Happy Rider

Sale and Ride

2012-01-20T12:36:00.001-07:00

My Ute is for sale. It's a 2009 Kona Ute. Stop in at Acme Bicycles to check it out.

My one and only bicycling goal for this summer is to ride the entire Centennial Trail. Not necessarily all at once just ride the whole thing. I definately want to make a bike camping trip out of it where I would ride from Sherridan Lake to Alkali Creek along the trail or some sort of combination. I think I can get it done fairly easily. Well, that section is difficult but if I give myself all day to ride from Sherridan Lake to Nemo/Dalton Lake where I would have a food/camp drop and then continue the rest of the way the following day.

I wanted to try and do this self supported but my bike, Santa Cruz Blur LT, doesn't exactly have much for racks or even places to attach a rack or frame bag. Anything I plan on taking would have to be carried on my back and I personally think a bivy, food, water and some dry clothes might be a little much on my back for the type of trail it is. I'm sure that could work on the Mickelson but not the Centennial.

I'm not sure of the timing of this ride. I was thinking early April or maybe May but when talking with my guy at Acme he thought it would be a better late summer early fall ride. Maybe I'll do both. It all depends on the rain.

If I don't accomplish that I do want to ride the entire Centennial trail where permitted. If anyone wants to ride with me and complete sections, I'm all for company. Let me know when you'll be here and I'll add it to the calendar.

If you decide not to ride but you have some good pointers for me to make this trek I would be more than happy to buy you a coffee while I pick your brain. Feel free to email me any information also. I'd be more than happy to accept any advice.

Goals for 2012

2012-01-09T14:09:00.002-07:00

I saw this post over at http://www.semi-rad.com and thought it was interesting. I wonder what his commute is for length.

Every year, my pal Nick and I inevitably have a chat about our goals for the year, at some coffee shop in Denver. In 2009, it was already late February or March by the time it came up in conversation. I probably told Nick about my goals, which usually include sleeping outside at least 30 nights, climbing this route or that peak, learning to lead on ice, eating the Piggy Split at Liks all by myself, and a handful of other things. Nick, always laid-back, said something like,

“I should probably come up with some goals, huh?”

Then we started talking about how much he was on his bicycle — every day for work, everywhere else within 5 miles of his Capitol Hill apartment, rain, snow, hail, 105 degrees, 15 degrees, whatever. A few of us had this kind-of unwritten, unspoken agreement that no weather was too bad to ride. In January, we’d ride in ski goggles, ski helmets and Gore-Tex hiking shoes.

Say 50 weeks of work every year, 5 days of work per week, 250 days on a bike in 2009 was pretty possible for Nick, we said. Maybe 300 was realistic. Huh. Well, Nick said, I’d have to go back and see how many days I’ve ridden so far.

Well, I said, how many days have you not ridden to work this year? None.

Over the next few months, I forgot about it. Near the end of 2009, I got busy planning my big goal for 2010, riding a bike across the country. A lot got pushed to the side as I panicked about new bike parts, which tools to take, if I was in shape for it, was my bike going to make it, all that.

Then a few days before Christmas 2009, Nick and I were sitting at St. Mark’s Coffeehouse in Denver again, and one of us brought it up.

As long as I ride to work the next couple days before my vacation starts, Nick said, I’ll have ridden my bike 325 days this year.

Three hundred and twenty-five days? Get the fuck out of here, I said.

That’s 325 days of picking up his bike by the top tube, carrying it down the stairs of his second-floor apartment, clipping his helmet strap, and riding. Just because he likes to. He doesn’t look out the window to see if it’s raining or snowing, and then decide to leave his bike at home and drive. He looks out the window to see if it’s raining or snowing, so he knows whether to wear a rain jacket and/or pants he’d be comfortable ripping if he hit some ice and fell down. He hadn’t said anything about it. I imagine he probably just had a wall calendar at home, maybe hanging in his kitchen, and he marked off the days he rode maybe while he was cooking dinner at night. At that rate, he might as well have kept track of the days he drank water, or ate breakfast.

If you rode your bike every single day of the year, no days off, no weekend days off, starting January 1 and stopped riding the week of Thanksgiving, you’d have ridden almost exactly 325 days. And Nick basically shrugged like he had just told me what he ate for lunch that day and you know, what else are we going to talk about, anyway, can you believe this weather? Huh.

“Oh, you know what else?” he said. “I went to get my oil changed in my truck just before we went to Canyonlands for Thanksgiving, and it had been exactly a year since I got it changed in 2008. To the day.”

No shit, I said. How many miles did you drive last year, then?

3,300. Minus our annual trip to Canyonlands, which is about 900 miles round-trip, he had only driven 2,400 miles the entire year. The average American drives 13,500 miles per year.

It was a huge year, 325 days of committing to riding a bicycle, committing to doing something healthy for himself and the planet, minimizing impact, maximizing joy, almost 11 complete months of days of riding, making it part of his routine as much as brushing his teeth. If half of America did half, or one-fourth of what Nick did, just imagine.

Or, like Nick would probably say, it was just a guy riding his bike to work. No big deal. You know, he likes his bicycle, so, whatever.

-Brendan

12 Miler

2012-01-09T09:28:00.001-07:00

On Saturday I decided to take a quick ride. I left my house mid-afternoon after putting the boys down for a nap. Everyone in the house was snoozing so it was a perfect opportunity for me to get outside. I rolled down street to a local loop. It's very flat and I relatively easy ride but since this would be the first time I had ridden for more than 3 miles in a while I decided it was perfect. There are a couple hills I could climb if I went a little further... so I went further.

The climbs felt pretty good for being the off-season and this early in the year. There is a lot of work to be done. I rode a total of 12 miles in a little under an hour on my Blur LT.

Hopefully there will be some time for a few rides this week. I'll remember my camera next time.

Quick Jaunt

2012-01-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

I took the boys for a quick jaunt on my bike tonight. They rode in the trailer and I tooled around on my Santa Cruz Blur LT. I left at just before 4 p.m. and returned approximately 6 miles and 40 minutes later. We rode around on some different neighborhood roads that I haven't been on before. It was pretty fun seeing something different.

The boys lasted for most of it before finally succumbing to their tired eyes. Both fell asleep and were quite difficult to wake up when we arrived home. I should have taken some pictures of them in the trailer with their bobbing heads but the camera was left at home.

On a different note, I started reading Be Brave, Be Strong from Jill Homer. It is a great read with very vivid descriptions. She has an ability to make the reader feel they are right there with her riding the Divide. The book actually makes me want to ride it. Through all of the pain and suffering there are many parts in the story where Jill has vivid recollections of how beautiful and serene the trip really is.

It's a great read and you should definitely give it a try.

Bike Lights

2011-12-30T11:06:00.001-07:00

Light courtesy of Light & Motion

I have this bike light. It's a Light & Motion Stella 300. I've loved this light since the moment I got it a couple years ago. Actually, now that I think of it, the light might actually be a Stella 200. Pretty much the same thing just less lumens.

What I found out I don't like about the light is the little rubber mount thing tends to age and eventually break. I was lucky as mine broke while I was at home in the garage. Based on my newly found experience, it would be highly recommended you take alternate sources of light-to-bike attachment. Bring some zip-ties, an extra strap, duct tape or anything that will secure this nice little light to your bar/helmet.

Now, I want to remind you that I love this light. It is bright enough for the casual rider to ride at night both on the road/path or on the single track. I do think the light should come with a spare attachment rubber thing or an alternate way to mount the light in case of a breakage.

On that note, I picked up an extra rubber thing yesterday at my favorite bike shop, Acme Bicycles and I plan on using my light this evening on a short mountain bike ride somewhere. Maybe Hansen Larson Memorial Park or possibly a short stretch on Storm Mountain.

Happy New Year. Be safe out there.

2011 Goals

2011-12-28T12:51:00.001-07:00

Here was a list of cycling goals I set out to do in 2011. I didn't accomplish one of them. Not one single one.

I would like to ride South Dakota from the ND border to the Neb. border. (I'm not sure of the best location to accomplish this so I'm taking routes if you have them).
I would like to accomplish at least 1 century ride. Can be for charity or just for the plain fun of it.
I'd like to ride the entire Mickelson trail in a day.
I would like to ride the entire Centennial trail. Preferably over a span of a few days. There are sections I'm going to have to ride around but for the most part, it's rideable.
I'm thinking about RAGBRI.
Dakota 5-0... this is a no-brainer for me.
I'd like to try and ride to Miller from Rapid City. It's only 244 miles. It would take me a 2 days but I think it'd be fun.
This is kinda weird... but I want to ride at least 5 minutes every single day of the rest of this year. I have a trainer so even on the really cold days I can still ride. Yes, every single day... Doesn't seem that hard, but it could be... I'm starting today.
Get more involved with trail building and the SD Bicycle Coalition. More advocacy and education for me.
I really want to try an overnight bicycle camping trip. I know one fellow who does them quite often. I think it'd be a hoot and not too difficult to accomplish.
I want to try and get more people involved in the national bike to work month, week, day at my office.

I didn't even ride the Dakota 50. I do have a legitimate excuse for that one though, I had surgery.

The rest though. Zero excuses. Bike riding this year just didn't happen the way I wanted. Some days my thoughts are that since I set out all of these goals I really didn't have any plan to accomplish them. I would still like to continue to have these on my want to do someday list. No plans, no goals, no items I want to accomplish this year, just someday.

For Sale:
2009 Kona Ute. It's a great bike and I love it but the amount of time I spend on it compared to the amount of space it takes up in the garage isn't worth it. I'm thinking $550 or so plus shipping. There are pictures somewhere here in this blog.

Excess Packaging

2011-12-28T12:43:00.005-07:00

I realize this article isn't exactly about bicycles or anything cycling related. The one thing that I believe does tie the two ideas together is that this story discusses the use of excess packaging. To me bicycles provide a more minimal approach to travel and fun. Think about all the items you can cram in a car then think about what you can fit on a bicycle. Obviously less fits on the bicycle creating the idea that the person traveling by bike has to greatly reduce what he's carrying.

So, here is the article. I agree whole-heartedly about companies and their excess packaging rituals. Frankly I'm getting tired of opening a large box with multiple small things inside including a bunch of packing material.

http://www.livingprinciples.org/the-wicked-world-of-packaging/

Enjoy.

Lunch Ride

2011-07-26T13:46:00.000-06:00

Well, the truth comes out. Cars are expensive. We had a tire blow out on our car this last weekend. I hauled my bike today and drove to the tire store where they shall mount, balance, align and replace the tires. The reason for all 4 instead of the one that was destroyed is that I am too cheap to buy 4 snow tires and 4 not snow tires. Well, that has now bitten me in the ass. Instead of buying just one, I get to buy all 4 so they match.

Anyway, now my $600 bill for new car tires could have been spent on magical bicycle parts.

Now the other subject, the heat. I had to ride about 4 miles on the bike path from the tire store to my office. I stopped once to stop sweating then I got to work and I was sweating profusely and now I get to sit in it for the rest of the day.

Garmin Edge 500

2011-05-26T14:26:00.000-06:00

I made an authorized purchase today. I went and bought a Garmin Edge 500 for my bicycle adventures.

I'm liking the opportunities it offers for mapping as well as tracking elevation and speed data. The old Polar speedometer I had isn't working very well. It has a wireless sensor and it always cuts out and really frustrates me.

I'm hoping to post my rides and the Garmin Connect info here each time I ride. It'd be great to add photos or videos as well but I often forget to bring my camera.

The Fat Tire Festival is out here this weekend. I'll be taking part in some of the fun stuff. I don't think I'll participate as a racer but maybe a rider and a spectator. It should be fun. I would strongly encourage you to come and partake if you have the ability.

Enjoy your day.

Weather

2011-04-29T15:36:00.001-06:00

What's the weather going to be like this weekend?

Not good. I'm wanting to go ride storm mountain or at least some of it. I also want to plant a garden. We're starting a bunch of plants in the house and they're going to need a place to go in a couple weeks. My parents are coming out this weekend and are bringing a industrial sized tiller to tear up my sod. It's going to be great.

I also need to mow.

In order: bike, mow, till

Sonofa

2011-04-28T20:53:00.000-06:00

I rode to work today in an effort to get ready for Bike to Work Month. That's May for those of you who don't know. I've been such a cheese on riding to work. My only excuse I have this time is that it rains... alot.

I'm wanting to get out this weekend and go for some sort of ride. Once again, rain is in the forecast for tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday. I'm not looking forward to it.

I'm going to start planning a bike camping trip. I plan on leaving from the North end of the Centennial Trail and moving my way South. I'll probably get to Dalton Lake the first night and then ride on to Pactola the second. I could get farther, I'm really not sure. The most difficult issue is my Blur does not have any room for a rack so everything I take will have to be on my back. I should be able to take plenty of food for a 2 day ride. I could always have my family meet me at Dalton lake to camp with me too. That could be even more enjoyable.

Link to the route.

I have no idea how to prepare. I guess I had better start looking at what I'm going to need to take and how much food/water to pack along.

If you have ideas or thoughts, let me know. I'll take good links for resources too.

No riding

2011-04-04T07:54:00.001-06:00

There will not be any riding for the next couple days. I'm in Omaha for work. Boo!

Does anyone know of any bike shops in the old downtown area of Omaha? I might have some time tomorrow evening to check out some cyclism. I wish I could have brought my bike. I've heard people bike here. Is that true?

During the 5-0 people talk. I've talked to some of those people while peddling along the trail. They come from Omaha. They say they bike. Where do they ride? That is the ultimate question.

Until later...

First Ride: Santa Cruz Blur LT

2011-03-14T13:57:00.003-06:00

I rode my Large, Santa Cruz Blur LT for the first time today. It was a road ride that was quite hilly. The route is here

My thoughts of the bike... freakin awesome. Santa Cruz really put together a great ride. Even though this bike is a mountain bike, I rode it on the road and it felt completely capable. It didn't seem out of place climbing the steeper sections and felt strong on the fast decents. Another thing I noticed was that it felt like my hardtail when climbing but was super smooth on the decent. I expected it to feel a bit soft climbing.

I'm completely in love with this thing. It's comfortable, it fits, it's smooth and I can see many good things coming from it.

The bike has mostly XT pieces. The breaks are Avid Elixer, wheels/hubs are DT Swiss, Gravity Dropper seat post,

It's beautiful. I can't wait to get it on the trail and see how it handles some singletrack.

Let me konw if you've ever ridden one or what you think overall. My goals for the year are going to be much more fun on this thing.

Status Updates and Free Double Century

2011-03-07T10:53:00.003-07:00

It's been a busy couple weeks in the bike world. There is so much going on everywhere that it's hard to keep up. The BHMBA has already made significant process in moving forward as an association. Ideas are going through the roof. I have a meeting tomorrow night regarding the racing structure and plans for the 2011 year. With the items I've seen run through my inbox for weekly rides and races I think we'll get some good buy-in. It will be interesting to see how well these are adopted and attended.

On another note, I traded in a couple bikes. I no longer own the Kula Supreme or the Dawg. I would say I downsized and upgraded to a 2011 Santa Cruz Blur LT. My biggest complaint is that it's been too cold and snowy to ride it. Well, I could but I don't want to get it dirty. The whole package was set up real nice. XT parts, DT Swiss wheels and hubs, Fox fork and rear shock. I'm so excited to get out and put some miles on. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

On a racing/riding note... Take time for this. Plan your weekend around it. It's free.

There is a double century Gravel Grinder in the works (Mickelson Trail). June 18, midnight start. Hill City to Deadwood and back. Then Hill City to Edgemont and back. Super epic, super hard, super duper. Same Acme Bicycle's exorbitant event fees ($0) and you need to get your own Mickelson Trail Pass. Fully self supported. Lame-ohs, winers, babies not invited. EZ to self support/re supply at your own car at the 1/2 way point (Hill City) or just quit after one century if you are smart.

I'll keep you posted on any updates or check out bhmba.org.

BHMBA

2011-03-02T10:15:00.003-07:00

Lots and lots of things in the works in the Black Hills. The meeting we had went great and lots of people attended. It seems many good ideas are going to come out of this group.

I put in my application to become a board member. I've never been on a board, never attended a board meeting and do not really know what a board member does. What I do know is that I want to become more involved in the cycling community and get some of my ideas for biking out there. I'd love to see the BHMBA grow and be something really great.

I am also on the race committee for this year. Again, I have no idea what I will have to do or how much time I'll have to commit. What I do know is I would like the races we have to be more family oriented. It would be fun if I could bring my family to a race and get them involved in some other activities. We could have Strider races, mom/dad relays, trailer pulls and so much more.

So, I guess that's what I have going on. I'm hoping to have more information regarding the BHMBA in the near future but since we've only had one public meeting, I don't know what's going on.

On a bicycle related note I'm trying to sell 2 bikes so I can purchase 1. If anyone is interested in a 2006 Kona Dawg or a 2009 Kona Kula Supreme, let me know. The Dawg got all new parts last spring and the Kula is pretty much set up entirely with SLX bits. Both are awesome but I want to downsize and have one go-to bike, enter Santa Cruz Blur LT. We'll see what happens.

Be safe, wear your helmet and ride your bike.

VCA 2010 RACE RUN from changoman on Vimeo.

BHMBA Membership Meeting

2011-02-07T20:03:00.001-07:00

What: BHMBA Membership Meeting
Who: Open to all who want to maintain and improve biking in the Black Hills
When: Friday, February 18th, 2011 6:00-8:00 PM
Where: Canyon Lake United Methodist Church 3500 Canyon Lake Drive, Rapid City, SD: Across the street from Canyon Lake Elementary and Dairy Queen

Agenda:

Welcome & Introductions: BHMBA Board
Recap of 2010 & Goals for 2011: Ed Engler
Race Committee: Chris Teeslink
Drty Grlz: Cathy Matthesen
Membership/Social Committee: Roger St. Pierre
Trail Building/Maintenance Committee: Jason Kingsbury
Open Discussion: Any individual wanting to speak will be given 3 minutes to address those present. A sign-up sheet at the door will be used to determine order.
Please spread the word about the meeting!

January Riding

2011-01-27T15:45:00.002-07:00

I've been a bad biker lately. It's not really on purpose, it's more of lots of work, too many commitments and cold (yes I'm weak), and some very slippery roads/sidewalks. I'm not willing to risk my life and limb to ride. Although I should and I would probably be better off for it. On a positive note, I did ride today. I got out the Ute and rode. There were some minor slippery spots but most could be avoided. It felt like a fresh spring morning (January).

It started me thinking about all the bike related rides I would like to accomplish this year. Most are quite long actually. Here is my list.

1. I would like to ride South Dakota from the ND border to the Neb. border. (I'm not sure of the best location to accomplish this so I'm taking routes if you have them).
2. I would like to accomplish at least 1 century ride. Can be for charity or just for the plain fun of it.
3. I'd like to ride the entire Mickelson trail in a day.
4. I would like to ride the entire Centennial trail. Preferably over a span of a few days. There are sections I'm going to have to ride around but for the most part, it's rideable.
5. I'm thinking about RAGBRI.
6. Dakota 5-0... this is a no-brainer for me.
7. I'd like to try and ride to Miller from Rapid City. It's only 244 miles. It would take me a 2 days but I think it'd be fun.
8. This is kinda weird... but I want to ride at least 5 minutes every single day of the rest of this year. I have a trainer so even on the really cold days I can still ride. Yes, every single day... Doesn't seem that hard, but it could be... I'm starting today.
9. Get more involved with trail building and the SD Bicycle Coalition. More advocacy and education for me.
10. I really want to try an overnight bicycle camping trip. I know one fellow who does them quite often. I think it'd be a hoot and not too difficult to accomplish.
11. I want to try and get more people involved in the national bike to work month, week, day at my office.

I don't think it's a bad list. There are a few that I doubt will happen but I believe if you put them out into the universe, it has more of a chance of happening. So there.

Ride the Divide

2010-12-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Ride The Divide Movie Trailer from Ride The Divide on Vimeo.

American Flyer

2010-12-16T06:55:00.002-07:00

I finally did it. I watched "American Flyers" on Netflix the other night. The movie made me laugh, cry and sit at the edge of my seat. Na, it really wasn't all that spectacular but I suppose it was pretty good during it's time.

Boing...

2010-11-23T20:50:00.002-07:00

I wish I could do a quarter of what this guy does. I love bike tricks and I can't hardly ride a wheelie.

Cross Results

2010-11-23T13:03:00.005-07:00

Well, my first experiences at cross racing was quite entertaining. I must say that I'm really slow. Not being able to ride my bike much lately really displayed my lack of bike fitness.

The first day went pretty well. I lacked power in my legs and it was really really cold. My feet and hands were so cold I couldn't feel them. The second day I felt better but apparently couldn't put any more power to the pedals. I actually came in dead last. I can't say I was giving it my all either. It was a struggle but a fun one.

I tell you what though, there is something about being around bikes that makes me want bikes, all kinds. There was one that I found very interesting. It was a Raleigh single speed cross bike. This is the newer model of what I was looking at except the one I saw was a single speed.

I've always been very intrigued at single speed bikes. I like the simplicity and how much it can improve your riding. I know many single speeders and each of them are considerable faster than I am. Maybe I should trade my Kona Kula Supreme for a nice single speed.

I'd really like to try one for a few rides first before I made that big of move.

There's lots going on in the winter season out here in the hills.

Ride.

Cross Races

2010-11-19T17:19:00.001-07:00

Got a couple cross races to do this weekend. I've never done one so it should be both interesting and fun and maybe a little cold. I'm not in it to win it but I am going for fun and time on my bike.

Black Hills Cyclocross Series

Pedal-Driven

2010-10-23T09:50:00.000-06:00

No helmet... solution

2010-10-22T14:55:00.003-06:00

Saturday Afternoon Hike

2010-10-05T14:53:00.002-06:00

Saturday I took the family to Buzzard's Roost. It's an IMBA style trail up highway 44 towards Pactola. We went for a 2ish hour hike. The weather was perfect and so were the boys. I had Jonah in a backpack and Oli walked and rode in the stroller.

I haven't ridden that trail in a couple years. They've added a few new loops to it. Maybe I'll be able to swap in a ride out there soon.

The longtail bike

2010-09-02T09:40:00.003-06:00

The last two nights have probably been my favorite ever. We eat supper as a family, then I load Oli and Jonah into the bike trailer and off we go. Tuesday night was a long ride. We cruised around the neighborhood and started to head off towards their old daycare. The sun was setting and time was getting short so we opted for a cruise back to the house.

Last night was a little shorter and not so distance focused. Oli wanted to ride his Strider so we cruised around the neighborhood. He loves, loves, loves his strider. He runs outside in the morning while wearing a diaper... wanna ride my bicycle. Anyway, after a while he was tired, so I loaded his bike up and put him in the trailer with Jonah. Oh, I was riding the Ute with a trailer. It was a loooooong bike.

I think we'll do it again tonight.

I was going to take a picture of the boys and I on the ute but didn't get it done. I'll try and get one so you all can see how magical it looks.

Heat

2010-08-11T16:35:00.002-06:00

Wow, I rode M-hill today over lunch. 100 degrees with no water is way too hot to be peddling up a giant hill for 1.5 hours. I nearly died.

However, I felt relatively well for it being so hot. I took a couple more breaks.

The other night I took a longer route home. I got about 21 miles there.

I'm riding more and loving it. All kinds, mountain, road (mtb with slicks) and some heavy hauling with the Ute. The boys love riding in the bike trailer and the wife loves the Ute too.

Bike life is good in the Clements household.

Good news in Rapid City also. Safe Routes to School is making an impact here! Thank you!!!

Preperation for the five-0

2010-08-09T14:24:00.003-06:00

Full on prep time for the Dakota 5-0 is in the works. It's been pretty slow this last few months. I've done some biking here and there but nothing long and definately nothing that will constitute a sub-5 hour fifty mile time. I do hope to beat my time by following my current training plan. That plan consists of riding alot! Really, I want to ride as much as possible for the month of August. I'd like to try and throw in a couple looooong rides. At least 2 4-5 hour rides are in store as well.

I'll do a few extra miles tonight on my way home. I got a super hard ride in for 7 miles coming to work today, tonight I'll go a little out of the way to get some more mileage. I'll probably crank pretty hard up the hills or do some intervals along the way.

I might try and get a quick recovery ride in the morning and a down-hill esque ride in after work. I'm not fully sure what my plan will be at this point.

I think we're heading back to Miller this weekend and I'll take my bike. Maybe I can get in a couple back to back 30-60 mile rides in the mornings. We'll see I guess.

Oh yeah, I purchased a couple commuter tires, panaracer pasela, for my hardtail. I needed something that would roll better on the highway during my longer rides since all I have for a "road" bike is my Ute. Trust me, although I love my Ute, it is not a training tool at all. Definitely a hauler. They look funny at 1.5 inches wide compared to my 2.1 or 2.3s or whatever I ride. So far I only have about 40 miles on them and I'm really happy with them. I'll keep you updated as I use them more.

Bulldog

2010-07-25T21:03:00.003-06:00

I rode bulldog up by Sturgis this afternoon. It's a part of the centenial trail. Oh man, what a great ride. It was hot, approx 90F or so. It was a pretty warm climb to the top and then a super fun ride down. The ride has a steady 4 mile climb and when you reach the top you turn around and bomb down what you just went up. It's great!

Well, Angie will now be staying home with the kids everyday. I'm really excited about our new path and we'll be able to raise our own kids. The other bonus, I'll be able to ride my bike every day. NO excuses anymore!

Tomorrow is day 1.

Happy riding.

Not very happy

2010-07-20T16:16:00.002-06:00

I checked my walk score today. Have you checked yours?

What this proves is that my community has not been planned properly. I think all communities should be built around the 2 mile rule. At minimum, all houses should have the necessities within that distance.

What's your walk score?

Oh happy day

2010-07-14T14:12:00.003-06:00

Alright, I drove this morning. I wasn't happy about it but I was running short on time. Fine...

I did end up driving back home to put some food in the slow cooker for supper tonight. While I was there I decided it's time to take the Ute for a spin back to work. So, I packed up my things and headed out the door. Oh how I love that bike. It's so smooth, fun, cruiseresque and all the goodness makes me very happy. I never have to carry a thing on my back, it just all goes right in the bag. Oh it's so good.

There was one bad part of today's ride. The wind!!! Holy smokes, it almost blew me to a standstill more than once. That bike catches some serious wind. It's ok, the bell makes up for it.

Another topic:
Dakota five-o

Should I ride it? I think I should. I need to sign up now!

You should too!

Lazy Dayz

2010-07-05T16:08:00.001-06:00

I haven't had a chance to ride much lately. It's time I make it a priority. It's fun. There is no other reason, it's just fun. I can come up with all sorts of excuses on why I haven't been riding and the truth is, I've been extremely lazy. Just lazy.

Not any more. I miss my commute to work. I have a Ute now that can all all my goods and then some with no problems. It's time I put it to use. Tomorrow is the day.

Happy 4th yesterday.

Everythings Amazing & Nobodys Happy

2010-06-08T16:45:00.000-06:00

USA Today

2010-06-02T16:42:00.001-06:00

Wednesday Ridism

2010-05-26T13:54:00.002-06:00

I had the blessing of riding to work once again. This morning led me to believe that Rapid Creek is the highest I have ever seen it. Nearly every underpass was blocked due to high water. Last week, the water was on the sidewalk maybe 3 inches deep. Today, way too deep to ride through. I was surprised.

Over lunch I decided to take a stroll up M-hill. Oh how I love that place. It's within minutes of my office on a bike and I can ride up one side and down the other and all around it in about 35 minutes. It's a good workout too because it goes... well, up, then it goes... down. Lots and lots of fun to be had.

Now I'm pooped and need some more water.

FTF

2010-05-25T21:00:00.001-06:00

This weekend is the Fat Tire Festival. I'm not competing in any rides this year. I will be volunteering my services during a race on Saturday. I decided to do my part and volunteer so all of you can enjoy your time in the Black Hills. This will be a full, fun packed event. Lots to do and many trails to ride. Give me a shout if you need directions or a tube or whatever else. I'll be around.

Enjoy the weekend!

Happy days

2010-05-17T13:19:00.002-06:00

I was able to do the bike commute this morning. Greatest day ever!

The only disappointment was the bike path dips under major city streets along Rapid Creek, due to the recent rain we've had, they have closed these sections without warning until you reach that location. So, my commute was a bit longer than expected. I had to backtrack then cross the street at intersections. Granted this isn't a big deal except I think they should have put up warnings at major bike path entrance. To ride for a mile or so to find out the path is closed and ride back adds time. If I was not going to work I'd think it was great because I have added joy for riding longer, however, I was in a bit of a time crunch so it was slightly annoying.

It was a beautiful morning and I'm very happy I rode.

Storm Mountain

2010-05-15T13:53:00.002-06:00

Myself and 2 other rollers were up at the crack of dawn to head to storm mountain for a nice little loop this morning. We rode, we got a little muddy, we did a little bit of branch moving from the trail, we did a drop and we rode. It was a great easy ride for a Saturday morning. This trail is in great shape. I wish it was dryer so we could have ridden the coon hollow section but it's always too wet to ride in the spring.

I did a small 2-2.5 foot drop that I've been too chicken to do in the past. It took me 4 attempts before I actually committed. The drop had a nice entry point and a good landing. It really didn't feel like much so I'm not sure what my deal was. I feel proud that I've done it now. The skills are improving.

I wish I would have remembered my camera so I would have some shots of the ride, but I forgot... I was also going to bring my gps so I could map the route for some of the rides during the Fat Tire Festival but my gps was not working. Kind of a bummer.

Parts were a little muddy so I had some bike washing to do when I returned home. I'm really glad I completed that task because I found a broken spoke on my rear wheel. It might have to get an upgrade. I believe my riding has grown past the wheel's capabilities. It was a cheap wheel I bought a couple years ago when I upgraded to disc brakes. Now the wheel is crap and won't stay true. One ride and it's toast and now broken spokes, not cool. We'll see what happens.

Now, stop reading this and get out and ride.

Commuting

2010-05-12T21:57:00.003-06:00

My bike commuting adventures have been sparse (note: none) this year. I'm getting quite concerned. The wife has had to work late or travel much more so I've had to either take kids to daycare or pick them up from daycare. This is not a task I'm willing to take with a 7 month old and 2 year old. If there were more safe streets to ride on between there and here I would be far more inclined to try it.

Depending on how tomorrow morning goes (if I have to drop them off or not) I will ride my bike. I miss it and I miss it alot! I'm tired of driving everywhere all the time. It's boring, there is road construction everywhere and gas is expensive. There shouldn't be a need for it but when you have 2 kids under the age of 2.5 and they go to daycare on unsafe biking roads, what's a dude to do? Any ideas?

Based on readings, it's not safe to have a child under the age of 1 to be in a bike trailer or on a bike seat. They do not have the neck strength to hold their head up with the added weight of the helmet.

So, does anyone have any ideas of how I could make this work better?

Riding Update

2010-05-03T09:57:00.001-06:00

I was planing on pre-riding the course at Alkali Creek yesterday up by Sturgis. There is a race next weekend. It ended up raining and snowing enough to make the trail pretty wet. I didn't want to cause any distress to the trail so I opted out. I rode M-hill instead.

It was awesome! I was meeting a couple dudes there and I was a bit early. I made a quick climb to the top for a warm-up then bombed down. I met Kris at the bottom and he started to push his bike up while I rode. To his credit, he has a downhill bike that does not go up well. 

Once we got to the top, we cruised around the peak a bit then headed over to a new downhill section. It was fantastic. It's fast, flowy, jumpy, smooth and has a little something for everyone. I wish I had my camera to take some pics. I need to work on my jumping abilities although I would say I did alright. I know I landed some of them as I should and some I came up a little short. 

It wasn't the greatest training ride, but it was a ride and a fun one at that. 

Moab 2010

2010-04-21T20:43:00.006-06:00

We got back from the most spectacular Moab mountain biking trip ever. We started out looking for a camping spot on Friday night. Finally, at 10:30, we found our spot... a free spot. We had no idea how amazing the scenery would be until morning.

Upon waking, we were pleasantly surprised when we looked around. We were surrounded by hundred foot bluffs of nothing but red rocks. It was nothing short of amazing.

The first day of riding we rode the famous slickrock trail. I heard rumors about how if you had the legs, you could climb anything. It was true. We encountered many steep rocks to climb and I was able to power up all but one. That one was about 40 yards long and probably about a 30 degree angle, maybe more. I made it about 10 feet from the top when I actually lost a little traction and my front wheel popped up. I landed on my elbow and needed assistance getting up. The rock was too steep for myself to gather enough traction on my hard soled biking shoes to get any traction.

The rest of the day consisted of climbing lots of hills similar to the one previously mentioned. It was a tough day of only 12.5 miles. The weather ranged in the 80s and with the rock warming up kept us heated up.

The next day we got some information from a local bike shop, Chili Pepper Bike Shop. They told us a great ride was Sovereign. They were right. It had some moderate climbs and some extremely technical riding. It was the best ride I've ever been on at that point. It was tight, windy single track with lots of rock climbs and little ledges. It was an up and back route in which the back was definately worth the climb. Riding back to the truck was very fast and flowy. The trail fit so well with the natural elements the desert had to offer. We had a couple drops and ledges to ride off as well as some super fun roller coaster type rocks. I didn't take any pictures this day since I forgot my camera. I would highly recommend this ride to anyone who is willing to put in a little time climbing for an awesome downhill adventure.

The last day we went to Porcupine Rim. This trail had a shuttle that took us to the top. We started off with a small jeep trail climb that led us to the Rim. There was a couple hundred foot cliff that we rode along for the first couple miles. The view was absolutely amazing. Lots of stunning scenery with some death opportunities. Most of this first part winded through some trees to evenutally turn just short of the edge. We then met up with about 5 or 6 miles of double track that was very rocky and had lots of little 2-3 foot drops that flowed very well with the landscape. It was so fast that I was in my middle ring and the smallest in the rear and I couldn't peddle fast enough to gain more speed.

All this led to the greatest single track around. We finished off the ride with 5 or 6 more miles of winding single track with moderate drops and some opportunities to take a few jumps. We hit most of them and they flowed so well, it didn't even make me nervous or anything. The trail was a 12 out of 10. We rode along the Colorado River and it had so much fast, flowy technical riding that fit so well with the landscape, it would be hard to rate anything lower. I would definitely recommend this ride to anyone who wants an adrenaline rush with an addiction for beautiful scenery.

I can't wait to go back!

First Experience with a Ute

2010-04-08T20:44:00.004-06:00

I picked up the Ute today. I had to drive it home since I had the truck. That bike is loooong. It barely fit but fit it did.

I parked it in the garage and kept begging my wife to go check it out. I couldn't stop saying how different and useful this bike could be. After about a half hour, she finally went and looked. Her first glance was, "yeah, that's a cool looking bike". Then she went into how weird and different it looked. It does. In a good way of course.

I was finally able to take it for a spin at around 8pm. I tooled around the neighborhood cruising up on the sidewalks, riding on the street and up and down hills. It peddles surprisingly easy. It rolls really nice thanks to the continental city slick tires sizing in at 700c. It rode real smooth and had a very comfortable, upright position.

The hardest part for me to get to was the fact that this is not a racer. I'm used to pretty aggressive bikes. My mountain bikes have more aggressive positioning and I used to have an entry level road bike that was pretty quick. If I decide to keep the ute, it will be an adjustment. I'm sure I won't be getting to work in any record time. That's not what this bike is for.

Some of the components felt a little cheap. Mainly the peddles and the cranks. I could tell they weren't of the highest quality but with a $900 price tag and the amount of bike you get, I can't complain. I didn't have a chance to run to the store or haul anything yet but I'm sure that will come.

My main concern is if I will decide to use this bike to it's fullest potential. Would I be happier with more of a touring bike where I can go on long rides and camping trips? I've heard of this other fellow in Sioux Falls who does bike camping trips on his Big Dummy. The Ute will work the same and I'm sure I can do some pretty serious rolling on the Ute. It's a hard decision.

I have some time before I have to decide. It needs a few more miles before I can make an informed decision. So far, I'll give the ute one thumb up. I'll post more as it gets some more miles.

8 Days

2010-04-08T08:47:00.002-06:00

8 Days until we go to Moab. It's going to be a busy 8 days too.

First, Angie leaves to go to Chicago tomorrow morning.

I travel 1/2 way to Miller to meet my mom to get a suburban for the Moab trip.

Monday, drop off suburban and my gear for trip on Friday (16th)

Tuesday, fly to Denver for work

Wed-Friday noon, Denver for full days of meetings

Friday noon, hopefully my friends will have made it to Denver to pick me up to get to Moab

Friday night, should have reached Moab and found a camping spot.

Saturday, ride

Sunday, ride

Monday, ride

Tuesday, travel all the way back to Rapid City and try and make it before 5pm.

Tuesday, Angie leaves to go to Nashville through Friday.

Oie...

Kona Ute

2010-04-06T20:17:00.002-06:00

The Ute arrived at Acme Bicycles today. I stopped in to take a peek. It looks awesome. The Ute is very comfortable to sit on and I can already dream up ways to use it. The one thing I'm disappointed about is that I didn't take it home. It was a snowy, wet mess outside and I didn't want the bike (which will start out as a trial) to have it's first ride in nasty conditions. I'm sure it's up to the task, but I didn't want to subject it to the elements quite yet; especially since it's not mine, yet...

My father-in-law is a woodworker so I'm sure I could negotiate with him to building me some bolt on deck options. I've seen a couple pictures out there where they would build 2 child seats onto the deck. I've also seen a beer deck among other nifty items I'll have to look into if it becomes a reality in my household.

If the weather turns around, I'll get a ride to the shop and ride it around for a couple days and decide if it is worth the purchase. I think it would be a great commuter with tons of options for a grocery getter and child carrier. It's just fun and economical.

Weekend and Easter

2010-04-05T10:11:00.002-06:00

I had planned to ride up to my parent's house by Nemo. This didn't happen. We got snow and the higher elevations got even more snow. I didn't want to risk riding on a no shoulder road with wet and slippery conditions. I'm going to have to start getting some rides in so I'm prepared for Moab.

I'm going to start gathering my leftover parts to put my Dawg back together. I need a bike where I can go bash around and have some fun. It won't be a light build but it should still climb well and will only have a few minor upgrades from stock. The fork will be different and probably some other minor things. As long as it runs and is fun, I don't care.

I have my hardtail for races and training. I'll probably end up riding it the most.

If the weather would straighten itself out I could get some more riding in. I might have to make due with what it is.

Ute

2010-04-02T10:24:00.003-06:00

It sounds like my favorite local bike shop (Acme Bicycles) will be offering me a chance to test out a Kona Ute next week. Am I excited you ask? Well, I think that's a stupid question. I get to try a Kona Ute for free! It's going to be my commuter, get groceries, haul the kids places bike and I'm going to like it, then I'm probably going to purchase it. I might have to see if I can trade or offer services to help pay for the damn thing, but I think I can make it work.

I'm excited. Yes!

The weather sucks today.

I was hoping to ride up to my parent's house by Nemo tomorrow. The ride would be about 20 miles mostly uphill which really doesn't matter to me. It'd be fun and i could get my first long-ish ride in of the season. If I had the Ute, I'd take it and maybe haul a kitchen sink, but I don't... so I'll probably just haul myself and maybe a water bottle or two. This will all take place IF the weather cooperates. I'm not going to ride when the roads are slippery and slushy up that dreaded, windy, drivers don't pay attention road.

Moab 2010

2010-04-01T20:26:00.004-06:00

Me and some buddies are heading to Moab, UT in a couple weeks for 3 days of slickrock riding fun. I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Moab biking since I got into the activity. I'll have to post lots of pictures once we return.

I went on my first (real) ride of the season last Sunday. It was spectacular. I know crossfit has definitely help me keep my fitness over the winter but I will still have to incorporate some more riding. My breath seemed a little short at times but I did have good power and my recovery time was very short.

The fat tire festival is coming up soon also. I'm not sure if I'll be doing any races. I might try the hill climb, maybe the cross country. I'm thinking of just helping out though. I will try and ride as many bhmba sponsored races as I can this year instead.

WOD

2010-02-09T13:47:00.002-07:00

Today was one of my favorite workouts. Deadlifts...

21-15-9-15-21

Deadlift (205 lbs)
Pushups
Situps

Tabata pullups
- if you can't do any more pullups you have to dead hang.

I was wanting to go for 225# for my deadlifts but decided against it since there were so many reps. I'm glad I stuck with 205# because my core was all the way shredded at the end. I'm sure my form was lacking on the last few. Pushups and situps were excellent.

Tabata pullups were extremely difficult. I didn't have any grip strength after doing all the deadlifts. I'm sure I could have completed more pullups than I did but I just couldn't hold my grip.

My hands and forearms are fatigued to the point it's nearly impossible to type. I'm managing though.

I'm not sure if I should take tomorrow off or go. I could rest tomorrow, go thursday and off Friday, then on Saturday. My plan would look like 2 on, 1 off 1 on 1 off 1 on 1 off and continue... It has more to do with my schedule than anything. I'd like to do a 2 on 1 off senario but my schedule isn't allowing me to do that consistently. I guess I go when I can.

WOD Mon. Feb 8

2010-02-08T13:04:00.003-07:00

10 Thrusters (85 lbs)
15 pullups
20 double-unders

5 rounds

Today was a bit difficult to get back into the swing of things. It's the first day in 2 weeks in which I have actually done a workout. I've drank a lot of beer and traveled and tended to sick kids, but workout was not one of them. It felt fairly good. I was slightly out of breath and I could tell my pullups were struggling. After I finished the workout in around 13 minutes, I had a terrible gut cramp that went away in a few minutes. It was nice to be back in the gym.

Everyone did very well with the workout today. Thrusters should suck, but I'm finding that I kinda like them. They use so many different movements and incorporate the full body. Pull-ups were a struggle. I was able to knock out the first 15 no problem but anything after that I had to do in sets of 5.

My diet has been pretty poor the last couple weeks as well. It's time to get back to it and keep it paleo and clean. I feel much better and my workouts are much more productive with the proper nutrition.

Bikes

2010-02-05T09:47:00.003-07:00

I think I might have a good source on a Kona Ute. It's going to come in handy this summer when running to the store or taking little bike camping trips with Oli. Maybe. We might not go far either, but I think it would be fun and he could already start to learn the abilities of traveling with two wheels.

I'm also thinking of building the Kona Dawg back up. I have most of the original parts to get it rolling again. I'm not really sure why. I guess just because I have extra parts and what good is a frame if it's not built. I might have to take some things off the Schwinn Single speed, like the fork... but i want a rigid fork for that anyway.

Crossfit WOD Thursday, Jan 21, 2010

2010-01-21T21:05:00.002-07:00

For my WOD today I did a little challenge we came up with. It was Ryan and Justin's idea to do 100 box jumps (30"box) and 100 pullups. I decided to open my trap and add in 100 burpees. Jared and I completed it today.

100 pullups
100 box jumps
100 burpees

23:something

I gotta tell you, it was hard. We split them into sets of 10. Now I wish I would have done sets of 20 or possibly 25. I think I spent too much time walking between stations. The good thing is I was able to complete each exercise without taking a break. I might try again next week and do sets of 20 or 25. Jared struggled a bit more because he isn't proficient at kipping pullups. I could easily crank out 10 before he was done with 5. He'll get there.

It was a good day. I've had alot of rest the last week and a half so everything felt good. I have to try and get back into my routine of 3 on 1 off but it all depends upon my schedule

Trip

2010-01-12T18:48:00.001-07:00

Heading to Denver for a few days for work.

Basketball

2010-01-11T13:40:00.003-07:00

City league basketball started yesterday. I was amazingly impressed with my fitness from crossfit. Seriously, I was able to go all out for 40 minutes. My recovery time was minimal and needed very few breaks. Unfortunately we lost, but I felt my performance was very good. I need to shoot better but that comes with practice which I haven't done lately.

At CF on Saturday I did Fran for the first time.

"Fran"
21-15-9
95lb Thrusters
Pullups

My time was 8:10 which I think is pretty good considering I've never done it before. The thrusters were killer. My shoulder strength is a little poor for pushing things overhead.

I'm excited to see how CF relates to my bike races this summer.

Birthday, Christmas, New Year and today

2010-01-08T13:44:00.002-07:00

Not much new out West.

I haven't been on a bike in nearly 2 months. There seems to be alot going on. My dad had surgery, baby, daycare, christmas, new years, job, traveling, family, hunting and anything else that could make our lives busier.

New Belgium is sponsoring the Fat Tire festival this year. It's coming in May so get signed up. If you want to come out but don't have a place to stay. Let me know, we have a back yard you can throw your sleeping bag on. If you're nice we might let you come inside.

Have a great weekend.

Fun Stuff

2009-11-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

43 miles per gallon

Created by The Car Connection

WOD Thursday, Oct 29

2009-10-29T13:13:00.002-06:00

5 pullups
10 lunges per leg
15 wall ball – I used the 20lb ball and hit the 10 ft mark on 2 sets
20 squats

5 times

11:13

Becky Hammon was there in the morning and posted the best time of the day at 8 min something. Pretty cool.

My legs are trashed for the day. My spring biking is going to be soooo good.

WOD at Black Hills Crossfit

2009-10-28T14:02:00.002-06:00

Went to CrossFit for the first time since last Thursday. I gave blood on Friday and wasn't feeling up to par for the workouts.

Strength session
5-5-5-5 Deadlifts I pulled 225 on my last set. I could probably go up but need to work on some lower back strength and form first.

WOD
5 overhead squats - bar only (45lbs)
30 pushups

repeat 5 times

My time was 5:40+ something. I need to start remembering it but I was kind of tired after it.

I can't believe how much pushups can hurt. Then again, I just did 150 of them. Well, 30 with correct form and the others turned into girl, kicking screaming, can't get off the mat type of pushups. The overhead squats are absolutely amazing. I think they would be easier if I had more shoulder flexibility. I have a hard time keeping the weight centered over my body. My shoulders want to roll forward which brings the weight forward which then makes me lean forward. So, I'll have to work on flexibility.

I'm curious to see how my body will change in the next 6 weeks while doing crossfit and the paleo diet. A group at work has a challenge that started as a weight loss challenge but has turned into a fitness challenge for me. I'm more enterested to gain strength, speed and stamina over just loosing body fat. Then, I also figure with the right diet and the CrossFit exercises I should be doing both at a fairly high rate.

We tracked our numbers 2 weeks ago to start then last week was week 1 and so on. Here are my numbers.

Baseline
Weight: 194 lbs
Neck (in): 16
Waist: 35
Body Fat % 16.03
Lbs of Fat: 31.10
Lean Body Weight: 162.9

Week 1
Weight: 189.5 (-4.5)
Neck (in): 16
Waist: 33.5 (-1.5)
Body Fat % 12.96 (-3.07)
Lbs of Fat: 24.55 (-6.55)
Lean Body Weight: 164.95 (+2.05)

Week 2
Weight: 187 (-2.5)
Neck (in): 15.5
Waist: 33.5 (0)
Body Fat % 14.01 (+1.05)
Lbs of Fat: 26.2 (+1.65)
Lean Body Weight: 160.8 (-4.15)

I'm blaming on my changes that I didn't eat nearly enough this last week. We'll see what happens next week.

Football

2009-10-22T08:37:00.006-06:00

Last night we played our last flag football game for the year. Team 340 did not win the championship. We did get second place.

The team we played was good, really good and I think in the 5 or 6 years I've played, we've only beat them once. It was a fun game and I think we learned something. RPM (other team) is really good. I'll leave it at that.

My knee is a little sore but nothing I can't deal with. I was impressed with how good I felt. My sprints felt strong and I never was overly tired from the continuous running (we were running a hurry up offense). So, I'm thinking my workout program i.e. CrossFit must be working.

Today's WOD
2 Laps Around Building
15-10-5
Thrusters
Pull Ups
2 Laps Around Building

Thrusters - 85lbs
Total Time - 8:15

If you're going to be in town November 14th, the BHMBA will be hosting a duathlon on M-hill. It will be a 1.5 mile run, 8 mile bike and a 1.5 mile run. It's free for everyone so bring a friend. Check out the forums for more details.

Workouts

2009-10-20T14:00:00.004-06:00

Well, I joined a gym. Not just any ole gym though. The one I joined will bring you in, tear you up and spit you out in an hour or less. So far in the 4 sessions I've gone to my workouts have ranged from 8 minutes to 20 some minutes and I'm dead tired when all done.

I joined Black Hills CrossFit. I love it. It has to be the next best thing to bikes in the world. It's hard, fast, functional everyday movements that work every part of your body. It reminds me a bit of my college basketball or high school football days. I'm really excited to get to the olympic lifts where I hear you can see huge gains in strength, speed and stamina. Those are all the things I'm striving for, and of course overall wellness.

I think I might keep a running journal of my workouts and post the times here. I know my loyal 3 readers do not care, but I think it will be beneficial to me so I can keep track of my progress.

If I keep up these workouts through next year, I will be very interested to see how and if my mountain biking improves. I'm sure I'll have more physical endurance and strength. Can't wait!!!

Today's W.O.D.

10 pullups
20 pushups
30 sit-ups
40 squats
4x

15:22 (I think, I can't remember for certain)

Tools and stuff.

2009-10-03T16:40:00.003-06:00

I'd like to get myself one of these tools. http://parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=4&item=FR-1

I have a double chainring on the front of my old schwinn that I converted to a single. I'd like to change it up a bit so I can use the bigger ring when I ride to work, then go back to the small ring when I want to do the mtb. I wonder if I should just put a front derailleur on and I can shift it whenever. I'm not sure how well that would work though. I wonder if it would bind too much. Any thoughts?

New Addition

2009-09-28T14:45:00.003-06:00

We had our baby. Went to the hospital at 8pm Friday night and Jonah William was born Saturday, Sept 26 at 1:49 a.m. So, I have the week off to be with my family. I might take Oli for some daily bike rides if the weather cooperates.

Here's a pic.

Impressive

2009-09-17T22:21:00.005-06:00

I know some of you will be impressed, some awed and others... well, let's just say they already know about it and will not seem as excited as some.

Lets haul some stuff!!!

Xtracycle

Kona Ute

Get out and ride/haul.

Black Hills Log Home/Acreage for Sale

2009-09-16T20:49:00.003-06:00

I'm going to list my in-laws house here for a while. They are trying to sell their beautiful home. The information is all below:

Very private, three-level, 3200 square foot, custom log home built in 2001. Awesome views from a wrap-around deck, 3 bedrooms, whirlpool tub in master bath, loft with it’s own deck, central AC, 30x54 three-car garage/shop, with 20x22 insulated and heated shop, and an 8x12 tack shed. Wood stove in the greatroom, cove heating in the lower level, heat pump, central air throughout. Hickory cabinets in the kitchen. An unbeatable location just three miles off I 90, southeast of Sturgis, SD, perfectly situated between Rapid City, Spearfish, and Deadwood. This can be a private retreat or development property. Mature landscaping surrounds the home with unique hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities.

This beautiful home can be purchased on a 20 to 80 acre parcel. $697,500 for the home and 20 acres. An additional 60 acres is negotiable.

Please leave a comment if you are interested and I will get back to you.
Thank you!

Dakota five-o

2009-09-11T09:11:00.003-06:00

Once again I competed. I went out strong and continued fairly strong through the first aid station. Somewhere between 1 and 2 I faded and faded hard. I lost all power and wasn't feeling up to the challenge of beating my previous time of 8 hours and 46 minutes. My plan was changing.

Once I arrived at aid station 2 I was feeling better. I loaded up on some fruit and water, refilled my bottles and within 5-10 minutes I was off again. A friend of mine was also racing who thought he would be chasing me. In reality, I was chasing him until the 4th aid station.

Between 2 and 3 I felt strong on most climbs and downhills felt better. I was cramping slightly in my quads as the heat was tipping the high 80s. I kept reaching in my jersey pocket to grab some sport beans and take a sip of water. I was back on track for beating my time.

I arrived at aid station 3 over and hour earlier than I had the previous year. We once again loaded up on some fruit and water, rested for a minute and decided to take off. So I hopped on the saddle and clipped my right foot and then tried to clip the left foot in. I thought "where in the hell is my peddle?" I looked down to find the crankarm gone. So, I looked back and saw it laying neatly in the grass behind me.

Well, sh*t... now what? With some help from a friend and local bike wrench, we put the crankarm on the best we could with the tools that were available. The arm stayed on through about half the distance from 3 to 4 when it fell off again. So, I stopped and put it back on again. This time I made it the last 4 or 5 miles of downhill riding to aid station 4.

While there I was tightening the arm when another local bike wrench from Spearfish asked if I needed anything. I said "yeah, I could use a crank bolt." He then asked what size and walked over and saw I was running SLX cranks. He didn't have anything for me but he did use a better tool to tighten the crankarm onto the spindle. It stayed the rest of the ride.

Right after aid 4 is a horrendous climb that goes straight up on an old forest service road. For me, its a 30-40 minute hike-a-bike up to the bacon station. My friend the wrench and the other friend who I was chasing were all hiking together when to my luck, they started to cramp. I asked if I could do anything while they stretched out and just kept walking. This was clearly my chance to move forward and regain my lead.

Once at the top at the bacon station it's a short climb then a very sketchy downhill where I broke my collarbone 5 or 6 years ago then at the bottom begins a slow, steady climb up a fire road for a few miles. I cranked away and kept going until I hit more single track. We're almost home... After the road, there is some small climbs up to the top of Tinton. I got there and felt really good about myself and the time. I was going to be in right around 2 p.m. which was alot earlier than last year.

I pushed as hard as I could the last 10 miles not getting out of the middle ring for any of the short bursts of steep climbs on the downhill run back to Spearfish.

I arrived at Spearfish park in 6 hours 51 minutes after starting the 50 mile race. I crushed last years time of 8 hours 46 minutes and set a new personal record for myself. I was extremely happy with my time and my race. Fun times... Can't wait for next year now. Can I go under 6?

Car/Bicycle Collisions

2009-08-31T14:57:00.001-06:00

The University of Toronto recently published an interview with Professor Chris Cavacuiti of the department of family and community medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital in which he quotes a study that found bicyclists are the cause of less than 10% of bike-car accidents. From the interview:
While there is a public perception that cyclists are usually the cause of accidents between cars and bikes, an analysis of Toronto police collision reports shows otherwise: The most common type of crash in this study involved a motorist entering an intersection and either failing to stop properly or proceeding before it was safe to do so. The second most common crash type involved a motorist overtaking unsafely. The third involved a motorist opening a door onto an oncoming cyclist. The study concluded that cyclists are the cause of less than 10 per cent of bike-car accidents in this study.
The available evidence suggests that collisions have far more to do with aggressive driving than aggressive cycling.

Couldn't say it better

2009-08-28T13:59:00.000-06:00

Check it out here.

Rants and Raves

2009-08-26T13:14:00.002-06:00

Alright, yesterday on my commute to work I learned something. The CITY closes the damn bike path for the Central States Fair. There isn't really any safe alternate route around either. I have to ride on highly traveled no shoulder roads where cages don't pay any attention. I will be writing a letter to the city about this. I believe if you are to have a bike path, it remains a bike path for the entire year. The current bike path has been turned into carnieville and parking. That's complete B.S. and I'm pissed about it.

If that wasn't bad enough, yesterday some punk a$$ kid yelled at my while I was riding home. He yells, "get on the sidewalk". I didn't retaliate although I thought many things in my tiny little hollow head. Apparently he has not learned the laws. I think he should be educated and then shocked with a hot shot just for being a stupid punk kid who apparently doesn't know sh*t.

On a much better note. I went for a little jaunt over my lunch break. First to Two Wheeler Dealer to see if they had some drink stuff I'm trying to find, then on to the grocery store. I wanted some fruit which I got. My issue came apparent when I realized I don't have any convenient way to carry grocery bags on my bike. I tied it down as good as possible to my rear rack without damaging the fruit. I do believe some nice grocery panniers are in order.

Any suggestions?

If anyone has any good insight on the bike path thing, please, let me know.

Ugh

2009-08-21T08:05:00.002-06:00

I have this crappy little head cold that won't go away. It's not horrible, just enough to make things uncomfortable. I can ride my bike and after about 20 seconds, I'm huffing and puffing like I haven't ridden ever. I'm ready for this to go away.

I need to get out on a long ride tomorrow morning. Find a nice long section of single track to go ride for a couple hours. A friend and I rode Victoria Lake last Friday. We logged about 13 miles of pristine single track. I'd like to ride 20 tomorrow. We'll see what the weather holds.

Primal Quest teams are making their way into Rapid. Team South Dakota is still a ways back but are doing wonderfully. I'm excited about their team. I wish SD would have shown some more support for them.

Workout for the day.

2009-08-17T14:03:00.002-06:00

Bike commute - round trip - 13 miles

Ride to track - round trip 4.4 miles

4x800 meter sprints for time.
1. 3:06
2. 3:08
3. 3:14
4. 3:18

Total bike miles = 17.4 miles
Total miles = 19.4 miles

Kona Kula Supreme set up for commuting

2009-08-13T10:00:00.003-06:00

Here is the bike I use for my commutes, my mountain bike rides and my road rides. I think it's a sweet setup and I love this bike. I would like to get some Old Man Mountain racks to compliment the bike and to provide more storage options. Post your commuter bikes if you've got one.

2008 Kona Kula Supreme frame
Fox Fork
SLX cranks
LX shifters and deralliures
SLX disc brakes
Easton carbon handlebar
Thompson Stem
WTB seat

Evening Ride Home

2009-08-11T21:11:00.003-06:00

I took some pictures of my ride home tonight. It mostly consists of riding on the bike path with a small bit of highway. It's not a bad ride.

They're backwards and I have more... I'll post tomorrow.

Any of you Desk Jockeys

2009-08-11T16:35:00.002-06:00

Have any of you tried one of these at your desk?

http://www0.epinions.com/search/?submitted_form=searchbar&search_string=pedaler&tax_name=Exercise+Equipment&dyn_nav=0&dyn_nav_id=&search_vertical=t10785&searchbar_submit=Search

After doing sprints and riding both days this week I have a serious case of restless leg syndrom. I feel like I need to get up and move. The legs are tight and sore and rather tired, but they just need to move. It's driving me nuts.

I'm going to start taking pictures of my ride or things on my ride every day. I need to liven up this blog a little. You just wait. Tomorrow, I'll post some pictures... maybe.

Lesson Learned

2009-08-10T08:12:00.004-06:00

Alright, I knew this ahead of time, but I guess I felt I had to test the waters. This morning, I wore my pants and shirt for the entire day on my commute. The temperature was a little lower this morning and I thought if I go slow enough, I won't have to change my clothes. Dead wrong. i still sweat. I know that. I sweat when it's 10 below if I have to ride any sort of distance. What's wrong with me.

Now, my pants are sticking to my legs and my shirt feels slightly damp. I'm so stupid.

Nothing Short of Inspiring

2009-08-07T22:40:00.002-06:00

Check out this site... probably one of the coolest dedications I have ever seen.

http://www.twinsix.com/

Day

2009-08-06T11:21:00.003-06:00

The 5-0 is approaching quickly. I need to get on some more rides. Tonight was possibly going to be a ride, but with the rain we've been having it's not looking promising. If I don't run up to Sturgis tonight, I might take a jaunt on the road.

One note, the Fat Cyclist's wife passed away yesterday from a long battle with cancer. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Gut Check

2009-07-29T08:15:00.003-06:00

I just realized something this last weekend. The Gut Check is coming up soon. The 7-9th of August. Since I haven't been planning on doing it, the race slipped my mind. Next year I'll be all over it. That is if I have my bicycle (Masi). I'll then try to ride it self supported the whole way. It should be fun.

Are any of you two loyal readers riding the GC212?

If you are, good luck!

New Love

2009-07-28T09:03:00.003-06:00

I think I found a couple new loves last night. I've always been a big fan of Masi bikes, but something came over me.

Masi 1

and the other

Masi 2

I really like the CX. It's versatile, has options to throw racks and fenders on it and just plain looks sharp.

I'm trying to decide if getting a commuter bike would be worth it. I've sold 3 of my bikes as I am trying to downsize. Really, I can't ride all six at once anyway.

In my perfect world, I would have my mt bike (Kona Kula Supreme) which is the perfect mt bike for me. It's fast, fun, has good components and will work exactly what I want it for. The other would be a touring/commuter bike. Something I could go and ride long and far and also throw some racks and fenders on for a nice ride to work. 2 bikes. That's it.

I'm in desperate need to clean out my garage and sell some junk. Once all that is accomplished, maybe I can take the money from my sold bikes and the junk I sell and purchase the Masi.

On some Interweb site I found a place where I can determine how much money I will save by riding to work instead of driving. It came up to 700 something per year. I actually thought it would be more than that since I drive a truck. Although, my ride is considerably shorter than my drive. The ride is about 7 miles each way and the drive is closer to 12-15... So, I bet if I punched in those numbers, it would give me a completely different outcome. This of course leads to the bike purchase as being an investment or more of a necessity. Well, not quite a necessity but basically in one year, the bike will have paid for itself and bikes can last for a long time!

hmmm

Mileage

2009-07-24T09:12:00.002-06:00

Rode about 22 miles yesterday. Maybe half of those were on the bike trail and the other half was on single track. Tell you what, I need to do some more climbing for leg strength. After that many miles, hills were starting to become quite difficult and I have the Dakota 5-0 coming up in about 5 weeks.

So, I guess I'll be spending alot of the next 5 weeks trying to get some mileage and doing as much climbing as humanly possible.

Sounds like fun, eh?

Kula Supreme Souped up

2009-07-23T16:35:00.001-06:00

I got my bike back from the bike shop yesterday. Oh man is it nice. I went from some old Truvativ cranks and bottom bracket to a nice new Shimano SLX crankset and bottom bracket. It is smooth as butter. I really wanted to go XT but didn't want to shell out the extra cash for it. 

They also did a little tune-up. They said my front derailliur was all messed up (I didn't realize cuz I never shift out of the middle ring) and the rear deralliur was falling off the small sprocket. Again, I had no idea since I never shift there. Apparently I should be riding a single speed since I never shift. I suppose that's a good thing.

Cranks

2009-07-20T09:53:00.001-06:00

I'm having some serious issues with my cranks on my Kula Supreme. The cranks are off my old Dawg and have seen better days. 

The last few days on my commute they would really start to creak and squeek about 5 minutes into the ride. On Friday, it was horrible. 

Once I got home I assesed the situation. The left crankarm was apparently loose (read: almost ready to fall off). I located my trusty allen wrench to tighten the said crankarm when to no avail, it would not tighten. Well, it would, but not to actually tighten the crankarm itself. The screw would tighten, then I couldn't turn the cranks. As soon as I would loosen the screw, the crank would whoble freely once again.

So, I guess the Kula has to go in for some service. I don't know if I can get away with a spacer or something or if it is more serious. I really don't want it to be serious but if it is, I really have no choice. I can't say I have extra cranks laying around for a spare. 

Also, now that I'm trying to downsize my amount of crap. I don't have a plethora of bicycles to choose and ride each and every day. I still have my Coilair which is also getting sold. I have an interested party so I should probably clean it up and have it ready to head out the door. Which will leave me with my Kula, a Dawg frame and a Schwinn that is torn apart and might as well be just a frame. And that's all my bikes.

I'm thinking I might have to look into buying a good commuter bike. I feel slightly guilty riding my best mt bike to work every day. Seems like it's going to wear out faster than I care for it to. 

Kona Ute... Is it in the future? Maybe that's what the Coilair will turn into. 

I'll then have 2 bikes, my good mt bike and my commuter.

Seems logical.

Words of Advice

2009-07-20T08:22:00.001-06:00

From the Tao Te Ching:
It is not wise to dash about. Shortening the breath causes much stress. Use too much energy, and You will soon be exhausted. That is not the Natural Way. Whatever works against this Way Will not last long.

Weekly Rides

2009-07-17T14:09:00.001-06:00

So far this week I've been able to accomplish 55.5 miles of riding. Nothing special, to work and home and a little over lunch. I rode Monday, Tuesday and Friday. I also plan on riding about 20 miles or so tomorrow. I did plan on a long mtb ride but now have decided to get some long endurance on the road in.

I'm hoping to bump up the milage little by little each week until a week or so before the Dakota 5-0. I'm pretty determined to do much better this year. I'm sick of sucking it up in that race. In the 5 or so years I've done it, I have yet to break 7 hours. Yes folks... 7 hours. That sucks by anyone's standards. I'm horrible and this year I will not be.

I have no idea what kind of training I'm going to do. Just ride lots I guess.

Construction

2009-07-15T13:31:00.001-06:00

Why is it that road construction puts giant construction signs right at the intersections of highly traveled foot traffic? There is a place I cross every day and they have a giant sign blocking the intersection so pedestrian traffic can't be seen by drivers. 

I've almost been hit a few times due to drivers, a. not looking, or b. can't see me. I'm 6'2" and the sign is about twice the size as I am. It just doesn't makes sense to put those in the line of sight of pedestrian traffic. 

Test Post

2009-07-14T08:48:00.001-06:00

This is a test post from a Blogger widget on my Mac.

Day 2

2009-07-14T08:09:00.003-06:00

Today was day 2 of my new commute. It was good but I'm feeling a little tired after my 21 mile ride yesterday. I can tell I haven't ridden for quite a while. It was much more windy today as well. The wind made it feel like I was on a much longer ride than normal. I was definitely pushing it.

The one problem I do notice is that I try to see how fast I can go. I need to learn just to relax and spin my way to work. I can push it going home. I just always feel like I have to get wherever I'm going as fast as I can. That's not good.

My new commute will be a great way to get in shape and ready for the Dakota 5-0.

Have a great day. I'll try and remember my camera to take some pictures of my new route.

Finally

2009-07-13T08:39:00.003-06:00

I finally did it. I rode my bike to work from our new location. I was going to make a test run prior to the actual trip but decided that was never going to happen. It's a decent ride. 7.2 miles if I go on the bike path for most of the distance. I have to ride a little on Hwy 44 and on St. Patrick street. Neither was nearly as horrifying as I was expecting.

The ride was relatively easy. There are no real climbs or decents or... mostly rolling. The ride home will be a little more difficult as more is uphill but it still shouldn't be too challenging. Plus, I need to get in shape for the Dakota 5-0 so a little climbing will suite me good.

It took me almost exactly 30 minutes. I can deal with that. When I worked at NAU and only had a 3 mile ride, it took me 27 minutes because of a giant hill. I like this new ride better.

I feel great!!!

Now, get out and ride!

Friday

2009-07-10T09:14:00.002-06:00

It's Friday today. It's Angie's birthday today and I have a nice evening planned out. I've already told her the details so I'm sure I can share. We're heading up to Latchstring to spend the night. For those that don't know, it's up Spearfish canyon. It is definitely a beautiful place. Oli is spending the night at his aunt and uncle's house and I'm sure he'll have fun.

It's obvious that the tour is going on. I'm loving every minute of it. However, it's making me want a road bike again. I'll have one someday. Now is not the time.

I'm thinking of de-cluttering my life. There are numerous boxes full of stuff that we've decided that we really don't need. So, my objective is to sell as much stuff as possible and the place will probably be either e-bay or craig's list. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great weekend.

Whoa!

2009-06-29T22:13:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in a few days. It's crazy how fast the time flies this time of year. Any time of year really...

There was a mountain bike race this past Sunday on some sweet new trail called Buzzard's Roost. I didn't make it. I'm glad too as I haven't been on my bike in a couple weeks. I know, it's nearly a sin to not have ridden my bike in that amount of time. However, with the move and all the crap that's going on and the added commute distance, which I might note, I don't know what that is yet.... I just don't feel I have things in order nearly enough to ride to work yet. Yes, I realize excuses are like a-holes...

Enough about that.

I'm pretty excited about the tour this year. Astana has too many GC contenders and everyone else is just has strong. Great year.

That's all.

What the!!!

2009-06-24T08:11:00.002-06:00

If you received an email from me last night with the subject RE: !!! do not open it. It came from my gmail.com account. Delete it right away. I haven't checked that email in weeks. I have the address forwarded to my work account so I can see what's coming in but I don't send anything from there. Don't do it!!!

This sucks. It can't be my infected computer, someone has copied my address and sent that message to everyone in my address book.

Damn it!

BHMBA in the spotlight

2009-06-12T10:17:00.001-06:00

Hey, check out this post about the BHMBA on the Kona site. It's great news and a super good article about our little mountain bike mecca in the hills.

Rain and move update

2009-06-10T13:38:00.003-06:00

It seems since we've put our house up for sale, we've done nothing but wait. Then something comes up and we get excited and emotional... then we find out the close date has been postponed. It has happened over and over again. There might be a light at the end of the tunnel. There is a possibility we could close as early as Friday.

We are ready. There are a few large items left to load and some cleaning to do, for the most part... let's move.

This experience has hurt my cycling time. I haven't been able to compete in a couple races and if we close Friday, it's one more race out of the books. I'm alright with that. This lifetime isn't all about me, it's about my family and providing for them and being the best dad I can. If that means missing out on a couple bike races, then so be it.

On another note, I should have a raffle for some of my things. Tickets will be $1 and this will go towards my Kona Ute. I don't know what I'm going to raffle off but it's going to be ok. Not good, just ok. I've seen other bloggers do this with amazing success. However, they're raffling off things like brand new bicycles, trips and great goods. I only have crap.

Hope you Tour de Kota'rs are doing well and staying dry.

And... it's still raining.

Rain

2009-06-09T07:34:00.002-06:00

It is raining. It has been raining for days. Wonder how the Tour de Kota is doing with all the rain. Sometimes it's nice to ride in the rain.

Well, not too many people voted on what to get, Kona Ute or the Surly Big Dummy. 2 people voted for the Big Dummy and no votes for the Ute.

Unfortunately, if I ever get the opportunity to have an Xtracycle, I'll probably end up with the Ute. It costs considerably less. The big dummy is $1,000 for just the frame and fork whereas the Ute sells for just under $900 for the complete package. I realize it probably won't have the greatest components, but it is affordable.

And, it's still raining.

Waiting

2009-06-08T08:06:00.001-06:00

We're still playing the waiting game with our house situation. We packed up a majority of our things over the weekend and they are in the trailer ready to be moved. Other than that, I have no news to report.

Tracking

2009-06-05T08:21:00.003-06:00

I think I'm going to start tracking my monthly bike vs car items. I know a couple friendly bloggers who do it.

1. Biking Brady
2. Minus Car

It seems like a great idea and will be even more impressive to me when my commute is greatly increased if we ever get to move. However, I think it's still valid and will prove that I am out to do my part.

This new big commute that I will have to do seems to warrant a new bicycle. I know our friend Snakebite rides a Surly Big Dummy which I do find quite appealing. However, I could be persuaded to ride a Kona Ute which is very similar to the Big Dummy. I would have to order one either way through my favorite bike shop, Acme Bicycles.

The question remains, which bike shall I get and how will I justify the expense. So, comment back on how you think the expense can be justified. These are the things I have considered.

1. Gas savings from driving a 16 mpg truck every day.
2. I can pick up groceries on the way home.
3. It will serve as a hauling vehicle when things need to be hauled.
4. It comes pre-installed with over-sized panniers.
5. It looks cool.

So, post your comments, I'll compile them and post all the reasons why I should have either a Big Dummy or Ute.

Get out and ride.

Appraisal

2009-06-03T07:51:00.002-06:00

The new appraisal on our house was done yesterday. The appraiser said the house was one of the nicest old houses he's seen. So, that being said, our house should have a good appraisal and everything should go though, hopefully. That means we might get to move next Friday. It's a week later, but at least it's still moving forward.

I haven't been on the bike in almost 2 weeks with all this madness going on. Fortunately the weather hasn't cooperated for a good ride. It's been very rainy here lately.

I went to a physical therapist for my knees on Monday. I received some good information from him and will continue to go back a couple more times. He's basically stretching some muscles in my hip flexors and quads which he thinks are to blame for my knee pain. Since my job consists of sitting all day, it has shortened my quads and flexors enough to wreck havok on other areas. I did go for a 3 mile run today with no pain.

Things are looking up.

Move Update...

2009-06-02T08:11:00.002-06:00

Well, it looks as if we will not be moving this week. We were supposed to close on our house on Thursday. This past Friday we got word the buyers have been denied of their loan. Our mortgage lady stated that she could give them a loan. However, this process will now take an extra 2-2 1/2 weeks to complete. They have to change their loan type which means more inspections and more appraisals.

I will never sell another house again. This has got to be the worst experience ever. On top of that, I made a delicious cup of coffee that I would pour into a travel mug and enjoy on my walk to work this morning. The thing I didn't account for is all our cups have been packed. So, I instantly said screw it and walked without my morning joe.

I don't even care so much about the cup. What I do care about is the fact that half of our house is packed up and we are in a very uncomfortable state and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it other than wait. Waiting we are doing.

We've been told the worst case scenario is closing on the 19th and best case would be the 12th. It's only an extra 2 weeks, it shouldn't be that bad unless you've been told 3 separate times when the closing will be just to have the contract broken and changed once again.

I'm getting very close to saying screw it and we'll keep our damn house. But, we need to move. We need more space. Well, need probably isn't the right word, it would be very beneficial for us to have a slightly larger and differently organized house.

So, we're back on the waiting game.

Ugh!

Lame Duck Flu

2009-05-28T12:41:00.002-06:00

Well, I did the hill climb on Friday night. Then I missed out on the XC race. It rained the night before and Angie had to go to a graduation which ment I was to be a dad that day. So, I stayed home and played and packed with my boy.

After that, I have this totally terrible head cold that is kicking my butt. I haven't been able to walk up the stairs without getting winded. It started on Sunday and has gradually been getting worse. I think I'm finally on the downhill slide though. I'm ready for it to be done so I can go ride again.

We're a week away from moving into our new house. Lots of packing and hauling to be done this weekend.

If you're not busy, stop by.. .lend a hand. I'll have beer.

Pre-ride

2009-05-22T08:32:00.002-06:00

I was going to pre-ride the course yesterday but ended up going for a 10 mile spin. Not real far. I'm up in the air if I will be able to do the race tomorrow. Angie has to be at NAUs graduation at 10 and that's when the race starts. That's not going to work very well having a small dude in our house. So... my race is up in the air.

I do plan on riding the hill climb tonight. I can't be sure how prepared I am. I'm probably not in super good climbing form, but I'll try it anyway. How will I know unless I try.

On the home front, we really really need to start packing. It's terrible. We move in 13 days and we have so little done. It's hard to pack when you might need the stuff. We won't, but that's our mentality.

If you're in Rapid, shoot me an email and I'll see if we can meet up.

Now, get out and ride.

Upset

2009-05-21T10:59:00.003-06:00

I'm so mad. This morning I was supposed to go for an hour long spin. I didn't get up in time. I slept right through. Now I'm trying to figure out when I'm going to get my ride in. I could go for a quick 3 mile run instead. I might have to do that immediately after work.

I have the hill climb tomorrow at 6. I'm not sure how difficult it will be. If I remember right, last years winning time was around 8 minutes. Average was about 15. I wish I knew how long it was and where exactly it goes.

Since I run and ride, I was reading Runner's World yesterday and it was saying how if you were to run a 5k race once a week, it would improve your performance. On top of my riding and running, I might give it a shot. Go out and pound out a fast 5k and see how I do. I think my best time ever was about 18 minutes. Can't say I could do that now.

I'll also need to be ready for the xc race on Saturday. It runs 15-20 miles on alot of new trail on M-hill. It's going to be a good one. I usually stay fairly conservative in my race strategy. I treat it more of a leisurely ride than anything. This time, I plan on racing and putting myself into the red. I'd like to see how hard I can push it. I don't want to burn out too early, but I want to keep a high pace. I'll use my heart rate monitor to judge my efforts. I think my legs should be strong enough to withstand a good deal of stress. We'll see.

Day off

2009-05-20T11:04:00.002-06:00

I'm taking the day off today as far as workouts go. I need the rest before the hill climb and xc race on saturday. My legs are pretty tired.

Not much else in the way of news. We're making very little progress packing for our big move. I did get the majority of bikes moved from the garage to a storage shed so I know they're safe. I did keep the two I ride frequently at home so I can keep an eye on them.

One quick tip. If you have quick release wheels on your bike, make sure before every ride they are secure. I didn't have one fall off, but after my ride yesterday, I was pushing my bike to the garage and heard a rattly noise. I checked the wheel and sure enough, the quick release was very very loose. I'm sure if I would have had to pop a wheelie, the wheel would have fallen right off.

So, check those wheels.

Get out and ride. And if you're not doing that... help us pack!