How to Tape Your Handlebars

First tings first if you commute everyday you are going to what to do your own maintnance. You have to learn how to maintain every bicycle like a bike shop mechanic, you just have to learn how to work on your bike. Having a bike stand makes working on your bike exponentional easier. You don't have to get a nice top of the line, just something that suspends the bike from the gound. This this the portable bike stand from Feedback Sports it's portable so you can fold it up and put it in your closet when you are not using it.

Is your bar tape getting a little ratty? Mine is, so I need to replace it?

Here's the stuff you are going to need.
1. Music: Toughies from Lawerence.
2. Bar Tape: Find what's comfortable for you. The cheap stuff is fine if you just ride a bike on the weekends; but if you ride everyday, you are going to want tougher tape. I chose Zipp Brands, Cyclo Cross tape. It's thick and has a rubberized grip.
3. Goo Gone: It gets the old bar tape sticky residue off the bar easy.
4. Isopropyl Alcohol: Goo Gone leaves a oily residue, this gets the Goo Gone of and leaves it handlebars nice and clean.
5. Screw Driver: you will need this to get the bar ends off. I have the Velox Brand plugs that have an expander. You also need them if you have to press in style.
6. Sissors: To cut the end of the tape off.
7. Dumonde Lite Oil: When I have the tape off, I like to use this opportunity to get some oil in the housing so the cable slides nice and smooth. Since all modern day housing is lined, you don't need to. It's some people's opinion you should not, because oil can attract dirt. No oil attracts no dirt. but dirt gets in there anyway. There is a distinction to be made here because you are not putting a lubricant in new housing, but rather extending the performance of old cables and housing. I use Dumonde Lite. They call it liquid plastic, so it attract significantly less dirt than oil. To extend the life of cables and
housing in the past I have used light oils, and I find Dumonde to work exponentially longer. Just for the record I do put it in new housing and I find it makes to cables run smoother, and improves derailleur performance. My derailleur housing is not routed underneath my bar tape. Just have the brake housing.
8.Friction Tape: Friction tape is like electrical tape with a cloth mesh embedded in it to hold the housing and bar
tape and more solid. You don't need it, but I like it.
 9. Electrical tape: Friction tape tends to be sticky on both sides. I finish with a couple rounds the end is not sticky and it looks better. The best kind of electrical tape is 3-M, "33". It's got the yellow core. I found the so called "Contractor" grade's tends to become unsecure over time. It's a little more, but worth it.

This is a Velox bar end. It has an internal expander so they don't fall out like press-in bar ends can. They are also made from rubber. Sometimes you can hit you knee on them, or whatever. Most bar tape comes with bar ends that press in and these are an added expense, but I think they are worth it.
When taking your bar tape off you should take these out first.

Now take the old bar tape off

In this step I do not release the cable clamp. This is not a brake adjustment. This is about taking advantage of the exposed cable housing under the tape. When I put the cables back in the stops, I want the same cable tension. This is just about adding lubrication between the cable and housing quickly and easily. I just have the brake housing routed under my bar tape. Now Im going to release the brake so I can get to housing out of the stops and get Dumonde in the housing and on the cable. You don't have to do this step, but like I said, as long as you have access to the housing, use this opportunity to get at it. This is just what I do. I use Paul "Touring" cantilever brakes. Solid, effective, and easy to clean and adjust

 Pull the straddle wire down to release

These are my cable stops. Now that the tension is off the cable, I can pull the cable out of the cable stops. I have external routing. External routing makes maintnance a lot easier.
A lot of bikes these days have the cables routed through the frame. Internal routing does give the bicycle a nicer look, but I find internal routing over complicates things. Every bicycle is different.

Now I can slide the other cable end out of the brake lever to get some oil on that side.

Now that the lubricating is done, now clean the bars of any old tape glue and oil. It doesn't have to be perfect. Now secure the cable housing to the bar. I use friction tape. Like I said you can use electrical tape and probably 99% of mechanics do, I find Friction tape is more solid, so this is the way I do it.

Some tape comes with strips to cover the brake lever strap. Some people call these "Cheater Strips".
You can wrap the bars in such a way that it covers the brake lever straps, but I don't like the extra bulk around the lever. Zipp tape does not come with the little strips, but rather they leave a bit on the end of the tape without glue for you to cut off.

The "Cheater Strip" has landed. The ends are tucked up under the brake hood.

When you wrap handlebars you want to start at the bottom and work your way to the top, then secure the loose end with tape. There are some people that start at the top, and work there way down, and then put the loose end of the tape inside the handlebar, then secure it with the bar end. This does gives a cleaner look, and eliminates having the tape the tape down. The problem is then you ride the natural tendency off your hand movements with peel back the over laying rounds of tape. Also you
want to finish going away from you, so the tendency is to tighten the tape, rather that loosen it.
So for the right side (Drive side) you will wrap the tape going clockwise. The left side (Non-Drive) mirror image counter clockwise.

Over lap the tape by covering up 1/3 of the tape as you go up. If you go around covering up the previous round by 1/2 you risk running out of tape.

Finishing the tape reqires a little trial and error. Since the tape is wrapped in a spiral, you should not cut it off square to the tape. Also to give it a clean look, you want to cut it so the tape ends underneath the handlebar.

1-1/2 rounds of Friction tape.

2 rounds of electrical tape.

Repeat on the other side...Viola!...You should be solid.

He's Back...20 months later

The BLOG is back to getting frequent updates.
Since my automobile is I.C.C (Internal Combustionally Challenged), I'm back to commuting by bicycle. I've been getting a lot of questions about how I go about doing things. So I'd like to share the way I go about doing things when my bicycle is my main transportation. Some things will include bicycle selection, maintanance, clothing, route selection, bag(s) selection, security, and my dead-pan sarcastic sense of humor with 80's sensabilites.

If you are going to commute by bicycle, you must have a bicycle. I have several, but my cyclocross bike is the one I use most of the time. Here are some details

Frame: Straight Gauge 4130
 I built the frame myself frame straight guage 4130 tubing

Fork: WinWood Carbon, (Kona Branded)

Brake/Shift levers: Dura Ace 7800, 10 Speed
 The Best performing shifters ever made in my opinion. The routing out the side of the lever gives the cable very  little friction, and thus longer cable and housing life.

Brakes: Cantilever; Paul, Touring
 I bought these from a friend. If I were to buy them I'd have a "Neo Retro" in the front instead of a "Touring". They are simple  and adjust and work well.

Bottom Bracket: Ultegra 6600
 It's an Exo Bearing, Bottom Bracket. It spins....What more do you want?

Chains: KMC 10 Speed
 I'm not a big fan of SRAM chains, Shimano chains are a little better, but in my experience KMC works the best for the  money.

Crankarms: Ultegra 6600, 175cm
175 may seem long for road, but when I got back into racing, I raced mountain bikes where 175 is the norm, so all my bikes have 175mm cranks.

Handlebars: FSA, 44cm

Handlebar Tape: Serfas
 I have to replace this tape. I'll show you how to do it soon

Pedals: Shimano SPD, 979 (Before XTR)
 After 15 years they still work well. 

Saddle: Bontrager
 Saddles are a trial and error process. I really like it. You might like something else

Seat Post: Aluminum
 It generic and holds the saddle. I wanted a Thompson setback 26.8, but I've never gotten around to it.

Stem: Bontrager, RXL 11.0cm
 I used to have a Thomsen 12.0 Elite 4 bolt. I decided about a month ago to go 10mm shorter. it rotated me up, so I can  see the road, and in doing so put less weight on the front of the bicycle, and more weight in the rear. I like it. From center  of bottom bracket, to top of saddle is 73.5cm. When people go into bike shops and get thier position set. In my opinion  it's just a starting point. There is adjustability. If you are not comfortable, you are not going to want to ride.

Wheels: Mavic, Ksyrium
 These are some race wheels I inheirted. I would not buy them for everyday commuting, but they are light, fast, and strong.   The bad part is, it's a pain to find replacment parts for these wheels. No one is going to have them local unless I'm lucky.  It's better to just get conventional 32 J-bend spoked wheels.

Tires: Continental, GatorSkin Hardshell 700c x 32
 I've been running Continental tires since 1990. Light, Fast, and durable. recently I went from 28c to 32c. the larger volume  adds comfort to the ride and extra durability. You can say the 28c tires are faster and have less rolling resistance, but any  speed you gain will be negated by all the traffic signals you will hit.I guess if you live outside the city and have a long  interupted run you can make a case for 28c, but in the city...fugetabout-it

Veterans Day almost Indian Summer Sky ride

Some people might consider a day like today an Indian Summer Sky day, and it was real close. It was a sunny, 70 degree day in late October/early November, but it didn't come after a frost. It was 36 degrees the other day and that was close.

This is the ride's Flick'r Photo album. Tap through the 43 pictures
It was supposed to rain, but I thought I would gamble that it would not. The rains held off, but I did encounter a pretty strong wind on my way back. Any day is a good day on the bike.

Crank Brothers m19 Multi-Tool Review

I guess the Crank Brothers m19 Multi-Tool is regarded as a "Mountain Bike" tool, but with more and more road bikes becoming equipped with disc brakes, there is hardly a need to draw that distinction anymore. For "road" you don't need the Torx-10 or Torx-25 wrenchs. The T-10 is for hydraulic brake lever fill bolts, and the T-25 is for rotor bolts. But then there are a few chainring bolt manufactures that make T-25 chainring bolts, so you were not completely out of the woods (pun intended). \

So what do I get?

 

A stainless steel carrying case:

If I've been lucky and had long enough runs without a flat that I've had a tools rub a hole in my spare inner tube in my bag. Well that my conclusion. A carrying case should prevent getting another hole, or using it as an excuse anyway.

 

 

chain tool: 8/9/10/11 speed compatible:
There have been very few times I've needed a chain tool, but When you need one, you got to have one. The first and obvious reason is when your chain breaks, another reason is if you break a derailleur hanger, and need to shorten the chain to make your bike a single speed to get you home.

 

spoke wrench: #0, 1, 2, 3

hex wrenches: #2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8

open wrench: 8mm, 10mm

screwdrivers: phillips #1, phillips #2, flat #2

torx: t-10, t-25

 

...and a lifetime warranty. The Quality of the tools are as good as you are going to get. These tools are not going to damage your components, and the only reason I see that you would replace it is if you lost it.

 

Dumonde Tech Chain Lube Review

One day someone asked me about Dumonde Tech chain lube. The chain lube you don't need degreaser, you just keep adding.....Whhaaat?...you just keep adding lube? The truth is in between applications you eliminate degreasing your chain, you just brush and wipe it off. From what I know from chain maintenance over the years, I was skeptical. It just sounded too good to be true. Like I said, genius comes from eliminating steps.

Before I got into it, didn't some research. It got mixed reviews. Mostly good though. From what I figure, the reason it got bad reviews is because those people didn't read the instructions. Two things specifically.

1. Clean and degrease chain completely, even if it's a new chain. Make sure you are starting with a very clean chain.

2. Use sparingly. Don't over apply it.

For this test I'm using the least expensive SRAM chain. My chain of choice is KMC. I think they shift better than SRAM, and is as good as Shimano, but last longer than Shimano, and SRAM. I've always stuck with KMC. I've heard good things about Connex /Whippermann, but never have gotten around to using them. But the day I needed a chain, none of the others were not around. A new SRAM 1030 chain, is better than a worn out of spec chain.

Lets clean the chain. To do this correctly, you have to take the chain off. Sure you can do a good job with one of those clip-on chain cleaners, but to really get out of the blocks the whole chain should be soaked. This is my made chain soaker/cleaner/jobby. It's plastic, Rubber Made, food storage container. I've got a piece of expanded metal that the chain will be suspended in the degreaser on, so the dirt will sink below and away from the chain.

I've also got a big magnet on the bottom, to pull the small granular pieces of metal to the bottom. 

For a degreaser I use good old Simple Green. I've had good luck with Simple Green, and a lot of manufactures endorse Simple Green to clean their components. Make sure you have enough to submerge the chain in.

Soaking the chain for a bit, pull it out and brush the dirt and oil off the chain, then put it back in. I like the hand brush for the side plates.

Check out the dirt and metal at the bottom. You would not think there would be enough metal to justify a magnet, but there is the evidence.

Now run the chain under warm water to rinse the Simple green from the chain.

This picture shows the condition of the chain. Lets see what happens in a month or so. I ride about 20 miles a day commuting back and forth to work, or where ever. in all kinds of conditions.

Now apply one drop per link, (not too much), and then put it back on the bike. The wipe off the excess with a rag. I'm using the original, and not light since I'm using it on my commuter bike.
The first thing you will notice is the quiet drive train. It's a lot like using Finish line, "Wet" chain lube. Some people say it sounds like your chain is made of plastic, in fact they call it "Liquid Plastic". A quiet drive train is a good drive train because that means the lubrication is in it's place doing it's work.

The reason they say to not degrease the chain, is so the lubricant can build up inside the chain. This lubricant seems to stiffen the chain up and improve the shifting performance. It builds up over time. and like they say, just brush and wipe the chain off when you start to hear chain noise.

After eight weeks. I've come to really like this chain lube for commuting. I didn't get the build up on the pulleys and chainrings like I'm used to. I'm happy with the silent /plastic like acoustics and its  ability to not attract as much dirt. It's my new favorite chain lube.

Ghost Towns Within The City

There are some neighborhoods I ride through that seem like ghost towns within the city. For example when I ride downtown on Woodland It's all residential housing until I reach 39th. Then all of a sudden you see some vacant buildings that seem out of place. Normally an area like this has an air of activity, and sound; but here the air is stagnate, and silent. It reminds of the Obi-Wan Kenobi quote from Starwars, "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."

 

This is the Colonial Theatre, it first opened in 1909. Once people gathered here to share experiences under this marque, now it slowly erodes.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8898

The 300k Brevet

The plan:
Simply put...get up at 4:45am, Wait for my friend to drive us 20 miles straight east out of town, then at 6:00am ride our bicycles 97 miles from his parked car, and back to his car (194 miles).

I've ridden many "Century" rides (100+ miles) before, but never more than 130 miles. anymore Century rides are generally not about competition, but about adventure (This reminds me to remember "The Drop Ride"). They are about experiencing landscapes during different phases of a day. A "Century" ride takes me between 5 to 7 hours to ride. Last August some friends and I rode 104 miles in a little over 6 hours. While 6 hours is a long time to ride a bicycle, it's not long enough to experience all phases of the day. So the reasoning for something longer.

"Let me enlighten you, this is the way I pray
Living just isn't hard enough, burn me alive inside
Living my life's not hard enough, take everything away"

- Disturbed, Prayer
 

I've been aware of the Brevet series since the late 80's, but I have never participated in one. A Brevet is one of a series of qualifying rides for another ride in France called Paris-Brest-Paris (1200 kilometers / 745 miles) . To qualify, you need to complete a series Brevets with distances of 200 km (124 miles), 300 km (186 miles), 400 km (248 miles) and 600 km (373 miles) in one year. There are also 1000 km and 1200 km Brevets. Brevets are not races, but they do have check points that have to be completed by certain times. Unlike other organized rides/tours, Brevets are unsupported. That means you are responsible for everything to make the distance. The organizers are not going to help you out unless something serious happens. It's a cross between racing and touring so to speak.

People who participate in Brevets are regarded as "Randonneurs". The time limits really add an important element that makes a "Bike Rider" a "Randonneur". A Randonneur has to manage rest stops, food stops, clothes, parts, and tools based on experience so the ride is seamless and consistent. Knowing when to stick to a plan, and when not to stick to a plan. It's this element that can cost you hours of time on the road. 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there can add up quick as I found out.
I planned the ride breaking down the route into 7 sections varying between 24 and 31 miles. I've had two rides over 12 miles this year, 28 miles and 36 miles. So I'm relying on experience rather than fitness to make it the distance. Right now I know I feel pretty good after 36 miles and it works it's way naturally into the schedule.

         

A 17 Mph effort with 7 x 15minute breaks turns out to be 12 hr, 24 min; or really 15.6 Mph start to finish, or as I say, "Close the car door to open the car door".

If you notice I didn't make the halfway point a "Stop". If I was in better shape, I might have skipped a stop in Glasgow, going from Marshall to Fayette 38 miles. I'll still probably stop in Fayette for a while, standing around and saying, "Why did I ride 97 miles from my car"?

Preparation:
Don't fix it if it's not broken! This goes for both the bicycle as well as the body. It's a bad idea to experiment on rides that can leave you stranded 100 miles from your car. If you need new parts, its a good idea to do it a week or long enough to get in a few rides in making sure anything new doesn't need re-adjustment. The only thing you should have to do the morning before the ride is oil the chain and air the tires.

Speaking of tires, it's also a good idea to give them a once over to make sure they don't have holes and cuts. It usually takes a while to get a flat on a new set of tires, but after the tires wear, and you get that first flat, they seem to come on at an exponential rate. My tires are rated for 120psi, but for this ride I'll run 95psi in the front and 100psi in the rear. Sure they may have a little more rolling resistance, but the added tire compliance and comfort over the long should prove better.

In the week leading up to the ride I made sure I was eating regularly and staying hydrated. I didn't do anything extra. You don't want to start the ride become a constant search for "Facilities". Plan to eat 300 calories an hour. You might burn 1000 calories on hour, but "They" say you can only digest 300 calories an hour. The motto is, "Drink before you are thirsty, Eat before you are hungry".

My friend picked me up on time at 4:45am and we went to the Corner Café to fuel up for the ride. I always choose biscuits and gravy with hash browns. That combination makes me feel solid on the ride, so I can get into the rhythm of the ride. Start off with a good base because everything after is maintenance.

"Where you are going, you’re not coming back from".

- The Thin Red Line, Private Dale

Part 1: Oak Grove - Higginsville, 28/28
The start temperature was 48 degrees with predicted highs in the 70's. Since the temperatures were not going to vary much (very lucky this time of year), my plan was to wear shorts, short sleeve jersey, wind vest, with arm and leg warmers. When I get hot, I'll take off the arm and leg warmers, then roll them up in the vest and put it my jersey pocket. Most people ...errrrr a "Randonneurs "will be using a rack and bags (Panniers) to store extra clothes in instead of over stuffing their jersey pockets. Panniers are better in 2 ways. You can store more stuff, plus it's better to carry/hang weight on your bicycle, than on your body. I was still a little uncomfortable so I experimented with a wind breaker that lead to us starting about 5 minutes late. I ditched the wind breaker because it would take up too much room, and I forgot to put back on my vest, so I ended up being colder than my original plan. But it only lasted 3 miles as things warmed up real well on the hills of D Highway.

Most of the time of this part is spent on FF or also known as Truman Road. Who knew Truman road went from Bartle Hall to Higginsville (About 50 miles)? It's a nice little stroll. At this time of day were pretty much had the road to ourselves. I think we got passed by 2 cars.

We reached the first checkpoint in Higginsville and got the news of a detour going from Glasgow to Fayette. We will continue on 240 then go south on 5 to Fayette. This will add about 3 miles or 6 miles to the 194 miles to make it 200. Not that we mind because my friend and I had talked about going another 6 miles to make it 200.

Part 2: Higginsville to Marshall, 31/59
A little jog East, then a little jog North to Corder, then East to Marshall. If you want a car to fix up into a hotrod, Corder is your town. I should have taken pictures. This is also where you get on Hiway 20, For some reason this leg seemed to last forever. I'm not sure what I was anxious about in those early hours.

Also take note there is a Convenience store 5 miles east of Corder on 20 highway and 23 just outside Alma. (Foreshadowing)

Part 3: Marshall to Glasgow, 26/85

 

About 13 miles away from Marshall is Slater. When we reached Slater we caught some other riders. (Commuter Dude) made it a stop, so we made it a stop. I didn't consider it, but maybe next year we will work it in the rotation. It's an unplanned stop, but at 72 miles out, with 128 left it seemed like a good idea to top off the fuel tanks again just 13 miles out of Marshall. Slater is also the home town of Steve McQueen. I didn't see any celebration of that fact.

"I'm about challenging people. Like, properly challenging them and their assumptions".

- Steve McQueen

Going from Slater to Glasgow the ride is spent on 240. On 240 they put rumble strips on the white line/ shoulder. So you have to make a choice. to ride to the left of the white line taking up space in the car lane, or to the right on the shoulder that could vary between 12 inches wide to 1 inch in some places. I will say if you chose to ride to the right, 98% of it is about 8 inches wide. You just can't really work a pace line.

"Pay no mind to the battles you've won

It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle

Open your heart and hands my son

Or you'll never make it over the river"

- Puscifer, Humbling River

The highlight of this section is that highway 240 will go over the Missouri River. There is always something exciting about big bridge river crossings, specially when they cross into a town. Glasgow looks like a great place to spend a day looking around.
http://glasgowmo.com/

Unfortunately this isn't going to be one. We didn't stop as planned because we had just stopped 13 miles ago after stopping 13 miles after the stop before with just 15 miles to go to Fayette. At 85 miles we have gotten into the pace of the ride. The biscuits and gravy I ate at the start has been burnt through and I'm now on the familiar robotic process of eating when I start to feel like I'm slowing down, but not hungry; and drinking before I get thirsty. You can't teach this, it comes from experience. Keeping this balance is the key to making it long distances.

Part 4: Glasgow to Fayette to Glasgow, 24/109
This is where the detour begins. I don't have a map, but I've got an idea of where to go. I stopped to take pictures once we reached Fayette, and my friend continued on to the stop/Control #3. I missed the fork where 5 separates from 240 and continued on 240 south out of town looking for Davis street. For some reason I missed the street sign, but luckily I saw it (Davis) going back into town and took Davis to Church. This cost us a little bit of time. A mistake caused by fatigue, or just an honest mistake?

looking at my computer with 99.9 miles on it, "What have I done?" I'm tired, We are running late because we took too many "stops", and because the wind was coming out of the South East...mostly from the East. I know it wasn't 99.9 miles of headwind, but at the time (tired and sun beaten) it's hard to distinguish the difference. However there is encouragement knowing I will have the wind at my back soon. Since this is an out and back route, I know exactly what the ride back is going to be like. It's a real flat ride, any hills can easily ridden seated, except for the last 8 miles on D highway. 

"You see things in life and you’re a bit surprised what you see

 Life, your whole life, is changes

 You go through changes in your life

 One second you’ve got it made

 Next second you’re down in the dumps

 And it goes back and forth

 Throughout your whole life

 One second you’ve got the most beautiful girl in the world

 Next second you don’t even have a girlfriend no more

 And it goes back and forth

 And back and forth, you know

 And this is life man, it’s changes

 This is what you gotta go through throughout your whole lifetime"

 - Robert Alan Weiser

With the wind at out back, we are now moving at 24 to 26 Mph. It's a lot better than the demoralizing pace 15 to 18 Mph we had been facing. It was a lifting experience. In fact so much I had to settle myself down. From experience I know right before I "Bonk", I feel my best...powerful...explosive. With just over 90 miles to go, this is a long way from home to test if I'm going to start cramping up. Just settle down and embrace what is the essence cycling.

"So whistle as the wind blows

Whistle as the wind blows with me

If the wind were colors

And if the air could speak

Then whistle as the wind blows

Whistle as the wind blows"

- REM, Wendell Gee

We decided we would stop in Glasgow and fill the water bottles. I'm going through the water fast (about 1/2 a bottle left). We went under the bridge, but there was not a convenience store obvious to us, so we decided skip it for sake of time because Slater is just down the road.
There is also a place in Glasgow called "The Rolling Pin", a lot of the riders stop there for what they consider the best cinnamon rolls anywhere. We didn't know where it was, so we didn't bother looking for it, but maybe next year.

Part 5: Glasgow to Marshall 26/135
Back to Slater. Otherwise know as the unplanned stop. With 126 miles down I'm into unknown territory.

"I learned that life is a long and difficult road, but you have to keep going, or you'll fall by the wayside".

- Steve McQueen

Oh how things change (..."and it goes back and forth"). Highway O goes Southeast from Slater. The sun has gone by over head and setting in the West, and the wind changed direction and is now coming from the South/Southwest. Back to 15-17Mph averages.

Part 6: Marshall to Higginsville 31/166
Higginsville is the 3rd checkpoint on the ride. It's also just 28 miles to the finish. For some reason there is a feeling that if we can make it to Higginsville, then we got the ride in the bag.
At this point we have settled into "our" pace. It's basically the same pace we settled into 80 miles ago. We could ride faster, and riding slower seems to be more annoying than riding faster...(Yea make sense of that).

"Historically, cycling is a hard guys sport."

-Steve Tilford

We caught a rider and he wanted to just wanted to ride behind in the slip stream as long as he could. He had done several 600k rides...600k!. He said his fastest was right around 30 hours. This ride is a 300k. It would be hard to get back to the start, then go back out for another 300k lap. It's one thing to read about it in your chair, but quite another to hear it in the moment after riding 150 miles with 50 to go. I remember looking at him thinking, "He's not like us, we are passing him, but he is so far ahead of us". He was a "Randonneur", we were simply "Cyclists". let's also not forget I'm doing this in almost perfect weather conditions, not 30 degree temperatures, driving rains, winds or snow.

"The Edge...There is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over. The others-the living-are those who pushed their control as far as they felt they could handle it, and then pulled back, or slowed down, or did whatever they had to when it came time to choose between Now and Later. But the edge is still Out there.”

- Hunter S Thompson

It's about this time I think the mental fatigue starts to set in, as the sun sets. You have to make good decisions, it's not a good time to gamble as I typically do...but I did anyway. For some reason 12 miles from Higginsville I find myself without food, or water; and I'm starting to feel it...a little. I'm not hungry yet, or thirsty, but I could get that way quick.  What I don't realize is I have a Cliff bar in my jersey pocket, and a 1/2 bottle of Gatorade. I don't know why I can't feel the Cliff bar in my jersey pocket, and I don't see the Gatorade because I switched from Lime and Orange to frost which is the same color as the bottle. Normally I would have grabbed a bottle trying to squeeze every last drop, but not at this late hour. If I don't see it, it must not be in there. Also about this time we past that convenience store that is just outside Alma on 20. We can't really tell if it's open because the store front is facing West the direction we are riding. Rather than investigate, I just carried on. Also we past a coke machine in Corder. Didn't stop there either.

Luckily I didn't get punished for my indiscretions, but If the weather was colder, or raining I would have. The cold weather makes your body burn more calories than usual. I made it to Higginsville and stuffed myself for the final 28 miles. I think I had 3 pieces of Casey's pizza and two bottle of water, and topped off the bottles on my bike. I'm not sure what's wrong with pizza on bike rides, but I always get looks when I do. Like biscuits and gravy it makes me feel solid.
The directions are simple now. FF/Truman Road to South on D to bates, then West on Old 40 to Oak Grove.

Part 7: Higginsville to Oak Grove 28/194

"Breathe deeply

Breathe in the healing love of the universe

And breathe out the sickness which has taken you

I am with you

It's easy, it's like breathing

It's like a heartbeat, it's easy"

- Dj Shadow "Blood On the Motorway",  Mark Zimmerman, Josh Paul

I have to agree with Commuter dude when he says the ride down FF at night is "Magical". The sun has set long ago. There is no wind. There are no street lights. You are simply riding through a prairie at night. The only sounds are those of the bikes. It's pretty close to riding in the middle of nowhere. The only thing to do is look out for Highway D going south. Like I said FF is Truman road. This road will take us to Bartle Hall if we don't watch it.

Found D going south and proved to be the stinger in the tail. I call them choppy hills, they are just short steep hills, or at least steeper than the last 192 miles of hills.

The finish going down Old 40 to the finish was bitter sweet. I like riding at night, and this night was a good night to ride, but I've been on the bike for 16-1/2 hours and I'm kinda ready to get off of it.

We made it back in really good shape. With detour we ended with 200 miles on the dot. I had 12hr, 49min time on the bike, and 16hr, 34min total. Leaving 3hr, 45min of rest time during the ride. We were overly cautious, but for the first time I think it's better than the consequences. Now I have a bench mark, something to improve from. I feel a lot better than I imagined. Too bad it's a year till the next one. I'd like to run this course in the fall, after I get some miles in. I'd like to get to where I'm riding 60 miles in about 3 hours and feeling good at the finish. I think that would be a good level of fitness to bring to the 300k.