bicycletorch

Cross Nationals

2012-01-12T11:29:00.000-06:00

reminders are important

I was able to attend the Cyclocross National races this past weekend. The racing scene is really not for me, but I do appreciate people's bike handling skills and willingness to make themselves suffer. I went to provide mechanical support especially to a group of juniors from our racing team. There was not a lot of work to be done, but with 9 riders, I kept alert throughout the days.

conditions were a bit soggy

The biggest thing I am saddened with is the lack of freedom to capture images. I was able to sneak about and grab some photos, and I definitely learned a number of things to help with my shooting cycling events. It is one of the best things about cyclocross, being so close to the riders and having multiple opportunities to shoot from a number of different points. One thing I am happy about is having a good outcome from tightening in on my subject. I have been in the practice of backing off and framing my subject after the fact. But by zooming in close, I grabbed a couple of photos that turned out almost exactly as I was hoping for. That confidence goes a long way for me.


I don't think this bike was racing

2012 Begins

2012-01-02T22:31:00.001-06:00

As with everyone in the world, I am thinking of what I want to do different this year. One of my goals is to be more consistent with this blog. I am shooting for once a week. Just glancing back through past posts, I am aware of how nice it is to recall various events and adventures. I also like to make sure to insert a photo with a post. I think it makes it a little nicer on the reader and it is also something I want to do more of this year. Once a week, trying out different photo techniques and ideas.

So I leave you with a photo from my recent trip to the Seattle area. I didn't take many photos, but I did happen to capture a couple of things that make me feel good to see. The day I ferried over to Seattle, it was classic northwestern weather. Grey and almost rain, but not quite. I was very happy to see these tents set up at the edge of the market. I even had a vehicle wait for my while I was taking this picture. It certainly brightened my day.

a little color on a gloomy day

Mini Vacation

2011-12-14T13:45:00.000-06:00

I have spent the last week out on Bainbridge Island. My friend Paul owns Classic Cycle and needed a little fill in help for a few days. Of course I am going to travel a few thousand miles to work at another store. Was there ever really a choice?

I was a little weirded out by traveling/vacationing alone. My wife could not take the time off work and I wasn't exactly sure how much I would be working so I went alone. There were times when I had the realization that I could do whatever I wanted. It was really strange.

I was able to ride some, a little off road, a tiny bit road. I explored a lot of the south part of the island and rode some trails up north. The trails were exceptional. There isn't a lot of elevation but with all the timber offering additional obstacles, there was plenty to keep it interesting.

I did come to understand that 15 years of city life has affected me. The pace of life on the island is slightly different than the city. I awoke and walked to breakfast a couple of days before 8 AM. The restaurants were just beginning to stir. Breakfast didn't seem to hit until 9 or 9:30 AM. While waiting in line for coffee, I was beginning to be annoyed with how long people were taking. I was on vacation! I guess that is why people get away. Gain a new/better/old perspective to make sure you are who you want to be.

The weather in the northwest is not the best this time of year. Fortunately one of the mornings I was up early, mother nature played nice. This is about the best shot I was able to capture the entire week. This would be considered excellent visibility, especially for this time of year.

rainier at sunrise

Mecca of the Midwest

2011-10-21T23:36:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago a crew of friends went up to the mountain bike trails at Cuyuna State Recreation Area. This lies just outside Crosby, Minnesota. Up on the iron range, the first recommendation I can give people is to make sure to bring water (or be prepared to purchase). Iron range equals iron water. Not tasty. We filled a cooler with visually clear tap water and by the next morning it had turned quite red. Gatorade red. Like I said, tasty.

The Heartland Staff

Second recommendation is to eat at the Heartland Kitchen & Cafe. I really cannot explain how marvelous this business is. The food is solidly delicious. Not "I will call everyone I know and tell them about this meal" delicious, but really, really good. What sets this place apart is how wonderful the staff is. Immediately upon entering the restaurant they were making space for us. Even with our dirty, sweaty group, they welcomed us like we were family. I have never experienced that level of service when dining out. We made sure to make it back for Sunday brunch. Again, beyond worth it.

Third recommendation is if you enjoy riding off road, make a trip to Cuyuna. Every local we spoke with made comments about how much they enjoy having mountain bikers come to town. Every rider I have talked to has raved about the trails. This isn't the mecca destination of Moab, but for the midwest, it doesn't get much better. It would be great to keep the hype going for as long as possible. There are plans to continue to develop trails in the area, and the more people that ride responsibly, the better the chances to enhance our midwest mecca.

Cuyuna Weekend

2011-10-02T21:56:00.001-05:00

Obby trying an obstacle

This weekend a group of friends of mine headed up to the trails in the Cuyuna State Recreational Area. This trail system opened earlier this year and I have heard really great things, from a number of different sources. Everything surpassed my expectations.

The riding: I cannot say enough good things about this system of trails. We drove up late on Friday night, camping at Portsmouth Campground. This worked out great for our crew (8 people) as they have a group campsite that is off from the rest of the campground so we could be louder later and not feel too bad about it. It also is feet from the trail. From our camp we climbed a tiny little riser and it didn't feel like I had to pedal for the next mile. There are a boat load of pump sections that carry your momentum like mad.

We started off on the northern-most section (Yawkey Unit) and were a little disoriented with the maps and trail markers, but everything consists of various loops that bring you back to intersections and more maps so you can't get lost. It's just becoming comfortable with distances and where markers are set. Once familiar, navigation of the trails is super easy. Besides a few, and I mean just a few, of the corners being sandy loose dirt, the dirt is hard packed and smooooooth. We rode a couple of trails and then ran into some more friends who drove up for the day of riding. After shooting a couple of fast runs and taking our turn at some SERIOUS obstacles, we broke for lunch. Yet another great thing about this system is that it is quite close to Crosby which has a number of nice eateries.

After lunch we went further south to the Mahnomen Unit. This section has longer sections of trail and there is a little more elevation change. There are some fantastic downhills and I was really digging on the longer climbs. We did a number of loops, trying to make sure that we didn't ride the same trail more than once, and I think we did a good job of it. There are also some killer overlooks that show what reclamation can do to an area. I can't think of a better use of land.

Ken flying

We had a couple of our group that were heading back to the cities Saturday night so we headed back to camp, cleaned up a little, and rode into town for dinner. It's beginning to darken early around here so after we were back in camp, a few of us broke out our lighting systems and did some night riding. We went back north as we were a little more familiar with what the trails did. That didn't keep us from riding a couple sections we hadn't in the daylight. No big whoop.

Sunday morning brought another round of morning riding. We hit the trails fairly early as we wanted to get some runs in before breakfast. A couple runs down the Bobsled, Tugger and the Man Cage before back into Crosby. More on eating later. Some of our crew had ridden (and eaten) a little more than normal so it was just Ken and I that went back out for the afternoon run. We didn't have a lot of time before we had to head back home so we chose some of the easier trails of the Mahnomen Unit. Easier does not mean easy. There are still some good climbs and it's nice that they have thrown in some optional obstacles for people of differing skill levels. We made a loop all the way around the outside of the section and with time working against us we made our way out.

*** Eating and whatnot coverage to come ***

Out of Sight

2011-09-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

Destroyed pads after 1 ride!

I keep debating about disc brakes. Obviously there is not much of a question when talking mountain bikes as it is and ever-shrinking pool of quality product for rim brakes. No, what I debate, is if new randoneurring or commuters should have discs.

I have a grand goal of building a lightweight randoneur that triples as a gravel grinder and commuter. I have a few of these bikes now, but each of them is not quite right. I know geometry, single/geared options, even most of the components. But I get stuck on the brakes. The photo shown is a customer's pads after 1 ride. 1 RIDE! One side of the pad set is completely gone. The other nearly worn to the metal at the top. The spring between the pads is worn through on one side completely. Mud and gunk can destroy pads so fast, how is this a good idea to put on a bike? I ride cantilevers on most of my bikes and replace pads every few years (the bonus of spreading the riding over many bikes and only weighing 135#). I do have to replace pads on my winter commuter every year, but that is the exception. I love the idea of being able to run a bunch of tyre widths with no adjustment, but does it offset the wear issue?

I have been using disc brakes on my single speed mountain bike for a couple years now, but I don't ride that very often. And as I don't race, I don't ride that bike in very adverse conditions. Using discs on a bike I would ride in all sorts of nasty conditions certainly would change the pad wear. Now with the UCI allowing discs in cyclocross, I am expecting higher quality road brake setups. Hopefully my custom bike will take long enough that there will be better options for road discs. Or it will just make my choice that much harder.

Racing Weekend

2011-09-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't actually do any racing, but this past weekend was the Dakota 50 in Spearfish, SD. I grew up in the area and started my adult riding career getting lost in the Black Hills on my 1991 Schwinn Impact. It was tons of fun to wander around the area and do some riding again. I think the last time I rode a bike out there was 1999. Crazy different, and crazy fun.

My friend Matt and I left Friday afternoon and cruised all the way out to Spearfish. Camp for me was super easy to set up as I decided since it was so nice of weather to sleep sans tent. This would continue for the next 2 nights, as well. Our friends Dan and Jessica and their friends Nate and Annie were already there. We had a couple of beers and turned in quite early. There was riding to do.


Monk, our great riding companion

Saturday morning we leisurely awoke and headed out to do some pre-riding of some sections of the course. I had chosen to ride my Surly 1X1 as I am not the biggest fan of the multi-speed mountain bikes I own. We left the parking lot and coasted downhill for the first 10 minutes. As we rolled into what would be the 4th rest stop on Sunday, the trail went almost straight up. I was actually very surprised how much of the trail I could ride. There were only a couple of times when I decided to walk. Most of the time was absolutely incredible. It has been a very long time since I have ridden point to point trails like that. The views were gorgeous and riding such a variety of terrain rejuvenated my interest in mountain biking.

We ended up the morning ride with a super fast fire road downhill and small gravel road ride back to the car. It was definitely time for lunch. We cruised back to Spearfish to eat at a small BBQ place that ended up being closed. So instead went around the corner and had a couple beers, some great food, and charged my phone at the Chophouse. I would recommend this place to anyone in the Spearfish area.

Matt and I were not quite done riding for the day, so we headed back up to the Big Hill trail system. It turns out we rode another small section of the race course and then veered off for some of the fastest riding of the day. The uphills were not nearly as steep, and it was a nice way to finish off the day. Being from the area, I biked over to a friend's house for dinner. Home cooking is very nice when camping. I was expecting people to go to bed early that night, but was very surprised that there was absolutely no motion when I returned to camp at 10 PM.

Matt, hanging loose

Sunday morning came very early with a 7:15 start. Jessica and I traveled around to the different rest stops throughout the day. Nobody had the times they were hoping for, but it seemed that everyone had a good time. It was definitely a great event and the racing thing is certainly infectious. I don't know that I will actually ever sign up for it, but it would be top on the list if I do any sort of ATB race. We hung out for a long time after, but only one of our group won anything. Sunday night was a great time of hanging out and recounting riding. People were a little tired for some reason and we did have a long day of travel in store for Monday, so bedtime was around 9 PM. Earlier than I can remember in a long time.

Dan finishing amongst fans

Monday was mostly uneventful. Matt and I had breakfast with my parents and took the back roads home. It added a little time to the drive, but certainly was more interesting than interstate. The trouble with driving that distance with a couple bike junkies in the car is that various plans were made and dreamed about involving mountain biking, touring and all sorts of travel with bikes.

It appears I need a little more vacation time...and a pay raise.

Century's

2011-08-12T00:28:00.003-05:00

I have been lucky to have had a couple of great rides over the past couple weeks. After a full week of work on the road for the MS TRAM, I snuck down to Iowa to take part in the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. This is a 100 mile gravel ride leaving from south of Waterloo and making a BAL out of some of the best roads I have ridden. There was a little heat, but nothing too unmanageable. My biggest mistake was missing a small patch of shoulder with the sunscreen. I felt really good all day, managed my food intake, kept my water at an appropriate level and had an absolute blast. This was definitely one of the best century rides I have done.

Then this past weekend was the 8th annual Tour de Loren, an urban century around the twin cities here in MN. One of my customers hosts this ride and we had a good crew that started out at 21 riders. I alternate how I ride this one and this happened to be a racing year. I went all out, brandishing our team jersey and even shaving my legs. I bribed another rider with bacon at the start so I didn't have to ride the entire day without some help. Again, I felt good the entire day with the exception of our 3rd stage after lunch. And even though I wasn't the strongest rider in the group, I had a great ride. I pushed myself hard and enjoyed my road bike. Something I don't do often enough.

This weekend I am opting out of riding. I still have some house to paint, so that will occupy my weekend. Hopefully I can finish it up and be back in the saddle next weekend.

Pleasant afternoon

2011-06-17T15:49:00.002-05:00

I really enjoy having a weekday off from work. It is a great time to run errands and do those things that are virtually impossible working 10 hour days. I sent off my dad's day gift this morning, a little late, but the card will get there in time. I stopped at the big red circle to pick up a few essentials and decided that I have no idea what I am going to make for dinner. It is a great day here in the twin cities. Just warm enough to perspire when you stop riding. Not hot enough to boil your blood whilst riding.

After lunch, I decided to spend some quality time in the garden. We have let a few of the flower beds grow out of hand so I reigned in the weeds and laid down the rest of the mulch we had on hand. With our rose bush starting to bloom, the back yard shaped up quite nicely. There is still a bunch of work to do in the vegetable garden, but I don't trust my eyes to pull the right plants. That can wait till tomorrow.

Now it is wait for the rain to come in. The Nature Valley bike race is in town this weekend and I was thinking of heading down to the Minneapolis criterium, but with the threat of rain, I think I may skip it and work on bikes instead. After coming home from the MS 150 last weekend, I just threw everything into the basement and it is still a fright. Time to clean and clear out some inventory. We need some more space in the garage. I hauled a bunch of waste from it earlier this year and there is promise of being able to use it more effectively. Just like in the garden, I have to think of it in small steps or it is way too overwhelming.

Overdue Bike Work

2011-05-20T13:18:00.011-05:00

I am pretty easy on my bikes and am fortunate to not have to do that much work on them. I also try to do a little at a time to keep the big projects at a minimum. That is tricky when riding through winter in Minnesota, or attempting something like Trans Iowa. One, not so big. The other, quite large.

I developed a Rice Krispies effect when I switched my winter/spring commuter to a fixed cog after the ice pack melted. It has quieted some, but has been very persistent. I decided to make use of our fancy parts washer at work and clean up some parts and replace some others. At least make sure most of the salt was off the most important of parts.

WOW! I have done it before, but I failed to remember just how nice a new drive-train can feel. Replacing the chain that was stretched off the chart and fancy new cog was just what that bike needed. If I hadn't had to replace a busted shut off valve in my basement, I would have just kept riding. One project checked off the list.

That brings me to my Cross Check which has been sitting untouched since my failure in Iowa. I have been a bit busy at work and every day off has been filled with personal situations that have left me no time to take care of it. Well today finally allowed me a window for cleaning. Mother Nature decided to help out by raining while I was washing. Just that much less water I had to purchase to clean away the mud and debris. I think I have some pictures here from last year as well, and I bet in a few years I won't be able to tell the difference. I have the same setup and my bike came back looking almost the same. A little less cornstalk jammed in the brakes this year.

The first part of the cleaning process is finished. Knocking all the mud off is the easy part. Now I have to set aside some serious time to overhaul her. Or maybe I should just start using her for commuting without doing all that work. A little lube here and there should keep the noises down, and anything else that may be wrong should be righted by riding. Ride more is a hard philosophy to argue with.

<---------- Before...............After--------->

Finished

2011-04-24T22:45:00.005-05:00

My Trans Iowa was the most disappointing one yet. Everything, besides the lack of training, leading up to the ride was going just right. I had the right amount of nerves, I ate like crazy leading up to Saturday, and I even snagged a fair amount of sleep Friday night.

Saturday morning I was still trying to decide exactly the clothing I wanted to wear and I ended up being very comfortable with two layers of wool and my vest. The fog was super thick as I made the short trek to Broad St to wait for the start. I chatted with some other riders, trying to keep warm and not think about what lay ahead. My nerves really ramped up when we lined up, so much so that I was shaking (maybe that was the chilly morning air). With the blast of the handlebar, we were off.

There was a looong line of riders weaving through the streets, I think we started 74. I was riding single speed so I knew I wanted to be toward the back of the pack. I did indeed end up with only one rider behind me. We pedaled maybe 1/4 mile through Grinnell and seeing the riders around me, I began to wonder if I should jockey for position a bit. Knowing that there were 72 riders in front of me, I decided it would be ok to sit back for a while. A final right turn and we hit the gravel. Mark and Dave took off (as far as I know) and we were all on our own.

The roads were in really good condition. I was thinking that it was going to be super muddy, but it turned out to be soupy in spots, but actually very good riding. I stayed in back for maybe 30 minutes and then my legs were ready to spin my regular rpms. I started to pass a few people to try to find a gap in the group. I was feeling ambitious and I wanted to keep my feet moving so I just let them go. I was also trying to start out strong to make sure I made the first checkpoint. Somewhere around mile 12, we all were strung out and hit the first b road.

B roads can be great fun but in my TI experiences, they suck. With all the moisture, the dirt turns into this amazing sticky goo that clogs your bike instantly if you let the tyres touch it. With 50+ riders through already, I was following the trail with everyone else. We hiked the mile or so and ended up on a blacktop road on the other side. After some quick cleaning to make sure my wheels turned and I had somewhat functional brakes, we crossed the highway and continued up the little riser and stopped. 50 some lights were coming back toward us. I wish I could have taken a picture, but my mind was racing, trying to figure out what we were going to do.

The leaders decided to take the highway, so everyone followed. Mob mentality. We raced (I actually felt like I was racing at this point) down the road and took a left that took us back to being on course. On we rode and the field spread out again and I was soon riding by myself. There was something very liberating about riding completely by myself. I didn't have to adjust my riding to match anyone else. But around mile 24, things started to go wrong. I had been riding for a couple hours, hiked the b road, made it back to where I knew my computer was 3 miles extra, and I started to tire. The sun was coming up and with it, the wind started to howl.

My first TI was insane. I have never experienced wind that fierce before or after. But what it taught me, is that there is no hiding from the wind in Iowa. This year was no different. With the sun, came the wind right into my face. And the temperature dropped. I can't prove it, but I swear it was colder with the sun up. The wind and my lack of eating properly, took their toll. I didn't feel like I was bonking, but climbing those hills, and there were some monsters, I was becoming weaker and weaker each time. There was even one point I stopped and walked a hill. I just couldn't keep turning the pedals. Somewhere down the road, maybe mile 32 or so, I stopped again and pulled out a bagel and a Gu packet. I wolfed down half the bagel and pushed on. Amazingly I started to feel a little better, but the wind was still killing me. I was desperate, so I ate the Gu (my first ever!). Mile 40 something we made a turn and were actually riding WITH the wind!

Unfortunately, the wrong turn, the lack of nutrition and the wind combined to make my time too long. About 4 miles from the checkpoint I ran into a rider heading the opposite direction. I had just nearly missed a turn and with the markers I knew I was going the right direction. Turns out, I knew him and he turned around and we rode into Baxter together. My computer said I was about 6 minutes shy of the cutoff time. Not the way I wanted this ride to go. But it is what it is.

I decided that I am finished riding single speed for this event. Yep, that should make everything better.

Come On!!

2011-04-20T23:10:00.003-05:00

This is what we had to deal with this morning:

What do we have to do to get a break around here?

Time to Change

2011-04-19T08:29:00.004-05:00

Trans Iowa is what, 4 days away? Plenty of time to keep changing things around. I have been running some Bontrager Dry X 29X1.75 tyres for the last few weeks, thinking that the smaller size would fit my full fenders. After some riding with Ken, off the fenders came. This past weekend, I went out for some riding and scared myself silly with how slow I was going. That really made the gears in my head, think about the gears on my bike.

So I decided to switch back to what I rode last year. I moved the XR-1 29X2.1 tyres back onto the hoops and switched to my trusted 42X22 setup. I decided that if the wet does happen (if?), my bike was solid last year. I am hoping that the weather will cooperate just a bit more and allow me to ride this stupid event.

With all that done, I am also doing some last minute change to my custom basket bag. My bag man (also my neighbor), agreed to move my cue sheet clasps to make them (hopefully) more useable. I am glad I used the months of lead time to do so much work and research.

Gettin on Spring

2011-03-18T14:58:00.002-05:00

The promise of spring is in the air. I was fortunate enough to be able to ride down to Cars-r-Coffins bike/coffee shop this morning. We have had a somewhat tradition(?) of having Friday morning breakfast. We have a number of places we like to go, and one of them is Cars-r-Coffins. Sadly, they are closing shop next Friday so we thought it was important we go down there one last time. Weekday mornings can be difficult, but it was nice of my friends Sean and Alex to go with me. I wish Hurl the best in his next adventures.

As some things end, others begin. I was made aware of a new bike shop in St Paul, Green Tire Bike Shop. I decided to stop in today and they have only been open 4 days. It is a used bike/service shop and the manager Jacob seems to be a nice enough fellow. But what really excites me is that my good friend Dan has started a snazzy business, Omnium Bike Shop. This is a very cool place in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of St Paul. This is his third day open. Hopefully the twin cities biking world can keep all these places open. Good luck, Dan!

The best thing about the day was that I spent about 4 hours riding around town. Being outside, normal shoes, flat pedals, sunshine, is a great reminder of how awesome summer is going to be. This time of year, every year, I think more and more about how wonderful it is to be able to hop on a bike with no preparation. When shorts and a t-shirt are all the clothing you need to make you comfortable; even at 1 AM. Those days are coming soon.

Oh Crap

2011-03-12T15:28:00.001-06:00

Trans Iowa is 6 weeks out. What have I done?

Let the second guessing begin.

Birthday Weekend

2011-03-06T16:16:00.002-06:00

My wife and my birthdays are separated by only a few days. We decided a long time ago that we wouldn't buy each other gifts, but would do something a little out of the ordinary. We like the idea of doing stuff, not collecting stuff. This year, we purchased tickets to the WCHA Final Face off tournament. We are big fans of Gophers women's hockey, but we do not see games often enough.

Friday, my wife had to work a little late which meant we not only missed the first game (WI vs. ND), but didn't have time to eat dinner before the second game. It wasn't a big deal, eating at the arena, but the food isn't the greatest and we knew we had to make time to eat before the championship game on Saturday. Fortunately, the Gophers won Friday night to set up an even more fun Saturday game.

Saturday we slept in some and then worked our way around our neighborhood, taking care of little things we had been meaning to do for quite a while. We made up a list of things to do and actually checked them all off (true it was a fairly short list). This was great, giving us a much needed sense of accomplishment. But then it was time to truly enjoy ourselves some more.

We were going to grab a bite at the Blue Door, one of our favorite local eateries. It wasn't even 4:30 and we figured we wouldn't have much trouble finding a table. NOPE!! There must have been 6 people waiting outside the door, and more making their way up the sidewalks toward the bar. I don't know what was going on, but it makes me want to case the place to find out when they aren't busy. We didn't feel like waiting as long as it would take for food there, so we cruised down to the Groveland Tap, another favorite of ours. The beer list is great, and I am now a super fan of the Cajun Lucy, just the right combo of spicy and flavor. Couple that with a Summit Oatmeal Stout, pure bliss.

Unfortunately, the Gophers lost the game that night, but it was a fantastic game. They played amazing for 2 1/2 periods but WI pushed hard and brought it to OT. 9 minutes in the Gophers couldn't keep up with the pressure and let in the game winner. Again, a fantastic game even though it wasn't the outcome we wished for. Carrie and I came home quite tired and worn out from playing so hard. A very nice way to celebrate a birthday.

I Remember That

2011-02-17T08:17:00.003-06:00

I happened across this image while organizing some pictures and it struck me how much I like riding in the fall. It is a street I ride by almost every day, and I must have been heading in early, as the sun is lower than it normally is for me on my rides to work. With all the leaves on the ground and the soft colors, it obviously made enough of an impression for me to stop and shoot it. Now it makes me feel good that it can stir up some of those same feelings that made me stop in the first place. I know that it isn't technically a great photo, but it does the trick for me.

I was out riding yesterday and we have been treated to some fabulous weather here in the twin cities. With temps in the 50's, it brings out the feeling of spring. I know it isn't going to last, but it sure is a nice break after what always feels like extremely long winters. We have one more nice day in store for us today, and it has that fall feeling to it with some fog this morning. Then it is back to reality with a few more weeks of winter riding before we can store our heavier layers of clothing, and not have to rely on memories of great rides, but create some new ones.

Lour de Toren

2011-01-29T22:17:00.003-06:00

A few years back I started a super small bike ride to help keep people riding and socializing during the winter. One of my great customers holds a bike ride in August that is quite possibly the most well organized and evolving ride ever known to the personal riding scene. I decided it needed a counter part on the opposite end of the scale.

His ride is in August, mine is February. His is 100 miles, mine is kept to 10 miles or less. His is meticulously organized, mine comes together out of nowhere, sometimes in the nick of time, and has essentially no organizing sans the start date, time and place. His has two sag vehicles (3 last year), food, mechanical help, GPS, route launching parties, etc. Mine... well, none of that. His has 4 stages, with 3 rest stops. Mine, actually has the same. Some ideas are too good to mess with.

Tonight was the planning session to decide where the ride is to start. I already decided on a date and time, so choosing a starting point was just a matter of picking from the napkins. The first planning meeting we had was when we decided to draw from the messenger bag for a starting location. No one had paper, so we used napkins. 5 years later, minus the ones that have been drawn for the previous 4 starts, those napkins still go into the drawing.

I am looking forward to another 10 mile killer. This is really some of the hardest miles I ride during the year.

Mechanics Musings

2011-01-27T21:40:00.007-06:00

I am not much of a fan of riding in the snow. I don't mind it, but I certainly am not going to go out of my way to ride in it, and certainly not going to RACE through it. I have to admit that I am a little intrigued by fat tyre bikes, but they are just too expensive for me to have in the stable and not ride much at all.

For this reason, I don't follow much that is happening with the fat bike scene. I received an email a while back that a racer from out of state wanted to send their bike to our shop to build up for the upcoming Arrowhead 135. We worked out the logistics and I agreed to assemble it and set it up for him to pick it up this weekend. I wasn't really thinking about what type of bike I would be and ooooh was I surprised when the box showed up.

I knew that the complete bike wasn't in the first box that showed up (arrived over two days), but it turned out that everything was there except the front wheel. This is amazingly light for the tyres it carries.

That's a ti Fatback (hard to see but wicked twisted downtube!), full carbon fork (not a fan but it IS light), Fatback hubs and crankset, UMA rims, Hope brakes, XTR gorillas, Ritchey WCS carbon seatpost and bars. Fatback claims getting bikes down to 22 pounds and I believe they can do it. I didn't put it on the scale, but I am sure my Pake C'mute weighs more than this machine. It was fun to work on something so different. I wish the rider well on his trip across the north.

Small Repair

2011-01-24T12:39:00.007-06:00

A friend of mine saved a motorized scooter from the trash heap last week and is in the process of fixing it up for her sister. I love that there are other people out there that are willing to at least take a chance to keep things running rather than throwing them away. Especially when there are things such as batteries and at least if it can't be fixed, recycle the stuff instead of chucking it in the garbage. People are just lazy.

I don't normally mess with motorized stuff, but for a friend, why not. There were a couple of broken spokes and a flat tyre, not a huge deal to fix. The biggest problem being that I don't have access to a spoke cutter, something I would like to own, but do not have the extra $3000 to throw at it. I was trying to have this completed today, which meant finding spokes on Sunday. It felt a little strange calling a local shop and them telling me that there was no mechanic there that could cut a spoke. That's something that would never happen in my business plan for a shop. But I digress. It was also a bit strange that when I did find someone who could cut spokes for me that day, it took them well over 15 minutes to do so. I know it doesn't take that long to cut and roll spokes, so I can't help but wonder if there was a little sham going on there in order to force me to look around a bit longer. Hard to say.

None the less, the wheel turned out great. I daresay it is one of the truest 12" wheels in the area. It makes me feel good to do such a small repair, that will hopefully bring some big fun for years to come.

To Pannier or not Two Pannier

2011-01-18T22:04:00.002-06:00

I have used panniers for a number of years. I was a messenger bag person for several years and thought that panniers had their place for touring or tons of stuff transport. But do I really want to haul around those bags every day on my bike? Turns out yes, yes I do. I have taken a lot of grief when people would pick up my bicycle and complain how much it weighed (I still don't understand why they would complain about such things). I carry a lot of stuff with me. The nice thing is that I almost always have what I need (and a bunch extra) when I am... wherever. Extra shirt, socks, hat (hats?), phone charger, tools, tubes, various spare bike tid-bits, lock (at least 4' cable for locking extra bikes for those that have forgotten theirs), you get the idea.

But come winter, I sometimes lose the rear rack (panniers are bolted on for extra quietness and security) and opt for a backpack. I like the backpack vs. messenger bag so as to keep the weight more centered on my body for squirrely snowy conditions. I wasn't so sure how much difference it makes, but I just removed the rack/bag from my bike this morning and immediately noticed how much easier my bike handles when the snow deepens. The only drawback being that with the stupid bag on my back, there is no breathing back there. Not the worst thing in the winter. Well worth the extra confidence I have when cornering and it makes the ride more fun. I need all I can get to keep going in the snow and cold. So the backpack stays loaded up until most of the snow is gone. That will maybe keep the fun factor a little higher during the next couple fortnights.

More Snow

2011-01-13T18:29:00.002-06:00

It continues to snow here in the twin cities. I am not sure how close we are going to come to a record for snowfall for this winter season, but it is definitely more than we have had for several years. So far every broomball game I have played has been with at lease 1/2" of snow on the ice.

With all the snow we have received, it has made riding a real joy. The streets are getting narrower and narrower and today riding home was the ever fun slipping and sliding with all the ice underneath the fresh snow. Of course it could have been worse if there was more moisture in the snow. Winter just isn't my favorite time for riding. I do enjoy being out in the snow and if I can be on a trail away from automobiles, where I don't have to fight the divots made by people walking, biking is great. The snow deadens all the noise of the city and it can be incredibly peaceful. But those trail conditions are very rare. I guess the way to get around that is to go for a ride at 3AM.

I am already starting to plan out my biking season. I have a little interest in trying a brevet series. We have a number of them in the area, and with Trans Iowa almost kicking off the actual biking season, I should be in pretty good shape to participate. It would mean joining TCBC which I have never done. Having worked in a bike shop here in the cities over 10 years, I should spread the love around. It's good to keep trying different things.

Sanyo Dynamo

2011-01-05T08:34:00.002-06:00

I saw these a while ago and finally took the time to build one into a wheel. I have wanted to have a winter dynamo wheel for some time and I bit the bullet with this very inexpensive hub. Right out of the box it feels smoother than a Shimano but not as smooth as a Schmidt. I can tell you that if you use the correct spokes for a Shimano hub, the Sanyo will fit with the spokes being just a touch short. Not unreasonable at all.

A slightly annoying feature to the Sanyo is the connector for the light. The Shimano hub has a casing that protects the wires after attaching them to the connector. Sanyo builds this casing into the hub, which means that if you unplug the headlight, there is a greater chance for the wires to pull out. Not a huge thing, but I am glad I am using it for winter riding when I don't have to deal with many flat tyres.

We will see how the long term, violent conditions wear at the hub. I don't put tons of miles on during the snowiest time of the year, but my bike sure sees some awful conditions. As far as I can tell the Sanyo should be great for dealing with this. I have run a Surly sealed bearing hub for my rear wheel for 3 years now and I have yet to replace bearings (not that they couldn't use it, it just isn't totally necessary yet). I am hoping that this dynamo will be just as nice. I will purchase a replacement set of bearings this summer and put them right next to the Surly's to hang out until I need them, several years down the road.

More Baking

2010-12-18T13:37:00.003-06:00

We have been doing a little baking this holiday season. Our neighbors are very generous with their snow blower, so we figure we should be generous with our cookies. Our church serves at Dorothy Day and requested cookies, so there are 4 more dozen. My brother lives in a small apartment where cooking space is not abundant, another couple dozen. I always like to take some up to the bike shop, always a nice treat. Then we need to make sure we have some to take with us for Christmas in SD. And that leaves, hopefully, a few leftover for us to consume here at the house. I think it will take a few more mixing bowls before I feel we have enough.

Along with all the cookies, some ideas have been "baking" in my brain for a while. I am wanting to get back into more of a daily routine. I want to be more consistent for writing what is rolling around in my brain. Looking back through previous posts, I am reminded of why I write stuff down. It really is about clearing out my mind and being able to concretely focus on what is happening in my life. Even though there is a lot of trivial events, it is the process of taking a thought through from start to finish. Like most everything, practice makes ease of all.

I have been slacking in the photo department for a while and that will not do. I have started to make the practice of carrying a camera with me wherever I go in order to be able to capture scenes like this:

Bishop Leonidas Lent-Hamline University
(hat by anonymous)

Let it Snow

2010-12-11T10:30:00.003-06:00

I'm not proud of it, but I called off work today. We are receiving a bit of snow here in the Twin Cities and my attempt at riding to work was not what I would call fun. This is one of the very few times I wish I had a Pugsley (or a new Mukluk!). I know I could have made it to the shop, but what concerned me more was how difficult it would be to make it back home. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have a lot of customers anyway.

So I guess that means I bake cookies and maybe spend a little time in the basement starting the Cross Check conversion to Trans Iowa mode. Not that there is a lot to do, but I think there is still some mud that I can dig out from this year's attempt. That while keeping an eye on the street. We have already dug out one of our neighbors trying to make it through the intersection.

(view from my front door)

Enjoy the snow!

Shifting?

2010-10-27T09:07:00.002-05:00

Most of the time, for the last 6 years, I ride bicycles with only 1 gear to choose from. My favorite thing about single/fixed riding is that there is very little chain noise. No chain slap. No caught between gears grinding. No derailleur rub. And if I run 1/8" chains (and remember to lubricate them), there is VERY little noise. So when I first saw the Sturmey Archer SX-3 two years ago now(?), I thought I better try one.

A while back now, I had to do some ordering at the bike shop which is not my normal job. This always gets me into trouble because it forces me to look through catalogs and browse distributors web sites. Sure enough, the SX-3 was on special so of course it went right onto the order. Over the next few weeks I collected the rest of the parts for the wheel build and now have a multi-geared fixed gear.

I wanted to keep my Cross Check clean, so I mounted the shifter on the rear rack. It takes a little getting used to, but ended up being very easy to reach back for shifting. I don't plan on shifting a bunch anyways, so the overall outcome is very much to my liking. My first impression is that there is waaaaaay too much play in the hub. I don't have a digital angle finder (I should look for an app), but I estimate my cranks can move back and forth nearly 4 degrees. Doesn't seem like much, but that is 12mm of travel. And it's weird travel too. I am used to having a bit of runout, but there is always tension on the chain. This is free play. A little different and weird.

I also feel like there is a lot of drag in the lowest gear. I spin at a pretty high rate, and I chose a cog that was in stock and it is too high of a gear. This means that I have been riding in the lowest gear most of the time. I feel a lot less drag in the second and third gear. There is very little rolling resistance, but some drag as the gears churn. I am looking to order a larger cog to lower everything down. I think the gearing steps are spaced appropriately, I just hope I can make everything work out to my liking. I am more than likely going to have to change my chainring as well.

So I am playing around with gearing and am going to ride it until the weather turns foul and I have to break out the winter bike. I am fairly certain I can get used to the hub resistance, but I have a feeling the play is what is going to be what keeps it from going back on the bike next year.

Vacation Time

2010-10-04T17:29:00.003-05:00

This time of year is when I am able to take a little time off from work. We try to celebrate our wedding anniversary by taking various trips often including camping expeditions. This year was our 10th year as an official couple so we stepped it up a touch and went to a Bed & Breakfast near Grand Marais. It was a nice little place, probably not exactly our style of vacation, but a great experience.

One of the most exciting things is that I borrowed my cousin's Nikon D90. I haven't used that nice of a camera, ever, and it was a real treat to shoot. I was amazed how easy it was to operate, but most of my photos show my lack of experience with it. I did manage to come up with this sunset photo right on the bay.

The fall colors were great, but as a rainstorm had blown through a couple days before, a number of leaves were knocked onto the ground. We also had a fair amount of cloud cover and rain. But a great place to get in touch with nature and remind me of how lucky I really am.

Relaxing Time

2010-09-11T15:36:00.004-05:00

I love fall.

We had a quick trip up north to attend my company picnic. We had a super nice cabin on Namekogan Lake. Carrie and I headed up on Sunday to make it to dinner out with most of our staff. Afterwords, there was cribbage until fairly late. As we were "camping", I was up before the sun and wandered down to the water to see the sun start to show.

After some breakfast, Dan and I shot round of golf. Really nice course. A little tricky, as I haven't played much, but beautiful golfing. And with that, it was about time to pack up and come home. Not a single minute on the bicycle. It was a little strange, and I did have a small tang in my brain, telling me to get on the bike, but I don't have any regrets. I am liking the small distance away from the bike.

We have an anniversary weekend planned and I am borrowing a new camera from my cousin. I can hardly wait to try it out and evaluate it for what will hopefully be an upcoming purchase for me.

Different Ride

2010-09-03T20:15:00.003-05:00

This morning Dan and I went on a ride with some other industry folk. It was a small group (5 this morning) that do some urban off road riding at various places around the cities. There was a nice mix of a couple cyclocross, couple mountain (one being my 3 speed XO-2), and a 29r. As we had to work at 10, we rode the somewhat off road trails along river road, to Ft Snelling, and then Dan and I turned north while the others sought further adventure.
I don't ride with very many different people and I was reminded of why this morning. Although I didn't have any problems with how these folks rode (a common issue with me), it was the talk of some that bugged me. I have a hard time competing with people as I don't really care how I stack up to others. So it ends up that I listen to a lot of what other people speak at me. And a lot of time, it isn't anything that they should be sharing.

But the riding was great. It was the second time in a couple of weeks that the XO-2 was out and I even received a very nice complement; "I like your bike". No drooling over this or that, just a simple "nice ride" is music to my ears. Thanks Dave.

As I stayed a little late to work on a repair after work, I left the shop around 7 PM. Not moving too fast, after a full days worth of work and a little longer morning commute, I realized that the sun was setting around the time I would be crossing the Hamline pedestrian bridge. I picked up the pace, but was a little late. I was still able to capture some images, and I think this one is the best. I like the way the amazing color is offset by all the industry of cables, towers, and buildings. A little ironic.
Have a great Labor Day. Labor away!! Wait, I guess don't labor. Think about labor. But don't labor over it.

Townie wheels. Really?

2010-08-25T08:50:00.004-05:00

I just ran across this wonderful new product this morning. While I appreciate the use of the White Industries hubs, this is one of the stupidest marketing launches I have seen yet. I suppose for those who want to show off their bike and make it look "cool", this would work. But for a bicycle to be locked up and not worried about, missed. For a bike you can maybe true the wheel without taking the tire tube and rim strip off, missed. Or for general abuse and neglect, missed. They say they are to be strong because they are used for "pro athlete race wheels", which are never a true test for a product. They get ridden hard, but not in real world conditions. Good for selling race wheels, not everyday, round town wheels. True I haven't ridden these wheels, but I guarantee my 32h wheels will last longer.

Just couldn't help myself.

New Toy

2010-08-10T22:00:00.003-05:00

I rarely buy stuff without a little research. But last week I saw a blurb about a new product from Dahon and I decided I should try it right away. Enter the ReeCharge. Peter White has had a product similar to this for a while, but it costs quite a bit more and needed a secondary caching battery to use with a phone and such.

This battery unit is very much self contained. There is a regulator that hooks up to a hub dynamo, and then the battery unit itself. Plug your phone, or mp3 player, or GPS unit, or laptop, or whatever else you wish to charge, and you are good to go. I haven't actually hooked it up to my hub yet, but right away it seems like it is going to be a nice accessory for uber long bike rides.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the ReeCharge came with adapters for a bunch of different electronic devices; Nokia, Samsung, Apple, and then more generic mini USB. Even an EU plug in! The device is super easy with a plug in to charge the battery and a plug to charge your devices. There are some decent covers to keep it somewhat water resistant and the strapping should make it mountable almost anywhere. I'll probably write some more about this after I have used it for a while.

Now I am starting to crave my new Droid I ordered. My current phone is not nearly as power hungry as the new one will be, so it will be interesting to see how this keeps it going. In the meantime, I will use it for as many different devices I have. Not being super into electronic stuff, I am a little limited. But I think I can get the gist.

Back to Reality

2010-08-02T08:11:00.003-05:00

All of last week was spent working the MS TRAM. It is a ton of fun, getting me out of the shop but still working on bikes, and raises money for a great cause. The days are VERY long and it takes a lot out of me after 5 days of it. This year I came back on Friday and then had to work on Saturday. No time to settle and ease back into normal life.

I then followed that up with riding the Tour de Loren on Sunday. This is an urban century ride that one of my customers has put on for the past 7 years. He goes waaaaay over the top, using 2 cars for support vehicles, hosting 3 rest stops, q sheets, t-shirts, and a party after. All just to gather up people he knows to go riding. It is an amazing time. The ride was really stepped up with the addition of a Mavic neutral support car. One of our normal riders couldn't ride due to a broken bone, so he was willing to follow us around all day. I'm not bragging, but I know some very neat people.

So now it is the start of a new week. Back to work and time to start settling down a touch. My basement is overwhelmed with piles everywhere from last week, and there is a lot of work to be done beyond just cleaning.

Party Wrap up

2010-07-06T07:26:00.006-05:00

The entire point of riding to Duluth this past weekend was to hang out at Fitgers, something Dan has wanted to do for some time. We had to make a quick stop at Pizza Luce to grab Dan's credit card from the night before. Screaming down the streets of Duluth was excellent! I wouldn't mind heading up there to just ride around some. Finally arriving at Fitgers was a welcome treat. We grabbed a table and started in on lunch. Beers were already on the table by the time I made it inside, but I decided to start out with a bloody mary. I have to say the beer chaser was better tasting. I wasn't feeling the greatest at this point, yesterday's ride still doing a number on my stomach. I opted to not finish the last couple bites of my burger and we hit the streets of Duluth.

Having been on the bikes enough for the weekend, we left them locked up at Fitgers and walked a while. Being Sunday and the Fourth, we didn't find a lot of things open until we hit Canal St. We headed into Hell's Burger as they had a happy hour special going. I couldn't muster the thought of alcohol into my stomach, so I chose a couple glasses of lemonade. I had been craving it for a while, and it turned me around. After those had settled a touch, I felt amazingly better. The power of the fruit! Unfortunately, Rich didn't have any lemonade. He was struggling a bit with the sleep deprivation. At this point, some people next to us at the bar commented: "I think your friend's dead!"
I think the low part of the day was our stop at Grandma's. People were a little confused heading in, Dan downstairs and everyone else upstairs. Dan ordered drinks at his bar, and we as well up at our table. Short lived confusion led to a couple tall beers, Jameson shots, and one frothy margarita. I don't have to go back there. We did get a call from Alex saying she was a little early (about an hour) so we drank up and hit the boardwalk.

There are a few things I am not proud of. I have lived in MN for twelve years and I have yet to enter the BWCA (horror!). Nor had I set any body part in Lake Superior. Somehow this was mentioned on our walk back and we had to rectify that. Dan was obviously feeling good at this point, as he plunged right into the lake. Then we convinced Joe that his Batman underwear were perfectly suitable for swimming. Good times.We met up with our saviors at Fitgers and of course had to have a couple more beers. Packing up the cars was interesting. Loading 5 bicycles, a trailer and all our crap into two fairly small cars was quite the challenge. Fortunately only a small amount of disassembly was required and we turned our faces south. I was surprised how much of the trip back I stayed awake. I'm usually good for crashing hard in the car, but I had to sneak another couple pics of bobbing heads. I did crash hard once my head hit the pillow.

All-in-all it was a fabulous weekend. I doubt I will ever recall any of the haikus I composed. A couple were halfway decent. Although, I was under the influence of heat, or lack of sleep, or booze, or some weird combination.

Party weekend

2010-07-05T15:42:00.007-05:00

My coworker Dan is getting married next weekend. Unfortunately, my mother also chose to be ordained that same weekend. Family always wins. So it is that I cannot attend the wedding and felt it absolutely necessary to ride to Duluth with Dan and some friends for a bachelorish party weekend.

We left Saturday morning and as always when trying to gather 6 people together and roll out, we left about 30 minutes after we wished. We picked up a 7th part way through the cities and all headed out north. We have done this Duluth trip many times in the past, but always with the design of riding up and back, stopping only for snacks along the way and breakfast in Duluth (we usually leave in the evening to get the darkness out of the way). This time it would be different as we were loaded for camping overnight in Duluth.

We were fortunate enough to have Ken ride with us as far as Hugo. After breakfast, he pealed off, having to buck a pretty good headwind for the return ride home. Down to 6, we continued north. Our progress was slowed somewhat in Forest Lake as we had to maneuver our way through a parade. I am still kicking myself for not taking any pictures. A quick stop for some cool drinks in North Branch and to say goodbye to Michael and it was the long stretch of highway to Hinckley. We were moving at a pretty slow pace, even with a strong tailwind. Too many stops and general lolly gagging was starting to make this into one of the hardest Duluth rides yet.

After lunch in Hinckley (a very good idea) we hit the Munger Trail. There was some serious miles left and we put it to the pedals. The stopping was kept to a minimum and the pace was kept up and we found ourselves climbing up to the campground at Spirit Mountain around 10:15. Unfortunately, that was not enough time to make it to Fitgers (our ultimate destination) before the kitchen closed. So we called a cab to take us to Pizza Luce. A few cold beers sure felt nice, but after 160 miles of hot, humid riding, we were buzzing and sleepy very quickly. There was barely any talk when we made it back to camp. Everyone crawled into their bunks and crashed hard.

(a present from the trail gods)

I awoke Sunday morning not sure if I was going to ride home, or hang out with people in Duluth. I was still quite tired from the day before so I figured I would see how breakfast went and take it from there. No sooner had I poured my first cup of coffee and the rain started. And it really rained. We took shelter under an overhang at the bathrooms and made our plan of riding into Duluth to wait for our rides to come fetch us. The rain only lasted for roughly 30 minutes and we soon were cranking our way slowly toward Duluth proper. None of us are from that area, so we grabbed a map at a convenience store and decided to ride Skyline Parkway all the way into town.

Anyone familiar with the layout of Duluth, knows that it has the steepest streets in MN. They aren't that long, but there are some VERY steep ones. And of course, anytime you are talking about Skyline anything, you know there are going to be some hills involved. It was spectacular. We all felt good on our bikes (I'm sure because we knew we didn't have to be one them for 15 hours) and we just enjoyed the morning. Stopping to check out the views, taking a dip in a small swimming hole, and soaking in the now beautiful morning. And the day was just getting started.

Why I don't race

2010-06-15T21:52:00.002-05:00

Working in a bike shop, I often am asked if I race. One of my former co-workers put it very well; "Racing takes away the fun of riding a bicycle."

I think this sums up that statement very nicely:

I especially like the AG2R? rider who had given up and had his head down for a moment, only to look up and flip over Cavendish. Kind of ruins the ride. I don't have time for that.

Why I ride a bike: Reason #3

2010-06-05T07:25:00.002-05:00

Summer Nights

I know, it technically isn't summer.

Last night my wife and I rode down to a local eatery to enjoy the evening and nourishment. My cousin and girlfriend rode over from Minneapolis so they could enjoy the evening as well. We then all rode over to have some dessert and if you have never been to Izzy's, I suggest you go. By the time we were all finished, it was around 10:30 and time to ride home.

My first thought, as it was still extremely warm, was to ride over to Minneapolis and then home. But both my wife and I were tired and I wasn't on the best bike to keep up with skinny wheelers. So we just noodled the 2 miles home. It was gorgeous! The temperature was around 70, barely any wind, humidity was non-existent, hard to ask for a better evening. As I waited at the light at University, I had a memory triggered from when I lived in Florida. At that intersection, there is a lot more pavement and concrete and not much vegetation. It's one of the main reasons I could not continue to live in FL.

Leaving that road behind, we entered my neighborhood streets. Overgrown with many a great old tree, the smells and overall feeling of being closer to nature returned. Cruising on the bike, not wishing for different (especially more) clothing, great conversation, smelling life from the earth (which we are trying to kill to the best of our abilities), how could that not be one of the greatest things ever?

Choices are Critical

2010-05-31T07:30:00.003-05:00

Ken and I tried out one of our most relaxing ways to incorporate bicycles into other activities, with our second BGB event. That's Bike-Golf-Bike, laid back triathlon style. We were planning to ride up to Stacy to play, but as I was calculating the schedule for Saturday, I realized I couldn't be gone that long, so we chose a closer course near Stillwater. Out the Gateway Trail a ways Ken says, "take the gravel?". Well how can I say no to that.

Turns out I should say no when I am testing tyres I have a good idea are not designed for gravel. I put a set of Panaracer Ribmos on the Cross Check and in trying to encourage others to ride them (purely for testing purposes) I purchased them in 32mm width. Now why would I think we wouldn't be riding gravel? Somewhere in my brain, I know I was thinking I just have to confirm these are not the tyres for me. The most intriguing factor for me is that I enjoy so much of the Panaracer Pasela, (including T-Servs 6 of 8 700c bikes have them) and I figure if they can make that tyre so wonderful, maybe this one is worth a shot.

I have only run them about 50 miles but I'm sure they won't stay on my bike much longer. I think they could make an ok commuter for someone, but after riding Paselas for so long, I am extremely happy with them, and this tyre does not offer anything to improve my ride. The first is that they seemed very springy. Once we hit the gravel, I was bouncing down the road. I had them set at 60psi, which is a little higher than I run my Paselas, but they didn't absorb the bumps. It's a little unclear from the picture, but the tyres are actually pointed a little in the center. I don't think it reduced my rolling resistance, but it sure changes the compression. It also carves into the dirt. We hit a few softer sections of gravel throughout our rides and it was like riding through sand. I had no steering control and bogged down very quickly. Lastly, I did notice the less than smooth transition into cornering. I thought I was going to just feel this in my mind, but Sunday I hopped back on a bike with T-Servs (28mm none the less) and I was surprised at how well they rolled into the corners. So much so that I cased a pedal leaning into a turn, which I have not done for a long time (disclaimer: fixed gear + excited rider, not just excited, stupid rider).

I figure I will run the tyres a few more days on my normal commute to give them a little more of a chance. Then, off to another person to see what they think. Since a number of us at the shop have similar taste in rubber, I have a feeling these are going to be for sale pretty soon. Even with my lack of stellar thoughts for my bike's shoes, the golfing was great and the riding even better.

Garden Time

2010-05-17T10:26:00.003-05:00

This past weekend my wife and I spent a whole bunch of time working in our yard. We put in a vegetable garden and planted a number of plants. The weather was absolutely perfect and I was only a little sad there was no biking. With the exception of the small ride for Joe's bachelor party. I think I am still partially dehydrated because of it.

Kids Again

2010-05-03T07:28:00.004-05:00

(riding to the park)

Last year we had a rousing game of wiffle ball for a Sunday Slow Ride activity, and it turned out great. From the choosing teams, to the arguing over rules, to the 5th inning stretch bike derby. Everyone had a great time and the injuries were kept to a minimum. Alas, trying to recreate events and experiences only goes so far.

Sunday was our second wiffle ball game day and it was a lot of fun. We played a little harder due to the balls not being quite as wiffly, so they moved a little faster. We had an impromptu derby, but it wasn't the all out pandemonium that derby can be. People had other commitments, slowly reducing our numbers until we had to make a trade to keep things even.

(serious gaming business)

I know it was a good time because I was very tired when I finally came home. Enough energy to eat some dinner and watch a little hockey. Just like being a kid, I fought going to bed. I am paying for it now, tired and cranky, trying to be ready for the real world.

Putting the Fires Out

2010-04-29T22:29:00.004-05:00

The bike shop has been bustling over the last couple of months with milder spring weather than we are used to. Along with one of our full timers departing, this has caused a few of us to work a little more then usual. It also tends to start working it's way under people's skin.

I am getting crankier the older I get. Most people don't see this side of me and I have kept it hidden in my youth to save it up for when I get older. My dream is to be a cranky old man, sitting on my front porch and yelling at the kids to not ruin my flowerbeds. Then fix up their bikes for them, I'm cranky not mean!

So there's tons of people needing stuff at the shop, lots of personal events happening, all sorts of personal projects not getting to, loads of everyday tidbits that never go away and to top it all off, my wife's purse was snatched from her office. Talk about a straw! As I was asked to talk about a few items during one of our work meetings last night, I couldn't help myself and I yelled a little louder and sharper then I like to. Cranky coming through.

Today was much better and there seemed a lighter air about the store. I can't say for certain, but we aren't as backlogged and there are a number of items that have been checked off the list...done. I thought it fitting, looking across the street as the fire department put on a demonstration for some folk. I wasn't fast enough to catch the car on fire (and it was REALLY on fire!), but I did catch them giving some people a try at the hose. I should see if I could get my hands on one of those to put out my own fires.

My Trans Iowa V6

2010-04-24T20:56:00.009-05:00

My good friend and fellow twisted cyclist Ken and I headed to attempt this year's Trans Iowa. This was my second try at this race and with a couple of confidence building rides under my belt, I felt good about the weekend. That didn't mean I wasn't scared silly, but sure that I could put forth a good effort.

Nervousness mounted right up to leaving the hotel 3:30 Friday morning. I was constantly second guessing what to wear, what to pack, where to pack it. Would my tyres work? Why didn't I leave the fenders on? What was I thinking trying this ride? Just the usual pre-race jitters.

The morning started out much warmer than I planned, so even at the start line I was changing things around. The nice thing is that my basket performed beautifully. Only very minor changes to make it perfection (I'm thinking of a custom bag). We rolled out a little after 4 keeping towards the back of the pack. We are no speed demons, so it didn't make any sense to be in anyone's way. Of course the leaders were off like crazy (those guys are insane!) but the rest of us were strung out in a matter of a couple miles. We quickly found ourselves on gravel and the mud started flying. I was wearing a pair of clear lens glasses and they were great since my tyres were flinging mud all over (as were all the tyres around me). Unfortunately, they didn't stay clear for long so into the basket they went and soon I was digging mud from my eyes on every downhill.

We rode with a number of riders for about 10 miles and it started to become too much back and forth for me to stand. So at one of the risers I cranked into the pedals a little harder and put some separation from the rest of the folk. Ken and I were then more on our own when the mist turned to slight rain and he wanted to cover his saddle (it's almost always a good idea to follow Ken's advice when it comes to riding). Shortly after, we thought rain jackets would be wise. And they were. It rained quite hard for about 30 min (I really have no sense of time at this point) which at least washed off some of the mud. Unfortunately, it created a whole bunch more.

The rain subsided and things were rolling along quite well up until somewhere around mile 30. The first B-maintenance road came into view. I saw 4 riders scrambling to the sides of the "road" (see previous post picture). Tyre tracks and footprints littered the entrance, all veering to the grass ditches. I thought I would see how bad the mud really was and charged toward the edge of the road. I made it about 15 feet before the bike bogged down and I couldn't move at all. Nothing to do but walk. It was roughly a mile we had to traverse the ditches of this road. A few places we had to cross to the other side, causing mud to pack up around the tyres immediately if they were allowed to touch the road. But what did my bike in was the cornfield. Remnants of stalks are still plastered with mud all over the frame.

Now that we were riding again my legs felt like lead. There were some good rollers right away and I thought I was working way too hard to continue for 275 more miles. But I know how the long distance thing works and that it is possible to recover so I wasn't worrying about it too much. As I followed the cue sheets, I started calculating distance and time. It wasn't looking good. I knew we had to kick it up in order to make the cutoff. I marveled at the truth that was being revealed by Ken's comments the night before; "You know, there might be a chance we won't make the first cutoff if it's really soupy."

We were about 10 miles out when this stuff was rolling around in my brain. I felt pretty good at that point. I had eaten a tiny bit (thanks Carrie) and the adrenaline was pumping from knowing what we had to do to make the time. I mentioned to Ken that we would have to work to arrive in time. He told me he was working. As much as I wanted to take off and try to make the first checkpoint, I know that paying attention to Ken when it comes to riding is the smart choice. So we rolled along into Monroe about 10 minutes late. Jim and Kevin from Hiawatha Cyclery were manning the stop and it was nice to see some friendly faces. I think they were more disappointed we wouldn't be continuing than we were.

We moseyed up to the Casey's (a staple in most IA towns) and snacked out front, making the plan on how to get back to Grinnell. I realized I needed to drink some more as I had consumed about 4 oz of water over 45 miles. Another sign that continuing on would have been VERY bad. That surely would have come back to haunt me. A change of upper layers and we were ready to limp back.

For some insane reason, we decided to follow our route we had just come, back a ways to avoid some busier paved roads. It turned out just fine, but it does make me question our general thinking when it comes to riding bicycles. The route dumped us out onto a highway and we made our way via blacktop from there, stopping for some drinks about halfway. I felt the hinting of leg cramps and figured some chocolate milk was the ticket. I saw a quart container and almost bought it, but then chose a smaller bottle. After finishing it, turns out the "smaller" bottle was a quart also.

With the winds picking up, it was a slow ride back to the hotel. As this race is all about traversing the back roads of Iowa, the last 3 miles into town were ridden on gravel. By that time, the road was good and dry, but the wind in our face kept our pace low. Ken, always thinking, had cold beer ready for us when we pulled into the parking lot. A quick rinsing with a hose at the hotel, some fuel for the van and us, and we headed for home.

It was nice to rehash the ride coherently on the drive home. Mistakes were talked about. Plans were put into place in case TI V7 happens. All-in-all it was a great couple of days. Even though that was way too long of drive for a 81 mile ride.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ia/grinnell/152127222754139541"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;My Trans Iowa V6&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/ia/grinnell"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Grinnell, Iowa&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

"B"feated

2010-04-24T20:40:00.006-05:00

Things to remember for my next attempt (if there is one):

1.) Coffee for before the ride - 2:30 is awfully early
2.) Breakfast for before the ride - oatmeal or the like
3.) Sleeping aid - it's REALLY hard to go to sleep before the race
4.) Mud guards - I am too used to riding with them to not use them
5.) Basket Bag - easier access to camera and stuff
6.) Gears

New Shoes

2010-04-20T07:48:00.003-05:00

I managed to catch the window to send in shoes for Chrome's "Turds for Gold", and my new shoes arrived yesterday. Don't you just love when you get back from work and there are new shoes waiting for you? I know I do. I have been wanting some new kicks for riding when I don't clip in and these seem almost perfect. Much stiffer than chucks, but still some sweet styling. Maybe I should consider changing pedals for TI, just to make it a little more challenging.

Thanks Chrome!

New Setup

2010-03-31T22:58:00.004-05:00

I have been working on gathering parts for the Cross Check for a while and they are all starting to come together. Today was the start of the shake down, to make sure I feel somewhat prepared for Trans Iowa. I was thinking that I wanted to run as fat of tyre as I could, so I opted for the Bontrager XR-1. A 29er tyre, it makes the tag "fatties fit fine" a true statement. They do actually roll with no rubbing (minus the molding whiskers) underneath my fenders. I had to change gearing a little to make sure my rear wheel was all the way back in the dropouts, but there is plenty of room up front. I'm pretty sure they aren't going to make the final build, but they are fun to ride.

Working in a bike shop sure has it's advantages. I sure didn't have to go with the Schmidt hub, or two Brooks mudflaps, but it really gives the bike some nice flair. I think my favorite is the Edelux light that you can just make out under the basket and the very front of the fender. They just happened to have a black one in stock when I was ordering some other items. What luck! I had my Berthoud fenders powder coated and they turned out really nice. I will remember to take the parts to match in with me the next time. I didn't know I would have to choose from 12 different blacks.

Riding my Pake since October, I have missed getting on different bikes. I can't believe how quick this handles, even with all that wheel underneath me. It definitely is a faster ride and it gives me a small feeling of relief that I don't have to work quite so hard. I know it isn't all about the bike, but it isn't all about the rider either. Balance, always.

So don't always believe the specs that are out there for bikes. Sometimes you have to experiment a little. 29x1.9 tyres and 60mm fenders. Optimal fit, no. Functional, somewhat. Fun, absolutely.

Why I ride a bike: Reason #2

2010-03-07T19:16:00.006-06:00

Giggling

I took the studded tyres off my bike this past Thursday. Friday when I rode to work I couldn't stop giggling. Actually it fluctuated between smiling and outright laughing, so I will average it to a 6 mile giggle. It's amazing what we can get used to and riding clunky studded tyres all winter was something I DID get used to. But now that I have shed the studs, I don't know how I do it.

Today was even better as I broke out the Schwinn Voyageur II with platform pedals and all. One of the great things about working Sundays is that we get to ride home in the daylight. That changes what kind of equipment I choose for riding. No lights required! With the exception of my skinny 28mm tyres, it is the perfect metro cruiser for me. If it weren't for riding with Dan, I would have been giggling all the way home. There were small bursts on the way to work.

These experiences this week again remind me what I'm doing with this whole bike thing. The freedom of riding is enough to bring giggles to my mouth and lightens my soul. Who wouldn't want to experience that?

Good Ride?

2010-02-28T08:35:00.002-06:00

I asked Ken if he wanted to go riding yesterday sometime around 7AM. Wouldn't you know I was out the door by 5:30. Questioning why I would want to give up a nice warm bed to freeze my everything off, I was answered with the moon hanging over Como Park. I was able to ride all the way through the park, enjoy the amazing view, and not be bothered by a single car. Pretty much made the ride worthwhile, and I was only 2 miles from home.

After a short stop to straighten Ken out, we rode out east and stopped for a hearty breakfast. I made the right choice in changing base layers and eating was fantastic. Then it was through St Paul to stop at Hiawatha for some parts for Ken. Somewhere in St Paul I really started feeling like crap. I had upper chest pains and it felt like I wasn't getting oxygen to body parts. I could breath all right, but I had no energy and almost felt dizzy. So I figured I would ride easier and that should help.

We stopped down along the river and that maybe helped a little, but not much. We hung out at Hiawatha for a while and looking back, I think that was a really good idea. Still wasn't feeling good, but I did make it home. I ate and drank a little after I was home and took a small nap. It wasn't until 7 or 8 that evening that I really felt good. Super tired, but good. Slept like a rock the whole night and woke up this morning almost as if nothing happened yesterday but a good ride.

Ken mapped out our route HERE...I added at least 25 miles to the total as the stupid one using studded tyres.

More Bits

2010-02-24T08:28:00.003-06:00

My mudflaps and rack bolts came in. I eyeballed up the mudflaps and they are going to work very well. I still wish for a little more coverage behind my rear tyre and a little more to the front of my front tyre, but that's what I get for not making my own fenders. Front and rear may seem like overkill, but after riding behind people around town, I figure less spatter is better. The real issue being, when will someone be behind ME?

As expensive as they are, the Paul rack bolts are almost a work of art. Such precision in the machining is great, even to look at. Not to mention it makes such a difference when needing to perform their function. A word of warning: Be careful of the road you begin to travel. Once you start with the nice stuff, it's a let down to go back.

Coming together

2010-02-22T22:12:00.003-06:00

Now that the broomball season is over, it is time to start concentrating on Trans Iowa. I have been thinking hard about the CrossCheck setup and finally started to bring some things together. I spent the better part of today installing my new Bertoud fenders, Nitto M18 rack, and Wald basket. It's not a good picture, but if you look closely you can see all of them. The fenders turned out ok, but there is a little line issue that isn't consistent. Fitting those 60mm wide beasts in there was easier than I thought. I didn't want to destroy them too badly, so therefore I have the line issue.I think the picture makes the rear fender look worse than it is. I had to push it all the way forward to make room for my wheel to come out. The front fender lines are almost right. Now that all those parts are on there, I can remove them to be powder coated. It seems a shame to do that to all those nice shiny pieces, but in the end, I think the overall theme will work out nicely. I don't have the mudflaps yet, but they will be added (they if there is room on the front fender for one).

There are still a couple of items yet to be decided on. I need a computer and some sort of q-sheet set up. I have the crankset and I am pretty sure of my gearing, so I sleep easier because of that. I don't know if my Edelux will fit under my basket, so there may be some engineering to fit it in there. And the coffee cup is just resting in the basket right now. I am hoping to put a mount inside or out to have java along the way.

Training

2010-02-11T08:07:00.002-06:00

On my way to work yesterday I came down the pedestrian bridge onto Energy Ln. The St Paul police often use this street for training new officers on protocol when pulling over vehicles. I have been by these vehicles many, many times and I have never seen them move. So I was very surprised when, as I started to pass them, they both pulled away from the curb, cutting me off. No signals. I'm not sure this is what is supposed to be taught new police officers.

I made up for it by not stopping at the stop sign at the end of the street. Take that cops!!
(I do not advocate running stop signs. There is virtually no traffic at that intersection. I did slow down and since I ride really slow, it means I was nearly stopped.)

I am starting to become more and more nervous about Trans Iowa. With the amount of snow and ice around here, it makes training rides less than enjoyable. I am thinking that we are going to have ice encrusted roads for a while yet, and the weeks are counting down. I may have to do something rash...rollers. I shudder at the thought of dusting them off.

Improvisation

2009-12-10T23:35:00.006-06:00

Being a bike mechanic, it has been my motto for a long time that I can fix almost anything mechanical. Combine 15 years of cobbling bikes together and my years spent working on a ranch in western South Dakota, and I tend to have a fairly high accomplishment rate of making things work when they need to. No matter if the right equipment is at hand, or not.

This morning, Joe was kind enough to purchase supplies for making burgers at the bike shop. Unfortunately, someone was not nearly as kind to us when they stole our grill from behind the shop. Now I know it shouldn't have been left there in the first place, but it still aggravates me when you have to be so protected of everything you own, or are even in possession of, at all times, lest someone swoop in and absconds it. Frustrating.

But I digress... the point is, we didn't have a grill to cook the burgers on! While Dan was out deciding that replacing it was just too expensive, Joe and I came up with a plan to make-shift a grill.

It turns out we had an old mop bucket that made a great base. I threw some old brake rotors, a chain ring, and made a shelf of spokes (and a couple hacksaw blades) for the coals to rest on so there was air flowing all around them and they would be closer to the food for better cooking. We still had the coal grate from the old grill, and it made a perfect grate for the burgers. With the curvature, we could rest the lid to a garbage can (it had never been used) on top and they turned out to be some of the best burgers we have had.

Great day to be a bike mechanic!

Why I ride a bike: Reason #1

2009-11-24T15:34:00.005-06:00

Finding the second shoe

No, it's not the number one reason I ride if I were to be ranking them in order of importance. I just figured I needed a place to put these reasons down as I think of them, to be reviewed later and possibly consolidated into a list to have on hand for answering that question that I am asked many times a year.

Ken and I were returning from breakfast on Sunday and I noticed a shoe alongside the road. Now this is not anything new. Somehow, and this is a very interesting subject that should be discussed and possibly even written into a thesis, there is almost always only 1 shoe along the road. How did it get there? And why is there only 1?

Too many questions to try to answer. The exciting thing about riding a bike, is that when there is a matching shoe to be found, it is much easier to do on a bicycle. Sure enough, roughly 1/4 mile farther (further?) down the road was the match to the other shoe. It still doesn't answer the how people lose shoes along a stretch of highway question, but there is satisfaction to matching the pair.

I'm in

2009-11-17T22:29:00.002-06:00

I guess I am in for Trans Iowa V6. Last year my postcard disappeared in the mail. In the end, it was a good thing.

This year, it made it all the way to Iowa. I hope in the end it's a good thing.

Let the training begin (which means finding good eats farther and farther away from me, or maybe a golf course ).

Cyclocross Season

2009-11-09T21:38:00.007-06:00

Having a Saturday off when working at a small bike shop is a treat. Having 60+ degree weather in November in MN is an amazing treat. Put them together, throw in free beer, hot dogs, and a bunch of bicycles. I could barely contain myself.

Joe and I rode up to the Velodrome in Blaine as a warm-up for his race. We were a little tardy so there was little time before he was off and pre-riding the course. I walked around a while and took some average photos. There weren't many really exciting places for great shots. I was hoping to capture something that I could use for our shop website since we are starting to have a little more presence at the track, and at cyclocross events. I almost tried climbing on the soccer goal to try to get rid of the fence.

I have heard it happens, but it rarely happens to me. To be in the right place at the right time. Looking for that one chance for a great photo, I try to take a fair amount in hopes of something turning out the way I want. Well when David decided to ride half a lap on a bike a little too small for him, it was a great opportunity for a photo. I had been taking some shots of him coming through the parking lot. I turned around after he started riding around the soccer field and ended up with exactly the kind of photo I was looking for...

Too bad I can't use it for our website. Plugging another bike shop on our website is probably not the most appropriate.

Biking Weekend

2009-09-29T08:08:00.003-05:00

I was able again this year to partake in the Urban Assault Ride. Sponsored by New Belgium as "Beer, Bikes and Big Wheels", it is a "race" through Minneapolis to compete in some unusual events. Again, Ken and I were on the Schwinn Twin, and even made better time this year. I think we shaved 20 minutes off our time. Another 5 years competing at that same improvement and we have a chance to win.

I hosted a pre-race warm up with bloody marys. Mehgan and Pete were also racing, so they showed to get their game on. Joe stopped by to drop off a bike I had loaned him, all of which I did not account for in my supply purchasing I had done the day before. We were out of mix before we even left for the ride. Fortunately, I had enough fixins, and a quick stop at the grocer yielded a tolerable mix for the remainder of the ride.

We followed my planned route very closely, which means we put on 28 miles during the event. Add to that the to and from my house and we were very close to 40 miles for the day. My butt is still a little tender from the original saddles that still grace the bike. Next year, bike shorts.

Packed Sunday

2009-09-22T10:42:00.004-05:00

I started out the day with a couple of nice laps down at Lebenon Hills. It's so funny riding with Ken. The classic, "I'm trying to stay ahead of you the best I can" vs. "I'm just trying to keep up with you" pretty much all the time. I have been riding the Surly 1X1 with a second-hand Manitou fork and IRD Dual Banger discs. It was riding well, but really started rocking when I let a few psi out of the tyres. After the first lap, I lowered my saddle because it just didn't feel right. Again, marked improvements. Just reminds me that the nicest of bikes can be made to ride like crap if not set up correctly. And also that a mediocre bike can ride just fine if it fits you and your riding well.

After a quick shower, I loaded up the trailer and Carrie and I went up to Como Park for a cousin picnic. I have a bunch of cousins in the metro area, so we decided that we needed to reconnect. Some of us had never seen each other before, and a lot of us had forgotten what others looked like and such. It was a great time. Cook'n out and getting to know family again. Something that gets lost in the fast charging lives of so many of us.

Unfortunately, I lost at bocce. (But what form!)

After the picnic, Carrie and I continued our quest at canning. We bought a box of tomatoes to save some freshness for the upcoming winter. Now, after several jars (why we still call it canning I can't figure out), we are approaching the end. Looking forward to nice pasta sauce come February.

What's in the Stand

2009-09-03T15:25:00.005-05:00

I found this post that never made it to being published. I have to remember to keep this type of thing in mind whilst working. Just to show the interesting things we run into working at the bike shop.

Bike : Surly Steamroller

Repair : New handlebar

I don't know why this guy wanted to change his bars. I think the setup as I pulled it from the basement was just fine. Although, controlling this one up and down sidewalks after spending the day at the bar would be a little tricky for me. I was impressed by whomever took the time to rotate the cross top levers to make them more usable.

Bontrager Satellite handlebar. Dimension leather grips. Deore brake levers. If it weren't for all the white (a fad I hope fades as fast as the clean white color) this would be a great ride!

Full of photos

2009-08-08T20:08:00.010-05:00

A number of things have transpired since my last post. Biggest and best of all being that I was able to ride a couple days of RAGBRAI this year. Usually, it is the same week as the MS TRAM that I have been providing support for, for a number of years. Being the week before, Ken and I crafted a plan for a small loop to include a couple days of the route.

I can't really describe what happened. People ask me how it was and I just have to say that it is in the top 5 experiences of my life. From the food, drink, people, dancing, riding, tom foolery, and carousing, it was an almost perfect combination of everything. What I can describe is yet another adventure that Ken took me on in order to get to the route. We parked in Knoxville and rode over to Indianola to pick up the official route. Ken had warned me that we might have to ride some or all gravel, and I am not one to shy away from some lack of pavement. Little did I know that the rain from the night before had turned our closed road into a quagmire. After deciding that the road couldn't be THAT closed, we had to push our bikes because our wheels wouldn't turn due to the mud packing in under our fenders (so much for thinking I had ample clearance).

As you can see, Ken was simply in his element. Having the time of his life.

This is the view from our first night campsite. This is the entrance to the dean's office. Nice view.
Here is the porch where we spent the second night. We had a little rain, but all-in-all, not too bad.

So, we rode for a couple days and then headed back to Knoxville via paved roads. Great time. Almost the best time I have ever had on a bike. Can't say enough good things for this ride.

So after coming back from Iowa, I had a day to go to work and catch up on things before heading off to TRAM for 5 days. Fortunately, everything was pulled together so it was just a matter of packing the van and driving off to Ortonville for the start.

TRAM, was the best ever. Weather was perfect. No huge bike problems. Was able to hang out with a number of people that I hadn't had in years past. It was just great. At one town, we were shopping in the local grocer and came upon the paper bag that is on the ground. It says, "99 cents + tax. Grab bag. No peeking. All sales final". Well, we couldn't pass that up, so we bought it, didn't open it, and sold it for 99 cents (no tax). Turns out it had a beer baster.

The problem with having a couple of super fantastic weeks in a row, is that the real world calls. So this past week has been me getting back into the swing of things. Luckily, I enjoy my work so that isn't much of a problem.

Trying a new sport

2009-07-11T15:50:00.003-05:00

Last year during one of our rides, Ken and I thought it would be a fun idea to throw some clubs in the panniers and ride to play some golf. Last week, we again thought this would make for a fun day's events. I think we could make a new sport of it.

The bike/golf duathlon. We were thinking of a few names, I like the "Pedal and Putt Classic". We rode out to Stacy, MN where there is a nice little executive course so all we had to bring were a few clubs. I wish I had taken my 9 iron or sand wedge as well, but the 5 wood, 7 iron and putter were sufficient for most everything. It was the first time golfing for me this year and it certainly showed. We hacked our way around and if it weren't for prior commitments, may have gone around again. It is probably best we didn't.

Riding 40 miles and then playing 9 holes of golf will make you a little hungry. We stopped at a pub in Wyoming on the way back and had some great grub (Blu cheese salad dressing you had to cut with a knife!). A couple of beers with lunch and it was all I could do to get back on my bike. Fortunately, the wind was to our backs most of the way home, so it was not much of an effort returning home. Just that my legs felt like jelly almost all the way home.

So we are going to try to round up some more people who may be interested. Possibly pick a course a little closer to home so we don't scare anyone off with excessive mileage. A little marketing and then maybe a 2016 bid for the Olympics.

Welcome Weekend

2009-07-03T20:56:00.002-05:00

I went for a much needed ride this morning.
Friday morning coffee
Find more Bike Rides in St Paul, Minnesota

I left the house around 5:30 to pick up Ken. We didn't have any particular ride in mind, and since I hadn't been out North/East of town for a while, we headed out to Marine for some coffee. We took the somewhat normal route out and each of us at separate times, mentioned how much we needed to get out and ride. After working on building a new front landing and steps, not taking any time during to go for any pleasure riding save one Sunday Slow Ride, it felt amazing to get out on the bike.

We stopped for coffee and a couple signature muffins and decided we shouldn't return the same way we came, so we started wondering our way home. We passed a girl on a nice old Centurion as we climbed the first hill out of the river valley. Over the top of hill, we came upon a gravel road that headed in the right direction. We hadn't ridden any gravel yet, and we both had gravel in our heads after eyeing one on the way out to Marine. So, we took it.

We ended up back on 170th about 100 yards from another route I had been talking about. Neither Ken or I have done a lot of cycling this year, so we weren't after an epic ride. So we followed our route out for a while. Coming up a hill and over some rail tracks, Ken veered right. A gravel road named for a former pet of his (coincidence, I think not). This turns out to be a great alternative to the "normal" routes we have established. We passed the same girl shortly after returning to the pavement.

After a quick water stop at the end of the Gateway Trail (and being accused of following the Centurion girl), we followed it most of the way into the cities.

Ended up with 72 miles. Actually a little further than I thought. Very much needed. I'll try not to let myself go so long between rides.

St Bonifactious?

2009-05-25T16:52:00.002-05:00

I went out for my longest ride of the year this morning. Ken stopped by and we headed out a little after 6AM. For some reason, he decided to accept my idea of riding around Lake Minnetonka to hook up with the Loose Line Trail, of which I hadn't ridden before. The wind was a little stiff from the SSE, so it ended up giving us a headwind on our way home. Not the most intelligent idea, but turned out ok.

We cruised out the Kenilworth Trail and hooked up with the North Corridor to take us to Victoria. We stopped for a small refueling and headed out to roads neither of us had ridden before. With the wind at our backs and the sun coming out, it was pure bliss. The roads are really nice and most of the time had a wide enough shoulder to ride side by side. We soon entered the town of St Bonifacious. This is a town we didn't even know existed (sorry to all the residents). It's a nice little town and I certainly won't hesitate to have a ride go through there again. We were a little early to enter the parade.

A little further north and we came upon the Luce Line Trail. We then turned into the wind and headed back. Being on the trail, we were sheltered quite nicely from the wind. For about 8 miles. It started to open up and unfortunately, the increasing wind and the fact we were hitting the 60 mile mark culminated in an unhappy rider (that would be me as I have never seen Ken unhappy while riding a bike). Fortunately, Ken has a fantastic sense of graciousness and helped me limp into Golden Valley to recharge at Chipotle.

Having food in my stomach was a much needed thing. But it then sat about midway in my gut, taunting me with the possibility of expelling it. Good thing that only lasted about 40 minutes or so. It's hard to say if it was about being home or I was just starting to feel good again, but while riding up Minnehaha, I really felt I could ride some more. After getting home and showering, I'm glad I called it quits.

The map is more or less accurate. There was a lot of cut and tack maneuvering around north Minneapolis that I'm sure I didn't get right, but it's pretty close.

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/mn/minneapolis/583124328670510839"&amp;amp;gt;05/25/2009 St Bonifacious&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/mn/minneapolis"&amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Minneapolis, Minnesota&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Choices Choices

2009-05-22T23:01:00.002-05:00

It's nearly summer here in MN and as we close a little early on Fridays, it means I don't have to ride a bike with lights. That opens the door to riding bikes I don't normally commute on. I am lucky enough to have a locker at work to store a pile of stuff, so I could get away with packing lightly. Just had to have room for the tool kit, pump, lock, shorts, gloves, long sleeve (summer still is chilly in the morning), camera, wallet, phone, keys, and leave enough room for my breakfast wrap from Nelson's (an end of the week treat).

As I went to the basement I was already trying to decided which bike to ride. I have a couple bikes in various states of disassemble (thanks to a stem recall), so I had it narrowed before I even made it to the bottom of the steps. It came down to a choice between a 15 year old Trek and a nearly 25 year old Schwinn. For all the newer bikes littering the hooks, it struck me that I would rule out all the new for the old. True, there really aren't any old parts on those rigs, but it still sticks with me that those are the frames I think of to ride.

I chose the Schwinn. As crappy as it may be in today's standards, that thing rides smooth as anything. And for a small 20 mile round trip, I would match it up against anything else I own (obviously.) It makes me feel that I am getting older, faster than I can keep up.

It just happened...

2009-05-04T10:05:00.004-05:00

I participated a little differently than originally expected at the Trans Iowa bike race this past weekend. Unseen forces just happened to keep my entry postcard from arriving so I decided to volunteer to support a checkpoint during the race. We ended up being stationed at the final checkpoint which was open from 9PM through 2AM Saturday/Sunday. It made for a long day.

We drove down Friday in order to attend the pre race meeting Fri evening. After checking into the Hotel, we hopped on our bikes and made the quick jaunt into town. Got all the update at the meeting, and stopped by a local bar for a few beers and some dinner. We just happened to get the last two pitchers of Fat Tire Ale that the bar just happened to have on tap after a delivery error.

After a couple hours sleep, we were up and riding back to town to watch the start. Both Ken and I had some mixed feelings about feeling good about not having to ride, and really wanting to start. We showed up about 3 minutes before they took off, which was very nice to not have to stand around for long in the pre sun chill. Another quick ride to the hotel to clean up and change and we were off to checkpoint 1 in Washington. We took some back roads because "all you see on interstate, is interstate." Driving the small highways of Iowa sure made for some wishful dreaming about being on bikes.

When all the racers were through checkpoint 1, we wandered our way up to Traer where our checkpoint would be. We tried to take up some time getting there, taking back roads and even stopping for some cheese curds along the way. But we still showed up around 11AM. There were a few hours to kill. So we rode around town checking out the city wide garage sales that were happening, stopped at the grocery store for lunch supplies and had a very nice picnic. We also ended up taking a nap, and heading out for a little gravel ride. I decided the common factor is that when in Iowa with Ken, gravel riding will happen. We took a small loop which allowed me to ride my first IA b road, and we just happened to end up riding a small section of the actual race course. A wonderful descent into town and across an old bridge. Perfect.

Our time "working" was really great. It did make me think twice about riding next year. I need to make some serious decisions before entering later this year. I want to make sure I make the right choice. Anyway, watching the difference in rider's attitudes and how they interacted with others was extremely interesting. Most of the time people were not too happy pulling into the station, but as they ate a little and spent a little time off the bike, attitudes almost always reversed. It was hard to watch how much hurt some where experiencing, but then to see the change happen, or just how determined people were to continue on, perseverance at it's best. A special congrats needs to go out to Paul. You are amazing.

After we sent the last rider on his way, we cleaned up and pushed for home. I was so tired I failed in my duties to keep up my end of the conversation to help the driver. I don't think I ever slept for long, but I certainly nodded off a number of times. Sorry Ken. We pulled up to the house about 6:45AM. I was fortunate to not have anything to do but recover. I definitely want to keep that in mind for next year.

One Down

2009-04-28T08:40:00.003-05:00

So the first of many projects is almost to an end. After way too much time, I completed the build on my cousin's Trek. I can't even remember where this frame came from, but I had her in mind immediately when I found it. It turned out pretty well (I am not completely happy with the tyres) and I think it will give her a good start at riding the roads of nearly rural MN. Hopefully she will let me put some bigger tyres on it to cushion the ride, but she has had a true road bike in mind, so sporting the 32's right away didn't seem quite appropriate. It was also tough not too don fenders and a rack right away. Have to remember this is not my bike.

Bike Specs:
Frame: Old steel Trek 80's ish
Wheels: Tiagra hubs, Bontrager Fairlane rims, DT spokes
Tyres: Bontrager Race Lite 700x25 (should be Panaracer Pesela 28, or 32's)
Brakes: Shimano DuraAce centerpulls (I had never seen these before, great fender clearance)
Crankset: Shimano 105
Derailleurs: Shimano 105 rr, Ultegra ft
Brifters: Shimano Ultegra
Handlebar: Modolo Custom (nice and flat on top)
Stem: Sakae riser
Saddle: Ritchey Pro Ti rails (gotta have a nice saddle)
Extras: Tressostar tape (over another wrapping of tape), not sure what pedals she'll choose yet.

Hope Springs Eternal

2009-04-09T09:07:00.002-05:00

We are finally getting some decent weather here in the midwest. The last couple days have started cold but managed to at least warm up during the day. These are the days that really make me think about how much I miss summer. It's too bad mother nature uses dimmer switches. A nice quick transition would be much more tolerable.

I switched back to the Pake C'Mute for c'muting. I might have to change it up this year as when I start riding it, my miniscule 6 mile ride leaves a lot of saddle time to just be dreamt about. This is the bike I primarily rode last year including a couple of "longer" rides (>100). It seems to be a truck of a bike, taking time to build up steam but wants to keep rolling. I am not doing it justice with such short hops.

So I am readying the Cross Check for my daily rider. It will also receive a rack and some panniers but they will be able to detach without a wrench. The more aggressive riding position shouldn't be an issue on the shorter jaunts, and it will have a little more get up to keep up with the guys from the shop. Just have to decide if I keep it single or run it fixed.

Along with that, I have a bicycle to create for my cousin. It's a project I have been slacking on for too long. A nice old Trek road frame that should fit her great. I have managed to procure a Shimano 9 speed drive train, and along with a mix of vintage and new parts, should suit her well for the time she has to get out and ride. A stop to the bike shop today will be warranted so I can make sure the frame is in alignment.

Then if I can get my mom's frame painted, that will be able to be completed. At least I have the excuse that I can't finish the paint until we have some warmer weather. I tried painting in sub 60 temps a couple years ago and I think the paint stalls in the drying process and remains tacky for life. That is going to be a great set up when it is all finished.

After those are done, I have another bike for yet another cousin in the queue. An old Gary Fisher that will be "hybridized" (spellchecker was just fine with this word) for a nice 'round town'r. I can't decide what type of setup will be good for that one. I would love to Albatross it, but I don't think he is going to go for that. I might just do it anyway, and see what happens. Worse case, he doesn't like it and I have another Albatross in my inventory. Always look on the bright side...of life (whistle appropriately).

Spring Arrives

2009-03-20T22:24:00.005-05:00

I didn't pay much attention to the weather last night, and was a little surprised with the snow that was on the ground when I awoke. We have had a few very nice days recently, so it always is a disappointment when the snow returns. It always does in March. I have been wanting to ride my regular commuter so I didn't let the weather change my mind, I loaded up and went to work. I ride right through Como Park on one of my routes, it keeps me away from traffic and I can take a breather on a bench if I need to.

Not that it was a lot of snow, but when you are set in spring mode, it is a bit disheartening.

That being said, with the weather warming up, the thoughts are turning to longer bike rides, overnight camping rides, dusting off the other bikes, and promising again to not wait so long before cleaning the winter bike. So long studded tyres, we'll need you soon enough. I appreciate your grip, but wow! those Panaracers ride loads better. Not to mention the 35's are way more comfy than my skinny 28's.

Right State of Mind

2009-03-11T08:58:00.002-05:00

We made some national news last night with our "spring" weather. I knew it was going to be some rough going for the ride home, and I almost put on my pogies. Should have listened to my gut.

I rode to work yesterday in a light rain. It quickly turned to sleet as I continued north. I thought of my goggles still in their case, sitting on my dresser of bike clothing. But I had extra layers with me, it shouldn't be a problem. If anything, I could wear my safety glasses home. Throughout the day, the rain turned to snow, then back to rain, and then to mix it up, a little more snow. Temps kept falling from 2C, to around -12C when we left the shop.

Studded tyres are the best! There have only been a few times during the winter I have needed them and last night was one. No one went down, but it was close making the turn to the bank to drop off the night deposit. The wind was quite impressive and nearly blew me over coming around the corner. A bonus was being able to ride with the wind on the way back to the road that leads home. I was able to cruise for about 1/2 mile with no work at all.

One small stop to make Dan gloves from some extra socks and we trudged our way home. For all the wind, blowing snow, and partially frostbit fingers, I had a great time. Turning into the wind again, about 3/4 of the way home, I had difficulty because I was laughing and the wind and snow were making my teeth hurt. I couldn't help think of Trans Iowa. It is a great bench mark as nothing since has been able to compare to the beating we took. I know there are days when my mind is not in the right place, and the wind beats me down into a grumpy mood. I remember actually being angry at the wind for causing me such misery. I am hoping that I am growing out of those times and I can have fun, with snow or whatnot blowing in my face at 30mph, struggling to keep my laughing to a minimum to save my teeth.

NAHBS

2009-03-02T08:19:00.005-06:00

I was able to attend the North America Handmade Bicycle Show this past weekend in Indianapolis. Ken, his brother Paul, and I drove down Friday. We were barely into WI when Paul asked me, "What kind of bikes do you own?". It was almost Madison before we exhausted the rideable inventories for all of us. Unfortunately, I was working through a cold over the weekend, so I battled fatigue almost the whole time. I know I couldn't concentrate completely but still had an amazing time looking through all the great bikes and amazing craftsmanship.

Turns out, I took just shy of 200 photos. Most of which only interest me and goofy bike people. My favorite, was taken in the hall right next to the exhibit hall. It was completely empty with the exception of the photo area at the far end. Not wanting to intrude, I stood at the entry, about 75 feet away and took this. You can't keep cyclists off their bikes! One of my favorite things about this photo is it turned out almost exactly the way I wanted. Shooting a fairly inexpensive digital camera, my shutter lag time has been hard to get used to. I don't think the silhouette could be any more perfect from my vantage point.

We had a great time hanging out with folk from Hiawatha Cycles and closely tied with Curt Goodrich Bicycles. (CONGRATULATIONS!!) If only we would have stayed a little longer to have a top shelf drink. It was nice that the bar in our hotel seemed a hot spot for bike folk. We enjoyed a lot of people watching there and then just a short elevator ride before crashing hard.

Seeing all the amazing work done, it sure stokes the fire to get some custom stuff going. I sure hope I make the time to do some projects this summer. Nothing like immersing yourself in something you're passionate about for 36 hours to prod you into action. I'm already looking forward to going again next year.

Cars suck

2009-02-11T12:03:00.004-06:00

My wife was in another accident last week. We hadn't yet fixed the car from the fender bender she was in last fall, and now our car is totaled. The most fortunate thing is that no one was hurt. The unfortunate thing is that we have to buy a new car. This was a less than pleasant experience for us 2 years ago. We bought a car that we thought we would have for many, many years. We didn't even make it to many. That was barely even years.

I am looking forward to my Blacksmith Guild meeting this evening. We are holding it at a machine shop that restores antique bicycles. They are supposed to have several high wheelers restored and it should be most interesting. I hope to attain some good pics.

I just wish I could make it work to replace the car with another bicycle. It just would make those trips to Des Moines a lot longer than they already are.

LDT III

2009-02-09T07:57:00.002-06:00

We had a very successful third Lour de Toren yesterday. After a slightly rocky start of pushing the start time back and a slight issue of the starting point address, 4 of us met up at Brewberry Coffee for the pre-ride meeting.

Stage 1: I'm not sure how we ended up with the plan, but the first stage was a gruelling slog up to the Groveland Tap. There was some debate if it was over 5 blocks or not, but clearly it was enough for our already weary bodies. We recharged with some oatmeal stout and cheese curds. While there, Dan, Gabe and Michael met up with us. Now seven strong and able to create a more effective pace line, we pounded out into the quickly evaporating afternoon.

Stage 2: It was nice to ease into what would be longer stages toward the end of the tour. This stage found us bounding our way across St Clair all the way to Snelling. A harrowing right, and the technical section of the "race" was upon us. Having to deal with Snelling Ave traffic is never fun. Fortunately, there was only a breakaway of two, and the peloton rolled comfortably to Gobe's. A much needed rest with Summit EPA was much appreciated after that stage.

Stage 3: Now it started to get hard. The calculations were made, and we figured we could squeeze in Costellos into the route. Down Randolph we flew. There was pandemonium amongst the riders as Joe took an alternate route that the rest of the peloton didn't realize was an option. As we wound our way around Edgecumbe and then Lexington toward Selby, we had our first mechanical of any LDT. It was extremely lucky that the weather cooperated with us, with 30 degrees and barely any wind, it didn't make us suffer waiting for the downed rider. The hard fast rule of the No Drop ride didn't bring us down too much. And with a second flat, we limped down Selby to the third stop. Amazing how people will perk up with Bells Two Hearted. Autumn and Alex met up with us here. Unfortunately, the two flats took their toll on Michael and he had to drop out. He also thought he knew what the next stage was about.

Stage 4: Save the best for last. All good downhills must come to an end. And the end it was. We left Dan and Gabe to ride in their own pool playing group. Essentially, stage 4 was an uphill time trial. Everyone set off at a pace that I didn't think we could keep. If it hadn't been for that light at Lexington, I'm sure I would have been dropped well off the back. Things strung out pretty far for a while, but as riders approached the top, we grouped together again. Being a school night, we lost a couple near their house on our way to the Longfellow Grille. 10.1 miles at the end of our ride. I don't know if that mileage can be exactly accurate as we only had one computer, but I would say that's close enough. Unfortunately, some businesses close a little early on Sunday night. We happened to end at one of them.

So, it wasn't a great stage 4 ending. Marty decided, he had had enough, and with the real need for some food, we ended up at Pizza Luce. The last bit of drama coming from a lost key and the need to cut a lock in order to get home. And even though we are not supposed to have support, we technically were finished with the ride. So the cable cutters my wife brought us were allowed. Though we could have used the key we later found wrapped around the chainstay of Joe's bike.

Best Lour de Toren ever!

Clear headed

2009-01-31T22:44:00.002-06:00

I was riding to work Friday morning and had a moment of clarity. It wasn't any grand awakening or anything like that, but It was sit up and take notice for me. The sun was shining, it was cold, but very nice. There are a lot of things that go through my head while riding. Lots of times, I get a certain song stuck in there and I play the game of singing it until I can't remember any more of the lyrics. Sometimes I am stuck on one song for days.

Anyway, a number of random things were dancing through my head and suddenly it was an e-mail message. It had confused me a little bit but, riding through the park, I realized exactly what it meant. There was absolutely no correlation with anything that I was currently experiencing, but obviously my mind was working on making sense of that message. It just took a little sorting out. Just another great reason to ride your bike.

I felt like crap this morning. I drove to work. I felt even worse for doing so. I can't remember the last time I voluntarily drove to work when there was no other factor involved. I'm pretty sure that riding would have been better for me. I still felt like crap all day. At least I would have cleared a few things up in my head.

Done and Done

2009-01-28T13:55:00.002-06:00

Well, the shelving went great. As always when dealing with an old house, we ran into a number of small details that made the "simple" project a little less simple. We wired a light into our attic stairwell that serves as our linen closet and trying to cut holes in rock lathe and plaster ceilings is not my idea of fun. But, being finished with it, I don't know why we didn't do this years ago. The shelving is exactly what we needed to kick off our year of projects around the house. I think we need to add a few smaller things to the list as rewiring the entire basement is a lofty goal.

Looking at the calendar, the month of Feb. is filling up fast. Between bike rides, Super Bowl, birthday celebrations, broomball, and more bike stuff, I don't have a single weekend free. No complaints here. I'm hoping it makes the end of winter fly by. I'm really starting to look forward to losing the studded tyres. And more importantly, being able to ride without the half-hour of clothing prep.

Project Day

2009-01-24T11:44:00.002-06:00

We have decided to try our hand at getting some long overdue projects done around the house. Last year, we made good progress on our guest bedroom by getting some trim refinished. Lessons are always learned in doing these projects that you have never done before. Mostly, we bit off more than we could finish in a timely fashion. So we have made a list (my wife loves lists) of projects that hopefully we can do in a weekend or what have you.

So this weekend is the linen closet shelving, maybe a little electrical in some outlets and lighting. Just enough to keep us busy, and be able to finish by tomorrow afternoon so we have that feeling of accomplishment. As Carrie says, "it feels so good to see that checked off the list".

The biggest issue we have is being distracted from our tasks. Carrie had breakfast this morning with a friend to arrange Super Bowl partying and some other stuff that needed to be done. I get distracted trying to learn something new about this stupid machine. The Pond Hockey Championships are this weekend. I'd like to see some of that. We recently started cross country skiing, wouldn't mind doing a little of that. And my broomball point shot needs some serious work. Hopefully we can figure out how to do a few of those other things along with crossing some off the list.

We'll see if that happens Sunday evening.

Brand New Year

2009-01-07T21:47:00.002-06:00

Something about the new year that always gives me a sense of renewal. It's as if I can almost start over with so many things. I have never been good with the whole resolution thing, but I still find that urge to better myself, or change something about my life that has not been quite to my liking.

So, I have a small list of things to accomplish this year. Not a large list, too many times you hear the whole I'm going to lose 75 pounds or I'm going to get a new job, or some huge almost impossible goals. Set the bar low, therefore disappointment is minimized. No, it's about setting attainable goals. Just like with any project, if it is too large, you become lost and have a difficult time tackling it. Break it down into small, easier tasks, and suddenly, you're finished. Nothing could be simpler.

I started a winter project of fixing up my folding bike. I don't plan on using it much, but there have been a few times I think it would have come in handy. If I rip it completely apart and start from scratch, I know I will be bogged down about what exactly to do with it, and it will stay disassembled for way too long. So I am going to do it in small stages to see if that will make things go easier.

Not brand new, but brand new for the year.

Time Flies

2008-12-01T21:19:00.002-06:00

It's always surprising how fast time goes. Look up, and it's nearly a month since I last wrote. Some things just have to take a back seat.

Ken was in a serious accident a while back. It always makes you think when that type of thing happens. Working in a bike shop, we hear and see the results of bike/car meetings a lot. I have yet to see the bicycle win. In hearing about Ken's experiences, it again reminds me that my household inventory is woefully outdated and even more inaccurate (doing inventory at the shop doesn't help). I am trying to get up the nerve to inventory my own basement which is a fairly daunting challenge.

My in-laws came into town last weekend. It has been tradition for a long time that the women-folk go shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend. This is the second time they have travelled to the Twin Cities to shop. We reserved rooms for them in downtown Mnpls and Friday went well. They did start late, and we did end up at MOA for a while, but then went to the Holidazzle Parade and had a nice dinner after.

Saturday was a little more difficult. We woke as normal, I fed the cats and made coffee. Not 10 minutes later my 16 year old cat, Chester, started to vomit. After about an hour of that, we decided we better get him in to the vet. They didn't open for another hour so we made some other phone calls to emergency vet hospitals. Just like human emergency rooms, just because you're there, doesn't mean somebody will be able to see you right away. So we made sure we were in the parking lot before our vet opened the door.

Chester has had failing kidneys for at least a year. We have him on a special diet with instructions to get him as much water as possible. Now, his liver seems to be failing. We're not sure if it's cancer or what, but it can't be good. After 4 hours, we took him home with a bunch of pills and an IV. There are limits that I want to do to care for pets. I grew up with farm cats and dogs, and they died on a regular basis. I still am not sure about the IV being in my kitchen pantry. It just seems wrong lying there next to my coffee beans. Amazingly enough, he has perked up and seems almost completely normal. I guess we play doctor for a while. I hope time flies.

Sunday we did the morning church stuff and then headed down south to some friends of ours for Sunday Thanksgiving dinner. I watched some football, had some really good food and it was a nice relaxing way to wind down the weekend.

Now it's back to work, where a great many more people decided to go today. We had a lot more customers come in for bike work than we have for a while. It certainly made the day fly by.

Ready for More

2008-11-03T07:01:00.002-06:00

I'm not much for Halloween. This year I spent the evening in my basement, with all the lights off in the rest of the house, working on bike stuff. I was also watching a hockey game. I was also trying to figure out if I am going to try Trans Iowa again.

I thought I came to the realization that I am not cut out for this type of event. I enjoy riding long distance, but at 2AM, my body doesn't want to be on a bike. It only lasts for a couple hours, but its a pretty miserable couple of hours. That's what I thought.

Of course, with the looming registration for TI, I am rethinking my conclusion. My argument before about me riding for enjoyment and "why am I doing this when there is this time frame that is never fun", just isn't as powerful now. When you really think about it, 2 hours is nothing for being uncomfortable. That whole, "pain is temporary" thing.

So, I have to find my postcard this week. I am going to start my "training" process this week (or sometime before the end of the year). I am also going to finish up the bike configuration for the ride. That's right, finish the bike set up. Even though I was thinking I wasn't going to do this ride again, I still was gathering parts and readying the bike. Deep down, I knew I was ready for more.

Back to the real world

2008-10-30T10:31:00.002-05:00

We returned from vacation on Sunday and it actually felt good to go back to work. I hear that makes me different from a lot of people. I am fortunate indeed to have found work that pays the bills and satisfies me on a day-to-day basis. It also affords me enough time to do a few other things I enjoy. Basically, I am insanely lucky.

North Carolina was awesome! On our way from the gusty east, we stopped in Raleigh to view the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Science Museum. Amazing that articles can survive for so long. Looking at writings and pottery over 2000 years old, is something I can barely wrap my head around. We stayed in Winston Salem that night, noting how inexpensive cigarettes are in that part of the country.

I have to add at this point, that the south-east has a very different definition of what a cafe is than we do up here. First of all, they are almost impossible to locate. It also appears (near as I could tell) that a cafe is an eatery that neither serves breakfast, or indeed is even open before noon. Then closes again around 3, only to reopen around 6. Breakfast seems to not be important to people in NC. We ended up eating pastries we purchased on Sunday from a coffee shop (which was fantastic!), every morning until Wednesday.

We camped a few days in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. First night was car camping after the drive there, but we then did a few days hiking and camping in the park itself. For some reason, my "bearanoia" was in high gear. Them park rangers do a good job at making sure you know that bears are rampant in the park. Never did see one. We hiked a sliver of the Appalachian Trail, did a small loop of some side trails, and headed out Friday afternoon. Back country camping is a close second to a bike ride, in my "fun things to do" list.

From there, we drove to St. Louis for the night (I am still a little mad I didn't take a picture of the arch) where we had to do a little impromptu navigating as there was an accident that closed down the interstate. 11 at night, after a 7 mile hike and a few hundred miles of driving, trying to find your way through an unfamiliar city with an outdated, poor map is one of the best tests in married life. (I have to brag that we passed with flying colors)

The next morning (I still am surprised how chipper my wife was for waking up so early each day), we drove to my in laws to help them with a small house project. Carrie's siblings came down and we had a nice family dinner. Then Sunday was the drive home with a lunch stop in Des Moines to show off some pictures of the vacation to the grandparents. A great thing to do, making us realise we had to whittle them down some more. Too many vistas.

Genius

2008-10-20T21:53:00.001-05:00

I am doing something I never thought I would, I happen to be writing from a hotel in Winston Salem, NC. I decided to bring the laptop with me while we are out wandering so I made sure I didn't fill my memory card full on the camera and then be unable to take any more pictures. I know that's not really likely, I have roughly 800 or 1000 shots, but I get nervous about this kind of stuff.

Every time we take a trip I remember why people retire. I could definitely get used to it. We decided to visit North Carolina as it is a state I have not seen much of and Carrie probably even less. We are doing a whirlwind tour of the state from sea to mountainous national park. It has already been a great time for catching up with my wife, and repairing the inevitable emotional crap that happens just going through everyday life.

One thing I must share is the stop we made at the Wright Brothers National Monument (as noted by the above picture). Orville and Wilbur (as I like to call them) I would say are the most famous of all bicycle mechanics. They not only made bicycle parts intricate into the first airplane, but it was indeed their working on bicycles that made it possible, by furthering their knowledge and understanding of mechanics on the whole. It just reinforces my saying that, "a bicycle mechanic can fix ANYTHING mechanical." * Orville and Wilbur Wright, super genius.

* side note : There are many people who claim to hold titles. And there are many unworthy of the titles they hold. I have a very strict definition of bicycle mechanic. Fortunately, I just barely qualify.

Petty thought

2008-10-07T08:41:00.003-05:00

I find myself not checking my thoughts before they leave my mouth a little too much lately. Working with the public, I experience a lot of different backgrounds, personalities, and conduct. The level of general stupidity en laced into the human culture is astounding. I know I am not above it. And as a matter of fact, hover quite low on the intelligent line. But when it comes to common sense and rational behavior, I can hold my own. So on that thought, some general behaviors exhibited by the majority of people I encounter are what have prompted me to concentrate on watching my tongue to remain polite.

Repeating what I say as a question. If I answer a question, that is the answer. I wonder if people really think it's going to change, just because they ask.

Not asking the correct question. Customer rolls bike in with flat tyre. I take bike into the back. Roll out bike with obvious non-flat tyre. Customer asks, "did you fix it?" when what they really want to know is, what caused the flat.

Telling me their bike or story is older than I am. Is this supposed to make me feel better? I am pretty sure that one of these days I am going to answer their question with some form of, "well on my bike, which isn't close to as old as you are, this never happens". I might want to wait until I can afford to be fired to use that one.

Rambling about nothing related to the situation. I am amazed what people think is important to a situation. There is no way that any one's grandmother's hip replacement she had done in San Donfradino in 1967 by a doctor who turned out to be a second cousin who has an oil stain on his left pant leg which he bought at a second hand store up the street, has any business in a conversation about bicycles. (Obviously I was not trying to outfit a bicycle for the grandmother)

Not letting me talk. I try not to say any more than I have to. I actually say less than I should. When someone is trying to solve a problem and they go to someone else for help, I am thinking they actually want help. It's obvious to me, some people just want to think out loud near other people. That's what malls are for.

Like. I hate this word so much, I try me best to never use it.

This post doesn't really have anything to do with bicycles.

Enter Fall

2008-09-29T08:15:00.002-05:00

As fall begins to creep its way into this part of the world, it reinvigorates me in a myriad of ways. I know that spring is the time for much rebirth and renewal, but fall fits me. The cooler weather, being more predictable, means putting on an extra layer or so and keeping it on. Even as the sun peeks out, there usually isn't enough force to make you loose a layer. Maybe just unzip a little. It's very comforting, physically. And I think that frees my mind up some, as I always start thinking a little more about where my life is going, and what I want and should be doing.

So I started carrying my camera a little more. I was coming home the other night and saw one of the most spectacular sunsets ever. It was one of those "skies on fire" types of scenes, with the sun looking like it was about to engulf the Minneapolis skyline. Amazing. I hadn't yet reached this point of introspection, so of course, no camera.

I also am making the list of things I need to do to feel some accomplishment. My wife is a big fan of lists and like all great people, she rubs off on me a little. I now find lists of stuff all over the place. Every once in a while, there are even things on those lists that I have done.

A bad thing about fall is that we slow waaaaay down at the bike shop. We had a Sunday slow ride yesterday to kind of celebrate the last work day for one of our best part timers. We just rode around the cities a little bit, wandering our way to some pizza and beer. Sitting in the restaurant, we were getting a little chilly from the sweat of the ride. Fortunately, I just zipped up the wool long sleeve and was reminded again, yep, it's fall.

So now I am making a concentrated effort to do some things that challenge me. Making sure that as the winter season approaches, I embrace this time of renewal for me. It's the perfect time to finish some long overdue projects, and wrap my brain around some tough mental challenges I have ongoing. This really is, for me, the greatest time of year.

Fun and Shinanigans

2008-09-22T08:03:00.002-05:00

My friend Ken and I rode the Urban Assault Ride this weekend. Twas a fantastic event. We rode to the packet pick-up on Saturday with the intention of doing some planning for Sundays ride. Now anyone who knows us will realize when we say planning, it really means making sure we decide what time we are to meet. This was true for Saturday but ended up with a little more planning than normal after the first couple beers. And it kept going from there.

I had spent a couple days making sure the Cross Check was ready to ride. I figured it would be perfect for the unpredictable route we would take. But after Saturdays ride, we ended up riding Ken's Schwinn Twin from the 60's. Definitely the best decision of the weekend. We figured we had better have some nourishment for the ride as it started at 9AM. So we picked up the fixins for bloody marys to have during the ride. Definitely the best decision of the weekend. Neither of us were much of the bloody mary fan, but now I think we are hooked. Ken brought a couple swank Hawaiian shirts for our uniforms. Stylin. With the cooler stocked with extra mix and vegetables, our glasses half-full (to cut down on spillage), we were off.

The ride was perfect. It is the best time of year to ride around these parts. Riding around the cities, we would be seeing other riders and everyone was super friendly. Bells ringing like crazy. Made me wonder why people aren't that nice all the time. I think our proudest moment was the limbo contest. I wasn't thinking we would have to do any contests on our own bicycles. Fortunately, Ken is a fantastic rider and I am small. Good combo for the limbo.

I haven't mapped it out yet, but we put on nearly 30 miles. There was a small amount of back-tracking done, but it is really amazing about the winning team. They must have been flying! All I know is that this was the second race I have done in the same year. After a hiatus of over 10 years from any racing, I think I have outdone myself. I might have to do some more training next year. I have a nice gash and bruise from slipping a pedal on the big wheel.

Walking instead of riding

2008-09-01T17:08:00.005-05:00

I did something today I have never done before. I protested.

We went down to the capital today to march to protest the war in Iraq. I didn't get into the speeches and yelling and all that stuff, but to see the number of people, and how passionate people get over it was incredible. Once in a lifetime opportunity stuff.

There were definitely some powerful images that my pictures don't do justice. Most of the time, they were things that I didn't feel comfortable shoving my camera in the face of. Even though most of the time people are out there to get publicity and show what is bothering them, it still doesn't feel right to me. Some part of me thinks that if you don't experience it yourself, in person, it loses a lot of the impact.

So it was completely uneventful from a lawful perspective. I heard a few people were arrested but of the thousands and thousands of people that were there, it was amazingly peaceful. Just how I like it.

Someone was wearing this shirt during the march. I think I have to get one.

Haulin

2008-08-28T08:14:00.004-05:00

Having accumulated a good amount of stuff at the bike shop, I decided I better haul the trailer to work and bring some of it home. Here is a list of what was in the trailer last night:

- Raleigh atb frame/fork
- Bianchi Boardwalk complete bicycle
- Trek 1000 frame
- complete 24" bicycle parts kit
- crankset/bb (used)
- crankset (new)
- 2 tubular road tyres
- 3 tubular cross tyres
- 2 atb tyres
- 3 road tyres
- mavic cosmic ft wheel
- 3 tubular rims
- 16 drawer small parts bin

I'm thinking that towin this type of load would be good trainin. Glad I don't train.

Ready to go

2008-08-25T07:08:00.002-05:00

It's the time of year at the bike shop that weekends start to be a little more common. I was fortunate to have Friday and Saturday off and with the weather beginning to creep towards fall, it was gearing up to be a nice couple days off.

Friday morning started out with a trip to the auto repair shop. I normally am one to do a lot of my own work, even on the dreaded automobile, but there comes a time when letting other people do work makes sense. I had them check out the "check engine" light and reset it (stupid sensitive Toyotas) and do some brake work. Almost completely in yuppie mode, I headed to the driving range with Dan. I say almost because instead of taking the second car (which I don't have) we biked, pulling the clubs in the trailer.

Friday afternoon was doing a few things around the house. Catching up on stuff that had been left a little long. I was able to have dinner with my cousin, and then I ended up back at home, trying to rid myself of a very uncommon occurrence of a headache. As we were sitting around with the lights low and the volume down on the time wasting box, I heard a bike bell. The bike gang came over and made daiquiri's. A nice evening treat to end the night.

Saturday morning was simply spectacular. We slept in a little, then biked to Nina's coffee shop. I wanted to order a book for our upcoming vacation and decided to buy local. There really aren't that many local bookshops. I had a fun experience trying to find the book to order as I couldn't quite recall the title. I knew the author but it is a little bit rarer than I thought so we eventually had to go directly to the publisher to order it. Small business are great!

Lunch was at Great Waters Brewing Co. Fine crafted beers. Food well above average but can be listed in the "bar food" category. Definitely my kind of place. The only reason why they don't know me by name there is that after enjoying everything a little too much, we have to climb out of St Paul to get home. Not bad during the good weather. Not fun to do during the other 8 months.

Finished up Saturday by working in the yard and doing a little reading while my wife went out with friends. I feel ready to go.

Procrastination

2008-08-14T08:30:00.002-05:00

I am trying my hand at being the best procrastinator on the planet. For weeks now, the Corolla has needed new brake shoes. I have had them in the basement, ready for me to put them in. I just have no motivation for working on the car. Today is the day. No more excuses.

I am expanding my knowledge of bikes. I am storing a 1972 or 73 (can't quite pin it down) Honda CL350 K4 motorcycle. A friend of mine had someone give it to him and as I have more storage space, it is in my garage. The idea is to fix it up and have a community bike. Now I have wanted a motorcycle since before I can remember, so I am all over this idea. The nice thing is that my wife seems ok with it also. If I didn't know better, I might think she's up to something.

I have been thinking about Trans Iowa fo the last few days. After my last overnight ride, I started to consider that rides including overnights are not for me. I still do not have a definite answer to whether that is true or not. I am hoping to have that sorted out by the time registration ends. So until then, the parts list has begun for the Cross Check to become Iowa gravel worthy.

Maybe I'll put that off until winter.

Ready for August

2008-07-28T22:57:00.002-05:00

August is just around the corner and I am looking forward to it. The shop should be slowing down, and it begins the swing towards fall, which is my favorite time of year.

I am off tomorrow to help mark the way for the Tour De Loren. I am amazed at how much work the organizing committee puts into this ride. I figure the least I can do is help with a few markers and make some cookies. It should help me get my century ride in for July (nothing like waiting till the last minute to keep up with goals). A nice thing is that I have Sunday off so I can complete the entire Tour and I will have my century in for August. That means I should plan another ride in August to make up for other months.

We had a great TRAM last week. It renews my faith in people a little bit. The riders are so appreciative of our work, and the MS Society does a fantastic job with the ride. If ever there was an organized ride for me to actually ride on, I would have to say this would be it.

We also held our Champs-Elysees party on Sunday night. There was a pretty good crowd and as coverage didn't start when people came over, we went for a bike ride. The best was on the way back I spotted some furniture on the curb for free. One of the guys was saying he wanted a table and sure enough, there was one on the curb. He only lives a few blocks from me but instead of going to get his pickup, we decided we could carry it while riding our bikes.
We did o.k. It did get dropped a couple times and even though we tried to be careful, we ended up splintering one of the legs. I think it will work fine for the time being.

fortunate 4th

2008-07-07T07:19:00.002-05:00

I have been trying to follow the sensible voice in my head for a few weeks now. There are many days when competing ideas win out, and I wouldn't say they are entirely senseless, but afterwords do seem like a silly thing to have done.

Turns out the annual 4th of July ride did not go as well as in previous years. I decided last week that I would not go so others could ride. After the last overnight ride I did, I felt it would be a good year to stay home and experience some other type of fun. This is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

My sister came to stay with us for a couple days. We don't see each other very much, and almost always at family gatherings, so it was great to spend some time with just her. With my stepfather diagnosed with cancer, she (and most of the family) is thinking of the shortness of time, and what is really important to her (and us). Why does it have to be bad things that spur these types of feelings to jump start what should be in peoples heads every day?

The 4th was great. My wife and I spent a nice relaxing day taking care of the backyard, cleaning up to be ready for the inevitable next house guest, and then going to see a movie. We rarely go to the theatre for movies and it is a nice change. Get to the matinee for discounts and it is almost affordable. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, not my favorite (I swear it wasn't Harrison Ford's voice for the first few minutes of his appearance). We decided to have dinner at home. Just a nice relaxing day.

I had a small gathering for the opening stage of the Tour. Late notice kept a number of people away, but sometimes small get-togethers are the best. I don't particularly enjoy hopping on the Tour bandwagon, but it is amazing to watch those athletes. As I don't race, it's fun to watch the tactics and to see what they can do with their machines.

We decided to ride every bike we own to the shop at least once this month. It's been great getting bikes out I don't normally ride. The trouble with that are the 4 bikes with 20" wheels. 12 miles on each of those are going to be long. And with TRAM coming up, it's going to be close to see if I can get them all ridden. Maybe I'll create a list.

Uneasy feeling

2008-06-25T08:19:00.002-05:00

So it was supposed to be an epic ride. Turned out around 130 miles. Leaving from Ken's house, I felt really good (besides carrying way more weight than Ken which is never a good idea) but unfortunately it did not take long before I started feeling very uneasy about our ride. We were supposed to ride to Winona and back. Down the WI side and up the MN side. Before we made it out of the metro, Ken had to fix 2 flats. We found new tubes but I don't think that had anything to do with my "sense" of how the ride was going.

We were having a good time. That was the weirdest thing. I had plenty of food, clothing, and more than I need for a ride like this. But that nagging feeling stayed with me. The rain was so slight it was barely noticeable. The skies cleared as we left Prescott and it was a beautiful evening. I could not shake the thought of something being wrong. So after a debate at the first bridge crossing, we decided to head in the direction of home. We could still wander.

We stopped and had some food and a pitcher of beer. Everything that had happened so far is the description of the perfect ride. Now that we were on the way home, I was starting to feel a little better. Which gave way to my physically feeling worse. I have a difficult time riding overnight. I have done this several times and each time, I dress a little differently and think one of these days, I'll get this right. It's just me. I freeze at night. No matter what I wear, or how warm it is, I get super cold. Not fun to ride like that.

I also tend to generate an upset stomach after 75 miles or so. This usually lasts until somewhere around mile 100. I am getting better at controlling this, but it still stinks. All this started to make me think about whether I am cut out for this long distance riding thing. I ride because I enjoy being on the bike. But I can't decide if it's fun to ride with the patches of discomfort I encounter during these rides. The weird thing is that after I am home, I will start contemplating another one.

So I think I figured out the uneasy feeling. My pastor retired on Sunday. I had been unable to go to his retirement reception, or even last Sunday's service. This was the last chance to hear him preach and say thank you and goodbye. It bothered me more than I thought it would to miss that. By changing our route and coming mostly directly home, I had time to shower and catch a small nap before going to church.

Thank you and goodbye.

A road to ourselves

2008-06-20T22:06:00.002-05:00

Carrie and I worked a shift for our church at the car show this evening. After cleaning up, we left around 9 pm. I was thinking we should avoid the parking lot that was Snelling Ave (for any who aren't in the know, Snelling Ave is a 4 lane divided 45mph road), but the idea of passing all those cars was too much. We cruised up the on ramp and started passing the lineup. I was wishing I had ridden something narrower than my Albatross bar, when I noticed all the cars were being directed off of Snelling. I asked the officer if the sidewalk was closed and he said, "go right ahead". So we rode from Energy Park Drive to Thomas, without a single car on Snelling Ave!!

It was one of the most amazing bike rides I have ever been on.

Guests Abound

2008-06-16T07:26:00.002-05:00

Another weekend, another house guest. It has been commented that some hotels don't have as many guests as we do. I don't know how accurate that is, but we do have quite a few people stay over. One of Carrie's college friends came to stay with us for a couple days this weekend. It is one of the great things about having a house with space. It does, however, mean a little more work and inevitably time away from things that should get done. We now have a couple weeks respite from guests before my sister comes at the first of July.

I am starting preparations for my Winona trip. I have to create a route and do a little coordination with people. I also would like to have a different bike ready. Currently, there are half the parts in a box, and some that I don't even have. I feel like I am at just the right place as far as being ready is concerned. I would hate to be set too far in advance.

We had a nice slow ride yesterday. The weather was about as nice as can be. Unfortunately, there were only two of us that rode from the shop. We headed to the Grand Ole Creamery for some pre-dinner dessert. Then over to Sweeney's to give them their yearly shot at being an acceptable bar (their patio is sooo nice!). I was pleasantly surprised with them. Then a lovely ride home. Fabulous Sunday!!

Workin Weekend

2008-06-11T21:25:00.002-05:00

I worked mechanical support for the MS 150 this past weekend. I have a little different take on it as my wife has been going with me for a few years to help out on both the 150 and TRAM. It always reminds me of how fortunate I am that we can, and like, to work together. She is not into bikes like I am, but she gets in there and does what she can, which is quite a lot.

We had the usual flat tyres, broken spokes, squeaks and noises that are always present. I did have one repair that was interesting. A rider had snapped his derailleur hanger off right across the dropout. The chain was twisted, I'm pretty sure the derailleur cage was bent, but surprisingly, his wheel was in good shape. I ended up using a Look cleat washer under his quick release nut, and using it to clamp the two pieces of hanger together. Put everything back together and gently test rode it. It was fine when cranking on the pedals, and it even shifted a couple gears. The only thing I did wrong was not getting his contact info, so I don't know if it held for the remaining 24 miles he had to ride. I ordered up an emergency hanger this week.

I also had my parents in town for a few days. It was really nice for them to come out, as they don't get out this way much. We had some nice dinners, did some shopping they don't have access to, and just hung out. A nice way to finish off the long weekend.

A big downer was the news of my stepfather's detection of Lymphoma. It seems to be early stage, but it still is scary. There is definitely a difference in the air, and people's moods are a little different now. A hard thing to have to deal with. Always reminds you to make sure you live your life on your terms while you can.

Catch up to June

2008-06-03T08:19:00.002-05:00

Been busy trying to cram a bunch of stuff into a short time. I always have a number of bike projects going on with my own fleet, one of them being to be able to ride all the bikes I own at least once to work during the month of July. That's coming up fast. I also have taken on a couple of projects for some family and friends. I love doing this, but I always have the deadline looming in my head. People say they are not in a hurry and I hope they mean it for these bikes because they are taking way longer than I think they should. One of them is for my mom. She lives in a very small town, and she doesn't have a bike (I don't know how she has gone this long). I am painting it John Deere green and with a brush for the first time. If it turns out good, I might throw up a pic.

I haven't been doing a lot of extra riding and it sure showed on Sat. My good friend Ken and I headed out EARLY Sat. morning. It was absolutely gorgeous. Saw the sun come up. Picked up some cheese. Had a great time. I just seem to hit a slump around 75 miles and it usually lasts until mile 100. That's a long time to be miserable. I try to be as pleasant as possible when I am with someone and try not to slow them down too much. It's good to ride with stronger riders than yourself. Hopefully it gives you something to aim for.

So now with a back-to-back century ride looming at the end of the month, I am needing to keep my weekly mileage up to make it as easy as possible. I am looking forward to it as it is part of a change of my normal riding season. I am trying to do more social riding (that is, ride with people) than I have in years past. I got away from this and I think has kept me from riding as much as I used to. I still like riding on my own. This year I have been reminded that finding people to ride with, can be extremely rewarding.

Mtn Biking Again

2008-05-19T08:07:00.002-05:00

After what felt like a long week of having my brother-in-law stay with us for a few days. And then my cousin for a night, I enjoyed a couple of very nice days.

Saturday morning Carrie and I had a nice breakfast at Keys Cafe. We talked about how the day was to play out and my eating habits. Off to Linders for some plants for the backyard. That place really is something. I am not a gardener at all. I am the grunt of the household when it comes to that. Tell me exactly what to do, and that is all I have the talent for. We then swung around and stopped at Sibley Bike Depot. It is amazing that they have a replica of my basement on a larger scale. It is a wonderful place and I am trying to arrange my schedule so I can volunteer there on a regular basis. We then spent most of the afternoon preparing some of our yard for the plants we purchased.

Saturday evening we went to a graduation party for one of our broomball players. It was quite enjoyable as I met a couple of people who partake in events of similar interest as myself. I am usually not much of a socializer in the party environment, but I felt good about my interaction with people.

Sunday Ken and I went down to Lebenon Hills for some early morning riding. It felt really good to be back riding off road. I didn't have time to put my 1X1 together so I ended up riding my old Bridgestone XO-2 that I converted into a mountainish type ride. As I haven't been mtn biking for a while, I was thinking early on about the notion that if you don't crash, you're not riding hard enough. Sometimes I shouldn't listen to myself. I caught my shoulder on a tree during a descent and tore a little off my shoulder. I have a good knot on my knee also. This is what I miss about mtn biking?

We had dinner with some of my family Sunday night and tried out Dave's hookah that I gave him for Christmas. It was exquisite. It took us a while to make sure everything worked properly, but once going, is very smooth and tasty. We built a fire and sat around passing the pipe in their back yard. A great way to finish off the weekend.

Officially Old

2008-05-12T08:04:00.002-05:00

There are several reasons why I call myself old. Most of them have to do with my general day-to-day activities. My wife and I had spent Sunday afternoon in the back yard trying to prepare it for the spring planting. We cleaned up, ate a little dinner and I sat down to call my mom. She chatted with me for a minute and then mentioned the party she was having. That ended the conversation right there. I was dissed by my mom. I am putting up clothes lines and pulling weeds. She's playing. I am old.

I am building up a bike for a friend. I really like doing this kind of stuff as it makes me think about my fleet and all the repairs and upgrades I should be doing. I have started a written list to make sure that things get done this year. I am very close on a number of bike projects. I unfortunately have the habit of being distracted quite easily. I am hoping if I have the list, start in on one bike and go all the way through it to the finish before moving on to the next, that I will have all the bikes ready by July.

The bike shop folk have made a pledge that during the month of July, we have to make sure to ride each bike we own to the shop once, and we cannot ride the same bike to work two days in a row. I am out of town for a week during July so it makes it difficult to have enough days to ride all my bikes. I may have to ride up there on a day off or two.

We have some company coming into town this weekend. Just to make sure I don't feel as if I have everything under control, I add extra house cleaning to the list. Maybe I will shave the cats to keep things a little nicer.

Would an old person consider shaving his cats?

This one is.

A Day Off

2008-05-09T11:54:00.002-05:00

I have been working a little extra this week. Roseville High School has started a bike section of their Physical Education class and I have been volunteering to keep their bikes working safely. It means a few extra hours during the week, which this time of year, makes for some long days.

Being so busy, I have been neglecting my home life. Chores around the house don't get finished, my pets don't get the attention they are used to, my personal bikes feel neglected, and I become distant from my wife. None of these things are acceptable. Getting wrapped up, "in the moment" can be a very bad thing. Time to take a step back. Make sure I am concentrating on what is important. That's what today is all about.

I am working the Twin Cities Ride this weekend. I am fortunate enough that Carrie is coming with me to help. We are one of those twisted couples that can work and play together. Often times it's hard to tell if it is work or play. She can turn a wrench pretty well, definitely knows her way around a bike tyre, and is great with people. We should have a great time in the rain.

Rain, sun and FUN

2008-05-05T07:15:00.002-05:00

Friday, a couple of guys from the shop and I were set to go on a sub 24 hour camping ride. This had been planned for a while as there was an anomaly in our schedule and 4 of us had Saturday off. We couldn't let this go to waste.

I think, at one point, had 6 people interested in going. By Friday afternoon, it was down to 3. And all of us had our reservations. With it raining all day, raining when we departed, and forecast of snow and gusty winds, we set off after the shop closed. We decided to make it a shorter ride, just around 25 miles. By the time we stopped for food, we were miserable. Shivering around the table, it took a good 45 minutes for people to start warming up. None of us were really prepared to ride in those conditions.

Camp was just a 5 minute ride from the food. We set up the tents as fast as we could. I need a little practice with my new tent. I climbed in my tent, changed clothes, and started to go through the list of things I forgot to bring in with me. Too late. I wasn't going back out in that. The socializing was kept to a minimum as well.

Turns out no snow that night. The rain stopped around 2 or 3 in the morning. And by the time we found breakfast, the sun had come out. We had a great ride home. A little windy, but the sun shined all day. The perfect thing to erase a wretched evening.

We went on our normal Sunday Slow Ride with 9 riders starting out. We rode to Sean's house for a bar-b-que and wow! He put on a great spread! The food was fantastic, we met up with a few more people on the way, so it totaled about 16 people total. I think it ranks #1 for slow rides. It was wonderful to line up the bikes that our normal slow ride participants were riding and see swept back cruiser bars on all of them. The slow ride is finally coming together.

Never enough time

2008-04-30T08:08:00.003-05:00

I often feel, especially this time of year, that I am always a step behind. I went back to work yesterday after taking a day off for what was supposed to be recovery. It turns out that I didn't need to recover from my riding. Back to work yesterday, and it took hours to recover from being gone for a few days. By the time I was into work for Tuesday, it was the middle of the afternoon.

Springtime in a bike shop can be tough. Everyone wants stuff right away. What gets me the most, are the people who take care of things when they should. Inevitably, something goes wrong, so we scramble to try to get them going as quickly as possible. Which then puts us a little further behind with the regular business for the day. There are times when this quickly spirals into a large, out-of-control mess.

Fortunately, I work with a very talented crew. People that work hard (can slack off, when the moment calls for it). For very little reward (as defined by general work practices). Yesterday, we blasted away work throughout the afternoon and actually were able to work a small bit ahead.

Now if I could get to that point at home. Trying to get everything buttoned up before heading out for a sub 24 camping trip this weekend. I wonder if I could hire a talented crew for my regular household duties? On a bike shop salary.

Wild Windy Weekend

2008-04-28T10:15:00.002-05:00

I rode Trans Iowa this weekend. Of the 350 miles scheduled, I rode about 85. Throw in some backtracking and the ride back to the car and I ended up around 120 miles. It took about 12 hours. I am thoroughly proud of that.

If you read some of the reports either here or here, you will have a tiny idea of how rough it was out there. If you have ridden it before, I understand why you came back. That was some of the most difficult times I have ever experienced on a bike. And I am hoping I am able to go again next year.

My good friend Ken mentioned doing this race last year while we were out on a really nice leisurely ride. I don't know why, but the idea of signing up stuck with me all the way until I was actually on the list. At a 100 rider cap, I knew I could not back out. On Friday, it took about everything I had not to do so. Bundle of nerves isn't enough. Bound in knots, not even close. As people were packing, repacking, and repacking, I sat in a chair thinking of all the riding I should have done, all the clothes and food I should have packed. People seemed to be concerned that I didn't have anything to do. The chaps from Tennessee were gracious enough to let us crash on their hotel floor. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I managed to catch a couple minutes of sleep.

4 AM is a tough start time. Having to deal with that wind, and those temps, for that long is insane. Thankfully, once we started riding, the nerves melted away. It was slow going, but very nice to be doing something. I was riding with some extremely talented athletes. Everyone looked like it was no big deal. This is how TI is. There was nothing we could do about it. Just ride a pace that we thought we could hold for 30+ hours. It's one of the things I really like about riding with Ken, and why I thought this would be a fun event. We have a very similar pace and even though he is a much stronger rider than I, we can ride together for quite a while. (I was going to be happy to keep up with him for about 6 or 8 hours)

We stopped for breakfast around 40 miles and 3 hours after the start. It was a great little cafe where we explained to some locals about why all the bikes were cruising by. One woman came up behind me, put her hand on my forehead and announced "he doesn't have a fever". Sometimes it is hard to explain why you do something. I am so thankful Ken suggested sitting down for breakfast. I have a tendency to not listen to what my body is telling me. My toes were starting to get frostbite and warming them up was vital. I am not sure what would have happened if I hadn't done that and donned shoe covers there.

Back on the route (after lubing my chain) I started to feel better (I forget how much lube can help). Even when we missed a turn, missed the reroute, and ended up with about 10 extra miles, I still had a great mental attitude. I can't explain it. I am usually depressed and frustrated when battling wind. And I have never battled wind that strong and for as long as that. As we rode, Ken was expressing some frustration that I thought should have been coming from me. That got me worried. I know him as solid, and to see a seam in that armor... was unsettling. I didn't have to worry about that too long as we did some calculations mid morning and started the acceptance that making the first checkpoint was not going to happen. We had 25 miles to make in a little over 2 hours and we knew we couldn't do it. That is a humbling experience. OK, we could have pushed our bodies beyond and made it, and then what. We would have been further from our car, and not had the energy to make it to the next checkpoint in time, in which case could have had us even further from the car. Often times the right decisions are the hardest to make.

We ate lunch and decided to head straight back. 30 miles to the car. The wind was mostly from the other side now which has helped the soreness in my muscles be even. It was a struggle to hold the bike upright. We were laughing many times at how far over I leaned especially to keep on the road. We didn't laugh too much when we were headed directly into the wind, pedaling as hard as we could to make a blistering 6 mph. That had to have been the hardest 5 miles of my life. It took us around 45 minutes.

Just to make sure we didn't think we were getting off too easy, there were a couple final hills leading into Decorah. At that point, my stomach was starting to come undone and if I didn't know we were so close, they might have gotten the better of me. Fortunately, it was only a couple of miles to the van where we packed up and headed straight home. I did feel a little bad about taking off so quickly, but at that point we had no idea there were only 5 riders left racing and they were going to cut the race short.

When I arrived home, I was telling my wife about what I experienced. My wife and I are totally suited for each other. She questions what I do, but only from a "are you going to be safe?" point of view. When I described what happened she immediately said, "I think you should do it again next year". Totally unprompted. I am the luckiest.