InsertCleverTitleHere

No RAGBRAI for Me

2008-07-14T13:43:00.002-06:00

Riding more than ever this year yet somehow, I am stacking up a number of “cycling disappointments” this year. First, there were a number of curtailed long training rides early in the “season.” Late March and early April were downright crummy weather days for accumulating epic distance training rides in preparation for a TransIowa.

Then there was the TransIowa failure itself. Less than 1/3 of the route completed due to inclement weather before missing the time cutoff… ‘nough said.

High hopes for a super long ride ‘round Lake Pepin brought with it a feeling of listlessness in the saddle, no excitement, and a incomprehensible feeling of impending doom.

Bad things come in 3’s? No RAGBRAI. (Pronounced: rag, bry) For the last 23 years, I’ve turned toward Iowa for the Register’s Annual Great Beer Run Across Iowa. Started when I was 14 and haven’t missed an attendance in some form or another in all these years!

My first year involved a charter bus with the North Iowa Touring Club- NITC. I attended solo, with my older brother’s girlfriend at the time acting as “guardian.” It was a truly life-altering experience in SO many ways. I had no idea what I was in for. I rode in regular shorts, tennis shoes, even rode an 80 mile day in a pair of jeans. I subsisted entirely on Hardees and beer. Yes, at the time, truly if you could reach the counter on the corner of the town square, you would be over-served by the gentlemen (usually VFW or Kiwanis) manning the tap.
Year two… I was flatly told that when I called NITC and inquired about going again that I was not allowed. :) Instead, I attended solo with the Rockford Club out of Charles City, IA. I had a release waiver signed by the neighbor across the street who was evidently somewhere in attendance on the ride too, though I never actually saw him.
By year three, I had convinced a friend to drive and brother to go with. We borrowed my parents Plymouth Reliant station wagon, complete with faux wood paneling. I am afraid that the combination of the weight of coolers, beer, and equipment took its toll on the car. My mother claimed that it never quite drove the same again??
From years 4 through #10, the weight of beer packed increased and so did the number of people choosing to go. My oldest brother procured a dedicated RAGBRAI machine, a 1969 Ford Econoline “poptop camper. We had escalated to a trailer to load with bikes and gear. There was lawn furniture, outdoor music, coolers, shower, and enough other stuff to require weeks of preparation and recovery. We had years with a dedicated driver, years where we would take turns driving and had an informal contest to see who could score the best camping accommodations.
By the conclusion of #10, I had enough of the sleepless nights, partying, and long drives home. As the days ticked by, and the effects of sleep deprivation and constantly being surrounded by 3 other brothers and other friends joining for the “fun” it was just too much to take.\
By the time year #11 approached, I had decided I was going solo, self supported. I bought a Trek 520 touring bike, racks, and panniers. I left on a Thursday after work from the Twin Cities and rode south. I had no idea what I was in for, but managed to cover the nearly 400 miles to IA in 3 days. Rode all of RAGBRAI, caught a ride to Madison, WI and rode home. All tolled, 1156 miles in 12 days, I returned home burned to a crisp and probably 10 pounds lighter than when I left.
Over the years, I’ve gone back to Iowa each summer. Some years have involved a combination of driving, leaving a car, and rescues by my wife. I’ve managed to cover as much as 220 miles in one day and logged several 150+ mile days fully loaded. I’ve done nearly every century loop, and even the special 150 mile loop in celebration of the Iowa sesquitenial.

Since discovering the joy of traveling self-contained, I’ve never had the desire to go supported again. The ride down to IA has grown into being more satisfying than the actual event itself. With a family, an incredibly hectic life, family, and now a job offering precious little vacation time… sadly, I am afraid that a week plus on my own with bike has not made the cut. Bummer.

Return from Hiatus

2008-07-10T07:01:00.003-06:00

Our family was off on a mini-vacation last week. We visited Vermont for a few days on a bit of a whirlwind tour. Stunned by the beauty, impressed with the apparent quality of life, I am left certainly entertaining fantasies of a shot at a simpler life.

Yesterday 07/09/08 was the 1 year anniversary of my employment date at the Buffalo Wild Wings corporate offices. That first day of employment was the beginning of the commitment to ride my bike to work as frequently as I could. Now that it has been a whole year, I thought I would take a moment to reflect.

There were two days in July last year when I drove to work; once to bring in a box full of personal supplies and once because of a wedding obligation after work. If I make it to 07/20/08 then it will be a whole year of riding without once having driven to work.

Why make the commitment?

Savings: I don't have good statistics on the exact price of gas at the time, but I do recall somewhat attempting to justify my stubbornness with the idea that I was saving money. (More on that idea later.)
Interest: I have a passion for bicycles. I simply really like to ride my bike. Commuting is an opportunity to do that almost every day and puts me in condition to knock of rides on the weekends that are limited only by time, not so much physical conditioning.
Health: I believe that regular exercise is a VERY important component of a healthy physical and mental lifestyle.
Sanity: With nary an exception my bicycle ride is predictable and consistent. I never sit in traffic unmoving waiting for traffic. The time I spend on a saddle allows me to think, unwind, solve problems, decompress from work, and to reflect on life in general.

With the exception of cost savings, I think that I can say that objectives match up pretty well with results. Why not savings? I made the mistake of taking a peak at Quicken running a report for spending by category for the previous 12 months. Almost all bicycle expenditures are categorized as "Fun Money: Ken"

Holy Cow! The list of payees reads like a who's who of the esoteric bicycle parts industry. Hiawatha Cyclery, Velo Orange, Rivendell, County Cycles, ebaY, ebaY, ebaY. I think that there might be merit to my lovely spouses claims of almost weekly deliveries or arrivals. Over the last 12 months, I have spent A LOT on bike parts.

Okay, so I must have saved some by riding a bike, right? I figure 50 weeks of commuting 150 miles a week is equal to 7,500 miles. The car I was driving required premium fuel and got 25mpg at best if not driven aggressively. I seem to recall gas being in the neighborhood of $2.50 last year, now $4. At an average of $3.50, I've saved about $1,000 in gas. (300 gallons of fuel.)

Let me just say that I've spent four and a half times my savings on bike shit. That doesn't include my addiction to Ibex sportswear that has been categorized as clothing. (Thanks for saving my bacon on the budget on that one Anika.)

Of course there is no way that all of my purchases have been required for bicycle commuting. I would argue that most of it falls squarely in my "bicycle lifestyle and interest" category. Parts disappear into the basement bike shop, get tucked away on shelves like a squirrel puts away nuts for the winter. A lot of the commuting-related expenditures have been for items that will hopefully last me for years to come. Still, I cannot ignore the fact that there has been a substantial amount of spending on consumable bike parts; tires, chains, cogs, chainring, rims, etc.

The only thing that has really saved me in the overall savings has been the fact that we were able to sell off one of our cars. No car payment, no insurance, no maintenance.

Urban or Rural

2008-06-26T10:59:00.001-06:00

One of the imponderable questions often asked and evaluated around our home concerns the debate about urban or rural. If given the choice to live somewhere; would it be rural or urban. I have found myself re-thinking along these lines over the last few weeks.

There are parts of the urban (really sub-urban) existence that I enjoy, primarily proximity to so many choices of places to work, things to do, buy, and see. Where I find fault with this attraction is that exposure to choice creates its own problems; the opposite of “out of sight, out of mind.” I find myself being amazed with the size of the Twin Cities. The number of miles that can be ridden on a bike without ever leaving the metro often stuns me!

Outside of being impressed with the scale and convenience offered by life in the city, I think that is where the fascination ends. I would much rather take the peace and pace of a quieter place like the open road in the country.

We are suburb dwellers, feeling like urban farmers… tending to flowers and landscape on what would be considered an extremely large lot for the city (approximately ½ acre.) It once felt like I could be on the open road in the country in a matter of minutes by bicycle. Realistically though, it is a minimum of something in the order of 20 miles before I would be anywhere I would call remotely close to rural.

Some of my longer rides have taken me considerably further away from my house into what I would truly call rural areas. My loose definition of rural being: Can not see more than a couple of homes or structures from any one given location. There are portions of Washington County or Dakota County that might qualify, but one really needs to cross the border into Wisconsin. Even there, the glory days of open roads and great riding have become more difficult to find as the border cities have grown in size too.

It promises to be a busy weekend, then heading out of town for next week. Don’t expect to read anything new until after the weekend after the 4th. Go ride your bike, give it some thought as you live your life and consider the question I pose: Given a choice: Urban or Rural

I am Okay with That

2008-06-25T10:38:00.002-06:00

When I grew up, I was one of those kids that upon finding something new, would often examine it carefully. If I found any screws, I would take it apart to see if I could determine how it worked. Seldom one to accept things at face value, I can be okay if I grasp concept, but often get frustrated if I do not quite understand how things work.

This morning I had the epiphany that this is not always the case. In the constant quest to understand myself better, I realized the when it comes to literature, art, and music I am very much okay with not understanding any hidden message. These are things that I enjoy very much and have an appreciation for, but never quite cared all that much to understand any deeper meaning.

Case in point the musical group Sigur Ros. They released a new album called “Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust” Um… yeah… Me neither. They are Icelandic and I cannot understand a word they are “singing” but find the sound rich, layered, and intriguing. This being I believe their 5th release. I’d have a hard time identifying songs from one album or the next. I really enjoy the sound. Free song samples are available here: http://www.sigurros.com/main/AlbumList.asp?ArID=1&AID=64&lng=EN

I’ve always enjoyed music a lot. I've managed to collect hundreds of CD's over the years from an eclectic mix of artists. I have zero musical talent and have no real desire to attempt to produce my own noise. Recently been enjoying: Orchestra Baobab, Sigur Ros, the new Coldplay, Moby, Caribou, and stuck enjoying The Polyphonic Spree. Always looking around for interesting sights, sounds, and other things I don’t understand. I’m okay with that.

Feelings Of Impending Disaster

2008-06-23T11:45:00.005-06:00

My time on Saturday morning and afternoon was spent in a mix of emotion; excited and nervous about the expected evening departure for a bicycling adventure. I packed up my custom Rivendell All-Rounder with a large saddlebag and supported by my newly acquired Rivendell Hupe.

Being one to over-pack, I narrowed my packing list down to the essentials with a little margin for error. Tools, 2 spare tubes, pump, long sleeve wool, short sleeve wool, knee-warmers, hat, sunscreen, lip balm, contact solution, 4 packages of Clif Shot Blocks, 2 Odwalla bars, camera, phone, and wallet. The forecast called for a 20% chance of rain, so I packed the rain jacket to ensure dryness. My medium sized Acorn bag held everything, but there was little room for anything else.

Scott showed up with lightly packed panniers and we rolled down the driveway right around 6pm. The plan was to ride south and east around Lake Pepin, possibly to Winona, then back home. Grand estimated total was going to be in the 260 mile range. We were going to ride all night and all day on Sunday.

Just east of Saint Paul, I ran over something and flatted. I replaced the tube, realized how much I dislike mini-pumps for large volume tires, and we were on our way again… For all of 10 minutes. The tube that I used as a replacement was one that I had previously patched (evidently ineffectively.)

Maybe 15 miles into our ride, I had exhausted my supply of spares. In hind sight, this is when I started feeling the sense of something being wrong, something not feeling right about our ride. I called my brother’s house thinking we could detour to his house where I could pick up at least one spare tube; no answer.

We took a detour through Woodbury to look for somewhere we might be able to find a spare tube. Spotted a closed Erik’s Bike Shop before settling on a Sports Authority where I was able to pick up a couple of presta valve tubes. Dark clouds were banking up overhead, but I felt a bit more at ease knowing I was prepared now with new spares.

We rolled east and south through Afton before the winds picked up and we received a few drops of rain. Dark clouds off to the west and south flickered with occasional lightning.

The clouds threatening overhead were a good physical indicator of just how it felt to be riding. The bike felt good, body felt good, we remained dry, seemed to be behind the storm, and were well prepared for the long adventure, but something just didn’t feel right.

We crossed the river into Prescott, Wisconsin when Scott suggested we grab some food before heading into the core of our overnight ride. Since Subway had closed at 9, we settled for convenience store goodies instead of sit down bar food.

Miles passed uneventfully in the darkness to the point of Highway 35 and 63 where we stood for what felt like 15 minutes. Something nagging didn't feel right about the whole adventure... There we were at our crossroads, both having shared with one another our unending feelings of anxiety; we finally made the decision to curtail the length of our adventure.
We rolled into Redwing just before midnight where we caught a bite to eat, shared a pitcher of beer, and looked over maps to plan an ad-hoc meandering route home.

The balance of our overnight ride took us on the Cannon Valley trail to Cannon Falls, then a combination of quiet county roads both paved and gravel to home. Although we had discussed a MORE meandering ride home, it wound up being a pretty direct ride. Our pace was certainly nothing extraordinary, interrupted by a number of map checks and clothing changes. I rolled into my driveway around 6am.

All tolled, we covered approximately 130+ miles in an all-night satisfying adventure. No regrets, glad to know as soon as we had turned back west that the pit in my stomach disappeared, glad to have not experienced whatever it was that just didn’t feel right.

Ride With Scott

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Week Wrapup

2008-06-20T07:35:00.000-06:00

Picked the wrong day to take the route down Como Avenue this morning. I should have known that something was going on yesterday when I attempted to take a different route to work yesterday and cut through the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The security guard greeted the two other commuters that had a similar plan.

Not being one with an ear to the ground concerning car culture, I was unaware that it was time for Back To the 50’s http://www.msra.com/BackToThe50s.htm Cars were lined up idling all the way down Como Avenue from Hamline to the entrance of the fairgrounds. Dan would have loved it though, they were all lined up covering up the bike lane.

Yup, nothing like starting the day with a mile of passing idling hot rods from the 1950’s. Honestly, I was starting to feel a little green from the exhaust smell.

Running behind schedule on a Friday… What’s a person to do? That’s right… Ferrari Friday. Took my Rivendell Custom road bike, slung the Timbuk2 bag over the shoulder and off on the long route to work. http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/155633 It was a beautiful morning for a ride.

Took the long way home yesterday via Hiawatha Cyclery to pick up a replacement headlight. Worked a bit on set up on my Rivendell All-Rounder making an attempt to get it ready for a long ride this weekend (thus the requirement for a headlight.)

Today is the 3rd day this week of riding a “nice” bike to work. Perhaps I should make it a regular thing to actually make a point of riding all of the various bikes that I own back and forth to work at least once in a while. Perhaps if I did this, I could actually have some merit to my arguments for owning them? Hmmm….

Have a nice weekend, hope to have a good ride report by Monday?

For Sale

2008-06-17T07:21:00.005-06:00

Her loveliness, my partner in this confusing experience we call life, my wonderful wife is on my case about the number of bicycles that I own. As much as it might pain me to admit it, she’s right. I have too many “bikes.” (Not all of them quite qualify as bikes, some fall well into the “project” category.) So, here’s the beginning of the list of potential sellers.

The first step in solving a problem is admitting it exists, right?

1993 Trek 520 Touring 23” frame, fork, headset. Long horizontal dropouts with derailleur hanger installed by Bob Brown. Spaced for 135mm, cosmetically challenged, needs paint. An otherwise fine and very functional machine. $100. SOLD

1960’s? $h!+-Brown Schwinn Varsity. Size, way too small, like a 17” frame. Complete, almost as-new condition complete with original matching translucent brown plastic bar “tape.” Why do I own it? That’s a really great question… Because the 60’s and 70’s were cool and everyone needs to own a Varsity at some point? Nope, I was thinking that the mint chrome fenders could be used on something else that I own. Yours if you want it for the low, low price – Free.

Co-Motion custom mountain bike frame 2001? Orange. Warranty replacement of headtube by Co-Motion. Cool frame, but why do I need 4 off-road bicycles? $300

2007 Raleigh XXIX Size Large 29’r singlespeed complete bike. As new condition, ridden less than a handful of times. No pedals, no saddle, otherwise complete… $500. http://www.morcmtb.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=558&cat=2

Kick some Asphalt – 1989 Trek 7000 “mountain bike” 19” frame. Good commuter potential. Needs tubes, chain, and cables. Sticker on top tube says "Kick some Asphalt" You can have it as-is or $50 and I’ll make it ready to ride.

1950’s Hawthorne cruiser. Rust color. 1” pitch chain. Very cool bike, broken weld on seat-clamp, somewhat bent handlebars, but they have too cool of a shape to replace. $50 or best offer.

Mid 90’s Diamond Back “mountain bike” Ancient geometry, super looong wheelbase, horizontal dropouts. About a 20” frame. Wald basket up front, singlespeed conversion, fenders, riser bar. No pedals, no saddle with sale. Great grocery getter, liquor store runner, or commuter. $50

I’m going to refrain from listing more right now. Due to the overwhelming response guaranteed to generated by the whopping 5 or 6 people likely to encounter this, I am bound to busy negotiating the terms of sale. If I cannot manage to generate any interest here (very likely the case) perhaps you will be morbidly curious enough to read if I plan to feature each one and explain my rationale behind obtaining it or hanging on to it?

Hard on Parts

2008-06-16T19:23:00.006-06:00

Awake late, I celebrated the moment on Friday figuring if I am late, why not be really late. Not only did I decide to pack and ride the parade bike, but I took the long route to work. In doing so, I stored my key to my lock in the bag, which of course meant that I forgot the key this morning when back to riding the regular commuter.

So, into the building, up the freight elevator, and into the adjacent cube went the dirty old Quickbeam. This of course offered a key prop for part of show and tell today. There were many questions and comments having been able to see the bike that make me a bit of the "office celebrity." Okay, right, more like the company eccentric nut...

In an effort to explain the beauty of generator powered lighting, I attempted to demonstrate how wonderful it is to have lighting present whenever you need it. Spinning the wheel and attempting to show how bright my headlight was... Nothing. Oh well, the first rule of visual aids is that they never quite work when you want them to. This one bugged me though...

When I got home, I inspected a little more closely to find the cause for all the ruckus while riding. Something was rattling and I couldn't quite pinpoint it, thinking it was something to do with my handlebar mounted coffee cup. Nope:

If you look closely at the photo, you can see what appears to be the LED loose in the bottom of the inside of the light. I cannot recall what the mounting point is supposed to look like, but it appears that the LED simply broke off inside.

As impressed as I had been with this light, this is now the second one that has had a problem for me. The standlight on the first one stopped working, but the light still worked. This one, well... it no-worky.

Seriously, I really like bikes. I obsess about getting good stuff. I take "reasonable" care of things, while admittedly my maintenance has something to be desired. The toll of commuting is seriously wearing out a lot of bike parts. It'll be almost 11 months of daily commuting and I should add up the parts:

2 rims
2 Shimano Dynamo Hubs (Now on third and it is beginning to occassional pop like other two.)
2 IQ Fly head lights
1 headset
1 Phil Wood Bottom Bracket
2 Panaracer Pasela Tourguard Tires
4 Chains
1 Chainring
2 Phil Wood rear cogs
3 set of brake shoes
3 rear brake cable housings (kept cracking in the same place during the winter.)

I'm approaching 4,800 miles so far this year, 'round the point that this light was mounted. Figuring an average speed of 12mph (I'm anything but fast) and that would mean that this light has only lasted about 400 hours on the bike. Fatigue from vibration? Not easily avoidable, and with the exception of the studded Nokians, I ride pretty plump high volume, low pressure tires.

Conflicting Opinions

2008-06-12T12:47:00.002-06:00

This morning on the bike ride to work, I passed by a parked car this morning and the bumper sticker caught my eye:

“Not all who wander are lost”

Several miles later I passed by a church and they had

“No man ever got lost on the straight road.”

What’s a person to do with such profound but conflicting ideas?

I consider myself a wanderer, sometimes to a fault. Decisionless, lacking direction, no clue as to where I am going. I’ve missed the mark on life-occasions where I’ve wandered too far from where I knew I should have been at the time. I now know that I have tackled that part of my character flaw, but as for knowing where I am going in life? Well… I will continue to bumble along trying to figure that one out.

Following the straight line? Well, I have to think that’s most definitely not the answer either. Akin to the out out and back ride, the lonely stretch of straight road. The mind is only “so entertained” by the occasional sprint. The entertainment value and thrill of going straight cannot be fun for long. There may be some comfort in at least knowing which way to go.

While seeming to be mindless dribble, once again this morning’s bicycle trip offered much in the way of being applicable to life in general. I’m faced with the current thoughts of pursuing a large life altering decision or sticking put where I can take comfort in knowing and being familiar with all of the things that I know I don’t enjoy.

It is said that sometimes the devil that you know is better than the one you do not. So, I can see merit in the idea of keeping my head down and following the same road I am on. While wandering, particularly on bike rides, I’ll often turn down a road just because it is there. Sometimes these decisions lead to very pleasant surprises, other times they do not.

So, which is it? Take the straight road or wander?

Wraps on May

2008-06-02T11:16:00.000-06:00

Cycling takes time, sometimes a lot of time. In order to squeeze my longer rides into the life-schedule, I often leave early in the morning. Saturday was no exception. What was abnormal was the fact that my friend Scott was willing to join in the fun. It was his seeming willingness to meet at 4am that caught me off guard.

We had talked to one another back in March or April, maybe as part of TransIowa about the informal goal of doing a century a month. Saturday was our last chance to squeeze in a century ride for May and neither of us had done one for May.

We rolled east through Saint Paul and out through Afton to cross into Wisconsin in Prescott. The scenery was stunning. A humid and cool morning, fog had accumulated in the low areas. The views were spectacular, the smell of spring was in the air. With a slight wind at our backs we rolled our way south and east on the county roads into East Ellsworth to make a pitstop at the creamery.

We each picked up several pounds of dairy products, repacked our bags, and began our ride back home. North and east through Beldenville, River Falls, and Hudson to cross back into Minnesota. Returning to home by 1:30 or so with almost exactly 125 miles on the odometer.

So, that put the wraps on May with 887 miles for the month and a total of 4,376 for the year.

Fun on Two Wheels

2008-05-27T14:55:00.000-06:00

There is something easier about getting up at dawn when the opportunity presents itself for a recreational ride. Saturday morning, I was awake before the alarm went off. Laying in bed, conscious, I could hear the slight sound that the clock makes before that awful alarm sound.

Out of bed at 4:55am on Saturday. Small bowl of cereal and a half of a pot of coffee and I was out the door by 5:20. Drove down to Lebanon Hills Regional Park for some fun in the dirt. I took two different bikes with me with thoughts that I might switch things up a little. Instead, I was so entertained; I stuck with riding the one.

I set out on my old Trek OCLV carbon fiber off-roader set up old-school. Rigid fork up front with an old cantilever brake. White Industries ENO singlespeed hub in the rear, set up fixed gear only. That’s it. About as simple of a bike as one could have. FUN FUN FUN.

I rode one lap before meeting up with my big brother for a second. He took off after a lap and then I did two more complete laps with several more repeat laps around the nested advanced expert trail.

I REALLY enjoy the technical challenges of riding off road on a fixed gear bicycle. Balancing through the technical trail features: log piles, rock gardens, jumps, etc. Of my four laps, I only "cleaned" everything on fourth and final lap. Only 25% success at making through everything without the need to put a foot down on the ground.

For me, there is definitely something playful about riding off road. It was a wonderful opportunity to ride and play. My only wish is that there were somewhere closer to my house where I could ride off-road or wish that there were a way to haul a bike on a bike so that I could ride to the trails.

The secret to selling a fine bicycle.

2008-05-23T09:17:00.000-06:00

I am going to spoil the plot right away so that you can get on with your extended Memorial Day weekend. Do not ride it.

I think I picked up the term from Velocipete. Today is a Ferrari Friday. I decided at the last minute and snuck out of our bedroom and down the stairs with my blue Rivendell trying not to make any noise in the darkness of the morning. Packed my clothes into my messenger bag and was out the door.

The blue bike is a traditional road bike. One of the first Rivendells that Curt Goodrich constructed and actually his former personal bike. Fits me perfectly, and as I was reminded this morning… rides like a dream.

I had myself convinced that it is too impractical. Well… I guess as impractical as a Rivendell might get. Brakeshoes are at the very bottom of the slots in the short reach brakes leaving room for Pasela Tourguards in 700x28. There would be tight clearances but I could (and hopefully will) fit narrow fenders. There are braze-ons for a rear rack. So, the impractical excuse is void.

I had briefly entertained the idea of selling it to free up some money to spend on my upcoming new touring rig. I thought that I had convinced myself that I don’t need this bike as it is too impractical. But, as I was riding into work today, the experience was simply SO amazing, felt so good, and was SO entertaining… No way. Not for Sale.

There is a feeling to both of my Rivendells beyond my ability to express in words. 15 years of working at a bike shop part time, having ridden many different bikes, and a lengthy history of having owned different bikes, the two customs designed by Grant Peterson, constructed by Curt Goodrich are exactly what I would want in a bike., again… If I could explain what I like about them.

The secret to having attempted to sell the blue bike would have been to not ride it.

I had another coworker ask me about riding his bike to work. Gave him a route and we talked a bit about the potential of cost savings. He and his wife both currently fill up about every 6 days to the tune of $100 total. As best I can figure, if he could stretch that to once every 7 days by riding a bike to work 1 day a week, he’d save about $700 a year.

Friendly Greetings

2008-05-21T11:36:00.002-06:00

We rolled up to a stop light since it had turned red. I could "feel" the presence of the looming vehicle off my left shoulder. I glanced down at my little rear view mirror. I could only see the right front wheel and it looked like it was pointed to the curb.

I turned around, looked up and in the window with a friendly smile on my face, gesturing inquisitively in an effort to solicit whether he was going to turn right despite he not having his blinker on. I always attempt to position myself at the stop light if I can so that turning traffic can still proceed on a red light without me blocking the way.

There he was, a hulk of a man staring sternly out the window of his Ford Exploitation. Cigarette between the fingers of his left hand wrapped around the steering wheel. Without so much of a crack of emotion, he simply extended the middle finger of his right hand.

I smiled in return and waved back hoping he felt better.

Today was the 4th day in a row I have said hello to the same person I see walking. I suspect that she works at the Minneapolis Public Schools Nutritional Center on Plymouth Ave. She has yet to acknowledge my greeting. Being the stubborn type, I am going to continue to say hello until I get a response. I've tried this tactic with other people and have found that it can take weeks.

Bike Stuff, what else?

2008-05-14T09:43:00.001-06:00

There is an art to life that I have not quite mastered. I find myself constantly trying to keep up with yesterday. Time flies...

This week has been Bike to Work Week. The goal is to encourage people to ride a bike to work. My wife was kind and wonderful enough to convince the principal of our kids elementary school to allow the kids to ride their bikes to school this week.
This is a big departure from where we were last year when this little bugger came home with the kids:

Note the last paragraph:

On last Saturday morning, we put together a little safety presentation at the school for the kids. Made sure the kids had helmets that fit, checked over bikes, and made sure that they practiced riding a little bit. We had 17 kids show up, mostly little kids in kindergarten through maybee 2nd grade.

When kids first arrived, it was immediately evident to me the origins of the bicycle derby:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bike_derby

The kids began instinctively circling the parking lot, most of them riding as fast as they could, skidding late into the corners, etc. It was quite entertaining actually. As much as I can tell, we as parents have concerns over letting them loose in traffic, but truly... these kids are fearless!

Monday came, 17 kids rode to school.
Tuesday, 26
Today... 48!

Awesome, totally awesome... We need to encourage more of this!!!

Risky Business

2008-05-06T17:13:00.002-06:00

I use my ears a lot to listen to my environment while riding. The sounds one hears can give a pretty good indication of what's going on. When something doesn't sound quite right, it seems fairly obvious to me. I also posses the personality flaw that compels me to fill the roll of good-Samaritan. It was a four door Ford Focus that rolled past me when I recognized something that didn't quite sound right.

I rolled up to the entrance ramp for South Bound Highway 100 from Glenwood. The light was red and cars were slowing down for the light. I rolled up to the light passing cars in the right turn lane when I spotted the Focus again. As the tires slowed to a stop, I recognized the source.

The good-Samaritan kicked in and I approached the rear of the car. Spotted the toddler in the car seat, noticed the driver's side window open a crack in the rain. I tapped on the window and said: "Your rear tire is flat!"

She looked at me with a look of being mildly annoyed with my interruption of her phone call. Cigarette in her left hand, cell phone lowered from her ear in her right hand.

"The rear one on my side... Yeah, I know."

The light turned green and off down the entrance ramp she sped.

I did what I could. She was obviously not very concerned with her own personal health, safety, or that of the young one in the back seat.

It made me think about piloting a vehicle at freeway speeds in the rain. A vehicle with a flat tire (down to the rim I might add) with which hand? The one with the cigarette or the one with the cell phone.

Me, well... It made me think about how I will take my chances on the comparatively quieter city streets on my bicycle. I had a lovely ride home in the rain.

Letter to an Adversarial Friend

2008-05-06T10:14:00.001-06:00

Dear Winter;

It has been a long hard-fought battle but I think I have finally kicked your ass.

Sincerely,
Spring.

The driverless car.

2008-05-05T12:51:00.002-06:00

It was a sunny and pleasant morning for a ride. So much so, I decided to take a more recreational route to work. Being a Monday and having made a weekend trip to load up on food supplies, my bike was loaded down. Full panniers and a Rubbermaid tote full, strapped to the top of my rack. The bike was HEAVY, but it felt SO good to ride.

I made it a point to greet every cyclist I saw with a “hello” or “good morning.” I was in a great mood. For the record, I received approximately a 50% return rate on greetings. The combination of sun, bicycle, and not wanting to actually GO to work, I would have preferred to ride for much longer. Having stretched the route as much as I thought being fair, I experimented with a “legal” route across a section of railroad tracks that parallel a main bicycle trail. Here's a link to a quiet neighborhood connection over the tracks, over 394

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/134141

Once on Glenwood Ave, I was back on home-commute-turf. Just riding along, when I had a brush with fame. Passed by a car, too close for comfort. I’m very well conditioned to riding within close proximity to traffic, but this “felt” different. I know I wasn’t truly “brushed” but I KNOW I could have easily put a hand out and touched the car. I looked through the back window of the car to see if I could catch eye contact with the driver. (Secretly hoping too that the driver would give me some sort of apologetic look.)

What did I find? No driver, the car was traveling down the road without anyone in the driver’s seat!!!? My amazement was quickly quelled as she sat upright once again. Evidently she must have been digging for something on the passenger side. Glad that I was not riding much more than a couple of inches to the left or I would have severely slowed her progress.

What kind of car, a Saab of course. Which, is another confirmation of my theory on Saabs.

Perspective is Everything

2008-04-30T17:47:00.002-06:00

One never knows of the joys one will find while perched upon the top of a bicycle saddle.

With seemingly undecided spring temperatures, it has been a challenge to make sure to carry enough clothing options to stay warm enough in the morning, and have an option to be comfortable in the higher afternoon temperatures. On Tuesday afternoon, I was on my way home. I had failed to pack a pair of knee-warmers, so I was over-dressed in a pair of heavy tights. I was riding slowly to keep from getting hot climbing a slight hill when I made eye contact with a young boy (maybe 8 or 10) on the sidewalk. I smiled and said hello as I approached. He smiled in return and simply said gleefully: “I peed my pants”

Yup, he had.

I found myself laughing about that the rest of my way home. It had reminded me of a situation I encountered the week earlier when we went out to dinner as a family. I stepped into the men’s room. As I opened the door, there was a young boy playing in the water of the urinal. He looked startled that I had entered the room, sheepishly smiled and walked out of the restroom (evidently back to dinner?) I laughed as I thought to myself about how the conversation at the table when he got back might go: “Little Johnny, can you hand your mom a slice of fresh bread?”

After posting yesterday about cyclists violating traffic laws, I have been overly aware of my own actions. Interestingly, on my way, I witnessed traffic enforcement in Minneapolis. In the almost 11 years I have been riding to/from work in my neck of the woods, I have never seen a car pulled over. Yesterday, I witnessed 3. An officer was standing along Plymouth Avenue with a radar gun that happened to flag down the car behind me, evidently for speeding.
I actually really appreciate the increased traffic enforcement, particularly along my primary cross-town connection. The speed limit is 30, but few cars adhere to that limit.

Good Reading.

2008-04-30T15:18:00.001-06:00

There was a sensationalized “investigative” story on the local news station last night about bicycles running stop signs. Days prior to story airing, members of both Minneapolis Bike Love and Minnesota Off Road Cyclists had pages of discussions. Cyclists defending the behavior of violating laws in the name of self-righteous moral justification and for reasons of self-preservation.

Here’s the link to the story and the reactions of several people:
http://kstp.com/article/stories/s428366.shtml?v=1

Sadly, I think the story and reaction to it will do nothing in the way of promoting cycling as a viable transportation alternative. Sadly, this story somewhat disheartens me. I think I am going to go ride my bike.

Magnificent Difference

2008-04-28T20:36:00.001-06:00

With my unexpected early return from Iowa on Saturday, I had a full Sunday to unpack and get things back in order. I did some maintenance work on the Quickbeam switching it back to full on commuter duty again. Funny when I write that considering the only change that I made to the bike was to install an easier gear. Back to my normal 42 chainring up front and 18t cog in back.

For late April, I wouldn't expect the temperature to be quite as chilly as it has been. It was only 28 degrees this morning when I left for work. On the road, it felt so amazing to be back on my bike.

Since the adventure in Iowa was cut so short, my legs felt 100% this morning. With the normal gear on, I was flying (for me) to work. The difference between the amount of energy I put out to go so quickly compared to Saturday when I was going SO SLOW was simply amazing. It felt good to open it up a bit, pedal and go fast, throw caution to the wind and just ride. No concern about having to save some energy for a weekend long ride.

I'm free. While I make it a point to enjoy every ride, I can truly ride for fun now. Feeling in the best shape of my life, I wonder where I should go? How many hours can I get away with being gone? What areas can I explore?

DNF

2008-04-27T18:27:00.004-06:00

I wouldn't go back to change anything if I could. Despite the hours of anxiety and nervousness leading up to the event, I felt fully prepared to ride the full distance. I stepped up to the line this year with over 3,200 miles on the bike this calendar year. I felt in much better shape than I did last year.

35 degrees with strong winds out of the west. People were huddled together trying to find any shelter out of the wind waiting out the last few minutes before the 4am start. We had arrived at the start as instructed to be there at 3:30am.

The final announcement was over and we were on our way precisely at 4am. Having been sitting and cold to the point of shivering, it felt good to start off with the familiar climb up Quarry Hill Road.

Riding with my friend Scott, we followed the trail of red-blinkies for the first several miles until riders were stretched out enough to require the use of queue sheets. With the exception of a quick pause to change queue sheets now and then, we didn’t stop until we reached the first pass-through town of Cresco, IA at mile 40.

Having ridden for what was 3 ½ hours in low temperatures and howling wind, the idea of a sit-down hot breakfast sounded too good to resist. We stopped on the corner at Suzie-Q’s Café. The special was 2 homemade pancakes, 2 eggs, bacon, and a ½ order of hash browns for 4.79. Perfect, I ordered 2 of ‘em :)

It felt good to de-thaw for a bit, but were back on road by 8, meaning we only stopped for about 30 minutes. The winds were fierce, bringing us down to 4 or 5 miles per hour on climbs, and only about 12 on what were the few sections of level ground.

Gravel conditions were very good, but progress was slow. I was following my plan of playing things safe, riding a sustainable pace, eating right, and for the most part, I felt comfortable with the temperatures and cold wind. It wasn’t until after 11am with just over 70 miles covered that the thought even occurred to me that we might not make the time cutoff for the first checkpoint. Doing the quick calculations on the road, rolling along on the gravel, we knew we had about 40 miles to go in 3 hours. At our best, we were traveling about 12 miles per hour with the cross wind.

We rolled into West Union, approximately mile 85 around 12:30pm and lunch was in order. With the checkpoint still 25 miles away and only 1 ½ hours to get there, we resigned ourselves to the thoughts of how to approach our exit strategy.

Pulling out the map of Iowa, we found that we were pretty much straight south of Decorah. If we followed the balance of our queue sheets, we would have needed to continue south and east to reach the end of the first leg where we would have had to turn around and backtrack to where we were currently sitting.

We ate lunch and resigned ourselves to doing the ride straight back to Decorah. There was no desire to ride the extra 50 miles to and from the checkpoint. There would likely be no one there, and we would simply have to turn around and re-trace our route, so we headed back north to Decorah. Even on pavement, our progress was slow. At one point, we had a short 4 mile section where we had to travel west into a headwind. The best we could do was about 7 miles per hour. Our short 35 mile jaunt on pavement took nearly 3 ½ hours.

It was a somber ride home in the van. I am disappointed that I was unable to finish the event. I rode at what I thought was a pace that would have allowed me enough energy to finish the event. In hindsight, I could have ridden faster to make the time cutoff, but that would have likely left me lacking the physical energy to finish. Even the 120 miles we did ride left me feeling tired.

Strangely, I felt better when I got home and read that out of the nearly 60 people to start, only 23 made it to the checkpoint in time. Of those, only 17 elected to continue. The ride was cut short at mile 240 due to road conditions and safety concerns. Only 5 people completed those 240 miles. Perhaps next year?

Just Keeps Getting Better

2008-04-24T13:58:00.002-06:00

It has been raining all day here. Unable to focus on work, I have been occassionally checking the forecast for Decorah, IA. The forecast continues to improve:

Friday Night: A slight chance of rain showers, mixing with
snow after 1am. Some thunder is also possible. Mostly cloudy, with a low around
36. West wind between 21 and 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. West wind
between 14 and 18 mph.
Saturday Night: A chance of rain showers, mixing with snow
after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Chance of precipitation is
30%.
Sunday: A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a
high near 50. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

No, Absolutely Not

2008-04-24T07:04:00.002-06:00

That's the short answer followed by the long answer. The question being; "Are you ready to go?"

Stuff organized for a weekend spent camping and on an epic bicycle adventure? The best I can do here is a list of things that I have traditionally brought with for other bicycle adventures. Chances of finding everything on that list; 80%

Bicycle sorted out? Well, I have a bicycle that I have ridden over 3,200 miles this year. I am comfortable on it. I am riding it with 42 teeth on the front ring and a 20 tooth rear cog. One gear, no coasting. I have yet to sort out which bags I will be using to carry my goods while riding.

What gear to bring with on the bike? Much of what shakes out for that list will be dependent upon weather. I would much rather have a full extra change of clothing and clothing options to remain comfortable. Based on the weather forecast, looks like rain gear is going with too.

Friday Night...Partly cloudy. Brisk. Lows in the upper 30s. West winds 15 to 25 mph.
Saturday...Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night...Mostly cloudy with a chance of light rain. Lows in the upper 30s. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Sunday...Mostly cloudy with a chance of light rain. Highs in the lower 50s. Chance of rain 50 percent.

I like when the weather forecast calls for "Brisk" That's a bicycle euphemism for miserable. I like this quote by the organizer of TransIowa:

Finishers? Given current conditions and knowing the course, I'd say less than
half the number from last year. Worst case scenario it could be that no one will
finish, depending upon winds. Without a serious wind factor I'd guess 12 will
see the finish line. Those who do see Decorah on their bikes on Sunday will have earned much respect.

Huh, not like Huh? more the heavy sigh-like huh... The best thing that I am bringing with me down to the gravelly slog-fest is Patience. I've suffered through the winter and some pretty punishing rides. Mentally, I think that I can handle it. It'll definitely be a test, I hope to pass. I will let you all know on Monday sometime. For the morbidly curious, keep your eyes and ears tuned into the main TransIowa site. Guitar Ted will evidently be posting audio commentary.

Special Day

2008-04-22T15:01:00.001-06:00

Since sometime this past winter, the great gas price prognosticators have been saying that gas prices will rise to $4 a gallon. Is there any surprise that the price continues to go up?

Could be my imagination, could be the ol' "To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Or, how about to an avid bike nut, everyone looks like a cyclist. We see what we want to see. There seem to be a lot more commuters out and about.

Today is a special day. Today, my oldest daughter turns 11. Happy Birthday to her. She's asked to visit http://www.gasthausbavarianhunter.com/ for some Rahm Puten Schnitzel for dinner. Okay, you don't have to ask me twice :)

Getting Down to the Wire

2008-04-21T20:23:00.002-06:00

Only a couple more days to finish all of the preparations for TransIowa departure on Friday. Second-guessing everything. Looking forward to stepping up to that line at 4am on Saturday and giving it a go.

Worked over the bike this past weekend thinking I would have it all set up and ready to go. Not sure that it feels right. Second-guessing bag set up for sure. Second-guessing which gear to ride. I am sure that I am over thinking everything.

The weather forecast is not looking so great either. Hmmm... 350 miles of soupy gravel, here I come.