Gone Solo

Posted on June 17, 2013 | 4 Comments


Quickbeam

This weekend I snuck in some time to do a 50-mile solo outing on my Rivendell Quickbeam. After all the tandeming with Felkerino, this was an excellent way to change up the bike riding.

Purchased in 2004 or so, Rivendell no longer makes the Quickbeam. Rivendell changed their single speed model from the Quickbean to the SimpleOne. Felkerino has one of the latter. However, they stopped selling those as well, and I do not believe that Rivendell is currently making a single speed.

My Quickbeam probably offers the starkest contrast in ride from our Co-Motion tandem of any of my bikes. Both bikes fit me perfectly, but aside from that they are so different from each other.

Quickbeam

The simplicity of a single speed is wonderful. I never have to think about shifting, only about how to approach the next rise. My gearing is pretty low, 40×18, making the bike ideal for rollers (say the ones on the Custis Trail) or for carrying a little bit of a load.

The Quickbeam is among the lighter bikes I own and has a lively responsive feel. The word that comes to mind to describe this bike is lithe. That feel is partly because I am not working to get two people in motion, just me, but it’s also the nature of the ride.

I really love going uphill on my Quickbeam. Hills are when I notice how much less effort it is to get a single up a hill compared to a tandem. It’s a refreshing difference to feel the oomph of your legs pushing into the pedals and have your bike move forward that much faster in response.

People sometimes ask me if my Quickbeam is fixed. No, it is not, as I revoked my fixie license for my own safety. Also, I love coasting downhill.

Quickbeam and me

Venturing out for the occasional weekend solo adventure is a reminder of my own strength and abilities. I’m not a fast rider– I don’t keep a cycling computer on the Quickbeam so I cannot tell you how fast I’m not– but I keep a steady pace and get down the road without a lot of drama.

The single speed helps me fall into my own ride. I can only pedal so fast or I start to spin out. Shifting is not an option. I suppose I could manually drop down the 32-tooth front ring, but that is really not practical shifting. If people pass me, I don’t think about it much. It’s easy to sink into the rhythm of the road.

There is something meditative about a single speed and something good for the soul about the occasional solo ride. They bring balance to my cycling and renew my appreciation for the varied types of riding that comprise my rich bikey life.

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Posted in Rivendell

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From Middletown to Monterey: Two Days, 255 Miles

Posted on June 13, 2013 | 8 Comments

Felkerino and I have been making the most of our weekend warrior lifestyle with two straight weekends of bike overnights on our Co-Motion tandem.

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This past weekend we toured with our rando-friends John and Cindy, who also ride a Co-Motion tandem– a 650B Speedster. Isn’t it beautiful?

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Both days included plenty of climbing and stunning views. We are lucky to live so close to such great cycling.

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Felkerino put together a complete summary of our ride here so check it out.

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It was an awesome weekend of bike touring.

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Posted in Bike Touring, Tandems

The Camelbak: A Reluctant Brevet and Touring Necessity

Posted on June 11, 2013 | 13 Comments
Camelbak with reflective cover. Photo by Bill Beck

Camelbak with reflective cover. Photo by Bill Beck

I generally like the look of most of my cycling clothing and gear with the exception of a few items such as booties, balaclavas, and the topic of today’s post, my Camelbak. However, much as I dislike the overall aesthetic, you will not see me on a brevet or bike tour without some kind of hydration pack.

Photo by Bill Beck

Photo by Bill Beck

On one hand, hydration packs are largely unattractive and all my ride photos show my back with a slight Quasimodo-esque hump. To be comfortable and to keep the Camelbak from sliding around, I have to be sure to adjust the straps just so.

My Camelbak adds weight to my back and shoulders. Fortunately that creates no issues when I ride, but in hotter months my back sweats up from wearing one. Sometimes the Camelbak can be tricky to fill, since many establishments have automatic faucets or shallow sinks.

Using the Camelbaks on the D.C. Randonneurs 300K. Photo by George Moore

Photo by George Moore

Despite these down-sides, the functionality of a Camelbak makes it one of my reluctant brevet and touring necessities. With a Camelbak, I can carry an ample supply of water a few inches away from my face.

I seldom worry about not drinking enough or even running out of water. The Camelbak makes drinking super-convenient, and no reaching is required. (On our tandem, the water bottle cages are particularly low and awkward for me to reach).

Felkerino and I always carry an extra bottle or two on the bike, but we don’t have to worry about drinking directly out of bottles that may have collected road grit and who knows what from the farm roads.

If I start to run low on water in my Camelbak, I can transfer from a bottle when I get a free moment off the bike. The bottle is easy to refill at a convenience store or lunch stop. I’ve also become rather skilled at finding gas station utility sinks, which makes refilling the Camelbak easy.

Felkerino refills the Camelbak from the spring. Photo by Bill Beck

Felkerino refills the Camelbak from the spring. Photo by Bill Beck

Both Felkerino and I only use water in our Camelbaks so they are easy to clean. Other drinks find a home in one of the bottles on the bike.

I purchased a reflective backpack/Camelbak cover from L2S that is ideal for use on brevets, as I don’t have to worry about my Camelbak covering up my reflective vest. I purchased mine at one of the local sporting goods stores in the start town of Paris-Brest-Paris in 2011, and have not seen these sold in the United States. I do not even know if L2Sis still in existence, but some of the e-retailers across the pond look like they sell similar items.

Photo by Bill Beck

Photo by Bill Beck

Currently I use a Camelbak Rogue for bike rides. At 70 ounces, the bladder is ample, but not excessively large. The Rogue comes with a sternum strap, but not a waist strap, for stabilization. Since I use it for cycling, the sternum strap setup is ideal. When I run, I need a pack with both a waist and sternum strap to keep it from bouncing around.

The pockets on the Rogue allow me to carry my wallet and other small necessities such as my phone and brevet card. The Rogue also offers an additional internal pocket within the bottom pocket area where I securely stow my interchangeable lenses for my glasses.

More spring water! Photo by Cindy P.

More spring water! Photo by Cindy P.

I used a women’s-specific Camelbak previously, but found that it was too short for me (I’m 5’8″ tall). I wanted the Camelbak to sit lower on my back, and even though the shoulder straps are spaced a pinch wider than I would like, overall the standard Camelbak works fine for me.

My Camelbak has been good to me. It’s a tried and true piece of gear that has helped me through many a ride, especially during warmer months. I may not like how it looks on me, but all of that fades into the background when I’m riding free from worry about when we’ll reach the next water stop.

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Bike Parking in the City: Issues and Etiquette

Posted on June 9, 2013 | 18 Comments

Bike parking in the city can be a tricky business. Many parts of the city (at least the ones I visit in the District) do not have enough racks to accommodate all the bikes of those who want to park in the area.

Bikes get crowded onto racks or, if those are not available, we seek out other alternatives such as locking to a parking sign pole or other pieces of metal that look sturdy and theft-proof.

Advanced bike parking skills

Advanced bike parking skills

I don’t drive in the city, but I suppose that bike parking is far less of a problem than car parking. It’s certainly much cheaper! Even so, D.C. is not a bike parking paradise– not yet, anyway—which means we often end up parking in uncomfortable proximity to others. Drop bars intertwine awkwardly with flat bars. Miscellaneous pieces of metal from one bike sidle up to those of another.

Art Bike Rack

Art Bike Rack

I think that a general lack of decent bike parking is my main issue with “art” bike racks. If the city already had ample racks for bikes, I would think they were a fine addition to the city. However, unless an artsy bike rack can fit bikes like a basic inverted “U” rack does, I do not see their value.

An art bike rack is not going to inspire more people to bike, and I don’t think they add that much to the aesthetic of the city, just as an inverted U rack does not detract from it. But I digress.

Bike rack parking. Betty Foy

I accept that uncomfortable bike intimacy is the result of life in a city where people are riding more and bike parking is limited and deal with it every day on my commute.

However, one day I went to retrieve my bike and discovered that someone’s extrication of his or her bike from the work rack caused my bike to fall on the ground. It was just lying there, poor dejected bike.

Because of the way I had parked the bike I know that the only way it would have fallen over was from an external impact like pushing the bike out of the way, say by shoving the handlebars.

Dramatization. Not actual bike from incident. (It was too painful to photograph!)

Dramatization. Not actual bike from incident. (It was too painful to photograph!)

Later I accepted that I had potentially contributed to the situation by only locking the bike by the down tube, which left it less stable than if I would have locked the front wheel and the down tube together to the rack. Doing that would have made it tougher to knock over.

I had always thought that if my bike fell over that the cyclist who helped it get there would pick it up. Who knows, maybe this has happened to my bikes many times in the past, and I’ve not even been aware of it.

I thought it was part of the code—not the Bike Commuter Code, but one of its subparts, the Bike Parking Code—to pick up someone else’s bike if you had a role in knocking it over. That’s what I do. I thought it was what everybody did.

Being a Midwesterner, where there seems to be more personal space for everyone to move about, these types of issues can really get to me. Crowding can get on my nerves. Most times I shrug it off and think of it as life in the city. But seeing my bike disregarded and flopped on the ground hurt my feelings, especially when I am 98 percent sure it was a fellow cyclist who helped cause my bike to fall.

What do other riders do? If someone else’s bike fell while you were removing yours from a bike rack, would you stop to upright it? Or is there no established etiquette for this sort of thing?

If your bike fell over in front of me, I would pick it up. I promise.

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Posted in Commute Reflections

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The Weekend Warrior

Posted on June 6, 2013 | 12 Comments
Photo by Felkerino

Photo by Felkerino

Like many people in this town, I work in an office environment Monday through Friday. I spend lots of time in front of a computer or sitting in meetings. Lots. For over 40 hours each week, I sit. And sit. And sit.

To compensate for my largely sedentary work life I bike commute, pepper in midday runs, hit the gym, and go post-work whatevering when I can. These brief bursts of activity help me feel more balanced about my office job and less guilty about sitting in my desk chair.

The activities also give me a regular connection to other like-minded souls in the city. A smile or wave of recognition from another cyclist or runner sustains and energizes me.

In the layers of my mind beneath the daily deadlines, projects, and household responsibilities I plot my weekends. I visit weather web sites for the latest forecasts. Sunny? Hot? Rain? Wind? Tell me everything and please be accurate.

Photo by Bill Beck

Photo by Bill Beck

I ponder the adventures Felkerino and I can pack in over two days. Where will we ride? How far should we go? Hilly or rolling? Local or remote start? So many rich choices to consider.

I wonder what it would be like to have more flexibility, and the possibility to ride or run for broad spans of time whenever I wanted, as opposed to it being a weekend treat or an occasional vacation. Would I actually ride more? Run further? Or would I not, knowing that the opportunity was always there?

For now I content myself with being a weekend warrior. I sit placidly at my desk, and contemplate where my wanderlust will take me next.

That was fun. Time to get ready for Monday. Photo by Bill Beck

That was fun. Time to get ready for Monday. Photo by Bill Beck

Friday afternoon arrives and I am off with my feet steadily hitting the pavement and beyond. I’m glad for my life. The weekend warrior adventures fill my soul and help me relax a little more comfortably into that office chair when Monday arrives again.

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Posted in Rando Reflections, Whatevering

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A Peak, a Valley, and a New Ascent: May by the Miles

Posted on June 5, 2013 | 4 Comments

May turned out to be an exciting month around the edges with a big blah and some good lessons learned in the middle.

Numbers-wise, it looked like this:

  • 1 Marathon
  • 91 miles run
  • 0 Brevets
  • 485 miles on the bike
  • 11 trips to the gym for general weightlifting workouts

First, a peak:  The first weekend in May, I ran a personal best marathon of 4:05:11 at the Potomac River Marathon. That time was over 26 minutes faster than my previous personal best. I had hoped to put up a good personal time, but my result surprised me– in a good way.

It was additionally exciting to complete the marathon two weeks after the D.C. Randonneurs 300K. It was one of those amazing moments of appreciation for what the body is capable of accomplishing.

Potomac River Marathon
Next, the valley: I hit a low spot in the two weeks following the marathon. I tried to keep going to the gym, but lacked my regular energy. I made poor nutritional choices and craved sugar. My sleep schedule was off.

In addition, Felkerino and I decided to dial back the bike riding this May and focus on a more active June and July. I looked at my old mileage logs and realized that, over the past five years, I have averaged 800 miles in May. This year, I rode 485 cycling miles for the month.

I rode how many miles in May?

I rode how many miles in May?

Reducing the cycling miles allowed me to really focus on the marathon and not worry about preparing for upcoming rides, but it left me a bit perplexed about my May routine for a couple of weeks. It was almost habit to be doing big rides this time of year.

In the future, it would really help to have a recovery plan that addresses the physical aftermath of events and recovery, including a better nutritional plan. Also, it would behoove me to go with the flow more easily when I change my routine and not fret and second-guess the plans I made.

May was another reminder about energy. It takes energy to engage in cycling, running, and strength-training activities. I exerted additional effort by doing the marathon and was probably still slightly tired from the 300K two weeks prior. I should have allowed myself a week of recovery after marathon day.

My cycling miles went down, but my running miles went up. I gave up on super-focused weight training because I was balancing the increase in running as well as the post-event recovery. My strength training consisted mostly of work on my core, upper back, and arms with a little lower back and legs thrown in.

Long story short, I only have so much energy to do these various things and I need to manage it with care or I end up feeling run down, burned out or just plain pooped.

Sheep I saw on a May bike ride. Included just because they're cute.

Sheep I saw on a May bike ride. Included just because they’re cute.

Finally, a new ascent:  Felkerino and I began swinging back into the cycling again in the latter half of the month, riding segments of Skyline Drive on two different rides– once with our friend Lane and another time solo.

We usually ride Skyline later in the year, and we both commented on how lovely it was to get out in May and enjoy the quiet cool climbing on the drive. Skyline and the area around it offer up a solid challenge for cyclists and I consistently experience a sense of accomplishment after a century-ish ride out that way.

Co-Motion on Skyline Drive

These rides also sparked my enthusiasm for our summer of riding.

That said, I’m suspending these monthly reflections on the numbers and workouts for a while because I plan to focus primarily on general strength training and core fitness, maintaining my running base, and pointing the bike toward the hills whenever I can to ramp up the cycling miles again.

It’s going to be a fantastic summer. I hope you’ve got some great plans, too. And as always, special thanks for reading these “trying to be a better me” type of posts.

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Posted in Strength Training, Training & Fitness

Randonneuring: From Doing to Being

Posted on June 4, 2013 | 12 Comments
2013 D.C. Randonneurs 300K, Photo by George Moore

2013 D.C. Randonneurs 300K, Photo by George Moore

I started riding with the D.C. Randonneurs in 2005 when I was invited to participate on a flèche team. At that time, I had never ridden farther than a century and I had no idea what randonneuring was. Despite my ignorance the flèche sounded like an exciting opportunity to test my limits.

To prepare for the 360K distance, I eagerly threw myself into riding. I logged weekends of back-to-back centuries, and participated in big training rides of 145 miles and longer. The flèche came and went and still I kept riding with the randonneurs.

Before finding out about the D.C. Randonneurs I had never fathomed pedaling over 200 miles in one go on my bicycle. Yet there I was, getting it done. So many of these rides represented new personal milestones. First back-to-back centuries, first double century, first tandem brevet, first Super Randonneur series. It took a lot of effort to make those rides happen, but I was fueled by the thrill of new accomplishments and the novelty of testing how far I could go under my own steam.

Ed and me on the Flatbread. Photo by Iron Rider

In the years that followed, the desire to expand my cycling radius and explore new terrain outside of D.C. inspired me to keep coming back to the brevets. I liked getting to know the randonneuring community.

Having a laugh with Nick before the populaire. Photo by Mike Wali

Having a laugh with Nick before the populaire. Photo by Mike Wali

Lane and Alec on the Old Rag 200K

Lane and Alec on the Old Rag 200K

Warrenton 300K Brevet with Christian, Rick, and Felkerino

Warrenton 300K Brevet with Christian, Rick, and Felkerino

I increased my comfort level with attempting long distances, especially the 400K and 600K brevets. Felkerino and I refined our skills as a tandem team. I developed a rich catalog of randonneuring tales.

DC Randonneurs 600K - Chris, Lane, Joe, Felkerino, and Dan B.

DC Randonneurs 600K – Chris, Lane, Joe, Felkerino, and Dan B.

Fast forward and rather than seeing the rides as exciting challenges that mean a weekend of riding around with Felkerino and randonneuring buddies, my mind filled with the other less palatable aspects of these long rides, like the pre-event staging, the sleep deprivation, and the time spent driving to and from ride starts.

Last year I found my way around these frustrations through the Colorado High Country 1200K. I was so excited about that ride, and knew the only way to get there was a through completing a Super Randonneur series.

Dave, Bill, and Ed on the Colorado High Country

Dave, Bill, and Ed on the Colorado High Country

High Country ended up being an incredible, magical at times, grand randonnee thanks to a fantastic course and fine riding company. Even so, at the end of last year Felkerino and I still looked at each other and said no 1000K or 1200K in 2013.

When I look back on Felkerino’s and my brevet results over the past few years, I think we have been fairly active. In 2010, we rode the Endless Mountains 1000K. Paris-Brest-Paris followed in 2011. And like I said, we could not resist the appeal of John Lee Ellis’s Colorado High Country 1200K in 2012. The memories and stories from these rides live vividly in my mind.

Day 3 on PBP, with Felkerino and Jon.

Day 3 on PBP, with Felkerino and Jon. Photo by Rob Hawks

Those of you who do these rides know how critical it is to fully commit to them. Otherwise, you spend energy you can’t afford to lose wondering why you’re out there. For whatever reason, I don’t feel completely invested in the brevet experience right now. It is a good time to take a break, and Felkerino and I have not ridden a 400 or 600K this year.

I initially struggled to understand why not doing the 400 and 600K brevets seemed like such a big deal. A couple of good conversations with friends helped me realize that since those first rides in 2005, my identity has become tied to randonneuring. Instead of being a thing I do, randonneuring became part of how I defined myself.*

Being a randonneur has mattered so much over the last eight years because of the intense experiences I’ve had and because it’s also one of few activities I do that I think is special. I suppose a lot of people want to be special in some way, and randonneuring has been my special.

Felkerino and me. Photo by Bill Beck

Finishing the 2012 Flèche. Photo by Bill Beck

I love the brevets. I’m proud to tell others that Felkerino and I met through randonneuring and that we ride with the D.C. Randonneurs. I revel in recounting stories of our randonneuring adventures. But the fever to do them has not been there this year.

It’s time to do other things on the bike. Taking a break from the longer brevets gives me time bring back the fever to return to the full series. In the meantime, weekend century rides and summer bike touring sound like just the thing for me.

This past weekend, Felkerino’s and my weekend touring rides took us along a stretch of road the D.C. Randonneurs 600K also passed through, and we saw a few of the riders en route to our overnight stop.

Barry, Bill, and Jose ride away on the D.C. Randonneurs 600K

Barry, Bill, and Jose ride away on the D.C. Randonneurs 600K

When they passed, part of me wished that we were doing their ride and sharing in their adventure.

That sense of longing is what I need so that after this break, I enthusiastically clip back in for the full series with our fellow randonneurs. After all, I’m married to Felkerino and he already has PBP 2015 circled on our calendar.

*For another take on the theme of identity, check out Ultrarunnergirl’s insightful reflection on her own exploration of being a runner.

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Posted in Rando Reflections, Randonneuring

Escape from the City: Weekend Bike Tour to Martinsburg, West Virginia

Posted on June 3, 2013 | 4 Comments

White Hall Road

Felkerino and I took advantage of the recently arrived summer weather and ventured out for a weekend bike tour.

Meeting House Road

We departed the District on Saturday morning and took a circuitous route out to Martinsburg, making sure we plodded a few miles through the Catoctins of Maryland. That was some hilly stuff. Overall, we rode 122 miles for the day.

Barn

On day two of our little tour we took a more direct route for the return, which allowed for some extra bumming around in Shepherdstown and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and exploration of a couple of roads that were new to us. Our lollygagging meant we did not outrun all of the weekend rain showers, but we didn’t mind and still ended up with 97 miles for our second day.

Spiral Staircase at Harpers Ferry

Felkerino wrote up a good summary of our back-to-back riding weekend. Day one to Martinsburg is here, and day two back to D.C. is right here.

Bike Touring!

Even though it’s raining this morning, I wish I was still out riding in the countryside.

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Posted in Bike Touring

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Velo Orange Mixte Commutes & the Search for the Ideal Bags

Posted on May 30, 2013 | 19 Comments

Lately I’ve been on a mission to ride all of my bikes more often. This is partially due to needing to clean the Surly LHT as well as change out a tube, but also because if I’m going to own multiple bikes I feel should make the effort to ride them all.

Velo Orange Mixte and Berthoud

The past couple weeks, I’ve commuted almost exclusively on my Velo Orange Mixte, built up from a frame set I purchased over two years ago.

The Velo Orange is a great town bike. Reasonably priced and built up primarily with existing parts in the Dining Room Bike Shop (most of them coming off of my old commuter, a Novara Randonnee), I’m happy to be riding it again.

Me on the Velo Orange Mixte

I do not have the Velo Orange set up with a rear rack at all so I have been messing around with my bag system in order to have enough carrying capacity to haul my stuff to and from the office and give me a little extra room in case I stop for something on the way home.

Initially, I had the bike set up with a front Berthoud bag (a lovely gift from Felkerino) and a rear Acorn saddle bag that I purchased several years ago. Acorn has recently brought these saddle bags back and I think they are beautiful.

When I rode the mixte like this I was in bag heaven, as these are the two most aesthetically pleasing bags that I own. However, I found the carrying capacity to be insufficient. While the Berthoud bag fit my purse perfectly, the Acorn saddle bag did not provide enough space for the other things I wanted to carry.

Velo Orange Mixte and Acorn

The Acorn is designed to accommodate 5.5 liters or so.Even though I keep my work clothes and shoes at the office, I carry gym clothes and a U-lock every day as well as other essentials, and frequently stop at the grocery store on the way home. So as much as I loved the Acorn bag it became a situation analogous to wearing shoes that hurt my feet, but that I still kept wearing because they looked so awesome.

Last week I removed the Acorn and installed a more industrial black Carradice Nelson longflap we had in stock in the Dining Room Bike Shop bag department. According to the Carradice site, the Nelson can carry 18 liters.

Velo Orange Mixte and Carradice

The Nelson’s size was much better for commuting. I strapped the bag on to my bike using the tabs on my Brooks saddle and affixing another strap to my seatpost. I did not use a Bagman because I don’t like them.

Initially I worried that the Carradice Nelson would be too large for the bike and that it would rub on the fender, making the fender in turn rub my tire, but that has not happened so far. The bag nestles cozily in between the fender and my saddle and has been working out great. As I said, it’s not as stylish as the Acorn, but functionality wins the day on my commute.

Velo Orange Mixte

I love the Berthoud front bag, but I have also been thinking about switching it out because I would be so upset if it was stolen. It is secured tightly to the bike, but given that it is on a bike I use to run errands and sometimes sits outside locked to a rack (poor bike), it might make more sense to move it onto another bike. Any thoughts? Am I overthinking its value? Use what you already own and all that?

I have other plans for the Acorn so it will not linger long in the Dining Room Bike Shop bag department. In the meantime, the Berthoud and Carradice Nelson make for a good urban commute setup on the Velo Orange Mixte.

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Posted in Bikes to Like, Commuting, Dining Room Bike Shop, Velo Orange

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A Taste of Skyline Drive on the Co-Motion Java Tandem

Posted on May 29, 2013 | 8 Comments

The past two out of three weekends, Felkerino and I have headed out to Skyline Drive to test out the Co-Motion Java’s feel on long steady climbs and to condition our legs for summer rides ahead. Felkerino has a great write-up of Sunday’s ride on this other blog I know called The Daily Randonneur.

Co-Motion Java

Even though it has been cooler than my druthers on Skyline, I’m sure that one day soon, say today or tomorrow, I’ll be remembering these recent rides fondly and wishing for the milder temps we’ve had lately.

We are gradually settling into the Co-Motion Java. It does not handle or move as quickly on descents as our previous Co-Motion, and Felkerino and I both wonder if it’s because the bike is slightly taller than our Speedster was, or if it is due to a larger front bag that sits on the bike’s front rack. On the Speedster, Felkerino’s bag of choice was a small Berthoud bag that fastened directly to the front handlebars.

Co-Motion Java with Sackville Front Bag

Co-Motion Java with Sackville Front Bag

Both Felkerino and I love how the Java climbs, and these rides on Skyline Drive have solidified our affinity for it as a good hill-climbing steed. It is stiffer than the Speedster and less noodly at slower speeds, not that we’re trying to become slower. I actually think we are climbing a pinch faster because of the Java’s superior uphill handling.

Felkerino is still getting a sense for how the bike moves on fast downhills. It is not as agile through turns and does not pick up the same momentum the Speedster could. In that regard, I miss our Speedster.

As an all-around tandem, the Co-Motion Java is a better bike for our needs. It is sturdier, takes wide tires, feels good on gravel, and as I previously noted, it’s a fun bike for climbing.

Skyline with Felkerino

We still await the verdict on how the Java will fare with a significant load. Since we do not do any camping when we tour and years of practice have taught us the art of paring down our crap, we will not carry a load larger than our clothes, tools, bike essentials, and pre-prepared snacks. Even so, additional weight can alter how the bike rides so we’ll have to get back to you on that.

I continue to be pleased with our change in Co-Motion tandem models after our unfortunate discovery of the crack in the Speedster seat tube. The Speedster’s noodly climbing was a real annoyance, and having a solid versatile bike like the Co-Motion Java that easily transitions from pavement to gravel and eagerly marches up a hill is a really good feeling.

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Posted in Bikes to Like, Centuries, Co-Motion, Whatevering

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