The Best Laid Plans - The Long Way to Cleveland - CycleBlaze

April 10, 2023

The Best Laid Plans

My original plan was to ride from Connecticut to Seattle. I've wanted to do this for several years, but I realized that taking that much time off from the chores at home wouldn't be fair to my wife, Phoebe. So I pared it down to a third of that - a ride to Wisconsin, where Phoebe's sister lives. That plan was for Phoebe to drive to Wisconsin to pick me up and drive back to CT. But although she loves driving, it still wasn't fair to ask her to do that, so I decided to just do the same distance in a big loop around NY state, stop in Cleveland to visit my brother and his family, and then ride back. The total ride should be about 1,500 miles.

I've had this Velo Orange Campeur for about 10 years. I've ridden from CT to Georgia, DC to Cleveland, OH to CT, and other shorter tours in that time. The handlebars are not aeros, they're Velo Orange "crazy bars", with a 45 degree back sweep, and front facing extensions that simulate riding on the hoods.
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Kelly IniguezI know I should be looking at the bike. I do love looking at bikes - but I have to comment on your much less common activity - clock repair. You are a good man. It is very difficult to find a clock repairman. The man I use is in his 70's. His father also repaired clocks. He says that most people who own clocks are getting older and the younger generation isn't interested in keeping the clocks, they just get rid of them. He says that he thinks the clock repairmen and clocks will all die out about the same time. Astute thinking?
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11 months ago
jim katzinTo Kelly IniguezHi Kelly,
Sadly, that is astute thinking. The younger generation didn't grow up with a clock ticking on a shelf or mantel. My grandfather worked for 40 years for the Gilbert Clock Company in Winsted, CT, and after he retired, repaired clocks in a closet off of his bedroom for another 20 years, so clocks are part of my family.

The same can be said about biking. Most of the journals that are posted these days are written by older folks. I'm not sure if it's because people don't have time until they retire or it's because younger people don't grow up in an environment where you can go off on a bike for a day and hopefully make it home in time for supper. Bikes meant freedom for me, but now it seems everyone has a car to drive as soon as they turn 16, and they quickly ditch the bicycle.
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11 months ago
Colin BakerTo jim katzinGood question. I think younger people have the time but don’t get into biking at an early age. Also they are not as good at writing. Not that we are good at it but we are used to communicating clearly in emails and reading texts. Today is the video age.
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11 months ago

My bike is currently in my clock repair/music practice room on a fluid trainer, while I prepare for warmer weather. It's been there since New Year's when I started doing interval training on it. I've taken it out a few times this spring, including a ride to the local bike shop where I had it weighed. 45 lbs as pictured. I'm going to have to think very carefully about what goes on this trip. I hope I can take a violin again.

The bike loaded up with a violin in preparation for the trip to Atlanta in 2014.
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Colin BakerI think our rigs back in 78 were 56 lbs or so? So you have shaved off a lot.
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11 months ago
jim katzinTo Colin BakerI think our unladen bikes were around 35-40 pounds. 45 is really heavy, but then so is 35-40!
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11 months ago
An upgraded cockpit
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On past tours, I've taken a GoalZero solar panel, which was sufficient to keep the Garman GPS and a flip phone charged. But this time, I'm taking a smart phone, I hooked up the PedalCell rim dynamo. It keeps both units fully charged, and doesn't rely on sunny days.
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You might ask why I'm taking a smart phone and a GPS. I've looked at the cell coverage in upstate NY, and it's fairly sparce, so I figure the GPS will be my main navigation tool. Even though Chris Pountney says there are no wrong turns, that's not necessarily true in upstate NY these days:

NY woman driven to wrong address fatally shot by homeowner | AP News

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