Bread Bike

July Bike Camping with Friends

Posted on July 24, 2012 | 2 comments

Last week Angel and I went on our first camping trip of the summer. We haven’t had enough time since she got done with the school for summer. We went with two of our friends Tuesday night until Wednesday morning. This was a quick bike camping trip we spontaneously decided to do just days before. It was super fun. The weather called for some rain and thunder, and that is what we got. Even so, it was fun.

Due to the secret location of where we camped, I’m only going to post the elevation of what we did. There were some great hills with some gravel logging roads on the way home.

We left Eugene late in the evening, just a couple hours before sunset. It was a nice ride through the country with some nice hills between here and where we camped. Right before we arrived at the camping location we started hearing some thunders. And right when we got there it started sprinkling, although that ended really fast and it didn’t rain anymore that night.

The next morning one of our friends had to leave early to get back to work on time. So it was just 3 of us on the way home. We took our time because none of us had anything to get to that day. We took a longer way home, featuring some long down hill gravel roads where Angel ended up getting a rear flat tire at one point, which got patched up quickly. We got a nice strong bout of rain at one point, which let up quickly. And we only had a couple very small spouts of rain after that. We ended up coming across one of Oregon’s many covered bridges.

Here is a 360° Photo from a clear cut along our route.

Overall it was a great trip and ride. Angel did super well riding her Linus Mixte 3speed, climbing most the hills with no or very little (at least verbal) complaints. Hopefully soon we can get her something with more gears. I’m just trying to figure out what frame would be great for her right now. Hopefully doing an internally geared hub again like a Nexus or Alfine 8 or maybe even an Alfine 11. I’m sure she would appreciate it. It was a great trip, and I hope Angel and I can go on more trips like this before the end of the summer.

Here are Angels Photos:

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Posted in BIKE, Day Ride, Events, OTHER, Trips

Tagged bicycle, bike, bike camp, bike camping, bike packing, bike tour, bike touring, camp, camping, eugene, LHT, Linus, Long Haul Trucker, mixte, Oregon, photo, Rivendell, Surly

Is Krampus here to eat your children, or to just go for a bike ride?

Posted on July 21, 2012 | 1 comment

First there was the Pugsley

Featuring huge 26×3.7-3.8 tires, it was the birth of the “Fat Bike”. Named after Pugsley Addams if I were to guess.

I would hope it might have been named after something cuter like this.

Then there was the Moonlander.

Featuring even wider 26×4.7 tires allow you to float over everything you could imagine. More likely named for the Lunar Rover because of the massive tires, & not the Moon Lander (Apollo Lunar Module).

Now they have a new one.
Introducing the Surly Krampus!!

Bike is features 29×3.0 tires, This is not a “Fat Bike” according to Surly(HERE), to them it’s a “29+“. I could imagine it might be known as a “Chubby Bike”. This tires are wider than any other 29in tires(larger sizes can be 2.1-2.3). This will be great for people who want a wider tire, but don’t want a truely “Fat Bike”, or want a a 29er with fatter tires. This one is nicely named after Santa Claus’s helper Krampus, this lovely fellow.

Hopefully the bike won’t be carrying you off and eating you for Christmas dinner.

Here are more photos of the Surly Krampus: One, Two, Three

I’ll admit I don’t mountain bike, but I love the idea of the Pugsley and would really like one for myself. I do tend to explore dirt and gravel trails with my LHT, 26×1.5 tires aren’t great for that, it would be a lot easier with wider tires & why not get a “Fat Bike” Maybe someday I will treat myself to one of these bikes.

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Posted in BIKE, News, Reviews

Tagged bicycle, bike, Fat Bike, Krampus, lunar lander, lunar rover, moon, moonlander, mountain bike, news, pug, Pugsley, Pugsley Addams, Surly

Photo: Mid June – Early July

Posted on July 11, 2012 | 2 comments

Here is a collection of photos I haven’t posted from Mid June to Early July. There are a lot of photos in here I like including fresh cookies, new bike tools, fun trips, and fireworks. Enjoy!

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Posted in BIKE, Day Ride, FOOD, OTHER, Trips

Tagged belt drive, belt drive bike, bicycle, bike, bike path, camera, carbon drive, carbon drive bike, cookies, eugene, fire truck, fireworks, flower, hanafuda, homemade soda, ice cream, iPhone, KEEN, LHT, Linus, Long Haul Trucker, Mario, mixte, MKS, MKS Pedals, Nintendo, Nutcase, Nutcase Helmet, Oregon, park, Park Tool, Park Tools, photo, Playmobil, soda, Stein Tools, sunset, Surly, vegan, vegan cookies, vegetarian, watermelon

HJ Andrews Experimental Forest

Posted on June 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

Last year in my Environmental Science Class at Chemeketa Community College our professor took us to H.J Andrews for a field trip. Angel did the same trip the year before with her sister when they took the class. Since then both Angel and I have wanted to go back together and explore. This past weekend, we got our chance.

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest is located in the Cascade mountains just west of Blue River, Oregon. Covering 15,800acres (24.68mi²), the forest is administered cooperatively by the USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station, Oregon State University, and the Willamette National Forest. The forest is used for research, including long term research, as well as education, but the public are welcome to come visit and hike select trails. There is some information you should know before tromping through the forest though. (Visitor Info) I don’t believe many people come out here to hike. Most people I talk to about it have never even heard of it, with longer and more extensive trails to bike in more well known parts of the Willamette National Forest just a couple miles down the road. At HJ there are two public use trails to hike. Lookout Creek Old-Growth Trail(3.5mi one way) goes along Look Out Creek through beautiful old-growth forest. Your other option is the Carpenter Mountain Lookout Trail (1.6mi), which is a short hike, that consists of stunning views of the forests of the Cascade Mountains and Wolf Rock. There is a lot going on at HJ Andrews, if you are interested in finding out more please checkout their site and read about the wonderful and interesting research that is going on there, along with all the other interesting information. andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/ More links at the bottom of the page.

Angel and I hiked some of the lower Lookout Creek Old-Growth Trail, and I was able to try out my new camera mount for my GoPro that I made out of $12 worth of 7 feet of threaded PVC pipe. It helped to allow me to get higher and farther reaching camera views without unnecessarily crushing vegetation, in out of reach spots and in the water without freezing my hands off like I am used to. It worked out pretty well, I can’t wait to use it more on future adventures, hopefully more with clear water.

Here are the photos I took from our hike.

Here are some other links about HJ Andrews Experimental Forest:
Visitors, 2
Students and Teachers
Old Growth Virtual Tour
Creative Writers Collaboration
Forest Map Collection
PDF: HJ Andrews brochure
PDF: HJ Andrews Map, Backside
PDF: Lookout Creek Old-Growth Trail brochure
PDF: Max G. Geier, (1948-2000) Necessary Work: Discovering Old Forests, New Outlooks, and Community on the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest

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Posted in OTHER, Trips, Video

Tagged Bend, camera, Environmental Science, Environmental Study, eugene, flower, forest, GoPro, hike, HJ Andrews, lichen, National Forest, Oregon, video, wildlife, Willamette National Forest, woods

A Prairie Home Companion in Eugene

Posted on June 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

A Prairie Home Companion came to the Cuthbert Amphitheater in Eugene this weekend (Saturday June 6th). If you don’t know what PHC is, it’s an old time radio show hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show features funny segments like The News From Lake Wobegon (Keillor’s fictional home town), stories of Guy Noir (private detective), other great stories, live music, and guests. This weekend’s show featured guest musicians Elvin Bishop and Sam Bush, along with the Portland Cello Project. It was a great show with clear 82° weather; we got a lot of sun.

There were some cycling related jokes in this episode. It turns out Guy Noir is called to Eugene to help organize a “Naked Motorcade” to show that motorists are vulnerable too.
Here is the script, and MP3 of this segment.

You can listen to the full episode right here, MP3, show details here.

Here are some photos from our day.

Also here are some videos from the episode.

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Posted in BIKE, Event, Events, NPR, OTHER

Tagged A Prairie Home Companion, bicycle, bike, Cuthbert Amphitheater, eugene, Garrison Keillor, npr, OPB, Oregon, radio

100th Post, Here’s Some Flowers

Posted on June 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

It’s my 100th post on this blog. I wanted to do something a little more exciting for this post, but I think this will do for now. Angel and I have been in Eugene for 11 months now. We find new places to go, and things to do everyday. Here is a link to my first post from right after we moved here and rode the Fern Ridge Bike Path all the way out for the first time. Since then we have found so many more places to ride, but Fern Ridge is still one of the nicest places we like to ride here in Eugene. Our last adventure didn’t include the FRBP, but instead one of our favorite places to gets treats, Sweet Life Patisserie. Angel loves their chocolate tortes and pies, and I always get an oven-warmed cinnamon roll.

The other day we went to the Owen Rose Garden, and here are some photos I took there. I’m not a big fan of roses, so I tend to take photos of all the other pretty flowers at the garden. I did take one photo of a wild rose though, but they look nothing like a cultivated rose.

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Posted in BIKE, Day Ride, FOOD, OTHER, Trips

Tagged bicycle, bike, bike commute, bike tour, eugene, food, Oregon, vegan, vegetarian

Bike Music Fest

Posted on June 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

Yesterday, June 2nd, was the Bike Music Fest, put on by the University of Oregon Bike Program. It was an entirely pedal-powered music festival. I was only there for the last couple hours, but it was a fun time, here are some photos and a nice little video.

Here is a simple video I made, sorry it is a little shaky, I was generating power on a bike at the time.

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Posted in BIKE, Events, Video, Videos

Tagged bicycle, bike, bike commute, bike tour, camera, eugene, Oregon, video

Biking McKenzie Pass

Posted on May 30, 2012 | 2 comments

On Memorial Day, Monday the 29th, I got the chance to ride Scenic McKenzie Pass (Highway 242) for the first time. Being my first year in Eugene, I really wanted to do this ride. I had seen a lot of photos of other cyclists on the ride before, with the high packed snow walls; it just seem incredible. Also, last October, Angel and I had a chance to drive it while going to the OHBS in Bend, it made me really want spend more time there and revisit the Pass.

They close off Hwy 242 during the winter months due to snow. They open it back up in May for a couple weeks only to cyclists, which is a great time to venture out, because you have no fear of cars coming up the hill behind you. The pass is about 4o miles from the turnoff at 126 to Sisters, OR. I chose only to ride up to the Dee Wright Observatory, (22miles) the summit of 5325 feet elevation. 3600 feet of climbing with great views throughout of the Willamette Nation Forest, Mount Washington Wilderness Area, Three Sisters Wilderness Area, and into the Deschutes National Forest (if you continue or start in Sisters). Up towards the top there are amazing lava fields, it’s kind of crazy to think about the lava fields, and how much volcanic activity Oregon had just a couple thousand years ago. At the top, like I mentioned, is the Dee Wright Observatory where you can look out at all the amazing mountain and land formations.

It was a super fun ride. I tend to ride a little slow, taking about 4 or 5 hours on my way up, but that includes a lot of stops for photos, food, making a couple snowmen, and just enjoying the view. It then only took about 45mins to get back down to the bottom. An incredible descent after riding that same route up. I totally recommend this ride for anyone who ever gets a chance. Just be prepared to climb a lot. Here are my photos from the ride.

Along the way I decided to made a couple snow men just for fun. I thought other cyclists would like the encouragement while going up and down the pass. The one in the road has 2 faces. I had to climb the snow wall to get his features, but that was really cool itself.

360 Degree View along Highway 242

360 Degree View from atop Dee Wright Observatory

Here is a 360 Degree View from atop Dee Wright Observatory from the first time Angel and I drove the pass last October on our way to Bend for the OHBS. We took a lot of photos that day. I’m really glad I got a chance to ride the pass, hopefully I get to do it again.

History of McKenzie Pass – HERE

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Posted in BIKE, Day Ride

Tagged Bend, bicycle, bike, bike tour, eugene, LHT, Long Haul Trucker, Oregon, Surly

Eugene’s Ride Of Silence 2012

Posted on May 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

The Ride Of Silence was last night, May 16th in Eugene. If you don’t know what the Ride Of Silence is it a ride to remember cyclist killed or injured on the road. The ride has been going on for 10 years now, and is held on the third Wednesday of May, at 7 p.m local time all across the world.

Here is what the route looked like.

Other Coverage:
KMTR

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Posted in BIKE, Events, News

Tagged bike, bike commute, bike tour, eugene, news, Oregon, photo, PSA

My Surly LHT Turns 2 Years Old

Posted on May 10, 2012 | 3 comments

I have had my Surly Long Haul Trucker for 2 years now, and I have never doubted myself for choosing it over a different bike. The love story between me and the LHT began long before I got her. For years I knew I wanted the bike. I would try out other bikes at shops and never be happy with how they felt or how they were set up. I knew I wanted to do long rides and touring so why not go with a full out touring bike such as the LHT? The one thing was I already had a decent amount of bikes and not a lot of money. Also, I didn’t like the colors it was offered in for a couple years. They were dull colors: Utility Blue, Olive Green, Truckaccino Tan, I wanted something brighter, and then they showed off the new color at Interbike in October 09, Blue Velvet (also known as Hill Street Blue) and I knew I really wanted it.

I moved to Oregon in late March of 2010. A month later, on April 25th, I bought my Surly Long Haul Trucker. I was so happy that day, finally getting a super comfortable bicycle to ride for a long time.

This year on April 25th I happily was able to do a nice 20mile ride with a friend in the morning. Then after he left to go home I kept going, ending up riding just over a metric century that day, 67.58miles in total.

Last year on Surly’s birthday I got him the Surly Rear Nice Rack, and this year I got him the Surly Front Nice Rack to Match. This rack is massive, and will certainly see a lot of use. Now I just need to get myself a set of Ortlieb Front-Roller Panniers to match my Back-Roller.