Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Over the Hills


Silver and black back out and getting after it.  Just shorts and a jersey today it was that warm out. Working to end My March Madness.
Goal was meet miles were
ridden and now my focus can change.
With the dirt open and my MtB almost 
ready to go I now know what I want to do.
Go play mountain bike in the woods.
Or Here.
                                                                        Are those Cows?

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Bad Leroy Brown


Took this off of Ritte Racing

 Though that it may help all of the spring roadies..

 Just don't piss into the wind.


Step One: Drift to the back of the pack. (That should be obvious enough, right?) Then wait for a slight downhill. You’ve got to keep your speed up so you can complete the task without coasting to a stop. Falling over into a puddle of your own urine is embarrassing and unpleasant:
Step Two: Roll up the right leg of your shorts as high as you can:
Step Three: With your left hand on the top of your bar, stand straight up on your right leg and twist to face the side of the road:

Step Four: Pull your junk out from under the rolled up leg and let it all go. A lot of guys have a big problem with this final, crucial step. Just relax, you’ve done this every day of your life. Of course, prepare to be passed by a few follow vehicles. Try not to think about the fact that they’re both disgusted by you and are at that moment ridiculing you:

Step Five: When you’re done, just shake it out, tuck it in and hope there hasn’t been an acceleration in the pack. You did it! You get a golden star!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Space Wrangling

Coming up out of Brownsville MN
a hill that I have wanted to ride.
Starts at the river and goes up for about 3 miles.

This photo does not do justice
the south side of the TV 19 towers
again around 3 miles if not longer. According to 
to mapmyride.com the steepest pitch was average of 6%
but thinking that was horse shit. Much Much steeper at it steepest point.
Best hill that I have been up this spring reminded me a
bit of the stuff the races rode in Belgium on sunday.
Another good day to be on a bike.
Little over 100K and 2000 + feet of climbing,
last monday of afternoons off had to make it count.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

pay back

Sitting down in the family room and I go to 
place my Adult beverage down
and in the dust of the end table I see
this.
The Question is " what in the hell was he
doing?"

3 R'S

Weekends,
Most of the time it is all about going out and 
getting as many miles in as
you can.
Not this one for me. Taking it 
easy, having to work at the shop
and needing some hard to come by rest.
Lots of High End bikes moving yesterday and lots
of smiles, nice to see, as i don't see that to often in my M-F gig.
The Spot is coming along, getting the 
new brakes on now just needing to get the
cables cut. Still waiting for my hubs, once they 
are here wheels will be built.
The rumor is that the trails will be open this week,
so that will be a nice change.


Racing is going on this weekend in CA great to see the Dirt flying.
April is coming and that means that racing will start here soon..
Should have a good day tomorrow, still on track to meet the Goal.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Eurotrash

Sometimes I try too hard or
just not enough.
I realized today that I need to
do somethings different.
Eating!!!!! just have not been putting enough
in, have been expending a bunch but not enough in.
With the afternoon to ride and goals in mind
the wind laughed
at me,,, the hills were sending the 
sweeper after me.  And I Cracked!
13 days 485 miles wanted to be at 5 by the 
end of my ride but was not going to happen.
Was even going to take pictures of 
cows for matt just did not have it in me.
I do have food in me now and wanting more.



Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Sunshine Superman

Sunrise bike 
moving.
Thankful when the wheels move 
help me not get so down about
blue collar life.
One of those days, and the wheels
keep me normal.
The Spot is starting to come togother
and dirt is not far away.
Hoops are here form Velocity and 
hubs should be here soon.
More to come need to 
keep the work up.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Like Fruit gots Gum

This is a fun one MM 7% here at the bottom 
as it goes UP!
NN here is longer and more 
mellow nice grade but still UP!
It took me a second to 
figure it out but these trees and my
legs have something in common. 
They are both being  Sapped.
Ok I know that was bad but yes started to 
feel the past 9 days of work as I played 
with wind direction.
But what does not kill you
may someday.
Now Go Ride Your Bike:)

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Oh Willson

The Start Of S.
Good way to start a ride,
stark contrast to yesterdays ride.
Saturday in the the headphones, Husker  Du
Replacements, J hawks, where  better to ride
than MN.
There the climbs are longer just as much elevation gain but
the hills go much longer. Great ride
new roads and dirt, just what you need in the midst of
the first day of spring.
So today was get it done ride, and when S is out your front door you
can get it done.
It is a Punch you in the Eye Kind of climb.
And it is just the start of the day.
The Cut is my go to ride..
Their are many variations  that you
can link up but straight through is a good one.
Just a bit longer than if you rode to Copper and back and more elevation
gain.
Not the best photo that next bit 
of Pave where it drops off, is the 
start of the descent of S.
The winter has been hard on the road
but you can still get it up(that is what she said)
over 50MPH with out 
having to pedal.
Now the weekend is over.
What does monday have in store??

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Mr Burns

TV 19 Climb Foggy Camera 
Burns Valley
That is my house over there.

Wind Dirt and a fun One speed Ride..

Friday, March 19, 2010

Hardwood floor is Home

Going Up
The Look Down.

Where is my friend the Sun. 
Weekend is here and 
living the High Life.
What to do.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Ball hog Tug Boat





Numbers add up and multiply.
The time is coming and
the Spot will be back and on dirt.
Shiny things will be in place and 
teeth will be shined.
Lots of time out One x1 
just listing to the words in my head and
they all say the same thing Go!
So happy to have the King along with me. 

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

OH Patricia


Happy Birthday to Mom 3/17/10 :)

Drop it

Time 
does not seem to be enough.
Finding it where I can. Toadstools
should be helpful?
Make hay while the sunshine.

Monday, March 15, 2010

I want my Hour Back !

With only one day off on the weekend,
the time can sure fly by.
The shop was jumping on 
saturday with all
the warmer weather people have been thinking about
bikes.
I was thinking about
bikes yesterday and I was thinking
about my Gunnar and how it was
time to take it out for a spin.
I was full of smiles the bike rides so sweet 
and with the new cranks on it 
the ride was that much even better.
Got home played with the boy and Anna 
went out for a nice spin in 60 degree temps,
which brought us to dinner.
And how can you go wrong with Red and Green
enchiladas?



Thursday, March 11, 2010

Paint it Black

Managed to stay dry on the
way to work but 
My Bike and I are dirty.
Rained pretty much all day,
It broke and stuff was dry enough so I
got after a reverse Emag
to help the pain of the day ease away.
Nothing like a whole bunch of punk rock and rolling 
wheels.
Some times smiles are all you need.




Puddles

Cloudy !
Windy!
Rain coming !
Need to Move!!

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Not the same Riff

I can fell the layers, slowly
being shed.
The put in more comes out.
Smile are bigger and dreams
are in deeper color. 
Pressure it's coming down on
me it's coming down on you. BUT....
All roads lead to the end the 
question is what is there?

What a great Idea !!!

There's good news for walkers and bicyclists in the Twin Cities, not only are temperatures warming and snow banks receding but there will also be $16 million spent this year to improve biking and walking in Minneapolis and some surrounding communities.
Officials are putting the finishing touches on plans to build and expand 40 routes and make numerous intersection improvements for walkers. The net result in Minneapolis will nearly double--from 43 to 80--the number of miles of bike routes and paths.
Improving safety
It's wise to look both ways when crossing the intersection at the historic Seven Corners area in Minneapolis' West Bank neighborhood. It's where two busy four lane streets, Washington and Cedar, meet, next to the University of Minnesota.
There is a lot of traffic and a lot of people and one of the city's highest rates of vehicles hitting pedestrians. The main problem at the intersection is left-turning motorists not seeing the pedestrian crossing.
"We're going to provide funds for bump outs or curb extensions, shortening those distances quite a bit, so the pedestrian doesn't have quite so far to go," said Steve Clark, program director for the federally-funded Bike Walk program operated by Transit for Livable Communities, A St. Paul nonprofit. "We're also going to add pedestrian refuge islands so that if you can't get across the street while it still says walk you have a place to have sanctuary."
Clark said the changes will be in place by this fall, but the result may increase driver frustration.
Every rush hour the area is jammed with drivers coming off or jockeying to get on freeway 35W a block away. Many drivers regard anything or anyone slowing their progress as an impediment.
However, Steve Clark's view is driver behavior toward walkers and cyclists improves when they see medians or other roadway changes.
"It provides an immediate cue to the motorist, 'OK I need to start looking for pedestrians,'" Clark said.
Measured against the billions spent on roads and bridges in this country, $16 million to encourage biking and walking in Minneapolis is spare change. However, even a decade ago biking and walking were seldom considered anything more than recreation.
The money being spent around the country to build more bike routes and improve intersections is evidence they are now seen as legitimate forms of transportation.
Minneapolis is one of four areas in the country to win the federal funds. The others are Sheboygan County in Wisconsin, Columbia, Mo. and Marin County, Calif.
Why Minneapolis?
Shaun Murphy, Minneapolis' non-motorized projects coordinator, said one reason may be the city's large number of bike commuters, second behind Portland among the country's largest cities.
"We have about 8,000 biking to work every day and about 17,000 people walking to work every day who live here," Murphy said. "It's going to be a big change for the public because most people still get around by driving alone to work. About 70 percent of our residents still drive alone."
Another change to encourage bike traffic is putting some Minneapolis streets on a diet. A handful of four-lane streets will be reduced to three to make room for bike lanes.
More people bicycling and walking may seem like a recipe for more accidents in our car-oriented culture. However, Murphy said crashes between bikes and cars, for example, are down from between the 1990s and the last decade by almost 20 percent even as bicycling numbers are rising.
Not everyone is on board with the biking and walking improvement plans.
Residents in St. Paul's Macalester-Groveland neighborhood are divided over the plan to designate Jefferson Avenue a bike route.
Mac-Groveland Community Council transportation committee chair Amber Dallman said the objections caused St. Paul public works officials to eliminate so-called traffic calming changes on portions of Jefferson.
"For example, speed humps or tables, traffic circles, parking on the north side of the street in some areas," Dallman said.
St. Paul public works officials are holding off making final plans for the Jefferson Avenue bike route until residents' concerns are addressed.
Minneapolis has been creating biking and walking paths for decades, but mostly next to lakes and in parks where there's not much interaction with cars. The near doubling of bike routes on city streets this year marks a historic turn for the city.
Along with improvements for walkers at intersections the changes present challenges as people on foot, on bikes and in vehicles adjust to make room for one another.

Monday, March 08, 2010

Grogy

 
Tired and cold and felt like I was in a 
fog.
Oh wait I was.
 
Thick needed windshield wipers on my
glasses.
The fog lifted as the day went on 
but still not feeling like I had much 
in the tank.
So a simple TT ride around
 the bluff and some left over pork with Pnut sauce.
Now feeling like an awake person. 
A bit of rain may becoming which 
will help wash the sand off the roads,
and then it may be time to bring out the nice bike!!

Sunday, March 07, 2010

You know I Rider

Another day and 
another ride.
I met up with the Kiwk Trip group and got 
to ride on some southern roads that 
I don't see to often.
Good fun some hard work but more important
got to ride in a group of 
people and remember 
how to pedal when surrounded.
Sounds as it is to rain on tuesday
which will be good for me, forced off the 
bike by weather. 
Going to pull the SSCX back out
tomorrow spoiled but gears the past two days.
But I have to say that felling the sun
on my face has been real real nice..

Saturday, March 06, 2010

Turn handle puppet

 
Took the new helmet out for a spin today.
Best fitting lid ever. Still can't sprint like Cav,,
but dam it felt good on my head.

 
Found some hills and it was nice
to be on a geared bike 
after a week of 1X1 and lots of 
riding. 
Good loop thought that 
my elevation gain would have been more
but Map My Ride Dot Com
said it was not. Unsure of 
how accurate that it is.
 
I hope for more tomorrow, and maybe even
with anna. We don't get out together 
as much as I would like. 

Thai peanut and ginger garlic pork for dinner,
good stuff,, almost like I have cooked in another life.

Friday, March 05, 2010

DoNt'T TeLl the BanD

A bit of spring cleaning...
After three attempts to get a dishwasher in 
success was had. 
Easy spins to keep the legs happy..
All I could think was that I wanted 
clean at home.
Wish I had a better set of tools,
I do have one sweet stand thanks 
to the folks @ feedback.
Cleaned out the road salt and ski wax.
Got the Winter Bike in shape for the weekend,
some new old tires should do the trick.
Chicken soft Tacos fill the belly 
and the beer flows...
Fridays are gooder than others.
Let the saddle leave you unchaffed
and the sun leave you unburned.

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

CycleTherpy

Taking advantage of another sunny afternoon.
I am always stronger in my mind than in real life. I wanted more but took what I 
had to offer. Two hours of blue sky's and one gear. Found some hills
 
and went up them and even down a few. Crept up towards 50mph and back off not know condition of 
road.
Thing are coming around 
more is needed and more will be had, as Coach talked about 
only the hints of red that zone will be here soon enough.

BNL

Monday, March 01, 2010

Minnesota Nice ?!?

 

Stole this pic from the internets,
I spaced my camera.
The hill is MN and it is a nice
long and very straight one.
Blue bird again and very pleasant.
All alone on some quite roads just the hum of some music and 
wind rushing by.
Felling good more to come 
going to miss skiing but the time for 
bikes is now..