Google Earth has gotten good!

I was able to hook up my GPS and download my track from the Tour de Blast straight into the new version of Google Earth.

It shows not only the elevation, but the speed and angle. Here you can see we were doing 31 mph at mile 60 on a 7% down grade. Google Earth also allows me to play back the route as a tour! If only it could control the weather. Now I just need to geocode my photos!

Tour de Blast 2010 - Crazy Fun

My third trip to Mt. St. Helens for the Tour de Blast was the most challenging yet. I first did this event solo in 1998, and returned with my brother Neil in 2004. Luckily, I was well prepared this year and brought a great support crew. Some how, suffering is easier when done in good company!

Neil's daughter Emily was along to support. She gamely spent the day with the car at the high school, reading, running, and sleeping.

The weather forecast was not promising, but we forged ahead anyway. Brief clearings made us appreciate the scenery all that more.

The first major rest stop is at the top of a six mile climb at about the 4000 foot level. We hit fog and patches of rain and the temperature dropped significantly on the way. A long descent made it tough to stay warm before the next climb.

Crazy enjoys company. The Rotary Club, with lots of practice, puts on a well supported event. They had a tent with a fire to get warm and there was plenty of food. There was a bus running to collect those smart enough to retire. There were plenty of EMS on hand and they were using their ambulances as warming centers for about eight riders at a time. There was no cell phone coverage on the course, but they local volunteer ham operators for communication.

The crowds thinned out as we reach the top. I don't know how many were brave (or prepared) enough to go the distance, but I doubt it was more than 25%. Neil made use of a trash bag to help maintain his low-fat ultra-marathoning core temperatures above freezing on the long cold descents. I was a little more well insulated than on my last trip here by about 20 pounds despite having lost 15 training for this event!

We made a couple of friends along the way. On the climb to the top we met a Navy doctor from Bremerton who shared some war stories with Neil. The final 25 miles flew by as we met up with Andy, a fire fighter from Seattle who was wearing wool and riding a classic bike complete with leather bags. I did my best to stick in the draft as he and Neil powered on while chatting.

It wasn't pretty, but we made it: 82 miles with 6200 vertical feet of climbing. A warm shower and cup of hot chocolate awaited us at Neil's friends in Castle Rock.

I keep wondering why we do things like this. As we rolled in to one of the rest stops, the Rotary guy directing traffic commented, "I'm not sure why you guys are smiling".  I think we do it for two reasons. First, to test our selves, and secondly to witness the wonder of mother nature. She made the test a bit harder this year, and reminded us how unpredictable she can be. It is certainly a crazy way to have fun.

Tour de Blast preps

Neil and I are on our way to do the Tour de Blast at Mt. St. Helens. We did this last in 2004. I rode once before in 1998.

Here is a cool video that captures the look and feel of the ride:
http://www.tourdeblast.com/TDBvideo.html

 I hope the weather is as nice as last year, but I'm not getting my hopes up!

First Day of Spring

I've ridden 317 miles and lost 10 pounds since January. I don't know if I'll be ready for the Tour de Blast in June, but I'm enjoying the journey.

Out for a ride

We've had a nice stroke of weather, and on a whim, I joined the Mid-Valley Bicycle Club group ride on Saturday. I got to see some of the area south-west of Philomath I hadn't traveled before. The route was about 35 miles total, about at the limit of my endurance level, and included a stop at a wonderful little eatery called "Gathering Together Farm" just south of Philomath where the servers knew everyone's name and how they liked their coffee.

I'm going to have to be able to make it to the top of Mary's Peak and back if I want to complete the Tour de Blast with Neil in June, so I've got my work cut out for me. It was nice to get some sunny non-commuter miles in and make some new acquaintances while I was at it.

The image, which shows how far things have come since my early geocaching days, show my GPS track imported into Google Earth. Pretty crazy.

On the Road Again

We participated in the Stake bike ride on Saturday. We rode ten miles, passing through a covered bridge, campus, and the riverfront park. The payoff was in icecream. The girls did great and sugested we do this every Saturday!

Roy (with the helmet on), a member of our ward, rode all the way into town from Lewisburg, did the ride, and then rode home again (about 30 miles total). Oh, and he did it on a 1960's Schwinn single speed bike. If I'm in half the shape he is at his age, I'll be happy.

Corvallis Bicycle Picture

In line with my blog about the computers I've owned, I was thinking about doing it for my bikes as well. Here is one of my first. I'm the one the far right.

But seriously, take a look at their outfits and the flag on the wall (click on it to get a full size version). This is supposed to be on 2nd street in Corvallis. I don't think the building still exists.

Spy Photo

If you've ever thumbed through an auto magazine, you've seen the "spy" photos of cars under development. Here is one of a new model bicycle. Note the lack of brakes and chain. They must be just checking out the handling. It has got nice lines, but I doubt that goofy looking handlebar setup will make it into production.

Wait, is that front wheel from a Bob trailer????

I've Been Framed!

I haven't had a lot of time to work on the bike, so it is progressing rather slowly. I read an interview with the original designer, and he said they were putting 80 hours into a completed bike. Now I know why they are so dang expensive! I'll probably have twice that in for half as good a bike. At least I can say I built my own bike.

I've about got the frame completed, minus paint. I just put in the brake bridges and relocated the cantilever pivots. Click on the top picture to get a better look at my wicked good brazing skills. It'll look better painted, trust me. I'm going to prime it to keep it from rusting, and build it up so I can ride. I've got to finish it before the rains set in so Sweet Polly Purebread can have her garage back!

Sling Seat

The quickest way to spot a home-make recumbent is the seat. A lot of times they are made of wood with foam padding, or have a "lawn chair" look. I decided to build a version called a "sling seat" because it looked good, and more importantly, looked comfortable.

The frame is made from electrical conduit tubing, which is available in several sizes at most hardware stores. The only drawback is a zinc coating which needs to be removed before heating since it gives off toxic gas. Other than that, it is pretty easy to bend and work with. The plans on the web actually give full size printouts, which make it easy to get the right fit.

The covering is made of a material called Phifertex. It is a vinyl covered nylon mesh, and is designed for outdoor furniture. It is extremely strong and rip resistant. Its main advantage is allowing sweat to evaporate from your back while you are riding.

Instead of sewing the material onto the frame as the plans suggested, I used grommets and lacing. That will allow it to be adjusted to the right tension, and allow it to be easily replaced.

Bike Breaking

I'm building a bike. Actually, rebuilding is probably more accurate. Or maybe merging, since I'm taking two bikes to build one. So bike breaking (as in ship breaking) was the first order of business.

Why build a bike, you ask? I already have a couple. I'm getting old however, and my back hurts and my knees are shot (one of them, anyway). I want a recumbent, but they cost an arm and leg, or at least as much as knee surgery. Being a cheap and thrifty guy of many talents, I'll figure I'll can try and make one.

It almost seemed like a sin to cut into a bike frame. One of the donor frames was a freebie early eighties mountain bike frame from a missionary getting ready to go home. The other was a late seventies Japanese road bike frame I paid $20 for.

I don't think I would have tried this if it wasn't for two things. First, all the instruction are posted on the internet. I learned from Project Buggy that working the bugs out of a design is the most time consuming part of a project. I'm more than willing to let someone else do that for me.

Secondly, Smitty was next door and willing to teach me how to braze. Brazing is a lot like soldering, which I became quite proficient at doing for Project Buggy. You just need about a magnitude more heat. It is also a lot easier to do than welding, which is why it has been a preferred bike building technique from the beginning of time.

Tune in for our next episode, where we'll learn about the sling seat design and the modern miracle called Phifertex.