The past year has been a tumultuous time for the workshop of Velo Exploration. For the good part of two years the operation was housed in a snug single car garage complete with custom made work bench, large wired speakers, insulation (in 2 walls) and even a retired bottle cage beverage holder. All this five feet from the kitchen. The occasional blast of winter spindrift under the gap in the door and clandestine mouse drop from the neighbor cat were a small price to pay. This was as close to bike workshop Valhalla as I have known. Then, like all good things, it ended. The setup was hastily condensed to the back of a pick-up truck and ultimately onto a matt in the corner of a 3rd floor white carpeted apartment 3000 miles away. Painful. Needless to say this configuration did not last. The next stop for this traveling velo outfit would be a slightly bigger corner of a slightly smaller apartment with much browner carpet. This was home for a while until what should present itself but the ultimate: a large, detached shed!

But like many things in life, this fine four walled out building was not without its strings. Upon opening it’s ancient whitewashed door in quickly became apparent that owner of said structure had a vastly different view than the cyclist as to what proper use of a shed entailed. Piled precariously to the rafters was all manners of flotsam and jetsam spanning generations. Old doors, lawn mowers, a soiled mattress and empty paint cans unceremoniously teetered across the dreams of a half dozen bikes and a space deprived mechanic.

At the time of this writing some progress has been made. A portion of the shed has been liberated from the rubble and dedicated to the Velo Exploration “workshop”. It is functional but sure has a long way to go. There is hope that more rounds of negotiation with shed owner will yield further progress in restoring the dignity of this stout, slightly eastward listing structure. A day may come when a fully appointed shop is realised inside these walls. Until then the cranks will continue to turn as they always do and memories of those dark days in the white carpeted apartment corner will slowly drift out through the knot holes in the leaky room of the new bike space.

Spring has a tendency to offer a string of balmy, still days tempting rides high into the hills visiting terrain not ridden since last fall. Then with ferocity winter is back in one massive upslope storm dumping feet of wet snow all over thoughts of summer.

While engaged in the singlespeed tuck on a recent decent of a favorite mountain road, during one of these peaceful weather interludes, I was reminded what it is about spring in this part of the world that I like so much. The anticipation of a new run of adventure on the bike. Winter certainly is a time for two-wheeled exploits but these are of a different genus and an entirely different story best told when gold comes to the Aspen leaves.

Back to the promise of summer; Looking off to the South West the speed blurred view of my riding territory opens up. Memories of summer rides out the back door flood back with a glimpse of a thawing ridgeline and the smell of water-logged plant matter newly released from the melting snow pack. These windows of pristine weather allow the mind to wonder back to the routines of summer riding and to look back on the disappearing dark season with satisfaction of another one passed comfortably in the saddle. Pulling the fenders and studs off the commuter and giving it a thorough cleaning under warm spring sun is for me the symbolic end to the season. Another one in the books, it was a hell of a time but bring on the alpine ramblings.

Back down into the neighborhood and off of the mountain decent the warm Chinook wind blows hard in my face re-affirming the weather report I read but promptly dismissed as lies on account of ‘it’s spring damn it!’

The snow will be back at least once more before winter recedes for another edition. Though with each passing morning of carbide studs crunching on asphalt, days of pine laced singletrack, and wide open alpine speed draw ever closer.

I have always been intrigued by what gear others carry and why. I occasionally stumble upon discussions and sometimes pictures addressing this topic. I find this type of information invaluable as I refine my own kits over time. I also feel these types of gear discussions provide interesting insight into an aspect of everyday cycling that is often overlooked. No one wants to be stranded on a dark highway shoulder on their commute home because of a broken chain or left shivering high on a mountain pass because of inadequate clothing. It is to avoid these scenarios that we all put at least some thought into what we carry. For me this is one small element that helps make up the fun of the cycling experience. So without further rambling here is the first installment of “What are you carrying?”

This is my “go-to kit” for most of my commuting which usually involves some sort of lengthening of the ride home. I also use this configuration for longer off-road rides in backcountry areas. Everything is carried in an Osprey Stratos 24 pack. I have found it to be very stable and perfectly suited for riding. I chose the 24 liter size over the 18 liter version so as to be able to fit clothes and other bulky items that I usually have to carry on my commute. I think the Stratos 18 would have been better suited for most of my rides but the 24 just adds to the pack’s versatility without adding much weight. A wealth of compression straps keep the pack stable even when nearly empty.

Osprey’s Air Core back panel creates a gap between the back and the pack allowing for good air flow. The zip mesh pockets on the waist belt are great and allow me to keep food easily accessible for on the fly fueling. In the past few years Osprey has started incorporating stretch fabric pockets into their packs. These are really sweet. The Stratos 24 has a large one on the back panel which I usually keep a wind shell in. It also has two side stretch pockets which work well for bottles, food or glasses and can easily be accessed while moving. This pack works well for my purposes and I frequently use it for non bike related activities as well. This one is a keeper.

The following image depicts the items that I always keep in this pack. Obviously the tube changes based on which bike I am riding and I sometimes carry a bigger pump when weight is not really a concern. Not pictured are a set of arm warmers and a wind shell that generally live in the outer stretch pockets. During the rainy season I always have a pair of rain pants in the main compartment. Clothing, food and water are added depending on the ride.

This base kit has served me well and I have used it on all types of rides from my short daily commute to a W.R.I.A.D ride. Versatility is key for me and this setup is exactly that.

Hopefully someone will glean some useful info from this write-up. I would love to feature other’s setups in the future. Let Velo Exploration know what you are carrying and we’ll post it up here.

Keep ridin’…

5-10-08

112 miles
9:43:23
Ave speed 11.5 mph
200 oz of water- 20 oz left upon return
Redline Monocog single speed 34×18 gearing

Early spring 2008 was spent wondering weather or not I could do this ride in a day. This would be my longest ride to date and would be my first real desert riding experience. There were a lot of unknowns. I finally reached the conclusion that I should attempt the loop and that I shouldn’t have too much trouble completing it. Time to get excited! I set a date and that was that.

Training went well with good weather through the early and late spring in Boulder. I was able to get the mileage I thought I needed and trained exclusively on the Monocog so as to really get used to the bike. I spent a lot of time thinking about my gear, especially how I would carry enough water to do the loop unsupported.

I decided to ride with a Jandd frame bag. In it I would fit a log narrow 30oz water bottle and a hell of a lot of Redvines. I would carry three big bottles on the bike. Two in the normal cages and one in a cage zip tied to the seat post. A 100oz bladder in my pack would get me up to the 200oz that I figured would be a conservative bet. This amount worked well as I finished with about 20 oz to spare. The weather was pretty mild though with the high only reaching 85 or so and a light breeze all day. I got lucky.

As far as other gear goes I probably over packed but such is my way on these big rides. Temps at 5:30 am were cold so I started with knee warmers and my Montbell U.L. Thermawrap Jacket. This was soon stowed as temps started to rise. I carried light rain pants and a jacket to round out my “oh shit” clothing. Everything was stowed in the Osprey Stratos 24. This is hands down the best pack for riding I have ever used. It is super stable and holds a full 100 oz bladder very well. Food consisted of a lot of Gu gels, some sort of chocolate protein bars sent by a worried mother, Redvines and beef jerky (a crucial and perfect combo), some fruit leather, an almond butter and banana sandwich and a small can of Starbucks double shot. I definitely had plenty of calories for the ride and made it back with some extra food. I could have gone a lot lighter. All part of the learning process.

The Bike. The most important piece of gear. My exclusive mountainbike is a Redline Moncog 29er with a rigid Zion fork. I have built the bike up with an assortment of parts I have ran for years and have total confidence in. For this ride I decided on 32×18 gearing. I knew it would be a little rough on the Hogback climb but I would rather push up one short climb than be under geared on the long flat rim sections. I ended up being happy with the choice and would use the same gearing on this route again. Tires were WTB Exi Wolf 2.3 front and rear. I ran them somewhere around 50 psi. which was a little harsh on some sections but I fund this to be a pretty good all around pressure for the route. I am not a big fan of stopping to air up or down. I ran the cockpit pretty compact with a short stem. This gave me nice upright position which my back appreciates. Barends allowed me to stretch out when needed and provided leverage for the steep sections. As usual this rig worked perfectly without any complaining or mechanicals. Not even a flat. My seldom needed but always carried tool kit consists of a Topeak Alien, Topeak mini pump. Small open ended wrench to get the rear wheel off, patch kit, extra chain links and two tubes (for this ride).

I found the stock fork a little harsh and chopper esque so I replaced it with a Zion fork designed for 26” wheels. It does not overly alter the head angle but I feel it does so just enough to make the ride a little quicker. The fork is flexy as hell but I don’t really mind as it takes some of the edge off and is much more comfortable that the stock fork. The stock V-brakes came off immediately and were replaced with the ever dependable Avid BB-7 cable discs. Levers are Avid Speed Dials. I still have not really warmed up to these but they are solid and get the job done. Cranks were switched out immediately as well. My old race face Turbines have never let me down and I’ll ride them till they break which I don’t imagine will be any time soon. Surly’s stainless steel rings mate well with these cranks and create a solid, long-wearing , low maintenance drive train.

The wheels are essentially the only part of the bike I left stock. I have heard horror stories but
they have not given me the least bit of trouble. I have no beef with them at all. They are heavy but again they get the job done. The build is rounded out with King headset, Koski stem and cheapo super wide and swept back Titec Bars.

At this point I have over 7000 miles or so on the rig in roughly a year and a half. It has been a daily commuter to work year round in all weather as well as a trail rig. It has seen a White Rim in a day run as well as an epic weather Porcupine Rim loop. It gets me from my front door to some great Front Range trail heads and shows me a good time in the dirt. Sure I won’t ride this bike forever and I have ridden lighter more responsive frames but for the $ 400 this is hands down the best bike in existence. A trail worthy rig need not cost an arm and a leg. All you have to do is get out there.