Catskills Nomad

[JimK]

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/

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!

[JimK]

Here's another cyclist's report on storm damage in our area:

http://thehudsonvalleyrandonneur.blogspot.com/2011/09/surveying-devastation-catskill.html

[JimK]

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!

[jags]

man that looks like a really cool place are on a day ride or are you touring.

[JimK]

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!

[brummie]

How are you finding the Nomad ? ( Given that in a lot of your pics it appears to be fairly lightly loaded )

[JimK]

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!

[jags]

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  .

[brummie]

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 (?)

[JimK]

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!

[brummie]

Hope you get to live the dream Jim, The Nomad will certainly let you do it !

[Danneaux]

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!   

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.

[JimK]

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!

[JimK]

Here's a fun toy that I am still trying to figure out:

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!

[Danneaux]

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.