The Seattle Area Riders SARS, (a scary name) had another chaotic ride
today, Sunday 29 May. We had a total of 11 participants, 9 of which went
for lunch at the Red Hook Brewery. Tom Jackson turned around and
basically snubbed us for lunch. Irene started earlier and rode further
than the rest of the core Coker group and Steve DeKoekkoek had a tandem
with trailer so two kids in tow. Bruce Dawson joined us briefly during
his training ride for the Seattle to Portland ride (STP) which he will
participate in this year as well as maybe Irene. Jack Hughes has done it
a couple of times and I think Dan Heaton has done it.
I warmed up trying to hop up six stairs on my new wheel set, now that I
have some confidence in it. When it's pumped up to road ride, it's tight
and hard so to hop steps you basically get no help from the tire and
have to lift the heavy Coker each step. I think I made three once, but
on that hard wheel it's hard to land to a good balance point and it gets
tiring lifting that monster.
I rode down the six set a couple of times, though. The high pressure
tire makes it bounce on the step corners and, although the wheel
diameter is large and helps, it is clear that some pressure lower than
the 50 psig riding pressure would be better both up and down stairs. I
decided to try that at the end of the ride so I wouldn't have to pump up
the tire with a frame pump.
There was a nice planter with a wall around it at a park several miles
into the ride. We usually take a crotch break at this park and get some
water. I tried to mount on the planter wall which was by no means a
skinny. It was at least 8 and possibly 12 inches wide. My brain kept
saying, "go to the dirt, not the 18" drop." I had biffed a 12" drop on a
standard Coker wheel from bouncing in the past. I probably tried to
freemount 10 times. I finally took a hand up.
I had Jon McClintock on my left hand and standing on the ground. I had
Irene in the planter holding my right hand. DON'T DO THIS! I had no free
hands to control the Coker and it went flying when I tried to mount. I
kept Jon on my left and I gave up Irene on my right so I could grab the
seat handle on the second try and easily mounted and stabilized. Then
the wall was cake to ride. I negotiated the 90 degree corners rolling
with no difficulty. Then I did the 18" drop off of it and, although hard
and bouncy, stuck it. Again, confidence in the new wheel set. Jeff Sloan
also rode the complete planter, first hopping the turns, then rolling
them.
Everyone in this group seems to be riding faster and with more
control...except me. But that's still fun to watch. Irene after her big
82km long, 750m altitude gain ride yesterday was noticeably more twitchy
today but still much faster than me. Bruce did an 82 MILE ride on flats
yesterday.
After we porked down and rode back, I got to the point where I wanted to
try the stairs again. I tried them first at road pressure, still with no
luck. I let a bunch of air out of the tire and first noticed that it was
totally squirrelly to mount, like a MUni with way too little pressure on
pavement. It was easy to hop to balance points and I successfully hopped
up the six set twice with the springy tire. I also found riding down it
to be much more fluid and controlled; much less bouncy.
When I got home I measured the tire pressure to be about 20 psig and
then I pumped it back up to 50 psig for commuting. I will probably try
25 psig for stair work from now on.
The ride was a gas as usual and all of the people are a joy to be with.
Tom Blackwood and JC extended their ride after everyone else had left.
There were some photos taken and perhaps they will be posted later.
--
harper - TANKED at GASWORKS
-Greg Harper
B L U E S H I F T
"My world view has come crashing down like a drunk clown on a giraffe,
riding through a cactus patch..." -evil-nick on "Entry of the
Gladiators"
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