Catskills Nomad

[JimK]

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

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

[jags]

keeps you fit i bet.

[Danneaux]

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)

[JimK]

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!

[Danneaux]

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.

[JimK]

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:

[Danneaux]

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)

[JimK]

My new connectors came in the mail today!



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.

[jags]

NICE

[Danneaux]

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")

[julk]

Jim,
Perfect.
Julian.

[JimK]

Not so easy to tell but here is the tail light in action:

[jags]

I like it looks kinda cold though.

[Matt2matt2002]

Great picture.
Tell me about the front and rear flaps please.

[jags]

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.