The weather is terrible, however I have to keep positive, after all we need the rain. We have been in a drought since 2008 after Gov. Terminator made the statewide state of emergency following three years of dry weather and depleting water levels. Thankfully, the water is here and now it won't go away.
Bored and stuck indoors, since it can't feel like summer, at least it can taste like it. Experiment Kabob here we go. I am a novice cook and my wife can vouch for that. I always try new things and often fail miserably, lets hope this isn't another disasterous failure.
Keeping it Simple with Beef Kabobs. I usually purchase Top-Round beef and cut it down to make stir-fry, carne asada, or something else that doesn't call for tender cuts. Kabob seems to fit the bill perfectly. Basic Ingredients:
- Red Bell Pepper - Cube cuts of Top Round (marinated overnight approx: 10hrs - Some fat left on the meat) - Red Onion (Sweeter taste) - Brown Sugar - Pineapple Chunks - Tomato That's it. Cut it up into bite size pieces and skewer, I rolled the meat in brown sugar just prior to cooking, but that's my personal sweet tooth. Pre-heat oven to 350 F, then set broiler to HIGH. Cook about 6" from the flame for 6' and flip, placed on lowest rack and turned off Broiler. Sit for 3' and then plate. Let's hope for the best.
Looks good, maybe a little to well done, but definitely edible. That's my standard for now.
Monday was the first day of the Fall semester at MJC. In order to avoid taking my Miyata 721A, which was originally supposed to be my commuter bike, I purchased a Raleigh Technium "Pre". The bike is in fair to good condition, however it needs brake adjustments, wheel true, and re-greasing of the bearings in both wheels.
The first thing I did after I purchased it Sunday was to give it a deep clean. I spent at least 5 hours detailing all the features of the bike. Without further ado, here is the 1989 Raleigh Technium Pre.
The frame is slightly small, even for me (5'7), the geometry is sort of aggressive but will be a fun commuter. It is an all aluminum frame just like my Miyata 721A and features a Suntour accushift/Dia-compe setup. The wheels are old and need to be replaced, but for the mean time I am way over budget on "bike" stuff.
The frame has cool features like inner cable routing. The paint is good for the most part, with fewer than normal scratches for a 20+ year bike. I am debating whether I should replace the brakes, it is a commuting bike and I will need all the stopping power I can get. However, some part of me wants to keep the bike as original/vintage as possible.
The real negative aspect of this bike, is that it needs work. While it certainly looks excellent, the freewheel needs to be re-greased and the wheels are seriously out of true, these things cost money. If I were to do it myself it would require tools that I do not own and time, which I lack due to school.
So Monday I set out with just 45 minutes to do a 30 minute commute to the local college. 1.5 miles into my commute I suffered a complete tire blowout, the fibers on sidewalls of the tire exploded and curled up. Ouch! Just to give you a visual idea of how it looked, imagine peeling back a straw into an accordion. Just then I realized how totally unprepared I was for bike commuting, I had forgot my bike pump, presta-shrader adapter, patch kit at home. None of that really mattered considering the tire was shot. I sprinted with my bike on my shoulder back home and quickly got the trusty Miyata ready and off I went. It was a time trial commute to the college. Average mph was roughly 19.3mph with traffic!
While waiting for my math class I had some time to burn so I went for a spin to get some much needed cycling miles. As I approached the residential areas surrounding the college I was weary of the many student vehicles parked in every nook and cranny on the streets. As I made the last bend onto the straightaway that led to the campus I reached down and grabbed my bottle for a sip, bam! A car parked parallel to the lane I was riding in pulled half way into the street and slammed on their brakes. The water bottle went flying... I instinctively grabbed both brakes and slammed down and leaned back into my saddle. I skidded to a halt, grabbed my bottle and made it to campus. The sad truth is that my Miyata's tires were worn to the fibers, doh! Two vintage bikes, two tire failures in the same day. Since Mondays I drop off my wife at work in the morning I needed to get home in 35min, but I couldn't risk a tire blowout, so I stopped at the LBS.
After purchasing two tires at the LBS things went from bad to horribly bad. I couldn't remove the old tire off of the rim. It had probably been on the rim for well over 8-10 years. Finally, the nice mechanics at Fun Sport Bikes used two levers and removed the tire, then the tube pinch flatted. Doh! So I purchased a new tube and installed it, by that time I had to have my wife picked up from work... Today's bike commute was a complete failure.
If I am going to make bike commuting successful, I need to plan accordingly. Hopefully Wednesday's commute will be smoother. New tires, patch kit, bike pump, extra heavy lock and if all else fails... bus money.
Its has been a long time since my brother and I have been able to ride, so we found a route and have been itching to test our climbing legs on a local route that was highlighted in the SacBee. The route would take us around scenic Folsom Lake, we would depart from my brothers home base in Roseville and return to Roseville, therefore this would be a modified version of the original SacBee cycling route. Our attempt to ride around the lake was somewhat of a bust, but it still proved very rewarding. The entire loop around the lake would be 60miles and 6600ft of gain but we still managed to log in 47.5mi. and over 4000ft of vertical gain. Not bad for a route that is literally at your doorstep.
My brother has the fortune of living in Roseville which offers many hilly roads at his immediate doorstep. We literally had to climb our way to the street to begin the days journey. The road surfaces around Roseville/Loomis are in excellent condition and quite often have a bike lane. Other than the occasional road construction it is a relatively safe cycling route all the way to the American River Canyon. The shoulder room is spacious and the road is frequented by many cyclists, this makes traffic aware of our presence. A big bonus is the cycling cafe along Taylor Rd., you can't miss it if your riding by, there are at least three bicycles on top of the cafe, Yeah! Literally on top of the building.
The first "real" climb of the day was our ascent up Indian Hill Rd. which is around 2.5 miles long and ranges from 3-5% to 15% in the steeper sections. It is here that my brother began to experience the pain that climbing can bring. He hunkered down and dug deep and swore at least once or twice that this climb would probably be it for the day, but he managed to push through to the top.
Notice the agony, heh. Come on' Cadel keep pushin'!!
After reaching the top of Indian Hill you take a couple rollers and a few speedy descents until you reach the city of Auburn. From here you will maneuver through the downtown toward El Dorado/Hwy 49. The descent down highway 49 is wicked fast and fun. It is just shy of 3 miles in length, but with a negative gain of 800ft it is enough to get some serious speed. The best part of the descent for me was stopping at an informal vista point and seeing the smile on my brothers face. Without a doubt this has been the highlight of both our short cycling careers. He even complained about having to slow down for vehicles occupying the lane, how awesome is that?
The dry brush behind the bikes misrepresent the beauty of the landscape, but it is absolutely gorgeous. Riding inside the American River Canyon is worth all the agony and pain that we would suffer heading out of the pit. The river bed is lined with people and the river itself appears very inviting. The bottom of Foresthill bridge is cycling central, whether it be road cycling or mountain biking, the cycling community was out in force.
Instead of continuing on highway 49 toward Cool we decided to head up Old Foresthill Rd. and loop our way back to Auburn/Folsom Rd. The climb up Old Foresthill Rd. is a steep and unrelenting 3 miles that will challenge many cyclists, the important thing for my brother and I was to keep a moderate pace and to prepare for pain. Unfortunately, he decided to attack. He probably sensed some sort of mechanical failure. He was sourly mistaken, I quickly showed him his place as a domestique.
"Let's turn around," he asked. "Turn around?," I replied, "We are in a pit, there is only one way out and thats to climb out," I replied. This was probably not the answer my brother was looking for, but an ascent up El Dorado would be much harder than Old Foresthill Rd. When you ride into a canyon the descent is like a sweet delicacy that you flavor intensely, but it has consequences. Hence, what goes down must go up, there is no other option.
Once you reach the top of Foresthill Bridge you should not be misled, there will still be a short steep climb up to Lincoln Way. The heat of the day and the intense effort level drained us of both our H20 bottles, luckily the top of Lincoln Way and Foresthill Rd. has many gas stations where one can fill up on fountain water. After a quick top-off at the gas station you should expect a few rolling hills and a long sprint down Auburn-Folsom Rd. that will be aided by the persistent tailwind. This ride was very gratifying for both of us and produced many agonizing moments for my brother, but he was able to overcome them and push his cycling to a level where it hasn't been. It met all the important requirements for a great route: significant distance, great scenery, challenging terrain, and locations to refill. While the route is at least an hour and a half away, for my brother it could serve as a great weekend route that is close to home and will help him expand his cycling.
Hopefully in the future we will have the opportunity to complete the loop around Folsom Lake. An ascent to the top of Mt. Diablo/Tam is on the to-do list this year with my bro, can't wait!
The time has nearly arrived, August 30th is the beginning of the Fall semester at Modesto Junior College. I will be attending the East Campus several times a week and I decided that the most logical way to get there would be on a bike. There are many advantages and disadvantages to bike commuting, however as a young physically fit male I cannot justify driving 11 miles to school when I can cover that distance in 30 minutes on a bike.
One of the advantages of bike commuting is obviously avoiding the parking fiasco that JC's are notorious for. Another major bonus is avoiding paying parking fees and purchasing gasoline, however the downside is having to fight a city of drivers that are not used to bike commuters. Unlike, many of the more urbanized communities, Modesto city planners have not focused on creating more bike lanes and bike paths to incentivize bike commuting. The challenge will be to cycle in a defensive manner and "claim my lane" when needed, then comes the wet cold weather.
As a future bike commuter I feel that I am an ambassador of the entire cyclist community. Small seemingly benign acts like waving drivers through at a four-way stop when they have the right of way or positioning myself in the center of a right turning lane to allow drivers to make right hand turns will ease any tensions that may arise.
I began endlessly searching the Craigslist.org listings in my area for a worth-while commuter bike. The search was frustrating and unfruitful for the most part. Road bicycle owners seem to over-value any bike with skinny tires. Mountain bikes, bmx, and beach cruisers are a dime a dozen that sell for far less than they're original retail value. After more than a month of searching I found a diamond in the rough. The bike was a 1990 Miyata 721A, the seller was asking for $150 and was quite firm that his price was adequate. After a quick google search I found two comparable 721A's that had sold for $300-399.
Thanks to Miyata Bicycle Catalogs blog, I was able to find the original specs as well as several entire catalogs. While, Miyata does not specify the weight of the complete bike, the comparable 1989 718 weighed in at 21.5lbs. One of the negligible "downers" is that the bike is bonded aluminum, which the Trek bicycle company introduced in 1985. There were problems early in the bonded aluminum game, but by the time the Miyata 721A was produced they were well worked out. The technology was originally used in the space industry and trickled its way down to bicycle frame technology.
During the 1980's an influx of Japanese bicycles entered the American market, this was largely due the negative yield of the Yen to the U.S. dollar. Many bicycle companies had their frames being built in Japan, to name a few: Specialized, Centurion, Bianchi, Panasonic, Fuji, Miyata-Koga. Some of the highest quality frames of the 1980's were coming out of Japan. Info via Sheldon Brown.
The bike was in excellent condition and rode fast and smooth, very smooth. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the bike, the perfect condition of the original paint, the smooth shifting on the DT shifters. My willingness to haggle over a few dollars suddenly faded, I returned from my short test ride and paid asking price, $150.
Please welcome the newest member of my cycling faminly, a pristine condition 1990 Miyata 721A.
I swapped the Vetta saddle with a Sonoma 155 BG saddle by Specialized and removed the beefy metal pedals for some generic plastic clip-ons.
The Miyata 721A was a classified as a higher end touring/racing bike and featured a 21 speed Exage 500 SL by Shimano. Small features like CO2 bottle inlet, hidden cable routing, aluminum frame construction allowed the Miyata 721A to be light, stiff, and very racy.
The new problem now is taking it to school. I am fearful of bicycle theft and have been told by the Bikeforums.net Classic/Vintage forum that this will definitely attract thievery. I have spent all of my commuter bike budget and don't know what to do. At the moment, I have no option but to take it to school and lock it up with as many locks as I can carry and pray for the best.
I nervously await the new thrills and anxieties bike commuting can bring...
Well it has been a long while since my last blog post entry, as the title implies, I am innocent. First the World Cup 2010 was underway, an event that is a must-see, unless you watch nascar and have a confederate flag somewhere on your property. Before the World Cup ended another sporting event began, the Tour de France, if your reading this blog I would hope that it would require no explanation. My backyard has been a work in progress for a little over a year and with the fall semester around the corner, my wife demanded that I complete the backyard landscaping. This included tearing out sod, laying down grass edging, remove massive weeds and two trees, and anchoring a weed barrier, shoveling and leveling over 1.5 cubic yards of bark, a dripping system to water the plants, five robellini palm trees, five hibiscus plants, four purple pointy thingies, ten decorative grasses and annuals... whew! Did I miss something? Oh yes, the whole time I was attacked by hordes of territorial wasps. The last part, my wife, requires time and affection, which is non-negotiable.
That said, during that time there have been no "real" significant rides that require any blogging. The rides usually consist of me jumping in my gear as quick as possible and heading out onto a dusty country road that is sidelined with wire fences, cows, and speeding tractor trailers. It is sad, instead of motivating me to want to cycle more often and explore new routes, the Tour de France which was on air at the same time that I do my rides, therefore I skipped on the latter. Doh!
With the Tour de France victory nearly clinched, Alberto Contador grabbed his third TdF win of the general classification, I felt the need to go out and challenge myself. I chose my destination, Don Pedro Reservoir to Groveland and back. The ride was short and challenging which would allow me to get back to my house-husbandly duties.
Don Pedro Reservoir is frequented quite often during the summer months by boaters, campers, house-boaters who are seeking to get out of the hot summer heat and into the water. I chose to park on one of the vista points overlooking the reservoir, for quick access to the road. I do not necessarily recommend parking at one of the vista points, there is always the possibility of theft when someone spots an empty bike rack, lucky for me I do not own a bike rack, yay! Hrmmm nay!
Here is the point where you decide how bad you want to suffer? Lucky for me, the choice was simple enough.
The weather on today's ride was absolutely perfect, hovering in the low 80's at around ten in the morning. The only downer of the day was the unexpected construction on Old Priest Grade Rd. The road is narrow and steep with gradients that exceed 20% at times, however the road has been in need of serious repair for some time. The great thing about ascending up this grade is that there are twin roads that lead to the same location.
The importance of claiming your lane cannot be emphasized enough. The shoulders will vary from small to non-existent on the way up, there are also plenty of blind corners like this one pictured above, therefore when in doubt "claim your lane."
This picture slightly exaggerates the gradient on one of the early sections of the grade, however there will be a few spots where the percent of gradient will hoover well into the teens. One of the best parts of climbing is that you get to look back down and see actual vertical movement, at least for me this is one of the most satisfying feats.
When you reach the top of the grade you can peer back down into the valley and catch a glimpse of the Don Pedro Reservoir. Cutting its way through both sides of the mountains are the twin roads. When you reach the top of the grade there is a nice little mountain cafe with a friendly staff, they were kind enough to give me a refill on some H20 and I even got a recommendation for a nice mountain road loop that would take me to the top of the PG&E power lines that were cut into the side of the mountain.
Merrell Rd. is a directly off of Highway 120 on your right hand side, if you are headed eastbound, and loops up to the top of the mountain and back around to Highway 120. The tricky part is in the names, the locals call the entire loop Merrell Rd., however it in fact is Merell/Harper Rd. that loop you back and around to the Highway. Here is a nice pic to illustrate this so you don't get lost.
Merrell Rd. will have a challenging climb that easily exceeds 20% and will make you glad its a short loop to the top and back. Here is a pic of one of the steepest portions of Merrell Rd.
This ride was a great "short-ride" and will definitely be extended in the near future, for now the distance was kept short and the stopping to a minimum, but if you have time I recommend you stop and grab some lunch at Groveland. Its a charming little mountain town that is the gateway to Yosemite which is 30 miles east.
I rarely stop on any of my rides and enjoy the localities, but I will make an exception for this little saloon the next time I come around. There are many beautiful mountain roads in all directions from Groveland,Ca. If you are feeling brave enough and want some serious climbing I would recommend making the ascent to Yosemite or take a scenic drive down Old Wards Ferry Rd. toward Sonora, a 40 mile loop will include nearly 6000 ft. of climbing.
One of the best parts of going vertical on any climb, is the descent. Going down Priest Grade you will easily reach speeds in excess of 50mph, so grit your teeth and trust your tires and give it what you got. It was a fun, short, and scenic ride that is less than an hours distance from my home, what more could you want?
One of the greatest pleasures I have derived from cycling is to learn to
appreciate the minor things that make up the geography around us.
Sometimes when I leave a vacation spot and head back home, things
can begin to look a bit dreary. There aren't any spectacular skylines,
no majestic mountains, nor beautiful coastal beaches that many
out-of-state dreamers envision when they picture California.
My California is Riverbank,Ca. Which is a small town just northeast of
Modesto and directly west of Oakdale,Ca. The city motto is the
"City of Action", there is very little action happening, but what it does
offer is beauty in the subtle geography that is very much alive. With
this in mind I set out on the following route. The goal: Capture the
hidden beauty that can be easily overlooked.
As the name Riverbank implies, it does in fact lie on the high banks of the
Stanislaus river which snakes its way downward from the Sierra Nevadas, eventually this river ties into the Tuolomne river and exits into the delta. The geography here is mainly flat with the occasional rolling hills. It is here that one can appreciate the life-giving quality of the rich agricultural land that is the Central Valley. Riding on an ancient bank that once outlined a bend in the river that has since dried over, you can't help but notice fertile fields teeming with beautiful vegetation.
River Rd. is a scenic drive that follows the Stanislaus river from Ripon, Ca. to Oakdale, Ca. As a resident of Riverbank, it is a short 4 mile ride to reach River Rd. Once you get onto River Rd. you will notice that the quality of the road is on the rough side, with the occasional menacing pothole that will force you to veer further into the eastbound land. One of the great things about River Rd. is the numerous recreational areas that lie along the route. To name just a few there is Jacob Meyers, Oakdale Recreational area, Valley Oak, Honolulu Bar, Horshoe Bar, Orange Blossom, and finally Knights Ferry.
Many spots along the river make you want to park your bike and run down the banks in full lycra and relax for a while. On this occasion I noticed a young man and his dog sharing some quality time at the rivers edge. The water is pristine and very inviting.
Most of the recreational areas offer beautiful views of the river and the life that it's waters bring to the banks. On an early morning ride it would not be unexpected for you to encounter many animals foraging for food. On today's ride I was pleasantly surprised by a small fox who ran across the roadway. I fumbled around, reaching into my jersey pockets but was too slow to capture him. I guess it is a good thing he is quick and intelligent, otherwise there might not be any of them left.
The other draw to the Central Valley, is the country charm that it's inhabitants have given the landscape. Cycling through the "cowtowns" one can mistakenly conclude that its geography is monatonous, however its beauty is in its utility. Life in the Central Valley was centered around producing more life, whether it be through livestock, fruits, or vegetables. The numerous farms, barns, and odors they give off are a testament to this cyclical way of life.
Many times the roads in the rural areas of the foothills or the central valley can fall into serious disrepair, but this is not the case for Rodden Rd. The road quality is great and offers little rolling resistance, this is a bonus because as we head toward Knights Ferry those rolling hills become longer and slightly steeper. Rodden Rd. will terminate at Orange Blossom Rd. which is a direct route toward the township of Knights Ferry, I choose to deviate at Morrisson Rd., which offers a great view of Lovers Leap . Descending down Cemetery rd. can be tricky, its grade exceeds 19%. I highly recommend climbing back up, it'll get the heart pumping!
I also recommend refueling at this General Store as it is the only one for 15 miles in either direction. The Knights Ferry Recreation area has the facilities to fill up water bottles and restrooms in case you didn't already make use of one of the many available at any of the previous recreational areas. If you plan to stretch your legs and rest a bit, Knights Ferry is the place to do it, there are plenty of picnic areas where one could enjoy a peaceful lunch or ciesta.
The town of Knights Ferry is small, even by my minute standards, what it lacks in size it makes up for in its historic appearance. The entire town appears to be stuck in a time capsule. I guess, to me at least, when I think of Northern California, I imagine foothills and wonderful mountain ranges with towns that resemble Knights Ferry, this is my California. No wonder numerous visitors make the trip on coach buses to view the beauty of the mother lode country. It may not be the sunny coastal beaches of Southern California, but it doesn't have to be, its charm is not hard to overlook when you take the time to see it.
Most people who visit the covered bridge that Knights Ferry is famous for never take full advantage of the short trail hike. The trail has spectacular views of the bridge and the river rapids, the entire trail way has wildflowers that flourish all through spring and summer. The area is rich in history and served as a vital artery to feeding the Gold Rush frenzy that populated California. Today's trip reminded me of the beauty and charm that lies at my doorstep.
Highway 120/108 is the gateway to the Sierra's, soon I will dare to
venture out and tackle the high passes that are the envy of Europe. Soon, maybe even this summer.
Bad Blogger! Well there is not much to report/blog about recently, other than the fact I have yet to perform a ride of any significant distance/terrain. Time and money are the factors involved. As a student who is taking the summer off I have plenty of time-off, money is the other factor of which resources are a bit more scarce. In order to locate a ride worthy of sharing I need to travel, which involves fuel. If I sound like I'm looking for an excuse, its because I am. I have a new idea about which to blog about, which involves little money and little time. Making a detailed list about the areas and locales of interest near my immediate vicinity. That list should include locations of historical importance to the region, natural beauty, and anything and everything that may catch the interest of anyone who is curious enough to stop and admire life's seemingly benign happenings. I guess this is the beginning of a series of blogs that may or may-not include information relevant to cycling, but it will involve reviews of local burger drive-ins, scenic drives and trails, organized ride/runs, and hopefully local events like the Riverbank Wine and Cheese festival (I'll be doing the century ride).
