Starting from square ONE... 2019 edition

“Start at the beginning!”

“And when you come to the end… STOP.”

• March Hare and Mad Hatter, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland

Sorry folks, sob story time…

In 2014, I did the Issaquah Triathlon with my son Patrick, his first and only full-distance triathlon (still haven’t written this one up). Not long after that race I had the second of 2 different injuries that effectively ended my race seasons and ruined my summers for 2013 and then 2014. Then, after having issues with memory, attention, and energy, I was diagnosed with some other health issues that required some interventions (moderate and treatable, not severe). And I haven’t been in a triathlon since.

That Issaquah Tri in 2014 was my last race of any kind. In the mean time a few other things have happened -

1. My son Patrick discovered an amazing love of mountain biking, which I have joined him on numerous occasions. He now owns a bike far more expensive than any of my bikes. This injustice must be rectified!

2. In 2015 I rode in the RAMROD bike ride and *almost* finished. (more to come later)

3. I have been in numerous local mountain bike races, even taking the points race in the Clydesdale category in the Vicious Cycle Fat Tire Revolution racing series in 2017 (the last year they did a race series).

4. I was promoted at work and then changed jobs, which affected my ability to ride to work (i.e. not nearly as often, even though I am now only 5.5 miles from home)

5. In 2018 I strained my back during a race in Leavenworth Washington on the Freund Canyon trail at the Bikes and Brews Festival, but it was worth every minute of pain afterward. Unfortunately my bike mileage suffered that summer and hasn’t really recovered.

And that brings me to my current state of affairs…

• I am over 320 pounds, the most I have ever weighed in my life.

• My energy level and fitness are at all-time lows.

• In 2018 I rode the fewest miles than any year since I started cycling again in 2007 and this year is on track to be even worse.

• I haven’t actually gone on a run for fitness purposes since November 2018, and I only recorded 3 runs that year. None so far for 2019.

• I haven’t done a swim workout since… I can’t remember.

So I am back basically at square one. The same place I was back at the beginning of 2005 when I looked like this-

Me with Boy #2 and Boy #3 when they were just a few days old

Granted, in that shot my twin boys were barely a month old and sleeping through the night was a pipe dream, but my health was terrible. I was about 315 lbs back then and my cholesterol and blood pressure were through the roof. I did a program back then to change my health and get into shape through a local health club, spending a LOT of time and money. 18 months after that, in 2007, I did my first triathlon at the behest of a friend, and the rest is history.

Now I look like this-

Bad selfie!

I picked a bad selfie for a reason: I look terrible and no one wants to see a fat guy with a gut.

Compare that to how I looked before the Beaver Lake Tri in 2011, 50 pounds ago…

Just before the Beaver Lake Tri 2011

So where does this leave me? Looking for training plans and options for NEXT year. I was hoping to be able to take my son on a week-long cycling trip in Oregon this fall but that isn’t going to happen (at least not this year).

My current goals:

1. Ride to work at least 3x per week for the rest of the year, starting next week (this week is a 3-day holiday week and there’s no way I can fit in that much riding before being gone for 4 days).

2. Ride the rim of Crater Lake during one of their car-free Saturdays in September.

3. Shed at least 50 pounds by the end of 2019 through diet and exercise with the stretch goal of getting down to 250 lbs by June 1, 2020, the unofficial start of the race season in Seattle.

4. Go on at least 2 bike camping adventures with my sons.

5. Ride at least 2000 miles by the end of the year.

6. Be able to comfortably run a 10K by the end of the year.

7. Track it all on this fabulous blog. }B^)

So that’s it. I’m basically starting at square one. AGAIN. (hence the 2019 edition in the title)

Will it stick this time? Will I actually do it? We’ll see. I mean, I’ve tried hitting the reset button before and it didn’t really work.

I mean… What’s the worst that could happen, right?

I Broke The Law Tonight

Tonight I broke the law. I did it knowingly and willfully. I'll probably do it again tomorrow and probably over 100 times before next April. At least I hope to, if my work and personal schedule do not get in the way.

The Act

What did I do that was so heinous? I rode my bicycle home from work.

I did it in the dark on a multi-use trail, the East Lake Sammamish Trail, which runs along East Lake Sammamish Parkway in Redmond and Sammamish in Washington State. This trail, along with other connecting trails, offer amazing benefits to commuters, like me, to allow us to ride on trails where we are the fastest user, as opposed to riding on roads where we have to mix it up with cars, trucks, and motorcycles. On these trails the worst thing we have to worry about are retractable dog leashes, joggers wearing headphones, and soccer-moms walking three or four abreast.

What law was I breaking?

King County Code Section 7.12.480  - Presence in parks during hours the park is closed.  No person shall enter or be present in a county park area during hours the park is closed except persons who have paid the applicable use fees to camp in designated campsites or trailer sites, or to moor boats overnight at designated sites and persons using park facilities as part of an event authorized by the department.  Park areas are open dawn to dusk unless open for scheduled or reserved recreational activities.  (Ord. 12003 § 12, 1995:  Ord. 8166 § 6, 1987:  Ord. 6798 § 48, 1984). (Emphasis added)

Ouch. The trail is effectively closed during hours of darkness. Not just the East Lake Sammamish Trail, but also the following very popular trails used by commuters-

• Burke-Gilman Trail (Connects Seattle to Woodinville, WA)
• Sammamish River Trail (Connects Woodinville to Redmond)
• Marymoor Connector Trail (Connects the Sammamish River Trail to the East Lake Sammamish Trail)
• Snoqualmie Valley Trail
• Interurban Trail

The Punchline

If the dusk-to-dawn hours were enforced, every bike commuter would have to take an alternate route during Pacific Standard Time (i.e. when Daylight Saving Time is not in effect) because, during that time of year, sunset is somewhere in the neighborhood of 4:30-5pm.

This would impact THOUSANDS of people in the greater Seattle area.

What is the possible penalty?

Sections 7.12.650-670 describe the possible penalties of this offense: up to a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, and suspension of use privileges (i.e. leave and don't come back). These are enforced through the King County Sheriff. Yes, this means business.

How do I know all this?

I was at a Sammamish City Council meeting in March of this year where they were discussing the East Lake Sammamish Trail (which is currently in the process of being paved). A local homeowner asked the City and County and the King County Sheriff to enforce the current trail hours (same as KC parks, essentially dusk to dawn), with locking gates, fencing-in of the trail corridor, and fines for violators. Neither the City Council nor the County commented on this “issue” so I did a little research on the county website and could only find mention of park hours of operation.

So I submitted this question to the King County website-

In regards to the various multi-use trails that the county maintains, such as the Sammamish River Trail, East Lake Sammamish Trail, Snoqualmie Valley Trail, etc., and their hours of operation: are there enforced hours of operations for these multi-use trails? Most KC parks have operating hours such as "opens half an hour before sunrise, closes half an hour after dusk" or similar. Are there similar rules in place for the trails?

I use several trails on a regular basis as part of my commute. During the fall/winter months (i.e. when Daylight Saving Time is NOT in effect) I ride to work in the dark (6:30-8am) and come home in the dark (between 5:30-7pm). If the trails are "closed" during hours of darkness it will significantly impact my ability to use the trails during my commute.

After being bounced from one person to another I finally received this reply, pretty much a cut/paste type of response (all names shortened)-

Good afternoon, Lee:

Thank you for contacting King County regarding the hours of operation for King County’s multi-use trails. We appreciate your inquiry. Currently, the hours of operation for these trails are a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset . Per King County Code:

            7.12.480 Presence in parks during hours the park is closed.  No person shall enter or be present in a county park area during hours the park is closed except persons who have paid the applicable use fees to camp in designated campsites or trailer sites, or to moor boats overnight at designated sites and persons using park facilities as part of an event authorized by the department.  Park areas are open dawn to dusk unless open for scheduled or reserved recreational activities.  (Ord. 12003 § 12, 1995:  Ord. 8166 § 6, 1987:  Ord. 6798 § 48, 1984).

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have further questions or comments on this rule. You can reach me at <email redacted> or at 206-477-4527.

Thank you for using King County Parks and Trails. Have a nice day!

Sincerely,
Matthew P.
Parks and Recreation Division

This raises more questions than it answers so I replied with this-

How is this enforced on multi-use trails that are essentially commute corridors with no access controls (i.e. gates)?

At a recent Sammamish city council meeting regarding the East Lake Sammamish Trail, one home owner along the trail corridor asked that King County Sheriff enforce the park operating hours on the trail through fines and/or arrests. This would mean I can’t use a King County maintained trail for bike commuting for 6 months out of the year since the sun sets well before I ride home. The same goes for the thousands of other commuters who use the BGT, SRT, I-90 trail, etc.

After 2 weeks I received the following response, which sums up the current situation pretty well.

Hi Lee.

I'm the regional trails coordinator, so your questions have found their way to my desk. I'm not certain that you got a final answer, so I'll wade into the last question. If you have already received an answer, then please consider this as additional guidance.

With respect to the question below, it is true that, presently, King County's regional trails are closed after dark. They are essentially parks in this regard. We recognize, however, that people commuting on the trails to and from work or school often need to use them after hours. It has been our decades-long policy that this use is tolerated, if not broadcast. Occasionally, someone will be stopped by local law enforcement as they commute to Seattle at 5:00 am and asked to leave a trail, but it hasn't happened very often! Of course, quiet commuting is better than boisterous commuting in these circumstances. Folks along the East Lake Sammamish Trail through Sammamish are particularly sensitive to trail use after hours with the concern that trail access may encourage crimes and/or inappropriate behavior. They are most anxious about their privacy, and we respect this.

Regional trails throughout the region under the management of other jurisdictions such as Seattle and WSDOT are generally open 24 hours. King County manages about one-half of the regional trails, so our rules are not universal. Of course, many of our trails are the ones most people use, so that makes it a little more complicated. We are proposing to modify regional trail hours to make this more consistent throughout the network, however. This requires a change to the King County Code, and there is no telling when that might occur. The ELST may always be an exception. We may have to continue to officially close the trail at dusk. This would likely necessitate bicyclists using East Lake Sammamish Parkway for part of their commute. This route will eventually have full bike lanes along its length, so it will provide a more bike-friendly environment along with better illumination.

I hope I have answered your question. In summary, the ELST is closed dusk to dawn, but we recognize, value, and generally tolerate regional trail commuters after dark. ELST creates a unique situation that may present some commuter challenges, but East Lake Sammamish Parkway may provide an alternative for part of your commute.

If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,
Robert F.
Regional Trails Coordinator

The short version is this: there are hours of operations (pretty much a CYA policy) but we are not enforcing it on commuter trails. Why have a trail that doubles as a commute corridor if those commuters can’t use it half of the year? And those months where it makes the most sense from a safety point of view? And the hours will only be enforced on this trail because of... the local homeowners? What about the homeowners along the Burke-Gilman Trail? I decided not to push my luck on that point.

I pinged Robert one more time, 6 months later, to see if anything had changed in regards to the King County Code. His reply was exactly what I expected to hear-

Hi Lee,

Glad you checked back. The rules are currently the same. A change of County Code is currently being considered by the County Council, but I don’t believe final decisions have been made. I believe we should hear soon, however.

Robert F.

The moral of the story and the future

So what happens next? King County plans to finish the paving project on the south half of the ELST sometime in 2017, pending ongoing legal action by local homeowners.

The King County Council may update the current county code to allow these trail corridors to be used during commute times, even if they are after dark, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Moral of the story: keep riding, be quiet, be a good citizen, and hopefully we won't get cited for riding a PUBLIC TRAIL in the dark. Hey, at least they paved it!

}B^)

Getting Back On Track: T-Minus 4 Days

"What does a dyslexic owl say? How! How! How! He should get together with another owl and the werewolf then all they need to know is when." - Boy #3

That's how my day started. How about yours? }B^)

It ended like this...

Our town is on a plateau with rather steep sides all around. Once you ride off the plateau, getting back up can be a challenge. On the north side of the Sammamish Plateau, where we live, there are three choices, all of which have 1/4 mile sections that with a 10% average grade-

1. Sahalee Way - 1 mile, average grade 8%, max grade 12%
2. NE 42nd Way - 1.4 miles, average grade 6%, max grade 24%
3. Inglewood Hill Rd - 1/2 mile, averge grade 9%, max grade 13%

There is also 244th NE but it is a little out of the way and very narrow, not my perfect combination. 

Today I was riding home with my eldest son, Patrick, who recently turned 12. He has always been an enthusiastic bike rider and takes every opportunity to ride with me, even when it means riding up big hills. Today we rode from my office to his swim practice via the East Lake Sammamish Trail and then home via Inglewood Hill Rd. I like to dangle carrots in front of him to see if he can push himself a little more.

Today's challenge was a big one: ride to the top of Inglewood Hill Road without stopping.

The reward: a trip to his favorite fast food place, Jack-in-the-Box.

I guess I already spoiled it, didn't I? The last time he rode up this hill, not more than a month ago, he was very proud of himself when he only stopped 3 times. This time he got into a groove and held it all the way up the hill, without stopping or putting a foot down until he reached the top. We consider the Inglewood Beach Club sign the "official" top of the hill, even though the grade isn't completely level for another 20 meters.

For me this represents 3 consecutive days of effective exercise. I cannot remember the last time I did this. Yes, it has been many, many months, probably April of last year, just before my injury.

Tomorrow promises to be a bit wet but we still plan to do some mountain biking at Tolt MacDonald Park at arguably the most last-minute campout ever planned by boy scouts. 2 days notice. Sheesh!

Bike Light Review

For 4 months out of the year I commute home in the dark. Not sunset, dusk, or twilight, I'm talking the dark of NIGHT, the witching hour, when good little boys/girls turn into pumpkins... OK, I'm out of lame darkness-related sayings. It's dark. On December 21st Seattle gets 8 hours and 25 minutes of daylight (sunrise to sunset). On the flip side we get nearly 16 hours of daylight on June 21. It is SOOO fun going for a bike ride at 8pm and coming back an hour later and the sun still hasn't gone down, but I digress. Back to the dark.

During the dark months of the year riding home in traffic is scary. Are you visible enough? Are the drivers paying attention? And if it is raining all bets are off. I wrote a lot about bike safety a while back and have strong opinions about what I think it takes to stay safe on the roads. Being visible is one of the most important things you do to improve your night time safety.

Can you spot the ninja cyclist in this video?

What if you could be brigher without breaking the bank?

I started off my winter riding career with the basic Cateye front and rear lights (similar to the HL-EL135 and TL-TD150 respectively). It only took me a couple of night-time rides to figure out that these lights simply would not do.

There are 2 types of lights-

1. "Be Seen" Lights - cheaper lights that flash or strobe and are used primarily to increase your visibility. They are not very good if you actually want to see the road on a dark street. Cost: usually less than $20 each.
2. Headlights - These lights are bright enough to allow you to see the road/trail on a dark night with no other light sources around (i.e. street lights, the moon, or other vehicles). Cost: the cheaper ones start at $50 and go up from there.

By watching various clearance sales and websites (i.e. chainlove.com) I was able to pick up a very nice front headlight that goes up to 600 lumens-

Front light: Light & Motion ARC NiMH Bike Light (Discontinued)
Rear light: Planet Bike Superflash Stealth Rear

But I was unsatisfied with my overall visibility at night. One day I was shopping at REI and found a couple of products that would fit the bill: increase visibility at a low price point.

Wheel lights: CatEye SL-LD120 Orbit Spoke Light Kit

Frame light: BikeGlow Safety Light

Unboxing

The lights came with basic instructions for installation and battery insertion. No need for complicated tutorials here, these lights are pretty simple. 

Installation

Putting these lights on my bike was relatively simple. On the Bike Glow I attached the battery pack and wound the light cord around the bike frame, securing the end with the included zip tie and electrical tape.

The Orbit light was even easier: attach the center groove to a spoke and slide it toward the rim until the ajoining spokes secure the sides in place.

The final result, as seen in the dark-

Comparisons Videos

Now for the field test! To show just how these lights operate in the dark I, here are some videos...

The "before" shot - riding with just my front and rear lights.

 The "middle" shot - riding with just the new lights.

"After" - All lit up and nowhere to go (yet).

Summary

CatEye SL-LD120 Orbit Spoke Light Kit

Pros:

1. Great attachment to the spokes, very solid. We'll see how it wears over time.
2. Uses a very common battery.
3. Doesn't distract the rider's eye during use.

Cons:

1. Difficult to turn on/off without the right leverage.
2. Only available in 1 color (amber).

BikeGlow Safety Light

Pros:

1. Battery pack uses velcro strap and rubber to stay in place: very secure.
2. Zip ties and electrical tape included for installation.
3. Doesn't distract the rider's eye during use, even though it is visible (depends on how you install).
4. On/off button is easily accessible (I mounted the batter pack right below my seat on the top tube).

Cons:

1. Emits a very high frequency whine during operation which is only audible when not moving. When the light is in the flashing mode the whine goes on and off with the light.
2. Limited retail availability (REI only?)

Conclusion

These lights are cool and draw a LOT of attention. They greatly increase your visibility from the side where my other lights are primarily focused on the front and back. 

What about battery life? Not enough experience to guage this one. The Bike Glow runs on a 4 x AA batteries while the Orbit light uses a pair of CR2032 batteries. So far they have survived a couple weeks worth of night commuting with no issues or run-downs. 

The only downside that I can see is that they may attract TOO MUCH attention. They may cause people to gawk and increase other risk factors. Right now it's fun to tell people about them.

My kids saw it and immediately started calling my bike a light cycle and have named it "Flynn" after the main character of the movie Tron.

Light Cycle from Tron: Legacy

Bike Shopping!

Cracked rear dropout on the chainstay, driveside.

Since this can be considered a gear review, please note my standard review disclaimer.

This post was STARTED back in October but, well, life happens. I actually made the purchase last July. Now you can enjoy it after 3 months of editing!

Back in July my trusty all-weather commuter bike bit the dust. It was sad to lose an old friend but there is an upside...

I get to go bike shopping!

My primary training method for triathlon season is bike commuting so replacing my main commuter bike was a top priority before the weather turned sour.

At the outset I must let it be known that I am a geek: technically minded, detail oriented, and obsessive about certain things that most people would consider trivial. As such this entire process may seem remarkably similar to a technical RFP (Request For Proposals)

Why not just troll Craigslist for a cheap beater bike? I tried that for a few weeks and couldn't find a bike that fit my requirements that was in my size. There are lots of bikes on Criagslist but once you get into the larger/sturdier bikes... you would have better luck finding a date for Saturday night that wouldn't land you in jail.

In 2007 I went bike shopping for the first time in nearly 15 years. I was floored by the shear number of choices to be made. I like having lots of alternatives but the number of decision points can be staggering-

1. Bike type: standard diamond frame, recumbent, or trike?
2. Riding surface: road, off-road, or hybrid?
3. Frame material: steel, aluminum, carbon, titanium, wood, bamboo...? (the list goes on)
4. Big name brand, low-cost leader, or custom built?

I'll just stop right there. That only covers the basics of getting started. From there you have to think about brakes, drive train, handlebars, and a hundred other factors that go into making "the perfect bike."

HINT: This is no such thing as the perfect bike. Trying to find the perfect bike will drive you nuts.

Shopping Methodology

These are the basic steps I used to decide on my latest purchase-

1. Gather requirements
2. Look around at what is currently on the market
3. Make an exhaustive list of possible choices
4. Narrow down the list through online research, visiting local bike shops, and in online forums
5. Test-ride the top 3
6. Final decision and purchase

Step #1: Gather requirements

Buying my first real bike in 2007 was what my wife called my "rookie mistake." Over the next several years I took notes about what I liked/disliked about my bike and looked for other models that would have better suited my needs. I ended up with a pretty good list of priorities to use in my bike evaluation process.

Main purpose: serve as an all-weather commuter (95%) and a touring bike for on and off-road (5%).

Requirements-

1. NOT carbon fiber: steel or aluminum preferred
2. Disc brakes
3. Lower gears via a compact triple or large granny-gear on the rear cassette
4. Drop bars
5. Mounts for fenders and rear rack
6. Purchase from a local bike shop (LBS)
7. Heavy-duty (rims, frame, forks) 

 "Nice to have" items-

1. Mounts for a front rack
2. 150+ mm saddle (I'm a big guy)

My first requirements were fit, durability, and a LBS but eventually I added disc brakes to the list after seeing how many were available in the 2011-12 models. In the colder/wetter months the route I like to use has a very steep hill (NE 42nd way, 16-20% grade) and going down that hill with wet rim brakes is almost a religious experience. 

Step #2: Check out what's on the market

This has been going on since 2007. Yes, I have been looking around and taking notes on bikes since I bought my last one almost 5 years ago.

Step #3: The exhaustive list

My short list turned out not to be so short-

Kona Honky Inc.

Kona Sutra

Redline Conquest Classic

Salsa Casseroll

Salsa Vaya

Specialized Tricross Elite Disc

Surly LHT

Surly Cross Check

Trek Portland

Steps #4 and 5: Narrowing down the list and test riding

After some extensive online research the was whittled down to the Kona Honky (Eastside Ski & Sport), Salsa Vaya (Kirkland Bike), and the Specialized Tricross (Pacific Bicycle). Now the real fun begins: shopping the local stores and test riding!

Kona Honky Inc.

My first stop was Eastside Ski & Sport to check out the Kona Honky Inc. Don't let the name get to you: this bike is all business. Although it does sound like you are about to blow your nose.

Pros: 

• Steel frame
• Disc brakes (Avid BB-7)
• Drop Bars
• More "upright" geometry than your run-of-the-mill road bike
• Mounts for front/rear racks and fenders

Cons:

• Short cage derailleur, 12-28 cassette (not the best climbing gear)
• No clearance for tires wider than 28mm.
• Didn't like the fit on the larger sizes

Summary: It fell short in only a couple of places. Very nice bike with a quality build. Handling was great with fantastic response.

Salva Vaya

Next stop: Kirkland Bike to check out the Salsa Vaya. This bike caught my interest last year when I discovered they had a titanium version. If my budget was a little bigger I would have jumped on the Ti version: it is one sweet looking ride. 

Pros: 

• Steel frame
• Disc brakes (Avid BB-5)
• Drop Bars
• VERY "upright" geometry, more so than the Kona Honky Inc.
• Mounts for front/rear racks and fenders

 Cons:

• 48/36 Front chainring (compared to 50/34 on other models)
• Didn't like the fit 

Summary: It was hard to say no to this bike. The fit just wasn't right. I had my eye on it for almost 18 months and was ready to buy it until I saw...

Specialized TriCross Elite Disc

I dropped into Gerks Ski and Cycle in Redmond, WA, on a whim one day after work. After only a few minutes I found the Specialied TriCross Elite Disc sitting in the very back of the store without a price tag. Turns out it belonged to the sales guy. They didn't have a floor model because it was a 2012 model and they weren't yet shipping in quantity. Gerks didn't even have literature on it. The bike was gorgeous! The look of the brushed aluminum was amazing. I was SOLD. The sales guy said he would call around to see where I could find one. I gave him my number and went home. He never called back.

The next day I went down to Pacific Bicycle, just over a mile from my house in Sammamish, WA. The sales guy was much younger than the other stores but he knew his stuff (turns out he was the son of the owner). They didn't have the new TriCross Disc model but they did have a TriCross Comp, which has the same geometry, and in the right size (61cm frame size, measured from the height of the seat tube). 

Pros: 

• Aluminum frame
• Disc brakes (Avid BB-5)
• Drop Bars
• Cyclocross geometry, not as upright as the Honky Inc. or Vaya but still quite comfortable
• Mounts for front/rear racks and fenders
• 155mm saddle
• Secondary brake levers (along the top, flat-part of the drop bar)

 Cons:

• Aluminum gets a little wobbly when I really load up the rack.  
• Rear disc is outside the rear triangle, just above the rear dropout, which means I needed a rear rack that attaches via an extra-long skewer.

Summary: The aluminum frame isn't as stiff as steel but it still beats my carbon bike in terms of handling. Everything else about the bike is what I was looking for: durability, disc brakes, and the right gearing (climbing gears but high gears as well).

Step #6: Final decision

I was sold on the TriCross Disc before I even officially rode it. I took the Tricross Comp for a test ride and ordered the disc model on the spot. 

The first thing I did after getting it home was replace the incredibly cheap plastic platform pedals with my Shimano A530s(SPD/platform combo). 

The disc brakes stop very quickly. When I first got on the bike I was just about to ask them to tighten the brakes and then, mid-sentence, I almost flipped over the bars in the parking lot when I braked too hard. 

So far I am very satisfied with my choice. I should cross the 1000 miles barrier by the end of the month (2 weeks away!). No issues so far other than normal maintenance and cleaning. I did have to learn the care and feeding of disc brakes. That little red wheel has to be turned slightly every few weeks to keep the brakes adjusted properly.

Here it is fresh home from the shop with rack and fenders (still has the stock pedals)-

A couple of honorable mentions:

Salsa Fargo: Imagine a 29er mountain bike with drop bars and you have the Fargo. Not quite what I'm looking for in terms of riding style but this one certainly is bullet-proof. The website even uses the term "bikepacking". They even have a titanium version. 

Salsa Casseroll: This one bike of note that was eliminated early due to lack of disc brakes. It reminds me a LOT of the old ‘70s Schwinn that my Dad handed down to me in the late 80’s. If I wasn’t so set on disc brakes I may have purchased this instead. Very sweet looking ride.

Kona Sutra: One of the best loaded-touring bikes. Not really the ride I want. It's like driving a truck. I was looking for more of a SUV-hybrid.

Specialized Source 11: Very similar to the TriCross but with a Shimano SuperNova generator hub, integrated lights with routed cables, rack/fenders, a front light, and a belt drive with interally-geared hub. I knocked if of the list due to the price ($2700) and the flat bar otherwise this is my perfect commuter.

Trek Soho: Like the Specialized Source but with a belt drive and internally-geared rear hub.

Update: I was just pointed to the Civia Bryant. WOW. Another worthy choice but it missed my radar before I made my purchase. Internally geared rear hub, belt drive, drop bars, disc brakes, steel frame... WOW.