Compras F29er

This is the last in a series- nope, I just realized it's not- of bike updates from this Fall. I never posted these from my ride last Sunday. As you can see below, I took out my rarely-used mtbike, in this case a C'dale 29-er. I've made some modifications because I've decided to give it a try as a gravel grinder. Fact it, I don't mtbike that much, whether from lack of interesting trails, fitness, fear of rocks, technique, yada yada. This C'dale gets very little mileage compared to the LHT or Bleriot, so why not?  It's a kind of bike recycling. As the pics suggest, I've made some interesting modifications and a good mixed-terrain fest next weekend in Bloomington will hopefully give me some insight as to their success:

• The biggest one was adding alum Jones Loop Bars. Like pretty much all bikes of this ilk, it had relatively wide risers, but I knew I would need something with a greater variety of hand positions. Drop bars would require lots of stem fiddling, so I went with the Loop. Financially it would've made more sense to do the cheaper Titec 'H', but it seems to require thumb-shifters. I'm not opposed to those, but again, cost said "buy a bar and some tape and you're finished". Initial reports on this bar are very positive, but a longer session is needed. My only concern so far is whether I have some slippage downward as I put lots of weight out of the extensions. Honestly, some of it may be real and some imagined.
• Banjo Barrel Bag- I needed a means of carrying gear on a gravel grinder, so this became an inexpensive option. Because the basic OEM saddle, I lacked the Brooks loops to most effectively mount the Barrel, so I bought some Loop Adapters from VO via Vic's Classic Bikes. Thanks Vic.(And after looking at a couple other pics, I think I'm going to remount the adapters to a more logical spot) It's a reasonably sized day bag with a stiffener to keep the space open, and it's quite light. My one quibble with the Barrel is that while the buckle closure is very solid, the closure design lets cracks and openings form, making it very possible to lose something. I ended up with an extra jacket stuffed in there to block anything from escaping, so I will have to be mindful of that set up for rides.
• Epic Ride Research Mountain Feed Bag- I discussed a bit the story of getting the MFB, but all early indications are that it's a really nice product. I haven't used it on any big rides, but for in town it is certainly a camera/phone carrier bar none, especially with its soft interior. I'm excited to put it through its paces at the end of a long, tiring day in the boondocks.
• WTB Vulpines- Funnily enough, while I'm excited about these tires, I'm realizing that the changing weather may not make these the best option for a maiden voyage. I've seen mixed reviews on the Vulpine, but fundamentally it's a semi-smooth 29er with side knobs, perfect for road-ish kinds of rides. . The lack of very much center tread makes it dicey, though. The complaints tend to be the lack of bite is loose terrain; my/our usually gravel rides don't involve that much loose stuff, so I'm not as concerned. We're having early snows where in the 'Ville, and certainly in Bloomington for next week's outing. So, after spending good $$ getting gravel grinder tires, I might have to go back to the original Exiwolf knobbies, which I think are horrible in mud. Hopefully we'll have no muddy singletrack.
• Lastly, these pics were taken with my Lumix DMC-ZS6 which I got back in late October. In looking at the pic quality I'm underwhelmed. They seem awfully grainy. Reviews suggest that it's a great scenery/outdoor camera- and not so strong indoors which is a shock to no one- but I'm not too pleased with these. The end result of the CanonS90 story is that Canon offered to sell me a refurb  camera for $120 to replace the one I dunked. I thought it was a fair deal for a camera selling for $350 on Amazon right now, and one I paid $400 for in June. There's a lesson to be learned there. Wait until the new model comes out and scoop up the well-reviewed older model the next week at a big discount. I'm hoping and assuming that the refurb will be adequate. I also might need to read up on how to maximize the DMCZS6.
• I've spent a lot of money this Fall. NO MORE!!

(these pics are out of order now)

Eva Bandman Cyclocross starting area from GP a few weeks ago

F29er with Jones Loop, Banjo, Vulpines and Barrel

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Another view of the cyclocross park

Butchertown Greensway

Tug and coal playing peek-a-boo along the river

Paddler on  the Beargrass along the greensway. Brave. Surprise they didn't find a body in there.