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Today I couldn't decide whether to ride Marsh Creek or Springton --- so i did both!

I rode 11.9 miles, including about 1.5 mile loop in Springton.

The trails at Marsh Creek were pretty good with a few muddy spots.

I wonder what this was.

On my way back from Marsh Creek I popped into Springton Manor Farm. The weather was beautiful-- sunny and mid 40s.

There were a lot of visitors today. It is a great place to visit as a family.

Fantom 29 and Machine

Just some cool pictures of the Fantom 29 with some farm equipment at Marsh Creek State Park.

Finally a Ride!

Today I rode 9.4 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. Because of the record breaking snow we had this winter and frequent rain, I had not ridden the Fantom 29 since January 24. That's 55 days since my last ride. February 2010 was the only month where I had zero rides. Pitiful. I will have to make it up some how.







Anyway, the ride was great and the Fantom 29 performed well. This was my first ride after the 50 ride maintenance.











The trails were pretty dry except for the usual areas on the old railroad bed.

609.4 Miles: Replaced Stretched Chain

Today I replaced my "stretched chain". The chain actually does not stretch, but each link pivot point wears into an oblong shape. The grit that gets captured in the oil is what causes the wear.

I was surprised that this happened so quickly at 609.4 miles, but I guess mountain biking is harder on the equipment.

The picture on the left shows the worn chain with my Nashbar chain gauge. When the gauge can be slid in place, the stretch is 1% and a replacement is recommended.




This picture shows the new chain. The gauge cannot fit in the link and therefore is not 1% stretched.

You want to replace the chain at this point because if you don't the cassette and even chain rings would then wear to accommodate the stretched chain. This chain is only $15, so it is not that expensive. The new chain comes with a quick link, so it is easier to remove for degreasing.
If you replace the chain and the cassette or chainring are worn, then you will have trouble shifting.


I lined the chain up and you can see that the bottom old chain is about a half a link longer over the length of the chain. The amount of wear is amazing.

I also got this nice hex wrench set at Nashbar. It was on sale for just $20.

609.4 Miles: 50 Ride Preventative Maintenance

If you look at my preventative maintenance plan that I posted on September 03, 2008 it is pretty conservative. So I have been adjusting it based on my experience. The Fantom 29 with my riding style requires very little preventative maintenance.




The following is the recommended maintenance for up to 50 rides. I will do the following maintenance:

Every 5 Rides: Inspect wheel true, degrease drive train, clean & wash bike

Yes- all good ideas. I checked the wheels and they are still true. I degreased the drive train.

Every 10 Rides: Inspect nuts & bolts, Inspect & tighten cranks, lube cables- brake & gears

Yes- all good ideas

Every 25 Rides: Inspect chain stretch, Inspect wear of chainrings, replace grips

Yes to inspecting chain stretch and chainrings. I am going to have to replace the chain as my chain is just at 1% stretch. This is surprising to me since I only have 609.4 miles. The chainrings are fine.

No to replacing grips because they look fine.



Every 50 Rides: Grease nuts & bolts, Replace cables & housing, Replace chain. Replace tires

I checked the brakes. Including the backing there is 4mm front and 4.5 to 5 mm rear. Avid recommends replacement at 3 mm so I should have at least another year.

Yes to greasing nuts & bolts. I also lubed the fork seal.

No to replacing cables & housing. They look fine. I did this on my road bike at 2580 miles.




No to replacing tires. They look fine also. I had over 4000 miles on my road bike on the same tires and probably could have put on more. I replaced them on March 5, 2010

THE FANTOM 29 IS READY FOR ANOTHER YEAR!

New Camera

I had been using a cheap Vivitar camera that I got at Walmart for $20 for my ride pictures. I liked it because it was small (I can have it in my back shirt pocket) and cheap (in case I crash and break it). Well the camera broke on its own. It would not always turn on.

I still wanted something cheap but not as cheap as the Walmart camera. The Walmart camera was internal memory only (no card) and when you removed the batteries the pictures were lost.

I bought a Kodak C180 at Staples for $49 (On sale $69.50 - $20.50 Rewards Rebate). It is small and light. I can put a card in it or use the 16 MB internal memory. Although it is a 10.1 megapixel camera, I have it set for 1.2 megapixel since that is all you really need for the web. This gives me 34 pictures in the internal memory. With a card, I can take some videos.

You should see some better pics ahead!