Easy Riding

This is when construction benefits me.

The city is repairing the sidewalk.  As a consequence there is about two miles of pylons right where I would usually ride.  HOWEVER, cars don't want to or cannot fit in this lane with the pylons so I get the whole thing to myself!  It'll be glorious while it lasts.

A Great Time Away

Although neither a "cycling" vacation, nor an "observation by bicycle" I feel compelled to post an awesome retreat that my family and I enjoyed.  Interior canoe tripping through the Kawartha Highlands.

The pic below is wife and daughter warming up at the first campsite.

My daughter and I at the end of a portage.  As I recall not a particularly long one, but it was nonetheless time for lunch. (oh, I should mention that this is my nod toward bicycling...I am wearing a wool jersey with a bike-print on it).

Can you guess the food item?  You would not have guessed pancakes I presume!  My daughter liked to call them 'scramcakes.'  They tasted just fine with real Canadian maple syrup!

Not a lot of folks I know can tolerate powdered milk, but I kind of like it.  Apparently so does my little girl.

Almost finished our 4 day trip.  I think we are more tired than we are letting on here.

Quick Evening Ride

I'm up here and they're down there ...

End of the line at Lake Ontario.

Things I Like: Kenda Tires

I can only afford to experiment with so many things, but I seem to have landed on Kenda's "Small Block 8" tires, and, yes, I would recommend them.
I have been running 32's but recently stepped up to 35's.  I have not had the 35's in the winter yet, so I can't speak directly to any difference the width will make handling in that climate.
The SB 8's do hum along on the asphalt for a month or so, and I'm sure the friction makes you a bit slower.  But after about 90 days the tread breaks in, yet not down, allowing for a noticeably quieter ride.

I find that if I ride on the soft-gravel shoulder of the highway the tires perform even better.  I actually believe I go faster on here than the asphalt. 

After 16 months of commuting I competed in a 60km race through mud and they still performed marvelously.

Whatever kind of rubber compound Kenda is using works well in the Canadian climate - that is, winter.  There is almost no lateral slippage on either snow or gravel - these tires want to go forward. These tires handle better through snow and ice than anything I have found so far, and I expect that the 35's will do even better.

I prefer a folding bead (ever try to change a wire bead tire in the winter?) and that was a draw for me. 

They come in around $50 each in Canada, so not cheap.  If you can get them in the States they are about half that price.  But as I have said, they are hardy and will last.  My 32's lived for just over two years of good, routine punishment.

Keep them at the recommended pressure.

They are made in Taiwan.

Infrastructure

Went to a mall the other day and saw this.

It's not especially helpful, that is, any different from a row of bike racks anywhere else.  And it is placed  equidistant from two entrances to the mall itself, meaning, not close to any actual doors.

However it does convey a pleasant message.

Thanks for the effort, Mapleview Mall.

Pake build is in a temporary state of ride-ability

My trusted aluminum Diamondback was being cannibalized for the last three weeks to help me finally make one ride-able bicycle.  All that time I have been without any bicycle at all and its been killing me!

Although not in its final form (I am still building the wheels at one heck of a lazy pace) I have finally christened the new Pake.

The last piece was the single crank - but I finished assembly at my folks cottage last weekend and took it on a quick 20km gravel grind to check the geometry.

What a huge difference between steel and aluminum.  I will have more to say on this in a later post. 

There's more work to be done but I like what I have so far.  One interesting note is that I am using a 6-speed twist shifter with a 7-speed hub on a 9 speed derailleur.  The range falls to the lowest denominator - that is - right now I have 6 speeds.  They are a bit on the high side but that will be remedied.

My portable shop.  I used my car's bike carrier for a stand and it worked really well!

Dirty Kanza 2013, here I come!

Living Large in a Small Home

Alert: Not a Cycling Post.

Every so often I need to tip my hat in favour of a lifestyle post.  Efficient living design is a hobby and I have some definite opinions.

Take this Tumbleweed house for example. 

I have read about these houses for years.  Would love to own one, but it would no longer suit my lifestyle as a family man.  I have never known anyone to actually own one, let alone seen one.  The last place I expected to find one was Canada.  Nevertheless here it is - about 6 miles from my home.

The owner has "moved on" but apparently had lived in it for about a year.  I'd love to meet her.

My daughter shares my passion for these types of things.  Have a look...

Now that I know its there, next time I'll bike to it.  It's a beautiful ride.