150 miles with Mr. Brown
I set out this morning to do a solo dry run of an upcoming 200k I’m leading with the Baltimore Bicycling Club- a ride to Chesapeake Beach. It’s been raining incessantly this month so I was hoping to take advantage of the forecasted weather- cloudy and 60 deg (with a chance of rain). Riding my new bike, a Coho, built for me by Charles Lathe, I left the house late at 7:30AM. It’s about 8 miles from my house to the official ride start at Carroll Park. From there the route heads south to the BWI Airport rail trail, then connects to the B&A trail to Annapolis
Prior to today’s 200k attempt, I had only ridden the bike twice- a little shakedown ride and a 30 miler. Two weeks ago I had loaded my Nova station wagon with parts and headed down to Franklinville, NC. The idea was to meet Charles Lathe, the builder, and his wife and business partner, Nina, then build up the bike, ride it in its native land and drink a beer on the front porch.
Me, left. Charles, the builder, right. and the the new steed.
The plan worked- Charles and Nina were friendly and welcoming, the bike build-up worked just fine and the weather was absolutely stunning. The 1st few cranks of the pedals had put a smile on my face. This was my first experience buying a custom frameset and it certainly felt right. So right, in fact, that I felt confident about making my 3rd ride a long one.
The B&A trail is a rare gem for a Baltimore rider- it’s well paved, scenic, protected from vehicles, and 13 miles long. It’s a monday morning and there are few pedestrians. I’m really enjoying hammering up the gentle inclines and powering down the descents. I’m settling into today’s ride and begin thinking of the small stuff: seat could get angled back just a touch, love these Nitto Standard bars, but they could get angled back a bit too, the FD is gonna need some serious tweaking to get it shifting smoother, these shifters really suck, but what do I replace them with?
Coho on B&A trail to Annapolis. Gray cotton bar tape from Velo Orange.
At the end of the trail there are a couple miles of road, a climb up the Severn River bridge and then a descent into Maryland’s capital city, Annapolis. I sit outside “Naval Bagels” snarfing an egg and cheese on onion bagel and check out the two jock dudes (probably academy cadets) on their road bikes. I’m trying to banish those snobbish feelings so common when you begin mentally comparing a bike you love with others. But, I can’t help it. Their bikes look so fragile, and so... um, ugly. Enough of that Bob, move it- you’ve got over a hundred more miles to ride.
The frame on the Coho is stiffer than I had expected. I was looking for a "quick century bike”- a bike that would feel much faster than my other long distance bike: a Kogswell P/R. The Coho definitely delivers in that regard. I believe Charles chose to go with thicker down and top tubes making for a fairly rigid frame. In fact, climbing out of the saddle still feels a bit awkward because I’m so used to flexy steel frames wagging back and forth underneath me. The steering is also quicker than I’m used to, but again, that’s the point- I’m looking for a responsive, racy bike. Mavic Open Pro wheels were built for me by Anthony at Longleaf Cycles. Anthony is a fantastic wheelsmith. I’ve put more than 5,000 miles on Synergys he built for my Kogswell. They are still perfectly true and I’ve never turned a single nipple on them.
Grand Bois tires, a 73 degree seat/head angle, medium length chain stays and an ample and stylish bend to the fork smoothes out the Coho’s ride nicely.
Old Solomons Island road over the South River bridge, R on Muddy Creek, R on Old Sudley, then Sudley, then Nutwell Sudley. The houses get larger and less often. More horses, more grass, I go several miles the wrong way, curse Google Maps’ error, double back and then realize it’s my fault. I’ve misread my own cue sheet. Oops. L on Friendship rd, becomes Lake Shore. A glimpse down a private drive reveals open water. Walnut ave, Chesapeake ave and Bayside rd. Then the trees drop away, the sky opens up and the Chesapeake Bay displays itself. Tilghman Island is easily visible through the overcast. Lunch, is at Subway. A veggie sub, a cola and a confused employee when I ask for apple slices clearly shown on their menu. “Do we have them?”, he asks me. After lunch, I take an easy roll through town toward the beach at Bayfront Park. I blow past the correct turn on the cue sheet, stop, then wonder whether it’s worth going back. I’ve gotta get pics of the new bike on the beach. U turn. The tide is low and there are several fossil hunters far out from shore. I snap some shots of the bike and the extras- Velo Orange Sugino “Alpina” crankset, Dura Ace RD (a splurge) and 8-speed cassette.
"Mr. Brown" on the Beach in southern Maryland
Charles’ clean welding, and the stylish lugs of the Coho are lost in the brightness of the beach. Nice rust-red powder coat though. And very nice lines. It’s no surprise Charles is also a boat builder. Time to get back to Baltimore. Only 100k to go. North.
The air today is cool and wet. I’ve brought no extra clothes for the ride so I’m hoping it doesn’t get any cooler or wetter. As I get back up to a good pace, climbing away from the Chesapeake shores, I realize how filthy the bike is. “Mr. Brown” is officially broken in. I’m pushing harder now. The bike and I are really starting to open up. At the beginning of long rides I often feel very tall on my bikes. As the ride nears its end, I begin thinking that the seat post is somehow getting shorter as the ground seems be getting closer and closer. Now at the 100 mile mark, Mr Brown is still feeling tall and I’m still feeling energetic. The terrain is getting more varied and I’m able to hit curves at higher speeds. This frame tracks very well. Just a little drop to my inside elbow and the Coho falls into the turn without correction. My Kogswell also does this very nicely, but requires a bit more energy to get into the turn. I have not detected the slightest bit of front end shimmy on this bike. I wouldn’t consider myself an experienced no-hands rider, but on the very first ride, I was cruising down gentle declines with my hands in my lap. I have since added a handlebar bag and have noticed that this extra weight makes no hands riding a bit more difficult. Nonetheless, the Coho is a very stable downhill ride.
As I roll back into Baltimore and over its rugged, debris-scattered roads I am feeling thankful for the ride. And, glad I picked this bike. I wanted a bike that had most of the comfort qualities of the Kogswell, but that felt fast. There were many bikes that I’d considered which looked fast and felt fast, but they didn’t feel “easy”. Mr. Brown is all about easy. In his first email to me Charles wrote: “I suspect that I could build you a bicycle you'd be very happy with.” Indeed.
Nice lug details