Moving for the Soul

15 miles of mountain biking in the lovely, shaded and quiet Ethan Allen/Mackenzie Park Trails. They're dried out now from July's floodwaters. The nettles are thankfully flattened, but it took a lot of work to clear debris and saw fallen trees.

It's helpful to keep moving, diversifying local routes, and in this time when we can plan adventures, finally, sometimes health quirks place us mentally back in pandemic times. Put one front in front of the other and don't look too far ahead. 

Both the Caulkins and MacKenzie Trails skirt farmland and zigzag along the Winooski Riverbank with water views.

With an age gap between me and my husband - he's free to travel and set his own schedule - and thus what a wonderful two months he's had in 2023, traveling thousands of miles, visiting family and friends, pedaling long distance trails and hiking high points. But his health has thrown curveballs, too. Often he overdoes physical work at home and at a summer residence, where seemingly minor tweaks accumulate and turn into debilitating back injuries that take weeks to heal. I'm hopeful he recovers in time for my planned vacation time - I'm still working - in September, because from day one, we're the best traveling partners.

Choose from meandering trails or a dirt road throughout the Winooski River bottomland - a local treasure,
whether walking or riding.

After a wonderful ride on the Erie Canal Trail (where my husband's fitness put me to shame) but then we had a thwarted July adventure, due to Vermont's terrible flooding, when I badly need a vacation. In the meantime, for my peace of mind, I have a quasi backup adventure just in case my husband can't make it.

Specialized Hard Rock Ultra - a Surprise Find

Specialized Hard Rock Ultra, my new gravel tourer?

I didn't intend to add a Specialized Hard Rock to a perfect number of bicycles - four - all with distinct characteristics, but I have missed the Trek 830 Antelope's amazing utility, a bike I parted with in 2020 because of poor fit. 

I'd never seen this colorway until @Bobbinnsprocket on Instagram built one up for herself. Since then, it's been on my radar. The color and style also satisfied my goals to one day own a purple bike - half purple is close enough - and paired with pink is stunning.

Our younger son is a bike mechanic and spotted the bike soon after it arrived at his workplace. The rest is history. He stripped it, knowing (his way of insisting) I might like to build the Hard Rock from a blank slate.

The frame condition is remarkable for it's age - I believe it's a 1993 vintage. While the gorgeous frame would lend itself to a resto-mod build, I plan to reuse parts from my stash, triple crank set, and including a Blackburn rear rack with around-the-world patina. I also like the looks of Denham handlebars or VO Crazy Bars, but will attempt a DIY approach, perhaps using bar ends strategically and safely placed on a curved riser bar. It's the utility that matters the most to me.

Wide Gumwall tires should lend comfort on hand-built rims - our son's surprise gift. 

Since I'm not in a hurry, and with my son's guidance, I plan to put it together myself - first time for everything!

I envision this bicycle as a dirt road, rail trail, touring rig. Perhaps without fenders.

Cable guides need cleaning.

How to begin? Our son says he starts with wheels. In the meantime, I have specific grips and pedals in mind. I'd love to reuse the Shimano thumbshifters - so classy - but I know my hands won't tolerate the required strength to move them easily anymore. Easy to adjust V-brakes win out over cantilevers. The rest will sort itself out under the mechanic's tutelage.

The Most Versatile Bike Bag - Repurposing for the Win

It's more than a trunk bag...

Reconfiguring this old, oversized Gregory fanny pack into a versatile bike bag has been my most satisfying project to date.

The rugged Gregory backpacks from the late 1980s were constructed of Cordura material with numerous pockets, strong zippers with leather zipper pulls, and a myriad of accessory attachments. I got rid of the backpack a few years ago, but kept the removeable top pocket plus a gargantuan, overengineered, fanny pack that could be used with the backpack's hip belt. 

I decided the fanny pack, already embellished with external zippered pocket, four webbing loops on the bottom, straps with buckles that could be configured in different ways, plus a daisy chain webbing along the top would lend itself - simply by its features - to an interesting bike bag conversion. Like I mentioned, this fanny pack was overengineered and because of that I don't recall ever using it for it's intended purpose more than a handful of times. 

The Process

I slimmed the overall width (upper left photo) by cutting off the padded sleeve, opening up the side wings, removing the stiffeners, and pulling in and restitching the sides to form a shorter bag. The height stayed to same, that way I could use the zippers as is. Upper right photo shows the flaking internal coating - though the exterior is in great shape. The rear of the pack came with an internal stiffener, so the plan was to stiffen the bottom (lower left photo, a piece of ground pad) and front while also covering the peeling inside, attaching a piece of old green jacket (lower right photo). The cutting, piecing, and sewing was difficult - between wedging the pack into the sewing machine and getting the dimensions just right, I broke 6 needles, and gave up toward the end, so I hand-sewed the last two inches. I even went so far as to leave an opening in the green material so the blue piece is removable should I decide I don't want it in the future.

Bottom view - affix hook and loop to existing webbing straps to secure the bag to any rack.

The retrofit didn't cost anything - I even had double-sided hook and loop attachments from my stash, though I wondered how strong they would prove to be. Like my other projects, I think about the process a lot before starting, then often work slowly, reevaluating as I go because sometimes new ideas prove invaluable.

The water bottle holder was constructed with pieces of the large Gregory backpack.

First test was heading for a sunset picnic on the Dahon. I attached the four bottom attachments to the rack, then looped one buckle/strap around the seat post for extra measure. 

Additional views of the setup. Note the versatility with the two buckled strap attachments.

Carrying a lightweight picnic blanket under the second strap.

The pack didn't budge! Now I have a "trunk bag" for my folding bike.

The bag also performed flawlessly as a front carrier. Like attaching to the rear rack, all four bottom attachments are secured to the front rack, with the other two straps wrapped around the rack and fastened to lend extra strength.

I carried home a 4-pack without any wobble!

I had recently borrowed my husband's mountain bike front handlebar bag for extra storage and understood how useful it could be. There isn't enough storage in my small frame wedge for more than a lock, wallet, and phone - and wanting extra space on my mountain bike rides for a first aid kit, snacks, and extra clothing, etc. I wondered if the new purple pack would work.

The photo illustrates how I threaded the two straps through the daisy chain webbing and over the bars, tightly secured! I can access the exterior pocket easily, and the internal area by lifting the cables out of the way, but certainly doable.

There is plenty of clearance above the tire.

The bag efficiently fits three of my bikes - a testament to the existing, multiple attachment points, plus added internal stiffeners. I never expected this outcome - not in my wildest dreams!

Fanny packs are sold with the ability to attach to handlebars, or handlebar bags converted to a purse, but I've never seen a pack that's as versatile as this one.  (Let me know if you have. :) )

Weekend Ride Goals - The New Frontier

My husband and I have been making an effort to ride new roads and trails. It starts with creating a list. Ideas revolve around places, mainly: a brewery, a state park, or historical site. This insures that we get out of town to have new experiences.

While my husband was out of town for a month on grand adventures, I tucked my folding bike into our small car and went 30 miles north for - what I call - a triangle ride. I rode a section of the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail, intersecting and continuing west on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, then back roads to the car, for a 30 mile route. I delighted in early spring flowers lining the trail portions, plus I visited 14th Star Brewing for a sampler and early dinner before heading home.

After returning from the Erie Canal ride, we explored the unique marine fossils at Goodsell Ridge Fossil Preserve on Isle Lamotte because Lake Champlain was once part of the inland sea. Many of the old buildings were constructed with the fossilized quarried blocks (above is on the Historical Society's foundation) and residents claim digging in their backyards reveal similar treasures. This is an eye-opening region with significant history. It was a lovely circular route, both inland and along the shoreline - first time I've lapped the island - and briefly stopped at Sainte Anne Shrine to fill water bottles then returned to Alburgh Dunes State Park where we parked our vehicle. We walked around briefly on the beach before deciding to stop for ice cream on the drive home.

A chilly, cloudy, and windy day, but we dressed for the weather to explore the dirt roads west of Waitsfield in central Vermont. Highlights included climbing/walking a steep road to gain the plateau region, smooth dirt, and stopping to investigate the old settlement of Waitsfield Common and it's ancient cemetery. I noticed that some gravestones were slate while others were the more ubiquitous marble markers. The Green Mountain vistas were sublime. We rounded out the afternoon relaxing around an outdoor firepit at Lawsons Finest Liquids, sampling beer.

By far, our most recent ride offered up surprises! Another triangular route, we rode on a newer section of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, then headed for the hills on challenging Dobbs and Duffy Hill dirt roads with sweeping farm scenery. I stopped to buy duck eggs from a roadside cooler and moments later a large black bear bolted across the road ahead of me! It was Father's Day, so thus my husbands route choice. He shouted, "That made my day!" Once back in Enosburg, we stopped at Enosburg Falls for a little exploration, then continued back to the car via another segment of the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail.

Ditching the Mirror

For a while I've ridden without mirrors on any of my four bikes. It wasn't a conscious decision and evolved over time, with switching handlebars, updating controls, etc. I meant to reinstall mirrors but learned I hardly needed the rearview vision with my current style of riding: mostly upright bikes with better awareness, on bike paths, rail trails, and dirt roads. Funny thing is, I used to be an advocate of mirrors, but now I'm happier, avoiding contact with automobiles, thus the accessory became unnecessary. 

What has been your experience?