Phat, Stiff and Single!

That is,  29" wheels with 3" tires (29+), single speed and fully rigid, that is it, no dropper post, no chain guide, no problems and little maintenance. Why ride fully rigid single speed, I am not sure, I know it feels good. I like to ride solo, long remote routes and often at night, a mechanical can be more serious with out the support of other riders and shared group gear. A single speed is simple.
The single speed experience is also intoxicating for some, you simply pedal, big hill up ahead? save a bit as you approach it, short steep hill? give it everything you got, long flat section? spin spin spin! It is surprisingly freeing, but not for every one, is it for you? Try it you might surprise yourself.
29X3 tires is that thing a Fat bike? No, as I said it is a 29+. Is it made for snow? No, it is a trail bike. The thing is the tires roll over everything with ease, have gobs of traction and supply a fairly comfortable ride for a fully rigid bike. You NEED to try one, it is haunting, intoxicating the bike geek in you will obsess and finally you will break down and buy one.

Cumberland For a Beer at the Wave

Just a gravel ride to Cumberland for a beer, seems simple enough, right?
The Waitress/bartender at The Waverly were kind enough to let us put our bikes inside. The Wave is a great bar supporting cycling in their community for quite some time. The Wave is also a live music venue, I have been lucky to see many bands there, DOA, The Hansen Brothers, NoMeansNo, White Cowbell Oklahoma, The Supersuckers, BCDC, The Skatalites, Shane Phillip, The Real McKenzies, and more, add friendly staff and could there be a better mid ride stop? At 90km into the day about 2/3 of our ride a beer was calling my name

Airport Mainline start to ride

The Hof at the top of Forbidden climb, looks flat from here!

Always looks less chundery and steep in photos!

Just down there a bit past the end of the lake, is food!

At 90km into the day about 2/3 of our ride a beer was calling my name!

My proposed Oregon Outback setup for this year, more on that in another post.

Actif Epica Fail

I had such positive feelings about this event, and I was not let down, however I didn't make it much past the first checkpoint at about 30Km.
The trip to Winnipeg started off with me getting a head cold during the flight from Vancouver, and ended with my bike lost when I arrived in Victoria. In between things were good, ya I failed to finish (possibly the first event i have never finished where I actually wanted to continue), but the experience was spectacular! -41 with the wind chill, a frozen bike that took every bit of strength and will power I had to inch forward, and absolutely soaked in sweat clothes from that effort to the toque frozen to the stubble on my head and my inoperable camera covered in ice under my jacket. At -41 things freeze and fast, after heading out of  checkpoint one, I was blasted by a stiff head/cross wind that immediately had me uncontrollably shivering, I could see no way out of this condition due to the effort I was producing to pedal my frozen Krampus singlespeed, any clothing I wore was wet and everything wet freezes at -41, I made the decision to abandon and turned back to the checkpoint. Pretty much end of story, the event was well organized, and the incredibly flat lands of southern Manitoba were strikingly beautiful in a barren sort of way. Due to bike/environmental conditions this was by far the hardest 30km I have ever rode nothing else was close. I will go back, Actif Epica and I have some issues to work out.

From pre event ride only -14

In hindsight leaving bike outside to fully freeze was a bad decision!

Three wheels Fat bike insanity!

Flat

Mascot

The Memorable 2014 Moments

Of the many hours spent outside on and off the bike a few always stand out in 2014 there were a few that were head and shoulders above the rest. These three happened over three consecutive weekends.

Oregon Outback
My first bikepacking "race", I was hungover at the start, I hallucinated prehistoric bears, a talking raven and more due to lack of sleep a condition I do not do well in. I fell asleep on the bike while out of the saddle climbing a hill, needless to say i hit the dirt, so I curled up in the dirt, gravel and dry grass for a short nap. All said and done I loved it.
Lessons learned:
   Don't for get to use chamois cream before you need it.
   Sometimes  you only need 5-10 min sleep to continue.

Solo Bike & Hike
This was a ride out to hike up a minor peak, camp over night and ride home. At the end of the logging road I was exhausted, I thought about not continuing, just set up camp and sleep. However I hefted my pack and marched on stopped shortly by a lake and cooked up a real meal. Feeling much stronger I continued into the alpine when I was an hour or so from the summit I was stumble tired. I set up camp more real food and sleep.
During the night something grabbe my calf, I was being dragged out from under my tarp, panicking, I struggled fuck, eyes open! We could die here! Sleep was to strong, my last thought"ah fuck it I'll just die" and I slipped back to sleep. I awoke startled, to, well nothing out of the ordinary? I looked down at my sleeping bag expecting it to be shredded, covered in blood. What the? it looked fine. Later I realized, I had endured a calf cramp without really awakening. I hiked out and rode home.
Lessons learned:
   Sleep can feel more precious than life, you need sleep.
   Push your self to breaking and then a bit more, I still regret not sumiting.

12 Hours of Cumberland
Fourth year, I think.  Riding solo, single speed, fully rigid, 29+, the last two. Four hours in and I feel great physically, but I am BORD, I cant subject myself to 8 more hours of this. I stop start drinking beer and gain Wizard status, by Campbell River rules, drink your height in beer cans, taping them together to form a staff. Bonus point for Whiskey shots. I was all in,  and out in the grass.
Lessons learned:
   Three hard events in a row may leave you very tired mentally, fight that shit, continue.
   I can make it through the Tour Divide.

The Others

Two trips to Bend/Sun River/Sisters Oregon one to visit friends, one with friends. Both Awesome
The Oregon Stampede, reverse of the normal route. Great.
Dead Squirrel Pass, Shotguns, flipflops made from a beer box, great riding with Geoff and Hogboy.
Bike and pack raft to Marble Meadows. Shit weather, trip didn't happen.
Chilcotin Bikepacking trip. Didn't happen, poor life skills, no time off, no money.
Lessons learned:
   I need more time off and more money.
   Check "routes" on your GPS before event start line.
   You can get by with out a GPS.
   People "bail" on trips often, always be prepared to go solo.

Not my legs, to much hair!

Around Mt Bachelor dust

Williams Beach sunrise

  

Road Soup

One of the best things about gravel rides is the uncertainty of conditions. The road surface can vary from hard pack that feels like asphalt or fresh plowed softness to chunky chundery blast rock sometimes even road  soup. These changing conditions can at times crush you. They can also be what inspires and makes a ride memorable. Red sauce was a low point for me, it seemed to go on forever. Add rain, wind or freezing temps and you find out what your made of. It is a personal journey, for me best traveled alone. Jan 13 2015 Tour de Mud

Road soup

Need a big lens!

Krampus set up for winter epics

All spawned out

Sometimes the appropriate place is the sofa. When activity has outpaced recuperation, that vintage Natuzzi leather can look mighty appealing. After a chilly winter outing you simply lie back pull some sort soft warm cover over you, (in my house an old Mont Bell sleeping bag) and drift in and out of reality.
More often than not I have put something on the TV and routinely fail to watch it. Don't lie to me you have done it too! And we will again.

ERT Gold River Fail

Elkhorn?

Elk River estuary

The Big Johnson, looking less than comfortable on his bike. Perhaps this is where he flated?

Big Johnson fixing one of his flats

Bridge over Upper Campbell Lake is closed to vehicle traffic.

In Spring conditions on a winter day the Big Johnson and I rode out the Elk River Timber main line to Upper Campbell Lake . Our goal was Gold River, but I had been told of an impassable river due to a bridge being removed. We never got to the impassible river as a smaller river blocked our way and neither of us wished the wet feet required to continue, there will have to be a summer attempt. over 100K return, mostly flat with very little climbing this is an excellent short day ride or a very good first overnighter for anyone new to bikepacking. There are many good camping spots along the route. View route here.