2nd Annual "Ride for the Cure" 2013 to Support the National Brain Tumor Society

The 2nd Annual "Ride for the Cure" 2013 is a fundraiser event in memory of Lisa A. (Popp) Iliffe to support the National Brain Tumor Society.  Join Lisa's friends and family on October 5th for a 25 mile ride through the picturesque countryside on the Rocori/Glacial Lakes Trail from Cold Spring to Rosco.  The ride starts at 3 pm at the Blue Heron Supper Club in Cold Spring.

Update:  Due to a portion of the Glacial Lakes Trail being under construction, riders will still meet at the Blue Heron Supper Club, but not unload bikes until after a short drive to the starting point by the Richmond trail head.

Afterward there will be a social hour/dinner, silent auction and dance with music provided by Music in Motion at the Blue Heron Supper Club.  All proceeds will be donated to the National Brain Tumor Society.

Lisa Anne Iliffe passed away October 28, 2011. Her final months and last days were spent with her dedicated husband Bill by her side in Kapalua Maui.

Lisa's life would seem to short too many, but those who were touched by her understood that her quality of existance far exceeds the quantity of time in which one lives. Her gentle smile and easy going attitude in life brought so much joy to our respective families and friends.

Although Lisa was fighting an incurable disease, she was a great role model of courage and hope and reminded us all of the preciousness of life.

She loved Maui, enjoyed the beach, running, plus the laid back lifestyle of the islands.

If you would like to donate to the silent auction, please contact ride organizers on the Ride for the Cure 2013 Facebook Event page.  Donations in support of the National Brain Tumor Society on behalf of Lisa A. (Popp) Iliffe "Ride for the Cure" 2013 can be made online.

Keep up to date on this event by Liking the Ride for the Cure- National Brain Tumor Society Facebook page or let them know you will be attending on the Ride for the Cure 2013 Facebook Event page.

Product Review: Sky Mounti Inclinometer

The Sky Mounti Inclinometer is basically a carpenters level that attaches to the handlebars helping a cyclist determine how steep a climb or descent really is.  I enjoy riding some pretty hilly terrain and this tool gives me a pretty good reading to satisfy my curiosity on the big hills. It may not give the most accurate reading all the time because of road vibration, acceleration/braking or suspension fork movement but will provide a pretty close degree of incline or decline.   

Mounting and calibrating the inclinometer were pretty easy, but did require a rubber spacer to fit my bars properly.  Once I had it secure but not fully tightened, I adjusted it with my bike on a level garage floor until the bubble was in the middle of the level.  Then the screws were tightened being careful not to over tighten them to avoid cracking the plastic mount.  Recalibration may be needed from time to time due to vibration or the unit being bumped.

While riding, the Sky Mounti Inclinometer is easy to read with its high visibility yellow background and well spaced hash marks.  For the truest reading it is probably best to stop and see where the bubble rests or just keep riding to get a ballpark result.   I compared its results on my steepest climb and descent on a recent ride with that of the the GPS reading from the Runtastic Road Bike Pro app.  I found that they were within a degree or two and that's close enough for me.



The Sky Mounti Inclinometer worked sufficiently for what I needed it for.  It doesn't give a 100% accurate reading but did give me a pretty close idea of the degree of incline on some big hills I climbed.  If you ride a lot of flat terrain, this product isn't for you, but for those that like to challenge themselves vertically, knowing the degree of incline is kind of nice.

The Sky Mounti Inclinometer is available for 26.0 mm and 31.8 mm bar diameters and has a scale ranging from +27/-15-percent.  It can be purchased from Cantitoe Road or Amazon for around $20-$25.

Disclosure:  Cantitoe Road provided the review sample for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review.

2WheelWeather to Furnish CycleCasts for Minnesota High School Cycling League Race Season

Image Credit:  Minnesota High School Cycling League

Meteorologist and avid mountain biker Kristin Clark will be providing the 2WheelWeather Cyclecast for the 2013 Minnesota High School Cycling League season.  These race specific CycleCasts will include highly detailed hyper-local weather forecasts and trail information for all five races this year.  Kristin aims to help the 300+ racers on 25 teams to do their best by keeping them informed of race day weather conditions while getting them excited about the science of meteorology.

"The Autumn season is great for racing mountain bikes. Sunny days, fall foliage, comfortable conditions all make for a spectacular time to ride and race. The fall weather, however, can come with its own set of forecasting challenges. The sun angle gets lower and lower in the sky, daylight hours become increasingly shorter and cold, arctic air begins its descent southward towards the Midwest.  2WheelWeather aims to keep the high school racers prepared and informed with a race specific CycleCast." - Kristin Clark, Certified Broadcast Meteorologist

CycleCasts for the 2013 High School Mountain Bike race season will include:

9/8 - Race #1 - Salem Hills, Inver Grove Heights, MN
9/21 - Race #2 - Jail Trail, St. Cloud, MN
9/29 - Race #3 - Hillside Park, Elk River, MN
10/13 - Race #4 - White Tail Ridge, River Falls, WI
10/27 - Race #5 - State Championships: Mt. Kato, Mankato, MN 

 Each CycleCast will be published on the Wednesday before race day on 2WheelWeather's High School Cycling page.

Follow 2WheelWeather on Twitter @2WheelWeather, on Facebook and the MORC Weather Blog to stay up to date on cycling weather conditions.

If you are a race, ride or event organizer that is interested in 2WheelWeather's forecasting services, contact Kristin at Ride@2WheelWeather.com.

Product Review: Chain-L High Milage Bicycle Chain Oil

I ride in a lot of dusty and dirty conditions that include miles of gravel roads and singletrack making frequent application of chain lubricant necessary.  I was constantly having to lube my chain to keep it quiet and shifting smoothly.  I decided to give Chain-L High Mileage Bicycle Chain Oil a try because I was looking for a product that could sustain miles of these conditions allowing more time for riding and less time on chain maintenance.  After hearing about Chain-L's high mileage claims and reading a few positive reviews I decided to put it through some of my own tough testing.

I've tried both dry and wet lubricants in the past and their performance was mediocre.  The Teflon-based dry lubricants kept my chain cleaner by not attracting dirt and grime but at a cost of much more frequent application.  Wet lubricants last a little longer but resulted in a dirtier chain and cassette that needed to be cleaned more often.  Could Chain-L be the one lubricant that would replace all of the others I've used in the past?

To properly test Chain-L I started with a brand new chain.  Recording my starting mileage, I wanted to see how long I could ride in demanding conditions before my chain let me know it needed to be lubed again.  I applied Chain-L to the chain off the bike as directed by the manufacturer. This method of application will keep the mess to a minimum and avoid excess lube on the chainring and cassette.  I laid it out on a newspaper and applied a drop to each of the rollers. Chain-L has a viscosity similar to honey so I allowed some time for it to work its way in.

Afterward, I wiped the chain clean with a rag leaving behind a thin sticky film coating the side plates and installed it on my bike.  Now it was time to ride.

The first thing I noticed while riding was how quiet my drivetrain had become.  It was almost silent, all I heard was the crush of the gravel or the hum of the tires on the pavement.  Gear shifting became buttery smooth and my drivetrain was performing at a peak level.

 
After a couple of gravel road rides, the chain was in need of a wipe down from the gravel dust and sand that had accumulated on the sticky surface of the side plates.  This sticky film and dirt was easily removed with a dry rag.  From this point on the chain remained fairly clean and only needed a wipe down every few rides.  The time spent maintaining my drivetrain was significantly reduced and I could concentrate more on riding.  This was what I had been looking for in a chain lube.

Over the next three weeks I put on over 230 miles, the majority of them being either gravel or dirt singletrack.  My drivetrain was quiet, shifted smoothly and required little attention other than the occasional wipe down.  It was nice being able to head out for a ride without having to lube up the chain first.  Even though Chain-L is considered a "wet" lube, my chain, chainring and cassette stayed pretty clean even in these dusty conditions.  As I headed into week three I began to notice that shifting wasn't as smooth as before and by the sound of the chain it was time for a reapplication.  Chain-L performed better than the wet and dry lubes I had used in the past.  Those other lubes would need to be reapplied multiple times to achieve a similar effect.  Had I only ridden on paved trails and roads, I could see getting many more miles out of a single application than I did riding mostly dirt and gravel.

When it came time for another application of Chain-L I made sure to thoroughly clean the chain first to remove any dirt which can reduce a lubricant's performance.  After letting it soak in and a quick wipe down I was ready for a few hundred more miles.  With the chain stretch I incur from riding hilly gravel terrain, I end up replacing my chain every 500-700 miles thus only needing to apply Chain-L two or three times during its life.

Chain-L's performance was much better than I had expected.  In my opinion it did the job excellently in some pretty tough conditions.  It may have required a little more time for application but saved me a bunch by not having to lube every few rides.  Road bikes will definitely get some big mileage out of  this product and mountain bikers will enjoy the smooth shifting it brings during elevation changes and varied terrain.

Chain-L can be purchased directly from the manufacturer or select dealers.  A four ounce bottle is enough for 15 to 25 applications and is a value at only $12.

Disclosure:  Chain-L provided the review sample for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review. 

Exploring the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area by Mountain Bike

With over 29 miles of multi-use natural surface trail, the Minnesota Valley Trail runs from Chaska to Belle Plaine along the Minnesota River through the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area.  I had never biked here before and it was on my list of places to ride this Summer so I headed down there one extremely hot Sunday afternoon.

My starting point was the trail access parking area off of Chestnut Blvd. just south of Chaska.  I would follow the river southwest to see where the day would take me.  The temperature would be hovering around 100° so I made sure to bring along plenty of water.  I figured at least a good portion of the ride wouldn't be too hot as the trail leads its way through shade of the wooded Minnesota River Bottoms.

My ride started out at the paved trail on the north end of the parking lot and I followed it west towards the Co. Rd. 41 bridge that leads across the river into Chaska.  I had to take a dirt trail down under the bridge to cross to the other side of the road and follow it to the start of the Minnesota Valley Trail.  Later I would come to find that the start of the trail was just across the street from gravel road that led into the parking lot.

Parking area trail access

Because of the heat I planned on riding just past the Thompson Ferry Landing and turning around.  This route would take me through the Gifford Lake Area, Carver Rapids, Louisville Swamp and Thompson Ferry.  The terrain would changed as I pass through each section to include wetlands, prairie, floodplain forests and wooded bluffs.

The trail starts out in the floodplain forest as it follows the river  through the Gifford Lake Area to a grassy section just southeast of Carver.

The prairie and wetlands section of trail in the Gifford Lake Area weaved its way in and out of the woods with slight elevation changes.  The Minnesota DNR has kept these sections mowed to make travel a little easier.

A little further along I entered the Louisville Swamp which soon brought me to a fork in the trail.  This intersection leads to a trailhead parking area on 145th St. off of Hwy. 169 or Carver Rapids.  To continue on my chosen route I followed the sign leading to Carver Rapids which brought me down a steep hill.

At the bottom of the hill was a bridge crossing for Sand Creek.  The creek was extremely low from the flood stage it had seen earlier this year.  I stopped for a short while to take in the view before moving on.

Riding through the Carver Rapids section was my favorite part of the trail.  It was heavily wooded with old growth river bottoms forest and the Johnson Slough made it seem like you were in bayou country.  The mosquitoes were so thick I kept moving at a brisk pace to avoid being eaten alive.  

As I reentered Louisville Swamp there were many more beautiful and tranquil sights to see as the trail as led me through fields, woods and past creeks with fallen timber.

Loose sand and silt from years of flooding from Louisville Swamp to the Thompson Ferry Landing slowed my roll a bit.  I maintained my pace exerting a little more energy than the previous more packed sections.  Soon I was at the Thompson Ferry Landing where I stopped for a rest and decided to travel a little further down the trail to see what it had in store.

I crossed the road to another parking area where the trail picked up again.  There was a picnic area here and a nice view of a big bend in the river.

From here the trail would lead through very sandy river bottoms that were almost impossible to ride through.  Some areas were packed enough to ride but most of it I had to hike-a-bike through.

Soon I came to a steep sandy ascent. I figured I would scale it to the top and check out the view high above the river before turning around for the ride back.  It was way too sandy and far too hot to even consider riding beyond this point.  I'm glad I made it this far because the view from up here was amazing.  The thick sand was perfect habitat for turtle nesting grounds.  There were depressions all over that had once contained eggs, but now the sand was littered with the broken shells and all those little guys had long since slid down the hill into the river.

On my way back I noticed several vantage points of the river that I had missed the first time around.  I stopped to get some photos and quickly got back to riding.  By now the temperature was 100°, my water was getting low and I just wanted to get back to my car and crank the air conditioning.  Round trip the ride was just short of 23 miles.

It was definitely a fun ride, while there were no real technical features there were some challenging sections. Because of its muti-use designation, the Minnesota Valley Trail isn't all just your traditional single or double track, the sandy river bottoms and grassy fields will slow you down a bit and give your legs a workout.  The scenery was the best part of visiting the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area.  The floodplain forests, swamps, sloughs and creeks provided an ever changing landscape and some spectacular scenery for the entire length of the ride.  I look forward to coming back for a Fall change of colors ride.

I have created the Flickr photo set "Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area" that contains all of the day's ride photography and also a photo map showing the geo-location of every picture. 

The Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area is open 8:00 am to 10:00 pm 365 days a year.  For more information visit the MN DNR Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area home page.  For a printable map with facilities and features information, click here.

Product Reveiw: Gup Gum Gear Custom Frame Bag

With all of the long distance gravel rides I have been doing, being able to carry the necessary water and the self-support tools I need put me in the market for a quality frame bag.  I did some research and came in contact with Neil Cary, whose small Twin Cities based company Gup Gum Gear handcrafts some great custom frame bags.  Neil has competed in many gravel grinder centuries and and his creations have been used by cyclists in the Arrowhead 135, TransIowa, TripleD, Tuscobia and numerous other gravel century races.  He uses what he makes and comes highly recommended.  With a resume' like that, a frame bag from Gup Gum Gear would be able to withstand whatever terrain I could throw at it, not to mention it would be convenient for around town or commuting.

I met with Neil to discuss the style of frame bag I was looking for and we talked about gravel riding, what features I would like implemented and color choices.  He instructed me on how to create a template of my frame's front triangle making sure to note the location of all cable stops and the derailleur.  Once he had the template he was ready to get started.

Image Credit:  Gup Gum Gear

This bag would be used primarily for long distance gravel but also for mountain biking and rides around town.  I needed it to be able to carry a hydration reservoir and all of my self-support tools (multi-tool, tire levers, CO2 cartridges & inflator, tire gauge and chain breaker).   The design I discussed with Neil would accomplish this and still leave room for carrying a light jacket or other small items I may need on a ride.

Neil told me that Gup Gum Gear frame bags are handcrafted from quality materials and come with the following features:

•  XPak side panels (Black or Red)
• YKK #8 Water Resistant Zippers
• Ballistic Nylon perimeter 
• Padded down tube and seat tube sections 
• Large drive side compartment
• Half height non-drive side map pocket
• Hydration tube port

Image Credit:  Gup Gum Gear

One custom feature I wanted was a CO2 cartridge bandoleer in the non-drive side map pocket.  This would hold the cartridges secure and make room for my tools.  Neil hadn't had a request for this before but was up for the task.

He got to work on my bag and sent me these photos of its progress.

Image Credit:  Gup Gum Gear

Image Credit:  Gup Gum Gear

Image Credit:  Gup Gum Gear

The project was completed quicker than expected and I couldn't wait to strap it on my bike.  The fit was perfect, the Velcro straps held the bag very secure and now it was time to load it up with my tools and Hydrapak reservoir for a test ride.

One of the first places I tried it out at was the Minnesota River Bottoms.  While riding I didn't even notice I had a frame bag on, it didn't interfere and held all of my gear without jostling around.  Even with my small frame triangle the bag was big enough to hold my 70 oz. reservoir for hydrating on-the-fly.  The large YKK #8 zipper pulls did create some jingling but that was easily remedied by weaving paracord zipper pulls onto them to reduce the metal on metal contact.  They silenced the noise and made it easier to find and unzip the pockets while riding.

My new Gup Gum Gear frame bag has become a permanent fixture on my bike.  With or without the hydration reservoir in it, it's nice to have the extra cargo space for whatever I may need (water bottles, gloves, jacket, etc.).  This winter it will come in handy for carrying all of the necessary cold weather gear.  Changing weather conditions require the addition or removal of clothing layers and now I have a place to put them.

With the occasional rain or winter time slush, riding conditions aren't always dry ones.  I asked Neil about the water resistance of the materials used for the bag.  He told me, "All exterior fabrics on the bag have a dwr (durable water repellent) finish, so splashes and light rain won't be much concern.  Obviously the tube port on the top isn't going to be waterproof."

The quality and craftsmanship of the Gup Gum Gear frame bag was top notch and so was the personal customer service Neil provided.  They are not mass produced, each one is made to order for the specific dimensions of your frame and is a one-of-a-kind.  I would highly recommend any cyclist in the market for a custom frame bag to get in touch with Neil.  If you live in the Twin Cities area he can meet up with you for a beer or cup of coffee to discuss the specifics of your project.

For product information and a photo gallery of Gup Gum Gear designs, visit www.gupgum.com or the Gup Gum Gear Facebook page.  To contact Gup Gum Gear for more information or ordering, send an email to gupgumgear@gmail.com.

Disclosure:  Gup Gum Gear provided the review sample for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review.  

Avoid Traffic Congestion and Parking Fees by Biking to the MN State Fair

Avoid the traffic congestion hassle and the high cost of parking at the Great Minnesota Get Together by riding your bike to the fair.  The Minnesota State Fair has free secure and monitored bike parking at three locations.  The bike corrals are located at the Como-Snelling Gate (#6),  Hoyt-Snelling Gate (#2) and Commonwealth-West Dan Patch (#15).  They remain open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.  Click here to download a printable color map of the Minnesota State Fair.

Image Credit:  Ochen K. from Bike Racks - Minnesota State Fair on Vimeo

For State Fair goers that may have a longer commute, they can park and lock their bikes at one of several Park & Ride lots and take the bus for free to and from the fair.  These Park & Ride locations include:

• Roseville Area High School East of Hamline on Co. Rd. B2.
• MN Dept. of Education East of Target, north of Co. Rd. B. (Pascal St. & Commerce St.).
• U of M Minneapolis Campus (NOT AVAILABLE THURSDAY, AUG. 29)  Various surface lots near stadium along 5th and 6th Streets SE as well as 25th Avenue SE open at 8 a.m. daily. 4th St. Ramp opens 4 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. weekends & Labor Day. 
• Bandana Square North side of Energy Park Dr., east of Snelling Ave.

Park Free, Ride Free bus rides are available from 8 a.m. to midnight and buses leave approximately every 20 minutes.  For a map of the Park Free, Ride Free locations, click here.

For Nice Ride MN subscribers, there are two Nice Ride Stations located near the MN State Fair. The U of M St. Paul Campus Station is located on Commonwealth Ave. near the Commonwealth-West Dan Patch gate and the U of M St. Paul Student Center Station is on Buford Ave. about a half mile walk from the Commonwealth-West Dan Patch gate.  Use the Spotcycle app for station locations and bike/dock availability.

There are several resources available to plan out your bike route to the fair.   BikeEverywhere has a Bike to the State Fair map that shows on-road, bike path next to road and bicycle corridor trail routes leading to the fair.  Bike Walk Move has a downloadable Bicycling & Walking Como Avenue map that shows off-street bike paths and recommended on-street bike routes leading to the State Fairgrounds.  Cyclopath is a great tool for route planning and is available for the seven county metro area.  Simply enter the beginning and ending addresses and it will find a bike route that matches the way you ride and there is a Cyclopath app can be used with Android smartphones.

Don't get stuck in traffic or pay the $12 State Fair parking fee.  By biking to the fair or using the Park Free, Ride Free bus service you can save yourself some money, enjoy the ride and arrive close to an entrance gate.

PLEASE NOTE that neither the fair bike corrals nor the Park & Ride lots provide for secure storage of bike helmets.