Love your Body. Love your Bike.

That’s all. 

2013 Redline Conquest Disc

I’ve had my Conquest Disc for 4 weeks now and have found the time to ride just under 700 miles. A typical week consists of five 20 mile commutes and whatever other rides I can fit in or feel like. The past few weeks have been busier than usual but I’ve still gotten to test the bike out on a handful of miles of every terrain in the area. If I had to guess, I’ve probably ridden 60% pavement, 30% dirt/gravel road, and 10% single track.

The Kenda Small Block 8 tires that came stock provide a decent road ride and handle the dry dirt and sand I’ve encountered really well. However, regardless of surface, they take punctures like crazy! I’ve literally had a dozen flats since I picked up the bike. Fortunately, I’ve only flatted once while commuting for work, but on long rides I’ve been more surprised by making it home without a flat.

I’ve switched to a pair of Continental Travel Contact tires. These were actually my second choice after the Clement X’plor USH  back ordered on my favorite online shop. I used the 26″ version for over 1000 road miles on my mountain bike. They feel smooth on pavement and the side knobs really give a lot of control off road.

As of yet, I’ve only ridden pavement with the 700c Travel Contacts. Since mounting the tires I’ve logged a little under 200 miles, including my first ever 100 mile ride. They felt nice, but I still need to play the the air pressure.

I’ve never been anything but impressed with the way this bike handles the ridiculous things I do on it. I walk out my back door and have an endless expanse of pavement, gravel, and dirt to explore as I please. Whether it’s 100 miles all-pavement or 50/50 pavement and gravel, the Conquest Disc has served me righteously. I’ll have a more in-depth review further down the road.

I’d lake to talk about some of my gear choices. Backpacking taught me that the most useful pieces of gear aren’t always the most expensive. Creativity and innovation can go a lot further than money in most cases. By the end of the A.T. I was using a stripped-to-the-bone backpack, a fannypack, shorts from Goodwill, and a visor with a bandana tucked into it for sun protection. So many of the expensive things I started with proved to be pretty useless.

I’ve tried to take the same approach with cycling as I start riding longer and longer distances.

Clothing:

(none of my clothes are “cheap”, but when compared to proper cycling kits I’ve definitely come away for less. It also helps that I wear most of these things all the time anyways)

Patagonia Gi III water shorts – I use a Fizik Arione Versus saddle and have no problem riding without a chamois. I love the liner in these. No underwear – no friction on the saddle.

Icebreaker Cadence Jersey – this jersey has been amazing throughout the Winter and early Spring. If you haven’t tried merino wool, please do. I have found Icebreakers quality to be unmatched by any of the other merino brands. This jersey keeps me warm when it’s below freezing, breathes when the sun is blazing, and unzips for full ventilation at the hottest part of the day. Best of all, it keeps me from trembling with cold when I finish a climb soaked in sweat and immediately begin a descent on the shaded side of a mountain.

Icebreaker Sonic Tank – This is quickly becoming my favorite piece of clothing for… everything. I can wear it under a synthetic jersey and enjoy the benefits of merino I listed above. At home or for particularly warm weather I wear it alone. Recently, I’ve been wearing it underneath my next piece of clothing.

Mountain Hardware Canyon LS – Very similar to the Exoficio shirt my brother wears. No complaints. I love the mesh panels. This layers well of my Sonic Tank. I could wear this combination every (hot) day ever. This has been my go to set-up for hiking and even a few bike rides.

Pearl Izumi 2013 Divide (FF) – These gloves fit my hand better than the models with gel in the palm. I found that I like the un-padded palm with my cork bar tape. The Divide is super sturdy feeling. I wanted a full-finger glove to protect my dry fingers from branches and bushes. They’ve worked really well and I feel like they will last a long time.

Walz Moisture Wicking Cap – I can definitely see it getting too hot to wear this, but so far I’ve loved it. It kept my scalp and hair from getting caked in mud during the Winter and is now keeping my head from sun-burning. The visor is a great size and work well with my Tifosi sunglasses.

Tifosi Tyrant Fototec Sunglasses – These were a replacement for a pair of Tifosi Pave which broke in bike crash. The Pave had worked great, but changing lenses wasn’t always convenient. I love that I can wear the Tyrant any time I’m outside – period. In an out of clouds, in the rain, or at night. If I only had these with prescription lenses…

Storage:

2 Lezyne Side Loading bottle cages – I chose these to work with my frame pack. I lost a Camelbak Podium Chill bottle with these. I don’t think the squishy structure of the Chill was meant to be confined by the side loading cage. I’m currently using the non-insulated Podium bottle with much better success.

Revelate Designs Tangle Pack – Greg at Bolder Bikepacking is my first choice for frame packs, but I decided on the Tangle to avoid lead time for custom work. Aesthetically, I don’t love it but it holds everything I need it to really well. I carry a map, tools, tube(s), cell phone and occasionally food and water that doesn’t make it into a jersey pocket or bottle cage.

X-Lab Delta Wing 100 – This has been ejecting water bottles recently. While it was working I loved it. I need to look into this…

Other:

Fizik Arione Versus – This is 1 of 4 saddles I’ve used since getting back into cycling as an “adult”. It’s been perfect since day one. I’ve ridden some with bib shorts, but I’ve found I can wear any shorts I want with this saddle.

Cinelli Cork Tape – Amazing. Feels great on bare hands. Feels great with gloves. I also use Cinelli on my mountain bike’s Jeff Jones bar.

Flat Pedals – I use Shimano clipless pedals and Pearl Izumi shoes, but I’m experimenting with Deity Compound pedals and my Salomon trail running shoes.

I’ll shut up now, check back soon for more.

Introduction

First and foremost this is a website about bicycles, but as with all areas of life, all areas of life shine through. I plan to write gear reviews and share stories and insights from bike rides, hikes and longer adventures. I might share some pictures from my A.T. thru-hike every so often to fill in some gaps.

Please check back soon for updates.