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The Bicycling thread

Specialized e-bikes are nice and one can obtain the range extending battery (which sits in a water bottle slot). I find that the range extender battery gives me about an extra 28 miles on the second setting. It would likely be closer to 40 miles on the low setting. I think that the main battery is advertised as being good for about 90 miles on the low setting. I have not tried to go more than 40 miles on the main battery. I add a couple of extra water bottles in the beneath seat tool bag.
 
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November in the Ozarks.

Put together a 4 week ride out from my front door in St. Louis to the Ozarks, Bentonville, and back. (Will post the route connecting the KATY trail with the ACA Arkansas High Country Route on the ACA forum in the KATY connector routes forum. Link to follow.)

Did this as old-guy therapy to lose a little weight and get the fitness in line after a prostatectomy in March and a back injury lifting a bike at Jim Hyde's place in June.

With solo riding that included a couple of 15 degree grades of mud and rock, multiple water crossings, and portages around downed trees and a land slide, I posit this was more of an "adventure bike" experience than you'll see in most BDR films.

Did this also in part to check out Bentonville, since it was declared Mountain Bike Capital of the World, after the Waltons and others donated chunks of money for trails and such. Have to say, the money shows. I suspect enough interest in two-wheel travel and capital to re-open a BMW motorcycle dealership in the next 5-10 y.

A few photos including check-in at the the restored and recommended, Bothwell Hotel (1927) in Sedalia, MO ($126 including tax the night I was there). Excellent restaurant - burning 5000-10,000 Cal per day, the four course meal including filet mignon and chocolate cake tasted especially good.



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Very nice write up and great pics....what an adventure! Is that bike a single speed? SPP
2010 surly karate monkey with 3 forks and 3 sets of wheels.
(As with motorcyles and firearms - the wife only lets me have one of each..., so like the R1250RS, it's pretty flexible.)

In this configuration, 14-speed Rohloff hub with gearing from 20 to 104 inches.

I managed chain angle of 0 with a Chris King bottom bracket and Race Face cranks.
50 mm tires at 32 PSI for an 80 pound loaded rig and 200 pound rider. Worked well with about 75% of the ride off-pavement.

(This was the set-up I used a couple years ago when I did the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.)
 
Did this also in part to check out Bentonville, since it was declared Mountain Bike Capital of the World, after the Waltons and others donated chunks of money for trails and such. Have to say, the money shows. I suspect enough interest in two-wheel travel and capital to re-open a BMW motorcycle dealership in the next 5-10 y.
A few weeks ago a employee at a bicycle shop told us about all the trails in the Bentonville area that the Waltons helped to finance.
He said there's also a lot of hard surface trails.
Several years ago some of the Waltons bought a lot of land in the Low Gap area with plans of hiking and bicycle trails. I have not heard if any work has started on those trails.
 
Agree - haven't heard anything specific - but no secret, Seuart and Tom Walton have big plans spread over a giant chunk of NW AR.

If you put Oark and Jasper in the Low Gap area, then the Waltons have already contributed. This area is included in the Arkansas High Country Route I did on this trip. Chuck Cambell of Arkansas got the Adventure Cycling Association (originally Bikecentennial) interested in mapping out a route in Arkansas. When he posted his idea on Facebook - the Walton Foundation folks were quickly on it with a $100,000 seed grant, which was really all that was needed to bring the project to fruition in just a few years..

The $38 million, 33-mile Razorback Greenway that connects Fayetteville to Bentonville is one of the better paved bike paths I've done, with plenty of hotels, restaurants, and coffee and bike shops along the way. After some really tough and long mileage days on gravel and dirt (and mud) in the hills, I have to admit, I took my time and turned the 33 miles into an 8-h trip.... (In contrast to the pros that race the High Country Route 1100 mile loop every October and polish this section off in 75 minutes.)

Plenty of bike and especially e-bike rentals for those of us who can't figure out how to load their bicycle on the back of a motorcycle. :unsure: (Still thinking about that titanium Brompton.)

Photo from my first stop in Fayetteville at the new Meteor Cafe and BIke Shop. (Burning 5-10,000 kcal - aka Calories - per day lets one eat like a king.)


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Yesterday was the 48th annual Bike Ride to Rippey, called the BRR. Perry Iowa to Rippey and back is 24 miles.
Good excuse to get out of the house in the winter. I'm been to 12 or more of the rides.
Yesterday was cloudy with temps 35 to 39 F during the ride.
Winds were 25 to 35 mph.
Debbie is smarter than me and waits in the lobby of the Hotel Pattee in Perry.
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Waiting to start in front of the hotel.
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There's usually a big fire on the route. Too much smoke for me.
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I usually stop for pie at the church in Rippey.
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When I returned, Debbie told me a lady from the Des Moines Register paper took our picture and asked our names.
We're in the first picture of this link which has more pictures of the ride.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/pi...r/78135154007/
 
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