Extreme Momentum

Rose and I went on a much needed warm weather vacation to sunny San Diego last week. I took my bike of course, since I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to get in some nice long outdoor rides in February. The forecast called for temperatures in the 70s with only a slight chance of rain on couple of days. Sweet!

I picked up a copy of the San Diego bike map before we went.  That way I had a chance to plan routes from where we were staying in the Mission Hills area.  The map was a huge help, but I soon found that bike lanes in San Diego aren’t exactly like the bike lanes here in Chicago.  There the bike lane is often a narrow section of shoulder (with no pavement to the right of you) with traffic passing you at 55+ MPH on the left. Yikes. I couldn’t imagine riding these routes without a marked bike lane!  With a little more research, I found routes for a few local team rides that were in lower traffic areas.

Here’s a brief description, map, and elevation profile for each of my rides. Click on any map to go to Everytrail.com for more details and to download a GPX track of the route.

Day 1 – 2/20/08
I arrived that afternoon and got to the hotel around 4 PM.  I had to put my bike together and had planned on an easy 2 hour ride. I was smart to bring my lights, since I knew it would get dark around 6 PM.  I opted for a route directly from our hotel.  Hmmm.  Within the first few miles, I had a good 350 foot climb. After that, the route was relatively flat.  A good section followed a highway towards Miramar, but was well marked with a wide shoulder.  I got lost a couple of times (hey, it was dark) even though I had my Garmin Edge 705 with me.

Mission Hills to Miramar – 26.9 miles – 1090 feet of climbing

Day 2 – 2/21/08
I was looking for a nice long ride along the ocean here in San Diego. After doing some research, I found that the old Pacific Coast Highway 101 here is a bit like Sheridan Road in Chicago. It’s got a bike lane and  loaded with bike traffic on the weekend. The route wasn’t too hilly and it had plenty of food and water options along the way. I had to show my driver’s license to get into Camp Pendleton, but was awarded with brand new roads with wide shoulders and little traffic. The “tank crossing” signs were interesting, especially for someone used to “deer crossing” signs.

La Jolla To Camp Pendleton – 73.3 miles – 2270 feet of climbing

The main entrance into Camp Pendleton.  Make sure to bring your ID!

Day 3 – 2/22/08
After yesterday’s ride, I needed to take it easy. I would have been happy to have a flat route, but there’s no such thing in San Diego. Rose wanted to run at Mission Trails Park, so I just explored the area around it. Well, I found lots of good climbs and few flat roads. I ended up just biking back and forth several times on the park road. I’m not complaining about the warm weather compared to what we’ve had in Chicago. We missed the Amgen Tour of California, but caught the finish on TV.

Mission Trails Ramble – 21.3 miles – 1846 feet of climbing

Day 4 – 2/23/08
I found some good rides north of San Diego from the Swamis team website.  The route below had a nice gradual climb, but it was mostly on high traffic roads. I loved not having a traffic light every block, so I was able to open up for longer stretches.  The one thing I didn’t like about San Diego is that the traffic lights are much longer compared to Chicago.

Modified Swamis Team Ride – 49 miles – 2125 feet of climbing

A view of the Pacific from Encinitas.  This was the view for many of my rides!

Day 5 – 2/23/08
I really liked the route I took on Saturday and wanted to ride through Camp Pendleton farther north.  I parked up in Encinitas, which made for a nice 50+ mile route.  There was a good headwind, but coming back was a lot of fun and I was able to open up at 30+ MPH. I got to see lots of Blackhawk and Apache helicopters in action, which was pretty cool.

Encinitas to Camp Pendleton – 53.7 miles – 1342 feet of climbing

Got a dirty bike? Keeping your bike clean is one the paramount rules if you want to keep it functioning in tip-top shape. Sand, mud, road salt, and just about any other type of crud murders your drivetrain and hubs. Unfortunately, cleaning your bike often falls down on the “to do” list to somewhere in between cleaning the gutters and recaulking the bathtub. Guess what…it’s not that hard and doesn’t take long. Spending 15 minutes cleaning your bike will help keep it running like new. All you need is a sponge (or rag) and bucket of soapy water. However, there is one tool that will make it faster and more fun…the Nomad2Go pressure washer.

Many mechanics cringe at the idea of using a garden hose or pressure washer to clean a bike. They should. Water dispensed at high pressures can work its way into nooks and crevices, causong bearings and parts to corrode. So, why would I recommend washing a bike with a pressure washer like the Nomad2Go? First, it doesn’t put out much pressure. Second, you can use it at times when you really want to and need to clean your bike.

For example, how many times have you gotten done with a MTB ride only to have your bike caked in mud (even when the trails are “dry and rideable”). You have an immediate urge to clean your bike, since you’re feeling guilty having your beauty looking like that. The only problem is that you don’t have anything with which to clean it. Ha! If you had the Nomad2Go, you could be spraying that bike down and loading it back up in the car before your buddies are done riding. That’s right, the Nomad2Go is your own portable bike wash. Just plug it into you car’s cigarette lighter , connect the hose, turn it on, and start spraying. That’s it!

The Nomad2Go holds 5 gallons of water, which is enough to wash 2 to 3 bikes (depending on how dirty they are). The pressure it puts out is about the same as a garden hose on a low flow setting. It’s enough to spray off dirt and mud, but probably not enough to force water into areas where you don’t want it. Still, I’m extra careful not to point the stream directly at the hubs or bottom brackets. I also like to wash my bikes with soapy water when I get home. The Nomad2Go gets the majority of dirt off, but doesn’t clean as completely as a bucket and sponge.

So, how has the Nomad2Go held up and peformed over time. I’ve only been using it for about 6 months, but it has worked flawlessly the entire time. I bought mine last fall and got to use it several times while out mountain biking. I know a few guys who got one for cyclocross, but none of our races are really that muddy here in Chicago. The Nomad2Go website also highlights its use for ATV riders, boaters, and just about any other activity where you want to wash something off. I wouldn’t use it for a commercial cleaning business, but it’s ideal for the hobbyist/home user.

I have also found the Nomad2Go to be a big help in the winter when we have our water shut off outside. My bikes often get caked with road salt and I prefer to spray them down first before washing them in the basement with a sponge. I also found a power solution for this situation.

Don’t have access to a cigarette lighter plug? The Nomad2Go now has a more expensive battery-powered version. I also found that the Vector portable cooler power supply ($25 at Best Buy) puts out enough amps to power the Nomad2Go. This allows you to plug into just about any AC-powered wall jack.

Overall, I’m very happy with my purchase. The retail price for the Nomad2Go was $200, but I paid about $50 for mine (from eBay). I couldn’t justify $200 for a nice-to-have item, but at $50-$100 I think this is a great tool to have around.

If you don’t wash your bike on regular basis, start washing it now. All you need is a sponge and bucket of soapy water. The Nomad2Go is the prefect accessory to help you get the job done quicker and with a little more fun.

I found out about a group buy for some new Pedal Force frames.  I had been thinking about replacing my Kuota Kredo frame, because the seat post was driving me bonkers.  I know, a small thing, but the frame technology is also about 6 years old.  The stuff coming out of Taiwan factories is really amazing. I saw the Pedal Force QS3 frame and decided to try it.  At <$500, it was well worth the price.  Should be interesting to build and ride…it’s a <900 frame with BB30 bottom bracket and tapered head tube. I’ll post more about it when it arrives!