Drillium Dude 

Did you ride Cino this weekend? If so, let's hear your stories and see your pics

DD

northbend 

Glad to hear the dude made it home safely.
I'll open up with a group shot of the Bike Forum contingent

BF Group Photo by NBend, on Flickr

L-R:
mountaindave, Alex Moll, sam.g, Drillium Dude, me, and etherhuffer

Everyone pictured rode exceptionally well this weekend.
I took fewer photos than usual and I am still organizing them so more later.

Alex Moll

What a ride - challenging terrain and spectacular scenery make this TRULY epic. I carpooled over with DD. Enjoyed MountainDave's hospitality in Kalispel. HUGE thanks to Northbend for encouraging me to ride this event. Enjoyed some brief chats with Etherhuffer.

I was riding one of the oldest bikes in the event this year - a 1956 Holdsworth Whirlwind. It worked exceptionally well, mainly due to the 32mm tubulars. I did have a mechanical of sorts on the second day when my rear wheel hit a good sized rock (obscured by "moon dust") at high speed. The rock smacked the rim pretty hard, but did not puncture (thank you tubulars.) The rear wheel did have quite a wobble, but wasn't rubbing on the stays, so I just opened the calipers and rode for another 1.5 hours to our lunch stop. I trued the wheel after lunch, closed the caliper, and finished the ride with no further incidents.


Motel 6 bike rack





A familiar scene. One poor chap had 7 punctures over the course of 2 days!

scozim 

Glad to see you all made it home. How about D.D's report? He opens the thread but . . . ..

Alex Moll

Pranza:



Cino Vino.





Campy lunch box!

Alex Moll

Montana Porta-Potty:


Vintage support vehicles:

Wildwood 

Green with envy.
Glad the weather was dry for you.
Temperature?

Alex Moll

Cool in the morning, 80 degrees in the afternoon. Almost perfect, but a bit hot on the big climb on Day 2.

Alex Moll

Bet he's napping . . .

Drillium Dude 

Patience, Grasshopper

I'm editing, uploading and composing. My connection hasn't been kind to me since this afternoon, either

No worries, tho. I'll have my report and pics up before noon tomorrow at the latest.

DD

mountaindave 

Nice photos! I haven't even had a chance to look at my photos until now.

I didn't get a chance to formally bid farewell to you all - I busted my butt (a valve stem, pinch flat, and tire wall) to get back to the in-laws ASAP. But it was a fantastic ride back and I managed to avoid any further flats on the descent - nothing smooth sailing. Aside from the flats, the only disappointment on day two was the lack of beer at the top of Nine Mile Hill - that was my main motivation!! In solidarity with the fixies of the BF crew I rode up in a 42x19 - it was a "female dog" of a climb. I am so impressed with northbend and his friend Ty (and all the other Cino fixies) for riding the entire way (especially that gnarly first day's descent) on a fixie!!

Here's the best of the handful of photos I took:

Leaving Kila at the start of Day 1 (note how bright and chipper we all are):


This is the last big descent out of the mountains. You can't see it on my wife's face as she walks down, but she is definitely far past being bright and chipper (because of her difficulty with her small hands and the brakes)... and I heard about it... The line on the hill above is the upper part of the road. Out of frame to the left is the lovely switchback (with trails leading ominously close to the edge). This is the better part of the road where she hopped back on and rode the last few hundred yards down.


Bike maintenance Cino-style. A friend of mine lubing the chain before dinner.


Hood space was limited, but a bunch of us managed to squeeze in. Note that my wife (far left) is looking bright and chipper once again after a shower and nap.


The scenery and terrain are one thing, but it's the people, especially the ones who dedicate the time and resources to trek all the way out here, who truly make this ride epic. Cheers - and thanks for sharing some beer the night before!!

MD

etherhuffer 

Got home tonight. I think the course seemed rougher this year. Although I had a triple the heat kicked my arse on 9 mile hill. Matt and Ty were super studs on the fixies. Bones Mohler looked good on his 68cm Voyager S/P I gave him. Great fun relatively speaking!

mountaindave 

Yes - They seem to have graded with more boulders, especially on the descents
Yes - the heat made the hill harder this year.
Yes - Matt and Ty are super studs!
Wow - you are the guy who gave Josh that stunningly gorgeous Scwhinn?! It looked unbelievable! Cino spirit!!

etherhuffer 

Dave from Spokane had it. Gave it to me. Realized I could not ride it, mailed it to Josh. Its perfect for him and a real quality frame. Gorgeous lugs on that one. The chrome fork was a lucky find too.

mountaindave 

Dave of six flats (not to be confused with Six Flags), winner of the most flats award?

etherhuffer 

Ha ha! Yes. So.........I told him to get Pasela PT's in 32mm. He got 28mm. Mine are rated 90 pounds. His are 105. He only filled to 90 pounds! I teased him mercilessly. He was not happy!

mountaindave 

He's a lawyer, he can handle the ribbing! High PSI is definitely the way to go with clinchers! Even at 95 in my Paselas I got a pinch flat. Speed will do that to you...

etherhuffer 

He got greedy with the speed too. I made 2 years and no flats. Pretty lucky. Some of those rocks really hurt my pudendum when hit at speed.

i liked the dead elk in the truck as we left Hot Springs. Charming.

northbend 

Nice photos Alex and Dave! It was great seeing Alex and the other newbies enjoy themselves so much. Part of the fun of introducing someone to Cino is the opportunity to hear their perspective and see it through their eyes.

In some ways Cino for me was 'new' this year because I chose to ride it on a fixed gear. No coasting and a single gear (no flip-flop), I was fretting like a nervous schoolgirl before the big prom. I had health problems that kept me off the bike for nearly 6 weeks so I worried if I'd be fit enough for the challenge. I chose my gearing carefully with this in mind settling on a 42x20. That in itself makes the ride very different than any of the others.

I had company too: My friends Ty and Byron and another rider I have ridden with a few times before, Chris were all committed to riding fixed so there was no way to back out now… They were there because I had promised I would ride it fixed with them if they signed up.

The FG Posse by NBend, on Flickr
So going into this weekend, the outcome was a little uncertain which in a strange way appeals to me. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

Anyways as Alex had mentioned, mountaindave graciously hosted us for drinks and snacks the evening we arrived. Thank you Dave!

The next morning we drove over to Kila and assembled at the start up.
DD and Alex Moll obviously very excited to begin.

The Dude and Alex are ready to play by NBend, on Flickr

After safety announcements and a brief welcoming speech, Reed sends us off

Reed delivers his sermon by NBend, on Flickr

Ty and I hold back and let most of the riders go first, It will be much safer to ride in the back and work our way up front after the early jitters are spun out of all
the riders legs

The ride out of Kila by NBend, on Flickr

northbend 

We begin seeing friends as we work our way forward.
Byron

Byron by NBend, on Flickr

Alex and DD

Alex and the Dude by NBend, on Flickr

Etherhuffer and his friend, "Spokane Dave" who is famous for being the poor sap who didn't finish last year because of a broken seat post

Huffer and Spokane Dave by NBend, on Flickr

mountaindave

Mountain Dave by NBend, on Flickr

sam.g

Sam on the road by NBend, on Flickr

northbend 

After a few miles the pavement ends the real climbing begins. The dirt surface is good - better than last year with fewer potholes. The riders spread out even more as the miles go on and I am in a familiar place - alone for long stretches of time. That all changes after I reach the summit. The road surface is more variable - ruts, rocks and sand all to contend with. I have to go much slower than those that freewheel because I cannot coast or bunny hop obstacles and I have to keep my leg speed down to a reasonable RPM level so as not to get bucked off. Freewheeling riders begin to whiz by me.

Still, I make pretty good time and get there before it gets too crowded.

P1060305 by NBend, on Flickr

Soon, the place is getting crowded and we eat lunch. A great gourmet spread that is washed down with cider and wine.

P1060308 by NBend, on Flickr

The rough descent has taken it toll on some bikes and repairs are made

Repairs are made by NBend, on Flickr

"Spokane Dave" saves the day by bringing a treasure chest of vintage spare parts and packing them in the support vehicle.

Mascot on support vehicle by NBend, on Flickr

Several riders would not have finished day one without his generosity. Saddles are fixed, chainring bolts replaced then it is off we go for Hot Springs.
A mass start is organized for the fast riders who want to contend for the "eddy merckx" award for first into town. Ty and I wait till the dust has settled then we push off. This is my favorite part of the course. We climb out of the pine forest to a ridgeline that overlooks a barren valley.

I stop and take a picture before doing the hairball descent down to the valley floor on a steep road filled with loose washboard gravel.

P1060324 by NBend, on Flickr

The road levels out and gets more reasonable. I stop at a familiar place and snap a photo here each year

P1060325 by NBend, on Flickr

Ty and I motor on. It's getting hot and we are tired.

P1060326 by NBend, on Flickr

We reach pavement and ride into Hot Springs with another rider who expressing our feeling very well in this photo

P1060330 by NBend, on Flickr

I was greeted at the city limits with a cool can of beer and the news that I was number 17 into town.
We drink beer in the shade of Alamedas was greet the riders as they finish.

northbend 

After checking in and showering, we dress up for dinner. DD and Alex create a stir when they arrive n their 'dress blues"

P1060337 by NBend, on Flickr

We have a gourmet dinner outside under the light of a full moon

P1060338 by NBend, on Flickr

Awards are handed out after dinner and we go our separate ways. some to watch a cycling movie on the lawn at Alamedas, projected onto the side of the building. Ty and I chose to soak in the hot springs at Symes resort before turning in for the night..


Dinner and Award ceremony by NBend, on Flickr


Thats it for day 1, more later

northbend 

Ahhh Hot Springs Montana where time has stood still and the Symes resort which remains delightfully off plumb

Symes by NBend, on Flickr

We wake up rested and rejuvenated - perhaps it is something in the water.

We mosey over to the Alamedas as the riders assemble for Ron to give away prizes.

P1060344 by NBend, on Flickr


Last minute repairs are done. Spokane Dave saves another poor soul who had lost chainring bolts

Scott makes repairs by NBend, on Flickr

We head out of town for Kila

Heading out of Hot Springs by NBend, on Flickr




I started to hear a funny pffffft!, pfffft! pfffft! sound from my rear tire that keeps getting louder. The tire isn't flat so I decide to stop at the top of this small hill and check it out: Badly cut tire! The casing nearly cut through and bulging out ripping off a pice of the tire tread which was whacking my rear brake bridge. Lucky for me, my friend Byron had a spare tire. I soon got it mounted on and we were off riding together with sam.g

Ty and By by NBend, on Flickr

I am really fortunate to have good friends like Ty and Byron

northbend 

We arrive at the lunch stop

Lunch Day2 by NBend, on Flickr

The bikes wait by the fence for us to finish our meal

P1060386 by NBend, on Flickr

Being careful not to have too much Ty and I eat fairly quickly then take off for the big climb of the day. This is the hill you plan your gearing around. On paper it doesn't look imposing but it is because of the road surface, a very challenging hill.

I was able to ride everything on day one and two without stopping and walking. I feel pretty good about that.

P1060391 by NBend, on Flickr

Ty arrived soon afterwards

P1060393 by NBend, on Flickr

Followed by Alex. Good show Alex!

P1060396 by NBend, on Flickr

This is probably 1st and last time I'll do it fixed. It was a great challenge but you do miss out on the fun of flying down the hills. Next year the Singer gets the call.

pastorbobnlnh 

"Epic challenge," to say the least!

Refresh us poor noobs who are living vicariously through your fantastic pictures, how far did you ride each day? And while you ride a different route each day, does the second day lead back to the start place on the first day?

This has to go on the bucket list for the beginning of retirement!