Welcome To November

Yes I have this on my mind :)  I know a lot of people do not agree but it is a true love of mine and I cannot wait to ride the snowmobile trails and hopefully it happens real soon.  There are flurries in the forecast this weekend but I doubt they stay around.  My daughter and I saw flakes on the way to church last Sunday and that got me excited :)

Other things going in my life right now - well I am riding to work as often as the weather and body calls for it.  Right now I am at 65 commutes for the year and I am trying to hit 77 (the number I hit last year).  That would be good since I had 30 days of no commuting with the Freedom Tour earlier this year!

I am also becoming a devoted swimmer.  I want to do a 1 or 2 mile lake swim race next summer and my swim needs a lot of help.  To get good at swimming means drills and laps and time but I am willing to invest in it right now and see how it turns out come spring time :)

The biggest thing right now is that I am on a kick to cut out senseless media.  Last week I watched about 2 hours of television total and that included football games Saturday and Sunday.  Actually most of the time was football Saturday night as I relaxed in bed.  Since my beloved Denver Broncos are one of the worst football teams this year I have no desire to watch them on Sunday's so that rules that time out as well!  So far this week I am at 0 for television consumption ;) and hope to keep it that way.

I have been weaning myself off of it recently and Sunday our pastor gave a great sermon on the Sabbath and how things distract us from focusing on God at all times during the day.  A big part of that for me was donning the IPod while riding and I stopped that about 3 weeks ago.  It is freeing knowing that the only thing penetrating my mind our my thoughts - well maybe that is not so freeing after all but you catch my drift - and God's which is truly freeing!

What is next to go - hopefully the car but I am having a difficult time coming up with a commuting plan for winter time around these parts.  I could try and ride to work all winter long but right now my body does not like when I do back to back commutes (sorry Dave you are a rock star and I am not) so I don't know if that would really work out.  I am sure something is out there for me to latch onto plan wise - stay tuned :)

Alright that is all for today - get out there and ride your bike, or walk your dog, or play with your children, or just enjoy God's creation for a while.  It is all good - if you don't believe me read Genesis!

My Walk to the Car

The sky yesterday was amazing over the lake.  I loved the lighting!!  Enjoy!

Some Added Ways to get Bicycle Time

I am contemplating ways I can get riding time in besides commuting and riding around the neighborhood.  The wife won't let me buy a trailer for my bike to grocery shop with so I am contemplating rigging up my Single Speed Mountain Bike to a grocery cart.  I should have thought of that when the kids where younger because I could have put a helmet on one of them and taken them with me!

I really don't like mowing the lawn, but I love riding my bicycle.  Maybe this would solve the quandary.  The kids want a riding mower and I could tell them this is a riding mower so go get 'em.  Do you think it will work?

I cannot believe October is almost over and that means snow is just around the corner - YEAH!

Funny side note - I looked on Facebook today and it said it is my mother's birthday today.  I always thought it was the 28th but FB says the 27th so it must be official.  Either way - Happy Birthday Mom!!!  Even if it is tomorrow I doubt I will be posting another blog so we will make it official today.

Have a great day and get out there and ride your bike!!!!

A Little Fall Riding

This is from all the rain we have had this fall

Yesterday was a beautiful day.  It has been a very wet and windy fall in Western New York and I snuck out for a ride to my favorite destination - Sprague Brook.  I am excited about the winter and skiing out there and all other winter activities.  I think my body is ready for a change of seasons and different training because it has all been a struggle lately!

Sunshine trying to break through

I put myself in a pickle though - I have been doing my not ride the same road that I have been on already thing this fall and as I was leaving the park I thought - hmmmmmmm I have never left the park any other way.  So I made a left instead of a right and headed off into the unknown.

Next year I am getting a local road map and I am going to highlight all the roads I ride and see how many I cover in Southern Erie County.  Somehow I don't think it will be as many as I think.



Leaves are almost all gone

Well the leaves are almost all gone.  That means time for the snow to start falling and time to get some new training in. 

Have a great day and get out there and ride your bike!!!

Busting of out IBWS

Ahhh - Fall in Western New York

The weather since my ride last Saturday has been horrible.  So for all of those that are worried the IBWS disease that I had was (I)rritable (B)uffalo (W)eather (S)yndrome.  It rained all week long and I finally got on my bike yesterday.

So what happens yesterday - the winds are about 20-25mph gusts all the way home - talk about wiping you out.  But when you have scenery like this it makes it all good.

My Neighborhood

I rode in the country all day today and I started a new game.  I cannot get on any part of the route that I have already ridden that day.  So I leave one way and the only way home is a big hill but that is good, I got to stop at a LBS just before to pick up some new brake housing/cable for a switcheroo I am doing.

My Felt Breed is going to be wearing my Woodchippers and my Bianchi MUSS is going back to a flat bar with bar ends as well in preparation of selling her.  They are all cabled up and now I just need some tape for the Woodchippers and my Breed will be rideable again!

I love my country home (no this is not mine)

This reminded me of Iowa and was on a new road I have not ridden before.  Next year I am getting a local road map and highlighting all the roads I ride each year just to track it for fun.

Have a great weekend and get out there and enjoy the Fall!!!

Goodbye September Hello October

I am still here - just not doing any day light rides that warrant carrying a camera with me.  Actually I am not doing much riding at all right now.  I believe my summer bike tour has finally caught up with me and I took some much needed time away from the bike and hard workouts in general to try and get refreshed for the upcoming winter season.

What made me ride today you ask?  Well I had a dream Monday night that I went back out on the Underground Railroad to do the tour again.  This time I was looking for my soul that I left out there.  It was a very freaky dream because it seemed so real.  I don't like those types of dreams personally but I will add this: being a Christian I believe that we hear from God in very different ways at very different times and I believe it was His way of saying "all is well if you want to ride your bike for Me!" - Like Todd and I did on the Freedom Tour.

I don't know what that means.  That is a question that gives me mind time on the bike.  So when I finally figure it out well I will let you know.

I have done some bike stable downsizing as well.  I sold the touring bike last month and just sold my fixied/SS commuter this past weekend.  Time to switch the basement to our bike repair shop for my son and I so we can learn a trade and make him some extra money!

Sorry about no pictures but I will leave you with this:

Go ride your bike and hear the leaves/branches crunching under your wheels, or run a trail and look at the changing leaves, or swim a pond because the water will be too cold sooner or later, or chop some wood, or rake some leaves with your kids.  Get the blood flowing - there is no better feeling!

Windmills

I cannot  believe I have forgotten to post these pictures from my Saturday ride.  Guess that what happens when you have a tax deadline at work and are busy wrapping up projects for clients.

Well Saturday was a beautiful day and there is a Windmill Farm about 22 miles from our house.  I have always wanted to ride to them but just never put it together until Saturday.

Over The Hill & Through The Valley

There is a flatter option which would have included more traffic flow until I got outside of East Aurora or a hillier option which is basically no traffic so that is the way I went.  I believe I rode flat ground on the way to the windmills for about 10-20 minutes max.  They were not brutal hills, but a hill is a hill is a hill.

Getting Closer

You can see the windmills from the road I live on but once you drop down off the hills the windmills disappear until you get with 5 miles.

Green Energy

When I arrived I pulled into the companies parking lot, took some photos, ate some energy, and enjoyed the scenery.  I really need a good camera instead of using my cell phone camera because there were some awesome valley views from my perch atop Windmill Alley!

Great ride back home and I have even done some commuting again this week.  Fall is definitely in the air but I love this time of year!

Have a great day and go ride your bike (or run) (or swim) (or hike) (or play with your kids)!!!!