BOB Dreams

Well, I ended up not riding at BCSP the other night. Ron and Scott G. did and said that the trail conditions were excellent. The trails are a muddy mess now I'm sure. Oh well, that's March in Indiana. I've got the bike and the new light ready for the next dry opportunity to night ride. Charles, Kado, Ron, and maybe Jason O. will be heading to the Hoosier National Forest for a gravel road ride this weekend. We're going to car camp near the fire tower in Hickory Ridge/Deam Wilderness. Depending on the weather we'll either do a night ride on Saturday or a morning ride on Sunday. The route is yet to be determined. It will be a last minute call, I'm sure. It will be the inaugural ride for the '85 Trek 620 in its latest incarnation for country touring on asphalt, gravel, and dirt roads. I'm going to add some new platform pedals and some SKS full coverage fenders before this weekend and it will be pretty much complete. I added some Salsa cantilever brake converters this week to make the XT cantis work much better with the Tektro reverse time trial levers. I also put on a modern rear derailleur. It is a Shimano rapid rise derailleur, which I despise, but I've heard good things about using them with down-tube shifters. I'll try anything once. During a few short city rides, the action felt smooth and natural, so indications are good. I aligned the derailleur hanger, which dramatically improved the shifting.

Speaking of touring, I've been thinking a lot lately about the BOB trailer, and just what a dreamweaver it is. One of the best things about being a BOB owner is to constantly try to think of new and creative ways to use it. It can be used to haul almost anything of reasonable size and weight. It can also help you realize wild fantasies of escaping the grid. Whether it's a run to the corner store or a 6 day backcountry escape, the BOB will be your friend throughout. Not all products are this exciting or empowering. Do yourself a favor. Buy a BOB and challenge yourself to use it over and over again.

Althought the original BOB Yak trailer is a fine piece (I've owned one), it just can't compare to the BOB Ibex. Yes, it's a few extra bucks, but it is definitely worth the dough. The suspension makes it oh so much more pleasurable to pull. It greatly increases the possibilities of use as well. You'll never have to make compromises with the suspension. Pull it over anything! It can handle 35mph mountain decents with ease. It will handle anything you can dish out. I loan my personal BOB out. Borrow it sometime (when I'm not using it, of course). Haul flowers from the nursery. Go get a gallon of milk. Do trail work with it. Escape civilization. You'll love it. Be forewarned. You'll want one.