Ride and Remember

[Jesper]

Get off the bike and do more than just taking a photo (sure; do that also). Explore where you bike and experience life and the people (except in Spokane WA; just kidding Spokanians!).

Warning: if you are not physically able to safely do certain activities then do not! I performed high speed descents at +50mph, climbed mountains (bike and hike); traversed backwoods (bike and hike); nighttime riding and mountain climbing; documented nature (at grave risk); designed (boat and logo), built and raced (w/brother) a cardboard boat (1st place!); and broke laws (which affected no one personally, no property/enviromental damage, etc.). During that time I modified and repaired a bike on the road. Be prepared as to knowing your limitations, including that of your equipment; and local laws (be you a scofflaw or not).

Covered nearly 10000 miles of distance in less than a year while on sabbatical from the insanity of modern "civilized" living and ludicrous working conditions. Included in my riding were multiple national, state, and local parks from coast to coast (USA); as well

All done on ROAD bikes (except on the water; but working on a hybrid cardboard boat with bicycle adapted for propulsion) without touring/climbing gears or triple rings. It demonstrates how over hyped the need for hybrid, gravel, and mtb's are when you are an experienced cyclist having traversed miles on whatever bike happens to be under your bottom while traversing multiple terrains/conditions. Though no one bike can do it all with reasonable efficiency you still do not need as many bikes as one might think.

At this point in my life I will do what I have been doing for the past decade: using an old frames allowing up to a 35mm tire, and carrying with me (if driving), two 6 speed wheel sets (general training/touring rims, 700c x 25mm semi-slick tires w/road cluster:12t-24t; & heavy duty road/gravel rims, 700c x 32mm to 35mm cross/gravel type tires ["Kendacross" preferred] with road climbing/off-road cluster: 14t-34t), racing and "comfort" saddles, clipless and block/mtb pedals, various small & large chain rings (sm 38 - 44t, lg 49t - 55t), easily removable fenders, road clipless shoes, touring (no cleat) shoes, and mountain climbing/wrestling shoes (off bike hiking/climbing). I do like to carry my TT bike as the extra bike for pure speed though now modified with 25mm front tire, 30mm rear tire with wide range cluster (14-28t, was 15-19t).

See you in another 3 months (maybe; I might be dead!).

[Jesper]

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[Jesper]

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[meamoantonio]

Super hardcore stuff, will never forget his story about having to bike home from the hospital he works at despite warnings from his doctor hahahaha what a legend!

[Jesper]

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[Jesper]

Also in the journey: one death, one old '49 Jeepster resurrection, one hospital visit, and one endo not related to hospital. After endo just I picked myself up and proceeded to climb a few miles up a "horse rest" hill. These hills are found on old New England roads (and probably elsewhere in the world) and were designed (either naturally and/or man-made) with fairly flat (though short, ~<100 ft) resting points (sometimes only one) for horse drawn carriages and carts due to the steep inclines the animals needed to traverse. Thesecare not switchbacks, but are essentially straight up climbs and thus the need for "rest stops" which switchbacks would normally afford. I now typically call any fairly long and straight hill climb where there are small flats/declines before more grades "horse rest" hills whether they were engineered that way or not. There is a 4 mile hill I rode without ever leaving the saddle because of the adequate "rest" one gets on the ascent (there is also adequate motivation as there is a pub at the top) unfortunately it makes for a slower and less exciting descent (which may be good if you had a couple pints).

[Jesper]

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