Foundry Cycles... Want a free bike?

Have you heard of Foundry Cycles? I hadn't either until this morning. Part of the QBP family of bike brands, they are relatively new to the game sporting only three bike models, all of carbon fiber; which cover dirt, road, and cross disciplines. All three models are very nice on the eyes, with pretty impressive part specs to boot. I would venture to say that these are some folks' "dream bikes." What caught my eye about this company though, apart from their gorgeous bikes, is they are offering up free bicycles to a lucky group of folks who apply. Consider this my application.

Auger cross bike.

So why should I get a free bike? Apart from the obvious (I ride bikes, like bikes, write about bikes, take pictures of bikes, etc.) I am not a fan of carbon fiber. Wait, what was that? Yes, I am not a fan of carbon. I feel that carbon is overpriced, and overrated. I feel that it has too high of a risk of failure. I feel that I would break one very easily. Not that I am a Clydesdale by any means, but I ride hard, and I ride a lot. I just do not trust the material. I guess that even though I am only thirty, I would classify as a retrogrouch. Steel is real baby.

Router dirt bike.

So win me over. Prove me wrong that carbon is not a weak, delicate, overrated material, and I will sing it from the rooftops that these bikes are legit. How do you prove me wrong? Send me a bike and lets dance. Ball is in your court Foundry.

Ratchet road bike.

Check out their site here for more pictures and more information about applying for the job. Better hurry though, deadline is tomorrow at midnight.

All pictures from Foundry.

Just keep spinning...

Beer:30... Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.

Started in 1867, Leinenkugel Brewing has deep roots in the upper Midwest. Ask most folks in the area, and I am sure they have heard of them, and especially their most popular (I would say) Sunset Wheat. Based out of Wisconsin, they are still relatively small, but since 1988 have been owned by SABMiller giving them a little bit more exposure. Lately they have been releasing smaller batch, higher alcohol brews, as is the case with this, their Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.

Malts are the name of the game with this beer, and also style. Using a blend of eight different malts, this beer reaches malt levels that you are not normally going to find in a good beer. Once poured into your glass, the usual malt smells hit your nose. The appearance of the brew is a nice dark amber/ruby coloration, with a little head which dissipates quicker than I expected. Once the beer hits your mouth, the malt flavors show up once again. Lots and lots of malts flavor, which with using eight different types you would think it would be very complex. But in actuality, it is not. It balances nicely with a sweet, although heavy mouth feel, and finishes with a medicinal type taste. This would be attributed to the higher than normal 9.5% ABV. It is a good tasting beer, but heavy enough that you are not going to drink that many.

This is a quality beer from Leinenkugel, which was a little unexpected. Not a phenomenal beer mind you, but still very respectable. I really enjoyed this one, and plan on exploring this brand a little further. If you are into malts, I would definitely suggest this one for your palate. Check out their site here.

Cheers!

Just Riding Along... Scouting Trip.

Beautiful, windy day in SW Ohio today. Had around an hour and a half to explore this afternoon on the Troll. I have been in the planning stages of a bikepacking trip, so today I loaded up a few things in the front panniers and hit the road to scout out how long it would possibly take me to reach my destination. I didn't really have enough time to ride the entire route, but riding what I did today gave me an idea on how long it will take to get there. Great day to be out, but the return trip was brutal due to a crazy headwind. Normally, I do not mind them, but with loaded panniers a headwind really sucks the life out of you. Apart from that issue, it was a nice little ride of dirt and tarmac.

Started off on the local trails.

Ended up on some side roads, following the Buckeye Trail. Note the fiberglass sports car body lying in the weeds...

Hanging out in the flowers, which I believe are Dutchman's Breeches.

Total miles for today, around 17. Mixed with dirt, tarmac, and a nasty headwind? I am beat this evening.

Just keep spinning...

Brand New Cyclist...

The past couple days have been quite the whirlwind, due to my second child being born! I still cannot believe that he is here already, and now comes the adjustment period in life where we all figure out how to fit everything in. After a few days off from any sort of physical activity, I got out on a trail run, which I think I will be doing quite a bit of that to keep my activity level up. Now I start the countdown of when he can come for a ride in the bike trailer.

At this point though, all is well with the world.

Just keep spinning...

Just Riding Along... Taking the long way.

With gas prices hovering around $4/gal, my day to day errands on my off days are spent on the bike. Two prime examples of that today:

First, the Cannondale T500 was hooked up to the trailer and my daughter and I were off to the dreaded BMV. Since we live in a small town, this is not too bad of an ordeal, usually we can walk right in and not have to wait in line, or take the ever so slow number and wait. For hours. Not the case here in Milford luckily. After that task was over, it was off to the local playground for some slide time and a break at our usual spot on the scenic Little Miami River. This is the view from our favorite bench:

Little Miami state and national scenic river, and also my 1000th picture with my EVO.

While at our spot, a few boats were out and about cruising down the waterway, and my daughter decided at that point that we need a boat. Really twisted my arm on that one. So that got me thinking... Bikes, Beer and Boats? That might just have to happen.

Second errand of the day was on the Surly Troll. Just a quick trip to the grocery store for a few items (beer) and I decided to take the long way. Through the local nature preserve, around the neighborhood, and my quick little trip to the grocery turned into a 7 mile or so ride. Not too bad at all.

I have to say, the more that I ride the Troll the more I am liking it. I would even venture to say that I built my dream bike. What a different bike than I thought I would call my dream bike, but it is an amazing piece of bicycling culture. I recently switched over to my Maxxis Crossmark 26x2.1s, and they make this bike shine even more. The smaller tires really speed up the bikes demeanor on the trail, and also makes it quicker than it should be on the road. Very versatile, and that is the name of the game with the Troll. Rant over, here is the only picture that I took on my beer run:

All in all a good day of riding.

Just keep spinning...

Just Riding Along...Bikepacking.

From day one, my plan for the Troll has been to utilize it's versatility. Mountain biking, commuting, grocery runs, trailer pulling, all in one machine. Another aspect that it is fully capable for is bikepacking. Essentially, backpacking on a bicycle. Sounds good to me.

Version 1.0

Last week for a night ride, I had the chance to try out the Troll with racks. Using an old rack and panniers that I had laying around, I had the chance to ride it loaded to see how everything worked. All worked together nicely, but it was not as functional as I would like. The front panniers and Salsa rack worked superbly, but the rear rack was lacking. My big issue was that using the connected style rear panniers (ex. saddlebag) I could not use the platform of the rear rack to lash anything down. That is what I call wasted space, and I do not have time for that. So, rear rack and bags are now back on the T500. Way more functional for that bike.

Version 1.1

After the rear rack was removed, I found my old Specialized seat bag. Not as elaborate as a Relevate Designs seatbag, but it does expand more than shown in the photo. I think with this setup, strap my tent and sleeping pad to the top tube, and maybe add a small lumber pack, and I should be good to go for a quick overnight trip. Now with the weather acting like summer, this needs to happen sooner rather than later.

Just keep spinning...

Beer:30... Great Divide's Hades.

Hades, the Greek God of the Underworld. Not your typical namesake for a beer. But, Great Divide Brewing Company is not your normal brewer. Time for Greek mythology:

Hades, the eldest son of Cronos and Rhea, (Titan siblings) older brother of Zeus. After his birth he was devoured by his father to prevent an eventual uprising among the Gods. Luckily for Hades, Zeus freed his siblings, then with the help of Hades and Poseidon (another brother) they overthrew their father. Afterwards, I'm sure a party ensued, and the three split up kingdoms to rule; Zeus the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades drew the short straw to rule the underworld.

Fast forward quite a few years, and many Greeks viewed Hades as evil. I believe that in reality he was just misunderstood. From most accounts, he was a just and fair ruler of the underworld. Unless you tried to take one of his constituents, or messed with his wife. You can't blame him for that. Also, he loved dogs. And since his beloved canine was the Cerebus, obviously he was a supporter of his local pet shelter (That was an ugly dog). Take all of that into account, and I bet spending all of that time in the darkness of the underworld probably gave him an insatiable appetite for a good brew.

Whew, that took a little longer than expected. Enough of that, enter Hades, the Belgian style Ale:

Out of the bottle, the beer pours a nice golden hue, similar to the mineral. Since Hades is the God of the Underworld, that includes all minerals, so this is probably appreciated. The carbonation is evident on the pour, and it rushes to the brim of your glass as fast as a cheetah, only to retreat at a leisurely pace, leaving behind very minimal lacing to the glass. The aromas of this beer hit your nose while the glass is still sitting on the table. Very fragrant and strong, with hints of some sweet malts and Belgian yeast. The taste is really surprising, with a small hop bite, but mostly a yeast flavor stays for the duration, and finishes nice and dry. I would call this a great recreation of a Belgian ale, with an American edge to it. I will definitely be buying more of this, especially for summer lawn mowing sessions.

This beer delivers, I would venture to say as well as Charon the ferryman delivers the souls of folks to the underworld.

Once again, well done Great Divide!

Cheers!

Just Riding Along... Return of the night ride.

Got out on the Little Miami path last night with friends. Spring is here in full effect here in Southwestern Ohio, with comfortable temperatures in the 50s last night. Lights were installed, supplies were loaded, and off on the path for a nice 18 mile jaunt in the darkness.

Just for this trip, I decided to switch out my tires from the huge Ardent 2.6s to a smaller more road worthy Maxxis Crossmark 26x2.1. Thees tires roll surprisingly well for a dirt tire, and very quiet. After the tire swap, I added some racks to the Troll:

I pulled the old Blackburn rear rack off of my T500, and then installed my new Salsa Down Under front racks. This was my first trip with the Troll loaded up, and it rolled very smoothly, which was expected. I am only using the Blackburn rack until the Salsa Minimalist rack comes back into stock, then that will be my weapon of choice.

View of the Salsa front rack from above.

After the ride, beers came out in the variety of a stout, a Belgian style ale, and a smooth golden ale in a can. Reviews on those to come soon. Get out and enjoy this weather!

Just keep spinning...

Just Riding Along... New shoes...

Since March usually is one of the wettest months out of the year here in Ohio, I have started my search for road tires for the Troll. My plan all along has been to keep this bike versatile, and eventually have a second wheel set to swap in and out for road duty. Until that though, I will be wrestling tires on and off of my Sun Ringle rims. With all of the rain here lately, and the rain in the forecast, what better time than now?

My first choice is this:

Photo from utahtrikes.com

Second choice:

Photo from bikemania.cz

Both are around the same price, the Big Apples measure in at 26x2.35" and the Hookworms at 26x2.5" respectively. Both are huge! And both are heavy, that is to be expected. But, for the time being, I will be putting on my skinny, cheap, Forte (Made by Panaracer) City ST tires, which measure in a 26x1.5. I plan on running these for my road duty until I can finally make up my mind.

And, just because, here is a quick picture from after one ride last week:

Just keep spinning...

Beer:30... Dogfish Head Chicory Stout.

I will be the first to admit, that Dogfish Head out of Delaware is not my favorite brewery. My main reason is that I feel that they are a little overpriced, especially for the random, eclectic mix of brews that they produce. I know, you get what you pay for, but in my opinion I feel that there is little "bang" for my buck. Anyway, after that little disclaimer, enter their Chicory Stout:

This stout is interesting. Chicory is one of those flavors that you either love or hate. Luckily, I like it, hence the purchase of this random stout. Anyway, the beer pours like a stout should, nice and dark, but with a little more head than you would expect, with a nice unexpected off white coloration to it. Smell hits your nostrils with hints of coffee, roasted malts, and of course the chicory. Taste really follows suit with the smell, with a bit of bitter chocolate tossed in as well. Overall, not a bad beer.

This is a good beer, but I will say that the price makes me not want to buy it again. It is good, but not exceptional. For it's price of $8.99 for a 4-pack, it should deliver, and it does not. The price would be fair for a 6-pack, but I will stick with a variety of other stouts the next time the craving hits. Sorry Dogfish Head, its not you, its me.

Cheers!

In other news, this has been brought to my attention:

Not sure if you knew, but God spells music Clutch.

Enjoy!

Just Riding Along... Trail time.

Took the Troll out to Landen Deerfield trail yesterday for some much needed single track. Not a destination trail by any means, but a nice, well kept trail in the middle of a neighborhood. All single track, with a good flow, a few small climbs, a couple interesting creek crossings, and one very fun rock garden.

Only around 2 miles for the loop, but a good trail to ride loops on. My favorite aspect of this trail is that you do not need to carry any tools, camelback, etc. due to the fact that you are not very far from your car at any point.

Rode a few laps, and quickly realized that I am out of mountain bike shape. Hope to reverse that this year!

Just keep spinning...

Just Riding Along... New Airborne Bicycles edition.

One of my favorite things about the cycling industry, among many, is that every year new products start showing up. Every company has a new product that is bigger, better, lighter, faster, etc. You get the idea. Airborne Bicycles is no exception, and from the looks of it 2012 is going to be a big year for them. Enter the Guardian:

Building off of the very successful Goblin 29er, Airborne has launched a more wallet friendly 29er to, as they say, "Get more butts in saddles." I like that, more people on bikes is a good thing. Anyway, sharing quite a few components from the more expensive Goblin, the Guardian is a well spec'd entry level 29er, or just the rider on a budget. If you were on the fence about the Goblin due to the price, there is no reason for you to sit any longer. So what is the price? Head over the Airborne's site and check it out!

Well done Airborne, can't wait to see the rest of the line up.

Just keep spinning...

Photo from Airborne's website.

Just Riding Along... First Impressions.

First impressions are huge. They are when you decide if you are going to like something or not, in a very quick amount of time. Today was the prime example of that. A bike ride materialized out of nowhere, so the Troll was loaded up and I was racing the sunset. Decided to make the journey to East Fork state park to see if the trails were ride-able, and luckily they were.

This is my first "real" mountain bike ride on the Troll, not just tooling around the local nature preserve. This is single track, and sweet single track it is. Anyway, the Troll performed as it should. It reminds me a lot of my former Haro Mary single speed. I make this comparison only due to the fact that the top tube is stretched a bit, and I am using the same On One Mary handlebars. They are both steel frames, so that plays into the comparisions as well. These similarities make me happy, as the Haro Mary was one of my favorite bikes. Solid, smooth ride characteristics, which is surprising for a rigid frame. The Maxxis Ardents are a big surprise at how well they handle too. They are huge, at 2.6" wide, but they just lock into the soil and hold your line. I was planning to replace them for summer riding, but I might shelve that idea for the time being. Again though, this is only my first impression, not a long term test. I will probably change my mind in due time.

Things that I will be changing soon: I feel that I need a shorter stem. I am a little too stretched out for my liking, but it is not a deal breaker at the moment. Another change that should happen is my front derailleur. It is the only part out of the build that just does not work too well. It was cheap, and it works, but it will be a cheap and easy fix. Sub par shifting, luckily I am from a single speed background, so the chain stayed in the middle ring for the entire ride.

So not a long ride, but a ride nonetheless. It was nice to be out on the trails again, the only rider in the woods, watching the sun drop below the tree line while soaking up the remaining light on the sweet single track. Can't wait to be out again...

Just keep spinning...




Find more Mtn Biking in Bethel, OH

Map of the short ride, via MapMyRide.