To Slovakia!–nothing not to like

It has been a long time coming, our return to Slovakia.  We grazed the border of Slovakia on several occasions last summer.  Once, en route to meet Przemek for the first time, we rode through Slovakia for part of a day.  Unwilling to participate in yet another currency, we starved ourselves for the afternoon and raced into Poland to begin our ride on the red trails of southern Poland (Note: they use Euros in Slovakia, we started the day with Czech kroner and ended with Polish zloty).  On another occasion, we detoured from the red trails in Poland to spend a few days writing for Bunyan Velo,  We crossed the border a few times in two days, curious about the pace of life in Slovakia.  Poland is a dreamy place, as long as you are in the woods.  On the roads and in town, the energy is high.  Slovakia, like Czech, is relaxed and kind.  We liked it, but the trails, and Przemek, were in Poland.

The country is crossed with mountains, and farms, and relatively few people.  The beer, as in Czech, is cheap.  The mountains, as we are coming to find, are laced with roads and trails, accessible by a plethora of hiking and cycling routes.  These things are always easier to discover in country.  The women– I promise I won’t let this become a place to review the women of the world– have long legs and have obviously spent the summer outdoors doing things they enjoy.  Seriously, Lael agrees, and we marvel at the discovery of Slovakian women– they are beautiful and healthy.  It’s like they’ve never outgrown the age of 12.  We find this to be an interesting social and cultural marker.  The men?  Well, they mostly look like sunburnt farmers.

When crafting a plan for this summer while back in Alaska, the far eastern part of Europe invited us once again.  I want to spend more time in Ukraine, and the other half of the Carpathian Mountain chain in Romania.  Lael wants to learn some Romanian, and bulk up her Ukrainian vocabulary.  We both want to ride bikes in the countryside and mountains in places that are habitable and arable, but not yet overcome by the hypermodern life we know.  Slovakia, Ukraine, and Romania.  Slovakia, Ukraine, and Romania.  That’s the plan for now, at least as much of a plan as there will ever be.  Beyond that?  Greece and Macedonia?  Spain and Corsica and Morocco?  There are many opportunities further afield, but we’ve really just begun.  Its not fair to this end of the trip to focus on that end of the trip.  We’re focusing on this side of Slovakia for now, trying not to look too far forward.

We took advantage of the Condor Airlines flight over the pole, which runs nonstop all summer from Anchorage to Frankfurt for about $500.  To hone our eastern aspect, we chose a connecting flight to Vienna, which is only 40 miles from Slovakia.  While I am reading maps, Lael is honing her Euro style.

Look who met us at the airport in Vienna– Przemek!  He came bearing gifts for Lael’s birthday, including homemade currant liqueur and a small loaf of his mother’s bread.  I’m not supposed to tell, but he also made the three hour drive to the airport the day before.  Upon returning home, deflated, he realized that we had departed on the 22nd, but would not arrive until the 23rd.  Thanks for coming back a second time.

We may have the chance to spend a few more weeks with him later this summer.  Our tentative plan is to rendezvous in Romania in late August or early September.  He’s currently living in Slovenia for work.  He still does a very good impression of a Polish man, in English, for our benefit.

We’d planned a Warmshowers.org host in Vienna, although a delayed arrival and the time it took to reassemble our bikes meant it would be too late to ride into the city.  Neither of us had much interest in the big city, for now.  Rather, we pedaled towards Slovakia.  Head east!

We connect to a bike path adjacent to the road, only a short distance from the airport.  We ride through several small towns, over the autobahn, and onto a signed hiking route on a small dirt road.  This leads to a dirt track along the Danube River, dotted with rustic fishing cabins.  We slept well on our first night, on a dirt road, alongside a river, only three miles from the airport.  Even the passing “dinner and dance” barges from Vienna didn’t bother us.

Awake early, without a plan, we pedal.  Several hours later, barely 7:30, we realize we must have been up before 5AM.  This never happens, although we appreciate the extra hours.

What time is it?

Immediately, our eastward route intersects the EuroVelo6 route, from the Atlantic to the Black Sea; the local St. James Way, which eventually leads to the local Camino de Santiago route in Spain; and a plethora of local walking and cycling routes along the Donau (Danube).

Signposts are stacked with signs and maps covered in colored routes.  The pathways are in constant use by a steady stream of riders, runners, rollerbladers, and walkers.  Many cycling routes incorporate graded gravel farm roads or unpaved cycling paths.  Most routes utilize existing facilities.  Creating bikeable routes is sometimes as easy as providing maps and signage.  Rest stops like this one are also welcomed, which include drinking water, a bike rack, a detailed map, a covered picnic area, wooden reclining chairs, and some green space.  These are luxuries to a cyclist on a long ride.

The red and white signage indicates a hiking route.  The shell signifies the way of St. James, whose terminus is in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.  The most prominent portion of the route is in Spain, although routes and signage begin much further afield.

907 must be the hiking route number.  We’re not in (907)Alaska anymore.

A short way down the river, Bratislava comes into view.  The capital city of Slovakia borders both Austria and Hungary.  Of the three countries we choose Slovakia, although the long-distance “blue trail” in Hungary is enticing. It claims to be the oldest long-distance footpath in Europe (c. 1938), and comprises part of the modern E4 route across Europe.

We find easy entrance into the city on paved trails.  Some public maps suggest an off-pavement exit.

Large Soviet housing projects are common in these eastern cities.

Europe is full of signed and mapped routes for walking and cycling.  Many walking paths are great fun to ride.  Some cycling routes include mellow dirt tracks, although most prefer pavement.  Dirt routes begins immediately outside the city, climbing into the Malé Karpaty mountains.

The park includes many features benefitting activity and community.  The greater area includes routes for miles, trending northward through the mountains.

Dirt, right out of the city.

The red and white is a walking route, the colored “C” routes are cycling routes.  They diverge, and converge, in this case.

Along the way, we find dozens of picnic tables, gazebos, and grassy areas.

And plenty of signage.  Lots of signage.

Segments of genuine singletrack are exciting, through managed forests dominated by beech trees.

Some of our route convenes with the race route of an upcoming series.

Even some hike a bike on day one.  Not bad, considering we don’t have a plan.

22-32.  This one gets a lot of use.

Further from the city, the moutnains grow taller and all the cycling routes descend into the valley.  We continue for a time on walking routes, with some pushing.

Descending from the mountains, we direct ourselves north and east.  A near goal is to get to Ukraine, although there is plenty of riding in Slovakia to keep us busy for years.  We’ll sample some along the way, including some of the 1000 Miles Adventure Route, which crosses Czech and Slovakia.

Fruit falls onto the roadways.  Camping is abundant.  Nothing not to like.

Swimming.  Once a day keeps the stink away.  Public laundromats don’t exist where we’re going.

More cycling and walking routes in the mountains.  So many options.

The beech forests!–generouslly spaced trees, filtered sunlight, singletrack.

Dobra Voda.

Descend to Dobra Voda.  Ascend from Dobra Voda, through a cemetery.

To a castle.  We didn’t expect a castle at the top of this hill.  Not that this is the fist castle we’ve seen in this corner of Slovakia.  There are dozens.

A short distance away, we make camp at the top of the mountain, along the red trail.  Red trails are most often major routes, which cover longer distances.

From the top, we descend through more scenic beech forests to town.  Slovakia is a new favorite.  Nothing not to like.

The E8 walking trail, like the E4 and the E2, crosses the European continent from Ireland to Turkey.

This map locates all the castles, in reference to cycling routes.

Searching for chain lube, we go looking for small town bikes shops.  It seems WD-40 in spray cans is preferred.

We choose pavement for a few days to make some distance north, and east.  When possible, we interject mellow dirt routes chosen from local signage.  A forecast for heavy rain will keep us off the dirt for a few days.  Much of the dirt riding ahead of us promises to be steep, as we enter higher mountains.  Lael also has a nagging ankle injury that likes to ride a bike, but not to push bikes up steep grades.

Postcard Slovakia: Soviet housing, sunflowers, rolling hills, and blue skies.

Tidy houses, forested hills, small farm plots, and fruit trees.

Swim in a cold stream, a castle on the hill.

Slovakians love to ride.  There are often families and groups of riders on the weekends.  Through the week, people commute to work and ride to the store to get what they need.  Most often, older men and women ride vintage step-through frames with 24×1 3/8″ tires and rider bars, perfectly practical for this kind of riding.

Proper bike shops are infrequent, although bikes from the past several decades are still riding alongside newer bikes.  It is not uncommon to see a 30 year old bike with patina and signs of use, still exhibiting smooth operation.  This is what happens when you value the things you have, and take care of them.  The values of our grandparents are still alive here.

Aside from maps and signs by the roadside, detailed guidebooks and “Active” maps for hiking and cycling are available from local bookstores and supermarkets.  This book details cyclings routes around Slovakia, concentrated in the southwest corner, nearby much of the country’s population.  This book includes paved and unpaved routes, and many routes which combine the two.

Check our this digital resource for all the walking routes in Slovakia.  Cycling routes are all here.  An Android App called Hiking Map Slovakia is also useful, and is currently installed on Lael’s Nexus tablet.

Look for these maps as well, in country or online.

Cycling signposts also include directions to local attractions such as castles, swimming pools, and this BIKEPARK.  Mountain biking is increasingly popular here.

Cycling routes are surprising in Slovakia, ranging from busy two-lane roads to this levee singletrack.  A mountain bike makes a versatile touring bike in this county.

As anywhere, it ensures the right tool to avoid busy roadways.

Much like in Czech, beer is everpresent.  When we order kava at 7AM, it is not uncommon to see a table of townspeople talking over tall glasses of beer.  At about 4%, a beer or two in the morning is like a strong cup of coffee with sugar, right?

Hops and wheat, from which beer is made.  Slovakian lowlands are filled with fruits, vegetables, and grains.

We’ve had such good luck finding campsites all over Europe.  As a rule, as night falls, find a small road and ride uphill.  Ride past the last house, ride onto dirt, and soon, the place will appear.  In this case, as we ascended a dirt road we passed several mountain bikers coming down, including several young boys with full face helmets.  We ascended to find an historic logging railbed.  We camped alongside a picnic table in the woods several kilometers from the nearest town, 500ft down in the valley.  Nothing not to like about the touring life in Slovakia.

The best part is that every morning, sooner or later, we descend to a town.  A period of rest each day, including kava and pivo and ubiquitous free WiFi, encourages enough energy to pull out the maps and plan another day’s ride up and over something.  Our immediate goal is to explore some of the 1000 Miles Adventure route, which is an adventure race route organized by Czech racer Jan Kopka from the border of Germany and Czech to the other edge of Slovakia, on the border of Ukraine.  The mixed terrain route promises some significant challenges, but also a largely pedalable route across the country.  Incidentally, I met Jan this winter before the Iditarod Trail Invitational.  He and Greg came over from Speedway to buy all of our fatbike tubes at the shop.  If Lael’s ankle cooperates and the weather is not too wet, we’ll follow as much of this route as we want across the country.  Soon enough, some time in Ukraine is also a priority.  And Przemek will be waiting at the Romanian border in another month or so.

We’re trying not to make plans.  Mostly, were trying to do a lot of this, if we can find it.

Alaska Smorgasbord (Last chance, AK)

Whatever time is left before leaving, will always be filled.  Our bikes were ready to ride weeks ago, but in the interim, I’ve built them to be even better.  New tires, chain, cassette, chainrings, bottom bracket, shifters, brake levers, and brake pads are all fit to Lael’s bike; water storage and lighting systems designed and built for mine; and thanks to Eric Parsons of Revelate Designs, I’m in possession of the most advanced off-pavement touring bags ever.  We’ll talk more on this later, but the framebag doesn’t have a zipper and the seatpack fits a Macbook Air.  After 6 years, I’m finally rack-free and zipper-lite.  Zipper-free 2015?  

Whatever space is made on the bicycle, will always be filled.  As such, I’m running a slimmer kit than usual, but with a longer travel fork and wider rims and tires.  Lael has done the same.  By design, the bikes can do more without any weight gain.  It should be a fun summer of riding.

Our final weeks in Anchorage are busy, as expected.  I’ve worked six to seven days week since late March, finding limited time to ride, write, and plan.  Lael and I finished work a week before our scheduled departure.  We spent three days hurriedly preparing for “The Art of Bikepacking” event.  I printed photos and we prepared a program and food for over 100 people.  Eric talked about sewing and biking.  Dan talked about taking pictures, and biking, and carrying olive oil around Spain in panniers (a good use for panniers, if any).  I read from my article in Bicycle Times.  If ever a sign that people enjoyed themselves, the beer was gone before we started talking.  The food was gone by the end of the night.  Good times with great people, talking about bikes.  Thanks to Surly, Velo Orange, Adventure Cycling, Revelate Designs, Midnight Sun Brewery, and Bunyan Velo for providing great prizes.  Thanks to Eric, Dan, Jamin, Lael and all the guys at The Bicycle Shop, Dimond for all the help.

Thereafter, we did everything else that needed to be done before leaving.  On the last day, I’m sifting though giveaway piles and bank receipts and gear bags, trying to make the most of a big mess.  As I put the last staple into our bike boxes outside The Bicycle Shop, Eric rings the final bell, barely completing a game-changing seatpack at 2:39 in the afternoon.  We hitch a ride from Lael’s sister to the airport at 2:45.  We are drinking Warsteiner over the North Pole– en route to Frankfurt– by dinnertime.

In spite of the sprint to the finish, there are some fun memories from our last weeks in town.

On the 4th of July, choosing not to leave town with everyone else, I choose a mellow pedal over Powerline Pass.  The pile of snow at the top of the pass is visible from Midtown Anchorage– from my work, from the grocery store, and the bank, and all the way home on my commute.  I wanted to ride over the pass before leaving town.  

Goats in the distance.

Good thing some real tires are in the mail.  This happened just 50 yards from the top of the pass.    

Visiting my friend Harrison at Fatbikes.com and 9zero7, I am shown a prototype of the new 170mm Rohloff hub for fatbikes.  I’ve seen images of the internals, and as you may expect it is a standard 135mm hub with an oversized shell and an internal spacer.  Some people are really excited for this hub. 

Following Lael’s big win at the Fireweed 400, we join several hundred at the Bear Tooth Theatre for an awards ceremony.  A film from this years race was especially fun for Lael’s nephew Joshua, who now thinks that every woman in an aero helmet is “Lael!”.  

Since Joshua failed to win the raffle for an Ultegra road wheelset at the event (he was disappointed), we went looking for a more suitable pair of wheels for the 2-year old.  A 12″ wheel balance bike is just the ticket.  Letting a little guy pick out his own bike is a challenging request.  At one point he wanted a pink bike with training wheels, and then a 26″ wheel bike.  We finally settle on a red pair of 12″ wheels without pedals.

Learning to hike a bike.

He’s also learning to coast.  Mostly, he walks slowly, barely letting his feet off the ground, although a growing level of familiarity shows that he will soon be coasting on his own.  Some coaxing from dad teaches him what it is all about.

Mostly, ride within your means and stay safe.  The rest is fun and games.  No little kids were injured in the documentation of this event.  He barely even cried.

Jada also receives a new bike, thanks to Aunt Lael.  Her XS 26″ wheel bike elevates her riding to a whole new level.  The other day she rode 9 miles out to Kincaid Park, and 11 miles home.  

Wheelies!  These kids will be missed.

The Art of Bikepacking event was a huge success.  Afterwards, we dismantled the web of photos.  I’ve since sent over 100 photos all around the world.

That evening, we also displayed a variety of bikes packed for adventure.  I especially like this father-son overnight pairing.  A couple of small handlebar rolls would round out the system for a summertime romp.  The 20″ wheel Specialized Hotrock is wearing a Jandd Frame Pack in reverse.

Lael’s new favorite, the carbon Specialized Ruby.  This is much like the bike she borrowed for her road rides this spring and summer.

These two Salsa Vaya bikes compare a traditional rack and pannier system to a lightweight bikepacking approach.  Next time we plan an event like this, I hope to pack bikes with actual camping gear and allow test rides.

Thanks to everyone that participated.  It was especially impressive to see so many customized bikes and luggage systems outside.  A bike with some trail grit says much more than an unridden bike on a showroom floor.

Standing room only with nearly 120 or 130 people.

I told everyone to ride to the event.  Dan rode in on his new Salsa Fargo 2.  Once he finishes the final draft of his book on adventure photography, Dan and his Fargo are going on an extended bike trip.

The same weekend, an army of singlespeeders from around the world descend into Anchorage for SSWC.  It’s a wild bunch.  It involves a lot of beer, and very few gears.

This Surly 1×1 is one of my favorites of the weekend.  It features 40mm Spank rims and 2.75″ Surly Dirt Wizard tires.  Simple and durable– 26″ wheels aren’t dead yet.

This custom titanium Moonmen frame blends the function of a fatbike with the aesthetic of a BMX bike.  The frame is 100% gorgeous, with features similar to some Black Sheep designs.  No wonder, as Moonmen is a new company in Fort Collins, CO with ten years experience working at Black Sheep.

Chain tensioner and demontable design.  100mm BB and 135mm rear end= SS specific, or maybe a few gears on an SS hub.

On Thursday afternoon, we all roll over to the new Revelate Designs shop on Fireweed for some silk-screening, sewing, and of course, beer.  Eric hosted a DIY silk-screening party to show off the new space.  Despite their appearance, the Surly folks are always amazingly kind.

That evening, registration for the event (not to be confused with a race) was held at Speedway Cycles. home of the Fatback.  This custom painted carbon Corvus frame is dressed in prototype Maxxis Chronicle 29×3.0″ tires on Surly Rabbit Hole rims, singlespeed.  Those big yellow letters inspire confidence, and elicit excitement.  Maxxis EXO tires are awesome.

A Corvus hanging from the ceiling also wears a pair of prototype Maxxis fatbike tires.  Looks like an Ardent for a fatbike, nice.

Out on the trail, I spot this 2016 Surly prototype.  It looks to be a carbon fatbike frame with a forward thinking trail geometry, or is it a dedicated lightweight 29+ adventure bike?.  Not sure on the spec of the Surly suspension fork, but it appears to fit a full fatbike tire as well as this 29×3.0″ Knard.  The new Surly carbon cranks look nice.

Meet at the Midnight Sun Brewery for a ride.

Ride familiar trails out the Campbell Tract and onto the Hillside STA trails.

Speedway Trail.

Visiting from Germany.

Slovenia.

Dressed for the “race”.

Race kit.

Mandatory race stop.  Ok, this isn’t the race.  That happens sometime on Saturday or Sunday, or whenever Dejay wants it to happen.  Some people think waiting to know is fun and funny, others prefer more order.  Rumor says, the race start will be announced at the Carousel Bar at last call on Saturday night at 2:45AM.  This editorial about SSWC on the Bike Mag website is the best I have read. 

Friday is also Lael’s birthday.  

Then back to the SSWC festivities.  We weren’t officially involved, although me manage to intercept more than a few rides and activities in our last few days in town.

This qualifier involves a bike and a blindfold and about 100 people.

This guy decides when things happen.  Or, they just happen.  

Stay between the orange barrier.  Wear a costume if you want.

Or not.

More places in Anchorage you won’t read about in a Lonely Planet guidebook.  SSWC, if nothing else, was a nice way to discover Anchorage trails and dive bars. 

On Saturday, we rallied a few friends together for a ride up to Resurrection Pass from Hope.

Our food stop before leaving town was an Asian-import store.  Who knows what’s inside the Muay Thai energy drink, but it seems to be working.

This trail isn’t too overgrown, for Alaska.  Some of this stuff is itchy and prickly.

Christina is the ever-ready ringleader.  She was the crux of Lael’s support crew for the Fireweed 400.

She’s riding her brand new Trek Fuel EX.  After a shoulder injury from a collision with a car in SF, she’s happy to be back on the bike.

Up near the pass, we head back down to the trailhead with a chance of rain.  As we arrive at 11PM, rain is falling steadily.  

We return to Anchorage in time to find out when the SSWC race will take place.  With bleary eyes, we enter the Carousel Lounge at 2AM, past a huge bike pile.  The bar is full of drunken singlespeeders, costumes, a metal band, and a mosh pit.  I’m all gears and country-rock, I discover.   

The last two days in town are a blur.  Fix stuff, sell stuff, give stuff away, organize stuff, mail stuff, visit people, drill holes in stuff,  ride bikes, pack bikes, sleep little.  Looking forward to less stuff in my life, and more riding.  It has been a busy winter, spring, and summer.  Hopefully we’ll find a few more months of warm sunny days.  

Eric completes a very special framebag the day before we leave town.  We’d talked about a special seatpack as well.  What time do you leave tomorrow?

5PM.

Oh, plenty of time.  See you tomorrow.

30 minute box job, times two.  Receive seatpack from Eric.  Ride to the airport.  Check in.  Take a seat on the plane.  Sleep.  

By now, we’re somewhere in Slovakia, I hope.

Yes, by now we are in Slovakia.  More soon!

If you’re looking to keep up this summer, keep your eye on Lael’s Globe of Adventure for more current words and images.

Photos for sale, this weekend only!

Edit: As there has been so much interest in the “Bikepacking Europe” photo series, I have extended the sale to Tuesday morning, 8AM Alaska time.  Thanks to everyone that has shown interest!  

The photo collection from The Art of Bikepacking is available for sale.  Individual 4×6″ prints with white border are available for $10, 3 for $25, 15 for $100.  Most of the photos have been featured on the blog, and were printed locally in Anchorage, AK.  Each photo will be mailed in an envelope with a brief handwritten note from myself and Lael.  International addresses, add $1.

The numbered series of photos were displayed on a fish net sourced from a local commercial fishing supply store.  Two hundred wooden clothespins held the whole thing together, weaving a wave of memories from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

Here’s the catch: I’m leaving town on Tuesday for Vienna and an extended period of travel.  I choose which photos are sent.  If you have any strong interest in one subject area (Crimea, Belgium, food, bikes, trail facilities, cities, nature), leave a note with your payment  and I will do my best to comply.  Consider it a small donation to the blog and our upcoming trip. The best photos go in the mailbox first, so hurry up.  The last chance to donate and receive a unique print is Tuesday, July 22 at 8AM .  After that, I’ll have both feet out the door.

There are a few of you that will receive a photo in the mail, gratis.  Andy, Shawn, Willet, event sponsors, our parents, and a few others need not apply– it’s in the mail.  Also, there are three people who did not receive postcards back in 2012, and were promised.  Iain, I think you were one of them?  E-mail me with a current address.

Bicycle Times: Bikepacking Europe

We spent half of last year bikepacking across Europe, and are soon to embark on another period of travel beginning in Eastern Europe where we left off last time.  Read about our exploratory summer in Europe in the most recent edition of Bicycle Times, Issue #30.  I’m proud to be sharing pages with Cass Gilbert, Keith Bontrager, and Jason Boucher.  Bicycle Times is one of my favorite rags, and has been improving ever since it started as a place to review fenders and share DIY bike tricks.

My article entitled “Bikepacking Europe” begins on page 34.  Recognize the painted man on the cover?  That’s Jeremy, as photographed by Cass on a bikepacking trip near Glorieta, NM.  You may remember Jeremy from our ride at White Mesa when we first met, or a year later between Flagstaff and Sedona.

Buy you copy of Bicycle Times from your local newsstand or bicycle shop, or order a print or digital subscription straight from the source.  

If you live in Anchorage, come see us at The Bicycle Shop, Dimond at 7PM tonight for an event called The Art of Bikepacking.  I’ll be there talking about this and other stuff, with a ton of photos on display.  Free food, beer and prizes.  Ride your bike!

Pushin’ it on the Fireweed 400

You know the story of Lael’s recent discovery and infatuation with long-distance road riding.  In short, she couldn’t run due to an achy achilles so she borrowed her mom’s road bike, enjoyed it, then proceeded to ride every paved distance across the state, unsupported.

Since her two and a half day epic from Fairbanks back to Anchorage, she embarked on a 220mi ride from Anchorage to Homer, reaching the end of the highway in 24 hours.  Leaving town at 1PM, she planned to ride through the night and if she wanted to rest her eyes, she would do so in the heat of the morning sun when a sleeping bag is no longer necessary and the mosquitoes might have subsided.  As such, she carried very little on the bike and rode quickly and efficiently, while leaving time to take pictures and nap for a few hours.

This past week, less than ten hours before the registration for the Fireweed 400 race closed, Lael jumped into the ring.  Again, she borrowed her mom’s Specialized Ruby Elite road bike, mounted a pair of carbon wheels borrowed from a friend’s brand new, unridden Trek Madone.  She also borrowed a pair of carbon aero bars, an aero helmet, and a couple extra layers in the likely event that she got soaked.  The forecast called for rain, and more rain.  About the only thing that she brought to the race are her own legs and lungs, and her new favorite Sidi shoes.  She pulled the sagging broken Cannondale saddle and shiny new carbon seat post from her mountain bike and slid it into place on Ruby.  When the sun came out for a couple hours, she stripped down to a vintage purple track jersey that I acquired at Cortland High School.  The Cortland Purple Tigers would be proud.

The course traverses mountains and interior Alaska, cresting Thompson Pass and descending to sea level at Valdez.  The full 400 mile race returns by the same route, climbing 2500ft out of Valdez in several miles, in the middle of the night, in the rain.

The only other female competitor, Janice Tower, is a local legend of the endurance scene.  She is also the former record holder.  Lael says to herself as strategy, “I’m going to stay on the bike and eat like it’s my job”.

And she raced!  She rode hard but not too hard, and stayed on the bike, and ate like it was her job.  She kept her Revelate Gas Tank filled and she says, “I never ran out of gas”.  Forty two miles from the finish, a woman in an aero helmet passed her.  She thought it was JT, the legend.  Lael dropped the hammer and pushed to the finish as hard as she could, passing the rider in the aero helmet and a few others.

She finished a few seconds over 27 hours, completing the full 386mi distance only twelve minutes behind the fastest male competitor, who was riding a recumbent.  The rider in the aero helmet was actually a competitor on the 100mi race, who must have been surprised when a 400miler raced her to the end.  She bested Janice by more than an hour, although it seems Janice may have had a “distressed stomach”, so says another competitor in the night, as they chatted at a road construction stop.  Janice still holds the second fastest female time on the course, just over 25 hours.

Completion of the Fireweed 400 in less then the maximum 33 hour cutoff time automatically qualifies for the Race Across America (RAAM).  “Yeah right”, says Lael.  She didn’t even expect to be riding a road bike this spring.

Thanks to Christina, Harrison and Laura for supporting Lael on the ride!

Photo and video: Christina Grande

 

Velocity Dually tubeless review

The 45mm Velocity Dually rim is beautifully crafted in the USA, bringing a strong doublewall rim design to fat and mid-fat tires.  The 45mm width is well matched to tires ranging from 2.4-3.8″, and is especially well suited to the 3.0″ Surly Knard.  Building a wheel with the Dually was a pleasant experience, resulting in a wheel that is strong and true.  However, the Dually is not a tubeless-ready rim, no matter the claim made by the company.

Build quality

The quality of the rim is very high.  Upon receipt, there were many signs of manufacture, including small shavings of metal and a coating of polishing compound, which left metallic grey dust on my hands.  Aside, these are all signs of a real Made in the USA product.  Upon lacing and tensioning the wheel, I discover that the Dually is a very strong rim, structurally.  The spoke holes are nicely beveled to mate with the brass DT swiss nipples used in the build.  With a little grease at the spoke hole, the nipples turn freely even at high tension.  In total, the wheel built up with minimal fuss.  The rim was straight through the entire process.  Although it can be manipulated with spoke tension, the rim also asserts its structural strength when tensioning.  Unlike a Surly Rabbit Hole rim, there is no twisting at full tension (when laced to in an alternating pattern to each side of the rim).  The Surly rim utilizes two rows of 32 offset spoke holes, drilled 7mm from center.  The Dually has 32 alternating spoke holes about 2mm from center.  These rims feature a high-polish finish.

 Tubeless rims, in general

There are several features which enable a good tubeless rim. First, there must be a horizontal bead shelf with an exact diametric dimension matching the tire (622/584/559mm). In combination with a tubeless ready tire of the same dimension (or slightly less), produced to high tolerances, the system will join tightly, seal easily, and resist a broken seal (burping).

Another feature found on some tubeless rims is a bead lock, a term that is used in several ways. What I am referring to as a bead lock is the ridge between the lower center channel and the bead shelf.  This feature resists the tire from coming off the bead shelf under extreme side loads or low pressures, as in the event of a deflated tire while riding.

Burping is especially possible in a low pressure system such as on a 45mm rim used with 29+ tires, or on wider rims and tires common on fatbikes. The result of burping may a small nuisance, as a blast of air quickly escapes from the tire and the bead reseats itself, resulting in an audible sound and minimal air loss.  The result of complete air loss may be catastrophic to the tire, rim, and rider, especially if the tire is rapidly unseated, especially while descending, cornering, and braking. Also, some tubeless specific rims (those marked UST, for instance) are completely sealed without the need for tape for rim tape.  This is a great feature to the end user, but not to the wheelbuilder.  All of the rims I have used require tape of some sort to seal the spoke holes on the inside of the rim.

Finally, some newer rims have forgone the hooked rim wall that has been essential to clincher tire systems for so long. If the bead shelf secures the tire tightly to the rim, the rim wall now acts as a limit to prevent the tire from sliding off the rim. Beware, however, that most all tires have the ability to stretch to some degree, and may blow off a rim.  This is especially a concern when using non-tubeless folding tires.  Best to stick to TR (tubeless ready) tires if you can, but of course you want to mount some Surly Knard 3.0″ tires to your Dually and you are tempted to use the lightweight tire.  Your choices include the ultralight 120tpi folding tire and the heavier 27tpi wire bead model.  In fact, I’ve found that wire bead tires can serve as a cheap and reliable substitute for proper TR tires.

When using tubeless tires and rims it is prudent to limit maximum tire pressures, especially as the hooked rim wall is minimized or nonexistent is many designs.  For instance, Stan’s recommends a max 40psi on most of their rims for this reason, especially as they endorse the use of almost any tire type on their rims, including non-tubeless tires. Their rims have very short sidewalls which maximize effective tire volume. Other companies produce entirely hookless rim sidewalls, including most carbon mountain bike rims available today.  Hooked rims are not essential to tubeless or conventional tubed tires systems when rim and tire tolerances are all in line.

 

Velocity Dually tubeless claims and pains

Velocity recommended to me that the Dually rims would be ready to use tubeless with a layer of high-pressure tubeless tape such as Stan’s yellow tape, or Velocity Velotape. In my first experiments all the tires mounted fit loosely, were difficult or impossible to air up, and leaked too much air at the bead to reach max pressure. They lost all of their air in seconds, indicating an inconsistency between the outside diameter of the bead shelf and the inside diameter of the tire.  I initially tested with 120tpi Surly Knard 29×3.0, Specialized Purgatory 29×2.3 2Bliss folding tire, Specialized Ground Control 2.1 2Bliss folding, On-One Chunky Monkey 2.4 folding, On-One Smorgasbord 2.25 folding, and two cheap wire bead tires, a WTB Prowler and Geax Saguaro. None captured air easily and none sealed.

Next I added a layer of Gorilla tape from edge. Several tires held air better than before, but most would not take 20+ psi, and any tire than seated was easily un-seated without effort– the bead on each tire was still easy to break, would not seal, and would be unsafe to ride.  I then installed a second layer of Gorilla Tape from edge to edge. Now, I could mount most all tires to pressure, some sealed for seconds while other held air a little longer.  I make a habit of testing tires without sealant to avoid messes and to allow for some reconfiguration before the system is finalized.  If a tire holds air without sealant, it will likely be reliable in use with sealant.

For a lightweight non-TR tire with an elastic folding bead like the Surly Knard, a third layer of tape is recommended.  With a good quality TR tire or even the wire bead Knard, fewer layers of tape may be required.  Tires that qualify for UST rating may require only a layer of Stan’s tape, although I didn’t try any UST tires on the Dually.  UST tires are unusually thick, heavy, and stiff best applied to extreme riding conditions such as remote rocky rides and/or DH riding.  In contrast, non-tubeless tires often work without issue on UST rims as they do on the rims of other manufacturers.

Regarding the tubeless ready claims of the Velocity Dually, I think the rim is under-engineered and undersized. I finally mounted Maxxis Minion 29×2.5 tires before selling the wheelset to a friend, and those tires fit tightly to the rim (with two layers of tape already installed, not sure how they would fit with only Stan’s tape in the center).  This was certainly the tightest fitting tire of all with the most significant casing and bead design, but the tire is designed for DH use and weighs well over 1000g.  The tire held air without sealant.  I loaded the tires with Stan’s and passed them along to Nate.  He’s the kind of guy that appreciates gross durability above all else, and is pleased with the wheels on his pink Fatback

 

Other wide rims and tires

In my quest for wider TR rims, I’ve recently build 35mm wide carbon rims, selecting ultralight models from Light Bicycle which sell direct from China, and the heavy duty Derby which comes through a small firm in California.  Both rims are genuine TR designs, which result in a reassuring ‘pop’ when airing the tires to pressure.  Two other companies are manufacturing 35mm wide TR carbon rims: Nextie rims are competitively priced direct from China, while the Nox Composites rims come through Tennessee and are especially packed with features including an offset spoke bed for improved spoke tension and strength.  The 50mm Surly Rabbit Hole rim can be modified and massaged to accept a tire tubeless.  Ibis is selling a wheelset with 41mm wide carbon rims, TR of course.  Finally, Stan’s has just released the 52mm Hugo rim, perfectly mated to tire between three to four inches.  I’m thinking the Stan’s Hugo may put the Dually and the Rabbit Hole out of business.

The Velocity Dually is certainly an improvement over older designs.  This welded dual-width rim is likely the namesake of the 45mm Dually, which is about twice as wide as two XC rims.

The width of the Dually is the perfect host for a 3.0″ Knard.

Wider is better.  A Knard tire on a 29.1mm Stan’s Flow EX (left) and a 50mm Surly Rabbit Hole rim (right).

The Surly Knard 3.0″ tire on a Stan’s Flow EX.  This particular tire is well worn.

On a Surly Rabbit Hole rim.  Additionally, the contact path changes with wider rims, as does the behavior of the tire due to improved sidewall support.

Tubeless is better.  Even a chunky tire like this On-One Smorgasbord can get a pinch flat or puncture, but Stan’s sealant can fix it.  This was the result of a particulalry hard rock strike on the AZT, descending into Flagstaff.  Lael likes to descend fast.

Surly Knard 3.0″ tires are tons of fun, but they aren’t tubeless ready, and they aren’t especially tough.  The 120tpi folding version is light and fine, while the 27tpi wire bead tire is reasonably tough, but not especially tender.  Hey Surly, how about a 60tpi tubeless ready line of tires?

For a rim and tire like this, the split-tube tubeless method works best.

Otherwise, there is a risk of making a mess on your way to discovering how much Gorilla Tape is required to achieve a proper tubeless seal.  The split-tube method relieves the pressure, and makes a tight seal.

Tubeless systems on fat tires can be complicated, at least until dedicated TR rims and tires are available.  Taping a Rolling Darryl to mount a wire bead Nate.

I spent time riding the Duallys on the Salsa Mukluk, set-up as a big boned 29er with 3.0″ Knards, or 2.25″ and 2.4″ knobbies.

29+ vs 29.  Those are 2.3″ Specialized Purgatory tires on Stan’s 29.1mm Flow EX rims.

Clearance in a Fox Talas is tight.  A bike with 3.0″ tires and a 120mm fork is incredibly fun and capable.  Check out this custom creation from Meriwether Cycles.

Riding narrower 2.1″ and 2.2″ tires on the Dually, briefly.  Also pictured are a Surly ECR and Surly Krampus.

Now, Nate is in charge of the Dually wheelset.  With a pair of 29×2.5″ Maxxis Minion DHF tires, they’re ready for a full summer of riding in AK.

For now, I’ve migrated to 35mm rims, optimized for the 2.35″ to 2.4″ tire I expect to use over the next year.  Anyone make a genuine tubeless rim in this width?  Yes, but only in carbon.  Stan, how about a 35mm rim?

One excellent option for 29+ tires is the 35mm wide Derby rim.  Kevin’s got a pair mounted to his Borealis Echo.  I’ve got one on the rear of my Krampus.

Ukrainian meals

Above: One of the finest meals presented to us, prepared by my mother’s godfather’s granddaughter, who visited us in the US in the early 1990’s.  Her grandfather was very close with my grandfather, as they emigrated to the United States together through Germany, during and after WWII.  

Between Amsterdam and Lviv, Lael and I dined and drank almost exclusively on the ground.  We purchased food in markets and in small town shops, and ate in parks and high atop hills.  We pointed at cheeses and meats and pronounced new words to taste the local flavors, ranging from fresh cheeses to the popular packaged snacks of the country.  In each place, we discover favorite in-season produce, packaged cookies, or alcoholic libations.  Cheeses and sausages change subtly between places, but they change.  Wine gets better or worse, depending upon your proximity to France, Italy, and Spain; while vodka gets better depending upon your proximity to Poland, Ukraine, and Russia.  Belgian and German beers are the best, while the Czech brands are also among the best, perfect for an afternoon in the shade.

In Ukraine, our patterns changed.  We left our bikes for a period of ten days to travel by rail, bus, and foot.  We visited family, dined in restaurants, and picnicked on overnight trains.  Most all of this time, we ate in chairs at tables.  Most impotently, we often dined with the guard of a local cook, ensuring a uniquely Ukrainian experience.  In Ukraine, we were served horilka (vodka) at breakfast, although we declined.  We experienced the season in which trucks loaded with watermelons from the coastal plains of the Black Sea flood the countryside with produce.  We tasted caviar from the Caspian and homemade wines from grapes grown overhead.  We ate familiar and unfamiliar things, discovering that many of the things we prepare for ourselves as Ukrainian-Americans is outdated, regional, or most likely reserved for special occasions.  As anywhere, we discovered a food culture which is far greater than the summary of a few popular dishes.

From my time at the Ukrainian table, both at home with my grandparents and in Ukraine, I know that simple handmade food is best.  In Ukraine, family-style dining is the only style.  Potatoes, cheese, tomatoes, bread, kovbasa, and maslo (butter), are good for you.

While in Ukraine, I stood on chairs at every dining table I visited.  I photographed markets, picnics, parties, and farms.  We dined in homes with family, and prepared simple meals while traveling by rail.  These photos are the result.  This began as a simple project to reveal several memorable and picturesque table settings.  It has become a broad catalogue of our time in Ukraine, and the relation of people and food and family.  It is an exciting reminder of where we are headed in a few weeks.

We begin by visiting my grandfather’s family in Bershad, near Vinnytsia.  There is a great market in Vinnytsia, adjacent to the train station.

Breakfast.

Lunch, times three. As guests on my birthday, we received overflowing hospitality.

Two.

Three.

Dinner

When visiting, sometimes you need a snack between meals.

And a snack between snacks.  When you want to be the best host that you can be, food is essential.  In a country that has experienced shortages and hunger, food is one of the most important things you can give.

Traveling to Kyiv, thanks to my cousin Yaroslav.  A meal appears out of the trunk of the car.

Visiting Olya, my mother’s godfathers granddaughter in the suburbs of Kyiv.  Another birthday cake, this one is the popular Kyivski Torte, most notably manufactured by the Roshen chocolate and confections company owned by recently elected President PoROSHENko.

At the B&B in downtown Kyiv, probiotic yogurt, coffee, rolls, and fruit make a nice breakfast.  Kyiv is a world away from life in the village.  They might as well be separated by 80 years.

Dining out is the only time we received individual plates of food, although we applied family-style dining rules.

Great handmade varenyky and bliny at the Pecherska Lavra monastery.

Picnic on the train, more Euro than Ukrainian.

Chai, almost always plain black tea, is common.  How many scoops of sugar do you want?  They will look at you strange if you say none.  Some use enough sugar so that the spoon will stand up.

In Stakhanov, in the far east, we visit my grandmother’s family.  We arrive to a refreshing lunch outdoors in the garden.

They don’t buy the wine and horilka, but make it at home and reuse old bottles.  The woman in the green dress is like a great-aunt to me, and is reported to have a small business selling homemade horilka.  She’s got to be sure to test her product for quality, even at lunch.

We enjoy a late dinner outdoors after taking Zhenya to see his first movie at the theater in town.  It is watermelon season, for sure.  Trucks line the roadsides selling melons from down south.

The next day is structured around a meal at another house down the street.  The table sits beneath a trellis of grapes, next to the root cellar, amidst drying sunflowers.  These people are hardly farmers, but they grow most of their food.

And make their own drinks to enjoy.

Three generations.

Back to Kyiv, via Kharkiv, on the train.  A quick snack in the train station.  Trains operate at maximum occupancy.  While many facilities and trains are old, the stations are gorgeous thanks to Soviet spending.

Take-out in Kyiv, including traditional Ukrinian dishes and a French baguette.  Incidentally, it is harder to find tradtiionaf food in Kyiv than is it to find some more modern international offerings.  Sushi is immensely popular in the city right now.

Leaving my parents and my family behind, Lael and I train back to Lviv, to ride our bicycles into the Carpathian Mountains.  We stop in Striij to rejoin Przemek.  He’s already made friends in town.  In fact, he’s made a lot of friends.

Darts, once the meal has subsided.

And a little homemade juice for the road.  Thanks Djorka!

Into the moutnains, we stop at a small farm which serves simple meals.

Down the road while filling water at a mineralic spring, we are invited to stay with Pavlo and his wife at their summer dacha, about 25 miles up the road.  We arrive to a hot meal of stuffed peppers.  They live full-time in Ivano-Frankivsk, and are lucky enough to have a small summer home in the mountains.

The most typical Ukrainian breakfast includes buckwheat, prepared with a fried egg and a pickle in this case.  Black tea starts the day.

While cycling in the mountains, we encounter a couple of young Ukrainian bikepackers.  We share a picnic outside a small shop including pickled fish, cheese, bread, vegetables, and chocolate.

Returning to Striij, we enjoy one more meal with our friends.  We peel potatoes, cut watermelon and salo (pork fat), and sit under a starry sky.  Nights like this are validating and encouraging, despite occasional challenges on the road.

Food in Ukraine largely comes from close to home.

Just out the door.

Out back.

In the garden.

Or out in the fields.

Drying for later use.

Underground for much later.

Brought to the table bit by bit, until hopefully, the next harvest has arrived to replenish the supply.

From local markets.

Selling goods from distant regions.

Or from local producers, selling goods which may be transported around the country, such as these wines from Crimea.

Chardonnay.

And horilka, this one made with buffalo grass to produce a lightly sweet flavor.

In shops it is not uncommon to see an abacus in use, although it appears there is a calculator in case the abacus fails.

On the trail, it is hard to ignore this bounty of apples.

Or these honeys and nuts being sold on the roadside.

Fresh almonds.

In Crimea, samsa serves as fast food, sold from this wood-fired drum by the roadside.

It is less than three weeks before our discovery of food continues in Eastern Europe. Oh, and there should be some good riding along the way.