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  1. Wade

    Do you slow down as it gets colder?

    I slow down as I get Older.
  2. Wade

    Getting married by bike

    Fortunately, they did not reproduce.
  3. Wade

    Essential Skills Every Beginner Cyclist Should Master

    If you’re riding in Southern Illinois, you need to be able to corner in gravel on a road bike. Even the good chip and seal roads have lots of rocks in the intersection.
  4. Wade

    Getting married by bike

    Yes, I know two triathletes from the St Louis area who did this. They’re divorced now.
  5. Wade

    Will you ever go full e-bike?

    I suppose that I’m a bit of a Luddite. I don’t even have electronic shifting on any of my bikes. And my favorite bike is a chromoly touring bike with cantilever brakes. Having said that, when I’m too old for a two wheel bike, an electric Catrike might be the ticket.
  6. Wade

    Trek Checkmate

    I went a a Trek factory tour in Waterloo, Wisconsin last summer. Very impressive setup. I saw a few Checkmates running down the line. One thing they told me was that Trek now has a lifetime warranty on their carbon wheels. So I haven’t quite ruled them out while looking for a new gravel bike.
  7. Wade

    Trek Checkmate

    That is some serious coin. I’m looking at a carbon gravel bike for next year. My leading candidates are Obed and Lauf.
  8. Wade

    Tubeless

    I work as a mechanic on several bike tours. While tubeless can benefit some mountain bike racers, these are pretty unnecessary for the average rider. Much easier to fix flats with a tube and way less mess. I’ve warned riders on my tours that if they are riding tubeless, they need to be able to...
  9. Wade

    Clipped in while mountain biking

    Yes, clipped in on the mountain bike. But I’ve had a bit of practice. I bought my first pair of Look pedals back in 1985.
  10. Wade

    Aside from Southern Illinois...

    I spend several weeks each summer in Wisconsin either riding or working bike tours. Two very good groups conduct rides: www.bikewisconsin.com www.pedalacrosswisconsin.com Bike Wisconsin tours are camping based while PAW rides are hotel based. Great routes and a lot cooler weather than...
  11. Wade

    What do you watch for when riding?

    I raced for many years. After a while you get tired of looking at the black Spandex butt in front of you.
  12. Wade

    What do you watch for when riding?

    I watch the scenery. I gave up using a bike computer several years ago. I do turn on the activity tracker on my Apple Watch. I record ride distance, speed, etc. But while I ride, I don’t look at the watch, just try and enjoy the ride.
  13. Wade

    Can you see yourself ever getting an eBike?

    I built a conversion e-bike for my wife. She has a Specialized flat bar road bike. I bought the conversion kit from a UK company called Swytch. About $700 for the kit. Motor is in the front wheel, pickup on the crank to detect pedaling and battery/controls on the handlebars. Unless you drop a...
  14. Wade

    Dog Defense

    What I’ve found is that the further back in the woods you get, the less likely people control their animals. These are the same people who put up “No Trespassing” signs in front of their dilapidated double-wides and broken down vehicles. They think we might mistake their property for a state park.
  15. Wade

    Dog Defense

    I can assure you that the dogs in Southern Illinois are no problem compared to the dogs in the Ozarks. People there have no notion of the concept of keeping your dog in your yard. The only dogs that worry me are the pit bulls. In 40 years of cycling, only 3 dogs have earnestly tried to bite me...
  16. Wade

    Insulated water bottles

    I have used them for years. Camelback seem to work a bit better than Polar. On my gravel bike, I have added an adjustable cage that holds a 1-liter stainless Yeti bottle. That holds ice for several hours.
  17. Wade

    Longest daily ride record

    No saddle sores. Using a leather Brooks B17 saddle. Weight weenies don’t like it, but for long distance rides, it can’t be beat. This model has been in the Brooks catalog virtually unchanged since the 1890’s.
  18. Wade

    Longest daily ride record

    I did two weeks back to back of one of the Pedal Across Wisconsin rides this summer. 14 days, averaging about 50 per day.
  19. Wade

    Longest daily ride record

    If you want to ride this route with support, Bicycle Illinois runs a 6-day tour from Cairo to Chicago every August. There’s a century option each day if you’re a glutton for punishment.
  20. Wade

    Last Ride Stats!

    36 miles to the Dixie Crème Donut Shop. Because a crème horn was calling.
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