Shake Out Ride

All this talk about routes, logistics and bikes leaves me yearning to put it all together in a shorter, more controlled environment before launching into the 300+ mile remoteness of the Black Hills BackBone.  Time for a shake out ride.

In late May, a scheduling break at work fortuitously opens up the first weekend in June.  Having missed a return to the 162 mile Almanzo Royal in mid-May due to a last minute family trip to Denver, I leap at the chance to enter the inaugural Gold Rush Mother Lode.  Hosted by Kristi and Perry Jewitt of  Dakota Five-O fame, the Mother Lode promises 210 miles of gravel and dirt roads in a grand loop out of Spearfish, right here in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  I sign up first, ask questions later.

Rifle Pit Road on the Gold Rush Mother Lode (photo by Les Heiserman)

As a shake out ride, I aim to replicate my BackBone approach, including route finding by cue sheets and cyclometer, water for 6-8 hours, drink mix and food for the entire ride, clothes for expected rain, wind and temperatures, tools and parts to handle mechanicals, medicinals for those contingencies, lights for helmet, bars and seat post, and bags to carry it all.  Oh yeah, and my beloved Black Mountain Monster Cross bike to haul me with all that stuff.  Self-supported.  Just scrounging for water now and then.  Not dependent on stops for food.  Details of my plan are spelled out in a series of prior posts.  Water. Fuel. Cue sheets. Bags. Mechanicals. Single speed. Bike.  Time to put that talk to the test.

Ready to roll.  My Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross bike is built for this.

Water
At the start of the Mother Lode, I carried a BackBone-load of water:  a 100 ounce bladder of water in a Revelate Designs Tangle bag, one large water bottle of HEED and one large water bottle of Perpetuem.  That's about 156 ounces, which is about a gallon and a quarter, or almost 10 pounds of water alone.  No, I did not need that much water to get to the first Mother Lode Checkpoint at Mile 69.3, let alone a water stop along the way, or the other checkpoints.  But on the BackBone, I will need that much to cross the remote northern prairie.

Although that was a lot of weight to haul up those hills, my only stops were the 4 checkpoints.  There I drank more than a large bottle worth of water to sustain the next hour or so, refilled the HEED bottle and topped off the Perpetuem bottle.  I never added water to the Tangle bag, even though I sipped from it all day as needed.  All said, I kept plenty hydrated, only stopped for water at the required checkpoints and carried less water as the ride went on.

Plenty of water on the Gold Rush Mother Lode.  (photo by Les Heiserman)

Food
At the start of the Mother Lode, I also carried 2/3 of a BackBone-load of food to cover 2/3 of the distance.  That's also some bulk and weight to carry.  Following a Shaun Arritola suggestion, I mixed 6 servings of Perpetuem (almost 800 calories) in a single water bottle and metered caloric intake by estimating fractions of the bottle consumed.  That translated to mixing a first bottle before the start and a second bottle at the Mountain Meadow Checkpoint.  That worked really well for me, both in fuel performance and convenience.

For the HEED, I tried the same approach, by doubling the amount of mix I normally use in a water bottle.  At each checkpoint, I refilled the HEED bottle.  That also worked well.

So, as a test of performance and convenience, my food plan worked well.  I had the fuel I needed, without depending on caloric sources along the way, although I did drink a small coffee from the Mountain Meadow Checkpoint and a small COKE from the Moonshine Gulch Saloon.  This food plan easily scales up for the BackBone.

I exceeded my low gear limit for this type of riding with the 11-34 cassette.  Back to my more roadie-like 12-27.

Gears
As planned for the Backbone, I switched to an 11-34 cassette for the Mother Lode, thinking that a couple of easier gears would be good for all that climbing carrying all that extra weight.  However, the extra low gears just felt slower, not easier, on the tougher climbs and I stopped using them early on.  Worse, I always felt like I was in between gears on everything else.  I didn't like it and missed the relatively closer gear range of my standard 12-27.  I'll switch back for the BackBone.

Other logistics
Everything else worked well.  The cue sheets and cyclocomputer were flawless, I never referred to the map or compass and I had no GPS to misfire.  I pulled out a rain jacket twice, each time briefly, for late afternoon showers, while the other layers and articles remained packed.  I fixed a broken chain with a chain breaker and spare PowerLinks, never using other tools, parts, spare tubes, pump or mud shank.  A helmet mounted light properly lit up the cue sheets after dark, while my Cateye head light amply lit the road ahead.  Spare batteries not needed.   I used some sun screen and lip balm, but not the aspirin, Alleve, Advil or TUMS.  The Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross bike was, of course, perfect.  But regular readers know that.

All told, this was a successful shake out ride.  I had everything I needed and I don't think I'll remove anything from the list.  Basically, with just a cassette change and more food, I believe this plan is ready for the Black Hills BackBone.  Whoo hoo.

Out there.  (photo by Les Heiserman) 

Addenduum:  not a great approach for the Mother Lode
Now, this BackBone approach is not my recommended way to race the 210 mile Mother Lode, which allows support crews to meet racers at 4 separate checkpoints at miles 69.3, 123, 152, and 172.7.  A far better approach would be to carry as little as possible, just enough to successfully reach the next checkpoint, and then meet your support crew to resupply, or even change supply, depending on the circumstances. Traveling as light as possible would be prudent, with the sheer distance, 12,000+ feet of elevation gain, uncertain road conditions, and unpredictable weather, let alone the time cutoffs.

With favorable conditions like that race day, I think that one could comfortably cover the Mother Lode carrying just 2-3 water bottles and maybe 400-600 calories of food at a time.  With proper use of the allowed support crews at each of the checkpoints, one could carry just enough supplies for 4-6 hours to Trailshead Lodge (69.3 miles, Checkpoint 1), pick up just enough more for 3-5 hours to Mountain Meadow (123 miles, Checkpoint 2), pick up a little for 2-3 hours to Moonshine Gulch (152 miles, Checkpoint 3), pick up a little more for 2-4 hours back up to Trailshead Lodge (172.7 miles, Checkpoint 4), and then little or nothing more for the 2-3 hours to the finish (207.3 miles). By eating and drinking just a bit at each checkpoint, one could carry even less.

Speed Work at the Gold Rush Mother Lode

Nothing like a race to check your level of fitness. How about the Gold Rush Mother Lode, a 210 mile gravel race with 12,000+ feet of elevation gain out of Spearfish over roads similar to portions of the Black Hills BackBone? Reconnect with some distant friends. Make some new ones. Support a local event. Maybe get in a little speed work. Sounds like a plan.

As the June 6 race day approaches, it dawns on me that I have not ridden long in awhile. A last minute family trip to Denver in mid-May nixes a return to the 162 mile Almanzo Royal. Graduation festivities seem to fill every weekend. I have to go all the way back to the 110 mile Bad Buffalo ride on April 5 to find something more than an hour. That's two months ago. Hmmn.

Much of the day looked just like this - rolling along on primo Black Hills gravel.
To my Midwest brethren, it's more like gravel sprinkles on dirt.  (photo by randy ericksen)

At the pre-race meeting Friday evening, high spirits fill the back room at Killian's Tavern in Spearfish, as race directors Kristi and Perry Jewitt hold court before an enthralled gathering of gravel geeks. Ahead lie long climbs on remote gravel roads saturated from heavy spring snow and rain. But I know these roads, the course looks fun and, if no more rain falls overnight, the overall race cutoff time of 21 hours for 210 miles seems reasonable enough.

Then a closer look at the course map reveals a bigger obstacle. In addition to the finish line, we face four additional checkpoints along the way, each with a time cutoff based on a 10 mph average speed. The fourth one leaps off the page. Just two hours to climb the 20.7 uphill miles from the Moonshine Gulch Saloon in Rochford to the Trailshead Lodge at 6,683' O'Neil Pass. That would be a challenge for me with fresh legs, let alone 15 hours into the race.

To have any shot of climbing O'Neil Pass by the 10:00 pm cutoff time, I must reach Rochford well before 8:00 pm. An hour time cushion would do nicely, but that requires averaging almost 11 mph for the first 14 hours. With the amount of elevation gain, unpredictable weather and uncertain road conditions, that is a tall order. I just had to go as hard as I could for 152 miles, to go even harder up a 20.7 mile climb for any chance. No mistakes. No mishaps. No room for error. But if I could just make that, the remaining 35 miles of mostly downhill would be a breeze.

Pre-dawn start with race director Perry Jewitt leading a neutral roll-out to nearby gravel, where the racing begins.
(photo by randy ericksen)

The 5:00 am start brings cool temperatures, no wind and some clouds, but also reports of no overnight rain. Perfect. Racers share greetings and best wishes, as the countdown triggers the familiar nervous excitement of the beginning of a long bike race. We roll out of town, hopeful that the weather would hold, the roads would be firm, our bikes would survive and that we would persevere. 

Enjoying the comraderie of Jason Thorman and Luke Meduna as the day emerges.
(photo by randy ericksen)

The early miles of a long bike race are special. Pedals turn quickly, hills disappear, friendly banter amongst kindred spirits fills the air and the miles flow by. Before long, we're into Wyoming, steadily climbing Sand Creek Road and then Grand Canyon Road all the way to Trailshead Lodge, Checkpoint 1 at mile 69.3. The long climb is behind me. Nice warmup for the day.

Mist below Crow's Peak brings the promise of a good day.
(photo by randy ericksen)

With about 40 minutes in the time bank, I drop off O'Neil Pass south onto Boles Canyon Road, the roughest road so far. Where wet, the dirt road is greasy and where dry, it is deeply rutted. But after a few miles, I'm back on primo gravel, cruising along a ridge line for a short peek into the distant Wyoming prairie before dropping to Beaver Creek and rolling to Deerfield Lake. Keep in mind that Black Hills "rollers," although generally not as steep as Midwest "rollers," often are measured in many miles, not fractions thereof. The accumulated elevation gain and miles conspire to erode my climbing speed as I pull into Meadow Mountain Resort, Checkpoint 2 at mile 123.

Flying towards Check Point 2 at Deerfield Lake, I'm 40+ mph on gravel, one-handed, taking this picture.
Just saying that my Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross bike is built for this.

With about 40 minutes still in the time bank, I spin out of Meadow Mountain with a coffee to go, determined to at least keep that cushion for the next stage, about 29 miles to Rochford. Then maybe I'd have a shot. Almost immediately, I run smack into the first real headwind of the day at the base of yet another 5 mile climb. Then it begins to sprinkle. This is not going to be easy. Thankfully, I have some friendly company with David Mizelle of Oklahoma and Don Daly of Missouri, both experienced, successful endurance cyclists. Good folks to have around. We crank into Moonshine Gulch Saloon in Rochford, Checkpoint 3 at mile 152, without losing any more time.


With bloated creeks all over, early evening showers soften the Mickelson Trail a bit approaching Rochford.
But the showers stay intermittent and light, and the roads stay firm, for the most part.

With earnest urgency, I spin out of Rochford with a full-bodied Coke to attack the long-awaited climb back up to O'Neil Pass. Dave Mizelle lingers a little, unconcerned about the ticking clock. Don Daly calls it a day, unfortunately, due to stomach problems. So, I climb alone, on a focused mission of pedaling 20.7 miles uphill in less than 2 hours and 40 minutes.

To a seasoned cyclist, that just doesn't sound very hard. It also doesn't sound very hard to me either, now sitting comfortably at home. But, at the time, I had been out there over 14 hours, working hard all day to build that slender 40 minute cushion. Despite my intentions, too soon I am reduced to spinning a low gear at about 6 mph. That simply will not do. So, I abandon the steady effort approach and decide to time trial this climb for 1 hour, see where I'm at and just deal with it. Time to go all in.

I jump several gears, stand and crank, determined to ride as fast as I possibly can for 1 hour. I find myself riding like the single speeder I have been for over 12 years, rarely sitting while turning a big gear. The familar rhythm of climbing out the saddle restores some speed and confidence. This is fun again. The relatively steady grade, while most definitely up, is not overwhelmingly steep. The miles pass. Hope flickers.

About 45 minutes into this effort, I stand to clear a short, steeper pitch and bear all my weight repeatedly on the pedals. SNAP! Something breaks, hurtling me onto the top tube. Surveying the carnage, I find only a broken chain. The rest of the drivetrain, and the bike, looks OK. But I am not. I'm mad, and then despondent. I have no time for this.

Just then, Dave Mizelle powers up to help. I bark, "I'm OK. I broke a chain. I have the tools and the know how to fix it. Get on your bike. I'm not going to be responsible for you not making the cutoff." Taken back a bit, Dave graciously offers a helpful tip and pedals off. I'm sorry, Dave, for being so rude. I wanted you to make that cutoff. I thought my race was over.

I carefully examine the chain and remove two links, one broken and one twisted. Rather than replace them, I decide to just pop on a spare PowerLink to save time. The chain will be a little shorter, but I have no use for those easy gears anyhow.

Back on the bike, I expect to channel that negative energy directly into climbing fiend mode. But my mojo is gone. My legs have no strength. I cannot find a rhythm. My speed drops back into single digits. My addled mind keeps running numbers that sound impossible to achieve. I slip away.

Although I'm still turning pedals, it is without passion, without focus, without joy. I'm done. I can't make it. It's too much, for too long. Soft-pedaling to an intersection, I stop to confirm directions from the cue sheets and then just slump over the handlebars. Resignation reigns. I offer a short prayer of thanks for the day, for all the folks who helped make this day possible, and for the opportunity to share this day with them. A burden lifts.

As I'm about to remount, two cyclists streak by, Amy and Randall Smith in an all out pursuit of the summit. Hey, they must think they can still make that cutoff. They would not be working that hard otherwise. Is it possible? Really?

Suddenly, I don't care what my mind says about the numbers, or what my legs say about my strength. My heart says go for it. I jump back in the game, spending whatever it takes to keep those tail lights in sight. It hurts. A lot. But I'm back. And I'm not losing those lights.

After a few miles, I check my watch. Is it possible? Really? For the first time in a long time, I think maybe. After what feels like several more miles, I check my watch again. Not a minute had passed, as if time itself stopped. What? In a race to catch a cutoff, time now had no meaning. Stop thinking. Keep pushing. Don't lose those lights.

I round a corner and, to my amazement, see the lights of the Trailshead Lodge in the not-too-far-off distance. I jump another gear, now in a full sprint, head down in the drops. Abruptly, the gravel road turns to asphalt and I fly into the parking lot to rousing cheers from a handful of volunteers. 9:57 pm. After nearly 17 hours of racing, I made Checkpoint 4 by all of 3 minutes. Wow. Did that really just happen?

Thanks Amy and Randall Smith for the spark to attack that final climb. Thanks Dave Mizzelle and Don Daly for the company during those long middle miles. Thanks Kristi Jewitt for the encouragement for the final stretch. And thanks to all the other racers and volunteers who made this experience special. We never race alone.

Race director Kristi Jewitt makes sure I'm OK. Of course, I'm the last to make Checkpoint 4. It doesn't matter. I made it here and I will easily make the finish line, about 35 mostly downhill miles away, by the 2:00 am cutoff. Kristi expresses concern for me and offers encouragement. I tell her not to worry, that I'll be safe and I'll pick up any stragglers. I think she found that amusing.

The finish line is 35 miles away, with some hills, rocky double track and other challenges. But this is an all out celebration on the bike, with cascading memories of sharing similar experiences with so many friends over the years. All of them were with me then. New friends, too. A party on wheels.

The finish line appears almost too soon. It's 1:00 am, but there's still a raucous gathering of folks to cheer me in. The last place finisher. 19 hours and 58 minutes.  What a day.

207 miles of Black Hills gravel, 12,000+ feet of elevation gain, 1 broken chain and 19 hours 58 minutes later, I'm finally back at the Spearfish City Park at 1:00 am.  I still need to thank someone for those Finish Line tacos and potatoes.

Make it Single Speed

So, you're just riding along.  All of a sudden, you're pedaling, but the bike's not moving.  For some reason, your rear derailer no longer works and you're out on some gravel patch miles from any cell coverage, let alone a coffee shop.  What do you do?

Riding remote on back roads is rough on your drivetrain.  Among other things, muddy, small pieces of gravel can easily wedge between chain links and jam inside rear derailers, resulting in broken chains, derailers or derailer hangers.  This is not an uncommon end to many attempting gravel races.  Equipment choices and rider attentiveness reduce the likelihood of such a catastrophic failure, but ride long enough in bad conditions and stuff happens.  See prior post: Mechanicals

But a broken derailer does not have to end your ride, if you can convert your drivetrain to a single speed.  It's not hard.  And the resulting self-sufficiency and peace of mind is priceless.  Here's how.

Geared Black Mountain Cross bike quickly converted to a workable single speed. 

Start with a thorough reading of the writings of Mr. Sheldon Brown, the Pied Piper of single speed and fixed gear conversions.  See: Sheldon Brown Single Speed Conversion  His articles provide the conceptual framework and detailed procedures to handle most any technical issue.  Look there for step-by-step instructions.  This post is just an introduction and some gravel related fixes.

Generally, one must remove the chain, align the chain in a relatively straight line from a single chain ring to a single gear, shorten the chain to an appropriate length and tighten the chain to an appropriate tension.  That's it.  It really is that simple, if you have done it a few times and have the right equipment.  Off you go.

To start, remove the chain and clean it as best you can, even if you have to use some precious water.  Examine it closely.  You will be shortening the chain considerably and may as well remove links that are clogged or twisted or otherwise questionable.  Even in nasty conditions, you should have more than enough good links remaining.

Align the chain in a relatively straight line from a chain ring to a single gear.  For a given chain ring, you can usually choose one gear of two, maybe even three, on the rear cassette to get a sufficiently straight chain line to work well enough.  Remember that you're looking for a short term solution to finish the ride, not necessarily an optimal single speed set up.  With two front chain rings, I plan to use the smaller one.  If the conditions are bad enough to cause this problem, I'll need the lower gear.

To keep the chain on track, shoot for a relatively straight chain line, parallel to your line of travel.  Here, this chain line is slightly off center, although I think it would probably hold up.  The front derailer will help, so you have a little leeway, if your chain is in good shape.  A better chain line here would be at least one cog in, and probably two.

Wrap the chain around the chain ring and gear, draw the chain together to determine the appropriate length, remove unwanted links and close the chain.  All done, right?  Not so fast.

The final step is a deal breaker for many:  tighten the chain to an appropriate tension.  That means the chain must be loose enough to operate, but not so loose as to slip off.  The operational tolerance here is not high.

On a typical modern bike, the rear derailer provides this chain tension and the rear wheel simply slides into a vertical slot on the frame.  However, without a working derailer, or similar chain tensioner, such a frame has no capacity to adjust the chain tension because it cannot change the fore/aft distance between the chain ring and the rear cassette.  The likely result is a chain tensioned too loosely and/or a chain running at a poorly angled chain line.  Maybe you can limp home that way.  Maybe not.

Enter the archaic, old school semi-horizontal dropout, yet another thoughtful design feature of the Black Mountain Cycles monster cross frame that played a significant part in my purchase decision.  See prior post: An All Road Bike  With such a dropout, the frame itself allows enough fore/aft adjustment to tension the chain for a single speed conversion.  A sturdy quick release skewer will firmly hold the rear wheel in place in a steel frame, even under hard pedaling.  Issue solved.  Ride saved.

Old school semi-horizontal dropout, yet another thoughtful design feature by Mike Varley at Black Mountain Cycles.

Addendum 1.  The Black Mountain Cycles monster cross frame comes with a pair of very nice limiter screws so that you can pre-determine a precise position on each side of the frame to more easily position the rear wheel.  That's great for an operational derailer drivetrain and a necessary feature back when frames were built to less stringent tolerances.  For a single speed conversion, those limiter screws limit the amount of fore/aft adjustment and their removal in the field is a pain.

Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross bike dropout with limiter screws.
(photo by Black Mountain Cycles)

So, I simply removed the limiter screws and slid the rear wheel all the way back into the dropouts.  Maybe that means less than optimal shifting or other negatives, but it opens the entire length of the dropout for fore/aft adjustment to tension the chain.  In addition to simplifying an emergency single speed conversion, sliding the wheel to the back of the dropouts creates more mud clearance by moving the rear wheel a little further from the bottom bracket area.  It also effectively increases the bottom bracket drop from a published 70 mm to my bike shop measured 75 mm, which provides a bit more stability at higher speeds.

Back to geared within a few minutes, with the wheel all the way back into the dropout.

Addendum 2.  If a single speed conversion during an event is more than a remote possibility, I pre-determine the single speed gearing to use, install a cassette with the best gears lining up with the chain rings, and even carry a spare chain, at the appropriate length, with Power Links.  If conditions make such a conversion highly likely, I may just start the ride as single speed.

An All Road Bike

One great thing about riding remote roads is that many types of bikes work just fine.  You probably already have, or could borrow, a bike that would do.  I've ridden 100+ miles of gravel on a front suspension mountain bike, a rigid hybrid bike and a twitchy cyclocross bike.  At gravel events, I have seen all of those, as well as road bikes, full suspension mountain bikes, tandems, fat bikes and even a banana seat Schwinn Lemon Peeler with a 5 speed top tube stick shift.  Run what 'cha brung.  And have fun.

All that being said, the more you ride, the more you know what you like and what works for you.  For long rides on remote roads, I decided to build a bike that worked better for me than what was in my stable.  What follows is a general description of that bike and large doses of personal opinion of what works for me.  For better and worse, I deliberately selected each component and put it all together.  I even chose the light blue color to represent the expansive prairie sky.  It's spot on for me.

Simple, strong, durable.  Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross bike, fresh off a dusty ride.

 So, last year I built up a Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross bike specifically for long rides over rough roads, whether pavement, gravel, dirt or rock.  An all road bike.  I did not want a sluggish touring bike, or another road race bike, or another quick, highly maneuverable cyclocross bike, or another bomber mountain bike.   Rather, I wanted a road bike, with comfortable road manners, that could take me on regular paved roads, as well as remote rough roads and beyond, and then bring me back.  As such, the design criteria for the frame, fork, wheel set and every other component focused on long road ride comfort, durability and serviceability.  No catastrophic failures in the field requiring a rescue.

Mike Varley of Black Mountain Cycles designed this steel "monster cross" frame and fork around a 35 mm - 45 mm tire on 700c wheels.  For you mountain bikers, that's about 1.4" - 1.8", which is less than a standard 2.0" - 2.25" mountain bike tire, but much wider than standard 23 mm road tires and even UCI sanctioned 33 mm cyclocross tires.  The Black Mountain steel frame and fork I chose are designed for rim brakes, so I put on Shimano XT V-brakes pulled by Cane Creek drop bar levers.  That's plenty of braking power and modulation for this type of riding.  Yes, I purposely rejected a frame beefed up for disc brakes.  I prefer the smooth ride of a slender, gracefully curving steel fork made possible by the use of rim brakes.  The result here with the Black Mountain is one smooth ride, even on rough roads.

Front end ready for action, with clearance below for mud and above for lights and bags.

Consistent with my design criteria, I selected a strong wheel set with a wide rim profile:  Shimano 105 hubs laced with 32 spokes to H Plus Son Archetype rims.  These wheels are noticeably livelier and lighter than the Shimano Ultegra/Mavic CXP wheels on my cyclocross bike.  The 23 mm wide rim profile also flattens out the tire contact patch for those wide 35 mm - 45 mm tires, which further smoothes out the ride.  And 32 spokes?  I'm not about to go bouncing down a rock strewn, gutted dirt road, hours from any town, on some go-fast, low spoke count race wheels.  Just me.

For a lot of folks, that's a lot of spokes.  32.  And that's just the front wheel.

My all-purpose gravel tires are 38 mm Schwalbe Marathon Racers.  Marathons are pretty hefty, but the Racers are the lightest of the line, roll well and, most importantly, have excellent flat protection.  A set of 35 mm Schwalbe Kojaks, with the same flat protection but no tread, is on deck for later this summer.  No, I do not run tubeless road tires.  I just don't have flats on the Schwalbe's, even with my advanced mass, and I'll let that tubeless road technology sort itself out a bit.  I occasionally run 43 mm Bruce Gordon Rock 'n Roads for increased traction on really rough stuff, although they have significantly less flat protection and I have significantly less confidence in them.  Tubeless for the Rock 'n Roads is probably a good idea.

I chose a simple, strong, durable 2 x 9 drivetrain, with Shimano LX/XT derailers, a 50 x 34 compact road crank set and a 12 - 27 cassette.  This drivetrain is a proven survivor of nasty conditions, like the 2014 version of Odin's Revenge, where only I was one of only six finishers ahead of a long trail of broken chains and derailers.  Also, this gear range has proven to be more than enough gears for me on long gravel rides and events, including Odin's Revenge, Almanzo Royal and Dirty Kanza.  For the BackBone, I'll keep the 2 x 9, but will switch to an 11 - 34 cassette to gain a couple of easier gears, due to the length and difficulty of the route and the weight of all the additional food and gear.

Yes, that's a vintage top pull Shimano XT front derailer, which eliminates the necessity of wrapping shift cable around a low hanging pulley.  That's one less thing to clog, misfire, malfunction or break in muddy, gravelly conditions. 

For pedals, yes, this is a road bike, but it will take me places where sometimes I may have to walk a bit.  And I'm not about to walk on rough stuff on road style pedals with exposed cleats.  Time ATAC pedals have adorned all my mountain bikes and cyclocross bikes for 15 years, working flawlessly in all conditions, especially in mud.  Never an issue.  No reason to change.

Rivendell Silver bar end shifters fit the simple, durable, serviceable design focus, as do the Thompson seat post, collar and 4 bolt stem.  But, really, bar end shifters?  Yep.  I kept with the design focus and did not follow racing technology dictating lightening fast shifting.  Bar end shifters work in practically all conditions and will more likely survive mishaps that would take out shifters located on the brake levers.  Besides, as a confirmed single speeder for 15 years, I don't shift much.  As a bonus, the cable routing along the handle bars clears out the front end for lights and bags, and is one less thing to snag.

My other bikes are single speeds.  And this one may be one, too, after the BackBone.

A 44 mm Salsa Cowbell handlebar completes the build.  With its relatively short reach, shallow drop and slight flare, the Cowbell is simply the most comfortable road bike handlebar I have ever used.  Bar none.  Double wrap the bars around Cane Creek brake levers, add a silver Crane bell and the Black Mountain Cycles monster cross is set.

Simple, strong, durable.  Ready to go remote.  Let's ride.

Spring Snow

With over a foot of heavy snow accumulating in Rapid City last weekend, I conducted some route reconnaissance of the Black Hills BackBone on some of the higher elevation roads, which happen to be pretty remote.  Three days after a spring blizzard, the area around Deerfield Lake still held 4-6 inches of snow on much of the ground and several inches of snow on top of saturated gravel and dirt roads.  I could not drive on the route very far from Deerfield Lake, either south on Williams Draw Road or north up to O'Neil Pass.  Now would be one tough time to ride this thing.

Along Deerfield Lake approaching NFS White Tail Campground at about Mile 195 of the Black Hills BackBone.  The snow thinned with a little traffic and sun, but was deeper where more protected.  All of it was very soft.  May 12, 2015.

Many of the Pennington County gravel roads had been plowed, were relatively clear and were only moderately soft.  These likely will be great to ride with a few days of sun and wind.  On the other hand, the National Forest Service roads had not been plowed and were stuffed with snow, with all that saturated gravel and dirt underneath.  Most all of the Black Hills portion of the BackBone travels such Forest Service roads, many of which even the Forest Service calls "secondary."  I could not even drive those this week.

Williams Draw Road (691) south of Deerfield.  Shortly after cresting that little incline, I had to turn around.  

Due to the altitude, remoteness and type of roads, the portion of the BackBone most likely to be problematic with snow is from O'Neil Pass south to Custer, roughly 60 miles.  Next week, I plan to take paved U.S. Highway 85 to the top of O'Neil Pass for a look at the condition of the route going south from that end.  More snow could always fall, but I'd like to know when this latest snow is gone.

Looking up towards Flag Mountain.  The BackBone route comes down this road to South Rochford Road.  Again, this road very quickly turns to deep snow and soft gravel.  No climbing Flag Mountain in the minivan today.

By the way,  l love my Black Mountain Cycles "monster cross" bike, which is basically a road bike designed for really-wide-for-a-road-bike tires (35 mm to 45 mm).  My Black Mountain comfortably carries me through a wide variety of conditions, including 4-6 inches of fresh snow on hard surfaces, like frozen gravel or pavement.  Not this stuff.  I know I would be walking through much of this spring snow on soft gravel and dirt.

Take away:  To ride the BackBone on a gravel rig, check the local forecast.  Snow happens.

Analog Maps and Simple Cue Sheets

I like maps.  There's nothing quite like a map to fire the imagination.  Throw a bike into the discussion and I'll be engaged for hours.

Jake VanDewater and Greg Gleason kindly produced GPS maps of the Black Hills BackBone for the digital crowd, lifting an annoying technological chore off my back.  Black Hills BackBone GPS Map - HERE  Thanks, again.  That was really good.  I hope that others enjoy the results of their labor.

I prefer hard copy maps, opening up like the morning newspaper over a cup of fresh coffee.  My analog maps span seven sheets of 11.5" x 17" paper, which I plan to carry in a jersey pocket in a ZipLock bag.  I've been up, down and sideways on this route, so I don't think I'll need these for every turn.  But I'll carry them anyhow and likely will refer to them more and more as the ride goes on.

This is the final sheet of analog maps.  The cue sheets follow.  Together we'll get there.
By the way, those little squares simply mark one square mile. They do not represent roads.

As a back up to the maps, and as another mechanism to convey the detailed route to others, I created a simple set of cue sheets.  No fancy graphics.  Just words and numbers.  And not necessarily validated to the extent one would for an organized event.  But I plan to carry these as a back up.  As always, your mileage may vary.  Here's my simple set of cue sheets for the Black Hills BackBone.

South on Table Mountain Rd (733)	0	0
West (angling right) on Table Mtn Rd (733)	1.6	1.6
West (right) on Ladner Rd	7.2	8.8
Continue South (straight) onto Bullock Rd	6.2	15
West (right) on Bullock Rd	7.6	22.6
Continue West, then South on Bullock Rd	2.4	25
South (continue straight) on Bullock Rd	4.4	29.4
West (right) on U.S. 20	4	33.4
South (left) on Harding Rd	0.7	34.1
HARDING STOP - water	13	47.1
Continue South on Harding Rd	5.5	52.6
Continue South on Harding Rd	1.6	54.2
West (right) on Old Highway 85	10.8	65
GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF U.S.	13.8	78.8
Continue South on Old Highway 85	0	78.8
NorthEast (left) on paved U.S. 85	7.8	86.6
East (right) on Brooker Rd	0.5	87.1
South (right) on Arpan Rd	7.4	94.5
West (right) on paved U.S. 212	12.9	107.4
South (left) on paved Fruitdale Rd	1.6	109
East (left) on Snowma Rd	2.8	111.8
South (right) on Crooked Oaks Rd	0.6	112.4
East (left) on Sale Barn Rd	5.7	118.1
West (right) on Sale Barn Rd	2.2	120.3
NorthWest (right) on paved U.S. 34	0.6	120.9
West (left) on St. Onge Cut-Off Rd (196th)	2	122.9
South (left) on LookOut Mountain Rd	4	126.9
West (right) on Kerwin Lane	2.8	129.7
South (left) on paved U.S. 85	1.8	131.5
SPEARFISH STOP - WATER	1.6	133.1
West on Hills View Rd
South (left) on paved McGuigan Rd	1.5	134.6
McGuigan Rd turns to gravel	0.7	135.3
SouthWest (right) on Tinton Rd (134)	1	136.3
West (right) on paved U.S. 85	26	162.3
South (left) on O'Neil Pass Rd (231)	1.7	164
South (left) on South Rapid Creek Rd (231)	0.9	164.9
South (right) on Black Fox Camp Rd (233)	11.5	176.4
East (left) on Flag Mountain Rd (189)	5.2	181.6
South (right) on paved South Rochford Rd	7.2	188.8
South (left) on paved Deerfield Rd	1.6	190.4
North (left) on USFS 421 into White Tail Camp Ground	1.6	192
WHITE TAIL CG STOP - WATER	0.8	192.8
West (right) on paved Deerfield Rd	1.2	194
South (left) on Williams Draw Rd (691)	0.5	194.5
West (right) on Six Mile Draw Rd (301)	8	202.5
South (left) on Ditch Creek Rd (291)	0.5	203
East (left) on Custer Limestone Rd (284)	9	212
South (right) on Upper French Creek Rd (286)	5.5	217.5
East (left) on U.S. 16	6	223.5
South (right) on 6th Street - 1 block	2	225.5
HARBACH PARK STOP - WATER
North on 6th St 1 block, East (right) on U.S. 16		225.6
South (right) on Sidney Park Rd (793)	1	226.6
East (left) on Flynn Creek Rd (336)	4	230.6
East (left) on Rankin Ridge Rd (391)	9	239.6
North (left) on U.S. 87	1	240.6
East (right) on Highland Ridge Rd (NPS 5)	2	242.6
East (left) on 7-11 Rd (101)	11	253.6
IN BUFFALO GAP - South (right) on 4th	5	258.6
East (left) on Elm St	1 blk	258.7
South (right) on 2nd St	2 blk	258.9
Continue South (straight) - WATER
South (straight) on Buffalo Gap Rd to Oral
East (left) on paved Fall River Co Rd 2	8	266.9
South (right) on Ash Rd	1.5	268.4
East (left) on Hay Canyon Rd	3	271.4
South (right) on Sand Creek Rd (FRCo 2)	1	272.4
East (left) on paved Smithwick Rd	4	276.4
South (right) on North Butte Rd (FRCo 2)	0.5	276.9
Continue South (straight) over U.S. 18	8	284.9
West (right) on Milligan Rd	1	285.9
South (left) on old Highway 79	1.1	287
West (right) on Antelope Lane	4	291
South (left) on Hard Scrabble Rd	2	293
West (right) on Black Bank Rd	2	295
South (left) continuing on Black Bank Rd	2	297
Dakota Line Rd - FINISH	9	306

How to Carry It All

The Black Hills BackBone is 300+ miles of remote gravel and dirt roads, with no outside support and with very few opportunities for resupply of any kind.  Do you need a trailer to haul all that food, water and equipment?  Not even close.  How about racks and panniers?  Nope.  A backpack?  No, siree.  With today's soft packs, I'll carry everything on the bike.  Here's how.

Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross bike outfitted with Revelate Designs Tangle, Gas Tank and Terrapin Bags, along with a Banjo Brothers handlebar bag and a couple of water bottles, carry everything for a self-supported 300+ mile ride.

The key component is water.  Although I use a CamelBack for mountain bike rides, even long ones, I do not like weight on my back for road bike rides, even relatively short ones.  It's just not as comfortable for me on the road, where I'm less upright and less active moving around on the bike.  So, I need a lot of water capacity on the bike.  A Revelate Designs Tangle bag hangs from the top tube and holds a 100 ounce CamelBack bladder full of water.  Two Salsa Nickless Cage stainless steel cages hold large water bottles, one for HEED and one for Perpetuem.  That's 156 ounces of fluids, a solid 6-8 hours for me, which is all I'll carry.  That's about 1 1/4 gallons, or 10 pounds, for you weight weenies.

The CamelBack sip hose clips to cable housing by the handle bar, for easy drink-on-the-fly access that stays out of the way.  The Tangle bag has a second, slender pocket on the left side for the pump, mud shank and cell phone, plus room for a little more.

Easy on-the-fly access to water from the Tangle bag, food from the Gas Tank, and other drinks from the bottles.

A close observer will note that the Tangle bag weight could interfere with operation of the brake and cable shifters running along the top tube of my Black Mountain Cycles monster cross bike.  No worries, thanks to a Shaun Arritola fix.  For each cable, I cut to length a clear refrigerator ice maker hose, made a serpentine longitudinal cut, and snaked the cable into the hose.  By attaching one of the Velcro pieces under the hose and loosely looping the other over the top, most all of the weight of the Tangle bag is then borne by the top tube and the cables run freely within the clear hose.  Slick.

Perched on the top tube by the stem is a Revelate Designs Gas Tank bag, which holds all the Hammer Gel and Endurolyte FIZZ, as well as a medicinal candy bag of Alleve, Advil, Bufferin and Tums.  Everything stored in the Gas Tank is easy to access, even when cruising on grouchy gravel.

With the Tangle and Gas Tank bags, I normally would be set for an all day ride by simply adding a generic, expandable seat bag for spare tubes, the tool kit and a light rain jacket.  Not so for the BackBone.  I'll need much more capacity for the layers of clothing for the wide variance of temperatures, winds and wets that will occur over 300 miles of exposed prairie and forest roads.  So, I'm pulling out the big gun:  a Revelate Designs Terrapin bag with a compressible dry sack.  That will hold all the clothing I want available, as well as the spare tubes and tool kit.

The compressible dry sack easily pops out of the Terrapin bag holster, without messing with the attachments to the bike.

Also, for the BackBone, there's still a bunch of food and some other stuff to carry.  A Banjo Brothers handle bar bag will carry about half of the additional powdered servings of Perpetuem and HEED, as well as spare glasses, contacts, sunscreen, lip balm, ID, cash, and spare batteries for the lights, tail lights and camera.  I'll start with the other half of the Perpetuem and the HEED, as well as the reserve treat of M&M's and peanuts, deep in the Terrapin seat bag.

Clean cable routing makes for easy installation and operation of a functional handle bar bag.

With all that capacity on the bike, I don't have to carry much, if anything, in my jersey pockets.  But I like to keep a camera in the right pocket and a ZipLock bag with maps in the left, leaving the middle pocket for whatever clothing items I want close at hand at the time.

No, I do not know what this bike weighs loaded.  It will weigh what it needs to weigh for the ride.