Just Riding Along... Return to Caesar Creek.

Finally made the return trip up to Caesar Creek state park yesterday, this time with my brother in law. I have been to this park a few times, each time getting a little lost. This time however, we set out with the plan to figure out this trail system. So, after meeting up at the Harveysburg Rd. trail head, we were off to get lost. The trail overall is nice and smooth for the most part. There are lost of roots to make this trail a bit bumpy, especially on a fully rigid steel bike. Not unbearable, just rattling. The most surprising feature of this trail is the amount of climbing. Driving to the trail head through farmlands, and a relatively flat surrounding area, you would not picture much climbing action when on the trail. However, this trail was designed to put you in and out of every single little ravine in the vicinity. None of the climbs are of epic leg breaking length, but all are steep. And when I say steep, I mean you are hiking for some. It is quite the surprise.

Our route started at the Harveysburg Rd. trail head, which put us on the more techinical "Red" trail. After that section, we ended up on the "Blue" section, and from what I gather from looking at the map we rode the "Black" and some of the "Yellow." We ended up not really sure where we were, but after consulting Google Maps on my phone, we realized that we were on our way to the campground. Not in our cards unfortunately. We doubled back at that point and figured our way back to our trucks. This is a great trail system, that from the looks of it gets lots of traffic. My only complaint is that there is no real signage. Many times we were just taking a trail at a junction to see where it ended up. But, that was the point of this ride, to figure out the system. Smooth single track and adventure just outside of Cincinnati? I will take that. Just keep spinning...

1st ride with the tire combo of the Maxxis Ardent 2.6" paired with a Maxxis Crossmark 2.1" in the rear.

Map of the area thanks to CORA.

Just Riding Along... Troll glamour shots...

Yesterday received my new Schwalbe Big Apples tires, so on they went for some sweet road action. Sure, they say on the sidewall "26x2.35," but damn are they big. Amazingly, there is still room to spare on the Troll frame.

Today, just a quick ride for some pictures in the nice sunlight.

Just keep spinning...

Look Rickey, no hands!

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...

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...

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...

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... 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.

Just Riding Along... Maiden Voyage.

After a day of waiting, took the Troll on it's first "official" ride. Not as long as I had hoped, but with prior commitments and nasty weather on course, just a quick 3 mile spin in the woods with the camera. The Troll handled as expected. It is a rigid steel bike, not much to set up or tweak on the ride. It is nice riding a fully rigid bike, no adjustments to finicky suspension setting, no rider sag to set, just get on the bike and ride. Kind of like when you are a kid, and your bike is a single speed BMX bike. Not much to worry about. Just pedal.

I am still trying to figure out my camera, so today I tried to capture a self portrait. After setting up the tripod, and setting the timer for the longest setting, I still did not get the shot that I had wanted. I still need to work on that a bit, all in due time.

Just keep spinning...

Just Riding Along... Troll complete!

Finally, after about a year of debating, pondering, comparing, and lusting, the Surly Troll is now complete. This has been a long process, but I am very excited and satisfied with the big decision to pull the trigger on this amazing frame. After first seeing a few years ago, (here) then came the rather annoying comparisons, (here and here) the Troll is now complete and I am done with bike building for a while. That said, here are a few pictures:

Pacer decals in black, on the Ford blue powdercoat.

Drivetrain.

Just a few quick pictures from today. Not much time to take a ride this evening, just a quick spin around the block. Who knows when the trails around here will finally dry out (or freeze) so I can test this beast out in the woods. Hope to get some real saddle time in this week.

Plans for the Troll already. Once the rear rack I am wanting comes back into stock, I will be able to hit the road on some off road overnight trips. I am also thinking about some sort of frame bag, maybe just a partial, to increase my carrying capabilities. Another purchase that will happen probably next week will be a set of road tires for commuting purposes. Still on the fence as to what model, but I am sure they will be big. That's how the Troll rolls right?

Just keep spinning...

Just Riding Along... Surly Troll part 3.

Quick update on the Troll. After powdercoating, I took the frame down to my local shop, Bishop's Bicycles, to have the frame treated with framesaver and also to have the headset installed. Picked it up this evening, and started adding parts to make the bike more complete. Here are a few pictures for a tease:

Chris King Headset.

Brooks saddle looks at home.

Avid BB5 disc brakes in the interesting dropout.

More parts being added, more parts being ordered, hope to have everything finished this week! This bike is starting to look like a tractor!

Just keep spinning...

Just Riding Along... Year of photos.

This past year I have really gotten into photography, and it didn't hurt that I bought a new camera either. Here are my favorite shots from this past year or so. Some of these I have posted here before, some on Flickr, some not at all. These are just my favorites that I have taken this year. Keep in mind while viewing, I still have lots to learn about photography. I hope to keep learning and improve. Enjoy!

First ride on the Xtracycle.

Upper Falls at Hocking Hills state park.

Hocking Hills state park.

Lower Falls at Hocking Hills state park.

Rim Trail at Conckle's Hollow State Nature Preserve.

Inside Conckle's Hollow.

Waiting for Disney's Electric Parade.

Sunset at Mohican State Park.

My daughter on her tricycle.

Pretty tree.

Cali moving the ball with her mind.

Big Red on a night ride.

Eagle statue at Eden Park.

Valley View Nature Preserve.

On the trail.

Sycamores and blue skies.

T500 avoiding the rain.

Troll ready to be blasted.

I should point out that there are three different cameras in use for these pictures. This year I used my old Olympus FE-20, an HTC Evo phone, and my Sony Nex-3. I am really loving the Sony, and in my relative newness to photography, it is funny to me that I have already found it's limits. Granted, it was a HUGE upgrade from the Olympus, but I am already thinking of another camera in the near future. Just like bikes, the proper number of cameras in N+1. If you have any comments, or helpful tips, please leave them in the comments section below!

Just keep spinning...

Just Riding Along... Ends and Beginnings.

Just finished boxing up the Xtracycle Freeradical for it's long journey to Minnesota. Shipping this piece off it bittersweet. I really enjoyed the cargo option, it was very useful. But it was not as versatile as I needed it to be. Hence the sale. So, the end for the X, but the beginning for the Troll. The X's departure will keep the Troll ball rolling. After dropping off the X at the post office, I will be heading over to my local shop to have them install my headset to further along this process.

So goodbye Xtracycle, you were fun. But your replacement is going to be even better...

Just keep spinning...