planned cassette change).
Ever seen a Rohloff with two chainrings and a rear tensioner? I'm guessing one could achieve a wonderful 28-speed half-step setup with chainrings spaced only two or three teeth apart, but at the cost of greater complexity and maintenance, which is kind of antithetical to the Rohloff ethos.
Man, your bike is beautiful.
Again, please keep the photos coming; they're great! Watch out for those bears... =8^o
Best,
Dan.
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Yes, I do dream of switching to lower gears on my bike! I expect to be carrying larger loads, and climbing some of the tougher hills. There are plenty of hills around that are much more difficult than what I've managed so far. But then, I am trying to build up strength, and it is definitely getting easier to climb the same hills from one month to the next. These days I find myself in 2nd gear a lot more often. But still, an awful lot of the time I am grinding up in 1st at 2.9 mph or thereabout, probably a 50 or 60 rpm cadence. Anyway, no immediate plans to switch gears. I'll just see how my riding evolves. Right now there is plenty of beautiful and practical riding I can do with the gears I have - they only a very minor limitation.
I have a 6 speed Brompton - a 3 speed internal gear rear hub and then two chainrings. The 3 rear gears are quite widely spaced - the two chainrings make a nice half step, and even that half step of extra range comes in handy. The Brompton needs the chain tensioner anyway, to take up slack when one folds the bike. So the double chainrings don't add too much extra expense. I've heard people talk about doing that with a Rohloff, but I don't recall any reports of actual implementations. Surely it would work. I find the spacing on the Rohloff adequately fine - sure, it's always nice to get just the right gear, but it's never too far off with the Rohloff. But if you are really pushing the limits - speed, endurance, etc. - then that bit of gain in efficiency might just pay off.
The deer here are also a challenge. On the downhill side of things, if some deer decides to wander out into the road... I usually use my brakes a lot and descend slowly, unless I have a really good view.
Jim
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Jim,
Thanks for the fuller explanation about your gearing wrt your local hills; that helped a lot. Here in the Southern Willamette Valley, I live in a sort of bowl on three sides, so I often find myself climbing similar long, steep grades. Sure gets one in shape in a hurry!
Have you ever considered using a bear-bell for those occasions when you _don't_ wish to encounter animals? One of my major rides last year was through "cougar country" where mountain lions had taken a number of cattle, wounded some horses and pets, and had begun to lose their general fear of humans. I have a hiker's bear bell, damped by a magnet for silence when unneeded, and thought about taking into the High Cascades with me this early Spring for a test -- assuming it doesn't drive me insane in practice. It might also work as a "tamper detector" on the bicycle at night, should some little animal wish to nibble the mounted Ortliebs for a midnight snack (beware porcupines, who are especially attracted to salt left on gloves, helmets, and Brooks saddles. A friend and I had a small problem with wild foxes at night in the Netherlands' Veluwe park and nature preserve; we awakened to find they had gnawed on my friend's wooden spatula). Of course, in bear country, I always bag my food and winch it high into a tree. I do the same with the pannier that held it, as food odors will often cling to a bag, and I don't think Mr. Bear is too facile at working the closures properly.
Best,
Dan.
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Hi Jim,
Like following this post, Good photos and great bike.
Have a Nomad on order, cant wait to try it. It will be for commute and touring.
What carradice are you using ? Have a Nelson long flap which I use for my commute.
Will use it on the Nomad when I get it.
Cheers,
Ian
Scotland
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What carradice are you using ? Have a Nelson long flap which I use for my commute.
Yeah, I call it my "Fearless Nomad" because I like to go out and explore and even when the road gets really rough, the bike can handle it - I don't have to worry!
I have Carradice SuperC all around. I have the handlebar bag on the accessory bar below the handlebars, and the saddlebag on an SQR fitting - the saddle loops on a Champion Flyer aren't so useful because of interference from the saddle springs. I put the SuperC rear panniers on for grocery shopping. Plus I have the front panniers so far unused but waiting for some fabulous expedition.
Will you go to SJS to pick up your bike or get it shipped? Probably a rather long trip from Scotland?
Jim
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scotian try out the carradice rack bag its a great piece of kit ,i also have the nelson lonflap also great but the rackbag i find spot on for day rides amazing the amount of gear you can pack into it. ;)
sure hope you post a few pics of the new bike well done and safe riding.
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Jim
Will get it shipped, hopefully soon. Is that a clic stand you use in some of the photos, looks good.
Jags
Do like the look of the Super C rack bag, hopefully will be able to get full Super C set for the bike for touring.
Cheers,
Ian
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yes, that's a clickstand. It is not as quick to deploy as a kickstand but it is more versatile - more stable with loads, can handle slopes, etc.
I got my bike almost a year ago, in November. I got studded tires for it so I could ride it in the snow! I hope it comes soon and you get years of pleasure and utility from it!
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/route214south.jpg)
My first category 2 climb to get here!
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/55678498 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/55678498)
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great pic jim well worth the efford. ;)
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I looked at the included link to your map, Jim, and enjoyed it greatly. I had no idea so much of this area was parkland. With at least two campgrounds, it might be the perfect place to try an overnighter or a cycle-camping shakedown run. One needn't make a continental crossing to have an awful lot of fun, and shorter runs -- even overnighters -- are a wonderful way to uncover and address any problems before a longer tour, and you just can't beat a canopy of stars overhead at night. 'Best wallpaper there is!
You've already got some terrific racks and your panniers and your saddle bag, and I'm guessing it wouldn't take much to add a sleeping bag, pad, and tarp. A meths-fueled beer-can penny stove can easily cook any meals you'd need (mine works great, and I take it on all my long day rides...along with a metal cup and some dehydrated soup mix). It might be fun to try when the weather warms up again.
The hills in your photos remind me so much or Oregon's Coast Range, and especially the area between Monroe and Alsea, NW of Eugene. You sure had some climbing to get there -- a double summit and over 609 meters! Odd..the green map marker doesn't show in your photo... :D
Best,
Dan.
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Hi Jim,
Nomad on its way, should get it Thursday morning.
Cant wait to see it and try it out.
Looks like a good climb and nice clear day whats the temp like. Here's starting to get colder.
Cheers
Ian
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With at least two campgrounds, it might be the perfect place to try an overnighter or a cycle-camping shakedown run.
That is very much my way of thinking. Another sort of shakedown I'm doing is grocery shopping. The other day I used my rear panniers to haul maybe 20 pounds of food from the store that's about 15 miles away and 400 feet lower in elevation. Such fun to see how that kind of load is just nothing at all for the Nomad!
My biking has gone through its waxing and waning phases over the decades. I worked a couple of field operations for Census 2010 which got me out into the countryside. I actually borrowed our teenager's mountain bike for part of the work - that was part of the motivation behind me getting a new bike, seeing how the bikes I already had were just inadequate for the local terrain. Plus I got to see a lot of the local countryside, many back roads that I had no idea about.
I gave myself about a year of riding my Trek 520 to test my interest in biking, before diving in to the big investment in the Thorn. I figure I can do the same thing with camping. I already have plenty of camping equipment. None of it is what I would want for touring Qinghai Province in China, but it should be perfectly adequate for a couple nights out around here. I have some friends out near Ithaca - I have my eye on a trip out there - three days and two nights to get there, maybe stay a few days, then ride back.
Maybe next year... but with the teenager graduating from high school and heading off to college, it's liable to be outrageously busy. Maybe a year from now, a trip to recover as the dust settles.
Qinghai 2014?
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Nomad on its way
There is some spectacular countryside where you are, or at least not too far! We like to watch videos like Rob Roy, Kidnapped, and Braveheart!
What gearing did you get? I had to stop several times climbing my category 2 today. Surely I will keep getting stronger.... my inspiration for today's ride was Alexandra David-Neel who walked across Tibet at age 56 - same age as me! - but still I am very happy to have those low gears! (I have the 38x16 combo).
Did you get or do you have good lights? My bike came in the afternoon and it was plenty dark by the time I had it put together - you bet I took it out for a test ride - these new LED lights are miraculous!
Jim
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whats the temp like. Here's starting to get colder.
The extra challenge today was the wind. Lots of nasty headwind and also enough side gusts to create havoc. Now and then though that kind of tailwind that makes everything heavenly quiet!
Yes it is getting cooler here too - you can see all the leaves are off the trees up at that higher elevation - down here, 1500 feet lower, it is still very colorful. Another week and I expect it will be all grey here too. The temperature today was low 50s Fahrenheit. I had on long nylon pants and a longsleeve polyester knit shirt and then mostly my nice fleece vest too except on the big climb when staying warm was not a problem! Not too windy in that tight little valley either.
My toes were getting a little chilly and I started thinking about those shoe covers in my saddlebag but it never got that bad. It's nice having extra layers on hand even if I don't use them. It's like having good lighting and enough bike to get through practically anything. The spare capability relieves any worry and I can just ride in a more confident and relaxed frame of mind!
Jim
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Hi Jim,
Agree about extra clothing, works both ways too. was doing hill reps with the club on monday and was able to take jacket off and put in saddle bag. Luggage on a racing bike is not the norm here, but is very useful. I get some funny looks.
Nomad is fitted with 47 x 17 this will hopefully be good for commute and general use, expecting to need to gear down for fully laden touring, what do you think?
Lights - Use Exposure Maxx D on bike and Lupine Piko on helmet, work really well. The helmet light is great for picking out pot holes (our roads really suffered last winter) its also great for catching a drivers attention at junctions and roundabouts.
Ian
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Nomad is fitted with 47 x 17 this will hopefully be good for commute and general use, expecting to need to gear down for fully laden touring, what do you think?
Ha! If you're doing hill reps with a club, you are in an entirely different category of cyclist than I! Earlier this year I went on a group ride and it took folks about a mile before they just disappeared into the distance. By the time I got back, the food was all gone and the welcome tent was being taken down! Anyway, I am sure you know what gears will work for you. I just knew that the gears on my 1996 Trek 520 were much too high.
Easy enough to switch chainrings when you want to load up. Then you'll have to guess a bit. Depends on the terrain, too!
The helmet light is great for picking out pot holes (our roads really suffered last winter) its also great for catching a drivers attention at junctions and roundabouts.
I've thought about a helmet light. I like to use a rain cover on my helmet in the dark and cold months. I expect a helmet light won't be attachable when the helmet is covered. Is there a trick I am missing? It would be great to have that extra light!
Jim
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I've thought about a helmet light. I like to use a rain cover on my helmet in the dark and cold months. I expect a helmet light won't be attachable when the helmet is covered. Is there a trick I am missing? It would be great to have that extra light!
Hi Jim,
Sorry no, dont use a rain cover just a thin merino hat. Warm but does get wet.
Cheers,
Ian
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Here's my Nomad Mk2 in the trunk of my 2003 Toyota Corolla. My first time using the S&S couplers to break the bike apart. Just took a few minutes & no surprises along the way.
I had to take the front wheel off - between the wheel and the handlebars, I couldn't find a way to tuck that front unit in. With the wheel off, everything fits - though a bit tricky still.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/sands.jpg)
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Jim!
That is just...incredible!
This is what we needed, some real shots of the broken-down S&S bike "in action". This really opens up some possibilities.
Did you (or can you) release the seatback on the Toyota, or is this all fitting in the trunk area proper?
Can you give some idea of the time involved for dis-/reassembly? I would imagine it would go faster with practice. Did you lay the bike on its side, or do disassemble it in a stand? Looking forward to some pics showing reassembly in stages, if possible.
Thanks for a great pic, Jim.
Best,
Dan.
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The seat back are not flipped down; the bike is entirely in the luggage compartment proper. Plus the handlebar bag and the saddle bag!
I didn't use a stand or anything fancy. I just had the bike leaning against the back of the car and used the S&S wrench to loosen the couplers. The bike just fell in half. Might have been better to lay the bike on its side - one of those couplers hit the ground when the bike came apart - I doubt it got damaged, but still - better not to push my luck!
Some details:
1) The external shifter box comes off with the thumbscrew and then the shifter cables are hooked to the chainstay with some plastic finger things that are easy to un-do.
2) I have a generator-driven rear light. The wiring runs along the down tube. There are tab connectors right alongside the coupler, so those need to be slid free.
3) The rear brake cable comes apart - there is a threaded barrel connection right at the brake, where the free cable runs between the two arms of the brake.
The whole operation was surely under five minutes, and that was my first try at it.
Someday I want to figure out how small a case I can squeeze the bike into - I still have my Chengdu 2014 fantasy rattling around. S&S sells cases of varying thickness... but only the thinnest is airline regulation.
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We're out for a family ride tomorrow - the bikes of my sweetheart and her teenage son will be on the rack hanging on the back of the car. I've asked her to take some photos as I put my bike back together.
We all watched the movie "Hell on Wheels" last night & now her son is thinking maybe he should work up to the Tour de France! We went out for 17 miles today - he is sure a lot faster than me, but that's not saying much! Best is that he is getting better with the derailleurs and not jamming the chain in the chainrings. In the spring I will have to find a club for him to ride with.
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Jim,
While your girlfriend's son sounds pretty sport-oriented, there might still be a possibility to do some overnight camping together at one of the many campgrounds in your beautiful region. My father and I took our last tour together through the Diamond Peak Wilderness Area in 1991, the week before his 74th birthday. Though we had different touring speeds and styles, we surely had a nice time together, and it made for some wonderful memories I cherish to this day. He's 94 now and can't do those sorts of rides at present, but the other day we got out the slides we took on the trip and had a nice time reliving the adventure. I'm 51 and wish I could turn back the clock a bit; we sure had fun together.
Anyway, riding's fun at whatever level one does it, and it's great to hear he's getting interested. Finesse will come with time, and it sounds as if he's well on his way. He's got a good mentor in you.
Hold on to Chengdu in 2014, Jim; no doubt at all you'll make it.
Best,
Dan.
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A fantastic thread that makes me just want to get out on the road and stop sitting here at the pc. Nice to see the use of the saddle bag and handle bar bag. Getting more into utility riding than sport riding and it is great to see you getting lots of use out of yours.
Keep up riding and the posts
Andy
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Putting an S & S Nomad together, in pictures...
The bike fits in the trunk when broken into three parts:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couple1.jpg)
The frame fits together easily, with two couplers to tighten, the down tube:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couiple2.jpg)
and the top tube:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couple3.jpg)
A bit of wrestling is required to get the front skewer through the front rack:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couple4.jpg)
The front pitlock gets tightened:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couple5.jpg)
Then the generator gets connected:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couple6.jpg)
The wires to the rear light need to be connected at the down tube coupler:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couple7.jpg)
The shifter cables gets hooked to the chain stay:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couple8.jpg)
Then the external shift box is connected to the hub:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couple9.jpg)
The rear brake cable is then reattached with a screw coupler to the rear brake.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couple10.jpg)
Also, the couplers need to be tightened with the S & S wrench and the brake cable guides hooked to the brake arms.
My hands didn't get too dirty:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/couple11.jpg)
The whole operation is probably under five minutes and quite straightforward!
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ooops - the wires to the rear light - one is white and one is black - the polarity has to be correct, or the system won't work!
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Jim,
You (and your girlfriend, the photographer) have done a really outstanding job documenting the process of reassembling your S&S-equipped Thorn. I really haven't seen anything similar on the 'Net, and it surely helps to visualize the entire process. It really is amazing, isn't it?
I'm kinda interested to hear about the light wire polarity....oh, wait a minute; this is the taillight, isn't it? Its connections slave off the headlight, so that means current reaching it is rectified DC and has to be the correct polarity. It doesn't matter on the headlight, since the source to it is AC and the headlight rectifies it internally.
One of the more interesting aspects to all this for me is your vertical reassembly. I would have though it necessary to lay the bike on its side, but this is much more straightforward and would be so much easier to accomplish in, say, a semi-crowded airport.
And....not a grease mark on ya Sir! Well-done!
Best,
Dan.
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The forecast was for 8 to 16 inches of snow. We didn't get any down here in the valley, but I wasn't sure how things would look a thousand feet higher. But, just a dusting there. Still, having the studded tires gave me confidence as I headed into unknown conditions!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1241.jpg)
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Jim!
I look forward to hearing what life of the studs themselves might be. I understand they can be replaced individually if necessary, using pliers. It would be terrific to hear how the tires ride compared to your usual fare, and what pressures you're using. How did you happen to choose studs over a heavily siped, studless winter/snow tire? I'm guessing it was the expected prevalence of ice.
I made my own studded tires back in the very early 1980s, and found they worked remarkably well in winter. As an added bonus, they threw up pretty sparks when braking at night on pavement, but that was beside the point. The thing is, they gave me all-weather capability and allowed me to ride through ice I couldn't stand up on. They even let me climb to the wintry summits of both Skinner's and Kelly Buttes locally. The real trick was getting down again, so be a bit on the careful side going down those hills of yours. I feel sure these more refined versions will do well you, and of course, we want photos of it all.
Great job, as usual, in piquing our collective interest. More pics, Jim!
Best,
Dan.
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Hi Jim,
How are the studs on tarmac?
Haven't put mine on yet, only frost and black ice so far this winter.
Merry Christmas
Ian
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The black ice is where the studs really shine. For plain snow, I think just knobby tires will do the job. The Marathon Winter tires are knobby enough, of course, along with the studs.
We haven't had any weather where the studs have any use so far. But snow has been in the forecast and it's been well below freezing a lot, so I am happy enough to have them on, just in case.
The studs are definitely slower on tarmac - I can see my times on standard routes are off maybe 10% or 15%. They're also rather noisy - not deafening or anything, but quite a definite buzzing. And I have certainly noticed I get less traction on tarmac than I do with the Supremes. Coming fast down a curvy hill, I can feel some slipping and have to slow down a bit. I wouldn't want to try an emergency stop. Some extra caution is required.
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jim take it easy buddy on those studs i would imagine you could come a cropper quiet easy. couple years back i came down on black ice broke my collorbone, man did it hurt put me out of action for 2 months :o just be careful an have a great christmas .
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...I wouldn't want to try an emergency stop. Some extra caution is required...
B-bu-but Jim...if you do it at night...there's >>sparks<<!!! ;D
All the best, and -- yes! -- do be careful!
Dan.
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I was a sophomore in college in 1974-1975, when I bought my beautiful Legnano - Campagnolo derailleurs, sew-up tires, etc. I bought it right at the beginning of 1975, the first week of January or so. And of course I couldn't resist taking it out for a first spin. Cold overcast day, no snow or anything on the ground. But when I was out on my ride, a freezing rain started up. I was riding down a busy road, big tractor-trailer rigs going by. Then my bike slid out from under me and left me sprawled across the road... my luck, right at that moment there was no traffic. Forget getting back on the bike, I couldn't even walk on the road! It was like a skating rink!
That incident certainly goes near the top of my list of moments where I came scary close to lights out.
It's not like the studs let you do any crazy stunts on ice. But, riding carefully, one can actually get across occasional patches of ice. Without studs, I just stay off the roads if there is any risk of ice at all.
Thanks for the good wishes!
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Here's my Nomad Mk2 in the trunk of my 2003 Toyota Corolla. My first time using the S&S couplers to break the bike apart. Just took a few minutes & no surprises along the way.
I had to take the front wheel off - between the wheel and the handlebars, I couldn't find a way to tuck that front unit in. With the wheel off, everything fits - though a bit tricky still.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/sands.jpg)
Jim
For packing your bike into the boot of your car I'm just wondering if unhooking the handlebars could be an alternative option to removing the front wheel? Not necessarily any quicker/easier but it might fit better and also lessen the risk of damage to your front mudguard?
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Jim,
Relayer suggests unhooking your handlebars to keep the front wheel on.
You already have a Thorn accessory bar fitted below the handlebars and this will hold the headset bearing tension if you release the stem bolts and rotate the handlebars in line with the front wheel.
Just a thought.
Julian.
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release the stem bolts and rotate the handlebars in line with the front wheel.
Ah, thanks for this suggestion! It had never occurred to me to try something like that! Very likely that it would work, and be significantly easier!
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Average high temp on this date, 36F. Today's forecast high, 47F. Record high, 70F.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/crop.jpg)
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Oh, what a nice photo, Jim. Looks as if you caught a bit of snow down by the tires, amidst the sunshine. We're in the midst of another "pineapple express" weather system, bringing unusually high temps, heavy rains, high winds, and massive flooding to the PacNW. I hope your "middlin'" weather continues, though I'm guessing a record high of 70F might just appeal right about now!
That's a beautiful rock face. Do you see the "ghost cyclist" atop the ledge above your handlebar bag? I know they're just shadow patterns, but if you squint and tilt your head just right...
Best,
Dan.
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I've been hearing about the weather in the Pacific Northwest - sounds like you are really getting slammed. Then there were big storms in the South, too. Yeah it has been a mild winter here so far. It was below zero one night and a few more with single digits but that after all it's winter!
Thanks for spotting that phantom rider! Very much a Catskills sort of presence!
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Hi Jim,
Like the photo and the weather, we have had a mild but windy spell lately.
No need yet for spikes.
Cheers
Ian
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Dureme.jpg)
Maybe I can make my bike a bit less attractive to thieves... I covered over most of the "Thorn" "Nomad" markings with SOLAS reflective tape. Plus a Kalachakra Yantra decal! I also put inner tube fragments over the S&S couplers. Plus the Buddy Flaps... I can't call the total effect aesthetic or even stylish... maybe now it's fair to say the bike has distinct character?
Today was my first ride on my new 26x2 Duremes. Very nice to get off those studded tires! The Duremes are great on the road. A few times I tried riding in some soft gravel off the road's shoulder & the Duremes did seem to give some grip and less slosh than the Supremes. It'd be interesting to do a well controlled comparison, but I can't see that project working up too high on my list!
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Well, Jim, I think your bike looks great because it's stylized for you! I also think it looks nice anyway. :)
I often look in wonder at how individualized our bicycles are. They start out (by model) as identical frames from the factory, go through the first customizing at build-time, then further adjustments are made during ownership. That makes them each unique in the full meaning of the term! I love them all, and it is a real joy seeing "how others do it". I always learn something, and like much of what I see.
As for the sticker...I think it's great! Isn't the Kalachakra sometimes referred to as the wheel of time? In any case, may it and Nomad facilitate happy (re)visits to places past, present, and future. I thought long and hard before affixing my club "ADV" sticker to my rear mudflap, then tied myself in knots worrying it was "too much". Now I'm used to it, I like it, and the only person I have to please is myself. I think the Kalachakra Yantra sticker adds a bit more "you" to your bike and is just fine. The reflective tape on the downtube will prevent any paint-scuffing caused by the front wheel's parking strap. It never hurts to be more visible at night.
I think your bike looks great overall, and the BuddyFlaps will reflect nicely in low-light and add safety as they reduce spray. Following cyclists will love you for them! I think you'll be amazed at how much the front flap reduces drivetrain maintenance. Most of the direct water spray and thrown road debris will hit the flap instead, and I think you'll find yourself cleaning and oiling the chain less often. I know you were concerned about their placement, but they look very nice in the photo. Good job! To my eye, WRC rally cars and Adventure Touring Bicycles both look best dressed in generous mudflaps.
<nods> Yes, theft-deterrence is well worth keeping in mind. My own Sherpa is not well-regarded by local cyclists 'cos it doesn't look special to the casual rider or the lightweight racer, who find it unappealing. If that lowers the theft potential, I'm happy!
I've found the Duremes to be a great all-'rounder tire. As Andy Blance mentions in the Thorn brochures, they don't really excel at any one task, but do well at many as one would expect of a "jack of all trades". It sounds like your experience with them is similar to mine.
Another great photo of the Catskills Nomad, as always!
Best,
Dan.
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Isn't the Kalachakra sometimes referred to as the wheel of time?
Yes. It's a vast cosmo-psychological system. I think it's the source for the Tibetan calendar, or for much of it anyway.
Probably my ultimate fantasy is to ride my bike from monastery to monastery, studying with great teachers. I love those Zen stories of wandering monks!
I think you'll be amazed at how much the front flap reduces drivetrain maintenance.
That is surely a major objective for me.
My own Sherpa is not well-regarded by local cyclists 'cos it doesn't look special to the casual rider or the lightweight racer
That is the first line of defense. Wherever I might be passing through, that will likely be enough. But e.g. where I live, if folks see my bike again and again, somebody might get a little curious and go looking things up on the web. So easy to do nowadays, everyone having a smart phone! So I am just making it that much harder to investigate.
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1298.jpg)
Here is the Zen Mountain Monastery (http://www.mro.org/zmm/ (http://www.mro.org/zmm/)) in Mount Tremper, about ten miles west of Woodstock.
In the 1980s I did several week-long meditation retreats here. Every day we'd have a work period. I remember chopping a lot of wood! But one day four or five of us got sent out in a pick-up truck, to fetch a stone lantern that somebody was donating. You can see it in the photo. It comes apart in three or four pieces. Just the pieces are awesomely heavy!
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Just the pieces are awesomely heavy!
Yeheh, I'll say! Jim, each of those pieces must weigh a good 40kg...oh what am I saying?...those stone sections could easily weigh 80kg. Put together, a lot! A beautiful thing, though.
Lovely shot, and such a contrast to the icy-rain-on-snow we're having at the moment, following high winds yesterday. Was just out scraping ice off the car windshield. Tried the bike tires, and wished I had your studded take-offs!
My! What a beautiful retreat. I just looks the place for meditative reflection. I remember chopping a lot of wood!
<nods> Yes, physical work seems to facilitate insight as much as quietude. I think this is one reason why I get such deep insights while wilderness-touring. The combination of heavy work and low-stimulus periods does wonders for reaching places that are untouched in the day-to-day. Nice photo!
Best,
Dan.
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http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/80768545 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/80768545)
I got the teenager out today - it's spring break week and the first day he hasn't had track practice. We went about 11 miles to a restaurant - he had a hamburger, I had pizza - and we still got back up over the hill to home despite the loaded stomachs!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Dante.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Jim.jpg)
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Oh, Jim, what a great ride, and a chance to do it together on a sunny day, too!
Eleven miles isn't bad for an initial foray, especially with hills. Wasn't it Lao Tzu who wrote, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"?
If the hamburger/pizza-run went over well as a motivator for the young man, it might be possible to adopt variations on the theme -- a little further for an ice cream, a bit further yet for Chinese food, and so forth. Whatever works as initial motivation is great; once he gets used to riding and finds it enjoyable...it'll become the self-contained reward.
One of the real joys of riding with someone -- especially someone you're mentoring -- is the shared experience. You're making memories.
The Jamis seems to fit him well, and he looks good on it. You're looking spiffy as usual on your Nomad. I like the bright vest and shirt; very visible against the foliage.
So glad the weather was cooperating. How soon till your "big ride" together? Nice photos, Jim.
Best,
Dan.
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Our teenager likes riding - the big challenge is just finding time. Last semester of senior year in high school with Advanced Placement classes etc. He has track practice every day after school - he just took up pole vaulting! - and Aikido classes Saturday and Sunday! Plus weight lifting at every crazy hour down in the basement. He's in great physical condition, but still he needs to get some hours in on the bike if he isn't going to be hurting - fifty miles a day for eight days is not huge but it is not trivial either.
I gotta say, it looks a lot huger for me! I'll have ridden maybe 75 miles this week - my plan is to increase mileage 9% each week through June. The ride starts July 8. Ah, and it is almost all flat! So really it should be easy enough!
I ordered some fenders for the Jamis. The front dropouts have a threaded hole above the axle rather than behind the axle. I expect the operation will involve some cursing, trips to the hardware store, etc. I am thinking that I can just use a stack of washers to move the fender stay laterally enough to clear the fork. I figure this bike should work well on campus, after our Erie Canal ride. I've got an Abus Amparo frame lock on the way too!
Yeah, Chinese food, that sounds good!
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That is a busy young man, Jim; I can now see the challenge to get in enough riding time amidst all the other activities.
July 8th is some time away, and I believe your training scheme will work well for you.
As for the fender fitment, may I suggest old presta valve nuts as spacers? They are almost perfect for the job, and stack very nicely.
Please let us know how the Abus Amparo lock works out, and please take some photos of the mounting process. After you get it, I may ask for some direct measurements, as I am considering mounting one on Sherpa's chainstays. The seatstay-mounted pump precludes putting a frame-mounted ring-lock there. The chainstay location gets it out of the way, yet it is still inside the frame, unlike mounting it on the v-brake bosses, where rack clearance is also tight. It has the added advantage of putting its weight lower on the frame.
All the best,
Dan.
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I got it! Reading this thread and meditating upon the issues, I've come up with a solution. Racing stripes for and a Campi sticker for Dan and a Walmart label on the bike for Jim! ;)
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a Walmart label on the bike for Jim! ;)
Now that is an interesting idea. Repaint the bike and add lettering like "MAGNA" or "Free Spirit". Thief repellent!
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Racing stripes...and a Campi sticker for Dan
B-bu-but Pavel! Jim's will be safe 'cos the thieves will all go for mine! :o
Yikes!
"Riding faster, at least, thanks to the racing stripes and Campi sticker..." Dan. :-\
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Here is my longest ride so far this year:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/77406634 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/77406634)
Small stuff compared to many, but I'm only comparing against myself! The ride took me to Kunzang Palchen Ling in Red Hook:
http://www.kunzang.org/ (http://www.kunzang.org/)
A few months ago I helped build the access ramp on the right side, a bit of the work needed to get the Certificate of Occupancy, which we did get!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/KPL.jpg)
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Oh, how wonderful, Jim!
Y'know...there's no bad ride, no matter the distance. Getting out on the bike at whatever level s the thing.
I was thinking of this again on my ride yesterday. When I was an undergraduate at university, I signed up for something called "The Century Club". People -- runners, swimmer, cyclists like me -- logged their mileage and it was charted on a big poster. Self-competitive person that I was/am, that's all it took to put me in the Mileage Trap. I rode 8,000-12,000 miles every year, like clockwork through my four undergraduate years, and on into my post-grad studies. I rode well, I rode sick. I rode with walking pneumonia. And y'know what? It became sorta not-fun anymore for awhile. I'd even awaken at 4AM with my heart racing, a classic sign of overtraining.
So, I took off my odometer for awhile; no distance calculation...just riding for the joy of it. And, I became a far better cyclist. I loved the zenlike notion of gaining by letting go. By giving my body a chance to recover I could do more, and then I discovered the joy of longer-distance riding -- with the foreknowledge it could hold the same trap as the Century Club. When I was sure I'd learned the lesson, I got a computer. Lots of fun, but Fun in Perspective. Truly, a neighborhood ride is as nice as 400km through the Cascade Mountains.Small stuff compared to many, but I'm only comparing against myself!
You've got the core of it and don't need an epiphany! I think you did great, and what a beautiful destination. Fascinating architecture, and you can surely be proud of that access ramp -- it's a beauty! The bike is looking fine, as well. I forget...did you ever choose a name for it?
Thanks for sharing; great stuff, as always!
Best,
Dan.
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http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/51584600 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/51584600)
Our local hill and our local monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (http://www.kagyu.org):
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1344.jpg)
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...Our local hill and our local monastery...
Ummm, no. Jim, your photo clearly shows you've cycled to Tibet over the weekend, and are letting us know about it in little teasing dribs and drabs. You've been holding out, man! ;D
What a beautiful photo of a lovely scene; it really does look as if you've traveled half the globe to get it! Well done!
All the best,
Dan.
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thats a nice paint jod on that building ;)
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Nice looking monastery Jim.
Here's one in the Scottish borders region which we often cycle past that has a Tibetan Tea Room.
http://www.samyeling.org/
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Great to see Samye Ling! That is a famous place! My sweetheart was there a few years ago - she is a painter in the Tibetan tradition and went to visit a master painter there who is in his 90s. She told me about seeing cyclists passing through!
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Today's ride (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/92880815?fb_action_ids=10150892775544182&fb_action_types=mapmyrideapp%3Amap&fb_source=other_multiline)
I saw this odd name of a town on the map, "The Vly", & thought - what could be there?
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/tower.jpg)
Not much that I could see! Though I bet there is some curious old history tucked away in these hills!
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Jim...be careful...
This thing is used either for government communications or for communicating with Aliens. Be very careful; those two entities may be the same. :-\
Looking at this: http://newyork.hometownlocator.com/ny/ulster/the-vly.cfm I just don't know...nothing specific there.
The name is derived from the Dutch for "swamp" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlaie ), but that doesn't look like a swamp to me. Very strange, indeed.
Good thing you came on the bike...no license number was recorded, though you may be on closed-circuit video.
I don't know you. :o
Best,
Dan.
;)
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say jim i heard woodstock is a pretty small place, dead curious do you know a guy called tom early he ownes a bakery in woodstock ;) your mission for today if you chose to accept it is to find this guy. ;D ;D
actually he's from the same town as me nice guy .
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The name is derived from the Dutch for "swamp"
Ah, there *is* a big swamp there! I was looking for a way to take a photo but it was behind too many trees. It was quite a swamp though! Thanks for the explanation!
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i heard woodstock is a pretty small place,
Ah, it looks like he is in Woodstock, Vermont. That's three or four hours drive from Woodstock, New York, where I live. Hmmm, I keep wanting to ride my bike in that direction. Could be a good expedition! A bakery as the ultimate destination, oh yeah!
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Be very careful;
Back in college... ha, my 35th reunion is in a few weeks... yeah I was even more foolish than I am now! - I was out on my beautiful Legnano - sew-up tires, one fast bike! I confess though that I still like my Nomad with the sprung saddle and the 2 inch tires - I can ride on all kinds of rough ground and still get off the bike feeling good.
Anyway one day I got lost and stumbled on a tower like this. I hopped the fence and climbed up to get a view. Wow! It worked!
Anybody's guess though what kind of permanent damage it did!
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communicating with Aliens
Now here is a curious thing. Looking at the satellite image, the microwave tower is visible at the top and a bit left. There is a nice big swamp in the middle. But look at that, some sort of airplane got in the picture. Must have been flying rather high, I would think, to show up looking so big. Or maybe that is a C5A cargo plane. They used to go in & out of Stewart Airport in Newburgh often enough.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/TheVly.jpg)
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Hit one of my goals today, crossing the Hudson River on the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge eastbound , then back westbound over the Rip Van Winkle bridge.
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/101870399 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/101870399)
This let me explore some of the countryside over in Dutchess and Columbia counties. Lots of apple orchards! Exploration often comes with surprises:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1385.jpg)
That why I like a sturdy bike, that's why I call my Nomad "Fearless"!
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Oh! Wonderful, Jim! I'm so glad you were able to go farther afield!
You crossed the Hudson not once but twice, and had some real uppy-downy roads in the process (and some pretty good cumulative elevation gain).
Nah, Nomads ain't skeert of "Road Closed" signs! Did you lift him over and go on through?
I see the front tire is a little lower than it "ought" to be. Hoping it is just obscured by the vegetation on the road and not flat.
Good photo, a nice summary, and I enjoyed the link to your map. How did you get past the Dewey/NY State Thruway? Was there a tunnel or viaduct beneath? Oh, I see (enlarged map), there was an underpass on both crossings. I'll bet the apple orchards were nice! Are the trees all in blossom?
Thanks for sharing your ride with us, Jim.
All the best,
Dan.
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nice one jim you got great weather for your trip
any more pics.
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Here is the east end of the Rip Van Winkle bridge:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/bridge.jpg)
My first time across by bike. I'd seen when crossing by car that there is a sidewalk, and I expected that I'd be riding my bike on that. Nope. No bike on sidewalk, bikes go on the roadway. A bit scary to start - a busy road and not so wide, but actually wide enough. There was a maintenance crew in the middle that I had to ride around but fortunately there was no other westbound traffic right then.
Did you lift him over and go on through?
Luckily, it was easy to get around the side of the gate. The Nomad is not a light bike! Though when I take off all the luggage it gets a lot lighter! The Kryptonite New York U-Lock, three water bottles, etc etc!
I see the front tire is a little lower than it "ought" to be. Hoping it is just obscured by the vegetation on the road and not flat.
Actually the front wheel was sitting in a puddle! The minimum potential energy!
How did you get past the Dewey/NY State Thruway? Was there a tunnel or viaduct beneath? Oh, I see (enlarged map), there was an underpass on both crossings.
Actually both times I crossed over the Thruway. On the route I had planned, I would have gone underneath the second time, under a bridge that takes the Thruway high up over a road and a river. But I got confused.... a three-way intersection where all three roads are Cauterskill Rd! When I went over the Thruway instead of under, that's when I knew I made a mistake! The fun thing though was that my recovery route substituted a category 5 hill for the category 4 hill on my planned route! And I only added about three miles.
Are the trees all in blossom?
No, at this point the apples look about an inch and a half in diameter. Maybe you can make them out in this blow-up:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/apples.jpg)
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Here is just a bit of Hudson Valley countryside:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/IMG_1386.jpg)
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nice so different from my place.keep em coming jim. ;)
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Oh, these are just lovely, Jim! Thanks so much for answering my questions and for adding the additional photos. Fearless Nomad, indeed! He is a brave little soul to try that bridge (and you, of course, for coming along). Yes, I can even see the little apples, and that country lane is just gorgeous -- right out of a picturebook.
All the best,
Dan.
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(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Fearless.jpg)
The teenager and I were out for about 35 miles today: I think his longest ride ever. He was passing me on the hills even at the end of the ride! One strong kid!
I notices that my Brooks Flyer seemed to be sagging a bit so before our ride I snugged it up about a quarter turn. Tricky because on my first attempt I noticed the bolt was turning, so really how much did I tighten it is rather unknown. Anyway it felt better on today's ride - I felt more like I was on the leather and not on the metal support at the back! I have about 4000 miles on the saddle. I haven't gone crazy with the Proofide but maybe three moderate applications in the year and a half since I got it.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/flyer.jpg)
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Hi Jim!
Please, could you favor us with side, top, and oblique front-quarter views of your saddle? You've got me really curious as to how it looks.
Has your Brooks ever gotten wet?
On the face of it, I don't think your Proofide applications have been excessive. Having/had a half-dozen Brooks saddles, I have come to the conclusion I prefer them hard, and so limit my Proofide applications accordingly, as the treatment does encourage some stretch if applied to excess. I usually apply one one thin skim coat to the underside and that's pretty well it for the duration of ownership. The top gets a very thin coat, is allowed to sit 24 hours in either sunshine or a warm room, then polished off. I do similar reapplications about once every 18-24 months. I also always allow the saddle to dry thoroughly from my body moisture (sweat) and always, always, always cover it if there is even the slightest sprinkle of rain and I'm not atop it.
Most people don't care, don't do anything special, and do just fine, so take this as a data point.
Yes, the tensioning operations are hard. The bolt does turn to a degree, just as you've found, so the net amount of tensioning is hard to determine.
One caution I will add is to be aware that (eventually) tensioning brings diminishing returns. In time (the ripe fullness of time, as in years), tensioning will result in a ridge longitudinally through the center of the saddle. This has led Jobst Brandt to dub Brooks and similar leather saddles as um, "posterior hatchets", since one is riding on that ridge. At worst, it can feel like you're being cleaved asunder. Still, I see the occasional saddle with a really extreme case of center-ridge and the rider continues on happily.
And, too, these saddles are handmade of natural materials. I have found otherwise identical saddles can vary greatly over time in terms of how they shape to the rider and how much they stretch (the two are related), and how thick the leather happens to be. I used eBay to sell one that gave out early. I had warning -- the thing was past fully broken-in by the 200-mile mark, despite very sparing applications of Proofide. Unfortunately, this was the saddle I was using to tour Europe, and I persisted with it to the end, resulting in a visit to the proctologist to determine if the bleeding I had was due to the saddle or health-related factors. It was the saddle that caused my abrasions. I received a nice note from the eBay buyer praising me for selling him the most comfortable saddle he'd ever owned, so it just goes to show saddles vary as much as individuals.
On the other hand, I have a lovely honey-colored, chrome-railed (meaning they *will* break eventually) B.17 Champion Special with exceptionally thick leather and chamfered sides that may not fully shape to me in my remaining lifetime. It is fortunate I prefer my Brooks saddles remain pretty firm.
If a saddle becomes truly misshapen and problematic, the cover can be fully detensioned and reshaped in water, plumping up the low spots and removing the center ridge. My neighbor had great luck doing so, and simply let the leather air-dry afterwards. I've drilled out the rivets and re-riveted a number of saddles; the cover is removed and replaced pretty easily. but one does have to follow a sequence of steps or get caught out with a cover too-taut to replace. These are not exactly Brooks-approved operations, but at a certain point, it really doesn't matter if the saddle is otherwise unusable. I re-riveted mine 'cos I like the appearance of the hand-hammered copper rivets better on some than the original plated steel versions.
The bike surely looks nice, Jim.
Best,
Dan.
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Hi Dan that is a good write up about Brooks.
I love most of my brooks, But have find some have a ridge longitudinally through the center of the saddle this has made me bleed to (a little) on my tour in North Africa this year too.
But I have find for me that if I tension up the saddle from time to time it stop's it getting to bad, i'm working out which is best for me..
Pete...
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you know this thing about giving the nut on the brooks a half turn complete nonsence i turned mine all the way until it straightened out i'm still riding it and it hasn't exploded as yet ;)
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Oh, these are just lovely, Jim! Thanks so much for answering my questions and for adding the additional photos. Fearless Nomad, indeed! He is a brave little soul to try that bridge (and you, of course, for coming along). Yes, I can even see the little apples, and that country lane is just gorgeous -- right out of a picturebook.
Hey, come on down to Victoria, Australia. We have many lovely country lanes just like that one.
And for a scary bridge - this
(http://inlinethumb11.webshots.com/49226/2880710260074746151S600x600Q85.jpg) (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2880710260074746151JRZNNU)
McKillops Bridge, East Gippsland
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i turned mine all the way until it straightened out i'm still riding it and it hasn't exploded as yet
Thanks for that encouragement... I may just crank mine a bit tighter because it does still seem to need it.
I wouldn't say the saddle has ever gotten wet but oddly enough as I had it out for photos there were some sprinkles. Oh I have certainly ridden it through some utter deluges but I figure I am sitting on the saddle so that should keep water mostly away. I have a cover for when I park it in the rain but haven't been using the cover when riding.
Some photos:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/flyer5.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/flyer3.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/flyer2.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/flyer4.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/flyer1.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/flyer6.jpg)
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Hi Jim!
Oh, the new photos really help. Looking at them, I'd say (for whatever it is worth) that things are progressing nicely insofar as break-in goes, but you're developing a bit of "flange-drop" -- that caving-in of sorts, just ahead of the steel rear flange. It will make the rear flange feel more prominent and can become uncomfortable for some folks, who then retension the saddle to address the problem.
Starting in 2010, Grant Petersen of Rivendell began suggesting customers consider stuffing a section of dense foam beneath this portion of the saddle, rather than tensioning. If you look at the link here: http://epicureancyclist.com/?p=965 you'll see a photo of what I am describing.
I don't think it is as effective overall as tensioning, but I can see the point, since it does not affect or create a central ridge to deal with. It would be difficult to keep the foam in place, especially with a sprung saddle.
I've found living in a climate with extremely high humidity (as when I lived briefly in Mississippi) or a rider who sweats a great deal (related to the climate as well!) can really affect the shaping of Brooks saddles and can lead to the need for tensioning quite apart from Proofide use or the individual stock or cut of leather used. Leather was a living substance, and has little pores and fibers and such, and Brooks saddles are shaped when wet, after all, so there is something correlating the whole idea of riding a moist saddle and its ultimate shape. That's why I asked about it getting rain-wet. I've attached a photo of my Dutch pal's Brooks after his Rotterdam-Santiago round trip for comparison. He lives in coastal NL, where it is humid, he sweats a lot when riding, and the saddle has sometimes gotten wet or been ridden while very damp. It has flange-drop, nose-drop, and a bit of a ridge, but there's never been a more comfortable saddle for him than this one, so it isn't always a problem. In fact, it is the ideal for some. Others, like me, prefer a near-factory configuration and like to keep the top pretty firm with a little convex rounding. It is all a matter of taste and comfort!
Your saddle is surely developing a lovely patina, Jim, and looks magnificent!
All the best,
Dan.
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Jim,
Out of curiosity and on a slightly different topic than saddles, are you doing anything to the bike in anticipation of your upcoming Erie Tour?
Unlike your usual daily rides, this tour will see some consistently higher daily miles.
Maybe a Rohloff oil change? A chain cleaning? Any cable replacements? The bike already looks in fine fettle, so I would suppose it is ready-to-roll as-is!
Best,
Dan.
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are you doing anything to the bike in anticipation of your upcoming Erie Tour?
Definitely a timely question! In a week we'll be on the road! But I don't have any real plan to tweak anything. The only detail that's on my mind is the chain. At the very least I will surely check the chain slack. I can imagine putting on a new chain. There's a KMC Z610HX on the bike now and I have a fresh chain waiting on my desk. But really 400 miles is not much of a distance and the current chain doesn't have so many miles on it. I should bring a bottle of lube... hmmm. I've been following the chain lube discussions! I'll pick something & just take my chances!
I need to think about the teenagers bike too. But I've been tweaking that steadily so it should be ready to go too!
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Jim, you wrote...
I've been following the chain lube discussions! I'll pick something & just take my chances!
Despite all the discussion, I think our NZPeterG had it right when he said...At the end of the day any lube is good as long as it's not dry the chain will last....
When I was at uni, a friend from Taiwan always chose to lube his chain with...butter! It was a daily ritual. Another friend from India used clarified butter (ghee). All went amazingly well for each until they ran out of their preferred varieties and had to use American margarine. The salt added to the gelled vegetable oils really did in their chains in a matter of days. Till then, the butter worked amazingly well, though as expected, it drew flies in the warmer months.
Not that you should follow these examples, but if your chain starts squeaking in Dairy Country...!
Best,
Dan.
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ANTO where are you going with my butter
eh just going to put some on my bike honey ;D ;D ;D
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I dream about all sorts of fantastic bike trips but in reality I don't get very far from my front door! Fortunately there is a lot of beautiful country close by!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/PA080236.jpg)
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Stunning picture Jim
Life itself is an adventure and sometimes the most surprising and beautiful things can be found just around the corner.
The bike is still looking fantastic.
Regards
Andy
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Magic place Jim 8)
i'm a bit like you jim BIke wise that is ;D ;D but i dont have to travel very far to be in my favourate place,
stick a few more photos up there Jim boy , i still haven't got a clue how to post pic's mores the pity, Dan did try his best but i'm a lost hope.
anyway i know what my pic's look like it's yours i want to see. ;)
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I dream about all sorts of fantastic bike trips but in reality I don't get very far from my front door! Fortunately there is a lot of beautiful country close by!
Hi Jim
Does this mean you don't unhitch the S & S couplings, put it in the trunk of your car and go exploring further afield very often?
I have roof bars for my car which I seldom use, and mostly ride from home> I thought it was just me, and I often think I should put the bike on the car more often and go further afield. It isn't so inconvenient, but I don't know why I don't do it. ???
Jim G
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Great picture Jimk.
May I ask about your chain?
Is it gold color?
And roughly how long does it take you to un-couple your S&S couplings and pop the bike into a tunk?
Matt
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I dream about all sorts of fantastic bike trips but in reality I don't get very far from my front door!
But Jim...your "everyday setting" is someone else's Dream Destination! Just imagine...New England in the Fall with all the beautiful turning of the leaves! Wow. We have pretty Falls here in Oregon, but photos like yours still make my heart skip a beat and cause me to think, "Hmm...'wonder what the airfares would be this time of year?"
I'm reminded of the (para)phrase, "A prophet is without honor in his own land". Well, our own home settings are a bit like that. Being commonplace to us, they don't seem so exotic anymore 'cos we're used to them. Everyone's fantasy destination is someone else's humdrum-daily. I imagine there's folks on the French Riviera who think, "Oh, just another day. Now, if I could only visit beautiful green Ireland or see Oregon's forests, or Scotland's rugged coastline!" One of my favorite places in the whole world is San Diego County in Southern California. I was amazed to find everyone depressed during what they call "May Grey" and "June Gloom" a roughly two month period when there is persistent high-cloudiness ( http://meteora.ucsd.edu/cap/gloom.html ...and... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Gloom ). What about the amazing beaches? The beautiful desert? The wilderness of the Cleveland National Forest? The rainless, 73°F/23°C days? Nah. It's cloudy; "I'm soooo down thanks to the weather". Bah. I'd move there in a heartbeat if I could afford the housing, May Grey/June Gloom or not.
Nice to see you adding to the "Catskills Nomad" gallery, Jim; a very nice job as always.
All the best,
Dan.
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Super photograph as always, Jim.
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May I ask about your chain?
Is it gold color?
No. It's a KMC Z610HX DropBuster BMX Bicycle Chain that is quite new and clean. It's nickle plated I think. Could have been reflecting the color of the leaves. Yeah, the Catskill are spectacular for a week or two this time of year!
And roughly how long does it take you to un-couple your S&S couplings and pop the bike into a tunk?
In case you missed it, here was my little photo essay on the S&S couplers:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=3035.msg16606#msg16606 (http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=3035.msg16606#msg16606)
The fussiest part of the process is reconnecting the wires that go back to my rear light. There isn't much slack in the wires and somehow my clumsy fingers... I always end up cursing. But still that is under a minute and the whole process probably under five.
Somebody suggested back then that I could just rotate the handlebars instead of removing the front wheel, to get the bike into the trunk. Yes indeed, that works and is definitely easier!
So yes I have used the couplers a few times. I got the soft sided case but haven't tried it yet. Plus lots of maps of Tibet, Central Asia, etc. Dream, dream! But indeed I already live in a wonderful place for riding etc. If people want to go for a ride they might just come here to do it!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/PA080231.jpg)
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Thanks. I had seen the link / sequence but thanks for the reminder.
Looks so so easy.
If you had turned the bars what spanner would you use?
Matt
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If you had turned the bars what spanner would you use?
Yeah, it really is easy. Turning the bars is just a matter of loosening those little bolts that clamp the bar to the steering tube. I think that's a 4mm Allen key. I have a multi-tool and just find whatever fits & don't really look at the numbers. Too small for my failing eyes anyway!
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Ah, I tried to follow an old road... just a dotted line on the map. Very rough going! I had to push the whole way - just a mile or a bit more, but steep enough and very rocky with several quite challenging fallen trees to negotiate. Mostly I think the Nomad came through OK but I did lost an electrical connector... at the base of the down tube where the S&S coupler is, the wire back to the rear light has a connector. I wonder if I shouldn't reroute that wire along the top tube & somehow along the bottom of the rack. Less in harms way! Plus maybe a bit easier to get to when putting the S&S couplers together again.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_1558.jpg)
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Oh! Jim! What a marvelous old road and photograph, as well. did you try the route going down? Yep, rocks the size of shoe boxes...big enough to qualify this as an Adventurous ride, for sure!
<nods> Yes, moving the electrical connector might be a good idea, though did you see what it caught on? It might have been a one-off sort of pull-apart...
All the best,
Dan.
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http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/154597935 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/154597935)
This was an attempt to close a loop - it's up by the turn off Route 214. I did get through, so there was some down as well as some up. The photo is actually from an easier part. There were some really big trees across the trail that required both detour and lifting up and over. I didn't notice the broken connector until I got home. Yeah, I sure would not take a route like this intentionally! But that is a lot of the point of the Nomad. I like a bike that I can explore with, take some risks.
Thing is, getting a connector back on that wire... is going to be interesting! No real slack to work with. How much rewiring will I be stuck doing, like it or not?!
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Thing is, getting a connector back on that wire... is going to be interesting! No real slack to work with. How much rewiring will I be stuck doing, like it or not?!
Solder-splice to length and heat-shrink tubing?
Hopefully!
All the best,
Dan.
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Ah, I just found, on the Peter White website
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/wiringinstructions.asp (http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/wiringinstructions.asp)
these beautiful Supernova connectors:
(http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/images/products/Lights/SUPGoldkontakts.jpg)
The tricky part is that I don't have much slack in the wiring. When the old connector got ripped off, it wasn't very nice to the wires. Maybe I have to strip back a bit to get a good contact, but do I have enough slack in the wire? Yeah, I can splice in a bit of extra wire. Maybe I should get some kind of neoprene/velcro cover for a bit of extra protection? These fancy connectors are $16... and I would rather not find myself someplace dark and remote without a tail light!
Anyway, these connectors look really tempting!
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totally baffled as to what there for ::)
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They can be used on wires wherever you might need to disconnect & reconnect with any frequency.
My rear light is wired to my front light, which is then wired to the dynamo in the front wheel. My bike has S&S couplers, so the wire from the front light to the rear light has to be broken so it can be disconnected when I break my bike apart, and reconnected when I put my bike back together. Somehow I managed to tear off one of those connectors as I was pushing my bike through those rocks and lifting it over those fallen trees!
One trouble I always have when reconnecting those wires: it's surely my eyesight but I really can't see which wires have the white stripe, so I have a devil of a time getting the polarity right. I am thinking that if I replace these connectors, I will reverse the mail/female orientation of one side. That should make it easy to get the polarity right!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/wiring.jpg)
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Thanks Jim i just could not figure out what they were for but yeah makes sense to have connectors that come apart east and reconnect even easier. ;)
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Jim,
I have used and still use those gold connectors for quick and easy removal of the front lamp.
I also have a rear rack light which is bolted in place.
The photo below shows the front light with its leads
• dynohub leads have the plugs facing the same way, AC from the dynohub it doesn't matter which way round it fits.
• rear light is DC and is does matter which wires are connected, so the plugs are reversed on one wire to ensure a correct connection.
This all also makes it easy to connect the wires in the dark as you can tell by feel which should connect together.
On the current bike the plugging/unplugging is done alongside the steerer to keep the wires from the front lamp to a reasonable length.
On my previous bike, with S&S couplings, I put an extra junction in the rear wiring about the top tube/ seat tube junction. The rear wiring mostly followed the rear brake cable until it jumped to the rear rack. That way there were no lighting wires near the chainring. The rear brake and rear light cables split about the same place when using the S&S to split the bike.
Another benefit was that when my previous bike was stolen I still had the front lamp…
Julian.
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If even i get my front dynamo wheel i'm not certain i'll run a rear light,i want to hold out until that new BnM headlight is out sometime next year but how do you guys run the wires so as there not seen to be an eyesore on the bike,
i'm doing my best to get Dan to make a video on how to connect up and run all the cables the proper way,as he is the ultimate perfectionist ;)
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i'm doing my best to get Dan to make a video on how to connect up and run all the cables the proper way,as he is the ultimate perfectionist
My goodness, jags; thanks for the kind words!
Jim's installation is a really nice one; he just ran into a mishap with a log or debris; otherwise it would have been fine (compliments, Jim!). I also like Julian's detachable headlight scheme to deter theft of this very valuable item.
I have outlined my preferred taillight routing on the Sherpa here:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=3896.msg17113#msg17113
At the headlight end, the wires go up one fork leg, the extra secured inside the steerer so it is available but cannot hang loose. I form the wire into a strain-relief coil between the fork crown and the downtube. The taillight wire goes down the underside of the downtube, then connects just behind the BB to the lead that runs inside the edge bead of the rear mudguard, exiting near the end of the rear rack before plugging into the taillight. I use Futaba R/C rubber grommets to keep the wires from chafing as they enter and exit the rear mudguard.
I will do the same with the Nomad, but will run the taillight wires alongside the Rohloff shifter cable path. I intend to improve the installation by bonding one half of each Dean's connector to the mudguard itself, making a "power port" I can plug a variety of head- and taillights into...the idea being to future-proof the installation, yet leave it very neat and "clean" with no stay wires. The Dean's connectors are commonly used on R/C vehicles, and are nicely gold-plated and can carry the same current as the wires without adding appreciable resistance. On the Nomad, I intend to put a Dean's connector in just behind the dynohub leads, so I can leave those leads attached to the hub and simply un/plug the front wheel when it needs removal. Much easier and faster than the SON spade connectors. Dean's connectors rule, man. Not as pretty as the Supernovas (nothing is!), but they're small enough to not be seen at all, they're very nicely shielded against water and dirt intrusion, and the case halves have a ridge that makes polarity issues no worry at all. I've long used them to run two bike computers off a single sensor lead on my tandem.
And yes, jags, I promise! I will do my very best to video the lot as I put it together. Just awaiting the arrival of the new 'bars before I go ahead with the light/charging system install.
Jim, I think the Supernovas will be an ideal solution for your present dilemma and will work well in future, as they have for Julian. They are larger than the Dean's connectors, and will be easier to grasp and pull apart with cold hands, a real consideration for winter riding.
All the best,
Dan.
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The wiring for my bike was all done by Thorn. Maybe I added a zip-tie or two. One advantage of a black bike, for sure, is that black zip-ties are easy to come by!
Julian: I am very tempted to reroute my wires to follow the top tube. How did you run the wires along the rack? The main front-to-back horizontal pieces are what panniers hook onto, so those seem like the wrong place. I can imagine just running the wires right down the center of the rack, zip-tying onto the cross-wise horizontal pieces. Luggage will often sit on top of those but that shouldn't conflict with the zip-ties, that I can see.
For the moment I think I can replace my missing connector with something close enough from the local hardware store. That'll get my rear light back in order... important this time of year! And then I can ponder any bigger renovation more at my leisure.
Here are some photos of my current set-up, as it came from Bridgwater.
From the dynamo up the right fork:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/w1.jpg)
The headlight from the front:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/w2.jpg)
Behind the fork crown:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/w3.jpg)
Inside the left chain stay right behind the bottom bracket:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/w4.jpg)
Inside the left rear dropout:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/w5.jpg)
Up the rear left rack support:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/w6.jpg)
To the rear light:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/w7.jpg)
I figure it might be handy to have a record of this, just in case my attempt at renovation collapses and I want to restore the status quo ante!
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Hi Jim
nice to see some beausage on a bike.
I always found that grit gets under tie wraps (zip ties) and they chafe. I've used insulation tape on my entire installation for several reasons:
It's the same colour as Thorn matt black.
It's cheap.
Grit only gets under when it's coming unstuck which is rarely, so no chafing in use.
Snips not required for field repairs.
Flusher installation than ties. And some may argue, neater...
Under the top tube I tape it to one of the control cable outers at intervals, essentially just sticking the tape to itself.
I carry a spare bit of tape stuck round the base of the seat pin/frame joint for emergencies, and until then it keeps the water out of the frame.
It works for me ;)
Ian
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Now that makes a lot of sense to me, i really dont like zip ties on my bike i know they work great but dont look good IMHO ::)
pity they don't make tape in the colour of my bike ;D
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Jim,
The wiring goes along under the top tube, wrapping around the gear/rear brake cables already there.
It then jumps across to the rear rack and goes along the middle under the cross pieces to the rear light.
Zip tied where necessary and with some spare wiring loops built in for repairs or future alterations.
The rear light is p-clipped under the rear cross piece to allow rack top luggage overhang and to permit swivelling the light down to avoid dazzling and cyclists riding in a group with me at night.
The included photo shows this and the front connections have been opened slightly to let the gold shine a bit!
More and full size photos can be viewed at and/or downloaded from http://www.juliankettle.macmate.me/public/ (http://www.juliankettle.macmate.me/public/)
Julian.
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Thanks for the photos, Julian! I think I am going to switch to a routing like what you show. I ordered some of those Supernova connectors.
Here are the instructions on installing them... doesn't look beyond my meager talents!
http://supernova-lights.com/service/Beiblatt_Goldkontaktstecker.pdf (http://supernova-lights.com/service/Beiblatt_Goldkontaktstecker.pdf)
Do you have the coaxial wire running back to the tail light? It looks quite beefy! I just have dual strand wires which I intend to reuse. Not sure how the lengths will work out. The back half will have plenty extra but the front half won't. Probably the connection will be right about at the S&S coupler on the top tube, as it currently is on the down tube.
I am fretting a bit about the fragility of the wires strung underneath the rack. My bright idea of the moment is to get a dowel, roughly pencil diameter, to run along beneath the rack. I will attach the dowel to the rack and then run the wires along the dowel. This should make it a lot harder for anything to snag the wires.
Maybe late next week, if the post office comes through. With photos, of course! Until then my Planet Bike battery powered blinky will have to stand alone!
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I am fretting a bit about the fragility of the wires strung underneath the rack.
Jim, a common solution to this dilemma is to run the wires through a length of tubing zip-tied to the rack cross-members. I have seen them centered on the rack as well as offset to one side (leaving enough room for pannier hooks, of course). The tubing effectively armors the taillight wiring, making it invulnerable to damage if you choose this location. No worries about snagging it with a bungee hook, for example.
A common source for such tubing is your local hobby store...particularly if they have R/C cars and airplanes. What you are looking for is K&S brass, aluminum, or stainless tubing in oh, say 1/4" diameter or less/ If you're using the original B&M two-conductor zip-cord, then you would likely want the 3/16" tubing. Comes in lengths up to 1ft. which would be about right to make sure the wire is covered the length of your rack.
Hope this helps!
All the best,
Dan.
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Thanks, Dan. Some sort of tubing sounds like a good idea. Even some kind of rugged hose. Maybe something automotive. Ha, or how about aquarium air hose? It's just that the dual strand wire looks so wispy!
Anyway, a nice scavenger hunt while I am waiting for the connectors to show up in the mail!
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It's two years now that I've had my Nomad, so it's due for its second oil change. I bought the big liter flasks, which I keep in my storage unit. Plus there's a grocery list, and it's always nice to talk economics over coffee with my pal David. Makes a nice bike ride!
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/156380043 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/156380043)
That's 400+ feet I have to pedal the stuff up... ought to make me stronger!
I weighed:
rear panniers: 10.5 + 10 pounds
front panniers 9 + 6.5 pounds
saddlebag 15 pounds (that kryptonite lock!)
handlebar bag 5 pounds
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/PB260261.jpg)
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keeps you fit i bet. ;)
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Boy, Jim; that route gives you a sharp, steep climb at either end, and with a pretty fair amount of weight in the bike, too! Jags is right, bound to keep you fit. At 25kg, it is the weight equivalent of a full touring load. Looking at how you have it all arranged, it looks very neat and well-packed. The Super Cs look magnificent, and it is a real pleasure to see the saddle breaking in so nicely to your shape. A well-used Brooks is even more beautiful in my eyes than a new one.
Jim...the bike is calling...<China> <China> <..I'm ready...when are we going to..>.
It looks every bit the part, and ready to set forth tomorrow!
Thanks so much for sharing, Jim; a real treat to see the bike as it "matures" into the full flower of use.
All the best,
Dan. (Bikes do talk, y'know...we just mistake it for freewheel noise)
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I've had my eye on the Devil's Tombstone campground as a first overnight ride. That crazy abandoned road started very close to the campground. Part of the reason I rode up there was to check out the hill, which turned out to be not too steep. We are getting into the season of snow and ice here, especially up at those altitudes. Come spring, though... inch by inch, I am putting the pieces together.
Hmmm, the learning Mandarin part, hmmm!
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Is this the place, Jim? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FGpbp9BwHo If so, it looks like a fabulous first-camp overnight destination!
Perhaps your teenager could join you if the trip was scheduled for Spring Break from his college/uni studies. It'd be nice to have a companion, and he seemed to enjoy the Erie Canal trip. Plenty of time for the training, even with winter coming on. You've surely got the hills and weight to build any needed fitness!
All the best,
Dan.
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Yeah, that's the place. It gets a bit remote up there! This past summer I was teaching a young man how to drive & we went up there and got stuck. Turns out his car is a bit tricky and sometimes needs to be in neutral rather than park in order to start. We found that out after the tow! There is zero cell phone reception up there. We were really lucky that the ranger happened by not long after the car refused to start, so we could use the phone in his cabin. The ranger only comes by a couple times a day or so for a short visit.
These days the teenager has zero interest in bike riding. He was home for Thanksgiving and he and I went out for a few miles together of jogging - that was a first! He's on the rugby team. First year of college, a big time for self exploration/discovery! Funny though... one of his close friends in town... it's a musical town... his friend's dad knows David Byrne & somehow that turned into a new bicycle for his friend. So maybe the three of us or the four of us will ride the Erie Canal next summer?
I'll be putting on my studded tires pretty soon now but I don't expect the teenagers to be out riding in the winter. Probably even spring break is too early for riding up to that campground, or for sleeping there anyway. I'd try it but it would take some adventuresome teenagers and some very confident Moms! But who knows?! Things never seem to go the way I anticipate they will!
Funny that that video has the Saugerties lighthouse too. Here is a shot from my ride there about a year ago:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_1214.jpg)
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Funny though... one of his close friends in town... it's a musical town... his friend's dad knows David Byrne & somehow that turned into a new bicycle for his friend.
Jim, though famous for his band, did you know David Byrne has long been involved with bicycle advocacy? Article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/aug/13/david-byrne-cycling-blog ...website here... http://www.davidbyrne.com/art/books/bicycle_diaries/ Some very thought-provoking stuff on infrastructure and the role of cycling in larger society.
All the best,
Dan. (...Who thinks David Byrne is not just a Talking Head)
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My new connectors came in the mail today!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/new7.jpg)
So here is how I rerouted the wire from the head light to the rear light. I hope moving the wire up along the top tube both avoids damage and also makes it easier to reconnect. Just having the male/female directions reversed to insure the correct polarity when I reconnect, that will simplify life that little bit.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/new5.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/new4.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/new2.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/new3.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/new1.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/new6.jpg)
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NICE ;)
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Congratulations, Jim, and thanks for sharing! That "high road" to routing the light wire is bound to help a number of people, and the connectors surely look pretty. You did a fine job of bundling them with the heat-shrink tubing.
All the best,
Dan. (...who thinks the result is ehm, "electrifying")
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Jim,
Perfect.
Julian.
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Not so easy to tell but here is the tail light in action:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/working.jpg)
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I like it looks kinda cold though. ::)
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Great picture.
Tell me about the front and rear flaps please.
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Jim in you unlucky enough to have a fall God forbid, that rear light is history,
i had one similar to that it was just that bit wider than the rack and when i fell the rearlight just disintergrated .so be carefull.
other than that bike and pilot in great shape. ;)
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Jim in you unlucky enough to have a fall God forbid, that rear light is history,
Yeah, I took a good look at the light on the bike... you're right, jags, that thing is really exposed. Oh well, if it goes then it goes.
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Tell me about the front and rear flaps please.
Dan turned me on to these folks:
http://www.buddyflaps.com/shootingstar_reflective.htm (http://www.buddyflaps.com/shootingstar_reflective.htm)
Not so easy to mount these things straight - you really have to get your holes drilled in just the right places! But they work good enough even when they're crooked.
I've just had these a year or so if my memory is working, but they don't show any wear at all.
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i had one similar to that it was just that bit wider than the rack
Just for the record... that's a DToplight Plus. I measure it to be about 115 mm wide. The Thorn rack is 135 mm wide. So the rack is a cm wider on each side.
Whether that'll save the rear light if/when the bike lands on its side... is probably pretty far down on the list of the things I'll worry about in that case!
Ha! Did I tell this story already... back probably August 2011 or so... I was trying one of my early attempts to find a road marked on a map but that didn't really quite exist (anymore?). This was the link between Jockey Hill Rd and Morey Hill Rd. There is a photo many pages up on this thread from that ride.
I was riding south on Jockey Hill Rd. looking for the obscure linking road. Jockey Hill Rd. itself seemed to come to an end. but parked in the cul de sac were several cars with bike racks and then maybe 8 or 10 good fellows with beers and mountain bikes. Well, hello there, can I get from here somehow over to Morey Hill Rd?
These good fellows try to be helpful. Oh, sure, just, uh, yeah, the third puddle, or is it the second, go left, or straight, or... sure no problem. So I just get back going and head up the embankment... kaboom, over I go, the first like three feet. These fellows are kind, nobody laughs, but I am sure I was blushing. I just get back up again and keep going. Another ten feet and some helpful soul shouts after me: You have GPS, right? Ha, still not quite yet! I did get over to Morey Hill Rd... eventually! Amazing that I didn't rip off my rear light connector on that adventure... plenty of absurd terrain there too! But hey at least the rear light itself didn't shatter. Yet!
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... kaboom, over I go, the first like three feet.
No worries, Jim; we've all been there at one time or another. I find I have sometimes found trouble by attempting to ride a too-steep slope, *especially* if I have traction. The rear tires digs in, my weight transfers rearward no matter how far I lean forward and...front-over-back I've gone. It sure is a blow to pride! No harm, though, so long as I and the bike have escaped injury. I did manage to badly scrape/bruise a knee one time, then had to ride home 34 miles with it opening on every stroke of the pedals -- pretty often at my hummingbird-like cadence. Ow. As a reminder, it must've worked, as it has been a number of years since I was caught out, but one never knows. All part of the Adventure!
Jim, when I toured the NL and BE with my Dutch friend who owned the same taillight, he found the red lens would pop loose if the bike toppled over, saving it from more outright damage. A simple re-snapping and off he would go. Unfortunately, if he didn't get it fully on, it would pop off on its own. so if yours does...make sure it is firmly snapped shut with the little tabs fully engaged around the lens perimeter.
I remember seeing these lights on the rear racks of Dutch bikes, protected by wire guards. B&M have made something like this for their rear mudguard-mounted lights, but these were for the rack-mounted models, and were black. Hmm. I'll make some inquiries and if I get a reply, I'll be sure to pass it on for your consideration. I remember asking at the time and being told they were faily cheap -- around €5.
Your bike is looking very nice, as always, Jim; thanks for keeping the Catskills Nomad thread going!
All the best,
Dan.
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Lights and studded tires are both useful around here these days!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/snow_zps66c6cefe.jpg)
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...and your wheel reflector is not a bad idea, either, Jim! The bike is looking very nice indeed; nothing like those winter tires to make it a no-nonsense machine, however. Looks "bad" which the little neighbor boy (the one who is still convinced I am Batman) assures me is very, very "good"!
All the best,
Dan.
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CLASS ;)
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How many miles do I need in my legs to fly like jags? Might as well start the new year with a few!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/newyear_zps8391f5a2.jpg)
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"Don't forget your gloves when you leave, Jim!" :D
Wonderful shot of an intrepid, accomplished rider and a fantastic bicycle. The snow's not bad, either! Good on ya, Jim!
A very nice photo and a *great* way to start 2013.
All the best,
Dan.
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excellent great photo jim but be careful ;)
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My sweetheart is taking a photography class so the Fearless Nomad and I got to be subjects today (photo by Wendy Harding):
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/P2150445_zpsebb88f89.jpg?t=1360959687)
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Very nice, Jim! Tell your sweetie she did a fine job!
All the best,
Dan. (...who thinks there's no bad photos starring Thorn bikes and riders)
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Cool shot! I had a similar photo idea, different environment though. Self-taken while riding on the Stuart Highway, Central Australia, just after sun-rise.
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u666/petesig26/Red%20Centre%20Way%20and%20the%20road%20to%20Old%20Andado/P1020090_zps12ae6801.jpg)
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Central Australia,
Wow, there is a lot of space out there!
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Yes, a lot of space and not much water.
Campsite at Duff Creek, SA.
(http://smile.webshots.com/images/aecae680ef5b012f245812313f003841/jpg/800x600)
Roadside view near William Creek, Lake Eyre basin, SA
(http://smile.webshots.com/images/aee00a30ef5b012f245812313f003841/jpg/800x600)
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thats a tent and a half ;)
great photo's tough looking country for cycling. :o
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The Oodnadatta Track.
Yes it was a rough, corrugated road in some places.... no, many places. We were often able to pick a smooth line - most often on the right side of the road (wrong side here in Aus). The good thing about riding it is that it is generally very flat terrain, and we were heading north. In winter the prevailing winds are southerlies, for days on end ;)
Long distances between really tiny places. We left Marree (pop. 70), three and a half days ride -200kms - to William Creek (pop. 3) then another three days ride - 200kms - to Oodnadatta (pop. 280). Oodnadatta has the delights of the Pink Roadhouse ;)
(http://smile.webshots.com/images/323a4200ef59012fba6a12313f0b6adc/jpg/800x600)
And gorgeous sunsets
(http://smile.webshots.com/images/31d49600ef59012fba6a12313f0b6adc/jpg/800x600)
Sorry for going so much OT :-X
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Went out for a ride at the end of the day, as the light was fading. Coming fast down a steep little hill into town... at the bottom there was a car about to make a left, about to cross my lane. But they didn't make the smallest move, waiting instead for me to go by. This is really when all the investment in lighting etc. pays off!
By the time I got the camera, my lights were out, but all the reflectors show up good with flash:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_1584_zpsd0dafe77.jpg)
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Interesting to observe - by now, all those little spoke reflectors have pretty much got stuck in place. At first they would slide down the spokes if the bike was stationary or very slow. But the photo shows, they all look stuck out at the rim.
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Seemed like the new VP-191 pedals called for a photo:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_1699_zps07f81158.jpg)
6921 miles on the odometer, but I didn't get that until about 6 months after I got the bike, so probably more like 7500 miles total. A fine sturdy machine!
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A "fine sturdy machine" indeed, Jim, and may I add...very nice-looking as well!
Of course, I dearly love all bicycles, but there's a special place in my heart for those that have been and are being *used*. They reflect their owner's personality and development over time, and show the patina of use. I love seeing how yours is setup and how it looks "ready for anything", Jim! It really has seen some significant use, and with very little if any real "failures" except for a frayed cable -- and even that let you still ride in at least one gear, and didn't prove hard to repair.
The black-and-silver theme is well-executed here, and the nice new pedals fit right in and look good as well.
Yes, it is always wonderful seeing your bike and hearing about your latest adventures together in what is really a very picturesque part of America. Thanks for sharing, Jim!
Best,
Dan.
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Excellent photo Jim and no mean miles i havent much more on the sherpa. a lot more on the raleigh but i do have it near enough 30 years ;D ;D
thanks for the photo class bike .
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A little trial run today. Loaded up pretty close to a complete camping kit - tent, sleeping bag, bear canister (!), cook stove, etc. Not much food and not much extra clothing, so probably still short a few kilos, but not much.
Pulled out the scale: me = 170 lb, bike = 40 lb, luggage = 45 lb. So that's 255 total. Probably my routine load is 20 lb and another 10 lb often enough. I bet I have been considerable over 45 lb with some of my grocery runs. Anyway I just rode 20 miles and no monster hills but the whole set-up felt very good.
I stopped at Wilson State Campground - $2 walk-in day use fee - and parked myself at a picnic bench for a short spell. Pulled out the Trangia stove and boiled myself a cup of tea - my first time trying the Trangia. Yup, delightfully simple and plenty fast!
I am hoping to do an overnight in the next month or so... though I have some tight work deadlines. But even if it gets a bit later... the campgrounds will be closed, but that's not a total stop.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_1746_zpsbafb5da4.jpg)
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Brilliant set up jim, bet that cuppa tasted the best ever. ;)
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Simply wonderful, Jim, and the loaded bike looks so good!
I'm really hoping you can get out and do some camping with it -- same hope for myself. Fall is approaching and with it some lovely days in the mix and color on the trees with crisp, cool nights and morning fogs (here at present, anyway).
<nods> Alcohol (meths) stoves are plenty fun, aren't they? I love my little pressurized beer-can stove and it is a regular part of my day-touring kit so I can stop and make a spot of tea or head water for instant soup.
Looking forward to more!
All the best,
Dan.
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Got to say Jim that Nomad of yours looks a beauty, thanks for posting.
Hope you manage to get away for an overnighter. I too have a Trangia, they're great little stoves, simple but effective and best of all virtually silent.
Neil
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Maintenance day! Flipped the rear sprocket after about 8000 miles.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_1812_zps7c2a6f3e.jpg)
Something had been feeling a little crunchy back there & flipping seems to have helped.
Then I put on the studded winter tires and also tightened up the EBB. Then the hub oil. A little ride to run the cleaning oil around:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/225969167 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/225969167)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_1816_zps2ed5b120.jpg)
Then the required tea while the old oil drains!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_1817_zpsc58a652e.jpg)
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Very nice, Jim. Please, can I have a piece of the pumpkin pie? ;D
Cold, cold day for the cleaning-oil run -- my!
Congratulations on your 8,000 miles.
Best,
Dan.
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i'll be there in an hour keep the kettle boiling.
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Jim, you are obviously a man with impeccable taste, a Thorn owner and a Yorkshire Tea drinker. My sprocket looks in similar condition to yours (Mine's done 8200 miles), I'll reverse it when I do the annual oil change early in the new year. Glad you are still enjoying your Nomad, it looks great.
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Cooper Lake. My mittens, thick fleece with nylon over-mitts, kept my fingers warm. But my toes! Got to pull out those heavier insulated boots!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_1821_zps3e76d5e3.jpg)
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Lovely photo, Jim!
Happy Thanksgiving! (looks like you're burning off the turkey and pumpkin pie; mine is still in the oven, some three hours earlier than you).
All the best,
Dan.
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looks like you're burning off the turkey and pumpkin pie
Nah, building up an appetite! Enjoy your feast - I hope you have warm company with whom to share it!
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wow looks like great cycling country for sure.
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Love the foto, Jim. Flew over your territory a week or so ago, from Ottawa south to DC and then onwards to points further south (see below.) Those rounded hills, all barren of leaf cover cover now -- thought of Hemingway's description, "hills like brown elephants". Nice contrast with the lake, for sure. Really must try to get to the Catskills on my Raven next year.
Just saw a friend's foto sent from Ottawa: 25 cms of snow on Tues night, -15 before the windchill. :-( Not much riding just now, I reckon, not even for the hardcore. But I did check in with the guys at my LBS, now in their new digs, and we worked out a calendar (mid-January start) for building the boike.
Oh yes, points south, and why I'm getting snowy fotos from home: writing this from, ah, how shall I say this, a hotel window overlooking the surf of Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro. Have just finished a small learning forum with friends & colleagues from Brazil, next week, will begin the followup. Tough work, but someone's gotta do it. Terrifying traffic for cyclists, though -- can't bear to look.
Happy Thanksgiving to Jim, Dan, and all your families,
Abraços a todos,
John
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Here is a nice blog about cycling around here:
http://ridingthecatskills.com/ (http://ridingthecatskills.com/)
Oooo, Rio! Probably some nice biking around there somewhere, but maybe just walking on the beach is enough! Enjoy it for all of us northerners!
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Great blog, Jim, with super pictures -- guy obviously loves the countryside, and rightly so. The height/distance graphs suggest some steep grades!
Thanks, eh.
J.
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I hope I haven't gotten ahead of the curve... today I switched from studded Winter tires back to the Supremes!
We move a couple months ago from a house that had a basement to an apartment that doesn't: from a house where there was a spot with a hook in the ceiling to an apartment that doesn't! So I splurged and bought a work stand. Nice for changing tires!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_2065_zpsa5824ef9.jpg)
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today I switched from studded Winter tires back to the Supremes
Good for you, Jim -- a bold, decisive move to make the Weather Gods back off. Good luck with the Nomad's summer shoes. Those stands really are handy, aren't they? Dunno how I managed without one all these years. Not very well, truth be told.
Heard a clutch of starlings (I think they were) the other day, but they've all gone silent, poor wee things, cowering from the relentless north-westerlies. There are new a few more bikes on the streets here, as the snow is very slowly disappearing. And to think that next Friday is March 21st. Provisional completion date for my Raven is next weekend--we've had the usual delays in suppliers' shipping things like rims to The Great White North. At long last! -- but I'm going to have to wait for a while to do the final tweaking for size, as I have a work assignment which will take me away from Ottawa from late March to late April. Maybe by the time I get back, all the blessed snow will have melted.
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Ouch, that's tough, to have a beautiful new bike arriving just as you need to depart! Yeah I hope the weather presents you with a splendid welcome home in April!
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So glad you have the stand, Jim; you'll soon wonder how you ever got by without.
To help appease the weather imps, I promise to not wash the car. That will offset mowing both lawns a few moments ago. Hopefully you'll have had your last snowfall as a result. The summer tires can't hurt!
All the best,
Dan.
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Heading off on a little spin today... I am really out of shape at this point so it will be a long slog but there is no way around it - short rides can be fun, too, though! But wait! These Supremes are awesome! I hadn't realized how much rolling resistance those studded winter tires have! But it can't be just that! Maybe it's the steel cut oats! I feel so strong!
Then I turned back north on Hurley Mountain Road, into the head wind, that had been a tail wind up til then. Rats. Back to the slog!
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/374358549 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/374358549)
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You've got the tire thing taken care of, Jim. Now...more steel-cut oats! :D
Hard work early in the season, but there's compensations -- no snow, for example!
Best,
Dan.
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My bike odometer crossed 10,000 miles today - I got the odometer in May, 2011, about 6 months after my Nomad arrived. It was a beautiful day for my longest ride so far this year:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/501123108 (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/501123108)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_2181_zps36835d81.jpg)
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Did ya ever think you would cycle 10,000 miles ;)
in such a short space of time fantastic things these bikes.
lovely photo jim keep at it.
jags.
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Jim
I rarely post - just read a lot! (sounds better than lurking)
But I did want to say how impressed I am by the distance you've travelled on your Nomad.
I'm one of those who spends far too much time pondering which bike best suits what task - I reckon there's a lot to be said for just getting out on your bike and enjoying the ride...something which so clearly comes through in what you share on the forum.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Bob
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Congratulations on reaching the 10K milestone, Jim. I hope you have many more good miles on your Nomad (and photos to share with us).
- Dave
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Curious how things evolve! I got an ABUS 6100 folding combination lock maybe a year ago. I'd ridden to Woodstock & when I got there I discovered that I had dropped my U-Lock key - ach, together with a pit-lock key! - somewhere along the way. I had a bunch of errands in town so I really needed a lock. I stopped by the Local Bike Shop and this seemed like the most suitable new lock. I have come to like the lock a lot - a reasonable balance of convenience and security (I hope!).
Then someone here posted about the advantages of a water bottle with a cover over the opening. I started noticing the grit in my mouth when I'd take a drink. The mind is an amazing... whatever it is! So I got a couple Thermos Intak bottles - just something I saw around that looked decent.
I'd been strapping the ABUS lock holder to my bike's down tube, where it'd hang just above the lower bottle holder. But these Thermos Intak bottles are a bit taller than the bottles I'd been using. The lock would push the bottle out a bit where it would hit the fender. Hmmm.
So today I swapped things around a bit. I moved the pump to the side of the down tube, mounting it using the same bosses as the upper bottle holder. Then the ABUS lock holder got moved back behind the seat tube, where I'd been keeping the pump. I switched to zip ties for the lock holder - the heavy nylon webbing it comes with is fun enough, but too thick to go under the bottle holder, plus the strap ends tend to dangle and threatened to foul the drive train.
I thought about switching to a frame lock. But the 6100 is what I have and my partner and I have this wild idea that if we conserve funds a bit, maybe we could do a bit of traveling? The Amparo and the 6100 both have security ratings of 9, so ... what's that motto? Make Do, that's enough for now!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_2253_zpsd6b2843c.jpg)
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I'm thinking I may switch that pump around and carry it with the base on top. I figure I should probably fasten it at the center of gravity to reduce vibration. The CG is probably closer to the base. Plus if that thing slowly slides down from the jostling, the base will provide a firm stop.
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Looks very nice, Jim!
Thanks for sharing.
Best,
Dan.
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Sure enough, I was out riding today and could tell, that pump was just slowly sliding down. So my bright idea: wrap a bit of reflective tape around the pump. Provides a stop to limit the sliding. Probably makes the pump a little less tempting to steal. And adds a bit of visibility.
Definitely not summer any more, my camera decided to use flash in the middle of the day! But it does give a sense of the reflective bits on the bike!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_2256_zps66fb57c7.jpg)
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tree in way. ::)
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Your Nomad brightens up the late-fall landscape, Jim! Just back from a short ride into the Gatineau this afternoon -- no cars, as the parkways are now closed :-) -- and the feeling is much the same. Wintry sky overhead as I came home, so I switched on my lights fore and aft. Saw & heard a big V of geese overhead earlier this week, heading south -- guess winter really is coming, eh?
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I hereby declare that winter is over! Anyway I put my chips down on that space, come what may. I pulled off the studded tires and put on some new 47mm Marathon Racers. I just went out for a short shakedown ride... it was wonderful to have those studs off! They're always a bit skittish on pavement. But just a couple days ago I was up a back road that was covered in ice, so I was happy enough to have the studs then! I'll just wait another few weeks to go back up such a remote road!
Not just new tires though... yeah, a decent cleaning too, but also: a chainglider! A new Surly steel chainring, a new KMC Z610HX, a new Rohloff sprocket... my old chain was really nasty! At least it wasn't squeaking! Now, though... I must say, on my first little ride, I can't tell the chainglider is there at all. So far seems really good!
Putting on the new chain, of course I had to readjust the EBB. I noticed it was a bit stiff in the frame, & remembered some recent talk about somebody's getting stuck in the frame. Would rather avoid that! So I had the bike upside down and dribbled a fair amount of copper grease down those two holes, then moved the EBB around a fair amount to distribute the grease. That did seem to free things up pretty well.
One challenge - will all that grease down there, I couldn't use my usual trick for reusing indents. The grease was thick enough that it hid the existing indents. So I had to go by feel. I snugged down one of the grub bolts very loosely. Then I over-tightened the chain, and then started loosening up the chain slowly as I kept a bit of torque on the grub bolt. I could feel when the bolt came to the first indent - all of a sudden the bolt freed up and I could easily snug it down a couple turns. Then, yeah, pull out the torque wrench and snug both bolts down to 10 Nm.
Now, to ride!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_2323_zpsmq0zlvq2.jpg)
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Very nice, Jim, and all is looking great.
Seeing the new reflective stripes on the tire sidewalls is like getting a new pair of trainers for summer as a kid -- all new and fresh and ready to go!
Best,
Dan.
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Very smart, Jim, and Very Modern too, with the 'glider 'n' all. It looks right at home, and I'm glad it's unobtrusive, as advertised.
Look forward to your report on the 47 mm Marathon Racers on the Nomad. I installed a pair of 700 x 35s [actual inflated width 32mm] on my Eclipse derailleur bike last fall and on a brief ride of a couple of hours through the city, along the river & the canal, they felt very nice, a step up from my Vittoria Randonneur Pro's (which had served my well.)
Pleased to hear that you can declare that spring has reached the Catskills. We're still waiting...This really is the latest spring I can remember, at least 3-4 weeks late, and we're still 10 degrees below "normal" low temps. As an act of faith and defiance, I did my first 2015 ride (a very short one) on the Raven just this past week. Will post some photos and a report on winter tweaks.
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spring has reached the Catskills.
Snow here again today! But it's a touch above freezing and it doesn't look like enough to accumulate. Unwelcome all the same!
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It's always nice to see your Nomad Jim, it just seems so well proportioned, Chainglider suits it too.
I now use your tips for adjusting the eccentric bottom bracket and it's paid dividends, no more screw indentations running into previous grooves.
Regards,
Neil
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Hi Jim.
Great pictures. Good tip on the EBB.
I see from the previous picture taken in the woods you have secured that tree pretty good. Nice chain n lock!
Don't want anyone running off with tree. ;)
Matt
And Spring has sprung at last here in Scotland.
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Sate my curiousity Jim: How have you got that Carradice saddle bag attached to your sprung Brooks? I have a camper long flap and am exploring ways to attach it to my sprung Brooks, a Conquest. Is that an sqr fitting I can see?
Thanks
Ian
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yes, exactly, I use the SQR. It's very nice for easily taking the bag off and on. I don't keep my bike indoors so leaving the bag mounted is not a practical option. Got to say though, it is a bit heavy. Fits in with the general pattern on this bike!
These days I have freed up that tree and now I am hanging the bike in the car port, out of the rain. It's a better option I think. We just moved into this apartment a year ago or so and are still figuring out the details!
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an evening ride...
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_2385_zpsuaguthzu.jpg)
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like a scene from a movie class. 8)
anto.
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It was up to 58F here yesterday... it's already down to 29F this evening & the forecast is for it to stay at about that temperature but for ice and snow to arrive later and last about 12 hours. Winter is here, so it's time for the studded tires!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_2439_zpssi9v2cx1.jpg)
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I haven't been getting out too much... but still, running a few errands... it's right around the freezing point and very little snow around, so the riding isn't bad...
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/Nomad/IMG_2446_zpsvqg9kgkh.jpg)
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Nice looking set up.
I spy a Chaingliger.
Nice.
I have had one on my Raven for 2 years.
Never go back now.
Matt
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Nice photo, Jim, Your bike is nicely set up, and photo shows it off well.
Warmer weather will be here before we know it...
- DaveS
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your Fearless Nomad looks very intrepid in this photo, Jim!
Best,
Dan.