Talk to any bicyclist for longer than ten minutes and invariably the conversation will turn to beer. Here’s proof:
The Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition is having a Bike and Brew Festival on Saturday, October 13th, 2012. It will be an Oktoberfest, with beer and food and music. It will be held at the Canal Tavern of Zoar, after a short bike ride. For more information and to get tickets, visit ohioeriecanal.org/bike-brew
Here’s a link to the Canal Tavern
If you happen to go, send us some pics!
Hey Gang!
Fall is here and it’s starting to get dark earlier. Check the batteries in your head lights and tail lights! If you are looking for a tail light, be sure to check out my review of the Planet Bike Superflash Stealth Tail Light right HERE.
Planet Bike Superflash Stealth Tail Light Review
MSRP: $28.99
SKU: #3034-1
Link: http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3034_1.html
I’ve had a lot of tail lights over the years and they have been more or less effective. Mostly less. What I have found that made them the most effective is that you actually USE them. To actually USE them, you have to have them with you, especially for those times when you stay out riding later than you actually planned for. To always have your tail light with you, the easiest thing was to always leave it attached to your bike or in your saddle bag. Following this train of thought has lead me to find that a lot of tail lights were just pure crap, eventually leaving me without protection when I needed it most. I had lights that I would keep in my saddle bag and they would accidentally get turned on while being jostled around while riding. When I needed the light, I’d pull it out only to find dead batteries. Grrr. I’ve tried keeping the batteries separate. That worked for a while, but then there would be a mechanical failure of some sort. A common one was a weak attachment clip. Hit a bump in the road and there goes your tail light, smash, on the pavement. A lot of times I could swing around and pick it up (PITA), but there were times when I just couldn’t get to it before the next wave of traffic and I had to watch my tail light (read: money) be crushed to dust under car tires before my very eyes. Then there were the tail lights that ate batteries. Or the ones where the cover would pop off and the batteries would fall out.
All that has changed for me. When I bought my Trek 520 used, it came with a small box of assorted bicycle stuff; a crappy headlight, cheesy lock and this curious little tail light, the Planet Bike Superflash Stealth Tail Light.
The Planet Bike Superflash Stealth Tail Light, is fairly small and light. Getting it second hand, there was no instruction sheet and it took me forever to figure out how to turn the dang thing on, even after visiting the Planet Bike website. There is a small button integrated into the bottom of the actual body of the unit. Push it once and you get a three LED alternating flash. Push it a second time and you get one steady burning LED. A third push turns it off.
Warning! Don’t look at this LED directly! It’s like a laser beam! This tail light is REALLY bright! No Joke. So far that makes this a winner over all of my other ex-tail lights. It’s also virtually impossible to turn on accidentally and it’s way brighter than any other I’ve had in the past. BtW- It runs on two AAA batteries. I am still using the same generic ones that came with mine, so I’d say it has a pretty good battery life, too. There’s a small notch in the upper right of the housing where it meets the lens where you can insert a screwdriver, or a dime or some such to pop the unit open to get to the batteries.
Planet Bike Superflash Stealth Tail Light with arrow pointing to the notch to open the battery compartment. At the opposite end, you can see the word "push" embossed into the case. That's the on/off switch. From this angle, you can also get a good view of the mounting clip. The tab at the bottom of the clip is part of the quick release system.
As far as the attachment, it has a clip on he back that will clip to a piece of clothing or gear pretty darn securely. The real cool part is the quick disconnect bicycle mount. I had to buy mine separately (ebay, about $5 iirc) because mine was second hand. Once this piece is secured to your bicycle, the tail light isn’t going anywhere, unless you TAKE it off! The quick release is easy to use- just push a tab and slide the light out of the mount. It uses the same clip that you would use without the mount. I have mine mounted to the back of my rack and its been there for the past 1500 miles. It has never come off or failed me in any way. Within a few weeks of using mine, we ordered a second one to put on Carolyn’s Jamis and it’s been there all summer. This is hands down the best tail light I have ever had. A+.
Planet Bike Superflash Stealth Tail Light quick release mount
Here are some cool new technologies for bicycle helmets. One works with your smart phone to automatically call for help if you are in a serious crash. It will also give your location. This could be very cool for those of us that ride alone a lot, especially in the middle of nowhere or on a tour. It’s called the ICEdot sensor and attaches unobtrusively to your helmet.
Won’t help me, I have a dumb phone 😉
Here’s the link: https://icedot.org/crash
The other new helmet product is kind of out there, but it’s kinda neat to see it in operation. It’s the Hovding Invisible Bike Helmet. It’s like an airbag for your head, so you can ride without a “helmet.”
Like I said, kinda whacky, but, well, it is Swedish…
Go watch the dramatic slow motion videos for yourself here: http://www.hovding.com/en/film/
Guy and I got an e-mail from Chris to let us know that he is planning to ride the Ohio to Erie Trail the third week in October. Like the other recent Ohio to Erie Trail cyclists he is asking for our help with the planning and navigation. Of course we are delighted to help him but it is tough because it makes us want to ride the trail again!
Chris will be riding solo on a Rivendell Sam Hilbourne, lightly loaded with front and rear bags. He has indoor accommodations so he does not need to carry camping gear. His plan is to ride “door to door” from a family member’s house in Cleveland to his home in Cincinnati. His itinerary is to ride his bicycle the length of the trail in five days, stopping in Akron, Millersburg, Westerville, and Xenia.
Should be fun to follow along as he gets geared up for a fantastic ride!
Mary and her Surly LHT tire dipping in Lake Erie at Edgewater Park in Cleveland Ohio after riding 350 miles on The Ohio to Erie Trail
Mary is a regular visitor and participant on iGotaBike.com. She just sent us this great photo from Edgewater Park with her cool bike.
Thanks Mary! Congratulations on your excellent ride!
An excerpt of some her comments are below.
To see the full discussion click here and another discussion here
Mary says…
I rode this the week of July 9-13 solo, Ohio River to Lake Erie.
I stayed in hotels; in Cederville at the Hearthstone Inn, and with my brother in Columbus, The Comfort Inn in Millersburg, and the Quaker Square in Akron.
I was riding a 2011 blue Surly LHT frame that I built up with older MTB parts. I had a small handlebar bag, and Ortleib classic rear rollers. I carried bike tools, cycling clothes (more than I needed), one pair of street capris and gym shoes; a book, a small camera and an iphone though I used maps for the trip. Oh, I also carried a frame pump and two 25 oz water bottles as well as a 50 oz. Camelbak. I had a brother traveling who picked me up in Cleveland. I downloaded the PDF maps at the Ohio to Erie website and printed them out. I carried each days map pages in the handlebar bag and kept the rest with my clothes. They were too general and the street names were written too small but this forced me to stop and talk to people in every small town along the way, not something I’m very inclined to do normally, and that might have been the best part. The most difficult part was riding the gravel trail to the Bridge of Dreams and the dirt trail beyond it till it ran out. I was riding on slick 26×1.6 tires. The worst part was trying to get food in Akron when it was about dark and I didn’t want to be out walking around alone after the sun went down.
I used the map print outs except for the point at which I was lost then turned on the iphone for general directions to get me back on track. I stopped at the first bike friendly place I saw to make sure I was going the right way. Yes, this was my first taste of multiday touring and the first time riding this route.
Planet Bike Hardcore Fender Review
SKU 7046 and 7048
Price Paid: $39.99
Link: Planet Bike Fenders
Both Carol’s Jamis Aurora and my Trek 520 are sporting Planet Bike Hardcore Fenders. Carol bought the Hardcore Road and I bought the Hardcore Hybrid, the difference being that the Hybrids are wider, 42mm vs 35mm. The reason I bought the Hybrids was that I was thinking that I might be putting on some slightly bigger tires in the future. Both sets have been in service for approximately 1500 miles. Carol’s old Raleigh Comfort bike also had Planet Bike mountain bike fenders and those fenders have 3000+ miles on them.
With the background set, here are my observations:
Overall, for a set of $40 fenders, these are a really good product. They work well and are durable and have a nice shiny black finish that really stands up to abuse..
Attaching them to the bike is fairly straight forward. The stays attach to your bike’s threaded braze-ons and there are two clips for the rear fender and one for the front. The front fenders have quick release safety mounts that will pop the stays off if something were to get jammed in the front wheel. There was some sort of a fit problem on Carol’s Jamis because of her front rack and I removed the quick release clips on hers to make it fit. Now they’re just old fashion front fenders.
Update, Sept. 2013: I want to make it clear that you really should use the quick release mechanism supplied with the fenders. On our last tour of the OtE this past spring, Carol hit a bump that caused her front pannier to jump off the rack, which in turn caused the front fender to get caught by the tire, sucking it up under itself, thereby causing the wheel to stop spinning which in turn abruptly stopped forward progress of the bike causing it to flip. Carol was pretty lucky and didn’t get hurt (low speed) and the bike was not seriously damaged, but the fender was trashed. Read the blog entry HERE.
Adjustments are simple- just hold the fender in the position that you want it, then tighten the nuts. Once it’s all in place you can fine tune the adjustments, setting the fenders as close to the tire as you like. A second set of hands can make this job a little easier.
Planet Bike fender adjustment nut and protective rubber boot.
The rear fenders also have an adjustable clip that attaches to the seat-stay crossover bridge. The fender can slide into it or snap into it. There is also a clip that snaps tightly over the chain-stay bridge. Using it slightly increased the gap between the fender and wheel, but the look doesn’t bother me. It’s sturdy. Alternatively, there is a hole in the fender so you can bolt it to the chain-stay bridge if that is your preference. In addition to the two clips, there are two sets of adjustable steel stays.
Planet Bike fender seat stay bridge clip.
Planet Bike fender chain stay bridge clip.
The front fender has one set of adjustable stays and a clip that mounts to the hole through the fork crown. On my Trek, the fork crown is closer to the tire than on Carol’s Jamis, allowing me more adjustability in getting the fender closer to the tire. If the bracket was just a little longer, I could do the same for Carol’s bike. Maybe if it came with some sort of bracket extension…?
In use, they work pretty well. We have ridden through rain showers and storms and remained pretty comfortable, our shoes and our bikes staying relatively dry. The only quibble I have is that I wish they were a little longer, maybe 4-6 inches. I found that following Carol in the rain, I was riding with her spray hitting me in the face, so I had to stay back far enough to lose any and all effects of drafting. I think a little longer front fender would help too, in both the forward and rearward direction. I’m sure that would require a second set of stays and increase the price, but it would be worth it. I’d pay an extra ten bucks for these improvements. That said, I can’t really find any other fender in this price range that has this amount of coverage, and I’m not the kind of guy that’s gonna spend $150 on a set of custom fenders.
As far as durability goes, you can lean them against stuff and not have to worry. Rocks and sticks go round and round, leaving not so much as a scratch. (Road debris, another reason for fenders.) Once, I had to jam my bike in the back of an SUV for an emergency portage, sans the front wheel. When we arrived at our destination an hour later, I saw that my front fender was folded in half, backwards. The emergency stay release did its job, popping the stay free. I was bummed. When I pulled the bike out, the fender went “boing” right back into shape and looked as if nothing ever happened. No crack, no crease, nothing. I was amazed. All it took was about ten minutes of fiddling to get the stays re-attached and to re-allign the fender. Awesome.
Also, there are little rubber boots that go over the ends of the stays to protect you from poking yourself. You’ll lose them in a week. I guess you could glue them on, but then it would make taking the fenders off nearly impossible in some situations.
We have had no issues of interference with our center pull or V cantilever brakes.
Bottom line pros:
-good bang for the buck
-durable
-easy to install
Bottom line cons:
-could be longer 4-6 inches
-needs a more adjustable fork crown bracket
Guy and I were asked to meet up with a group of cyclist from FMCPT (Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails) and escort them through the constructions zones of Cleveland and on to Edgewater Park for tire dipping. The group departed from the Ohio River in Cincinnati on Tuesday and were at Lake Erie on Saturday after pedaling 348 miles. What a super team and truly an impressive feat! We had an excellent time showing them the way!
Guy always does a great job with the action shots while riding! Here you can see Gene Pass and other FMCPT riders on the first of two suspension bridges built for cyclist in the Cleveland Metroparks. The huge double bridges of Interstate 480 are in the background.
Friends of Madison County cyclists were riding a wide variety of bikes. Some were riding road bikes, touring bikes, comfort bikes and even a recumbent.
Friends of Madison County looking good riding through the Cleveland Metroparks Ohio and Erie Canal Reservation.
Friends of Madison County working to stay together to make the lights along West 14th Street in Tremont just above the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail head at Harvard Road.
One of the trickier spots is getting across the now only one lane, one way, Abbey Avenue Bridge past the I 90 bridge construction zone to get to downtown Cleveland. The construction workers got a kick out of seeing the pack of FMCPT cyclist looking tough in matching shirts and jerseys.
The intersection of West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue in front of the Westside Market is packed full of pedestrians, cars, trucks and lots of bikes as folks enjoy a beautiful day in Ohio City.
FMCPT riders assembling at the waterline at Edgewater Beach in Cleveland for the victorious tire dip!
What a victory to have the front tires in Lake Erie after having their back tires in the Ohio River only five days earlier! Congratulations!
Gene Pass is known to accumulate somewhere between 4000 and 5000 miles on his bicycle every year. We often wondered, what is his secret? Now we know the answer. Twinkies!
Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails Cyclists tire dipping at Lake Erie after 348 miles on the Ohio to Erie Trail
Congratulations to the 13 FMCPT (Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails) Cyclists who pedaled their bikes from the Ohio River in Cincinnati to Lake Erie in Cleveland Ohio. The journey took 5 days and all went well. What a great team and an impressive feat! Three cheers for Ohio bike trails hero Gene Pass, second from the right in the photo.
Last night Guy and I got a call to see if we could meet up with a group of cyclist and escort them through the tricky constructions zones of Cleveland and on to Edgewater Park for some victorious tire dipping. Of course we said yes! Its a beautiful day for a bike ride and for making some new friends.
The cyclists are associated with FMCPT (Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails). When Guy and I rode the Ohio to Erie Trail to and fro earlier this year we were escorted into London by FMCPT leaders Wayne Roberts and Gene Pass so we are happy to return the favor. The group departed from the Ohio River in Cincinnati on Tuesday and were in Akron by Friday and they will finish the route today, Saturday. They are going to let us know when they reach Pennisula and we will hop on our bikes and ride toward them. Likely we will find them along the Ohio and Erie Towpath Trail near Rockside Road in Independence. Should be 30+ miles for us, 300+ for them!
