All-City Space Horse - The One Bike to Rule Them All?

Brief Warning: This is going to be a long post. You have been warned.

This Christmas (2014), I was given permission by my lovely, intelligent, wise, caring, sexy, and all-together-awesome wife to go ahead and buy a new bike frame.  I, like almost every other cyclist, am constantly on the lookout for The Next Bike.

My fancies had bounced back and forth between a multitude of different bikes/frames over the last several years.  One day it is a Rivendell Sam Hillbourne.  The next, I was convinced I should buckle down and save until I could afford an A. Homer Hilsen.  Then, lo and behold, the Surly Pacer sounded great.  Oh wait!  What about the Soma ES?  No, no, no.  The Soma Double Cross is the one!  Each week had a new love. 

The only thing that had kept me from pulling the trigger on any of these was money.  I didn't have any, or to be more specific, I didn't have enough.

After a little bit of scrimping and saving, a few gifts and a nice break on price, I bought a 58 cm All-City Space Horse frame & fork (of the 2013 variety, I believe).  Why the Space Horse?  Good question.

Stock Photo from Allcitycycles.com - mine is a light blue but otherwise identical

As you might be able to surmise from the list above, I was not looking for a light-weight, carbon racer.  The mythical One Bike to Rule Them All was more of the goal.  Some of my criteria was:

• It needed to be comfortable and reliable for long distance rides.
• It did not need to make me faster but it certainly should not make me slower.
• A frame that was mechanically compatible with my current componentry was preferable (I didn't want a frame that would require a different seatpost, stem and wheels)

Also, it needed to do several things that my old bike, Gimli, could not:

• It needed to fit fenders without having razor thin clearances
• It need to allow me to bring my handlebars up just a little closer and a little higher
• It needed to allow tires wider than 28 mm with fenders installed

The Space Horse had long been on my radar.  When it was originally released, it was offered as a complete bike only.  There was really nothing wrong with the complete bike build.  Good, solid bits and pieces all around, but I had collected some odds and ends over the years that I had come to like.  One of my goals was to be able to slide things from the Gimli to the new guy.  This, of course, saves money as well.

Well, lo and behold the good folks at All-City did eventually offer the Space Horse as a frame & fork, along with still offering complete builds.  Then, lucky me, I happened to see a 58 cm frame on Ebay in the color I like for about $150 less than list price.  The gentleman selling it had apparently purchased it, built it up, rode it for 100 miles or less and then tore it down and was selling it.  Why was he selling it?  No idea, but it was great for me.

The New Guy

The frame and fork that arrived was in immaculate condtion.  The only signs that it wasn't brand-spanking new were some scuff marks at the dropouts.  No big deal there.  As I looked over my new frame, I noticed that all of the welds and bends and little details looked...just fine.  Nothing sloppy.  Was it NAHBS quality?  No, but who has the coin for that?  The paint was well done and in a color I liked.  The head badge has a nicely understated, classic look to it.

Are these types of things really that important?  They don't affect performance, I would imagine.  But, whether we like to admit it or not, aesthetics do matter.  Every time I look at the new guy, it gives me a little burst of joy.  There is something to be said for that.

Naming

Bikes deserve names, in my opinion.  That's how I feel about it, so there you go.  The Space Horse was replacing Gimli the Road Bike.  What would be fitting for the new guy?  How about Thorondor the All-Road Bike!  One bike named after a dwarf and the next named after the King of Eagles.  That seems like an appropriate progression.

The Build Up

The full build up

I could go into the ups & downs & ins & outs of building up Thorondor but that mostly involves me messing things up, needing help and fiddling around for 4 months before everything was finally all set and the way it should be.  The basics are as follows:

• Cranks - Velo Orange 48/34
• Pedals - Grip Kings from Rivendell
• FD - Ultegra double
• RD - Shimano Altus - has the capacity to handle a...
• 11-32 Cassette - SRAM
• Chain - whatever, it's just a chain
• Bottom Bracket - not really sure.  Whatever they had at Freewheeler
• Wheels - Cole Rollen front and Velocity A23 OC rear
• Tires - 38 mm Barlow Pass from Compass Cycles
• Fenders - silver SKS Longboards - 45 mm
• Shifters - Rivendell Silver Shifters - set up as bar ends
• Brakes - Origin 8 Cantilevers (medium profile)
• Brake Levers - some basic ones from SRAM
• Headset - Origin 8
• Handlebars - 46 cm Velo Orange Grand Randoneuur (I'm never sure if that is spelled right)
• Stem - 70 mm Velo Orange
• Seatpost - Velo Orange Grand Cru
• Saddle - Brooks B-17 with a waterproof cover
• Handlebar Tape - cloth, Newbaum's I think, in a nice grey
• Handlebar Bag - Dill Pickle Handlebar Bag

Nifty head badge (ignore the kids bike in the background)

The Fit

My first rides on Thorondor were on the indoor trainer.  A trainer is not how I like to ride but in the deep, dark Michigan winters you do what ya gotta do.

I don't know about anyone else, but the fit of my bikes have always felt different when I have been on my trainer vs. out on the road.  I have no good explanation as to why, but that is the way it is.

Over the first 2 months, I moved my handlebars up and down several times because, well, I could.  On Gimli, I had been topped out on the fork.  The handlebars couldn't go any higher and they couldn't come any closer.  Thorondor came with a fork with a ginormously long steerer tube, giving me plenty of room to work with.  It also helps that the stack measurement was a little higher and the reach measurement was a little shorter.

When it finally came time to ride outside, I hopped on, started pedaling and within 100 yards I thought to myself,

"Holy Cow!  These handlebars are up high!"

 

This was a completely new sensation for me.  Is this a beach cruiser or a road bike?  Afterwards, the handlebars got lowered about 1.5 cm and I have been riding around with them this way since early March.  My intention is to continue to fiddle around with this for a full year before I decide where the steerer tube needs to be cut.  Once cut, there will likely be 1 cm left on top to give me some wiggle room for longer rides.

On a side note, even though my handlebars felt ridiculously high on that first ride, I was really quite comfortable.  Everything was easy to see.  There was very little strain on my upper body.  I was probably catching wind like a sail, but I may have to take this into consideration for the future.  Maybe Grant Petersen is on to something.

The Ride

 

This is where I, admittedly, feel rather silly commenting.  My experience is so limited on different types of bikes and frame materials.  For instance, I have never ridden a carbon fiber frame.  There, I said it.  No apologies either.

 

With that said, on the first several outdoor rides, the only difference between Gimli and Thorondor was the frame, the fork, the bottom bracket and the brakes.  Everything else had been carried over from Gimli to Thorondor.  Thorondor certainly did not feel harsher, twitchier or slower.

 

My perception is that the ride is smoother on Thorondor but I wouldn't bet my life on it.  Placebo and expectation are powerful forces.

 

Thorondor corners well.  Please keep in mind that aggressive is not a term used to describe my descending and cornering.  There are several corners on routes I commonly do that I can take at a good rate of speed and come out of them right where I wanted to be.

 

Does Thorondor climb as well?  Not sure, to be honest.  It is still pretty early in the year and there is a lot of training and riding to do before I can answer that question with any real confidence.  On my very first outdoor ride, I thought it climbed like a dream, but there was a lot of excitement and expectation there so you have to take that with not so much a grain of salt as with a full salt shaker.

The handlebar bag is really quite useful

 On a side note

While getting Thorondor built up and fitted out, I ran into issues with either my rear wheel or one of the 38 mm Barlow Pass tires from Compass Cycles.  I won't go into the details because I'm still not sure which one had the problem but during the process I removed the Barlow Pass and reinstalled the 28 mm Ruffy Tuffy from Rivendell.  I could actually tell a difference between the two.  A big question I had was would I actually be able to tell a difference between a 28 and a 38 mm tire?  Everything I read said that I would but how do you really know until you try it yourself?

There was certainly a noticeable difference in the 'bumpiness' along some some of the mangled roads in my area.  I was truly surprised.  Initially, I would have told you that there was a difference going from 28 to 38 but I would have said it was a marginal difference.  Let's upgrade that assessment to a moderate difference.  That seems fair.

The True Test

 

Based on my first several rides with Thorondor, I am certain he will turn out to be a good, trustworthy steed.  That said, the real tests remain.

 

So far I have done 50 miles as my longest ride.  Thorondor is really intended for rides that are much longer than that.  Some questions that still need answering are:

• How will I feel both during and after a century ride?  Something like the Colorburst would be a good example.
• How will I feel both during and after a multi-day tour?  DALMAC is coming at the end of August, so I will answer this question.
• How will rides on unpaved roads go?  Let's not call it gravel-grinding, OK?
• How well will it ride in a more competitive environment, such as the MSU Gran Fondo?
• How well will it handle long, lonely, rambling journeys?

The wonderful thing is, I will eventually answer all of these questions and have an absolutely wonderful time doing it.  This could be a long and beautiful friendship.





Should I hang on to the treadmill?

One of the more frequent questions I get from clients is...

"Should I hang on to the treadmill or not?"

 

My honest reply is...

 

"If you are walking on the treadmill, we've achieved my goal for the day.  Hang on or don't hang on.  It's the same difference to me."

 

People seem to get worked up about whether they are getting the best "calorie burn" possible.  Just get on the treadmill and get yourself a workout.  If you are hanging on, that's fine.  If you are not hanging on, that's fine too.  Is there a difference in how hard you are working from one condition to the other?  Yeah, probably but is it really worth putting forth the mental effort to figure out how much?  No it is not.

Let us keep in mind that how many calories you burn while exercising is largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.  If, like the typical American, you are trying to lose weight then you need to focus on diet first and lock that down to what works well for you (vegan, low carb, whole foods, paleo, whatever).  If you have not done that then it does not matter how many calories you burn exercising.

Exercise does not lead to weight loss except at the most extreme (and unsustainable) levels.

You are on the treadmill to improve cardiovascular function, to boost serotonin levels, to lower your risk of some of our most nasty chronic diseases and to just plain feel better about yourself.

None of those things will be affected by whether you hang on to the treadmill or not.

Dill Pickle Gear Handlebar Bag Review

I purchased a Dill Pickle Gear handlebar bag in September of this year.  Below are a few tidbits about Dill Pickle Gear and about myself as a rider, followed by my thoughts on the bag itself.

Dill Pickle Gear

All of their products are handmade in Massachusetts by Emily O'Brien (I think that is the right name).  She offers several different sizes of saddlebags, the handlebar bag, mud flaps, a tool holder, and a U-lock holder.  Everything is custom made (she does have a few pre-made items available).  You can chose from multiple different colors and multiple different add-ons.  The website has a really nice feature where you can instantly see what the final product will look like.  Flipping back and forth between different color variations is quite nice because these bags are not cheap.  Get it right the first time.  I did have to e-mail Emily several times to ask questions (mostly because I am a moron) and she replied quickly and graciously.

Mike the Bike PT as a rider

Despite how much I love riding, my yearly mileage would best be described as moderate.  For several years I was able to cover 2,400 miles/year.  Last year was about 1,800 miles (darn third child) and this year will be closer to 2,100-2,200.  My favorite type of ride is 100+ miles.  I have now done about 10 rides of that distance over the last 5-6 years.  None of these have been a brevet or other official rando event, not because I am not interested but purely because there are none that are close to me.  My longest single day was 146 miles.  My pace would best be described as "spirited".  No one would describe me as moving along casually, but neither is each ride a hammerfest.  This handlebar bag was my first one.  I have nothing else to compare this bag to.

Why I bought it

Many of the blogs, magazines and websites I frequent talk about how a handlebar bag is so wonderful for carrying essential items on long, self-supported bike rides (the kind I like to do).  What had turned me off to the idea was that most traditional handlebar bags require a rack to support them.  Would I even be able to install a rack on my bike?  Also, when you add up the cost of the rack, the bag and other mounting hardware, it starts to be a pretty penny.  The Dill Pickle handlebar bag does not require any special mounting hardware, is cheaper than the rack/bag/mounting hardware combo and is actually lighter overall.

Initial Impressions

Sorry for the less than professional photos



You can see there is plenty of space for hands/brifters

After ordering my bag, it took about 5-6 weeks before it arrived.  Remember, each one is made-to-order.  When it arrived, I eagerly dived into it to see what it was like.  Light is an apt descriptor.  I did not weigh it but the bag could not be more than about a pound.  As I looked it over, one thing that struck me was that I could not see any loose threads, any missed stitches, are any noticeable imperfections.  You could see that it was made by hand because some of the stitching was not perfectly straight, but not in a low quality sort of way.  The colors (emerald green and grey) were a good match to what I was expecting from what I saw on the website.

Installation

Don't worry, it doesn't sit this wonky once properly set up



I do not need to go into the details here, but installation is pretty straight forward.  It uses a series of straps and velcro closures.  I did have some difficulties figuring it out but that is mostly because I am kind of dumb.  When I asked Emily about why I was having so much trouble, her answers left me with a facepalm moment.  Believe me folks, it ain't that hard, unless you're me.  Once you knew how to use the straps, you could probably move it from one bike to another in about 2-3 minutes.

Steering/Handling

One thing I had read about handlebar bags is that they can affect steering, making the front end more unstable than it normally would be.  With the handlebar bag on, there was no difference that I could tell.  My bike felt exactly the same.  Do you want to know what the geometric trail is on my bike?  If I knew, I would be happy to tell you.  I once tried to figure it out but I did not really trust the numbers that I got.  As a reminder, this is my first handlebar bag so I do not have anything to compare to.

Utility, i.e. how well does it work?

Top flap flips completely open.  The inner skirt is meant to keep stuff from flying out.

Once it was set up properly, the bag is quite easy to use.  The side mesh pockets are loose enough to get your hand in but not so loose as to have stuff fall out.  The top flap opens fully without any difficulty.  Once fully open, the wind will not accidentally close it.  The magnetic closures that hold the top flap shut click into place without much fussing.  Even if the magnetic closures do not catch, the flap seems to want to stay shut.  The unique shape left plenty of room for my hands to rest on the top of the bars without hitting the bag.  The only minor annoyance I can bring up is that my Garmin 500 is not quite able to sit at an angle I like because of the placement of the bag.  I would move the Garmin to my stem but a 70mm stem does not work well with the garmin mount.  Oh well.

Waterproofness

Despite having done only two good rides with the handlebar bag, its waterproofness was amply tested.  The first ride was drizzly for about 75% of the 64 miles.  No water inside.  On the second ride, it rained for a least 2/3 of a 130 mile ride.  At times it was such a downpour that we achieved terminal wetness (the point at which you cannot be any more wet than you already are without diving in a lake).  Once again, no water inside the handlebar bag.  Not a drop.  When you look over some of the design details of the bag, it is easy to see why.  It is obvious that this is a product designed and created by someone who has been there, done that.

How much did it hold?

During my 130 mile ride the bag held:

• 8 gels in the two side mesh pockets

In the main compartment:

• a rain jacket
• arm warmers
• extra liner gloves
• 4 nutella & jelly sandwiches
• a spare tube
• my phone
• sunglasses
• a few other small, miscellaneous objects

The top flap was snug but it did close.  My multi-tool, tire levers and an additional spare tube were in my saddlebag.

Am I satisfied?

Very.  Before shipping, my bag was $170.  It is easy to use, can be moved from bike to bike, is waterproof, looks good, can hold a good amount of stuff, and seems to be very solidly made.  Well worth the price.  If I had a need for another one of her products, I would not hesitate to make a purchase.

Overall

If you are interested in a handlebar bag but are put off by either the high cost of the traditional type or do not think your bike will accept a rack, give Dill Pickle Gear your consideration.  Even though her products are not cheap, they still rate as a very good value on the dollar.

Blessed

I have a warm home.  My wife is beautiful, kind, intelligent and hard working.  She is a wonderful mother.  My kids are healthy and intelligent.  My job is rewarding and pays me well.  It comes with good health insurance.

I will not go hungry today.  I will not be cold without the hope of being warm today.  I will not worry about money today.  I will not fear the future.

I will be with people who love me today.  I have seen a child smile today.  I will perform work today that helps others.  I am able to walk and move and interact with my environment.

Because of my faith, I believe that I deserve none of this.  I am owed nothing.  I have earned nothing.  If I was lying in a gutter, homeless and alone, deaf and blind with pain ravaging me at every moment, I would still have nothing to complain about. 

Below is my paraphrase of a devotional I recently heard that sums things up pretty well:

"When you have given as much as Jesus did, then you can complain."

It would be easy to say that many of those things I call blessings really come from luck or coincidence, with a little hard work thrown in.  It is not a hard arguement to make.

But there is no luck.  There is no coincidence.  There is only providence.  I have been trying to purge the words 'luck' and 'coincidence' from my vocabulary.  Each day that passes demonstrates that they are words without a real meaning.

It is possible that someone will read this post and scoff at my beliefs.  Go ahead.  I am okay with that.  I will not hate you, laugh at you, or even think less of you.  I will think of you as misguided.  All of us are misguided about something we believe.  The bugger is that you are usually convinced you are right until that moment when you realize you are not.

We each have a choice that needs to be made.  All my chips have been pushed to the middle of the table and I am surprisingly content.

I will sleep well tonight.

Writing, righting, rihting, wryting, ryeting

Recently, two different people told me I should write a book.  These were two completely seperate and independent persons with no known contact between them.

What?

Honestly, the idea intrigues me.  Imagine it...hours alone with just me and my thoughts trying to carefully craft words into something that a reader will find enjoyable.  Sounds like fun, which most likely means that it would not actually be all that much fun.  Our world seems to work that way.

If you look back at my post list, it is easy to see that my writing is pretty sporadic.  Occasionally I get inspired to punch something out and then I do.  Most of the time, writing never even crosses my mind.  A writer should want to write, right?

What on earth would I write about?  How about a book about fitness, health and diet written for the average joe?  Maybe a book about dealing with chronic pain?  How about a fictional story of a fat kid who grew up to be a PT and had three kids and a wife and really loves cycling?

Lame.

The odds of me becoming a writer are about as good as me becoming a pro-cyclist at the grand ol' age of nearly 40.

"If I just had the latest carbon fiber wonderfredsled and did intervals until blood bubbled up through the pores in my thighs from the incredible metabolic heat I created, I just might be able to do it!"

Why on earth would I want to become a writer anyways?  What is the motivation?

Fame?  Glory?  Admiration?  All of us want those things to some degree.  Seems like a crappy reason to chase a dream, though.

What if I did it to share?  To share knowledge.  To share thoughts.  To try to contribute something positive to our world, some little bit of warmth.

There is a thought that goes through my head just about every day.  The phrasing does vary from day to day but it usually sounds something like this:

• Add, do not subtract
• Don't be a dick
• Be nice...you will sleep better at night
• Nice guys finish last but at least our conscience is clear
• This world is not your home, you are just a passin' through
• Remember who you work for
• Every human is a child of God.  Treat them appropriately.

I am no where even in the ballpark of perfect.  I treat others poorly on a daily basis.  But I am trying hard each day to be a little better than the day before.

Maybe, just maybe, writing could be one of those little ways of sharing a little warmth with our cold, dark, broken world. 


Was today really my first time (riding in the snow, I mean)?

Here in lovely West Michigan, we had our first real snow fall of the year.  Sure, there had been some flakes in the air the last few days but that was all.  No biggie.

Today was a different story.

When we awoke, there was a nice layer of white covering the world.  Our street was not quite as covered as the lawn, but it definitely had a layer built up on it.  The kiddos, not surprisingly, were pretty excited about this.  Each of them pressed their faces up against a window and did their age-appropriatet version of "Woooh!"

Now here is the thing...last night I got everything ready to ride to work today (riding clothes, work clothes, bike, lights, etc.).  Did I know about the snow?  Yeah...sort of.  Was I really prepared for what was actually out there?

Uhhhh, no.

While watching the morning news and eating my daily double serving of oatmeal (mmm...oatmeal), the traffic dude was detailing the many slide off accidents that had been reported.  My first thought was:

Those are all on the highways.  I'll be OK.  I'm not even leaving until after 8:00.  There won't barely be any cars on the road.  I've never ridden in the snow before.  I have to do at least once, right?

 

Yeah, pretty easy to rationalize when you really, really, reaaaalllllllyyyyy want to ride to work.

 

I geared up and shoved off about 8:10, after Hannah had gotten on the bus.  For a point of reference, I live at the top of a hill.  No matter which way I go, it is downhill from my house.  In fact, it is downhill and curvy.

 

As another point of reference, my bike handling skills, despite my many hours of riding, are probably fair at best.  I am a coward, when it comes right down to it.  Hitting the pavement sounds a lot like it would hurt so I do not take a lot of chances.  I am a pansie descender.

 

With those two thoughts in mind, you can imagine my trepidation as Sam the Singlespeed began rolling down the hill.  The turn off that I usually take part way down the hill?  Skipped it.  I kept going straight.  When I got to Bristol, I looked up the hill and saw police flashers at an accident.

 

Confidence inspiring, let me tell you.

 

Luckily I needed to go the other direction.  As I came to the hill on Bristol that leads up to Richmond, I realized Hannah's bus was coming up behind me.  In my head, I heard the following:

 

Random Child: Hey, there's some crazy guy on a bike out there!

 

Hannah: That's my Dad.

 

Random Child: Is he nuts!?!?

 

Hannah: You have no idea.

 

Strangely, the rest of my commute was pretty uneventful, except for my rear tire slipping some as I got out of the saddle to climb a few hills.

Lo and behold, I did arrive to work safe and sound and in a reasonable amount of time.  As I pulled up to the doors, I realized that my bike was pretty filthy.  After bouncing it up and down several times, it seemed like most of the crud came off.

 

I keep my bike in my office when I ride to work, not because I cannot lock it outside but because I have an office to keep it in.  And it is my bike. 

 

My Precious.

 

Until I looked behind me, it really had not occurred to me how much dirty, road water I might be dripping behind my bike.  Turns out it was an awful lot.

 

Once I had changed into my work clothes, I went back down the hall dragging a towel with my foot to wipe up the drips.  Not the most odd thing I have ever done, but up there.

 

Oh, and there was some good size puddles forming on the carpet under my bike.  Grab another couple towels and toss them under.

 

By the way, towels are one of the upsides to working in a health care facility.  If you are a bike commuter, get into health care.  The towels are worth it.

 

I still need to ride home but now I can officially say that I have ridden in the snow and not died.  That is a pleasant thought.



Crazy Faith 2014

Summarizing a 12 hour day can be pretty difficult.  There is so much that could be said.  Where do you start?  How about the beginning?

6 am - Westend Church

Dave and I clicked on our lights, checked last minute details and got rolling at 6 am, heading west on Leonard.  The temperature was on the cool side but not really too bad.  Gloves and arm warmers were in my handlebar bag but didn't seem necessary.

6:35 - 68th and Leonard

The rain starts.  At first it is just some big droplets that seem like they are going to peter out but it quickly becomes a steady rain.  Any cyclist will tell you that you don't really get wet from above as much as you get wet from below.  The water you kick up is what really drenches you and mucks up your bike.  This rain was the perfect kind of rain for this.  Just enough to get the road good and wet.  My feet were quickly 'swimming' in my shoes.

7:35 - Garfield and 144th (approximately)

Dave and I are nearly to US 31 when we turn around to head back towards Westend.  It seems like it was still raining but it's hard to tell what was coming up from the road vs. what was coming down from above.  The ride back was uneventful, although neither Dave nor I can ride close behind the other because of the rooster tail of water and crud coming off our back tires.

9:10 - Westend Church

Scott DeKryger texted us that he was starting le Tour de Donut up in Greenville.  By now it has stopped raining and the sun even seems like it wants to come out.  Over the next 15-20 minutes, we each change our clothes, prop wet shoes in front of a fan, eat, drink coffee, refill water bottles, and wipe off our bikes.  I am obsessively checking two weather apps on my phone and my mood is lifted because there doesn't seem to be anything coming toward us on the radar.  The hourly forecast, however, is not so promising.

The next couple hours has us trying not to get too stiff and taking in enough water and food to power us through the next 3 hours of riding.  I use my traditional cup-o-soup to make sure I'm getting enough sodium.  Michelle and the kids stopped by to say hello.  They are always a pick me up.  Deep down, we are riding for them and all the other kids who can benefit from a Christian Education (who wouldn't, now that I think about it).

11:15 - Westend Church

Dave and I got the message from Scott that he is done so we take off again.  By the time we get to the corner of Leonard and Westend, my legs are protesting.

"Dude, we've already done this today! What are you doing?"

 

I give them the "shut up legs" speech and we head down Remeberance toward the Musketawa Trail.  Thankfully, things are pretty uneventful.  We can't really tell where exactly the wind is coming from.  Is it helping us?  Is it hurting us?  Is it just a crosswind?  We eventually make it west of Ravenna before deciding to turn around.  To our west, the sky looks dark.  We can tell the wind is defintely from the west and there are some rain drops coming down.  The temperature also felt like it was dropping.  At that moment, I was wondering if we are about to get hit hard but it never happened.  Before too long, it was sunny again.

Personally, this middle section was the hardest.  I fully expected it to be.  Your legs are already tired from the 50 miles you put in earlier.  You know you will still need to ride about another 3 hours after you are done.  How do you pace yourself?  How do you mentally handle that you are really no where near done despite the fatigue you feel?  The finish line is not yet in sight but the body is starting to give some early signs of protest.  A ride of this length is as much about mental toughness as it is about physical conditioning.  Dave and I are not some type of super-endurance athletes.  We are just normal Joes gifted with an unusual desire to push ourselves beyond what seems sane.

 

2:00 - Westend Church

 

We arrive back at Church promptly at 2:00 (I would like to emphasize our punctuality.  I'm weird that way).  Waiting for us are Jen Byle, Linda Vander Schaaf, Betsey Ingraham (my sister), and my lovely wife Michelle.  After a brief chat, they take off with instructions to give us a 'good hour' break.  By this point, neither Dave nor I is in any exceptional hurry to get back on the bike.

 

As before, Dave and I go about refueling, using the bathroom, refilling water bottles and just generally taking a break.  We also start debating where we are going to ride for the last leg.  Being a little fatigued, my thought is to just head down toward Millenium/Johnson Park and the Kent Trails and ride some laps.  Simple and easy.  No thought needed.  Gratefully, Dave has a better plan.  He wants to head back west on Leonard to Linden and then follow Linden south past Lake Michigan Dr.  This will hook up with Fennesey and eventually to the Millenium/Johnson Park area.

 

As a side note, Dave's son, Jameson, was hanging out with us while his mom rode.  This kid is all boy.  Good natured and wanting to play.  Jameson wanted to show me his bike and how he can stand up out of the saddle and pedal (pretty cool!).  Later, we pulled out a soccer ball and football.  Constant motion would be the most apt description.  Jameson would throw the football and then run and pounce on it like it was a fumble drill.  Ah, the good ol' days.

3:15 - Westend Church

The ladies got back from their ride after covering 14 miles.  We were at 139 miles for the day, counting Scott's miles from earlier.  That is just 6 miles shy of the total for last year so things are looking good.  Dave and I throw a leg over and take off west on Leonard.  I won't lie; our pace was moderate at best.  We each agreed we were in the keep the pedals moving phase of the ride.

3:45 - Leonard and Linden

As we got to Leonard and Linden, the rain drops started falling, lightly at first.  Too tired to even grab our rain jackets, we just kept chugging on.  At first the rain was light but by the time we got to Lake Michigan Dr. it was falling heavy.  My comment to Dave was,

 

"The good news is we can't get any more wet than we already are".

We had achieved terminal wetness.

We wound our way up Fennessy, down Kenowa, over Riverbend and to Butterworth, just north of Johnson Park.  This is where the most tedious part of the ride came.  We were just cruising around the trails in the area killing time and racking up miles.

I think Dave will agree that riding to a certain time limit is a different experience than riding a particular distance.  Your strategy for riding has to change.  It is not so much "Do I have the legs to go 20 more miles?" as "How do I keep my legs good for the next 2 hours?"

 

5:00 - Johnson Park

 

We were cold, wet, tired and hungry when we passed by Johnson Park where our families were waiting for us.  The gave us some cheers and some honks of the horn.  My daughter, Hannah, yelled "Are you done yet Daddy?".

 

No Hannah, Daddy is not done yet (long sigh).

 

As we kept on rolling, one of us (and I'm not sure who) broached the subject of finishing a little early.  I'm not sure who said it out loud first because I had been considering the idea for so long I can't remember what I said out loud and what I was jus thinking.  Fatigue is kinda funny that way.  By doing a little mental math I knew we had already surpassed last year's mileage by a fair bit.  The consensus was to finish the loop we were on and then head back to Johnson Park.

 

5:47 - Johnson Park

 

We rolled into the Johnson Park parking lot and then went up the trail just a little ways.  We were too close to 130 miles to not go just a little bit farther.  The stop button was pushed on the Garmin and Crazy Faith was done for 2014 after 176 combined miles in just under 12 hours.  As promised, everyone had an ice cream sandwich (I had another 4 later that evening).  We snapped a few pictures, loaded our stuff up and headed home, grateful to be done but grateful to have had the opportunity.

 

Parting Thoughts

 

It is now several days since finishing Crazy Faith and life has continued on, as it always does.  For me it is simultaneously a big relief to be done and a yet I can't help but feel restless.

The planning for Crazy Faith took a lot of time and mental energy.  The number of different scenarios that were hypothesized for how the day would run are beyond count.  Did it go well?  Did it go poorly?

 

I think the answer to both is 'yes'.  Since the singular goal was to raise money for Christian education, we won't know until all the donations are in.  My suspicion is that it won't be as much dollar-wise as last year which I must admit is disappointing.  There was not the same kind of positive vibe from the congregation as I felt last year.  Is it donation-fatigue?  Is it a waning of support for Christian Eduation?  Was it not 'crazy' enough for people?  Should the timing of announcements have been done differently?  Did I do a junk job of speaking in front of church?

 

As much as these questions bug me, this much I know:

 

A lot of people put a lot of effort into an honest and heartfelt effort to do the right thing and support Christian Education.

 

We had no other goal than supporting families that feel that a Christian dayschool is the best option for their children.

 

That is it.

 

That is all.

Hard stop.

 

The next question that must be considered is "Will we do this again?"  The answer I would give is 'yes'.  When?  I don't know.  A year off might be in order, as much for my sake as anything else.  Organizing Crazy Faith, along with working full-time, being on the WSCS board and just generally trying to be a good dad and husband takes its toll on you.

 

I'm a little tired.

 

One thing I am certain of is that the next Crazy Faith will need to be substantially different.  And at this point I have no idea what it will look like.  It will have to involve cycling just because that's what I do.  After that, the sky is the limit.

 

Finally, I once again must thank all those who participated:

• Dave Vander Schaaf
• Linda Vander Schaaf
• Jen Byle
• Betsey Ingraham
• Scott DeKryger
• and my lovely wife, Michelle

The biggest thanks must be reserved for those who donated, whether it was $1, $20, $176 or whatever.  Because of them, families at Westend will be able to send their kids to a Christian school.

 

And that is what it was all about in the first place.