Adventure through commuting

This is just a video a put together for fun.  It's the ride from my place to downtown Boulder CO.  Goes to show there's adventure to be had even in the daily commute.

Click Here!

The Gun Show

Yes, the name of this bouldering comp was actually "The Gun Show".

https://vimeo.com/50997065

This was my first comp in a few years.  I had been climbing well so I took a chance a competed in the Advanced division (it goes Recreational, Intermediate, Advanced, Elite).  I placed in the middle of the division, which I was really happy about, since I could barely touch an Adv problem in past comps.  This video is the problems I scored.  The highlight for me was the last problem, in the Elite division.  I definitely grant that it was an easy Elite level problem, but I was really psyched anyway.  Way above the level of any comp problem I used to pull.

The best part is that Amanda guest pass came with a raffle ticket that won me this: 

It's a hang board called the "BeastMaker 2000". This finely crafted wood torture device includes many tiny finger pockets and slopers that are sure to make me insanely strong for the next comp!

As always, thanks to Amanda for her fine camera work and moral support.

Music by The Roots: Guns Are Drawn and Take It There

The Sanitas Problem

I first tried this bouldering problem on Mt Sanitas a few years ago.  I bailed off the crux move and came down awkward on my crash pad and jacked up my ankle.  I haven't done much climbing in the years since but over the past several months I had been climbing pretty strong in the gym.  So I decided to give this problem another try.  There was not a great place to set up our little Kodak flip video camera where it would show the problem and get a good angle on me climbing, so the first sequence in the video is the holds shot close up after the fact.  The crux for me was a small pocketed ledge near the top ridge of the problem.  I have to say that finishing the problem felt pretty good.

Much appreciation to my wife Amanda for the excellent spot and moral support.

Music by Jurassic 5.

The Fargo is back- A little leaner and alot meaner

Another update on the Fargo's configuration.  I swapped out the bars and the tires and removed the fenders to make the bike more versatile and better on the local trails.

The biggest difference is the new handlebar.  As I mentioned in a previous post, the Soma Clarence alt bar was not as versatile as I thought it would be.  So I went the classic route, with a used basic aluminum flat bar.  It happens to be a Giant Connect bar 690mm wide, if you're interested.  This exercise reminded me once again of how versatile this bike is.  This is now the 3rd very different handle bar setup, and the bike rode great in all cases.  I all comes down to your preference for hand position and steering style.  With the flat bar on board, this is the best handling Fargo setup so far.  I can see why some people love the flat bars.  They provide a solid and direct connection between the rider and the front wheel.  The steering was very quick for a big slack 29er.  My only issue is the bars feel a little short for me.  I'm 6'4" and can't find sleeves long enough, so this might just be my issue.  But I would like to have my hands further apart for stability, especially for riding singletrack.  I ride a Transition T-bar 30" (excellent bar by the way) on my full suspension and it's really comfortable.  So I think I will try something like that next.

The other big change to the bike is the tires.  I liked the fast ride of the stock WTB Vulpines, but I rode them through some goatheads.  Both tires picked up thorns and flatted.  So I took the opportunity to try something more trail worthy.  But I still wanted a tire that rolled fast down the center since I ride this bike on road and gravel alot.  My LBS suggested the Maxxis Crossmark 29ers.  I have always been happy with Maxxis tires' grip and durability.  Maxxis build a beefier sidewall into most of their mountain tires, a feature I think is really useful since most trails out here have rocks that stick out sideways.  I run the High Roller 2.3 tubeless on my full suspension and I had the ReFuse's on my road bike.  So I got a couple of Crossmarks for the Fargo.

The tread says it all I think.  The knobs on the center line roll really fast and quiet on road and hardpack. The corner knobs grip really well through the turns.  I have ridden them through a few chunky rock gardens without issues.  Excellent choice for an all purpose SUV of a bike like the Fargo.

Lastly, the fenders came off.  I would have left them on if this was strictly a commuter or gravel grinder. But on trails the fender banged around and rub against the tires non stop, so they're hanging in the garage for future use on a tour or something.

I leave you for now with this picture of the Fargo overlooking Boulder CO.  This was taken part way up Flagstaff Mountain, at the first observation point.  The road up Flagstaff is one of the steepest climbs in Boulder, which is to say it's one of the steepest climbs in a lot of places.  It's a regular test piece for for bikers.  I recently decided I would pedal the Fargo to the top, even though it's "too heavy" and has "too much stuff on it" to climb well.  I say set up your bike the way you want, ride it up or down whatever you want, and have fun with the whole process. 

Monkey Feet

No need for a detailed scientific analysis on the Vibram toed shoes or barefoot / minimalist running.  You can find that by googling Vibram Five Fingers or barefoot running or minimalist running.  Or better yet read Born To Run by Chris McDougall.  All I want to do is run down my brief experience with the shoes and maybe a new insight on the construction.

After a lot of research, I decided to try to VFF KSO Trek in the rich luxurious brown leatherway.  I figured it was Fall, and I would be using these on the local hiking trails.  So this model was a good fit.  I tried on a pair at my local REI and was impressed with how warm they felt indoors.  I figured I could use to hike through the sunny days of winter.

 Note how stylish they look with khakis.  I wanted to rock them on my next consulting business trip.

 A few things I need to explain about the construction of this model compared to the other VFFs, so you can make an informed decision.  This model is the least running oriented of the line up.  So they have the smoothest interior of all the models I tried, which included the Sprint, the standard KSO, and the KSO TrekSport.  I don't mean smooth in the R&B sense of the word.  I mean the Trek (not TrekSports mind you) interior has a minimum of stitching and support built into the heal.  it seamed like the other models had a lot of seems on the inside that were really noticeable and kind of irritating just walking around the store.  The TrekSport and basic KSO models also felt like they had some extra material sewn into the arch area, possibly to provide support.  Even if this arch 'support' didn't hit my foot's arch all wrong, I would have dismissed these models on principle because any extra arch material goes against the basic philosophy of these shoes.  I thought the Treks just felt the best, and most minimalist, on my feet, and the leather interior was real nice.  I read no mention of interior stitching on other reviews so I feel compelled to share this knowledge with other VFF shoppers.

Out on the trail, the hiking sole was excellent.  Traction was great on rocks, loose dirt, and gravel surfaces.  And it does a great job of taking the edge off sharp rocks without loosing the feel of the trail.  Vibram really sorted out the design of tread.  I will say that the leathers are really warm on the trail.  This model has small mesh cutouts on the forefoot and between the toes.  And Vibram claims the leather is naturally cool and breathable.  But I think feet will be hot on the trail if it's any warmer than about 55 degrees.

The one item about the construction that was ultimately the reason for returning the shoes is the padding inside the sole.  Shortly into the hike I felt a sharp pain under the base of my toes.  It thought it was just my toes getting used to the feeling of barefoot hiking.  But it never went away.  It just got worse.  When I got home I felt inside the shoes to see if I could figure it out.  Turns out there was a ridge in the sole right at the base of the toes.  After some investigation on the Vibram site I figured out that the models with the hiking soles have an extra 2 mm of EVA foam under the foot but not under the toes, so the footbed drops off into the toe pouches creating the ridge I felt on the trail.  Maybe I just have weak sensitive toes but I didn't think this was worth trying to get used to.

When I returned the Treks to REI I felt inside the other models and confirmed that this ridge is only in the Treks and TRekSports.  It might be inside the Bikila model as well since it's designed for road running.  Word to Vibram: get rid of this potential pressure point and make the entire insole flat and level from heel toenail.  The extra foam is more trouble than it's worth.  The hiking sole protects the feet just fine and the extra foam only reduces the feel of the surfaces, which is why someone would would buy these in the first place.

Bottom Line: This design flaw and resulting discomfort aside, I thought hiking and running through the woods in almost bare feet was a wonderful and enjoyable experience.  It feels great on the feet to let them bend around rocks and flex like they were designed to.  After just a couple of walks I could feel everything from my feet to my lower back getting stronger.  If you can deal with, or just don't care about, the construction details I mentioned, I recommend trying some VFFs or similar barefooted product.  I will definitely look for an alternative to the VFFs, and drop a post about it.

As always, big props to REI for their customer service.

Fuel for the machine.

Maybe this post belongs on a blog called Gershfeld Garden, but that blog doesn't exist (as far as I know).
Until some friends started talking about actually eating them, and I read Born To Run by Chris McDougall, I thought chia seeds were only useful for growing hairy pottery. Turns out they might be the best kept secret in sports nutrition.

I have now been eating them regularly for a few weeks and I think they are a great source of energy and nutrition.  Makes me want to bolt out the door and do outdoor things!

There are lots of articles on the internets about the Chia.  But this site has a good rundown and food suggestions for mixing with chias.  Here are some of my other favorites:

- fruit juice

- granola

- and my personal fave, Alo Drink!

The Fargo - Ride Report

After describing the my Fargo setup in great details, here's a few words about the ride.  The first thing I noticed about the bike is that it's really smooth.  The steel frame is excellent in the way a good steel frame should be.  It's not too stiff but it is very stable.  It rolls with the trail and it eats what is dished out.  What really surprised me about this bike is that it pedals and climbs really well for how heavy it is.  As you can see I made no effort to make the bike super light.  But the bike still feels fast.  Like any 29er, the key is to keep the wheels' rolling momentum going so they can keep rolling over stuff.  And the Fargo is a 29er mountain bike at heart.

My frame is the size XXL.  It's probably not the tightest handling bike ever made, but I have no complaints.  It turns well in tight spots and feels smaller than it is.  I think the change from drop bars to something more mountain-like allows for better trail handling.

One of my favorite rides at the moment is a lap around the Boulder Reservoir.  It's mostly fast hardpack covered with a bit of gravel.  There's a short section of descent that steep enough so you can't really slam on the brakes and come to a stop, but the Fargo feels really stable and comfortable.  The head angle is slack compare to  some other 29er hardtails, at 71 degrees.  I think this is to provide stability for full loaded touring.  But it also makes for a nice ride on a variety of terrain, including beachfront property and rocky steeps.

Here's one for the brochure.  This is just above one of the trailheads at Marshall Mesa.  There's miles of singletrack and gravel roads there and The Fargo is right at home.  The trip around Marshall from Boulder is a really nice long ride.  One of these days I'll get some trail photos to go with the landscape photography. The Fargo actually rolls over rocks, I promise.