by george, i think i've got it!

It's been a long road of struggling to get this Salsa Fargo to fit me right. However, good things come to those who wait. I think I have found just the right handlebar to fit me just right. I need to swap out the brake levers and shifters back to the Shimano Xl dual control set-up and get a couple rides to know for sure. I zip-tied the drop bar to part of this new bar and rode around the driveway and down the gravel road just a bit and so far I think it will be just right. Finally! One problem I can see is that I will be so comfortable on this bar that all of my bikes might need the same bar. That will have to wait a while cause these bars ain't cheap!

Captain.

boring week.

not much to say. it's been a boring week on the bike. not much action. too busy at home and WAY to busy at work.

Captain

2010 IORCA schedule

The calendar is out. I plan to do a few of these events but not sure which ones yet. Send me a note if anyone wants to join in with me.

Captain

2010 IORCA schedule

The 2010 Iowa Mountain Biking Championship Series schedule:

IMBCS #1 - April 11 - Sylvan Island, Moline, IL
IMBCS #2 - April 25 - Decorah, IA
IMBCS #3 - May 9 - Camp Ingawanis, Waverly, IA *****
IMBCS #4 - May 23 - Banner Lakes, Indianola, IA
IMBCS #5 - June 6 - Morehead Pioneer Park, Ida Grove, IA
IMBCS #6 - July 17 - Scott County Park, Eldridge, IA
IMBCS #7 - July 25 - Seven Oaks Ski Area, Boone, IA
IMBCS #8 - August 15 - Lake Ahquabi State Park, Indianola, IA
IMBCS #9 - August 29 - Sugarbottom Rec Area, North Liberty, IA
IMBCS #10 - September 25 - Lake Manawa State Park, Council Bluffs, IA
IMBCS #11 - October 3 - Sycamore Trail, Des Moines, IA



Other non-IMBCS races:

Iowa Games MTB Race, Peterson Pits, Ames, IA - TBD
24 Hours of Iowa, Seven Oaks Recreation Area, Boone, IA - September 4 & 5
4th Annual Women's MTB Clinic, Des Moines, IA - TBD
5th Annual Des Moines Dirty Duathlon, Des Moines, IA - TBD

running a little late........

Headed over to the shop Tuesday during my lunch hour and picked up a new chain for the Selma. An 8sp chain this time. Great suggestion G-Ted. Thanks! It's much beefier than the one I just broke.

Mounted that up Tuesday night in hopes that I could get ready quickly Wed after work and get in a short ride before sundown. Well, I did get in the ride but didn't make it home before dark. It was a good ride. My fitness is coming along nicely but I have a long ways to go. Recovery after a climb is lacking a bit but that will come soon.

I hope to get a good long ride in Saturday. Maybe a three hour ride. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Captain

frosty morning....

Don't you just love the damp winter evenings......No! Unless, they bring us a beautiful morning like Saturday!

I decided it was too nice out to be inside. So, the girls and I bundled up and headed out for some play time. I didn't take many shots but here are a few I like.

After shooting I pulled the girls around on their sled for a while. They had a great time and so did I. While they finished up playing I prepared my Selma for an afternoon ride. My mother hosted a candle party in Waterloo so the girls and I stopped in for a visit. The place sure smelled good. Pam's aunt had an afternoon planned for my kids which meant I was off the clock for a few hours.

I geared up and headed out. I was hoping for two hours of ride time and accomplished that. However, the last two miles of my ride were all about me hiking with my bike. Yep! Broke another chain. That's two chains in the last 6 months. I think it's time to just by some new chains. Maybe a stronger one this time.

It was good to get out. So, if you haven't rode this weekend......just do it now!

Captain

Photo Friday

Thought I would give photo Friday a shot this week. Before I left the house this morning I knew something dramatic would unfold from the sky. So, I packed my little old Fuji p&s camera. It doesn't do low light so well but any picture is better than no picture at all. My window of the Cube was frozen shut so I had to get out of the car for this shot. I took two more shots before this one but neither of those two had the color in the clouds yet. It's crazy how fast the sun rises and sets.

No kidding here, I shot each of these frames less than 2 minutes apart. I drove 1 mile and then stopped to take another shot....then another mile and then another. I like the 3rd shot best. I was able to use the car door for stability.

I was a bit disappointed when the sun actually crested the horizon because all of the color pretty much disappeared. Oh well, I think almost getting hit by a school bus once was enough.

Have a great Friday and don't forget to look to the sun for some warm photo inspiration.

Captain

grass track racing?

What is this you say? I was lost in the internet over the weekend and stumbled across grass track racing. Seems like this use to be a pretty popular form of bike racing. I have never heard of it. It seems that across the pond it's picking up popularity again. Not sure if we'll see much of this in our neck of the woods but without a local Velodrome I could see this stirring up some interest. Maybe not, unless you like suffering, and like left turns only or no technical terrain to tackle. I guess if you like everything mentioned in the previous sentence you might just enjoy cyclocross racing.

In any regards, I guess it would be very spectator friendly, just like cross racing. I don't know. I guess it's just something to post. After all, I gotta keep this ole blog updated.

Captain

Too funny!

Ok. Not bike related but oh so funny! Click the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rsEnwKrsvc

fun fun Sunday....

I have mixed emotions about today. We just didn't make it to Sunday School or Church. We were starting to get ready and decided to not go. It was a tough decision but with my head cold I knew I didn't need to be there. We have a lot of elderly folk there and sit pretty close to each other. Also, my little girl has been battling a bumb leg. She apparently injured herself Wednesday evening at gymnastics. She has some bad pain just above her ankle on the inside of her leg. It seems like the same spot where I get shin splints but I know that's not what it is. Ella has also been having a lot of growing pains. So, went to the Dr on Saturday morning and he didn't think anything was wrong. We decided to save her from radiation and will wait to do an x-ray until Monday, if it still hurts her. She does seem to be getting a little better so we'll see. With ss being upstairs and with part of the morning sermon for the kids being in the basement we decided to just skip today. My in-laws made a trip over for lunch today and we all had a nice time. Good food. The kids were a little stir crazy and I decided I needed to get some fresh air. So, we bundled up and headed out for some sledding around the yard. With all the melting as of late It made it too slippery for me to get any traction to pull the sled. So, I fired up the old lawn mower and pulled them around for a while. As you can see the girls had a pretty good time. I did too and the cold air didn't see bother me too much until I topped out the mower which goes 7 mph. Pretty fast for a mower and fast enough for the win to get into my ears. I am paying for it now. I can feel the darn ears filling up with fluid. I better take it easy for a few days in hopes that I will be ready to get back outside for a ride soon.

Super Bowl? Yeah, I watched it. Good game. I didn't have a favorite team when the game started but I ended up pulling for the Saints by halftime. They seemed to want it just a bit more than the Colts. Good game though.

Captain.

I'm in!

I think the roster filled up in 10 hours or something like that. Facebook was haunting me last night after receiving the word that there was a new race headed to the Northwoods. I raced up in Chequamegon a couple of times and decided if I went back it wouldn't be for the Cheq festival. However, i never expected to try something as crazy as the Cheq 100. You can see more details here.

So, now I need to get my fitness ready and figure out what bike and set up I plan to use. That will be more difficult I believe since I mainly have single speed rigid bikes. I will have to decide soon so I can get comfortable with the bike cause that's going to be a lot of miles!!

Captain

fargone fargo

I've been having a really hard time lately with my Salsa Fargo. During the summer I had her built up with a Mary type bar upside down. It was comfortable enough for gravel and paved roads but anything off road was certainly a challenge. the front tire did nothing but wash out at every turn which caused a ton of braking. I even toasted an entire set of pads during one of Gnat's Fargo rides. I was also running a 120mm stem to get the bar out where I needed it (and anyone that knows 29ers will tell you that you shouldn't have to run a stem that long). The top tube of the Fargo was sized for being run with a drop bar which gives you the extra distance.

So, I bought the new Salsa Woodchipper. It's what most would call the perfect dirt drop bar. I think they are right too. However, I can seem to get quite comfortable. I have tried running it low and also high. Yeah, even in the middle too. The first and foremost problem I have is the palm and wrist on my left arm. I am still suffering the effects from the broken elbow. I am not sure how long this will persist. I know for sure that the drop section of the bar puts pressure in the wrong spot of my palm. It's the same spot that the steering wheel of the car presses on too.

So, I guess I am a crossroads with this bike. I think it would be a better fit for me if I owned an Xl frame size intead of the L my current set up would be perfect. Problem is the standover height is WAY too tall for me on the XL. I don't think I should make any drastic decisions until the weather is better and I can get some more normal rides in with the Woodchipper. I did have bar tape on the drops section of the chippers and it was wrapped pretty fat. Still not right. If if I raise the bars too high, which would help the drops, then the hoods and flat part is worthless to me.

All I know is that with the Mary bar set up and Ergon grips I can ride all day and be comfortable. Well, other than the sketchy off road parts.

Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance to the three people reading this blog. Man, I never should have taken so many months off from blogging. :-)

Captain

Teesdale 29er for sale. $1300 complete bike.

Check out my other blog for the details but in a nutshell, the bike is complete and for sale as shown. Also there is a 2nd hanger for the drive side so that the frame can run gears if you choose. Go here for the details and more pictures. Captain Bob Sales

stuff for sale!

Check out my for sale page for some sweet deals on some frame and a fork. This wil be updated weekly until I have room for all my cars to reside in the garage!!

Here is the link > Captain Bob Sales

Captain

transformation..........

Well, plans always seem to change with me so why not just roll with it. I have been contemplating the build on a few different bikes for most of the winter. The Selma will be the first one to get a change however, it may not last into the summer. First off you'll see a new fork. That is G-Ted's test for from Wes Willits named the "WOW" (weird or what). It does look weird but not as bad at the lime green it was last week. It has now been stipped of it's paint and buffed over with sand paper and scotch brite. It needs a little more work before it gets some clearcoat. I may even have to sandblast it a bit. It was pretty nasty under the paint.

I also switched over to a silver seatpost which matches nicely with the fork. The Salsa stem will remain on this bike. I plan to get a new handlebar though but have't quite nailed down which one yet. Also, I swapped over to a different saddle. This one is much more comfy on longer distances which will help since I plan to use this as a longer distance single speed gravel grinder. I have a sweet set of wheels I will post about next week but there is some product that's going to be for sale soon here to fund another wheelset. I will be shopping for something Easton related.

Hope ill today so no riding for me but maybe Friday after work I can get in a few miles before the darkness sets in.

Captain

Selma

I just realized that since my old blogging days ended and now started again, I never posted anything about my Salsa Selma. Here is a crappy picture but it's better than nothing. The fork will be replaced by spring with something a little different. Maybe a nice steel or ti fork or maybe the new Bontrager carbon fork. Not sure but since the steer tube is too short for me on this frame I have to get something different anyway. The frame of the Salsa is not the lightest out there but it's pretty darn light. I know there are single speed frames under the 3lb mark out there but don't want something that is prone to breaking. I beat the heck out of my Salsa Mamasita and it never showed any signs of fatigue. So, I'm pretty sure the Selma will hold up just fine to my abuse. I feels a bit beefier than the first generation Mamasita. I don't have any idea what the complete bike weighs and I really don't care. Maybe when she it completed with the parts that I want to stay on I will toss her on the scale. The only problem that I am having is that the bars are so low and the top tube is pretty tall and I get the brake levers to smack on the top tube when the bars spin. A longer steer tube would help this by moving the bar higher but i don't want the bars too high. Salsa I believe could have made the large frame with a tad more standover height. Just a nit pick. The ride is quick, stiff and very efficient. There is still a nice touch of give in the rear but it's no soft tail.

So, this is what I will be rocking all over the midwest this season. I hope to make an appearance at quite a few mtb races. I might try setting this up with a double double gearing system. A nice easy gear for off road and a nice big gear for gravel roads. I have my Salsa Fargo for longer distances and group rides but I really want to ride single speed mostly this summer. I find that it's difficult to keep my leg strength if I keep riding a geared bike. I bet a single speed Fargo would be quite nice.

Anyway, hope to see you on the trails soon. Darn winter!

Captain

got mama out...

Well, this is a RARE event at the Walters. Getting Pam out on a trail....IN THE WINTER! I can barely get her on a trail in the summer let alone when it's cold. But, this was her idea. About a week ago she saw an ad in the local newspaper letting folks know that the Bremer County Conservation Board was putting on a free snow shoeing day at Cedar Bend near Waverly Ia. Free for all adults with a limit of 20 participants. So, a day or two later I called their office and we got in. The gal I spoke to said there wasn't much interest yet. We were a bit worried come Saturday afternoon when it was still raining cats and dogs, worried that there wouldn't be any snow left. We were glad to see there was still plenty of snow upon our arrival. We were surprised to see a full parking lot when we pulled up. There were more than 20 sets of snow shoes and it was a good thing since there were more than 20 people there. The guide split us up into two groups. Pam and I were in the second group. As you can see by the pictures we were outfitted with some vintage style bamboo shoes. I was a bit reluctant and not really sure how much fun it was going to be with these old fragile looking shoes. To my surprise the construction felt pretty good. A little sloppy with the rubber clamping system but seemed to hold secure enough. We headed out and before long Pam and I were flying through the doubletrack trails. By the time we hit the singletrack we had already caught the first group. Pam's effort was quite a surprise to me. Really, it was pretty impressive. That is until the blister started to form on her heel. She has a sweet pair of snow boots but they are slip-ons which were a little bit of a problem for her. But, she suffered though it. We ended the day with about three miles of hiking which laster about an hour. Good times for sure. We dropped off the gear with the crew and headed for the Fainting Goat. They serve some of the best boneless buffalo chicken wings you can get around here.

So, I suggest you all try this sometime if you haven't already cause it's a hoot! Really good workout too. I normally can't ride these trails with my bike in the winter so it was nice to experience them by foot.

Thanks for joining me Pam!

Captain

Vikes out........

So, being a Vikings fan started when I was about two years old. My grandfather forced it upon me before I knew what the game was. It stuck with me to this day. Football is a game I love to play and watch. However, getting older has not settled well with me when it comes to my team making mistakes which costs them the game. Last night was one of those days again. The Vikes, no matter how great their team was this year, was not error free. So many big errors too. You have to hang onto the ball. So, as I write this blog I can say that my football days are over again. I will play ball with the local kids that think I am as good as Brett Farve but I will have to change the channel next time I see a game. I just get so mad I feel like a kid not getting my way.

You know, I sure could have rode a few miles when the game aired but I chose to sit on the couch and consume empty calories and be mad at folks that make millions of dollars each game they play.

Oh well, I consider myself growing up now.

Captain

lucky me......

Today I consider myself lucky in a weird sort of way. I have to go to work. However, both my kids are ill with another round of the flu. The lucky part is that I have to go to work which means Pam has to stay home with them. It seems like I am always the one to stay home when they are ill so I guess i am lucky today. The girls, not so lucky. Hope they feel better by the weekend. I have some fun plans for the kids that I do not want to cancel or put off for a later date.

Rollers tonight? Yeah, that's what I will be doing. Not thrilled about it but I have to do it. How else will I be able to push a big gear on the Selma during XC races this year.

Ok, enough rambling for me, I have to get to work.

Captain

I hate this weather!

The ice/snow has got to stop sometime, right? But when? Soon I hope cause it's driving me crazy. The gravel roads were just starting to get pretty good again with mostly all gravel showing. Not after today though since we could see 1/4 ice. Enough complaining I guess.

Wish I were at the trailhead getting ready to shred some singletrack. However, I bet I am on the rollers tonight sweating to the oldies. I really like 105.7 FM.

The girls have gymnastics tonight so maybe the sweet wife will take them there and let me get in a training session.

We'll see.

Captain

just hanging out....

It's been a fun weekend here at the Walters. Sunday was a fun filled day. Starts off with Sunday School and church. Then, a quick trip to the grocery store for some good eats. Once home we snacked a bit and then ate some good lunch that Pam prepared for the girls and myself. Pam's on call this weekend so she wasn't able to make the trip to ss and church due to it being farther than her 30 minute limit to the hospital. Boy, she prepared some sweet pork chops for us. Thanks!!

After the twerps took naps I decided it was time to get out the modeling clay that I picked up the other day at Hobby Lobby. Tons of fun for $2.00. I went to the craft store just to pick up some latex mold builder for MG's tubeless tire sealant brew. When I saw the clay at the checkout lane I knew I had to get it. Better than play dough in the fact that it doesn't dry out for a long long time.

So, we rolled, squeezed, smashed, poked and molded for about two hours. That's right. All four of us at the dinner table. Each of us working at our own station stealing ideas from each other. Good times. I can't wait for the next go-round.

Captain