I forgot how much I love bike camping. That said, in two hours all I’ve done is ride through river-based industrial zones or suburbs. I did find this absolutely unhinged bike park in the middle of a gigantic subdivision
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Holy shit, that is awesome!
In a roll-down test on his driveway, Jim Hiney proved that croc-mouting is best on the front of the bike !
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Which direction are you going? (The only way I’ve ever gotten out of the Twin Cities without AT LEAST 90 minutes of suburbs was going directly east, and that was 35 years ago so I’m sure the suburban cancer has spread unbelievably.)
Yeah, went directly east. Crossed the ‘sippi on Ford Bridge and pretty quickly dropped down into the gorge and followed the river past St. Paul and then south to the industrial towns and past the refineries. Then I climbed out of the gorge into Cottage Grove and followed farm-to-market roads to Afton. Cottage grove subrubals extends very far, but doesn’t look like they’ve extended eastward since the 90s.
It was an ok route, mostly MUP. I think the due-west route out of the city (on the trail that connects to the greenway — Luce line?) is better riding but the destinations out that way kinda suck. Also the trail is partially closed for six years due to construction of pointless light rail. The st. Croix river country is definitely the best single-day bike camping I’ve done so far.
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I actually bought some carabiners to improve the mount. I lost my load a couple times due to how I had my crocs mounted. Now I have them tactically mounted to the molle.
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Damn that looks rad, I miss a good S24O
The cool kid poopbarners over here mount their “jandals” tween the front spokes. It always looked very dangerous to me.
Every year I see the TD bikes and get another urge to build a single speed drop bar poopbacking bike.
Also pleasantly surprised by the lack of crusts and other internet bikes.
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What do you think is with all the drop bar bikes? It seems like the event went from 0 drop bar bikes to 50% of the field in a decade. Just evolution as available options for frames/handlebars/stems got better? People wanting to have fun getting in on a new trend?
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yeah i feel like often the people really getting after it are legitimately interested in performance. see also: a lot of randonneuring events and the bikes people choose
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I’d wager hand positions + trend.
I’ll wager a fresh shiny nickel that serious bikepacker types revive barends soon
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TD isnt very technical right? If I’m gonna be 90% on gravel road of some sort then I’d definitely choose drop bars with aero extensions.
I reckon. Long hours and definitely on trend. And it influences other events as well, where its probably not relevant. Another thing that has changed is that the bikes all used to be rigid. Lot’s of suspension out there now.
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Pretty sure bar ends are already back, just not quite to the length they once were
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I’m still trying to set up my Cinelli Spinachis. Still not quite right.
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I am liking the small Control Tech aero bars I put on my sport touring bike. It’s nice to switch up how you put weight on your bars, but I definitely don’t have the angle right
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Hey frens, buy a patch or 10!
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