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Phil,

I have an envelope on my dining room table to mail out som 30 pound braid to you. Perhaps tomorrow.

It will be interesting how you will fit out your Mountain Trials. Keep your weight low and back to avoid endo’s. Should climb like no other bike. Kinda brutal.

Cal
 
The cover release happened today. Now people and book buyers can pre-order. Next week or so will be a second cover release for the version in England which has a different cover.

Might have to do some traveling to cover the book tour. I’m kinda “Maggie’s” On-TOUR-Rodge.

Could get crazy, well it already is kinda dream like and a little bit crazy…

Cal
 
So now I’m enchanted by mucho long rides. I am thinking I need to extend the gear range of my Newsboy to have taller gears. Good thing is I have a long cage derailleur that has a max cap of 45 teeth.

So I have a full 9-speed XTR drivetrain sitting on the shelf and some retro light weight custom wheels just laying around. I like the idea of building an all-road bike, but using a mountain bike frame. Hmmm…

I am diseased… Just one more bike…

Cal
 
In the morning went on a trailway ride with “Maggie.” Then we did some yard work.

To do some strength training I did a ride down Route 9A to visit my friend A.J. riding through the tiny towns of Buchanan and Montrose to the very edge of Croton.

I rode the IBIS SS Avion, and 9A is rolling hills with a one long climb. I pushed some gears and felt some pain from the effort.

I went o visit A.J. To see by chance did he have any retro parts like New Winner freewheels, or Suntour XC Pro hubs that would allow a 7-speed cassette. No luck with the freewheels, but A.J. Might have some Suntour wheelsets.

The SS Avion reminded A.J. of the Fat Chance he owns because of the build quality and stiffness.

So let’s see where this shot in the dark takes us/me. If I’m lucky I can get an XC Pro cassette wheel that is NOS.

Cal
 
Phil,

Thanks. I’m keeping the 7-speed. The SS Avion did well on my rolling hills on Route 9A.

I did some aggressive attacking of the rollers and stood at some of the longer climbs to stay on top of the gears. I also bombed on the descents, but now my legs are rubber. LOL.

The 12-28T and 48/38/24 has all the gears I need.

I’m staying with the 130mm spacing. I figure if I can get an XC Pro hub with grease guard it would be great to keep the bike period correct.

Cal
 
Today we revisited the Mahopac trail head that just a few hundred feet is actually Carmel. This is a section of the Empire State Trailway that kinda brutalized “Maggie” because the hills. On this visit we realized that the hills were really just really long graded sections that exceeded her capabilities.

Perhaps the grades were a lot longer than other sections further south, and they did roll a bit up and down. Realize that it was on a brand new bike, the fit had not been dialed in, and that Maggie had not been on a bike in decades. For her it was a very long ride. Don’t forget that she is 70. This was Maggie’s first ride on a new bike.

We walked it today as a hike and things did not seem so steep, but the rolling of the hills and the extra distance we added onto our hike made the distance back to the car long for both of us. The weather could not have been kinder, and resembled a perfect September day with an initial chill and breeze in the early morning.

On our ways back to the car we saw two groups of powerful riders training as a team. Pretty much warming up to do a pace line at great velocity further north. I think they were a team because they wore the same jerseys that had the same graphics and a loud yellow accent.

The second group was equally big and fast and I think had the same jerseys.

This area is not so open and winds around a lot for a railroad, but I can see these guys using the straightaways in the Great Swamp to do some crazy all out honking.

The Great Swamp is one of the two largest remaining wetlands in southern New York. Sits on top of a once an ancient seabed that is several hundreds of feet of limestone.

At Pawling they did lots of stuff to limit development, preserve wilderness, and keep farming a lifestyle. The geography is an extension of the Harlem Valley. The Metro North train is only 4 cars long.

The Great Swamp is 20 miles long and is over 6,000 acres with two other preserves butting it.

Pawling was once a major train hub that was a terminal. The Great Swamp extends both north and south of Pawling. So Far I only know of the southern 9 miles of it. Pretty much no road crossings for 9 miles on this southern section. Very flat with only a slight elevation.

Anyways the section of Carmel seems more tame today, because Maggie has progressed a lot into becoming a full blown biker-bitch.

After the hike today we snacked out and headed to the REI in Norwalk Conn. This store was bigger and better stocked than the REI in Paramus N.J. I fashioned out with another FJALL RAVEN cargo hiking pants that look very military in a military green. I found a Patagonia windbreaker to have on our hikes and biking.

Maggie pointed out how the color of the windbreaker went well with my new cargo pants. I kinda have an orange glow to my tan, and orange and green are complimentary colors.

The hiking pants can be water proofed with a wax and a heat gun, and I have a black pair that I think I will waterproof. I have a Stutterheim raincoat so now pretty much I will have rain gear I can use for fishing and hiking.

I guess I look like a fitness model because A.J. Who was a NORBA Pro made a few comments about my tan and how the red Nan-TUCK-it Life Guard muscle shirt fitted and how kinda toned I looked.

Now I kinda look the part of a fitness model. At REI that outdoor fit culture included me in their branding. At REI I found a dry-bag that someone returned that was marked down. I figure it will come in handy for biking and for camping. I also found a tiny compass that I can easily tie-wrap to my handlebars.

I now kinda see how for bike riding the spot to head north from is Carmel. This leaves behind the road crossings of Granite Springs and of Yorktown Heights. Things really open up. Pretty easy to head north and then have a slight descent as a tailwind on the way home. Kinda perfect for me.

Cal
 
At REI I met Ed, a 72 year old biker and marathon runner. He did all these rail-to-trails: one in Washington DC; another in PA that is described as the Grand Canyon of the east; and did Albany to Buffalo. His bike is a carbon fiber gravel bike. Ed reports lots of the trailway is crushed limestone. Not the best for a road bike, but doable according to Ed.

The takeaway would be to rent a car to drive to Buffalo and then head to Albanyby bike.

Doing about 50-70 miles a day, hoteling up, it takes about a week.

I guess I could Amtrack down to Croton And bike home from there.

Problem is “Maggie” is not worthy of any road riding. I would have to get the Audi and would have to drive to pick her up.

It makes sense to rent a car, drive to a destination, and then drop off the car. EZ-PZ.

Cal
 
Google ”Pine Creek Gorge.”

This is the Grand Canyon of the East.

Ed has done this ride several times. Stunning he says. He suggest acquiring lodging in the middle of the gorge and go one direction one day, and then go the other direction the second day.

“I was just minding my own business…”

Cal
 
Cal, with Suntour cassette hubs, you do have to pay attention to the size of the cassette. They differentiated between 6, 7, and 8 speeds, though the 8 could also hold a 7 speed cassette with a spacer at the backside, just like with Shimano. The Shimano of the cassette/freehub era, only differentiated freehub size between 7 and 8 cogs. This was also the change from the Uniglide era to the Hyperglide era when the lockring came into being. The M732 rear hub is the sweet spot for all of this because it can be spaced to 130 or 135, and take either a lockring type HG cssette or a Uniglide cassette. It's the Rosetta stone of rear hubs. Technically, with a 135mm M732, you could go all the way up to 10 speed, but you'd need to make sure you had the correct lockring. It would probably be better to do an 8 of 9 speed and use a Uniglide locking cog.
As far as Suntour goes though, it's a bit of a pain in finding a perfect hub but then never finding the correct cassette. This is why the freewheel XC Pro hubs are the best for future longevity.

Phil
 
I figured out that converting my Newsboy to a 3x9 XTR makes sense to have extended gear range, and get the extended high gear I don’t have now. I could get by with a 2x11, but the big advantage for me is smaller jumps in the gearing.

Basically the small chain ring only buys me two low gears, the rest is basically overlap with the middle ring.

11-34T XT cassette, 46/34/26. If I want to I can still go down to a smaller 24T chainring that could be useful if I want/need to go to a 2.3 wide tire which is 27 inches in diameter. All the parts including a second set of wheels and an assortment of tires on the shelf in my stockpile,

Many thanks to Phil to mentioning the benefits of a 3/16 chain and why 9-speed is an asset years ago. His advice was well taken. Pretty much the bike I want I can build.

The idea here is to have a bike that has the comfort for long-long rides. I want a wide range of gearing…

Cal
 
Phil,

Thanks again.

Advice well taken, and lets see if this pans out.

Joe’s donation and recycling the 12/13 tooth buys some time.

BTW this is a great bike for the ride north from Carmel.

Poughkeepsie and New Palz here I come.

I too want to do epic rides.

Also there is a new rail trail in Conn. Other states lag behind New York, and unfortunately flooding in Vermont destroyed years of progress there. I got a lot of smut at REI.

I was just minding my own business.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
I figured out that converting my Newsboy to a 3x9 XTR makes sense to have extended gear range, and get the extended high gear I don’t have now. I could get by with a 2x11, but the big advantage for me is smaller jumps in the gearing.

Basically the small chain ring only buys me two low gears, the rest is basically overlap with the middle ring.

11-34T XT cassette, 46/34/26. If I want to I can still go down to a smaller 24T chainring that could be useful if I want/need to go to a 2.3 wide tire which is 27 inches in diameter. All the parts including a second set of wheels and an assortment of tires on the shelf in my stockpile,

Many thanks to Phil to mentioning the benefits of a 3/16 chain and why 9-speed is an asset years ago. His advice was well taken. Pretty much the bike I want I can build.

The idea here is to have a bike that has the comfort for long-long rides. I want a wide range of gearing…

Cal
Click to expand...
Phil,

19.5” low with 25.5” diameter tires 1.8” wide; 19.88” low with 26” diameter tires 2.1” wide: 26T chainring.

106.64 high with 25.5”; 108.73 high with 26 inch tire. 46T chainring.

Gears are my friend.

I love the MIddleburn chainrings because they feature ramps that make chain ring jumping speedy.

The 34 tooth chainring only has a low of either 25.5” or 26” depending on tire size, so the small ring is only for a 22.1” (22.53”) or the 19.5” (19.88”). The rest of the small chainring gears are just overlaps of the middle ring.

This all fits in the max-cap of 45 teeth for a long cage 9-speed XTR rear derailleur.

Not only ideal, but perfect.

Cal
 
This morning took advantage of the cool temperatures to do some Knot weeding. Also moved some tree cuttings and mulch to fill in some of my terracing That my friend Craig dropped of weeks ago.

Took a shower and then decided to go on a bike ride by myself. “Maggie” needed a rest day.

I drove 12 miles to Yorktown Heights, the nearest trailhead to the Empire State Trailway, and headed north. Granite Springs, Carmel, Baldwin Place, and eventually Brewster by Pumphouse Road which leads to the Great Swamp and then Pawling.

Pretty much I connected all the sections I did with Maggie in one long ride. I decided to do my turnaround at Brewster which took me an hour and 45 minutes. The ride back only took me an hour and a half. Even though I was tired it there were sections where I was in my highest gear and honking.

My top gear is a 42x11T with a 25 1/2 inch diameter tire so my high gear was only a 97.36 gear inch. I didn’t spin out, but I could of used a taller gear. Even a 26 inch tire only gets me to 99.27 inch gear. Oh-well. Anyways I used my tallest gear a lot on this ride. The long grades allow for bursts of speed because of the gravity assist.

The somewhat long descent on the way back kinda saved me on this ride. The idea was not only to pump a lot of blood, but also tire my legs by a somewhat long ride.

I learned that in Brewster you have to do about a half mile of on road riding to connect the trailway. In Brewster I approached a man for guidance and it was good I have a conversational ability in Spanish. My stranger spoke no English and there are a good amount of Latino’s in Brewster.

Time to eat…

Cal
 
Food is so great after a ride. Grilled Salmon, grilled corn, and earlier some Trader Joe’s Greek yogurt with spinach and kale with Trader Joe’s Savory mini crackers for dipping.

Still hungry…

There are these India flat breads that I also get at Trader Joe’s that do well with Mozzarella or Provolone. Our toaster oven does a great job of heating and melting the cheese. Add a few spices and it is very rich.

I’ll be making one of each.

Biking can be an eating disorder. Pretty much binge eating, but in my case I remain a skinny bitch.

Anyways this is like eating two meals in one sitting.

Cal
 
Last night slept 9 hours. Extra rest was needed to recover from the long ride and the stronger effort from yesterday.

Rest is an important aspect of fitness and it is important to avoid overtraining.

“Maggie” is at a different phase/level of fitness, and I have been involved as an endurance athlete for more than half my life. The lessons learned are helping me self coach myself, but things are different now because of my age. I have to be a bit gentle with my body.

The short 1/2 mile connector on road in Brewster was rude after the long and nearly flat grades on the rail trail. In Carmel on the way home I had to use the small chainring for lower gears to save strength on this climb that was unlike a railroad grade. I have seen some cyclists who lack fitness walk their bikes up this slope Because of its length and pitch.

By the time I got back to the car in Yorktown Heights I had no strength left. My legs were shot.

Knowing and understanding your body only comes through experience. At this point I am mostly basing. The ride to visit A.J. showed and indicated some limited strength, but nothing sustainable. I’m happy with my progress, but I also know it will take time, and I need to keep at it.

So far a rainy morning. I need to work on the Avion SS some more to complete the maintenance. Perhaps I’ll do some weight training of row on my Concept 2 ERG. I make the most out of every day.

I also kinda field tested the Newsboy on the ride. I tend to push gears and yesterday I only used the small chainring once. I ended up using my 11 tooth a lot on the rear.

I could just go with a 26x2.3 wide tire that has a bigger diameter. In effect the bike would have a bigger wheel and the gearing would get slightly taller. Perhaps this is all I need. The Newsboy look also would get really exaggerated with essentially 2.3 inch wide slicks that have a gravel tread. Bonus is more Cush, but the bad is extra rotating mass, about 118 grams per wheel.

The added weight would help me on my coaching rides I do in support of Maggie’s fitness and training. Perhaps I’m saving the 9-speed kit and wheels to build another bike.

I purposely went to the trailway: for safety; for enjoyment; and for the experience of connecting all the sections. In a ways scouting for a longer expedition.

Next time I’ll try to add on the 18 miles out and back of the Great Swamp and get near Pawling. The drive to Yorktown Heights is 12 miles due west of Peekskill and is the nearest access. After that Hopewell Junction and Poughkeepsie. If I make it over the Hudson well over 100 lies for the out and back, which I can shorten easily by starting at Brewster where I ended my northern excursion yesterday.

Epic riding and long times in the saddle. Just what I need. BTW for strength training I have my steel IBIS and Blue Mountain Preserve. The steel IBIS is set up as a slow speed bike, but the hills and rocky terrain require strength as well as skill.

I’m kinda in a sweet spot for my fitness. The location of Peekskill seems ideal. Not only is Bear Mountain and Harriman State Pars just across the river, but the Appalachian Trail is close by.

Cal
 
Last edited:
Phil,

Braid is good stuff. They overspooled the new reel I bought. That is some of the line. Still might have to remove more.

This is used on a conventional reel that has no level wind. If you don’t lay the across the spool when reeling in you can run ito problems…

Cal
 
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