nice find, did not know that one existed. What are the dimensions? i couldn't seem to find them on the ritchey site

Thanks for the update Threepin!  I've been trying to remember your user name from past intel.  I figured someone from Whitefish had tried to ride up that road by now.  I know from other local WF buddies that the lower snow had melted quickly and they seemed to be out early on the MTB and road rides.

But....I also saw video of snow flurries in the Flathead valley in the past few days

no problem griz
its been miserable here for the last six weeks or so, i just checked and stahl peak went up 3 inches of swe in the last three days.
Poured here off and on today.
If i was to bet i would guess this will end up being the snowiest year without official re routes- not nearly the lower level snow of 2011 but seems likely it will exceed 2008 in snow cover.
But that's just my WAG worth exactly what i was paid for it

cheers

Thanks, the stuff sack is the same size and color of my skyscape x

how are you liking the spyres? Mine have been pretty good but i am hoping recabling might firm the up a bit

to Bumbler, they definitely flare but the hoods feel (to me) better than expected- hopefully this is right side up

why is  that upside down, its not in in the file on my desktop, is there a way to rotate once posted?

definitely get the 48, the width helps with control on trail and allows a bigger bar bag (bags on drops are limited in width by the drops and hoods compared to straight bars). I also feel like my chest is more opened  up and i can relax more. The drops vs hoods as primary position is somewhat related to desired use (road/trail etc.) The standard explanation is for trail use think of the drops as primary position because sudden impacts drive your hands into the bars rather than off the hoods and the drops should be placed about where your grips would be on a standard bar. For me this works well and seems to have the added benefit of making more overall hand positions work. Many others especially folks with a lot of road or cross experience may prefer hoods. Its pretty easy to experiment with stems and spacers to try both approaches. I found using a stem calculator to really help as sometimes i might want my hands higher but farther away etc.

http://yojimg.net/bike/web_tools/stem.php     is a good one

you might consider riding with an adjustable stem till you find out what you like


Hey RonK,
what tent or tarp is that? the bag looks familiar

ferry to euboea

more

sicily

coast of sicily

grey creek pass trans canada trail

early season bitterroot 300k

a friends first bike pack trip, his first and last with a BOB.

those two bars are very different, I use the gary sweep os ergo which is the same as the dajila. It is also sold under the name satori boondocks, genetic digest and on the koga beach racer its called koga oversized
.
 I actually like it quite a bit. the hooks facilitate using hoods and drops better that the woodchipper i previously used.  It is also wider between the hoods and flares in such a way that you gain several inches of potential bar bag length. The little extensions at the end turn out to be a super comfy addl hand position.

The other notable difference is in the give or flex  of the bar, it is noticeable when on the extensions. I have grown to like it and feel like it aids comfort on long days. I don't think a single speeder would like it though. Too me the flare and sweep  in a mountain bar are what i like and the cowchipper  seems too close to a road bar for my tastes.

http://forums.mtbr.com/commuting/budget-dirt-drop-bars-843841-post10238007.html  -start at post 49

for those wondering about snow, check out the stahl peak averages and year to date. Basically the snowpack relative to normal has been increasing lately due to a wet and cool april. Right now there is more swe than 2008 but a good bit less than 2011 (our 2 biggest years lately). What is more important though is the steepness  of the slope of the melt snowpack stays near max till almost mid may then goes to zero by 7/1. You can see how the weather close to the race date (and even the race date itself) can really change the remaining snow. We had an early melt for low elevations then for mid and high elevations it really slowed down. Right now the upper whitefish rd is largely clear of snow to what is called the taylor creek rd, about 5 miles up from the pavement at whitefish lake, this seems to me about normal. Last year i rode to red meadow pass sometime around memorial day, usually for that to be snow free you are looking at the beginning of july.
For the person who wondered about using stahl peak vs graves creek, graves though on the route goes to zero early so it doesn't give info in the critical time period. Stahl ,though higher and a little north is a good indicator because both whitefish pass and red meadow pass are snow machine routes so the snow is packed and melts slower. red meadow pass is in a snowier place than the others so though lower the snow accumulates more and lasts longer.

hoping for some quick input from folks. I was planning on crossing the divide at akamina pass on a bike packing trip and have recently learned that that is a no go this year due to waterton construction. It looks like both Middle and North Kootenay passes are straight forward but i was hoping for a recommendation in that region which combines reasonable route finding, scenery and  modest difficulty. Thanks in advance

Yesterday it was disclosed that the encounter started with a collision between bear and cyclist and that the cyclist had been traveling at a high rate of speed, not much more info is available, i am guessing that the bear was sleeping in or beside the trail and was startled , it was mid afternoon on one of the hottest days so far this year. I had a similar occurrence last summer west of whitefish where a small black bear had been bedded down immediately beside a trail i was riding and moved when i was about about 5 ft away.

Most of gdmbr has pretty good sight lines compared to a brushy trail so the risk  of surprise is diminished a bit.

The comment thread in the washington post had a reply from someone who was armed when attacked  (had taken an elk) he said he hit it multiple times and only survived by playing dead.

Josh,
did you report this in any way?
As a Flathead county resident i am both disheartened and disgusted at the truckers action.  I hope that you would report it and notify the local newspapers (daily interlake and flathead beacon)     Please let me know if i can assist.
Bill Love

I'm out of contention for the first rider to pie.  Since my encounter with a motorist who wanted to make a grave marker out of a cyclist on the Grave Creek Road after Eureka, MT I've been unable to properly race.  When the truck driver aimed at me I had no choice but to head off the road.  Anyone that has been on that road knows that the right side drops a long ways down into Grave Creek.  Basically, to keep myself and bike from ending up at the bottom of the canyon my legs/feet were twisted in the rocks on the hillside.  There is only so fast a guy can go while eating Alieve and Advil like M&M's (plus I don't professionally recommend it at all).
My left knee took the brunt of the twisting and while I could ocassinally go quickish things kept declining.  By the time I got just past Helena I couldnt go more than 10mph on the flats with a tailwind.
Lots of stuff can happen out there.  Dropping out because of a self-sustained injury like crashing in mud or pushing my body too hard would be painful but acceptable.  Ending my race, while feeling in the best physical condition of my life, because of an act of another person is unacceptable.  This was going to be the last of my racing.  I've never been all about records or first place.  It's always been the journey.
Now...

I'll be back

smaller pics

took these this afternoon, on east lakeshore whitefish. At that time Mike was almost 2 hours ahead, i remember, i think that Mike was a hurting pup due to respiratory issues the last time i saw him in i guess 2013

Hey Flinch- are you local? Have to catch a beer some time
I am going to try to get some pics and post later today