I’m riding an Advocate Cycles Hayduke in Baja California with Nick.
I’m happy to be back in Mexico, traveling on the bike and riding fat tires in the sand. And we’re having fun.
Tim Krueger wrote to me in September to offer bikes to us. I met Tim and his wife Odia in Las Vegas at Interbike. They seemed like really kind folks. I only have one bike at a time and they gave me one and it’s great. The Hayduke is a steel 27.5+ hardtail. I was hoping to ride the titanium frame, but it wasn’t available in time for this trip. Advocate is a new company that released three bikes this fall.
The Hayduke is a great bike for this trip because it has three inch tires and a suspension fork. We’re riding sandy jeep roads and rough mountainous tracks. It rides like a Jeep, the tires float like a fatbike when I need them too, but it’s not burdensome for climbing and technical riding. Having a new Rockshox Reba fork is pretty sweet compared to the crusty old fork on my blue bike. I was concerned the bike would be really heavy, but it’s not a tank. Nick tried to convince me to tour on my white Pugsley four years ago and I refused. This is not the same white bike. It’s kind of a mix of all the bikes I’ve ridden in the past five years, even the Hooligan. I may look to build some 29 inch wheels for it in the future with carbon rims.
Nick is designing a dirt route through Baja that we’re riding and hoping to share. We’re really excited to ride with friends next month visiting from Missoula, Seattle and Anchorage.
I also have an Instagram account, follow me @laelwilcox for pictures from the road.
Great to see photos and hear how you’re doing!! Great duds! Who picked those out? Whoever it was has great taste! Love you both! Still riding my bike to Step, with my helmet every time.
Another great adventure. Thanks for posting.
BTW, when I climbed Mount Sanford, the sled I pulled [one of those orange plastic ones] was named Hayduke. It was handy to have given it a name so that when I needed to swear at it, I had a name to use.
Best wishes on the travel. Have a Bohemia for me if you can.
I am so stoked that you now have an Instagram account. It’s a great way for the rest of us to follow where you’re at. I’ll never figure out how you two always remember to take photos. I’m horrible at remembering, but really happy that you guys record all of these moments..
Lael — Saw an article about your TD rides in the UPS alumni magazine (Arches) & am amazed/impressed/inspired. Keep it up! Nice to see a fellow UPS alum doing great things. Also enjoying your writing style — future book material? Think about it!
Lael Wilcox: You rock! Your smile is a killer… I hope that you will always – most certainly in different ways once you get to be my age – keep that soul-flame shining bright and pushing the limits of what other people around you would think is simply “crazy!” Do not listen to them and keep pushing…
Best.
Adam.