its a Pug's life

[SelfPropelledDevo]

so they say nothing but rain, rain, rain. well, i think its great. to top it off, it aint even cold. temps seem to be hovering around 60F.
the bead on one of the Endo's started to tear away from the casing so i had to replace it. i was amazed to see the difference between a new tyre and the old one. The Pug has been in almost constant service since Oct, and the tyres show the milage.
i took off the rack and panniers, cleaned up the Pug, took off for the day to run around town, do errands, get Mexi food, etc.
it aint single track, save for tmrrw or so, but instead its the commuter life in the drizzle. Splashing gutters, bunny hop curbs, get coffee, messanger bag, with laptop. How yuppie could it get?
aint got to count calories, watch diet, measure anything, just ride, hang out, and ride some more.
let it rain.

peace.........d

[obionespeedonly]

Thanks for posting this here. Keep the updates rolling!

Also, shoot some pics of the old vs. new tire, I'm curious how well they wear out.
~Especially under your kind of daily use.

Obi..

[ctxcrossx]

The endos look like they wear out quickly due to the lack of a tread. I have kept my endos as a snow only tire. I'm still using my pugs year round, but once the snow melted, I switched to some DH tires. I have some Kenda 2.7s that I'm running. Interestingly enough, the bead isn't quite wide enough for the rim, so the tire has a slight gap between the rim and the bead. I hope it will stretch a little bit to fit in there, but I'm not too worried.

If you do this, I would recommend the Nokian Gazzaloddi 3.0 tire. I'm a little concerned that the 2.7 tire isn't quite large enough. Right now the rim and the inflated tire are the same width and I worry about damaging the rim by hitting a rock or other trail obstacle.

Chris

[SelfPropelledDevo]

i was talking with a buddy, and we think the pugz got about 3K miles on it by now. its been my daily bike since Oct.
the tyre in question wasnt all that trashed. the issue was that bead started to seperate, and that worried me.
when the PSI is low, it seems the tyre wears faster.
if there were a "wish" i suppose it would be a lighter tube/tyre combo. but then again.
its a PUG.
thats how it is.
peace....d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

local scene

[SelfPropelledDevo]

sunny cali what can i say. it aint snow, it aint goin somewhere far away. instead its every day, and this is my locale.
peace......d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

So i finally got that front rack mounted up. I copied the mod from the thread listed below:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=200784

All in all, it seems really strong and it really wasnt that much of a project. I sat and pondered keeping more of the rack intact, but ultimately decided to hack it complete as per the above mentioned thread. In reality, the "rear" section of the Surly rear Nice Rack that i removed could have remained intact. No issues with wheel clearance. I just like the way it looks with the complete hack job. (oh the vanity)
The panniers were able to be mated up, and now it seems like the Pug should be primed for dayz on the ramble.
Maybe I'll get the rear pannier set, but 1st im gonna see what this set up is like.
After almost 9months the Pug is now outfitted.
peace...d

[toddk]

Can anyone speak to the benefits of running geared on a pugs as oppossed to a single speed? Thank you.

[synthesis]

Originally Posted by toddk

Can anyone speak to the benefits of running geared on a pugs as oppossed to a single speed? Thank you.

I ride up and down the coast here on the beach and a single speed would be pretty much unrideable in the deep sand.

Some days there is a 20 knot wind in your face in one direction; combined with the deep sand, you are forced into a 22x30 to make forward motion. On the way back with the wind behind you, a 32x15 is usually about right.

Maybe for trail riding or just bumming around, a single speed would be OK.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

Originally Posted by toddk

Can anyone speak to the benefits of running geared on a pugs as oppossed to a single speed? Thank you.

Gears give a wider range of gear inches. So you can crawl, or go fast.
For me...every day I'm running it with a 44x12T and often have wished to use a compact road crank with a 34x50T combined with a 32x11t cogset.
In the winter around here, i found the Pug to totally haul ass on wet pave with all the pine needles, debris etc. I was running it without the racks, and panniers. With the rear tyre pumped up around 20psi(ish) and the front a bit below 15psi(ish) i found i can push the descents faster than i have on anyother bike. Plus it transitions into the dirt really well. Which is a unique niche that it fills.
For quite some time i had been taking it out weekly on group road rides too. Taking a pull at the front of a group, you simply need the gear to go fast enough.

On the other side of the coin, I'm using the racks these days, got the panniers mounted up, and have been riding by myself. Having the low gears to crawl along with the load, and going in places that typically a bicycle wouldnt venture...well...having the granny gear is pretty damn nice.
Today i was doing a little bit of exploring b4 work, got the panniers loaded, nothing on the decks on the racks yet, lowered the psi, and crawled around some. The combo of the Thudbuster seatpost, all the weight (yes! a Pug starts puttin on the weight! I think mine is 38lbs w/o racks), the lower psi, big disc brakes, and a firm hand at the bars...well...its a unique experience. Im still always amazed at what i can ride up, over, down, etc. Those big tyres, not only wide, but the outside diameter = foot print, they really make for remarkable capability. Today i traversed a section of fireroad, with a huge rut at the shoulder and simply rode over it, lofted the front wheel (with rack and panniers) up a 2ft+(ish) ledge to access a dear track that lead into a forested area. did a small loop thru the area, and exited in the same area.

I havent used my Pug as a SS yet. Of course i have a couple of SS bikes too. The thing i could see would be good with the Pug is obvisoulsy to use 2 different size cogs. One on each wheel right? Make sure the rotors are the same size, or simply use cantis.
As a SS i think the Pug would be awesome. Its just that in this configuration, its intended application would be more specific, its range of use more limited.
With gears the Pug can be more effectively used in a wider range of conditions.
A SS Pug would be great for the snow, wet conditions, or maybe a commited sand bike. Very unique for sure.
I also think it would make for a pimp townie bike as SS.
obviously SS makes for less maitenance and there is something smooth and magical about having that perfectly straight chain line, no pullys to spin round and round.

rain and mud are the worst my Pug sees. Im on the beach some too, and i kind of cringe at the thought of saltwater washing over all the bling (KC hubs, etc) so i try to treat it nice when its at the beach.
with that said...
recently i rode sand with the rear rack and panniers. I managed to stand up a couple of times and use the big ring, but for the most part, im running 32x32t, or dropping into the granny (22t, i think) and dropping down a 2 or 3 cogs. Sand seems to necesitate that grannygear.

peace......d

[jesusburger]

Originally Posted by toddk

Can anyone speak to the benefits of running geared on a pugs as oppossed to a single speed? Thank you.

Mine is set up as a "dinglespeed" (2 chainrings and 2 sprockets) as it's mostly used on the local beaches and I wanted something that was simple, light(er!) and easy to wash the sand off. I got Surly stainless steel chainrings and their steel sprockets on a PlanetX single-speed freehub that will take 2-3 splined sprockets, not a freewheel. The other wheel has a Surly hub with a freewheel.
The sram PC58 8-speed chain has a link you can break without a tool, so I take the chain off and clean it in turps and re-oil every few sand rides. A five minute job.

I use 32\20T most of the time which is perfect for deep sand and on singletrack I can keep up with geared bikes but on faster stuff like gravel fireroads (or on the road) it's way undergeared.

I am getting a rack and panniers shortly and it may be a bit of a struggle pushing more weight with one gear but you can always get a twin ratio freewheel or swap wheels (lower ratio freewheel on front wheel).

My Pugs is for cruising around and exploring, and I'm loving it. I am seldom in a hurry.

If you want to go fast, or ride a lot in the hills, go geared.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

The Pug has been put aside for awhile to make way for an Xtracycle. What! True.
For the last month or so, the Pug has been just sitting around, while i've been putting an Xtra thru the paces of daily life.
My conversion of choice is my 2000 Cdale F900.
Added 203mm rotors front and rear, and a set of Mavic Speedcitys with a Kenda 35c CX tyres.

The thing with the Xtra is that is has MEGA-VOLUME, and can carry a passanger. In fact it has so much capacity to cary stuff, it hauls a BOB with ease! However the thing that i dont like about it is...its almost impossible to bunny hop, do a wheelie, or simply loft the front wheel to get over a curb. Slow speeds, its "mostly" possible, but really when it comes down to it, at speed running around town, etc, getting over a curb is a hazard. I was really surprised to find how much i unweight the front wheel in daily life.

so for now the Pug sits. Maybe I'll get another set of panniers for it. I've been thinking about getting a rear set (about 900cu inches more).

peace..........d

[Ranger Dean]

lifting the front wheel up stuff on an xtracycle is sort-of like doing a bunnyhop on a 'normal sized' bike, the length of the bike just keeps the back wheel on the ground,
to bunny hop the xtracycle you have to really lean into it

[SelfPropelledDevo]

Asana Cycles aka: Self Propelled Devo
this is me...
http://web.mac.com/asanacycles/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html
peace......d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB6SnqqdlCU

[obionespeedonly]

If you have yet to forward this to the Surly Crew, I am right now...nice vid!!

[SelfPropelledDevo]

thanks...you know, i didnt even think of it.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

well, i couldn't stand it another moment. Being that i rent a loft, i basically live with my bikes. Every day i look over to see the Pug just sittin, and i say to myself, "i should ride the pug today." but somehow, i'm grabing a different bike.
today was the day.
then i asked myself..."why do i ride anything else?" Oh so nice to be back on the big-ol-Pug. Complete pannier set, i took my iBook into work and i reflect how incredibly yuppie i've become. Next i'll be ditching the Suunto on the bar for a Panerai. Oh god! (thats just too rediculous. i have limits)
its obvious why i switch out bikes. I've come to learn that its nice to keep things fresh. For about a week i was riding around on my Salsa Moto Rapido with crossmax, etc. and what an incredibly fast thing that bike is. Oh and last week i even took out my Fondriest complete with Zipps. Now that thing is stupid fast!
at anyrate...im glad to be back on the pug.

peace.......d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

on the way to work today, i ride thru the forest, and come across some guys working, and they just kind of frown (well that was the tone in their voices) at me, i stop use my typical "friendly/concerned guy, asset to the community" approach. Lately there has a been a small arson spree going on. so i guess anyone is suspect. I had to laff to myself as i was reading into their body language, that at any moment i was subject to an anti-bike spew. However the crew started to comment on the Pug, the racks, the panniers, the big-ol-tyres, and its obvious that i aint out to build a trails course, go North Shore style hucking, bomb DH style, but rather i was simply going to work. What finished off the "friendly guy on a eco-friendly bike" was when i told them..."in the winter, when im running the psi way down, its footprint on the ground is lighter than a boot print." When one of the older guys chimes in sayin, "ya...I've seen those tracks, and i was wonderin what it was." So i asked him of his opinion of the impact. Basically this guy was sayin that he noticed that it was helping smooth things.
Now there is this section that i typically ride, and its really a mix of sand and clay. Horses use this area a bunch and once its muddy, it gets all chopped up. I roll the Pug over this slippery mess and i try to take a bit of a different line every day, with smoothing out this double track/small fireroad in mind.
so today i manage to escape an anti-bike campain and in fact...it was an upshot for those of us on 2 wheels. Albiet it helps to volutarily produce I.D., express interest/concern for our local environ, etc.
peac.....d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

the one thing that never seems to fade away, are the moments when im on my bike. somehow, just pedaling, the breath in rhythm, and my body just does its thing. my mind is empty, my brain is empty, and i just do what is natural. gently lift the front wheel over some roots, bunny hop a rut, shift, brake, pedal, pull on the bars, and the world just passes by.
More times that i can recollect, the hours, the miles, the days, the weeks, yes...the years...have passed by under those pedals. when i get to work, or get home, i always lafff to myself when i “click” back to the “prescribed reality”. As if I were transported, one moment i was “not on the bike”, then i was on the bike, and again...back to “not on the bike”. the in between, sure i go thru a process where i download and process my thoughts, but its pretty quick, and then there is simply nothing. Just my natural mind.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

It was Concours weekend here in Monterey. Friday night after work I rolled thru downtown, rode around a bit, watched the cars rolling by at midnight going up for auction. the peeps equally entertaining, a woman in a cling tight black and white stripped short dress, heals, i assume breast implants, as the guys flock all around her. I couldn’t figure out what car she was associated with or what her deal was. she’d hold onto the arm of an older gentleman, then he’d grow tired of her, she’d drift less than 20ft away and flirt with the younger gentlemen.
the smell of alcohol in the air, cigars, men stumbling around with their women in arm, as they basically escort/guide the men along, all done in short skirts/dresses and heals. I have to admire the social skill and physical agility of these women.

[extrmtao]

[quote=SelfPropelledDevo]It was Concours weekend here in Monterey. QUOTE]

Dude, that is one of the best pictures I have seen. Makes me laugh. I like to laugh.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

encouragement? i couldnt help myself...

[SelfPropelledDevo]

media....cool....

[SelfPropelledDevo]

today’s commute to work totaled about 3hrs of ride time. I can get to work in about 20 minutes if i have to, but what fun is that? so today, it was out to send more bike parts off. thank you eBay! I am starting to experience a catharsis as all my old stuff ships off into...the wild blue yander. why do i grasp to all this junk i have laying around? ego and desire of course. my mind has been crazy, obsessed with buying stuff, this and that, all the bike parts laying around. How many tyres do i have? Oh my god! a life time supply. And i just rent a loft with a meager storage area. I can only imagine how i’d be with a house, a garage, etc. pure insanity for sure. the only rationale i can come up with is that its a mechanism developed from the days when my life was unstable. the days of life with Dad in the van living on Rincon, those days in the Army, etc. unstable, and to make up for it, i’ve pack ratted stuff away. well...I’m over it!
ya over it! like im over feeling like i had to prove something to myself. the years of racing, chasing some crazy elusive goal. as if i were still in the Army, and having done my missions in Panama wasn’t enough. As if racing 24hr solo wasn’t enough. Well it was! enough. nothing to prove. the center of my universe is the bottom bracket. we know this. that is THE primary root of Asana.
The Pug Asana is to listen to your body and mind. its heft automatically tells you when you are working too hard. Fatigue comes on much faster. the unlimited possibilities of places to ride, opens the mind. As long as you throttle down, take it a little bit easier, and enjoy things, life on the pug is for the long haul and nothing seems to phase this method. Pug Asana is supreme. Only having 1 small water bottle of just water, and an empty stomach, 3hrs on the Pug going all over paradise, produced a nice sublime post ride euphoria. needles to say work was a breeze.
today i rode a section of beach that i had never thought about. my commute route took me on and of pave, thru the forest, and up and up and up, until i got to work just in the nick of time to change and clock in exactly on time. It couldn’t have been any better. PERFECT.

peace......d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

Pug goes south...
i just got back from a little 3 day trip with the Pug, when i got home, it weighs 86lbs. thats minus 3 days of rations. The Pug goes like nothing i've ever owned before. Stream crossing? no problem. it goes anywhere a person has the strenght to motor it. My second day i rode from 9am to 7pm, and that was with the psi way down, as i was mostly in the dirt, with only a bit of pave upon arrival to my last camping spot of the day.

enjoy the pics.........
peace...........d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

Its been almost a full year now that i've been on the Pug. In a simple word, "Amazing". it took a few months to get the front rack situation squared away. that is...what rack to use, how to modify it, what panniers to mount, etc.

this 3 day trip i just took was really the maiden trip for its ultimate intentions. that being...the uber hobo-mobile/dharma bum life.

obviously the major factor are the tyres. when pumped up at 30psi and hauling all of 90lbs(ish) on the road it rolls amazingly well. or maybe its just that i've become amazingly accoustomed to the Pug. its taken a year to work up to it, and i dont consider myself a total wuss or a total jock either. i've raced some 24hr solo races, placed 4th a couple of times, im a Army vet, combat vet, Jungle School, Air Assualt, etc etc. blah blah blah. I've done a bunch of road stuff too, a few double centuries, crits, etc. Ok...so im sayin im familiar with bikes. and the Pug has taken me about a year to settle into. A courtship of unique proportions, for sure!

back to the tyres. with my weight 180lbs + 90lbs(ish) of bike = 270(ish) goin down the road, the fire road, beach, trail, single track, stream crossings, or simply making way to new territory. The key really is the psi. and even at 90lbs of bike amazingly i am able to loft the front wheel to get up onto/over things like small logs, ledges, and to traverse strange rut formations.

With all the weight comes MOMEMTUM! ya...with that said...you also have to really watch what you are doing. on the pave @ almost 300lbs its easy to get going 40mph and that my friends, you really need to be cognitive of exactly what you are doing. Are you going to bunny hop a 90lb bike? uhhh....probably not. so beware. special attention to the BRAKES. at this point its really appropriate to bring on board all those motorcycle defensive riding skills.

At one point i did a descent that totalled to about 1000ft. my Suunto said i was descending at a rate of 20-60ft/min. Im using Avid mech discs with a 203mm polygon rotor up front, and a 185mm rotor in the rear, laced up to CK 36H 4cross wheels with brass nipples. I've never once questioned the strength of the wheels. the brake pads, Im using EBC Gold pads. At the bottom of the descent i could feel the heat coming off of the rotors. thats not reaching down to find the heat. That was coming to a stop and just noticing the heat pouring up. the fork was warm, as was the frame at the rear wheel.

On another note, the famous "Pugsley crawl" with that same weight is a huge amount of energy. Well...huge in the world of bicycles. witht that much momentum things that typically stop a traditional bicycle, the Pug with its squishy tyres, just rolls over. so things like miles of wild beach, with rocks the size of cantelope, softballs, babyheads, whatever you call them, with slick mossy stuff, and of course sand all around, the Pug has this dispostion you soon learn. That is...constant even power input, and basically point and shoot. Running both brakes in conjunction with pedaling provides added feedback to the rider. That is...you'd be surprised how practical it is to "bunch the bike up" and make it dig in, or preload it for mini launches up/over/thru stuff. Another added method is to "studder" skid the rear tyre, while pedaling, to feel exactly how much "studder" you are using when making turns on those slippery rocks. a low tech kind of anti lock braking. all of this im sure is standard operating procedure for those in the rock crawling world of 4WD.

while my bike weighed in at a whooping 90lbs, its only 90lbs. that is...in the world of "bike handling skills" its not like tryn to wrastle a motorbike. Not that i've ever had the experience of dumping a BMW GS in a creekbed, sometimes i have those notions of that new yuppie $23k GS1200 Adventure. the pug's big brother, i guess. it all a mater of perspective. you'd be wise to keep a firm grip on the bars, and to keep strong thru the rough stuff.

At times i've actually entertained the notion of a steering dampner. what? i think its just a bit too much, but maybe not. im sure someone out there in the world would want one on their Pug. Instead I've opted for a new Soma Morning Rush coffee cup holder! stainless steel, thermally insulated, with a cool clicky lid to boot.

If i were totaly onboard with the Pug methodology I'd put a set of Jones H-bars on it. But i've grown so fond of my 06' Sram trigger shifters that i bawk when i read on the Jones website that they do not recomend using "trigger shifters". So for now, I've got a pair of Cane Creek Ergo Control II Bar Ends sitting aside this laptop to mount to my Pug which will compliment the Thudbuster. thudbuster on a Pug?

uuhhhh....ya...a Thudbuster! As if the tyres werent cush enough? well....uhhh...no. lol
the gig is with the Thudbuster is that it gives you the ability to be on the bike all day. and i do mean all day. I first fell in love this funny seatpost racing 24hr solo. what a god send! contrary to other suspension seatposts, the thudbuster doesnt change your leg length. the motion is a rearward and then down motion. someone has definately done their homework when this product was designed. To the crew at Cane Creek, a big thanks!

On the practicle note, a little tip with a bicycle of this size and the use of Avid mech discs, i've grown into the practice of simply closing the calipers via the red dial adjusters when I get off the bike. This stabalizes the bike. it prevents it from rolling off that tree you just leaned it against, it deters bike theives, annoys your friends, and steadies the bike while loading the panniers, rack et al.

all in all...the Pug is one heck of a companion. Companion? can that term be applied to inanimate objects? well...in my confused world, im giving it a go.

The Pug compared to the Xtracycle...well...the Xtra is good for hauling those strange large volume loads, like a mini fridge, ladder, R/C gliders, case of sodas (not that i do that too often, thank god) and i love not having to fuss with bucking and zipping panniers all the time. But my vote goes to the Pug by default of its versatility in terrain. Just the simple fact of not being able to wheelie the Xtra up over a curb annoys me. will i give up my Xtra? No way. Is it sitting? Yup. As i mentioned it has its uses.

peace........d

[willapajames]

Sounds awesome.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

I've been back in town, doing my regular work routine. the other day i took the racks and panniers off the Pug, swapped out the bar ends for some Can Creek ones, and the Thudbuster keeps developing a really anoying creak, so i took it off. replaced it with on of the mega-bike-parts stuff layin around, flite saddle and Salsa Shaft seatpost.
Pumped up the tyres to 30psi, and now im jaming around town, down hills, just plain-ol-haulin a$$ around. crazy fun. back to life living out of my Chrome Kremlin messenger bag.
funny how that is, one day im all stoked to have gucci saddle bags, the next glad to have the Kremlin. im just glad to keep it fresh. it never really seems to get old.
peace.....d

[willapajames]

What happened to the Thudbuster?
Love that bike, can't wait to get one some day...

[SelfPropelledDevo]

the thudbuster keeps developing an annoying creak/squeak about every week. I take it apart, grease things up, and as weird as it sounds, Phil Wood Tenacious oil works best to rid the noise, but it comes back in about a week. so for now, im too lazy to deal with it. Cane creek crew told me to use some white grease. I've been using it for about a year solid now, and i've taken it apart 2 or 3 times in the last couple of months. it never made noise before.
i have an older version of the seatpost on another bike, and i spent 1.5yrs playing hobo joe on it, and it never gave me a problem, so when i built the Pug i put on the new version.
im sure i just need to mess with it.
just too lazy at this point.

[qayaq_alaska]

The rig is look'in great...and looks at though you're' putting her through her paces...nice!

I'm off on an ocean tour de'Pug myself soon and will postup soon!

IMHO - you need a frame-bag for Miss Pugs...its the ideal way to center your heavier weight / items and improves the overall ride and touring perfomance. Take some center-load off the wheels mate.

Check out Wildfire's bags...standard issue in Alaska:

Originally Posted by SelfPropelledDevo

Pug goes south...
i just got back from a little 3 day trip with the Pug, when i got home, it weighs 86lbs. thats minus 3 days of rations. The Pug goes like nothing i've ever owned before. Stream crossing? no problem. it goes anywhere a person has the strenght to motor it. My second day i rode from 9am to 7pm, and that was with the psi way down, as i was mostly in the dirt, with only a bit of pave upon arrival to my last camping spot of the day.

enjoy the pics.........
peace...........d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

you are right. I've been thinking about the frame bag gig. But i actually use my water bottles too. typically when i ride out of town, i 4xstrenght powder Gatorade in the bottles, which lasts be about 3 days, then i just add water when needed. So my camelbak, i just fill with filtered water from the MSR pump. I take a sip of 4xGatorade, and a slug of water from the camelbak.
of course there is the typical usage of the H20 bladder around the camp site to make food, tea, etc.
but what i really want to get for the winter, is one of those handlebar mits. Where do i get that?! I'd love to have one for the winter. Here in Monterey, on occasion it will get below 40F, some hail, but mostly just cold rain. I've got plenty of jackets, etc, but what i really battle is keeping my hands and feet warm.
the feet thing, i typically end up going thru 2 sets of booties thru the winter, but i plan on using an old Endomorph, cut the tread out, and sew it to the bottom of a set of Kuchirik(sp) booties.
basically my feet always get wet, but the booties always seem to keep the heat in. Feet may be wet, but they are still warm.
Hands...well, that is a different story. They get wet, then they get cold. in driving rain, my rides are seriously limited, and as the nature of weather patterns go, it rains, then clears up.
so i think a handlebar mit would extend the duration i can spend out of doors, cuz of course, i'd rather not be indoors.
thanks for the input.
peace......d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

my computer crashed as soon as i got home, so its been awhile since i've been able to fully interact with the internet.

about 2 weeks ago i took the Pug north. The route was from my house here in Pacific Grove, Ca to Santa Cruz(ish) on the beach as much as i felt.

The Pug was loaded up with its typical 3 to 4 days worth of rations, a solo tent, sandals, water filter, etc. Im still pretty spoiled, so i have a tendancy to take things like avocados, bannana, cheese, etc. when all is said and done the Pug comes in around 80 to 90lbs.

by 730a i was out of the house and heading down the bike path. a totally grey morning, a bit fog drizzle, nothing exciting.

at first sign of beach, i couldnt resist so it was with the psi dropped down along the sand i went. this morning there were a bunch of dolphins feeding on fish just past the swell. it made my first few moments entertaining.

However once I got past Marina it was totally different story. the beach is pretty steep at points, the surf just crashes in your ear, the shore is so desolate, isolated, it where as if chronic depression. the visability was about 100ft and the sensation was strange. that is...after awhile of churning the pedals in that environ it kind of brings you down. Once i got to Moss Landing I was glad to exit the beach, find the pave and head away from that salty drizzle.

I had left with 1 full large water bottle with Gatorade, and my Camelbak full. By the time i had got to the Pajaro river i was just about out of water, so i decided to filter water. Uhhh...not such a good idea. The MSR filter takes out the particulate matter, and i believe it to filter all the way down to .22Micron, but it wont filter out what is already disolved. The Pajro river goes thru ag fields, and my palate told me that the water seemed "salty". i only took a couple of sips, and dumped it along the way. Who's to say what kind of fertilizers, etc are in that river. so it was a learning experience, and a sad one at that. Sad to come face to face with the byproduct of humanity. (sigh)

Once i had got to Sunset Beach i was more than happy to find fresh, clean, drinkable water. The weather had shifted, the sun was out, and i was peeling off the clothing, enjoying the sun, a light lunch, and some coffee.

next it was to the beach and to explore the area a bit. this section of Monterey Bay is by far the best beach. its firm,flat, and sunny. almost like a hwy. at times i was able to run the big ring and just motor along. I'd stop myself to enjoy the experience.

after quite sometime making my way north, i actually ended up as far as i could go, which was New Brighton State Beach. Once i got to camp, the day was a total of 10hrs.
showers are 25cents for 2min.

the next morning i went back down to the beach, rode back south a bit, to Rio Del Mar,where i made my way to the Forest of Niessen Marks. I made my way up hill til 2650ft (well that is what my Suunto read) when i was down to 1/2 water bottle again, no known water around,and the fireroad started downhill. I decided to retrace my route and think of New Brighton again.
Intitially i had thoughts of camping at West Ridge campground, but when i had found the sight, it was full of flies and mosquitos. I cant stand that. so i was happy to get away.
finally i had made my way back down to the Aptos creek, where i could filter water, and now with peace of mind, make my way back into and thru the world of townies.
at the parking lot at the entrance to Niessen Marks, i chit chat with some peeps hanging around on their typically super nice XC bikes, CX, etc, and i think their reactions to the Pug,my ride, etc, was more entertaining to me, than i was to them. mostly they'd just sit, and like....uhhh.....duhhh....uhhh....you mean....uhhhh.....you rode....uhhh....from....where? Monterey??? on the beach??? uhhh....like dude....how much does that thing weigh??? uhhhh....you rode up to where??? uhhh....ummm....wow!

by 7pm i was back on the beach and very close to New Brighton, where i'd stay for 1 more night. The Pug had been along the beach, and up into/thru the redwoods, fireroads, etc, of course all the while being completely self-supported. this day was 8hrs of effort.

as i sat in meditation thru most of the night, around 3 to 5am or so, a large group of hobo's had gathered where i sat and watched them do their thing. Mostly sit around, chit chat, take showers, smoke, trade, etc. Life of hobos. it was really cool. i enjoyed the fact that i had been sitting long enough without movement that they didnt even realize i was there. at times they'd be about 20ft away as the darkness kept me from their perception as well as their preoccupations kept their minds as such.

come morning it was time for me to pack up, and head back to Monterey. My route, straight home on the pave. in total. it was 5hrs. at the start around 11a the weather was sunny nice, and almost 80F. Once i got just south of Moss Landing, the marine layer was blowing in, the drizzle setting in, and the temp dropped 20degrees in about 2miles.
all the way home from Pezzini Farms i kept wondering why i live on this side of the bay. the final miles where not so much demanding, or taxing, but really it was more of an onset of meloncholy. the combination of a perfect few days spent, new territories discovered, new people to chit chat with, a certain degree of being untethered to "the daily grind", with the hard cold factoid of going home. home where i'd shave, and get ready for work.
when i get home...my computer doesnt work, the HD had crashed, and so it was...
welcome home...

peace..........d
enjoy the pics

[SelfPropelledDevo]

more pics, and not enough space to upload things. hmmm...i wonder how i could actually post text with the pics...you know...more betta format, instead of leaving you guessin when and where pics are takin from.

however i did put them in chrono order.

peace......d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

i dont know why i like this pic
maybe its the light or something.

[ink1373]

How is it riding down the center of the railroad tracks like that?

[SelfPropelledDevo]

ca-chunk-ca-chunk-ca-chunk
bump, bump, bumpity, bumpity, bump.
lots of trash, glass, etc.
slow goin
endos with low psi just take it up
bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce,bounce

its boring, its weird, its more difficult that it would seem
lots of trash and debris
its a trip to basically ride thru people's back yards,
open doors and windows that peeps dont think other peeps would be around
hobo-trampin

[ink1373]

I've thought a lot about buying a pugsley, particularly to use the way you use yours, and the conclusion that I've come to is that to me, these are places that a bicycle doesn't belong.

Wandering and bicycles are definitely my loves, and I do a fair amount of wandering in the saddle, but terrain like snowy trails, beaches, railroad tracks, etc seem like the domain of snowshoes and a well broken-in pair of boots.

The pugsley is truly an amazing machine, and there may be one in my future yet...but as of this moment, I feel like having the ability to go EVERYWHERE by bicycle might not be best for me. My crosscheck can cover the miles that my feet can't.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

very true. and the $$$ i've put into my Pug is pretty crazy. but hands down the thing that it accomplishes, the thing that it shines more so than any other bike, is its dependability, and diversity.
just last tues day i took it out on a group road ride, as well as last saturday too.

its not so much "what its intended for" but the fact that it does everything.

I've been eye balling the new BMW GS1200 Adventure. i think the Pug is to bicycles what that motorbike is to motorcycles.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

what?
yup, after the roadies around here started sayin that i need to wash the Pug, it started me thinking.
so here it is.
all clean,
wow!
reminds me of a time when i was in Army, we'd be in the field, go all over god's good earth on deployments, and it always amazed me how we'd go to a wash rack, clean up the vehicles and howitzers as to not leave debris and simply look good while in convoy on hardball.
back in garrison, again with the cleaning, pmcs, everything lined up on their chalk marks in the motorpool, howitzers fresh with breakfree, muzzle plugs, etc.

a fresh clean drive train, shinny cogs and chain, clean OD green, flat black tyres, everything serviced and operational.

peace...........d

[Drevil]

I love this thread and how you just ramble on about ramblin'. Good stuff! Although it is entirely unnecessary for my trails, you make a Pug sound downright desireable. Keep it coming.

[bighit]

your like kane from kung fu, puggin all over the earth

[SelfPropelledDevo]

thanks for the compliments on the ramble.

the Pug is a very desirable companion. the limiting factor is the rider. The rider's mindset,their psychology, the physical ability follows.

sometimes i get bummed out when i see all the bikes atop of cars, their riders now drivers, soon to get out, click in and become riders, but of course only in a park. a park authorized, that is approved for their choice form of recreation, which turns to sport, with sporting campaigns, sporting companies, and again...another choice venue. season after season, dollar after dollar do we spend, expend our daily lives grinding away in our office cubicals, or maybe with hammer and nails, or behind some register processing the passers-by. our friends we have friendly competion, our frustrations play out, we vent along the way, the recreation our salvation from the daily grind, a place of sactuary, a place where we get in rythm, as if dust from our wheels, so goes our collective industrialized minds, in a plume, faded away, i was there, am not now,only here, and only here is where its really always been, everything else dust, left to settle...

On the ramble seems to be my natural spot. A harsh reality is setting into my mind these days, as im finding more and more that there is less and less to ramble around. Often i feel as if a fish kept in a large aquarium, day after day, making my way, gently detered by the invisible barrier of thick acrylic, a metaphysical conundrum for sure, as i make my way hoping to come upon a place to somewhere else. In reality, im only a few days, if that, away, hopefully at times there is peace and quiet, a tranquil moment, when there is not a single man made sound. to sit and dissolve, acutely aware, and yet the common thinking of "I" is gone.

these are places the Pug can take a person.

to put mountain bikes/life into perspective, I've come across this little ramble below.
enjoy

peace.........d


__________________________________________________ _______________________
Gold Rush Bicycling

Terrence Cole, Professor of History at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, described some early bicyling in Alaska in the following Fairbanks News-Miner article originally published on May 1, 1978.

"Though some people think of the bicycle as a toy, like a skateboard or a Frisbee, in the 1890s the two-wheeler was the technological wonder of the day.

In magazines there were serious scientific articles about why bicycles would replace the horse, and miiltary experts like General A. W. Greely, the Arctic explorer for whom Fort Greely is named, thought that in the future, high-speed Army communications would be carried long distances by men on bicycles.

In Alaska during the gold rush, the people who sold a special model called the "Klondike Bicycle" claimed it was the answer to every miner's prayer. On this wonderful bike each man could carry his necessary 1,000 pounds of supplies 500 miles from the Chilkoot Pass to the goldfields with ease and comfort.

As one guidebook explained, "The Klondike Bicycle is specially designed to carry freight and is in reality a four-wheeled vehicles and a bicycle combined. It is built very strongly and weighs about 50 pounds. The tires are of solid rubber, one and a half inches in diameter. The frame is ordinary diamond, or steel tubing, built however more for strength than appearance, and wound with rawhide, shrunk on, to enable the miners to handle it with comfort in low temperatures."

The bicycles had two special 14-inch retractable wheels on which a miner could load a quarter-ton, and "drag it on four-wheels 10 miles or so. Then the rider will fold up the side wheels, ride it back as a bicycle, and bring on the rest of his load."

There are several amazing accounts of wheelmen riding down the Yukon River or up the Valdez Trail to Fairbanks. Last February, Alaska Magazine ran a story by Max Hirshberg about his bicycle trip down the Yukon in 1900, which he wrote in the late 1950s so his grandchildren would know the true story of his adventure. But he was not the only one who stampeded to Nome in 1900 on a bicycle seat.

Ed Jesson was hunting caribou near Dawson City in 1900 when he decided to join the rush to Nome. Ed bought a "wheel," as bicycles were generally called then, from a man who had just ridden it in from the coast. When Ed's brother heard the news he couldn't believe it. Ed described what happened in his diary.

"What the h___ are you going to do the wheel, he asked. Going to Nome, I said. He called Harry Smith and John Nelson, proprietors of the hotel, and some other oldtimers. He said this brother of mine is going to try to go to Nome on a bicycle. He's crazy, they all said. We will have to put him on the woodpile until he comes out of it."

After practicing for a few days in Dawson and learning to keep his front wheel in a sled track, Ed took off down river. One day the temperature was down to 48 below. His rubber tires were frozen hard and stiff.

He wrote in his diary, "The oil in the bearings was frozen. I could scarcely ride it and my nose was freezing and I had to hold the handlebars with both hands, not being able to ride yet with one hand and rub my nose with the other."

All the way down the Yukon people thought Ed was crazy for riding a wheel, especially since he owned a good dog team, but he said he didn't have to cook dog food for the bicycle at night, and on good days he could cover 100 miles.

Many of the old-timer miners and Indians on the Yukon had never seen a bicycle before, and Ed was always showing how it worked.

After more than a month on the trail, Ed pulled into Nome, and except for the bruises he had from constantly falling down, he and the bike were in good shape."

© Terrence Cole
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

those are wondering ways!

today we'd make an event out of it.
get the permits
apply a fee
get a clock
make it sport
stand on a podium

and what does this do?
removes us from the experience
it takes us "away" from that which it really is.
in the natural world are no clocks
no fees
and no podium

we here in the social world would think..."but what of the glamour?"
and
"why would you ever want to do that?"

lol

peace............d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

i guess its been a week now that I've been on some new Ritchey V4 Comp MTN pedals. they were $38/pr at Cambria Bike, so i got 2 sets.
On the Pug every day, i've come to very much like them. My 6yo pair of ATAC's now tossed in a box that i cant find.
their black finish fits well on the Pug.

cool....new pedals...

[qayaq_alaska]

[SelfPropelledDevo]

that is so cool. sometimes i think i need to leave Cali

[SelfPropelledDevo]

the weather here in Pacific Grove/Monterey is holding with sunshine, a nice cool seabreeze, and i think the coldest its been is 52F in the early. I love to sleep with all the windows open, ocean salt makes its way in thru my rental loft, while the barking of sealions echo about.

the Pug has been cleaned up for about a week or so, its a trip to have it so clean. its road bike clean! its almost counter-existential. along with the trend, I've taken the bar ends off, reducing it to just a plain simple straight bar. the bar ends found their way onto my Salsa Moto Rapido.

awhile back I took the advice from the Cane Creek crew, took apart my Thudbuster and re-greased it with white lithium grease. and viola! squeak/creak gone... sometimes i amaze myself with how i can miss a simple solution. duhh...
so the Salsa is primed with a thudbuster, and comfy barends. The other day i had placed an order with Old Man Mountain for new racks, that are intended for the Salsa. Panniers of course will follow, and the next shot of days off I hope to find myself on the ramble.

While the Pug will remain at home, all cleaned up, all pretty like, a wallflower, keeping my abode in karmic harmony.
the next trip i have in mind, i think is a bit much for me and the Pug. No doubt the Pug can make the haul. the question is if i could keep the pedals churning for the distance. A maiden trip, a recon of sorts, i'll take upon Moto Rapido instead. this trip could very well be of the tarp and sleeping bag type.

as we head into November with the sun shinning thru the windows, ambient temp at 71F, i wonder how fast the frost will come, what this winter will be like, and how much bike camping i can get.
all in alll, with the less than perfect weather that winter brings, i really enjoy the solitude.
so for now the Pug sits.
more stuff has been listed on eBay, and suddenly I start thinking about the Big Dummy.

eBay has quickly become my friend, all the bike stuff i no longer use, is slowly going out. more and more room is made, and of course my craving mind grasps at ideas of new stuff.
when i go thru this stuff i've got laying around, and as i clean it up a bit, catagorize the piles, and lay it all out in cognitive linear display, i'm somewhat amazed. like wow!

so heres the eBay link:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZasanacyclesQQhtZ-1
take a gander.

I've got so much stuff layin around, that its difficult for me to not build up a bike. all im missing is a cool rigid fork...then i could build up a swank SS. when you look at the parts listing you can see what im talking about.
but how many bikes do i need?

peace.........d

[obionespeedonly]

Originally Posted by SelfPropelledDevo

..reminds me of a time when i was in Army, we'd be in the field, go all over god's good earth on deployments, and it always amazed me how we'd go to a wash rack, clean up the vehicles and howitzers as to not leave debris and simply look good while in convoy on hardball.
back in garrison, again with the cleaning, pmcs, everything lined up on their chalk marks in the motorpool, howitzers fresh with breakfree, muzzle plugs, etc.

a fresh clean drive train, shinny cogs and chain, clean OD green, flat black tyres, everything serviced and operational.

I'm looking down at my worn out, cut off and made into shorts, sub bdu pants, and thinking I really do like the 1x1 being mostly black and stealthy.

Great Stories, as always "D". We gotta figure out a day that I can get into work, when you're off, and have you stop by my work, on the Presidio, and let all my co-workers talk to you. I've shown some of them your stuff and they love it all.

Keep up the Great Stuff man!

[SelfPropelledDevo]

Presidio? SF or Monterey?

today i was on the phone, following up with some stuff
as i'm always keyed into the sounds of aircraft, their azmith of approace, alt, etc
I'm hearing this plane come in...im thinking its BIG, and its SLOW....what the???
we are in mid conversation as I'm looking out the window watching some sort of subdued OD green(ish) large 4 engine cargo jet come in.
nothing like i've seen before.
not a C141, no whine to the motor, but something with a T-tail, and winglets on the tips of the main wings. the fuse looks very Boeing-esq.
lots of wheels, BIG flaps, and on an approach alt lower than typical.
me thinks to myself, its full of cargo (who knows what), therefore the descent rate not so steep.
moments later...i hear the reverse thrusters. (obviously now on the tarmac)
me thinks maybe that is why the Coast Guard dolphin heli was flyn some kind of curious pattern last night. maybe a security check?

either way...
you got to love OD green, and anything subdued...

peace...d

[obionespeedonly]

S.F.

Now, sorry to go of topic folks, but...

~The new cargo's...definitely not the C1 Starlifter's my father flew in, and not the propped LC-130's...

They're the C-17's, sick, sick power and agility.

Here you go...

I know which one you mean. They've been doing some night maneuvers out of Moffett the past few months. They're coming in REAL LOW, as in less than a mile off the deck around Fremont, etc, before turning back practicing touch and go's... having access to bases has it's benefits! I really get to geek out!

You should've seen the Blue Angels fly over work last week, I couldn't work without smiling and laughing as customers kept freaking out and twitching as they flew over!!


Now back to our other point...

So, you gonna visit then?

[SelfPropelledDevo]

WOW! thats the plane. crazy pics.
so a trip to SF is what you are proposing....hmmm
well... brother...I very much do appreciate the invite.
however i am comfortable at this distance and the banter
perhaps this year i will take the weekend off for SOC.
its now been 2yrs since I've had a car.
I think I've rented a car twice to visit my grandparents in SoCal
all in all i dont think i've put 1000miles in a car in 2yrs.
thanks for the invite

peace...d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

the Pug still sits all purdy and clean like, shinny chain and spokes. I've got my salsa all packed up, new racks, panniers mounted, now to get to bed, rest, and up early am...
out the door...
4 day ramble...
peace........
d-

[willapajames]

Let's see some pics of the Salsa. I'm interested in seeing a moto rapido set up for touring... I'm planning on doing the same thing to my Ala Carte...

[SelfPropelledDevo]

i have no idea how many lbs lighter than the pug. lol
racks by old man mountain.
peace.......d

[willapajames]

Awesome.
I think I'm just going to have a rear rack. I prefer to travel light. I learned how to minimalize while hiking the A.T...
Dreaming about the Great Divide Route... What have you got planned?

[SelfPropelledDevo]

i never hiked the AT, but did about 1.5yrs on my bike/camping/hiking playin Joe Hobo a techno yuppie hobo complete with Ti spork. Im leavin in an hour or two for just a 4 day ramble. a loop of sorts. pics to follow when i get back.
peace...........d

[willapajames]

...then again, I haven't actually tried stuffing a week's worth of gear and food into my panniers (ortliebs). I guess we'll see.
I'm currently in grad school and ready for another epic adventure as soon as I'm out of here. Getting paid to study geology in the Bahamas can be sweet, but I've had enough of school for now...

[SelfPropelledDevo]

I just got back from my trip.
1 day early.

while this ramble is not about the Pug, that is...
its not the bike in the highlight today.
rather it is still sitting next to my futon, all clean, on display
however...I say this about the Pug.
if i hadnt spent the last year almost daily on the Pug i doubt that i could have done this ride.

I rode from my loft here in Pacific Grove, Ca. 93950
up and over HWY68 to HWY1, go south to Carmel Valley Rd and keep on goin...
turn right into Arroyo Seco and go past the pavement, onto Indians Rd.
On Indians Rd that is the "no mans land"
Continue on Indians into Ft. Hunter Liggett, turn right on Nacimiento Ferguson Rd.
climb Nacimiento and descend into Kirk Creek
now on HWY1 56miles south of Carmel Valley road
go home on HWY1.

the trip went like this...
rollin on Carmel Valley rd is mostly climb, and a long ways at that
then into Arroyo Seco, i get to the campgrounds and this guy at the toll booth, is so very much the troll under the bridge of billy goat gruff.
20$ to camp! forget it man...
im just passin thru, I want to get to Indians Rd.
ok...well that will be $5 for day use...
dude...your killing me with this...
you want to get there right?
ya...
well...its $5

Arroyo Seco campgrounds looks like a very nice place to stay. High dollar in my opinion.
at the end of the campground, which is again...more climbing
Indians Rd starts where the pavement ends.
and when they say Arroyo Seco is a gorge...it definately is.
it could have easily been a scene from Kings Canyon
at less than 2000ft the terrain is hard, the rocks jagged, and the drop to the river is probably at least 500ft. straight down

its late in the after noon, im spinning the pedals, and looking for water to filter.
im anticipating less than 20 miles of unknown terrain, and lack of water, plus a night of camping, a meal, coffee or tea, etc. i need water.

I find a trail that drops into the gorge and decide i better take the opportunity. its a bit of a drop, very steep. as i've ridden every last inch possible, i've got to climb another 1/4mile to the water. at this point i had definately thought about simply just camping at this spot. especially since it had been about 6hrs of effort up to that point. instead i opt to keep going.

as i get back onto the dirt road, and get ready to climb, i hear a persons voice...
a guy, whom im thinking is the ranger, or other authority, is walking up to me, with a light backpack, and a knife on his hip. its looking about 10". crew cut hair cut, and hoofin it at a pretty quick clip.
he hikes as fast or faster than i can climb. the road is quickly turning into double track, and often just single track, the light is dropping, the temp is doin the same.
this guy is not given me a break...
we continue...
up and up and up
he keeps making strange coments...
he's not a happy guy
mostly disgruntled
a special ed teacher, and he rants and rants about politics, etc...
every so often he checks his knife, and likes me to be infront...
im uneasy...
but dont show it...
as im telling him i work at the hospital...
i was in the Army, etc...
he starts to show some respect for me...
i never really tell him my exact plans...where im going, etc.
its now dark, and we keep on with the climbing...
im wondering how long this will keep on
suddenly he says that he'll be turning around in about 10 minutes, and does!
I keep on for 1.5hrs of climbing just to ease my mind...
i find a level spot in a saddle that has an eastern esposure to the left(ish)
im at about 2300ft or so
the whole time i've been climbing with a single LED backpacking light
cycling it off and on every so often
the moon is 1/2 full, enough of a purple light to cast a shadow
i sit and listen....nothing
i pitch camp.
10hrs effort for the day.

in the am i wake up to daylight wanting to break
frost on the panniers and tent...
the sun crests, and the temp drops 8degrees so i crawl back in my tent and bag, opting to wait for Mr. Sunshine to make the day.
by 10am im rolling.
more climbing...
climb, climb, climb
Indians Rd, is nothing of a road.
a fire road washed out for 10yrs now...its double track at times, and has a bunch of landslides. One in particular, i had thought to remove the panniers and portage my kit in pieces. suddenly i laff at myself with the thought/picture of me in the Ventana Wilderness scrambling across a landslide with 4 panniers in hand. Suitcases!

the trip along Indians was a highlight for sure! Beautiful God's Country! i stopped to snap off lots of pics.
Once i got to Indians Ranger Station, not a soul was to be found...nothing but desolation
it seemed as tho i had the whole of the Ventana Wilderness to myself. the only way a person could be out there was to hike the route i took, or to hike from Big Sur, or The Los Padres Dam area. either way...i really doubt anyone was out there.

From Indians Station into Ft. Hunter Liggett
on post the miles just droned by...as i could hear a warbird over head
mile after mile...of perfectly smooth pave
the valley(s) are beautiful. Oak trees everywhere. the sound of acorns falling sounds of a crackling. like a fire. but instead, the trees are litterally raining acorns!
i take a break at 3pm once im onto Nacimiento Ferguson Rd. its 5hrs of effort at this point.
Acorns are EVERY WHERE! not little ones either. they are the size of your entire thumb if not bigger. 5 acorns split open, shelled, leaves you with a handful of acorn meal. almost a veggie burger worth! i can only imagine how many of thousands of tons are out there. its no wonder that Ohlone lived here for thousands of years. I wish i could at that moment!

Climbing Nacimiento Ferguson the day is fading, the temp is dropping, i've been sweaty all day, clothes are damp, im adding layers, and its up, up, up. not the steep up of mountian biking, but instead, 15-30ft/min for 3hrs. Once i stopped to filter some water, the night was real close, so it was back to my LED backpacking light strapped to my helmet.
darkness came quick, as i was climbing the east side of a ridge. left in shadow long time ago.
wild life runs infront of me, stops on the road, puffs up, and darts off
fox
boar
bob cats
bats
owls
and countless small things that seem to scurry under pedal
at the summit its 6pm on Holloween :-)
looking west at the vast open expanse...
1/2 moon
the world is purple
the road is mostly exposed
no more shade trees
no more forest
instad grass lands, rocky hillsides
purple moonlight guides the way
while coastal fog strikes out in bright silver!
Nacimiento summit is about 3-4000ft elevation
Cone peak is to the right. From sea level to the top of Cone Peak @ 5100ft its the steepest gradient in the Continental US.

descending Nacimiento under moon light is the most sublime, most surreal experience I've ever had. rolling along on the bike, like in a dream, all the details washed away, only the silver fog laying below, the feel of the bike beneath, modulating the brakes, while the heat is felt thru my shins. only to cycle the LED light off and on thru the darkest of forested draws and turns.
into the fog layer, everything is now bright silver, a light drizzle, the taste of salt in the air, when suddenly i pass thru, and sparkles of light flicker below, bon fires at Kirk Creek, a lone car or two on HWY1 in the distance moving slow...
suddenly i reflect on the past 2 days effort, my life, how it is that i've come to this point, all the racing, the military, the discipline, and yet the ability to let it all go, and to simply observe, take in, the moment.
this moment...
im consumed in awe, gods grace, my luck, the blessing of this moment, the experience...i break down...and emotional flood while still descending, the details of road under my pedals and before me washed away, only the details of flickering bon fires guide my general direction.
a 45min descent under moon light...
sublime for sure, awestruck...

At Kirk Creek i spend Holloween, pitch camp, a racoon comes by...
trick or treat
i toss it a few scraps
ask it to now leave...
upon its return...now time for tricks, gone are the treats...
i toss a small rock, then a throw, now to aim, and it runs away...
again with a return, and now its the sling shot...not to harm, or mame, but to get the point across...
as the moon is so bright, i can still make out its shadow when its 30ft away...slingshot...rocks.

today...11/1/06
the sun breaks...
the dew bakes way
im on the road at 10am
Kirk Creek to Pacific Grove is my objective.
about 60 miles.
i stop along the way to shoot a few pics

outside of Big Sur, just past the lighthouse
i round a corner as people are scurrying from their cars...
a crash
mass confussion...
i start barking out orders...
a guy just stands there in shock with his cell phone in hand
i tell him to call 911
"where are we", he yells out
me: "5 miles north of Big Sur just past the lighthouse on HWY1"
everyone is out of their cars but one...
______________________________________________

i say my prayers
thank god for my days
______________________________________________

i get back into town and its been dark for awhile now
stop at Trader Joes for ice cream and coffee
the scene is BRIGHT and ALIVE
people stare at me
i smile
salt trails streak my stained black cycling clothing
im faded
im tired...
im euphoric
3 days
2 sleeps
and i have no idea how many miles
how much climbing, etc.

i get home and its just prior to 7pm.
10am 10/30 to 7pm 11/1
57hrs
3 days
2 sleeps
solo
unsupported

peace...........d

enjoy the pics
:-)

[SelfPropelledDevo]

more pics...
you can see how the climbing is for the most part...
its gradual, and at times it can get a little steep
but with a set of panniers, it adds up

[SelfPropelledDevo]

pics...
its all about the pics

[SelfPropelledDevo]

this was the Hunter Liggett portion
even got a pic of an old tank
M60?
and a shot of me at the base of Nacimiento Ferguson at HWY1
Kirk Creek
and a couple from Big Sur

enjoy

peace.........d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

awhile back the HD on my laptop crashed, and somehow i dont have everything fully restored. oh well...what the heck...right? i mean...live is transitory, and why should i sit around and grasp onto the past.
like...

specifically, i decided to just republish my website, and who really even cares if its not restored.

anyways...
there are a couple of vids

57hrs
is the last trip i took

Pug goes to SC is the beach ride.

the are both fairly long
a bunch of yada yada yada, etc

anyways...vid of stuff around my locale.

peace........d

http://web.mac.com/asanacycles/iWeb/...s/Welcome.html

[islander]

Devo, your tales have undoubtedly inspired the many who've read along this thread. You lament over those driving to the ride and working for the ride (aka play time) vs. living the ride (as your do).

There's an expression: the sweet ain't so sweet without the sour, and it's symbolic of the point I'm trying make. Do we need to deny ourselves for most of the week to fully enjoy the fruit of singletrack and time away from it all? I mean, if this playtime is one's mainstay, does it loose it's lustre? Do you have to keep reminding yourself to appreciate each moment on the trail ?

[SelfPropelledDevo]

I think i hear where you are coming from. And i do agree with the sense of duality for sure. not that im about attempting to make point or anything, simply sayin..that we make choices, and as i work my 10 days in a row with 4 days off, the price of everything going up, i wonder why we choose to work so much, and why we always keep nudging each other out. why is it that its such a diffucult thing to attain...that being...simplicity and time to just ride a bike. i wish that we'd slow down.
peace.....d

It seems like the vids are downloading? ya?
cool........

[Hairllama]

Originally Posted by SelfPropelledDevo

It seems like the vids are downloading? ya?
cool........

The SC vid isn't working for me . . . just a big question mark.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

sorry about that (sigh)
obviously im still having problems with my laptop and dot mac
i should just break down and buy a new iMac, cams, etc, yada yada yada
sorry :-/
im trying to get things straightened out...

[SelfPropelledDevo]

my work hours keep me up late, and even when im off of work, my sleep patern pretty much stays the same.
so the last few nights i've been out riding around late.
tonight i decided to do a beach ride.
cool.....


peace......d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

so i get home today, and the guy i rent my loft from is still up at 1130ish and comes out, "hey D- want to watch a movie?"
ya sure...what ya got?
"Who Killed The Electric Car?" I think its something you'd really enjoy,since your anti-car.
Ok...cool...sounds like something right up my alley. I'd probably really dig it.

and he's right, as its still playin out here on my laptop, its a documentry.
rent this movie.
"Who killed the electric car?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Kil...lectric_Car%3F
so many other times in my life I've seen a this scenerio played out.
a variation of a common theme.
when i was kid, a freshman in HS, i went to school in Moro Bay. At the time Diablo Canyon was being built and there was alot of contention in the realm of energy.
As i grew up, I ended up taking alot of autoshop classes,i worked in a garage, built up some hot rods in Ventura, sold them, etc, yada yada yada.
everytime, my relationship with the car has ended in a sour note.
including the last time when a drunk driver was on the wrong side of the road, totalling my then new Honda Element. Even then, when i had bought the Element, i felt that it was just wrong. I wasnt on the bike so much anymore, but i was "stable" working more, and not living my simi-pro hobo life out on the ramble on the bike.

well...now its been just over 2yrs with no car. mostly i love my Pug, i ride it every day, and i'd say its safe to say i ride about 10,000miles a year, and i spend about 1/3 of my take home pay.

so this movie strikes a note with me.
i can remember auto shop...
i can remember taking Bio 160. Humanity and the environment...

all in all, its a whole lot of sensationalism
a new movie out...
politics,etc...
a bit more than i wish to really get all caught up in...

but i do no this....
for me...
the center of the universe is the bottom bracket.

its a cool movie...
typically i dont even watch TV
much less watch a movie...
but this movie is a cool documentry...
i dig it...
and i think its worth the 90 minutes...

peace.........d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

so i get home today, and the guy i rent my loft from is still up at 1130ish and comes out, "hey D- want to watch a movie?"
ya sure...what ya got?
"Who Killed The Electric Car?" I think its something you'd really enjoy,since your anti-car.
Ok...cool...sounds like something right up my alley. I'd probably really dig it.

and he's right, as its still playin out here on my laptop, its a documentry.
rent this movie.
"Who killed the electric car?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Kil...lectric_Car%3F
so many other times in my life I've seen a this scenerio played out.
a variation of a common theme.
when i was kid, a freshman in HS, i went to school in Moro Bay. At the time Diablo Canyon was being built and there was alot of contention in the realm of energy.
As i grew up, I ended up taking alot of autoshop classes,i worked in a garage, built up some hot rods in Ventura, sold them, etc, yada yada yada.
everytime, my relationship with the car has ended in a sour note.
including the last time when a drunk driver was on the wrong side of the road, totalling my then new Honda Element. Even then, when i had bought the Element, i felt that it was just wrong. I wasnt on the bike so much anymore, but i was "stable" working more, and not living my simi-pro hobo life out on the ramble on the bike.

well...now its been just over 2yrs with no car. mostly i love my Pug, i ride it every day, and i'd say its safe to say i ride about 10,000miles a year, and i spend about 1/3 of my take home pay.

so this movie strikes a note with me.
i can remember auto shop...
i can remember taking Bio 160. Humanity and the environment...

all in all, its a whole lot of sensationalism
a new movie out...
politics,etc...
a bit more than i wish to really get all caught up in...

but i do no this....
for me...
the center of the universe is the bottom bracket.

its a cool movie...
typically i dont even watch TV
much less watch a movie...
but this movie is a cool documentry...
i dig it...
and i think its worth the 90 minutes...

peace.........d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

its 2330hrs im off duty, doin my typical ride home down Holman HWY, its less than 50F and i've been really digin my new handle bar mits.

zoomin down Forest past Trader Joe's...
spinin out a 44x12t on Pug with a Vega is a bit sketchy, but ok in a straight line

full speed, set up wide, and i pull the outside bar for the 1st right hand turn into the Candy Cane lane neighborhood with no brakes, as i've been pushin this right/left zig zag combo for more than a year now, and i've got just about 1.5ft of safety zone narrowed down.

Im into the turn, committed to my line, lookin into the darkness where the Vega is yet to come around, when i notice MOVEMENT!

I grab a handful of the binders, pull the Pug off edge, and onto the meat of its tyres, when the light comes around and i find myself...

Head on collision course @ 30mph+ into the antlers of a large buck!
he's moved a bit, but has decided to defend the doe he's with.

Im grabbin the binders A LOT MORE, off the back of the saddle a bit, and the rear is startin to slide, stepin out to the left, as the front tyre digs in, me braking more, im on that edge, as the rear wants to come off the ground, while still tryin to turn, the front grabbing all i can put into it...
it skips a couple of times...
all i see is deer and antlers...
UP CLOSE!

bang!
contact!
antlers to handle bars!
me still with forward momentum
still on the brakes...
deer hooves slide on asphalt
we are locked...
im upright...
deer slides more...
we stop

track stand
deer in Vega light

i scream
Raaarrr!
shake the bar...

we break contact
it looks at me...
and moves onto a lawn with his antlers at me
i cirlce on the street...

say my prayers...
and give thanks for the experience

I've had some wacky days on the bike
some wacky experiences
some bland and mundane ones too
well...mostly

locking handlebars with a buck was a first
the thought had never crossed my mind
but tonight
on Morse Dr, 93950
its a first in the Devo world :-)

cool....
i love riding a bike!

peace........d

[Ricky J]

Yet another thing to be thankful for!
Amazing story, as is this whole thread...

Joining the legion of Pug People today, ordering my frame at least!

[SelfPropelledDevo]

i thought this was a cool pic
shot at about midnight

peace........d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

Pug goes to SC vid.

it looks like i finally have it loaded.
so here it is
long and drawn out
peace......d
http://web.mac.com/asanacycles/iWeb/...20to%20SC.html

[SelfPropelledDevo]

so i went out for a little spinnie spin spin, ended up on Ft. Ord, it got dark, the temp dropped to 47F, i really dig having handlebar mitts, aka: Poggies

here are a couple of pics.

peace....d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

ok...we all know by now that i dont own a car. its been over 2yrs. everywhere i go is by bike.

today i decide im going out to Ft. Ord, and check out some of the trails that has been a point of contention on the NorCal forum: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=248206

Over the last weekend there was an equestrian event held out there, and some mention of the trails being all messed up, due to the horses, and the way their hooves chop up the trai. Well...it rained, the soil is sandy out there anyways, and it seems like the "chop" is pretty well knocked down, and the smooth, park like setting is returning.

lol

i said, "park like setting"

just for reference, I was stationed there 87-91' in the Army assigned to a light artillery airassualt unit. the Army didnt think twice about environmental impact.
lol
its freaking hillarious!
areas that are now "rehabilitated" some once old fire roads, rutted to the point that they were litteraly unwalkable, but yet of course, we'd drive a HumVee, 2ton, 5ton, pull a howitzer, etc, and make way.

i was out there riding when the post was in decomission phase, when none of the ranges where marked, and of course all the fox holes where still there too.

over the years, BLM and of course the masses of MTBR's out there the trails, they have been re-estalished, re-routed, surveyed, re-asseted, and re-enginered. all for the better.
what is now 50
was what we once called pinche chongo, that was so freaking scary fast that you never thought you'd live to recall. complete in the day, breaking thru deadfall, poison oak galore, as in the day, everytime you got under the canopy of oak trees, the beautiful green/red hue of the laying brush was noting but of course, poison oak. on that trail i recall the frame of a car or something being there, maybe a refrigerator frame, a transmission, and of course, the ever present, overgrown, foxhole that had been long since abandoned.
for a cyclist at speed, plowing thru fresh underbrush, flashing thru the shadows, to come across a hidden foxhole was about like crashing into your coffin. :-) LOL!

Now a days, we complain about hoove prints!

so i took the Pug out to see what all the BS was about, and sure enough, its all totall BS. rest assured, BS. but lets not let our guard down. it would be all too easy to let any single user group get out of hand out there on the old training grounds that i learned the art of being a "Light Fighter".

here are some pics.

enjoy...

peace.......d

p.s.
of course we all know that the Pug goes over almost anything. right?
and of course, my head aint the way most peeps head is...
lol
my Pug is my commuter bike!

[SelfPropelledDevo]

ok...so im on a night shot kick.
are we tired of Pug pics yet?

tonight it was 46F, and windy.
i really enjoy having my poogies...
that is, my Moose Mitts
they are so crazy warm, WOW!
i even thru in a set of chemical handwarmers.

sittin around playin with the digi cam, with short finger gloves, in the wind...hands get cold.
no problem, hop back on the bike and ramble around town.
its too cold for most around here, hardly anyone on the streets.
and its extra fun to ride in a new found level of comfort. when hands are really cold, just simply grab the handwarmer packets and hold them between the grips and our fingers.

pure luxury.

[guruguhan]

Hey Devo - nice paintjob - dumb Q - that color is called OD Green? Powder or paint? DIY or shop?

[SelfPropelledDevo]

O.D. Green = Olive Drab Green
aka: Army green
and its powder coated, with frame saver on the insides, as well as the racks, of which the tubes are tubes are siliconed
with the exception of the front of the front rack...
being that the front rack is actually a rear rack..
with a hack/mod job
the resulting finish, of what is now the front of the front rack, left it kind of sharp, so i filled the holes with Goop as well as the rear, with safety in mind.
that is...
what a bummer it would be to crash and somehow have the pug take a biopsy out of you.
i.e. like the way a open handle bar would cookie cutter a plug out of your leg if there were no handlebar plugs.

so the Pug is Olive Drab Green in powdercoat. Flat OD Green at that. as compared to a gloss finish.

back to racks and panniers
+ poogies
+ chemical handwarmer packets

[SelfPropelledDevo]

this is an old vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB6SnqqdlCU


and there should be a new one loading soon too.
just a quick shot of riding on loose sand with full panniers, 3 days worth of provisions.


peace......d

[guruguhan]

Really cool. Thanks for sharing

Do you know if the Nice Front Rack works on the Pugsley? (I remember the hack job you linked me too in another post - but thought that maybe the front rack came out after the mod - because I didn't know they had a Nice front until recently).

Where'd you get the small Surly decals/stickers for the rear?

[SelfPropelledDevo]

first here's a YouTube link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dON5uybOA48
its the Pug with both racks, panniers, and 3 days of provisions aboard. About 80lbs of bike.

the Nice Front Rack will not fit a Pug fork, as its a front rack, and the hub spacing is like 110mm as compared to the rear hub spacing of 135mm. Im not sayin that it couldnt be done, some cold spreading (bending) would be in order.
all in all, i opted for the clean mod job that had been posted. it had been done once, so i quickly followed.

on racks...
the thing with the Pug of course is the unique offset in the frame and fork. which necesitated that the rack is mounted on the inside of the lower rack boss. which in turn is a bit of a hassle to take the racks off and on. but really all it takes is to remove the wheels. being that now, the allen bolt head is located on the inboard side of the boss, next to the wheel.

decals...
I simply bought a new set of Surly decals. the kit comes with headbadge etc.
in my view of Surly...
they have got this whole game NAILED!
they are like...
the Schwinn, Huffy, AMC, etc
what i mean is that...
being that they are part of QPB (Quality Bicycle Products) they really are something along the lines of "America's Bike". that being...that the parts, et al are available at any LBS. and that is SUPER freaking cool!

In the world of bicycles, it seems to me that Surly not only has a wide product range, but they are really the only Brand out there (at large) that is aimed at affordable, viable, transit for the masses, and the parts actually last!
Good solid products! wow!
so obviously im sold on Surly.

now, to hold on for that new Big Dummy
I also wonder about a KM compared to a Salsa El Mariachi
two bikes of similar
of course my brain goes in the 29er direction
and im thinking of racks and panniers...
and thinkin of a rig that can take slicks for the miles of pave, and swap over to knobs for when the pave ENDS.
something that is expedition reliable, and yet fairly swift of the road.
El Mariachi...
im thinkin thin tubes, fancy paint, a bit dressed up
KM...
im thinkin 1/2 the price, toned down, reliable.
what would seal the deal, is if the KM had rack braze ons.
at this point it is all about the Old Man Mountain racks.
http://www.oldmanmountain.com/

so tonight i went out grabbed some Mexi food, had dinner with a friend, goofed off around the wharf in Monterey, took more pics. I guess im on a night shot kick.

Poogies!
its all about the Moose Mitts!
the poogies and hand warmers!
it was a bit windy and 40F on the wharf
poogies are great. my new best friend.
a bag of taffy from the candy shop on the wharf, the panniers, rack, left overs, digi cam, a cold night, poogies, and hand warmers. a scarce few people out and about. suddenly the world is that much bigger.

lol

i had to laff tonight
doin about 20mph on th pave
a guy crossing the street, about 1/2 buzzed, on his cell phone, steps off the curb to cross the street, as im zooming by with Vega light on, etc

as i cross behind his path...
on the phone he says, "oh sh#t those are some f*#cking huge tires! wait...he's pedaling! dude i thought he had a motor!"

that was my laff of the night.
Pug doin 20mph with lights, buzzing tyres, and 1/2 drunk guy on his cell phone trippin out.
thats life on the Pug.

peace....d

[Ricky J]

Keep 'er rolling, D, and the encounters with Monterey "wildlife" too!

[SelfPropelledDevo]

Im at work, changing clothes, getting ready to get back on the bike and this thought flashes across my mind:

90% of America's psyche can be found on TV

i had a good long hard laugh with that one. in fact...i was still laffin as i was ridding home.

another flashed across my mind

Drive to work = Work to drive

i was pretty amused.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

I’ve had a few bikes stolen in my bike days, and it really sucks. One of the misconceptions is that just bcz your bike is locked, its easy to fall into the mind that its secure. WRONG! I learned that a long time ago.
Once when i was helping out, working in a local bike shop, i remember this real nice lady coming in, and looking around, we’d chit chat some, and it came down to that she was there looking to buy a lock. the question comes up, “What is the best lock?” my response, “None”. I told her the best lock is no lock at all. She was totally taken back, and started on this rant about her kids always getting their bikes stolen. I let her exhaust herself, to finally explain that locks lead us to a false thought, and that is...we think our bikes are secure when their are locked. We all know that its easy to steal a bike.
Basically my technique is to limit the theft exposure time. that is...i rarely lock it up outside, and walk away. I hate that. I really dont like to lock the bike to a pole and walk into one of those big-ol box stores. No windows, high traffic area, lots of cars, etc.
My best scenario is to take the bike INSIDE and lock it to a rack. Just like the pic above. This is in my local grocery store. and a big thanks to the staff that keep allowing me to bring my bike inside after work, and lock it to the food rack by the front wheel. Its pretty much damn near secure. What are the chances that someone is gonna walk in with a giant pair of bolt cutters and steel the Pug from right in front of the Deli counter?
As it turns out, all my errands are to places where i can safely lock my bike. I cant begin to tell you how many times I had brought a bike into a store, and to have them say, “you cant bring that in here”, and my response, “I’ll do business elsewhere. Somewhere that lets me bring my bike inside.”
In our American world that is so centered around a car life, the big parking lots, narrow bike paths, or no shoulder at all, the stupid bike racks at the end of the mall, but car parking right out front (consequently I dont go to the mall) bike acceptance has gone straight to the top of my values. If any of the talk about Global Warming has any truth to it, I feel really bad for those who drive cars. I know that I’m not completely excluded from the realm of oil consumption, but by and large, my eco foot print on this planet is pretty damn small. Single guy renting a loft, vegetarian, takes short showers, and i dont even eat meat. heck...I even work in the PM’s which seriously limits prime time utility usage. I flip on 2 lights a night for about 2 to 3 hours.
Anyways...what this little rant is really about is the acceptance of a bike in grocery store, a simple lifestyle, and low impact on the environment. I have to laff when i think of the time when i was on the Pug with the tyres psi all low, as i was ridding up some real nice scenic single track, i came across this guy taking pictures and he frowns at me. Those big Pug tyres, i can see in his eyes, he’s so disgusted about the impact. We chat for a few moments, and he is anxious to get to the bike issue. When I point out that the big soft tyres leave less of a foot print than his hiking boots, he just trips out. Then when i point out that i didn’t drive a car to get there, he’s totally blown away. When I take my thermos out and offer him a cup of coffee, we become friends.
And that is where I’d like to leave this. That is...driving a car is a choice, and the way we impact the environment and each other is a choice.

peace....d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

i cant stop taking night shots
everywhere i look i see a pic
its almost full moon, and i cant resist

sorry if its getting boring.

peace......d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

The biggest obstacle in the world of “Life on the Bike” is social acceptance. its the weirdest thing. Bikes are socially accepted as recreation, as sport, and even as toys for the kids. When or would we consider the bike as Transport?
I get it from all directions. Tonight it was from a co-worker in passing sayin “aint it about time you get a car?” (in reference to the rainy night) my response was, “you know how i feel about cars. there aint one car out there that is worth a damn.” “they are all polluting the environment, they make us lazy, complacent, and we are slaves to them, making car payments, buying gas, and lets not forget the huge liability they are.”
His response was, “so what are you going to do when you get run off the road?”
I said, “i suppose I’d call an ambulance, or die.” it depends on the extent of injury.” then the conversation just escalated, until i pointed out that just as the conversation’s nature was, so was the dynamics of social responsibility and the bondage to the cycle of “Life with Cars”.
In the end, i apologized, “sorry dude. I just dont drive cars.” “well...that is...for as long as i can hold out.”

Its a strange thing to live this life on the bike. Being of the lifestyle that the bike is central to everything you do. Its THE MODE of Transpo for me. Every aspect of our lives are centered on the car. Parking lots are huge, the shoulders of the road are mostly non-existent, and simply the view most people have about bikes, typically makes me an outcast.
Even in the realm of my local bike club, me being a person whom commutes by bike, buys groceries, etc. ya....Life by Bike. Even in the bike club, being that my focus is not of “sport” or “athleticism”, Life by Bike is too far of a fetch for most. In fact; I cant think of one person whom doesn’t own a car.
What is the deal? Why do we constantly choose a life so busy, and grasping for those shiny material things. Why do we sell our selves? Why do we sell away our days? the simple life of contentment, and just being on the bike. its so easy. it blows my mind. I mean...do you know that when im on the bike, quickly there comes a time when not a single thing goes thru my mind? Sometimes, I’ll gather a few things, and head out. Ramble, and the miles just go by. Even the days will fade by. the mind empty.
I dont understand why life is so full of strife and discord.

I guess this is how i feel.
peace...d


Well look at all those fancy clothes
But these could keep us warm
Just like those.
And what about your soul
Is it cold
Is it straight from the mould
And ready to be sold.

And cars and phones and diamond rings
Bling, bling
Those are only removable things
And what about your mind
Does it shine or
Are there things that concern you more
Than your time

Gone going
Gone everything
Gone give a damn
Gone be the birds when they don’t want to sing
Gone people
All awkward with their things
Gone

Look at you out to make a deal
You try to be appealing but you lose your appeal
And what about those shoes you’re in today
They’ll do no good
On the bridges you burnt along the way

You’re willing to sell anything
Gone with your herd
Leave your footprints
And we’ll shame them with our words

Gone people
All careless and consumed
Gone
Gone going
Gone everything
Gone give a damn
Gone be the birds if they don’t want to sing
Gone people
All awkward with their things
Gone

[SelfPropelledDevo]

its cold (Monterey's standard of cold), and i'm conditioned to this circadian rythm secondary to my vocation/occupation of being on duty til about 11pm.

so even on my days off i tend to get up kind of late, and stay up late.

tonight was no exception. by the time i was coffied up, and well enough rested/ready to see the world, it was already late in the day. Just a couple of errands, around town, and yup, camera and tripod in panniers.

one thing leads to the next, mostly pedal the Pug, go around town, and next thing i know, I've been cruizin around for a couple of hours.

a little night ride along the beach, watch the cops, the hobos, the cars frantically in a hurry to get somewhere, and then im home.

i dont watch much TV, and its been on AMC since the last time i turned it on, probably about 10 days ago.

much to my surprise and pleasure, the night has been filled with The Blues Brothers. What more could i ask for?

sittin around, i decided i need to polish up the hubs on my Zipps. I come to re-realize how much I've grown to dislike polishing things.

i think about the Pug and how i never polish it.

its like the Blues Mobile.
the scene Jake and Ellwood jump their old cop car across an opening/rising bridge.
Ellwood says....
"its got pick up"
"its got a 440ci power plant"
"its got cop tyres"
"its got cop suspension"

the Pug has that same character.
no need to polish it
it constant, its not fussy, it goes any where.

enjoy the pic(s)

peace.....d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

more pics

[Ricky J]

Never tired of pics, or the tales therein!

May I share one also? My Pug, in embryonic form!

[SelfPropelledDevo]

lol
cool

[SelfPropelledDevo]

more pics from today.
today's ride was out to Ft. Ord.
I kind of did a little trip down memory lane.
went to the last remnants of my unit
visited the motor pool
stared at the chalk marks on the ground where the howitzers where lined up
and just kind of tripped out a bit.

now its CSUMB
and the motor pool has a road going thru it.
where my original motor was, there are now dorms

my old barracks in DIVARTY are now dorms for CSUMB

all the better i say
its really refreshing to see kids walking on the grass
hanging out
doing the things that kids in school do

long gone are the days of PT at 0600hrs
military discipline is the past
it nice
im glad

so here are some pics from todays ride.

on a slight tangent...
i'd like to plug the point that riding a bike doesnt have to be a car transport thing.
as you all know...
i havent had a car for over 2yrs now
everywhere i go is on the bike
today i rode all over Ft. Ord
i didnt drive out there to go mountain biking
i rode from my place here in Pacific Grove and did the whole little deal
today was probably about 60 miles

so it was trip down memory lane
and as trippy as that was, as the night started to settle in...
my best photos are of some BEAUTIFUL Amanitas!

peace......d

[SelfPropelledDevo]

Thank you for driving
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuiMF2-T6Kw


Thank you for driving
(sort of like the movie..."Thank you for smoking")
i aint got much originality
need a better computer

or...

"Drive to work = Work to drive"
about how so much of America spends its time in drive thrus
how much they spend on car related items/activity
about "Global warming" (that dont exist)

and most importantly...
how you dont have to drive a car to go for a bike
ride.

its about how a bicycle is this awesome piece of
transportation.

one of these days, I'll make a for realz vid.

enjoy
:-)

peace.......d

http://web.mac.com/asanacycles

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the
human race." H.G. Wells

[Hairllama]

Nice video . . . I understand the problem with car culture, but as a bike riding car user, I felt that some of the commentary was judgmental and might hurt the cause. I agree that the role of automobiles is out of control and your video did a great job illustrating the problem.

[SelfPropelledDevo]

Originally Posted by Hairllama

Nice video . . . I understand the problem with car culture, but as a bike riding car user, I felt that some of the commentary was judgmental and might hurt the cause. I agree that the role of automobiles is out of control and your video did a great job illustrating the problem.

I appologize if the vid was a bit harsh, and that you felt it was judgemental. i really had no idea that i was gonna do that vid, but it had been in the back of my mind for some time. Even still, it obviously can stand to be done in a better light.

I am simply stating some facts that have been floating around.
something like(ish) (as i dont recall the website(s) with stats)
there are about 200K less vehicles in the USA than the entire population
something like there are 60K more registered vehicles than there are liscensed drivers
(dont even think of all the new cars still at the dealers)
and that every gallon of fuel burnt = 19lbs of Co2 (i actually remember this reference: Al Gore, An inconvenient truth)

the worst is the Aerospace industry
there is no EPA when in comes to air travel
the issue is that when a jet travels thru the stratosphere, it is giving the atmosphere a direct injection. the impact is much more acute as compared to fuel being burnt on the ground.

something like...
the average flight from New York to London is equivalent to a SUV running 24hrs/day for 3yrs. Per person.
worst yet...
the daily domestic flights = about 1.5yrs of a SUV running 24hrs/day per person.

the major difference is, "the lung effect"
that is...
here on the ground, exhaust is subject to the weather, and of course, the vegetation "flitering" the air. (maybe us breathing it helps filter it too...lol)
that is...
the air moves back and forth, up and down, etc, secondary to the dynamics of weather patterns.

at 30,000ft the chemical reaction is much different.
fuel exhausted at this altitude reacts with the atmosphere differently and most of all...
it doesnt have that "lung effect"
once its injected into the stratosphere, it stays there.

as everyone knows by now, I havent had a car for over 2yrs.
i have rented a car twice to drive to SoCal and visit my grandparents/family
in every instance, I so very much wish that i could simply ride to Salinas, hop on Amtrak (with my bike and other junk) and take the rail to SoCal.
In fact, I wish that i could tour the USA in this fashion.
and i dont mean, get to the station, take your bike appart, box it up and have it loaded on as luggage/freight or whatever its called.
i mean...simply pull up and put the bike in a rack on the train. Commuter style.
(thats my dream)

as for cars in general...
I've had a love/hate relationship with them most of my life.
as a kid i took all the autoshop classes there were to take in HS
and i even worked in a shop for about 2yrs wrenchin on cars in Ventura, Ca.
I've built a few hot rods in my day
and motorcycles too
what im saying is that i definitely can dig the gig with motorized transpo
heck...I keep looking at buying that stupid new BMW GS1200 Adventure (the Pug of motorbikes, of sorts)

the last car was a new Honda Element of which i had for about a year.
ultimately a drunk driver was on the wrong side of Lighthouse Ave
we had a head on collision. element vs dodge caravan
both new cars.
both totalled.
cops, insurance, etc, etc.
alot of effort, alot of money, and for what?
a stupid car to zoom around in
its a drag to think about how many hours of work i put in and to direct that $ in the direction of a car. $20k car?

at that point i decided i was going to go "carless" once again in my life
but this time...
I'm single, and have FEW obligations
its been over 2yrs now on the bike
and i have to say, that its so much better being on the bike EVERY DAY.
and the practice of expanding on "the way to life via a bike" is very rewarding.
but...
i do realize i am very fortunate to live here in Pacific Grove.
If i were still in Ventura, I'd seriously be thinking of moving.

Ideally, in my mind's eye, a good place to live is where there is nature immediately available, there is a sustainable economy, and the infrastructure is "bike friendly"

In our society these days, that is a very unique characteristic to search for. I think we as people want this, but generally we access nature via driving our cars out of suburbia, make a reservation via www.reserveusa.com and go car camping. that is us in a nutshell. its the L.L. Bean limited edition Subaru, COACH Lexus SUV, Eddie Bauer Explorer.

and the cost of cars is really insane.
where here in the USA the mean income for a family is about $40k/yr
and how much is the mean car? $20k?
how much is a house? its not like car prices vary in relation to real estate.
not to mention the operating cost, gas, insurance, maitenance,etc.
and what of the environmental impact?
what of the health concerns?

Pollution and Heart disease
Cars, cigarettes, and fast food.

of course its damn near impossible to escape this...
everything i consume, food, clothes, the products used at my job, my laptop, electricity,etc...
are all dependant on fossil fuel
and can i possibly go a single day with out consuming corn syrup?
its in everything!
heck...i wouldnt be surpised if its in the epoxy used to make carbon fibre cranks

as cyclists, i try/hope to advocate/point out, that the bike can be more than a recreational sport of choice.
here in Monterey,i am a long time standing member of VCM (Velo Club Monterey).
I have done my fair share of bike racing (including 24hr solo, of which i've had a few 4th place finishes)
even here in Monterey, amoungst my fellow VCM'ers, the "Bike Advocacy" position is a meak squeak from me here in my corner. the most reactions are on subjects of pot holes,glass, etc, that present an inherent danger to "cyclists". we have TAMC (Transportation Agency of Monterey County...thank you) that is available to help with these issues.
but here at heart...we as cyclists do we integrate the bicycle into our functional daily life? Mostly its get off of work, go for a ride, blow some steam off.

in my addicted state to cycling, i finally directly asked myself, "how can i live on the bike?"
as a kid i knew this answer. "dont own a car"
as an adult this answer was...well...childish.
so a series of compromises played out over a bit more than a decade.
mostly i'd only own a reliable hoopty.
at first it was an 83' Civic
then it was an 82' Subaru wagon
both cars were just hoopty enough to keep me from daily driving
and definitely i didnt want to move too far from my job. (10-15miles is my ideal)
$600/yr insurance and a take of gas would easily last a month.
they where so hoopty that they rarely required being locked.
that 82' subaru wagon was the best.
when or if you slid it into a hillside, i never really cared too much. so what...more dents and scratches.

but these days, i've pretty much given up on cars.
simply they cost way too much
the cost fiscally, environmentally, politically, and personally in regards to health...
the price is too much
that is...
thats my personal view.
as long as i can get away with not owning a car, the more my assets stack up.
ironic aint it?
its amazing to live the life
when it comes to dating, and social life...
the car pretty much holds us hostage

the day i meet a girl who does her errands on the bike, goes to work, and she too having the Bottom Bracket the center of her universe, well...
_________________(fill in the blank)
but really...
can you actually imagine a vegetarian, buddhist, simple living cyclist?

probably not in the US
that is why we have all the bling
fancy phones
and diamond rings

__________________________________________________ _______________________
Jack Johnson, Gone

Well look at all those fancy clothes
But these could keep us warm
Just like those.
And what about your soul
Is it cold
Is it straight from the mould
And ready to be sold.