Friday also brought new frame bags. Everything is coming together nicely. The frame bag looked huge. It actually was a bit large for the bike. Kudos to Eric at Relevate Designs for a really great design. With the frame bag being a bit long I can dimple it in and still use the included straps to keep it astraddle of the frame tubes. And did I mention they are huge? I swear the rear saddle bag would hold a gallon jug of milk. Americans can appreciate that. Others may be confounded.
Rebecca, aka wonder wife (credits to Howard Turner for exposing me to this apropos terminology), is also looking for miles in the saddle. We agreed on a Saturday morning ride to the northern terminus of the ATT for breakfast at Starbucks. It took a bit to get out the door with all of the newness: new bike, new bags, new water bottle holders, shuffling necessities over to the new containers. The new stuff will work out, I will get more efficient, but for now it just takes time to migrate and acclimate. We rode for an hour with a brief stop at the Durham Farmers Market and arrived at breakfast, err brunch. Small b, mostly unch.
We both marvel at the size of the Moots. It's like the SUV of bicycles. This photo gives a little insight. The Moots rear axle is roughly aligned with her Trek front axle. The Moots front axle roughly aligns with back of the Trek back tire. It's a beast. However, it still handles well. And like an SUV it has a nice cozy cockpit.
After breakfast we headed southbound stopping by the farmers market again. Our bRUNCH meant we missed the noon closing of the market.
I dropped Rebecca off at home after 25 miles. She is saving up for an 18 mile run on Sunday. The stop afforded me time to make a few more small adjustments and load up. I need to acclimate to the bike but I also really need miles. It's also a bit of a test. When I got my Tricross a couple years ago my first ride covered the entire southern ATT. The Tricross was my first attempt at all day comfort. The Moots is supposed to be an all day and night cruiser. Proof is in the pudding.
I was underwhelmed with REI's version of e-vent jacket. It lacked any vents other than what the fabric is supposed to inherently provide. A short twenty minute ride dissuaded me of its efficacy. It's a real shame because the cut of the jacket was perfect for me. The sleeves actually reach my wrists and stayed there. I have my eye on a Showers Pass e-vent jacket that also includes pockets and arm pit vents. Unfortunately they don't fit as well as the REI. That leaves me with a dilemma that I have to resolve. REI with no vents at $100, Showers Pass with poor fit at $250, or just use my $35 L.L. Bean PVC-esque jacket that keeps me warm and dry from rain but sweaty on the inside. That's a question for another day. For now it's forecast for 60's and sun today!
After REI I decided on a real test for the Moots. I bee-lined over to the unfinished terminus of ATT south near Southpoint. This is a real mud fest currently. Mud is a reality for my event. There is some concern about mud caking on the frame with some versions of the Moots. Time to find out.
I dropped into the trail and immediately sank multiple inches into mud. I kept pedaling and the Moots kept clawing. Through repeat instances of deep mud I never heard the grinding of tire mud on frame. Positive first test and I will continue looking for more evidence. I had a bit of trouble focusing on this as I was distracted by the performance of the WTB Nano Rapter tires in the mud. Sure, they slid around some. However, as long as I pedaled they paddled me forward. The weight balance on the front and rear tires also seems positive as I never fully sunk the front tire for potential endo. The two inches of rubber and four inches of 29" wheels were christened with mud before I found terra firma. It was muddy and I was happy.
Sloshing through more water and mud I eventually found solid trail and hammered southbound. For anyone who read Monday's post here is normal not-so-inviting view of the tunnel under highway 64:
And here are the lowlands that made such a great fog bank on Monday night. East Side:
West Side:
And here is a more typical visage of the ATT Southern terminus. My Monday night dinner spot for one was narrow-parking-room-only on Saturday afternoon.
Google shows a connector from the ATT to Ragan Road. In person it was particularly muddy. I wanted more mud testing and I wanted to know if I could connect to Ragan Road. I sank the moots in mud again and again it performed beautifully. I climbed a short rise riding in mud and water most of the way up. My interest was already waning. As I crested the rise I found the trail passed behind an animal pen. Rain washed animal dung out of the pen and across the trail. I don't mind mud but this is something else. I finished up my mudding by heading back down to the trail.
Back on the trail I stopped for another handlebar adjustment. I rolled the ergon grips forward, forward, and more forward until my hand position caused my hand to tingle. Then I rolled them back just a smidgen. I think they are actually uneven with the right rolled further forward than the left. It turns out humans are rarely actually symmetrical. Get over the vanity, accept it, and things get much more comfortable. Back on solid ground again and headed north you can see some of the slop that collected on my shoes and legs.
Heading north also means heading up hill. I was getting low due to another round of poor nutrition. My legs were also burning from learning the geometry of the new bike. All this means more pictures. Here is another more typical view of the ATT to contrast with Monday night. Note the cyclists in the distance.
This is the section of trail where I took the three pictures on Monday night. These came out much better.
Sorry to restate the obvious but isn't that just gorgeous? You should have been there, it was even better in person.
Northbound I dialed it back out of self preservation. Slower pace is also great for catching up on phone calls. Thanks to Waylon for tolerating wind noise, gravel noise, and who knows what else came through the microphone. It was great to have company in spirit even if not in person.
My quads burned all the way northbound. I wasn't looking forward to the treacherous muddy climb at the very end of the trail so I bailed off the unfinished section of the trail into a subdivision. I was delighted to find the subdivisions are finally connected so I was able to ride on neighborhood streets all the way to the intersection of Renaissance Parkway and 751 where I could pick up sidewalks for crossing I-40. I wheeled through the under-constructions indifferent about the paving joints. 29" tires and the front shock ate them up. Even after 60 miles in the new saddle the ledges were little more than undulations when the 29" tires, front fork, and Moots titanium frame were done with them.
I broke in the Tricross carbon frame on the ATT south side and have been pleased with the bike ever since. Today I broke in the Moots Titanium frame with a geometry that is completely new to me with both the North and South sides of the ATT. The future's looking bright.
Here's my new bike when all was said and done. Wonder Wife says I have to wash the water bottles off outside before bringing them into the house. I'm surprised I was allowed in the house.
Gotta wrap this up with bow and get ready for the next undertaking so:
- The frame, fork, tires, handlebars, and bar ends are wonderful. It was all sight unseen. I was optimistic. Optimism payed off.
- The frame bags are good. The trunk bag is great. The frame bag is a little large. The next size down would be too small. It interferes with tall insulated bottles I like to use. I need to work on this more. I keep searching for a triangular water reservoir to mount in the normal water bottle mount points and sit nice and low on the frame. I wore my large camel back today. I am thinking of using a backpack for convenience items and light odds and ends. It will also be extra water for long desolate stretches. More work is required in the hydration department.
- I felt some tingling and stress in my hands and shoulders today. This is somewhat expected when changing bike geometry so much. I will grow into this some. I experimented riding with elbows on the handle bars. I still want aero bars. I am optimistic they will fit and integrate well. Experiments today are positive. Getting closer to aero will reduce my wind drag and allow me to use hamstrings and glutes more.
- I find it difficult to engage my hamstrings and glutes on this geometry. I need to research this a bit more. My body and mind tell me to move my seat back. Doing so would put more pressure on my hands. I am taking this slow for now as it is tolerable and more breakin is required. There are just too many variables in flight:
- The brooks saddle is still new and pushing me forward. I exert my hands, arms, and quads pushing myself back on the seat. This will diminish as the seat breaks in.
- The bike geometry is different. I need to be a bit more upright. My cross and road bikes push me forward so that pressure on my wrists is untenable for more than ~ 100 miles and even then they are tender the next day. I'm looking for 120-150 miles a day consistently out of this platform.
- I am still adjusting the handlebars. They swoop in one direction. I need to get that swoop dialed in to me. The ergon bar ends are great but they also need to get dialed in. Brakes and shifters also play a role here in supporting a neutral hand position.
Garmin Connect Statistics
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