New Blog - "The Road to Rando" is up and running!!

My new blog is up and running. Its called The Road to Rando. Based on my new obsession Randonneuring.
Randonneuring: Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency is paramount. When riders participate in randonneuring events, they are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring.

I don't have any super human goals in mind like becoming a
Super Randonneur (rahn doe ner) - A special medal awarded to those randonneurs who successfully complete a challenging series of brevets (200, 300, 400, and 600-kilometers) in a year. A hard-earned honor unto itself and worthy of being any randonneur's goal for the cycling season, the Super Randonneur series of brevets is usually needed to enter a 1200-kilometer event.
or doing the Paris/Brest/Paris (P/B/P)
First run in 1891, the 1200-kilometer Paris-Brest-Paris, or "PBP" as it is commonly called, is a grueling test of human endurance and cycling ability. Organized every four years by the host Audax Club Parisien, the Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneurs is the oldest bicycling event still run on a regular basis on the open road. Beginning on the southern side of the French capital, it travels west 600 kilometers to the port city of Brest on the Atlantic Ocean and returns along the same route. Today's randonneur cyclists, while no longer riding the primitive machines used a hundred years ago over dirt roads or cobblestones, still have to face up to rough weather, endless hills, and pedaling around the clock. A 90-hour time limit ensures that only the hardiest randonneurs earn the prestigious PBP finisher's medal and have their name entered into the event's "Great Book" along with every other finisher going back to the very first PBP. To become a PBP ancien (or ancienne for the ladies) is to join a very elite group of cyclists who have successfully endured this mighty challenge. No longer a contest for professional racing cyclists (whose entry is now forbidden), PBP evolved into a timed randonnée or brevet for hard-riding amateurs during the middle part of the 20th century. The event is held in August every four years.
but I would like to do some long distance touring in the mid-west. I love the fact I can leave my house and be on the road to almost anywhere!

Stay Tuned for More Madness!!

I & M Canal Trail - Morris to Marseilles

Chances are this was the last good weekend of Fall and it was not wasted. My first trip to the I&M Canal was fantastic! Started my adventure in the small town of Morris at the Gebhard Woods access.


At the park, I did notice more then a few pick-ups with a deer in the back, it was the start to shotgun season and all the bikers were dressed in bright yellow or orange, but not me, good lesson learned. Note to self - no fur riding coats...ever! This or more to the point, the shotguns were the only negative to the whole trip, the sound of wind and leaves crunching was suddenly jarred by the explosion of a few shotgun rounds at a poor, tasty deer.
I started my adventure heading West to Marseilles, about 15 miles, give or take a few. It being fall and me being me, I was starting out a little later in the day then planned and the sun was going down early so 30+ miles was perfect for the given time allotted. Viva Marseilles, it must be just like in France.

I can not say enough about the upkeep of the trail. Its Perfect! I did not see a single pop can or piece of trash ANYWHERE! It was lovely. And since it was sightly on the cooler side, I only came arcoss 3 bikers all day. With 2 of them being at the very beginning of the trail. so the trail was empty, with the leaves all down and shot guns in the background, it can't get much better then that.
The trail from Morris to Marseilles is almost 95% trail, there were small section of roads and a few street crossing, but nothing major. You do have to ride a few back country roads near towns, so some farm traffic is around, so heads up.

Seneca is a cute little town on the trail, claiming one of the best burger around I will have to stop another time to check this out. What I do remember of Seneca is that there are places to eat, bank and a few gas stations.
Marseilles has a nice little downtown strip with plenty of food and drink options, also a BK and a few gas stations.



The LHT on the trial. This was the truckers first major event and it passed with flying colors. The bike handles like a dream. Although, the ass end of it was heavy especially over the crushed limestone trail. The Surly Nice Rack is totally bomb-proof and is killer but also weighs a ton, well actually over 1000grams. That the bag, tools, pump and spare tubes backs the Trucker almost too heavy. Even though I was at a nice pace and wasnt carrying full packs I might be making some adjustment to help the overall feel of the ride.

First impressions of upgrades; new tires - the stock ties on the LHT are 37mm conties, and while they are solid and good tires I am thinking about going to a thinner tire with very little tread. Packs - need to lose the rear rack and get either a pack for up front or a rack and bag combo.

Salt Creek Trail

Just a few pictures from a great ride on the Salt Creek Trail near Brookfield zoo.

Fermi and the Trucker

Latest LHT Upgrades

So I have made a few upgrades to the trucker as of late. First, I have added a Nitto Grand Randonneur bar. So far so good, I just returned from the trial ride and things were nice. I am surprised on how comfortable the drops are. What the Rando bar give you is a slight flare to the bars and some shortening of the top bar also. With me having larger shoulders then most bike riders I liked the standard bars for additional room on the to bar but also disliked the fact that the section I liked on the top I hated in the drops. The Rando fully corrects that forearm touch point. The other thing I have noticed is that I like my hoods is line with the bar and perpendicular to the ground and not lined up with the slight flare.
This was also the first time I wrapped a set of bars in over 15 years....hell yea OCD!!
I have also added a German mirror and so far love it, I will have a posting on the mirror soon.

Surly Long Haul Trucker Upgrades

The first few upgrades have been added to the LHT.
The Surly "Nice Rack" is awesome!! Feels like you could carry ANYTHING on this thing.

Here are the specs:
Pannier support area: 616 cm² (95 in²) per side
Rack width: 160mm (6.3 in.) outside to outside
Weight: 1110 g (2.45 lb.) with all hardware and bolts - SUPER HEAVY!!!!
Height: Adjustable to accomodate 26”, 700c and 29” wheels
Tubing diameter: 10mm
Tubing: 100% 4130 cro-moly tubing, three thicknesses throughout rack
Hardware: all stainless steel bolts, washers, tubing pieces and castings
Load weight limit: 36 kg (80 lbs)
Surface finish: phosphate coated inside and out, powdercoated exterior

I haven't taken it on a long journey yet but I know the rack, bag, gear, tubes and pump add at least 5 pounds to the bike. The LHT is so pimp that you feel the weight, some road drag, but the bike handles exactly the same as if it was in skeleton mode. Amazing design.
I also added PowerGrips to the pedals. I hate my current pedals but they are getting the job done. The PowerGrips are a nice option, but it does add weight in all the hardware that is required to join it to the pedal. I would rather just be in my SpeedPlay Frogs but with my feet in horrible condition and my Sidi;s broken, current options are limited to whats in the bike bin in the garage.

little jack

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Originally uploaded by cklineuhc

Surly Long Haul Trucker

New Hayes Brakes

Although I have had these on for all summer I was waiting for a while until I wrote about them, in an attempt to be fair. The reason being is at first I hated them. And for many reasons; I had issues with the install (which a shop I used to work at added them) them felt like crap and the rotor was rubbing if you didn't keep a straight line. After a few months and many rides later, i am happy to report they have broken in and are running really well. I do have a few concerns like there is no micro adjust or any way to fine tune these on the fly but that and the slight increased weight are the only draw backs. The carbon fiber handle and chrome make them look just tits!!

Bliss Woods Ride

Its already late in the season and I really needed a little adventure. With the Batavia Spur of the Prairie Path a wreck with construction of the new off ramps, there were not many options for a medium range uncharted territories ride.

Heading South along the Fox River sits a little gem of a ride. The Virgil Gilman Trail cut thru Aurora, along the Blackberry Creek to Sugar Grove. There is beautiful valley right before Bliss Woods that reminded me of Vermont or Rhode Island.

Butterfly House

There is a nature center on a ride from my folks house out in Geneva. The pond area and grounds are cool but the gravy is at the ButterFly House. Here are a few highlights from inside.

Sweet Little River Section

The perfect day for fishing. Storm clouds in the background and in the mid to upper 70's, a light breeze to keep the bugs away also was nice. This is the second time Chuck and I have fished this area, but I did some recumbent recon the week before based on a Google earth viewing of the river, and found that there was an even better spot than our previous visit.
We normally drop on on the lower left of the pictures, its an easy crossing that most people don't make to fish the islands, cuts and eddies. But based on the satellite viewing we might be even better with an approach from the North.

The river is at a good level for wade fishing, still fast but shallow enough for full access to all spots on the river.
Within the first 5 casts Charlie already had a Smallmouth on the line. Smaller in size but very well fed and fat!!
White beetle spin with the large lead colored head, silver blade. Go figure!
I hooked up in a tight pool with 2 downed trees on each side. Two nice jumps and he spit the hook. (Caught a rock, yes a rock earlier which dulled the hook point) About the same size as Charlies first and I had on a 2-tail black beetle spin with a silver oval blade. Am thinking that willow blades with gold hammering might be good, also plastic worms with a cone lead head. Next time.
zero hits on fly, threw a popper - flog pattern with rubber pan legs. Good river coverage with the 9wt rod and larger flies.

Sarah's First Ride Back!

Had Sarah on the Fox River Bike Path today for the first time in almost a year!!!
From Batavia to Geneva and back. Great ride, overcast sky and in the high 70s-perfect day.
Its July 3rd so the path had super heavy traffic but it was surprisingly a fast ride. GO SK!!

Too much of a good thing

So. .yesterday, its was a beautiful day here in Chicago - almost 80 degrees and sunny. The first awesome spring day for a ride. The Moots and Stratus have good intentions to go for a medium distance ride, which turned into a very very long 38 miler. Both of us had almost nothing to eat the whole day before the ride, which translated to at mile 18 both of my legs and body was cashed in. With 20 more miles to ride and very little fuel it netted out to be one brutal ride. And my longest one of the season so far. It goes to show that some times the best intentions, weather, riding partner can turn into a brutal-brutal ride.
As Phil Ligget would say "we put money in the bank for a future ride", I just hope to cash in on this pain at a later date. More than half of ride ride with cramped quads and not enough fuel, energy, or liquid. Lesson learned.

Fox River Trail Ride - Batavia to Aurora w/ Steve & Jr

Everyone needs a second job now.

IMG_2723
Originally uploaded by Fanboy30

See even Spiderman needed to get a second job to make ends meet.