cat got outta the bag

I had a nice short ride on Saturday just ahead of the rain.


















New Twin Six jersey and cap arrived.


















The last urban overnighter was somewhere in those blue mountains in the distance.














The view in the other direction.














On Sunday it was off the el labriotorio to work on bags.
































Bag cat supervises.














Bag cat approves.

























Another SafeBag prototype makes it out of el labritorio.

Thursday Night Ride

A relatively short one this week but a good'n none the less.


















































































Sunset over Chase Field
































































































































Putting the drunk back in Drunk Cyclist.

Gear Review

I've gotten a couple of requests for a review of the gear I used so here it is.

Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Pad - This is a very welcome addition to the set-up. Relatively small and light it made it possible for me to even sleep comfortably on my side. I don't sleep well so anything that provides this level of comfort at a minimal weight penalty is most welcome. A+

Tyvek Ground Sheet - This stuff is used to insulate houses but has been used for back and bike packing for some time. I bought the cheap stiff version and cut out a 3x8 section and washed it 3 times with some rags to soften it up. It did it's job and allowed me a nice area to lay stuff out, roll stuff up in the morning and protected Big Agnes and my bivy from the rough desert ground while I slept. It is kinda loud and not totally waterproof but tolerable. It's a keeper. B+

REI Basic Bivy - I've been using this for a couple of years now and am conflicted. It seems no matter what I do, the foot end is damp or wet in the morning. It adds an extra bit of warth and security but I'm considering cutting out a section and sewing in a panel of Tyvek to help move moisture out. I think the version I have has been discontinued and is now replaced with the REI minialist bivy. It is a bit heavy. B

REI Sub Kilo Sleeping Bag 20 degree - great bag and compresses down to almost nothing. This too appears to have been discontinued by REI. I may try a Big Agnes bag when this one dies. A+

Carousel Design seatbag - The quality of this bag is awesome. It perfectly fits my sleeping bag, doesn't interfere when I get back off the seat so it allows me to comfortably ride the techy stuffs. Gordon made his own seatbag which looks to be the future for us. We'll be working on some pre-production bags for testing this Spring and if things go well we'll likely be offering our own bags. A+

Bento Box - great bag for on the bike snacks and other little things. It's more stable than you might imagine. A

minoura Water Bottle Cage mount - broke with less than a mile of trail under my tires. I would have been better off using hose clamps. This was an attempt to find a place to store some stove fuel away from the center triangle as I'll be adding a larger frame bag in the future. F

Epic Ride Research mountain Feedbag - A great idea and I actually left the house with nothing it is as I forgot it was there because it was obscured by my REI handlebar bag. I ended up taking stuff out of my pack and filled it up in no time. A great bag and makes things quite accessable. I'll be picking up another for the other side.

sub urban overnighter

One of my favorite things is being able to load up the bike ride from my house with everything I need for an overnighter (urban overnighter). I can ride as little or as much as I want. This weekend Gordo and I had our sights set on the Tonto National Forest.
I left my house in the late morning and meandered my way to Gordy's house.














































A stop at el labritorio.










































With weather in the 70s it was an ideal weekend to play outside.














We had some ideas to avoid Cave Creek Rd and right about this moment I said, "I wish we could ride this all the way out." Someone was listening. We found and linked trail and double track all the way to Carefree Hwy. We had two, yes two traffic lights from Gordy's to Tonto NF.


















Rock on.
























































We really need to head back out to some of this and explore.














I doubt that.














There were a couple miles of road.


















We stopped in Cave Creek to grab a few libations and were pleasantly surprised when we found a trail that paralleled Spur Cross Rd.




























This here is horse territory and we saw lots but nary a negative encounter.














One must ride through the maricopa County Park to get to the Tonto NF.






























































































































































The trail got rougher and the shadows were getting long. Time to look for camp.


















Trail 4 goes all the way to 7 Springs but judging by what I saw and some reports I've read, its one heck of a 8 mile slog.


















Home sweet home.














Big Agnes and the Tyvek ground sheet are most welcome additions to the set-up.
































The fridge.














Filtering water.














































A white gas/ everclear confusion creates entertainent and heat.


















The penny stove does it's thing (with Everclear).
































A little frost in the morning.














Elephant mtn
































Elixir.










































The key is to keep your feet dry.










































On the road again.




































































Almost home.
































Fin.