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Kettle Moraine ride

995 views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Wm. L. 
#1 ·
Yesterday I was at the Kettle Moraine trails. Nice day to ride in Southern Wisconsin. Trails were just perfect. I did ride through the puddles on the Gunnar Rock Hound SS thanks to ENO.

Anyway, I usually stop at “Mosquito Bench”, which is about half way of the big Blue Loop…little did I know that in the group if guys that were hanging out at the bench, my buddy Juan from Trek was among them.

So we said hi, and I asked him if I could ride with all of them. Ok, so off we go. It was all of us on Treks, Kleins, Gary Fishers…and me, the only one on SS bliss. On my Gunnar. Well, do the math…they all work at Trek.

They looked at me, at my bike, and thought “single speeder, whatever…”

Juan says, “who wants to set the pace?” and none of them answered…so Juan n’ me were the first ones…

Juan races down hill in Mexico and is rather a skinny fit Mexican. Awesome rider…

So after a few stops to wait for the geared slackers, I began to understand that they were getting their egos broken by me…the SS guy.

At the final stop, before the stretch to the parking lot, the guy who had been trying to keep up with me goes: How do you do it? No gears or anything. Must be your huge calves!

So by now, all seven of us are there, chit chattin’ left and right the bike talk. A guy asks me what frame I was on…Juan says “A Gunnar Rock Hound painted at Whitewater (the other Trek plant)”

And another asked me: How do you keep the chain from flying all over the place…and I went on my ENO schpeal. They liked it…but one guy goes to another: “I thought single speeds were for just riding around town…”
And another guy: “not for this guy!”

I felt good!

After getting to parking lot, we were all friends.

Today I am riding with LakeRaven and a few others.
 
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#2 ·
ernesto_from_Wisconsin said:
Yesterday I was at the Kettle Moraine trails. Nice day to ride in Southern Wisconsin. Trails were just perfect. I did ride through the puddles on the Gunnar Rock Hound SS thanks to ENO.

Anyway, I usually stop at "Mosquito Bench", which is about half way of the big Blue Loop…little did I know that in the group if guys that were hanging out at the bench, my buddy Juan from Trek was among them.

So we said hi, and I asked him if I could ride with all of them. Ok, so off we go. It was all of us on Treks, Kleins, Gary Fishers…and me, the only one on SS bliss. On my Gunnar. Well, do the math…they all work at Trek.

They looked at me, at my bike, and thought "single speeder, whatever…"

Juan says, "who wants to set the pace?" and none of them answered…so Juan n' me were the first ones…

Juan races down hill in Mexico and is rather a skinny fit Mexican. Awesome rider…

So after a few stops to wait for the geared slackers, I began to understand that they were getting their egos broken by me…the SS guy.

At the final stop, before the stretch to the parking lot, the guy who had been trying to keep up with me goes: How do you do it? No gears or anything. Must be your huge calves!

So by now, all seven of us are there, chit chattin' left and right the bike talk. A guy asks me what frame I was on…Juan says "A Gunnar Rock Hound painted at Whitewater (the other Trek plant)"

And another asked me: How do you keep the chain from flying all over the place…and I went on my ENO schpeal. They liked it…but one guy goes to another: "I thought single speeds were for just riding around town…"
And another guy: "not for this guy!"

I felt good!

After getting to parking lot, we were all friends.

Today I am riding with LakeRaven and a few others.
Single speed riding Trek emplyees have been known to ride at Cam-Rock 3, but I've also encountered Trek engineers product testing there and was once asked how I could ride a a bike without gears and suspension there.

I think any single speed advantage at Kettles comes from incremental bits of getting ahead when the climbs start if a geared rider decides to shift down to a gear that feels better.

It is a good place for single speeding, but boring after 30+ years of riding there and it's too often a zoo. I prefer the mating rituals of brightly colored birds and fish to the mating rituals of Chicago and Milwaukee residents. It's a funny thing to see people worth thousands of $ on the hoof consuming sports food and drink where our mothers used to leave us with Sting Rays, Typhoons, PB&J and Kool-Aid.
 
#3 ·
Cam-Rock 3 SS rallies

I was fortunate enough to "experience" a SS rally at Cam-Rock park. Brats, beer pit stops, naked laps. they all happen.

You just were not riding with the right group.

There is a strong SS underground living amongst the cubicles in Waterloo. I have ridden with them, and they are fast. I am just glad that I lived to tell the story.
 
#4 ·
SS Ryder said:
I was fortunate enough to "experience" a SS rally at Cam-Rock park. Brats, beer pit stops, naked laps. they all happen.

You just were not riding with the right group.

There is a strong SS underground living amongst the cubicles in Waterloo. I have ridden with them, and they are fast. I am just glad that I lived to tell the story.
I met some of them when much to my surprise I had to lend 2 guys in the Midwest team van parts from my tools box.

I believe those rides are Wed Eve., and the "Dad's night out" for a pal and I has been Thursdays.
 
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