{"id":19625,"date":"2018-07-27T07:43:20","date_gmt":"2018-07-27T11:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hawkdog.net\/wordpress\/?p=19625"},"modified":"2018-07-27T07:46:18","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T11:46:18","slug":"molly-fin-the-bike-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/hawkdog.net\/wordpress\/archives\/19625","title":{"rendered":"Molly Fin (the bike) 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before I get too deep in the weeds regarding component choices, a couple words about how the bike I’ll be hobo-ing on came to be…<\/p>\n

I’ve been riding a Surly Long Haul Trucker<\/a> for a bunch of years now and have it pretty much dialed in as a comfortable fast-enough touring\/utility bike. It was what I was planning to ride until I did a test load-up this spring. Two big issues emerged. I’m taking a couple fly rods with me and even though they are both 4 piece, the rod tubes are long enough that they’re going to stick out inconveniently somewhere. And Lotte the teckel<\/a> is coming with me – a crate for her, plus tent etc. on the rear rack is a pretty tall pile. I’d been daydreaming about a Salsa Blackborow ever since I saw this bike<\/p>\n


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cr<\/em>edit link<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

on The Radavist<\/a> and in Maine Bike Works’ Instyfeed<\/a>. After the test load, the daydreaming became scheming – not only would the Blackborow solve the cargo volume issue, it would allow me to ride much more challenging terrain (it was going to be Rte. 1 rather than Baja Divide on the Trucker, for example) and disc brakes would be good for my peace of mind on big descents out west. I pulled the trigger and asked Jason at Maine Bike Works to order a bare frame. Component selection is next post, but let me tell you, it was fun.<\/p>\n

Not all my bikes have names, but some do, A name for this one was obvious (to me at least). My motto\/mantra\/theme for this venture is\u00a0“M’all\u00e9 couri dans deser” – Louisiana Creole meaning “I am going into the wilderness”. It’s the phrase that morphed into the opening call and response of Indian Red: “Madi cu defio, en dans dey, end dans day”.<\/p>\n