Tag: jack brown

Fenders On the Roadeo

There was a break in the weather we have been having on the coast, fog and mist, but rain is coming.  Yesterday I hit the LBS and they had 45m wide Planet Bike fenders that would fit my Roadeo, kind of a shocker that anybody sells fenders here in SoCal, let alone wide ones.  I wanted to get these to fit with my 33.333 wide Jack Brown tires, but that was not going to happen so I relented and swapped the 29mm Roughy Toughy tires onto the bike.

These went on super easy compared to both SKS and metal fenders I have put on in the past.  The only modification required was bending the mounting tab in the front to clear the headset and filing the slot for the brake bridge a little deeper to improve tire clearance.

The limiting factors for clearance on this bike are the brake selection and the placement of the rear brake bridge.  I went with the Shimano 57mm reach calipers for the improved stopping power of other brakes at this price point.  I would love to have a set of the new Paul Racer M brakes, but they are out of budget for this year.  That being said, I was still able to get a 45mm fender into the caliper with minimal fender squeeze.  There is plenty of room for the 29mm tires.  The shape of the brake caliper below the mounting bolt is where the space constraints start.  The Shimano caliper is very meaty in this area and eats up almost 4mm of space.  When this combines with the fixed arc of a plastic fender you lose tire clearance quick. 

End of the story, they work and I will be out in the weather next week.  Enjoying the sunshine for a day, and hoping it will last

SoCal Rivendell Santa Monica Dirt Ride

Time for my third ride with the guys for the Southern California Rivendell Appreciation society, this time in the hills above Santa Monica, Ca.  Once again I packed my Rivendell Roadeo, a “Road Bike”, for this adventure.  Yes, it is possible to get a 63cm road bike into a VW Golf with only removing the front wheel, but that is another post.

The weather was absolutely perfect with partly cloudy skies, 70 degree temps, low humidity and a steady breeze.  Once again, a hard day to leave the mountains near home behind.

About 10 of us gathered at the Pete’s on 14th and Montana to talk bike, meet faces previously only known through the web or catch up with old friends. 

Around 10:30AM we headed across town to the west, up Westridge Road to the Fire roads along Wesridge, Temescal Canyon and then back along the top of Topanga Canyon down to the ocean and back along PCH to Santa Monica.  Here is a map of the approximate route:

The climb up Westridge is pretty challenging, almost 2000 feet of gain in the first 8 miles, this spread the group out quite a bit. 

There was a pitch at the end where I decided it was time to walk.  At some point on the ride when you can walk faster than pedal you just have to take a break, still moving forward and up, but a break none the less.  Regrouping at the trailhead, we all were able to take a much-needed breather.  Once the group was back together we headed off onto the fire roads, while still climbing the grade was much more manageable.  The views were incredible, Starting with classic Southern California canyons,

and then the ridgeline above the San Fernando Valley,

Even with the early season rains we have been having, the trails were in prime condition.  Hardpack with a little loose gravel and rock.  There were a few erosion rutted sections and washboard, but nothing you could not manage on a road bike.

This ride had plenty of breaks for rest and to let the stragglers catch up.  As always on our group rides no one is left behind.  This time it was Jon who had a knee going out, thought he could pull it off, but I think he had the longest day out of all of us.  Next time I will make sure to have some vitamin I in the kit for the time it is needed more than a spare tube. 

The transition from Mulholland to Temascal was a great time for the group shot under the NO STOPPING sign in the middle of wilderness

Now heading south back to the ocean it felt like the home stretch but there was still a fair amount of climbing left.  Again, it was hard to believe the weather and the trail conditions for the beginning of December,

Temescal Canyon gave way to the east ridgeline above Topanga Canyon as we now had views of Santa Monica and the Ocean back in our sights. 

At this point the day was running long, and there was one more hard climb still ahead.  Almost half of the group took a bailout route down Topanga Canyon Rd to PCH and home.  While narrow and loaded with cars it was paves and downhill the whole way.  From our vantage a little further down the trail we were able to catch Esteban and John holding up their fair share of traffic.  You can just make them out in the turn behind the while pickup truck.

The last climb was a bear and I decided to hike it again.  The break right before this was a long one, and all the sitting did me no good right before a 15% grade.  On the way up we kept crossing paths with a couple of future recruits on full squish mtn bikes.  As most we ran across on the trails, they were shocked to see road bike in what they considered the trails.  The final drop back down to the coast was incredible.

And then the dive back into the reality, multiple lanes of traffic, doors and all that goes with it after hours out in the hills,

Another fantastic ride in the bag with great company.  My legs were fried.  I split off from the remains of the group who were heading to Bay Cities Deli to get home.  The drive down the coast was a treat unto itself, the display of color during and after the sunset.  The range of color and level of contrast was one of the best I have ever seen,

Quikchainger In the Wild

It was only a matter of time now that I bragged on the Quikchinger the other day.  Today was the first day back on the bike after pushing the short version of the flu out the door.  The Quikchainger just makes things so much easier, and it was pretty simple to figure out what caused the flat as I had rolled up to the stop sign.

November 2010 SoCal Rivendell Ride – Santiago Peak OC

This ride had been in the works for almost a year.  Noel, on of the group from Orange county had Suggested this as a big ride, but it was in the early spring and there were few takers as the days were getting hotter.  As the summer time and back to school business started to fall back into its own rhythm, the momentum for this ride started to gather back some of its steam.  The date was set for November 13, and it was initially looking like there was going to be a relatively big turnout, almost 10.  By friday night people were dropping out, illness, injury, and I think a few may have been intimidated by the elevation profile.

For this ride I had chosen my Rivendell Roadeo, with a low 30/28 gear combination.  Not sure if this was brave or silly considering the elevation gains planned for the day.  The only thing I changed from my standard set up on the bike for the ride was the front tire.  I went with a 35 mm Schwalbe Marathon XR for the added durability on the front end while heading into an area likely to have goathaed thorns and sharp rocks on the downhill side.  I had a well broken in Jack Brown on the rear with a spare in my bag.  I can handle a rear flat on the way down, but hate losing the front tire on dirt going fast, it has never gone well in the past. 

The day started early for me as I was traveling the furthest, 120 miles, to get there.  The price you pay for associating with guys who generally live 2 to 4 counties south of you.  The weather was crystal clear and I was driving past wide blue skies fringed by the ocean and my own local mountain ranges.  The travel and new adventure bug had bitten and I was on my way, down the HWY 1 along the coast, to the 10 and then the 5 deep through parts of industrial Los Angeles that were so far from my intended goal.  Once past Anaheim you could start to see the mountains and the excitement was building, this was going to be a good day. 

We all met up to start the ride in the small town of Silverado in eastern Orange County.  Even with Santa Ana conditions the wind and temperatures were very pleasant at the lower elevations.  The group totaled out at 5: Doug, David, James, Jenny and myself.  This has to be one of the most amazing kept secrets in Orange County, it is in the bottom of a tree-lined valley houses up both sides and a small little western town as you head up into the mountains along Silverado Canyon Rd on the way to Maple Springs. 

The town gives way to a single paved lane into the national park.  The whole way is steady but manageable climbing. 

The pave gives way to dirt somewhere near the transition to Maple Springs road.  This is a jeep track and therefore open to vehicular traffic.  We did encounter some 4x4s, but everybody was pleasant and fairly respectful, even the kids with coolers full of beer. 

Shockingly there were only a handful of people making use af such a spectacular resource in such a densely populated area.  We all pressed up the hill at a respectable pace, sure to take breaks along the way for food, water, pictures and to just enjoy the space.  I love the fact that these group rides actually slow me down a bit, when I do this on my own I am wasted by the end, but with the group and taking breaks the whole day is more fun and less exercise.  As altitude gained the views became more expansive.  Almost all of the eastern LA basin and the mountain ranges beyond were visible. 

Onward and upward we made it to the saddle with the Harding truck Trail.  From the saddle there were clear views of Orange county and Catalina Island offshore.  The weather was much cooler than at the lower elevation and the wind was howling.  The decision was made to forgo the out and back leg to the summit and complete the loop along Harding Truck trail.  A few hours of climbing gave way to over an hour of what seemed like endless clean fire road bombing downhill. 

The trail came to an end at the small town of Modjeska.  Back on the pavement it was time ot complete the loop back to the cars. 

Thanks to Doug for putting together a detailed map. . Five hours of riding, 25 miles and over 3800 ft of climbing not too bad.

We capped the ride with a meal and some liquids at the Silverado Cafe, then back into the car for one of the most beautiful sunsets and then the slog through LA back home. 

The company and the ride made the drive well worth it. The bikes and riders all performed well. Not a single mechanical for the whole group and only one minor spill. Also, a big pat on the back for Jenny who had never ridden anything like this ever proper to this ride. Welcome to the world of underbiking.  Next group ride is December 11, Dirt Mulholland. . While the group is based around Rivendell owners, this is not really an exclusive thing, if you are thinking of trying out the world of road bikes on dirt, it is going to be a good time.

Full Photo set: