Cool....

Someone planted this flag along the East Lake Trail. I've been riding by it for several days now. I kinda like it....
Pond at Black Hawk Park....

Sunset over the Cedar from Island Park....

Nice ride tonight. Temps are in the mid 50's. It's getting dark a lot earlier now.... I got home at 8 tonight and it had been pitch black for awhile. I love the trails after dark! Sweet!

Ride safe.

Peace out, yo!

Jackal....

Jackal has some things that are bicycle related for sale. Check out this web page....

Peace out, yo!

Sweetie....

She sure likes her G'ma....
And she likes having her picture taken....

She'll be a year old in less than two weeks....

On October 6th of last year we went out on a night time gravel grinder. The temps were cool, there was no wind, and the moon was full and huge. We hardly needed headlights, it was so bright. The farmers were picking corn and we were enjoying the ride. The next day Jackal and Kerkove and crew were working on the trails up at the scout camp when Kerkove broke his finger. Jackal brought him back into town to get it taken care of when Amy called him from her baby shower. She was due to deliver around Thanksgiving but she was in labor.... Kerkove's sister came to the emergency clinic to sit with Jeff so Jackal could go get Amy. They headed straight to the hospital and Baby Rhea was born just a few minutes later. That's what I call cutting it close! She'll be a year old a week from next Sunday. She's sweet and sassy and has so much personality. On top of that, she's my granddaughter and her parents take her home with them after her G'ma and I spoil her rotten! Perfect! Time to get a Burley to pull behind the Surly. She'll like that!

That's it for now.

Ride safe.

Peace out, yo!

Gone fishin'....

Les re-starting the fire.... (our chief pilot)

Matt drinking beer.... (our new pilot)

Gayle locked her keys in her room right off the bat....

Resting between hands....

Cards....

The morning after....

Me and Bryan in the boat....

Todd, Bryan, Matt, and Dave....

Life is good!!!!

Waiting at the fish house....

Who wants walleye?

Paul Bunyan....

We flew out of Waterloo on the first plane at 12:30 on Thursday. By the time we got close to Brainerd it was being nailed with a thunderstorm so we diverted to Park Rapids and drove to Breezy Point from there. Les and Matt headed back to Waterloo to pick up the second group and we went shopping on our way to Brainerd. We spent more time in the liquor store than the grocery store but we got it done and made it to the cabin and checked in well before the second group got there. I did learn that 5 men can get all the grocery shopping for 13 people done in about in about 5 minutes and not miss anything. It was good!

We got to the cabin and put the groceries away then built a nice fire before the second group got there. After they arrived we spent an hour or so just getting settled and chatting before we left for dinner. I had been to the Norway Ridge Restaurant before and knew that it was nice so that's where we went. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. After dinner it was back to the cabin for cards and socializing. We were all in bed by 1 am to get plenty of sleep for the morning's fishing trip. We were up by 6:30 for coffee and donuts (and bloody mary's) then down to the marina for our 7:30 departure with our guides. A bit chilly, it was, but no rain. I think everyone caught some fish and had a good time on the water. We came back in about noon and the guides cleaned all the fish and bagged them for us. We went to lunch and then the first group headed to the airport for the trip back to Waterloo. There were storms in Waterloo and Les was delayed coming back but we had to drive to Park Rapids to drop off our rental anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. We were home by 6 pm with fresh fish in hand. It was a good trip!

Judy and Moo drove down to Williamsburg yesterday to go to the outlet Mall to do some shopping for Baby Rhea. Jackal stopped by at the end of his ride with his portable cx barriers in his Ergon backpack. He'd been out training for next weekend's cx race at Newton. He went home and took a shower then we met the girls at Z's for lunch.

Got in a 25 miler on the Surly this morning and I hear Brother of Jackal clomping around upstairs which means he just got back from his ride on The Black Surly. This is a beautiful "first day of fall"! I wore arm warmers and knickers this morning but the arm warmers came off within a half hour. Perfect weather. The trees up north are changing colors right now and I suspect that they will be changing here soon. This is my favorite time of year! I met John Fisher out on the trail this morning riding his 29er. He's always smiling!

I hope G-Ted is having fun out in Vegas at Interbike. I have a picture for ya, buddy! I'll leave it on your tool box at the shop.

That's it for now.

Ride safe!

Peace out, yo!

Warning....


Be careful!

Ride safe.

Peace out, yo!

Ummmmm, yeah....

600 feet of sloppy black dirt and clay mud....

I just walked the half block to where our mail boxes are at to pick up one solitary piece of mail. My phone bill. It was hardly worth the effort but on my way home I saw a bicycle coming up the street in the rain. When I got to the intersection the person on the bike was getting there at the same time and all I could do was smile. It was Redg riding home in the rain. You are HARDCORE, brother! I hope you enjoyed your ride! :) I wish I'd had my camera. The smile on his face was priceless!

This rain should only last through this evening but I suspect that it will keep the crew that is reconstructing Rainbow Drive from working tomorrow. The "street" is just slop. They were doing so well, too... Oh well, it'll be finished when it's finished.

I wonder if Jackal got his ride in this evening? He's been off the bike for a week now and cx seson starts in a couple of weeks. I know he's worried about lack of time in the saddle lately due to illness and the like, but I think he'll be fine.

Congrats to all the Bike Tech guys and gals for their performances in Wisconsin this past weekend. Sounds like you had good results! Woohoo!

That's it for now. I'll be up in Minnesota Thursday and Friday for a retreat with my supervisors. It's gonna be good! Temps around 70 and rain in the forecast. We may have to stay inside and drink beer. We'll see.

Ride safe.

Peace out, yo!

Sunday....

Veteran's Memorial Park in Cedar Falls
Rolling through Black Hawk Park this morning....

Last blooms of summer....

Hartman North....

Baby Rhea cheezin....

Nice ride on the Surly yesterday. Temps in the upper 30's when I left, about 50 by the time I returned home. Temps were in the low 50's this morning when I went out riding, mid 50's when I got back home. Can you say BEAUTIFUL weather? Wow! I love it!

Went over and visited with my dad this afternoon before he heads back to Arizona. He's staying with my younger brother while he's in town. It's all good! He's 76 and doing fine!

Watched the last half of the Moto GP race from Estoril, Portugal this afternoon. Valentino tore it up! Oh yeah! He's the man!

That's about it for now. Have a great week!

Ride safe!

Peace out, yo!

See Ya, Buddy!


Good luck in Colorado, Jeff. Careful what you stick up your nose out there.... ;)

Peace out, yo!

Things Remembered....

Jackal and Moo got married 10 years ago today. Happy Anniversary, kiddies!!!!

February 4th, 2007....
Studded Surly....

February 18th, 2007. First ride on the C'dale.... No studs!

G-Ted reminded me in the comments of my previous post that I'm just a pup. Thanks, Buddy!

Kerkove tells me that the only way I'll get any more pictures of him shoving licorice or his fingers up his nose is if I move to Colorado. Well, I doubt that will happen anytime soon so I probably won't have any more of those pictures in the future. Well, not unless he comes back to visit.... I guess I'll just have to post old ones for awhile.

That's it for now.

Ride safe!

Peace out, yo!

Monday night ride....

Deer in Sherwood Park....
Bob Roll?

Sunset over the Cedar....

The Thin Man hiding....

Above the dam in Cedar Falls....

The Ice House Museum....

25 miles on the Surly after work on Monday. It was hell getting the 20T freewheel off and replacing it with a "normal" 17T freewheel. In the end, I got 'er done. 55F and misting. All's well.... :)

It got dark before I got back, which was fine. Rode through George Wyth with Bottke on his SS road bike. That was good also! Singlespeeds rock! (get some lights on that bike, Brian. You work at a bike shop! You can ride longer that way)

The deer are thick again this year. Several bucks grazing in Sherwood Park when I rode by. Perhaps I'll do some hunting this year?

Little Jake is out of intensive care and apparently tearing it up in the hallways at the U of Iowa hospital on his tricycle. Good boy! He's the man!

Into Chicago today for a trade show at McCormick. My back hurts from all the walking. Lot's of hotties running around though, which was good. Back home now. It's all good! We have a new company pilot who is as young as my youngest son. He's good. I feel safe with him..... I remember some of the helicopter pilots I flew with when I was in the Army. Goddddddd....... I was a lot younger then and they were even younger than I was. It was a blast! Big balls and a shortage of brains is always an interesting combination....

Hell, my doctor is younger than I am.

That's it for now.

Ride safe.

Peace out, yo!

Sunny Saturday gravel....

The C'dale cx bike....

Looking across the fields from 12th Street....
Rolling on 12th....

Picked up a hitch-hiker near New Hartford....

Took a little break....

Little Jake with his parrot hat....

Yo!

Saturday's 40 mile gravel grinder took me to New Hartford and Finchford then across Cedar Wapsi to Ford Road and back into town. BEAUTIFUL day for a ride! Mid 70's and very little wind. It was good!

Saturday afternoon found us fighting the idiocy in Iowa City when we went to the University of Iowa Hospital to see Little Jake after they performed a tracheostomy to prepare him for some reconstrucive facial surgery in the near future. He's a trooper! Oh yeah, the Hawkeyes played the Orangemen last night at 7. It was crazy down there. Kinnick Stadium is directly across the street from the hospital. 78,000 rabid fans at the game. I don't care that much about football in the first place, and I care even less about the Hawkeyes. Oh well, we survived.

It looks as though fall is just around the corner. My favorite season..... The forecast is for highs in the 60's and low 70's for the next few days with overnight lows in the upper 30's and lower 40's. Perfect sleeping weather.

That's it for now.

Ride safe!

Peace out, yo!

Progress....

The view from my driveway....
West on Rainbow....

Brother of Jackal fooling around....

Surveying the work....

Brother of Jackal's "other" bike....

Seriously.... They have done as much work to the street in front of my house in the last 4 days as they did in 4 weeks on the first section. I just hope that they continue at this pace!

It sounds like some of the guys around here are getting ready to start the gravel season in earnest. Oh yeah! Friday night grinders. It is written that such is good. :)

Jackal should have his new cx bike soon and I'm hoping that he overcomes his aversion to gravel when he gets it. He professes to "hate" gravel but I'm not sure that I believe him. Gravel is good!

The weather here is beautiful. Mid 70's and a bit lower humidity. I can dig it!

The sugarbottom xc race is tomorrow near Iowa City and I believe that Jackal is going to race in it. I may be in the area visiting Little Jake in the hospital and might stop by to watch. I wonder if I should take my cow bells?

Keep Chad and Dorthy Vandelune of Des Moines in your thoughts and prayers. They lost their young son, Price, on Wednesday. See Squirrel's blog for more info.

That's it for now.

Ride safe!

Peace out, yo!

Let the fun begin....

Bottke busting his hump....
Jackal working with his eyes wide shut....

Riding home from the shop.....

Yeah, they started working on it. Finally.

Nice....

Well, they finally started working on the street in front of my house. The last section they worked on (420 feet) was supposed to take 4 - 7 weeks. They closed it April 4th, started working on it a month later, and finished it a couple weeks ago. I suspect that I won't get in my driveway for 2 1/2 - 3 months. Sweet.

Rode up to the shop tonight and put a new star nut in the black Surly fork. Jackal and Bottke were working on other things so I replaced it myself. Piece of cake. I also picked up a new pair of Tifosi's. Transparent black frames with clear lenses. My Fototech lenses from my green Tifosi's will fit in them so I'm happy! Woohoo! hose things are so sweet! You can wear them all day and into the night and they won't break the bank to purchase them. I think the most expensive pair, with Fototech lenses, are about $60. A bargain compared to some of the eyeware out there and, in my opinion, every bit as good.

Reading all the blogs, it appears that a lot of you boys and girls got quite a lot of riding in the weekend! That's super! Take advantage of this weather while you can.

CX season is just around the corner and I'm giving some thought to doing more than just watching and ringing my cowbells! We'll see how that goes. Can you see my fat ass out there in the mud and the crud? Oh yeah!

That's it for now.

Ride safe.

Peace out, yo!

BROOTAL....

Team Stoopid....

The Thin Man, Brother of Jackal, G-Ted, Blue....

Mojo bag....
It brought us luck! Thanks Jeff and Kristy!!!

Carbs in a bottle....

Brother of Jackal prior to start....

Jackal pre-race....

The start....

Squirrel says "Peace" at the end of his first lap....

G-Ted gets ready to start his first lap....

Jackal cools down while starting lap 2....

The Thin Man waiting his turn to race....

G-Ted finishes lap 2 and sends Brent on his way....

Teri advising Squirrel on strategy between laps....

Brent comes prepared with an accessory bottle opener on his tool box....

Brother of Jackal entertains Baby Rhea....

The race was brootal. Had to replenish my carbs often....

Brent talks to Baby Rhea about spoke tension and headset pre-load while Jackal thinks "WTF?"....

Oatmeal Creme Pies....

G-Ted at the final Team Stoopid safety meeting at 9:30 Sunday Morning....

Saturday morning found the members of Team Stoopid meeting at Bike Tech for the trip to Boone to participate in the innaugural 12 hour event at the 5th Annual 24 Hours of Seven Oaks Mountain Bike Race. We left Cedar Falls at about 7:15 and rolled into Seven Oaks Ski Area about 2 hours later. It was the perfect day for a race! The sun was shining and the temps were in the mid 70s when we arrived.

We set up our camp next to the Rassmussen Bike Shop truck and Squirrel's camp. The normal BSing ensued then Squirrel asked for volunteers to help move a bridge that was part of the trail and had been washed away during the recent rains in this part of the world. Whoa! It was a big bridge and had been washed about 300 yards downstream. We got a group together and went into the woods and picked it up then hauled it up to the top of the hill, over the barbed wire fence, and onto the race course. We then proceeded to carry it along the race course and placed it back over the creek where it belonged. Putting it back added a little over a mile to the course and made the race much more interesting since we could then race on both sides of this wicked ravine. I would pay for it later with a big crash on Rick's Drop. Oh yeah! Over the bars! It still hurts!

The race started at noon with the over-inflating and exploding of an inner tube. What made that unique was the partially inflated tube was expanding in the sun during the pre-race meeting and exploded prematurely, causing a false start. That was excellent! The ends of the exploded tube were then tied off and it was re-inflated and we had a good start. Brother of Jackal took off like a bat out of hell and did Team Stoopid proud by being the first to his bike and first into the woods. His lead didn't last long but he did win the quarter mile run to the bikes and led the race for awhile. Woohoo! Go Team Stoopid, Go! His first lap was about an hour,which was awesome considering he'd never even seen the course before. He and Brent would both complete several 51 minute laps in the race. G-Ted did the second lap and came back smiling like a kid in a candy store. He was pumped when he handed off to Brent for lap 3! Brent was back in a shade over 51 minutes and then I was off for my leg of this epic race. Things were going pretty good for me until I rounded the downhill switchback into Rick's Drop and proceeded to go straight over the bars. Ouch! I landed hard and watched my bottle and pump pass me on the way down the hill. My fork was turned all the way around and my rear brake lever was bent to a "straight up" position leaving me with 5 miles to go and an ineffective method of operating it. I made do, but it wasn't easy on this difficult course. I think my Mojo Bag kept me from getting hurt. I got back and Adam took off for his second lap.

We seemed to be doing pretty good as a team and hanging in there. My second lap was in the dark and I was doing fine until I crossed the creek and started climbing up the other side of the ravine. There is a short, steep section that ends in a switchback and I went over backwards while trying to negoiate that turn. Ouch, again!

Anyway, Brother of Jackal took off and turned a 55ish minute lap in the dark and we were done for the evening. It was kinda cool hearing our names announced as the winners of the four man team competition at the 1 a.m. awards ceremony for the 12 hour racers. I think that everyone had a good time! I learned that The Thin Man and Brother of Jackal are brootaly fast in the woods!

Today I still feel like I just finished playing hockey against Rochester or Mason City. I'm beat up, battered, and bruised, but I had fun. Thanks to the members of Team Stoopid and to everyone who participated and helped organize and run this great event. Thanks to all the racers who gave me encouragement out on the trail! It was good!

Thanks to Andy Lueck of Rassy's for straightening my brake lever with his seat post.

Congrats to Squirrel on his 24 hour solo win! Izzy's gonna get new toys! :)

That's it for now.

Ride safe!

Peace out, yo!