Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
I never saw a Cannondale Beast of the East “in the wild” but someone explained to me that it had a crazy 13 inch high bottom bracket and a bottom bracket mounted U-brake. A very radical bike with that high BB.
Would not surprise me if Scot Nicol copied or cloned ideas from Olsen. My Mountain Trials is suppose to be a great bike for Moab and for the slick rock there. Also built for the Pacific Northwest which Scot Nicol calls “Log hop central.” For me, my Mountain Trials was a great bike for the UBER narrow deer trails in the pine barrens.
My steel IBIS came with a Shimano U-brake on the seat stays.
My slow gearing is a 30T chainring along with a 11-42T 11-speed XT cassette with otherwise XTR shifters and rear derailleur. 17.86 low gear I figure with an Arrow Racing rear 24 inch tire that barely clears the chain stays. Know that this rear tire actually has a 25 inch diameter, and it is paired with a 2.35 wide front tire that has a 27 inch diameter.
On this “slow-bike” you sit kinda tall and upright somewhat, but the BB height is only 12 1/2 inches. Normally this would be just 12 inches but I gain a half inch due to larger tire diameters.
I run 21 PSI rear and 20 PSI on the front, but I only weigh slightly more than 150 pounds. The first generation Rock Shox Judy SL has original green Speed Springs meant for light riders around 135 pounds, but this suits this bike fine because the riding position has almost all the weight over the rear wheel.
On steep climbs the front wheel is so unweighted that part of the power stroke kinda makes the bike somewhat wheelie on a climb as the front end gets so light. A bit tricky…
On such a short wheelbase bike pulling on the bars kinda boosts traction because you can use upper body strength to lever the bike for additional traction. These bikes climb like no other.
Just a word of warning about the paint strippers of today: they hardly work because they no longer use toxic and dangerous chemicals. Perhaps install an old bottom bracket as a throw away just to protect the threads and pay for the frame to get sand blasted.
If I still worked at Grumman I would take it to work and get it done for free. With painting its all about the prep work. Just giving you the heads up that today’s paint strippers are mucho lame.
I think your advice is worth a shot. The Avion 17” that is my bike just needs some maintenance and will be great for some time. The extra wheels and XTR 9-speed are a kit on a shelf, and of course I have mucho extra parts. I would need the rear cable hanger and a front cable hanger if I want to go retro and use canti-brakes. Lots of spare parts could build out a nice small Avion for “Maggie.”
I had mentioned Terry to Maggie, and she learned that they are still around but they no longer make bikes. It seems that in the realm of small woman’s bikes a company called Liv is doing what Terry did for small women. I think she has GAS fort a Liv mountain bike or a Trek because she loves her gravel bike.
Tomorrow is expected the beginning of a high heat index. Maggie wants to bike from Yorktown or Granite Springs very early tomorrow. Our idea is to pump blood and become strong over time. This plan has legs rather than going gonzo. I’m glad though that I got almost all the gravel moved. About a half a cubic yard remains, and my entire body got an intense strength workout today. I was a sweaty mess. Had to slow down after lunch and pace myself.
It seems I have a new neighbor, a very old rabbit. He is kinda beautiful and the size of a frozen turkey and a bit of a monster because of his size. Seems he loves our garden and lawn. It also seems he trusts me and now is less skittish. Today he stayed about 10 feet away from me, and it seemed he was waiting for me to leave so he could freely move around the garden again. I saw him kinda stalking me as I worked.
This is an old man rabbit with oversized long ears. He is not a cute bunny, he is fat like a turkey and his coat is mottled. He resemble a Jack Rabbit like in New Mexico. Anyways he is the biggest, fattest rabbit I have ever seen in the northeast. Not like the small bunnies I have seen in my yard.
Seems like he is understanding I am his friend, and I pose no danger to him. All we do is look at each other. He is kinda magnificent looking, and you can tell he is an elder. It is moments like these that indicate how much respect I have for nature and the environment. Our restoration of our yard is partly native plants, as well as formal gardens. No fertilizers, no weed killers, and pretty much just mulch.
Also PM me your snail-mail address again.
Cal
I never saw a Cannondale Beast of the East “in the wild” but someone explained to me that it had a crazy 13 inch high bottom bracket and a bottom bracket mounted U-brake. A very radical bike with that high BB.
Would not surprise me if Scot Nicol copied or cloned ideas from Olsen. My Mountain Trials is suppose to be a great bike for Moab and for the slick rock there. Also built for the Pacific Northwest which Scot Nicol calls “Log hop central.” For me, my Mountain Trials was a great bike for the UBER narrow deer trails in the pine barrens.
My steel IBIS came with a Shimano U-brake on the seat stays.
My slow gearing is a 30T chainring along with a 11-42T 11-speed XT cassette with otherwise XTR shifters and rear derailleur. 17.86 low gear I figure with an Arrow Racing rear 24 inch tire that barely clears the chain stays. Know that this rear tire actually has a 25 inch diameter, and it is paired with a 2.35 wide front tire that has a 27 inch diameter.
On this “slow-bike” you sit kinda tall and upright somewhat, but the BB height is only 12 1/2 inches. Normally this would be just 12 inches but I gain a half inch due to larger tire diameters.
I run 21 PSI rear and 20 PSI on the front, but I only weigh slightly more than 150 pounds. The first generation Rock Shox Judy SL has original green Speed Springs meant for light riders around 135 pounds, but this suits this bike fine because the riding position has almost all the weight over the rear wheel.
On steep climbs the front wheel is so unweighted that part of the power stroke kinda makes the bike somewhat wheelie on a climb as the front end gets so light. A bit tricky…
On such a short wheelbase bike pulling on the bars kinda boosts traction because you can use upper body strength to lever the bike for additional traction. These bikes climb like no other.
Just a word of warning about the paint strippers of today: they hardly work because they no longer use toxic and dangerous chemicals. Perhaps install an old bottom bracket as a throw away just to protect the threads and pay for the frame to get sand blasted.
If I still worked at Grumman I would take it to work and get it done for free. With painting its all about the prep work. Just giving you the heads up that today’s paint strippers are mucho lame.
I think your advice is worth a shot. The Avion 17” that is my bike just needs some maintenance and will be great for some time. The extra wheels and XTR 9-speed are a kit on a shelf, and of course I have mucho extra parts. I would need the rear cable hanger and a front cable hanger if I want to go retro and use canti-brakes. Lots of spare parts could build out a nice small Avion for “Maggie.”
I had mentioned Terry to Maggie, and she learned that they are still around but they no longer make bikes. It seems that in the realm of small woman’s bikes a company called Liv is doing what Terry did for small women. I think she has GAS fort a Liv mountain bike or a Trek because she loves her gravel bike.
Tomorrow is expected the beginning of a high heat index. Maggie wants to bike from Yorktown or Granite Springs very early tomorrow. Our idea is to pump blood and become strong over time. This plan has legs rather than going gonzo. I’m glad though that I got almost all the gravel moved. About a half a cubic yard remains, and my entire body got an intense strength workout today. I was a sweaty mess. Had to slow down after lunch and pace myself.
It seems I have a new neighbor, a very old rabbit. He is kinda beautiful and the size of a frozen turkey and a bit of a monster because of his size. Seems he loves our garden and lawn. It also seems he trusts me and now is less skittish. Today he stayed about 10 feet away from me, and it seemed he was waiting for me to leave so he could freely move around the garden again. I saw him kinda stalking me as I worked.
This is an old man rabbit with oversized long ears. He is not a cute bunny, he is fat like a turkey and his coat is mottled. He resemble a Jack Rabbit like in New Mexico. Anyways he is the biggest, fattest rabbit I have ever seen in the northeast. Not like the small bunnies I have seen in my yard.
Seems like he is understanding I am his friend, and I pose no danger to him. All we do is look at each other. He is kinda magnificent looking, and you can tell he is an elder. It is moments like these that indicate how much respect I have for nature and the environment. Our restoration of our yard is partly native plants, as well as formal gardens. No fertilizers, no weed killers, and pretty much just mulch.
Also PM me your snail-mail address again.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
On one hand I feel my age: on the other I feel young and so alive.
I will say that retirement is like a dream come true. Also I am glad that I retired at the age of 63. Two years of my life not working is worth a lot.
Life is really great and rich. The key is to have enough money, and not to waste it. All you need is enough money to be secure, the rest is B.S.
Also retirement is a period of growth where you really learn what you need and what is important. It is not stagnant and is about adaptation riddled with change. At this point I have time to do the work myself, rather than pay someone.
The end result is I feel more independent and free.
Cal
I will say that retirement is like a dream come true. Also I am glad that I retired at the age of 63. Two years of my life not working is worth a lot.
Life is really great and rich. The key is to have enough money, and not to waste it. All you need is enough money to be secure, the rest is B.S.
Also retirement is a period of growth where you really learn what you need and what is important. It is not stagnant and is about adaptation riddled with change. At this point I have time to do the work myself, rather than pay someone.
The end result is I feel more independent and free.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
I had my steel IBIS powder coated for about $100.00 back in the day. This included the required sand blasting.
The powder coat blistered in places. Evidently they did not degrease, or clean the raw metal enough.
Back in the day at IBIS they offered “Splattered” paint jobs. It was unintentional, but now the blistered areas resemble the retro splatter paint jobs that were offered by IBIS.
My steel IBIS once looked just like the small Mountain Trials in the link you sent me. Now it sports a newer logo that is of the same era as the 1990 SS Avion.
If you use one of those rust inhibitors that pickles the rust and prevents further spread you might be able to keep much of the original finish.
BTW nothing wrong with an ugly bike or riding a rat-bike. Doing that is a statement in itself.
Anyways remember that no matter what an old/new bike is way cooler than any new bike.
Then again a repaint is more akin to a restoration. That in itself is also a statement.
Both are bold moves, and that is the point. In my book go all the way with either. Both are cool…
Cal
I had my steel IBIS powder coated for about $100.00 back in the day. This included the required sand blasting.
The powder coat blistered in places. Evidently they did not degrease, or clean the raw metal enough.
Back in the day at IBIS they offered “Splattered” paint jobs. It was unintentional, but now the blistered areas resemble the retro splatter paint jobs that were offered by IBIS.
My steel IBIS once looked just like the small Mountain Trials in the link you sent me. Now it sports a newer logo that is of the same era as the 1990 SS Avion.
If you use one of those rust inhibitors that pickles the rust and prevents further spread you might be able to keep much of the original finish.
BTW nothing wrong with an ugly bike or riding a rat-bike. Doing that is a statement in itself.
Anyways remember that no matter what an old/new bike is way cooler than any new bike.
Then again a repaint is more akin to a restoration. That in itself is also a statement.
Both are bold moves, and that is the point. In my book go all the way with either. Both are cool…
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
An interesting evolution of a Mutton-Chop for me would be a 69’er. Basically something like my IBIS Mountain Trials but with a 26 inch rear and a 29 inch front. The frame would have to accommodate a 2.3-2.5 wide tires. Maybe with big tires no front suspension required.
Smallish triangles, but with oversized butted tubing for stiffness.
I have a Steve Potts IBIS type II front fork that I had Steve Potts custom made for me. Pretty much this is a fork design for a tandem that IBIS offered as an upgrade that I decided would be nice to have on the Ti IBIS that is a one-off.
Anyways, because I am known for creating “Monsters” by going a bit overboard, I think this would be a really great bike built specifically to conquer Blue Mountain Preserve.
Also the drivetrain could exploit perhaps a 24T chainring because I have a Middleburn Trials Guard that is a beefy rock ring that could be spun on a lathe and modded easily to perhaps handle a Dura-Ace 12-26T 9-speed cassette and Dura-Ace rear derailleur.
Know that I have a huge stockpile of Dura-Ace 12-26T cassettes, and a set of bar-con shifters along with a set of Paul’s Components “Thumbies.”
I figure the larger diameter and the added tire width would curb front wheel traps that are the bane of riding my Mountain Trials in the UBER rocky sections. More tire and wheel required.
My steel IBIS gained a few pounds when I supersized the tires, but it made a huge difference. Also was able to air down the tires a lot for cush, control and most of all traction.
The idea here would be to build a rigid 69’er specifically to use at Blue Mountain That would borrow from fat tire bikes, 29’ers, and have a beefy build.
Know that the IBIS type II fork has the same geometry (lenghtth and rake) of a suspension fork like the Rock Shox Judy SL or XC. An interesting tire are the Schwable Hans Damph which is a bit square shouldered with side heavy lugs. Not particularly low rolling resistance, also kinda stoutly built and heavy, but rugged enough for Blue Mountain.
Anyways, if I ever learn to MIG and TIG weld from my friend Brian…
Isn’t retirement great… Living and creating dreams and possibilities. I feel like a 10 year old kid again. Life is full of play and day-dreaming.
”Maggie” has a call in a few minutes about biking and hiking adventures. Pretty much free travel. I hope this works out.
Cal
Smallish triangles, but with oversized butted tubing for stiffness.
I have a Steve Potts IBIS type II front fork that I had Steve Potts custom made for me. Pretty much this is a fork design for a tandem that IBIS offered as an upgrade that I decided would be nice to have on the Ti IBIS that is a one-off.
Anyways, because I am known for creating “Monsters” by going a bit overboard, I think this would be a really great bike built specifically to conquer Blue Mountain Preserve.
Also the drivetrain could exploit perhaps a 24T chainring because I have a Middleburn Trials Guard that is a beefy rock ring that could be spun on a lathe and modded easily to perhaps handle a Dura-Ace 12-26T 9-speed cassette and Dura-Ace rear derailleur.
Know that I have a huge stockpile of Dura-Ace 12-26T cassettes, and a set of bar-con shifters along with a set of Paul’s Components “Thumbies.”
I figure the larger diameter and the added tire width would curb front wheel traps that are the bane of riding my Mountain Trials in the UBER rocky sections. More tire and wheel required.
My steel IBIS gained a few pounds when I supersized the tires, but it made a huge difference. Also was able to air down the tires a lot for cush, control and most of all traction.
The idea here would be to build a rigid 69’er specifically to use at Blue Mountain That would borrow from fat tire bikes, 29’ers, and have a beefy build.
Know that the IBIS type II fork has the same geometry (lenghtth and rake) of a suspension fork like the Rock Shox Judy SL or XC. An interesting tire are the Schwable Hans Damph which is a bit square shouldered with side heavy lugs. Not particularly low rolling resistance, also kinda stoutly built and heavy, but rugged enough for Blue Mountain.
Anyways, if I ever learn to MIG and TIG weld from my friend Brian…
Isn’t retirement great… Living and creating dreams and possibilities. I feel like a 10 year old kid again. Life is full of play and day-dreaming.
”Maggie” has a call in a few minutes about biking and hiking adventures. Pretty much free travel. I hope this works out.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Not only free travel, but also getting paid is in the realm of possibility. Information was forwarded to our agent in London. The travel is in Europe and involves hiking and biking at various levels.
Of interest is a coastline hike around Naples Italy, and another is a bike tour in England involving Oxford.
The fee might be modest, so I don’t know how our agent will take it. Also we have gotten use to first class or business class when it comes to flying. The plane ride likely will not be up to our standards.
There is some no compete/exclusivity attached to the gig, and they own the “assets” meaning the photography. I have no problem with their use of my images, but I want the copyrights and otherwise full ownership of my images.
Anyways I have to have my agent look into this.
Not a bad gig if it works out.
Cal
Of interest is a coastline hike around Naples Italy, and another is a bike tour in England involving Oxford.
The fee might be modest, so I don’t know how our agent will take it. Also we have gotten use to first class or business class when it comes to flying. The plane ride likely will not be up to our standards.
There is some no compete/exclusivity attached to the gig, and they own the “assets” meaning the photography. I have no problem with their use of my images, but I want the copyrights and otherwise full ownership of my images.
Anyways I have to have my agent look into this.
Not a bad gig if it works out.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Just got back from a bike ride. I did a spin, while “Maggie’s” legs are a bit rubbery.
Tweaked the rotation of the handlebars for a more upright position for Maggie. Oddly she suffered some sore butt, but the handlebars adjustment made that go away.
Today I woke up stiff from yesterday’s prison work. All I needed today was to elevate my heart rate, sweat, and pump blood.
Cal
Tweaked the rotation of the handlebars for a more upright position for Maggie. Oddly she suffered some sore butt, but the handlebars adjustment made that go away.
Today I woke up stiff from yesterday’s prison work. All I needed today was to elevate my heart rate, sweat, and pump blood.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Today we hiked the Empire State Trailway north of Brewster which approaches Connecticut. This part of the trailway goes uninterrupted by any road crossings or intersections and is free of any rolling hills. We were the only pedestrians, and it seemed road bikes dominated. Still underused, and no congestion, it is a place where you could really motor or go crazy fast without any danger on vehicle free pavement.
Abandoned train tracks ran parallel to the trailway, the asphalt was straight in sections where you could see 5 miles ahead and 5 miles behind on a gentile grade with no one in sight. Flanked with many lakes and ponds as well as swamps.
Pretty much worth the 40 minute drive to do a bike ride. The hike today was to verify that this section was a bike heaven. I’m sure Snarky Joe would love this. This trailway is so underutilized and pretty much is a great escape into a biker’s paradise free of cars. The section above Brewster is free of pedestrians except for Maggie and I. To the horizon no riders in sight either for the most part. Gradual inclines and declines of a railroad grade except the rolling hills in a section south of Brewster in Mahopac.
”Maggie” is hot on getting another bike with lower gearing. Her Trek Domane AL-3 is a gravel bike with a 2x9, but she wanted to look into mountain bikes. That venue today means 30 plus pound heavy bikes with mucho big and wide 29 inch tires a front suspension and some with rear suspensions. These are not like my old retro mountain bikes.
When Maggie gets down to her target weight she will be about 110 pounds so full blown mountain bikes of today are out of the picture. At a “Danny’s” bike shop that is local we spied upon a Trek FX-4 a hybrid of sorts that basically is a fitness bike, 1x11 with a straight bar like a mountain bike.
There is a FX-6 version that has an upgrade to 11-speed 1x11 and has a Bontrager carbon wheelset that sheds about 3 pounds of rotating mass. Trek advertises this bike as being as fast as a rode bike, but reality is that it lacks the higher gears of a road bike. They happen to have a extra small FX-4, so it was useful to see that the XS would suit Maggie better than a small that is recommended for her size.
The FX-6 can accommodate a 42mm wide tire, and only weighs 21 pounds. To me the upgrade to a carbon wheelset is a good deal. This Trek has a carbon fiber frame also. Pretty much this fitness bike hybrid is a lot like her gravel bike, but with lower gearing, a more upright position, and has a capability for wider tires.
The Liv bike selection seemed to be disappointing. The Specialized bikes had limitations. So likely a Trek FX-6 will be incoming.
My friend Craig dropped of another truckload of mulch and tree clippings. More clean fill for my terracing…
Seems like we want to go all in with biking and hiking. On the Brewster section we saw an old couple with their bikes loaded with panners. I mentioned to Maggie that we could bike-hotel-bike-hotel up the Empire Trailway. What an adventure that would be. Hmmm.
Today is day 27 of our fitness program. My skin and muscle tone is of a fitness model. I sport a tan of a fisherman, and pretty soon I can see me being rather ripped.
As we alternate between hiking and biking, the idea of a kayak is fading. Pretty much we want to concentrate on what we are presently doing. I can see going on charter boats as my way to get my fishing in as a cost effective luxury.
Our lives now is centered on relaxing.
Cal
Abandoned train tracks ran parallel to the trailway, the asphalt was straight in sections where you could see 5 miles ahead and 5 miles behind on a gentile grade with no one in sight. Flanked with many lakes and ponds as well as swamps.
Pretty much worth the 40 minute drive to do a bike ride. The hike today was to verify that this section was a bike heaven. I’m sure Snarky Joe would love this. This trailway is so underutilized and pretty much is a great escape into a biker’s paradise free of cars. The section above Brewster is free of pedestrians except for Maggie and I. To the horizon no riders in sight either for the most part. Gradual inclines and declines of a railroad grade except the rolling hills in a section south of Brewster in Mahopac.
”Maggie” is hot on getting another bike with lower gearing. Her Trek Domane AL-3 is a gravel bike with a 2x9, but she wanted to look into mountain bikes. That venue today means 30 plus pound heavy bikes with mucho big and wide 29 inch tires a front suspension and some with rear suspensions. These are not like my old retro mountain bikes.
When Maggie gets down to her target weight she will be about 110 pounds so full blown mountain bikes of today are out of the picture. At a “Danny’s” bike shop that is local we spied upon a Trek FX-4 a hybrid of sorts that basically is a fitness bike, 1x11 with a straight bar like a mountain bike.
There is a FX-6 version that has an upgrade to 11-speed 1x11 and has a Bontrager carbon wheelset that sheds about 3 pounds of rotating mass. Trek advertises this bike as being as fast as a rode bike, but reality is that it lacks the higher gears of a road bike. They happen to have a extra small FX-4, so it was useful to see that the XS would suit Maggie better than a small that is recommended for her size.
The FX-6 can accommodate a 42mm wide tire, and only weighs 21 pounds. To me the upgrade to a carbon wheelset is a good deal. This Trek has a carbon fiber frame also. Pretty much this fitness bike hybrid is a lot like her gravel bike, but with lower gearing, a more upright position, and has a capability for wider tires.
The Liv bike selection seemed to be disappointing. The Specialized bikes had limitations. So likely a Trek FX-6 will be incoming.
My friend Craig dropped of another truckload of mulch and tree clippings. More clean fill for my terracing…
Seems like we want to go all in with biking and hiking. On the Brewster section we saw an old couple with their bikes loaded with panners. I mentioned to Maggie that we could bike-hotel-bike-hotel up the Empire Trailway. What an adventure that would be. Hmmm.
Today is day 27 of our fitness program. My skin and muscle tone is of a fitness model. I sport a tan of a fisherman, and pretty soon I can see me being rather ripped.
As we alternate between hiking and biking, the idea of a kayak is fading. Pretty much we want to concentrate on what we are presently doing. I can see going on charter boats as my way to get my fishing in as a cost effective luxury.
Our lives now is centered on relaxing.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Had a doctor’s visit for the pre-screening that old men need as they age. My weight on a digital scale, no wallet, watch, keys, or shoes: 151.2 pounds.
I am a skinny bitch at 5’10” but I still have a bit of cheesecake (small love handles). Basically I’m not at my “fighting” weight, which is probably 148.
Blood pressure is in the normal range.
Thinking of buying an Accurate slow pitch jigging rod. Kinda ideal for the small reel I most recently got. Also thinking of spooling 30 pound braid on the Daiwa Millionaire Tournament reel to lend out to the step-son in-law as a boat rig. The slow retrieve is not an issue for shallow bay fishing. Much better than the broomstick rods on party boats.
I used an 80 gram jig which is slightly less than 3 ounces to test the action on the Fenwick World Class rod, and the light tip actually works well for it to serve as a long fall jigging rod. Muy bueno.
This rod is 7’8” and the added length adds to the fall that simulates a wounded/dying baitfish. This rod has a light tip for 1/2 ounce to 1 1/2 ounce lures, but by overloading it with an almost 3 ounce jig the dampening does very well to unslacken the line after the pitch. It is kinda perfect. The guides are angled so the rod is actually has the design of a long fall rod that prevents line hang-ups on the guides.
The new Accurate SPJ rod I want to buy is only 6’8” and the technic of the jigging remains closer to the bottom and the fall is short. Similar but different. The action on this rod is moderate, so the loading is deeper into the blank, and a load kinda bends the entire rod into an arc, but the tip is still fast action to take up slack after a pitch.
I kinda bought the two accurate reels for specialized jigging. The HMG Fenwick rod I bought for bait fishing, and it is not really a jigging rod.
I remain inspired by the Empire State Trailway. How fortunate that I have it as a resource not so far away. No vehicular traffic, no crowds or congestion, and pretty much smooth asphalt. I’m certain that at some point there might be some gravel. It is amazing how underutilized this trailway is.
Cal
I am a skinny bitch at 5’10” but I still have a bit of cheesecake (small love handles). Basically I’m not at my “fighting” weight, which is probably 148.
Blood pressure is in the normal range.
Thinking of buying an Accurate slow pitch jigging rod. Kinda ideal for the small reel I most recently got. Also thinking of spooling 30 pound braid on the Daiwa Millionaire Tournament reel to lend out to the step-son in-law as a boat rig. The slow retrieve is not an issue for shallow bay fishing. Much better than the broomstick rods on party boats.
I used an 80 gram jig which is slightly less than 3 ounces to test the action on the Fenwick World Class rod, and the light tip actually works well for it to serve as a long fall jigging rod. Muy bueno.
This rod is 7’8” and the added length adds to the fall that simulates a wounded/dying baitfish. This rod has a light tip for 1/2 ounce to 1 1/2 ounce lures, but by overloading it with an almost 3 ounce jig the dampening does very well to unslacken the line after the pitch. It is kinda perfect. The guides are angled so the rod is actually has the design of a long fall rod that prevents line hang-ups on the guides.
The new Accurate SPJ rod I want to buy is only 6’8” and the technic of the jigging remains closer to the bottom and the fall is short. Similar but different. The action on this rod is moderate, so the loading is deeper into the blank, and a load kinda bends the entire rod into an arc, but the tip is still fast action to take up slack after a pitch.
I kinda bought the two accurate reels for specialized jigging. The HMG Fenwick rod I bought for bait fishing, and it is not really a jigging rod.
I remain inspired by the Empire State Trailway. How fortunate that I have it as a resource not so far away. No vehicular traffic, no crowds or congestion, and pretty much smooth asphalt. I’m certain that at some point there might be some gravel. It is amazing how underutilized this trailway is.
Cal
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
All the parts I need for all my bike projects are here, all the way down to matching color brake housing and new grips. For the Breezer, I just need some shop time with a fork jig and a park FFS tool. For the Raleigh Mtn. Trials, I need to have the new fork threaded.
I had a trying day at work today, but my plan earlier was to take the Breezer fork to the shop and bend it into alignment. Once I got home and out of the car into the oven of Philly, I just gave up on any motivation to go back out. The heat is just sapping life from me.
It'll all get done soon.
Phil
I had a trying day at work today, but my plan earlier was to take the Breezer fork to the shop and bend it into alignment. Once I got home and out of the car into the oven of Philly, I just gave up on any motivation to go back out. The heat is just sapping life from me.
It'll all get done soon.
Phil
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
Hang in there. The weather has been oppressive: high heat index; high humidity. On top of that the treat of severe weather, possible hail, possible tornados.
Lucky for us that we do our exercise as early as possible. We have been really religious about getting fit.
I checked my BMI after getting weighed today after both breakfast and lunch. Seems like my 151.2 pounds is exactly the mean average for a normal BMI for my height. Parts of me are cut, but there is some softness in my middle.
I raised the stem on the old/new IBIS SS Avion. This required lengthening the front brake cable.
Perhaps tonight I’ll order a Park grease gun, more anti-seize compound, and proper tubes for the skinny Rene Herse tires I mounted that are only 25 1/2 inches in diameter.
I’m thinking of buying another 26x1.8 tire in black wall to complete a pair to have a bigger/wider tire, and also a pair of Rene Herse 26x2.3 gravel tires to mount on my spare wheel set to go somewhat fat tire. Perhaps I’ll handicap myself with the bigger heavier tires because I let “Maggie” push herself on our rides. The fat tires would be for the Newsboy.
Working outside in my yard is like working in a chain gang somewhere in the Deep South in some swamp. I need to shovel about half a yard of gravel still, and then I have to move the tree cuttings and mulch my friend Craig delivered into my dead end. Still have to mow the lawn, and I have to yet again pull Knotweed. All prison work…
Mike the skinny hipster and his gal will be visiting from Madhattan tomorrow. Mike’s gal is also a serious biker and a professional tennis player. They ride their bikes up to Peekskill to go to the Peekskill Brewery. Not sure if they will be riding or driving tomorrow.
You should check out the Empire State Trailway. What a great resource and totally underutilized. Somehow I lucked out yet again. I have no reason to ride on the rode. Makes no sense to have the risk of getting pancaked by a car when I have the opportunity to ride on a groomed asphalt wide path free of motor vehicles and other hazards.
So far I have not experienced any gravel. The further north from Peekskill I go the better the trailway: less people; less pedestrians; and pretty much peace and solitude. More or less I can ride to Canada without the danger from cars except for a road section between Kingston and Hudson. From Albany to Buffalo it is all rail trail.
I say above Mahopac is where it gets really great because intersections with road crossings diminishes, especially towards Brewster where it pretty much is continuous without any street crossings. In Mahopac there are a bunch of long rolling hills though. They kinda beat up Maggie pretty good. She experienced anaerobic threshold.
Cal
Hang in there. The weather has been oppressive: high heat index; high humidity. On top of that the treat of severe weather, possible hail, possible tornados.
Lucky for us that we do our exercise as early as possible. We have been really religious about getting fit.
I checked my BMI after getting weighed today after both breakfast and lunch. Seems like my 151.2 pounds is exactly the mean average for a normal BMI for my height. Parts of me are cut, but there is some softness in my middle.
I raised the stem on the old/new IBIS SS Avion. This required lengthening the front brake cable.
Perhaps tonight I’ll order a Park grease gun, more anti-seize compound, and proper tubes for the skinny Rene Herse tires I mounted that are only 25 1/2 inches in diameter.
I’m thinking of buying another 26x1.8 tire in black wall to complete a pair to have a bigger/wider tire, and also a pair of Rene Herse 26x2.3 gravel tires to mount on my spare wheel set to go somewhat fat tire. Perhaps I’ll handicap myself with the bigger heavier tires because I let “Maggie” push herself on our rides. The fat tires would be for the Newsboy.
Working outside in my yard is like working in a chain gang somewhere in the Deep South in some swamp. I need to shovel about half a yard of gravel still, and then I have to move the tree cuttings and mulch my friend Craig delivered into my dead end. Still have to mow the lawn, and I have to yet again pull Knotweed. All prison work…
Mike the skinny hipster and his gal will be visiting from Madhattan tomorrow. Mike’s gal is also a serious biker and a professional tennis player. They ride their bikes up to Peekskill to go to the Peekskill Brewery. Not sure if they will be riding or driving tomorrow.
You should check out the Empire State Trailway. What a great resource and totally underutilized. Somehow I lucked out yet again. I have no reason to ride on the rode. Makes no sense to have the risk of getting pancaked by a car when I have the opportunity to ride on a groomed asphalt wide path free of motor vehicles and other hazards.
So far I have not experienced any gravel. The further north from Peekskill I go the better the trailway: less people; less pedestrians; and pretty much peace and solitude. More or less I can ride to Canada without the danger from cars except for a road section between Kingston and Hudson. From Albany to Buffalo it is all rail trail.
I say above Mahopac is where it gets really great because intersections with road crossings diminishes, especially towards Brewster where it pretty much is continuous without any street crossings. In Mahopac there are a bunch of long rolling hills though. They kinda beat up Maggie pretty good. She experienced anaerobic threshold.
Cal
jszokoli
Well-known
Cal,
I had no idea that there was so much in the way of unbroken stretches of this trial, my picture was that it was a broken up mess. Thanks as always for taking the time to do the research for me.
Joe
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
The Breezer fork is installed. Turns out my reference wheel was out of true. I stuck the wheel that was in the Judy fork in the new/old Breezer fork and it was perfect.
I have the forged riser stem on there and a riser bar which will make for a more comfortable ride than the stock spec flat bar. I have about 1.5 inches I can raise the stem, so I’m thinking that I’ll swap the bar with a Scott AT2 which has been my favorite handlebar for decades. I can stick in the Scott and raise the stem and still be where I am now regarding handlebar height. The Scott has built-in bar ends and is still lighter than any of my Answer bars.
Next wrenching session will be to get the front Maguras dialed in again. After that, I ride!
I’ll post photos when I get the bike outside.
Phil
I have the forged riser stem on there and a riser bar which will make for a more comfortable ride than the stock spec flat bar. I have about 1.5 inches I can raise the stem, so I’m thinking that I’ll swap the bar with a Scott AT2 which has been my favorite handlebar for decades. I can stick in the Scott and raise the stem and still be where I am now regarding handlebar height. The Scott has built-in bar ends and is still lighter than any of my Answer bars.
Next wrenching session will be to get the front Maguras dialed in again. After that, I ride!
I’ll post photos when I get the bike outside.
Phil
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Joe,
You need to come up here to ride. You with your strength surely can do some serious motoring. Perhaps I can draft you and hang on. LOL.
I am in a biker’s paradise. On today’s hike I saw all skinny tired road bikes. Zoom-zoom. Long-long, almost endless smooth inclines and long-long descents. These are rail-to trails, and in fact it is evident they removed a set of tracks to build the trail. Right next to the trail is a parallel set of tracks.
Think long straigetaways.
We power walked 3 miles in and 3 miles out. There was one underpass where a road went above use, but we did not have one road crossing. When we broke off I could see perhaps 3-4 miles into the distance and no intersections. Maggie and I were the only walkers, the only other pedestrians we saw were a pair of runners and separately a single runner in perhaps an hour and 45 minutes.
All the rest were road bikers. Zoom-zoom…
Except for Mahopac which winds around a bit with some blind curves and some steepness and some rollers which surprised me for a railroad grade. The inclines and declines are kinda suited for a cross bike. These seem to be popular around Yorktown Heights and Granite Springs just south of Yorktown.
My experience is that it is full blown road bike territory In Brewster. Full throttle and no hazards. Pretty much marshlands, swamps, bird sanctuaries, lakes and ponds in Brewster.
In Yorktown and Granite Springs you can see into people’s back yards, but the houses are kinda big and stately.
We saw an elder couple on road bikes that sported panners. I suspect they were touring and using hotels to travel north.
Maggie tells me she got an Empire State Trailway map for free by visiting the website and putting in a request. The map is big, but not very detailed.
Above Albany the Champlain Valley “Route” involves mucho roadway, and I imagine some of this might even be gravel roads that skirts Adirondack Park. This is understandable, but the trailway to Albany from Peekskill is closed to motor vehicles except from Kingston to Hudson which is roadway.
Pretty much from Albany to Buffalo there are only a few sections that involve the road.
I say this Empire State Trailway has adventure written all over it. I plan on going gonzo. Is this my dream come true?
I was just minding my own business and I find a great adventure just beyond my back yard. To get a scale of how vast the Empire State Trailway is It is about 750 miles. The Erie Canalway trail sounds mucho interesting. Only minimal amount of road on this trail.
Get the map and freak out. Maggie and I are exploring sections at a time, first by scoping them out by walking/hiking for biking. She uses Nordic Walking sticks and I use 3 pound heavy hands at times on our walks.
Cal
You need to come up here to ride. You with your strength surely can do some serious motoring. Perhaps I can draft you and hang on. LOL.
I am in a biker’s paradise. On today’s hike I saw all skinny tired road bikes. Zoom-zoom. Long-long, almost endless smooth inclines and long-long descents. These are rail-to trails, and in fact it is evident they removed a set of tracks to build the trail. Right next to the trail is a parallel set of tracks.
Think long straigetaways.
We power walked 3 miles in and 3 miles out. There was one underpass where a road went above use, but we did not have one road crossing. When we broke off I could see perhaps 3-4 miles into the distance and no intersections. Maggie and I were the only walkers, the only other pedestrians we saw were a pair of runners and separately a single runner in perhaps an hour and 45 minutes.
All the rest were road bikers. Zoom-zoom…
Except for Mahopac which winds around a bit with some blind curves and some steepness and some rollers which surprised me for a railroad grade. The inclines and declines are kinda suited for a cross bike. These seem to be popular around Yorktown Heights and Granite Springs just south of Yorktown.
My experience is that it is full blown road bike territory In Brewster. Full throttle and no hazards. Pretty much marshlands, swamps, bird sanctuaries, lakes and ponds in Brewster.
In Yorktown and Granite Springs you can see into people’s back yards, but the houses are kinda big and stately.
We saw an elder couple on road bikes that sported panners. I suspect they were touring and using hotels to travel north.
Maggie tells me she got an Empire State Trailway map for free by visiting the website and putting in a request. The map is big, but not very detailed.
Above Albany the Champlain Valley “Route” involves mucho roadway, and I imagine some of this might even be gravel roads that skirts Adirondack Park. This is understandable, but the trailway to Albany from Peekskill is closed to motor vehicles except from Kingston to Hudson which is roadway.
Pretty much from Albany to Buffalo there are only a few sections that involve the road.
I say this Empire State Trailway has adventure written all over it. I plan on going gonzo. Is this my dream come true?
I was just minding my own business and I find a great adventure just beyond my back yard. To get a scale of how vast the Empire State Trailway is It is about 750 miles. The Erie Canalway trail sounds mucho interesting. Only minimal amount of road on this trail.
Get the map and freak out. Maggie and I are exploring sections at a time, first by scoping them out by walking/hiking for biking. She uses Nordic Walking sticks and I use 3 pound heavy hands at times on our walks.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
You are wise to have a rise to the bars and a rise with the stem. When I get those pictures to you you will see how I used either serious riser bars like a BMX bike, or mucho spacers and a riser bar. Think like a BMX bike…
Cal
You are wise to have a rise to the bars and a rise with the stem. When I get those pictures to you you will see how I used either serious riser bars like a BMX bike, or mucho spacers and a riser bar. Think like a BMX bike…
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Mike the skinny hipster will be riding up to Peekskill and will take Metro North home with his gal. It will be interesting if he does it on one of his track bikes. Did I mention that Mike the skinny hipster is a total wack job on a bike.
On the 59th street bridge on the Madhattan side is a steep chute with a hairpin turn at the base. On that descent I was on my steel IBIS when it was set up as a single speed, but with a freewheel. Mike was riding a track bike with a fixed gear.
Mike zoomed past me at great speed to terrorize me. My thought was that he was going to fold his bike into the Jersey Barrier at the base and that he would basically become a red sponge. Did I mention that Mike never wore a helmet untill he got hit on his bike by a mail truck, and at this time Mike never wore any helmet.
So he kinda did a bunny hop, locked his pedals, landed, skidded, and fishtailed kinda all at once and somehow made the hairpin turn.
Mikes gal also rides a track bike…
Mike is kinda crazy in another way. He buys and collects the way high end track bikes, and he even has some 12 speed gravel bike that has some crazy campy group drivetrain.
Mike is a wack job in every way. Oh-yeah. If you think I’m a skinny bitch, Mike is even skinnier.
I am sure the skinny hipster wants to know and learn the smut about riding up here, and I will blow his mind with the Empire State Trailway.
Did I mention that Mike is mucho fast?
BTW When we lived in East Harlem in a luxury apartment building that went condo we lived in unit 4-C and Mike live one floor above in 5-C.
Tomorrow will be interesting. Also know that Mike is a pro photographer who mostly does fashion.
Cal
On the 59th street bridge on the Madhattan side is a steep chute with a hairpin turn at the base. On that descent I was on my steel IBIS when it was set up as a single speed, but with a freewheel. Mike was riding a track bike with a fixed gear.
Mike zoomed past me at great speed to terrorize me. My thought was that he was going to fold his bike into the Jersey Barrier at the base and that he would basically become a red sponge. Did I mention that Mike never wore a helmet untill he got hit on his bike by a mail truck, and at this time Mike never wore any helmet.
So he kinda did a bunny hop, locked his pedals, landed, skidded, and fishtailed kinda all at once and somehow made the hairpin turn.
Mikes gal also rides a track bike…
Mike is kinda crazy in another way. He buys and collects the way high end track bikes, and he even has some 12 speed gravel bike that has some crazy campy group drivetrain.
Mike is a wack job in every way. Oh-yeah. If you think I’m a skinny bitch, Mike is even skinnier.
I am sure the skinny hipster wants to know and learn the smut about riding up here, and I will blow his mind with the Empire State Trailway.
Did I mention that Mike is mucho fast?
BTW When we lived in East Harlem in a luxury apartment building that went condo we lived in unit 4-C and Mike live one floor above in 5-C.
Tomorrow will be interesting. Also know that Mike is a pro photographer who mostly does fashion.
Cal
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Sounds like Mike may know who Yamaguchi is. One of my goals is to attend his frame building course out in Colorado.
Phil
Phil
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
Mike has some hand built Kir-lin or something like that rare hand built carbon fiber track bike.
He also is a Campy freak. Even by my standards he is crazy. He is OCD on bikes.
You and “B” should come up for a visit and bring some bikes. The purpose would be to ride and eat. Anyways that seems to be our retirement and what makes us mucho relaxed and happy-happy.
I am cultivating “Maggie” into a full blown Bike-Bitch. She is 70 so it will take some time to build out a base, but after that I think will be lots of long-slow distance to build upon that. This every day routine except for rest days when required definitely helps quell our problems with anxiety.
Cal
Mike has some hand built Kir-lin or something like that rare hand built carbon fiber track bike.
He also is a Campy freak. Even by my standards he is crazy. He is OCD on bikes.
You and “B” should come up for a visit and bring some bikes. The purpose would be to ride and eat. Anyways that seems to be our retirement and what makes us mucho relaxed and happy-happy.
I am cultivating “Maggie” into a full blown Bike-Bitch. She is 70 so it will take some time to build out a base, but after that I think will be lots of long-slow distance to build upon that. This every day routine except for rest days when required definitely helps quell our problems with anxiety.
Cal
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Keirin racing is done on a velodrome, with very specific bike standards called NJS. Suntour used to be the high point standard of NJS components with very few other companies in on the game. All NJS components are the very highest end of the top group, so DuraAce track, Record track, and formerly Suntour Superbe/Superbe Pro track. All the approved components have a stamp, everything including BB spindles, track cogs, lockrings, all of it; the reason heing is that it is legal to gamble on a keirin race, so the NJS standard levels the playing field. NJS parts aren’t particularly lightweight, but they are durable.
I rode and raced CX on a Suntour Superbe Pro NJS front track hub laced to Mavic GP4 rolling on Vittoria EVO Pro CX tires; rear hub was 2nd gen Dura Ace 8 speed. In the early 2000s there was an industry shift to higher pressure clincher tires, so racers were dumping their tubular wheel sets for peanuts. I don't even know how many track wheel sets I day traded from 2007 to 2011. This was also the period when I had a nearly unlimited supply of tubular tires that were ridden once then swapped out for new ones and given to me.
Not too long ago, I mentioned to B that one of my bucket list items is to go to Osaka and put some money on a keirin race.
Phil
I rode and raced CX on a Suntour Superbe Pro NJS front track hub laced to Mavic GP4 rolling on Vittoria EVO Pro CX tires; rear hub was 2nd gen Dura Ace 8 speed. In the early 2000s there was an industry shift to higher pressure clincher tires, so racers were dumping their tubular wheel sets for peanuts. I don't even know how many track wheel sets I day traded from 2007 to 2011. This was also the period when I had a nearly unlimited supply of tubular tires that were ridden once then swapped out for new ones and given to me.
Not too long ago, I mentioned to B that one of my bucket list items is to go to Osaka and put some money on a keirin race.
Phil
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Even though I’m relax, I have a Type “A” personality. Somehow I innocently took two Yorktown Walk Books at the Trailside Cafe thinking they were for free. I took two because there were two versions…
I would later learn that they cost $5.00 each at a second visit to the Trailside Cafe and paid for them. One dates from 2016 and the other 2021. FDR Slate Park is not so far away, and in the 2016 guide it indicates a proposed Mohansic Trail that would link the North Trailway to the FDR State Park.
The interest for me is to avoid fees and maintain free parking. The 2021 guide shows that the trail was built out.
Also it seems that even in the 2021 guide it is suggested and proposed that the old Putnam line would be extended, suggesting that this new rail to trails is kinda recent, almost built especially for me upon moving to Peekskill.
Almost like better build out some infrastructure to entertain Calzone otherwise criminal and bad behavior could happen.
Anyways, I was honest and support the land trusts that protected and helped build out this and other green spaces. Adirondack Park is the largest park in the lower 48 states. It seems like green belts and land preservation is great in New York. The idea of an Empire State Trail was visioned in 2017, so the reason why a guy like Snarky Joe didn’t know about it is that not only is it one of Calzone’s secretes, but also too few know about it because it is kinda brand new.
It is the longest state run trail system in the country. Basically it was completed in 2020, and 180 miles of new trails were created to link segments already in existence. Broken down there it overall cost $297 million dollars; one section is NYC to Albany; then Albany north to the Canadian border via Adirondack Park; then lastly from Albany westward to Buffalo.
Keep this place secret so it does not get crowded. Don’t tell anyone.
Cal
I would later learn that they cost $5.00 each at a second visit to the Trailside Cafe and paid for them. One dates from 2016 and the other 2021. FDR Slate Park is not so far away, and in the 2016 guide it indicates a proposed Mohansic Trail that would link the North Trailway to the FDR State Park.
The interest for me is to avoid fees and maintain free parking. The 2021 guide shows that the trail was built out.
Also it seems that even in the 2021 guide it is suggested and proposed that the old Putnam line would be extended, suggesting that this new rail to trails is kinda recent, almost built especially for me upon moving to Peekskill.
Almost like better build out some infrastructure to entertain Calzone otherwise criminal and bad behavior could happen.
Anyways, I was honest and support the land trusts that protected and helped build out this and other green spaces. Adirondack Park is the largest park in the lower 48 states. It seems like green belts and land preservation is great in New York. The idea of an Empire State Trail was visioned in 2017, so the reason why a guy like Snarky Joe didn’t know about it is that not only is it one of Calzone’s secretes, but also too few know about it because it is kinda brand new.
It is the longest state run trail system in the country. Basically it was completed in 2020, and 180 miles of new trails were created to link segments already in existence. Broken down there it overall cost $297 million dollars; one section is NYC to Albany; then Albany north to the Canadian border via Adirondack Park; then lastly from Albany westward to Buffalo.
Keep this place secret so it does not get crowded. Don’t tell anyone.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
Thanks for informing my Ghetto understanding.
You would love Mike. Definitely a wack job.
The bikes he collects are way out of my league. What a nut case.
Cal
Thanks for informing my Ghetto understanding.
You would love Mike. Definitely a wack job.
The bikes he collects are way out of my league. What a nut case.
Cal