Friday, December 11, 2009

Winter Arrived


The cross country trail at Sprague Brook County Park. Virgin snow waiting for me to break through for the years first excursion.

It was hard work but it was awesome. I look forward to many more trips and once they groom the trail I go off trail on the bike/hike trail at the park and have even more fun.

I also have been riding pretty frequently but nothing like the first big snow!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Mr. Fat Cyclist

This guy is amazing! He wrote an open letter to Johan Bruyneel (http://www.fatcyclist.com/)
and got this reply (http://www.johanbruyneel.com/blog.html) to accept him into the Team Radioshack training camp this weekend.

They have raised an extraordinary amount of money and I doubt it is all about the prizes that could be won http://www.fisherbikes.com/bike/model/superfly or this autographed bike by the team.
These guys really hate cancer and that is a great thing. You can donate off of Fatty's blog page if you want to hate cancer as well!

Training for TransIowa is going on and on - just about 30 miles a day on the bike. This weekend if the weather cooperates might call for a longer ride!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Night Time Rain Ride

For the past 2 years or so Wednesday night has been my night to ride. The kids go to their youth church programs and the wife hangs out with her friends waiting for them so I have always ridden on Wednesday night once school resumes.

There have been some memorable rides in very cold weather and a ride when I stopped by church on the way home and had all over my jacket. My riding buddies wife tells my wife that is what they call a rostertail. I correct her - nope this is just plain old mud from a wreck on the trail.

I remember endoing on the mountain bike one time because I went to adjust my helmet after bumping a tree branch with it at the same time my tire hits a root and throws me forward. A very important lesson was learned - never hold the front brake only. My body weight shoved my hand onto the brake and all I remember is thinking - Oh Sh*t - and over the bars I went. It was funny when no body damage occurred!

This all brings me to last night. I was at the gym working out and decided (actually just confirmed an earlier thought about riding later) that I was riding no matter what the weather was doing. I showered at the gym, headed home in the rain, and my wife asked me what my plans were. I told her I put gas in the car so she could go see her sister's new house and I was going for a ride. The normal puzzling look came at me - you are riding in this weather? Yes.

The way I see it is that TransIowa is happening sun or shine. I had my good weather window opportunity last year and blew it so I am figuring on being wet this year so I might as well figure on getting some wet riding in to test my gear.

So I put on my gear: Long sleeve wicking shirt, hoodie (which I will skip next time), pull over 3/4 zip North Face Apex jacket (which I love!!!!), Team Discovery bike shorts, REI wind pants (time to see how they fare against the rain not just wind), old shoes, Pearl Shoe Covers, and my Trek Rain Jacket, Mountain Hardware beanie, and my lighter winter gloves because it was not that cold out!

I had no idea where I was going so I just peddled and turned when I felt like it. Ended up by the ski area on the top side and did my killer hill ride on Wolheiter. Cruised down to church for a restroom break (and to show off that I was tough enough to ride in all type of weather!) and headed home.

It was a short ride but provided me with some good ideas about TransIowa. I need to look into a bike computer that has a light for night time mileage checks and I need to contemplate a better light set.

No pictures because it was dark :)