Case of the Tuesdays

Finishing strong!

Months end today and the fat tires were out again. 

Had the day off DU to the fact that originally we were going to

be on the road in CO but plans changed. 

Not going to work is a fun felling.... had a good amount of stuff around the house to do

and still a pile of bike stuff to work on. 

The kids

 

new rig is in the works and hope to have it done before we 

race on sunday. Waiting on one last part from King which will be the icing on the

cake.

I made it out for two hours on the Spot, with the gears back on. 

Felt good bike was riding well and it was shifting good. 

I do find my self wondering and worrying about what gear I am in

with this set up I need to just ride and not think. Years as a Onespeeder. 

The woods were amazing today especially with the 30+ winds

was going to do the TNWC ride but did not want to play in the wind with 

a large group. Coach said go ride dirt so I did. 

Back to work tomorrow but only a three day week, that will be nice.

Rockwood

Took the new Rockwood up north 

to test out the house on wheels. We were only nervous about the weather that

has been a plague here in the upper midwest. 

Hooked and ready to go bike in the hatch and beer in the cooler.

Found our spot and needed help on the first pop of the camper

but once up it was like heaven. 

Found the local bike shop in Hayward,,,,,New Moon,,,,,

and they pointed me in the direction of some single track goodness.

Had the family drop me off and I headed in to the woods.

18 miles of single track goodness, following the Berke trail. 

Popped out at at OO where the ski race crosses the road and pounded the pave

back to the camp site. I was happy to have the bigger gear on made the road 

less mind numbing.

Great time Beer Fishing and some Good old 

Camp Fire fun.  We even woke up this morning to a pretty big Thunder Storm

but we were high and dry. 

Already planing the next trip, up to the Big Ring Classic and a side trip

to see the Belt and Trophy. 

Party ON!!

Sunnyside UP

For what it is worth I have been a total head case

for the past week or so. Yea the weather has been shit but I have been riding all winter long 

and training in some nasty conditions so it should not be that big of a deal. And 

yes my poor performance last Saturday has not helped either.

Shovel on top of that work and my lovely children and I think that I have a good reason to be all

flipped out in my head.

Today starts a nice bit of down time and after watching the Giro I headed

out to the Trails.. You could say that I rode the HPT Up and that I rode them Down 

and that I rode the HPT all around. 

Stripped the gears off last night and set my rig up the right way 34x18 and 

I think that both pilot and machine were happy. 

A bit under three hours and 30 miles of one by one fun. 

Again not sure if it is in my head but the bike seemed to ride with 

much more ease and flowed much better. And as for the 

person guiding it through the woods he felt pretty alright. 

Some creaks and other noises but that will get fix here this afternoon.

Need to slap on some new brake pads which showed up today thanks to 

Magura. And after that should be ready for the trip up north. 

I may even keep it set up single for the next race it is a ski area and shifting is optional.

Here is to clearing my head.

Potholes in my Lawn

 A good day for fenders and taking it slow.

Yet again another day of cold air and gray sky's.

By this time last year the family had been strawberry picking at least twice so for no go on the berries..

 Got a new camera from my old man says that

 it should stand up to being in my pocket 

while riding and it is water proof up to 6 feet. 

should be fun to play with. 

Now if I could just mount it to the bars for some 

single tack videos.

Bike Path is falling apart and the city painted arrows and

drew a path on how to get through them, don't think that 

they want to fix them anytime soon 

Did ride the Spot for a bit last night trails are still pretty wet so 

I just did repeats on the quarry road. Bike is happy that all the mud is off of it. And the shifting for now seems to be working. Still going to take it off for the trip up north this weekend and try it one more time at Mt Kato.

Watch for potholes......

Better than EPO

Busy week here at the Redwood house. Not only is tomorrow fourteen years of 

Bliss with the love of my life.

The James turns seven and that same day three years living in 

our little home.

And that is just the first few days...

End of the week we get to take the trailer out for the first time and 

play in the north woods.

We have a spot on a lake with fishing and boats which is all good 

fun. And front door access to the local single track. 

I have never ridden there only driven by as I head up to 

Duluth. From what I hear it is the shit and 

I can't wait. Strip the bike down to the 34x18 and shred the single fun.

And to top it all off I have 5 day off in a row,,, time to play and get 

ready for Mt Kato.

And I fell Fine

Yesterday as I toiled in the mud and slop fighting my

mechanical intrusion all I could hope for was the End Of Days..

It never happened. That would have been an easier way for me to 

bow out of the carnage.

Today was spent cleaning soaking and repacking 

bearings and other bike parts. 

I know that this is all part bike racing just not the part that I wanted to start my season off with.

But now it is only up,,, I have seen the bottom and know that I don't like it.

I was all ready to rip off the gears and go back to my roots of racing a onexone.

But I also know that the conditions yesterday played a huge roll in my

demise. 

Two weeks we head to Makato and this will be more my style of racing lots of 

up and down. 

We had some serious rain rip through the area and once it 

was over and the sky's cleared I headed out for some post Rapture 

bike practice.

Hammered

It has been said that sometimes your the hammed and sometimes the nails.

Yesterday I was the nails. While the pip and I drove up to the cities

it rained and we were prepared for rain. Spirits were up as we sat in the car

and got through registration.  We slapped on our #plates with timing chip pasted on the backs of them...Cool!

Chatted it up with all the faces that we have missed over the past six months. 

Again moods were good and we were read and excited. 

The line up and call ups went normal then they gave up a quick 5-4-3-2-1 and off.

Hollywood too the hole shot and we were off, off on to a grassy feild that 

was a slow as slow could be. It was like running g full speed and but not moving.

Hit the single track sitting to 7 or so and was moving along with the group. 

And that is about where every thing changed. First my shifter got jacked and the thumb 

blade moved some 90 degrees and could not be reached with out taking hands off the bars.

Slamming and diving through puddles and trying to find the lines through the troughs of mud.

Now it had been raining all morning but the rain stopped as we stared racing, and now rain would have been great. With my shifter messed up next was the Derailleur, it would not shift

down out of the 32/30 tooth cogs.. If I shifted down to the 18 or 16 it just ghost shifted right back 

up to the top. I was not able to get any speed as I was spinning like a total freak. 

Mid way through the second lap I knew that this was not going to work. The sandy muddy mess had

ground my rear pads to nothing and my race was done. Yep first race of the year a big old DNF..

Along with a  muddy bike and some trashed gear. 

Jay raced strong and stayed out front and came in 4th and both Kwood and Pip 

finished. The sun had come out right about the time that I pulled out and this 

had change the mud from soup to thick peanut butter like shit. 

When the kid crossed the line her bike was a good 25 pounds heavier.

Proud of her the hardest race that she will do this year. 

Now time to clean the bike, shoes, and kits and start thinking about the approach to 

the next one in two weeks...

Good job Team Hollywood Cycles for KILLING IT .

Splatering

Back to work as usual. Or at least to work on 

dirt, testing out the legs and

making sure that the new ride is going to preform the way I want.

The ride up the bluff and through the woods this morning

was what I needed. Quite , peaceful and loud punk rock in my ears. 

Did the appliance work then headed back to the trails.

Had Tostin run through the shifting one last time before I 

went to the Top. 

Two and a half solid hours on the mountain bike and I am feeling good.

All the work and all of the miles will be tested on a wet and sloppy single track 

in the southern burbs of St. Paul.

Lane Meyer

Rain in the forecast now ,,,,well it has been all week and that 

sucks. First line up of the season and now I know that it 

is going to be a wet one. That only means that bikes will need to get full tear 

down on sunday. Not happy about that. 

Think that I am ready not left to but give it a go. 

All the work has been done pencils have been sharped and now time to take the test.

Slop can always be a limiting factor.

Like it was once said " go that way really fast

and if anything gets in your way  Turn"

Words to live by..

Dirt in my pockets

 Fun in the sun with the Pip.. Working on lines in the woods. I might not be the richest man and I may not have some

High powered job but what i have is a relationship with my kids.

Playing in the woods and flying over dirt makes me a rich rich man. 

All the crap that flow in to a fan in a day is quickly erased when rubber meats the trail.

Pain in the

Been battling a sore/swollen Achilles this spring. Thought

 that I had it under control when it did not bug me on vacation,

but shortly their after it flared up again. All seat heights are the same on 

all 5 bikes and nothing else has changed. Not sure what is going on

been stretching and icing,,, need it to stop,, rest of body feels ok. 

Again the first big test is coming this weekend and don't need or 

want any stupid limitations. 

Just going to have to spit in to the wind and see what happens. 

Think what I need is a live in Massage Therapist.

RU Comming?

How did you get to work today?

Me I rode my DaRk SpOt and played on the local single track.

To get there that means climbing up the bitch of a Quarry hill but the 

payoff is all in what you are rolling on. 

My big boy job has been real real,,,,,,,real slow lately which is bull 

but it makes for getting out with the sun up and time to spin.

So how did you get home from work?

Me  I rode single track again.. Why not "When In Rome"..

This time the sun had moved and the day was much warmer, and the trails were

as ripping as they were hours before. 

The first Mountain Bike race is coming this weekend for me and the PiP.

Been working hard to make sure that I am going to be ready. 

The bike is flying and from time to time I feel like I know what I am doing.

All the fast guys are going to have a few races under their belts, I hope that I can

keep up. Until then I will keep the Bike Practice coming.

Cogworthy

The sun was out today, which after yesterday was a welcome sight. 

Was supposed to ride with the Kid but she was working the 

job and after her running coach yelled @ her for riding her bike she got the day off.

I got out and it was glorious I was in heaven.

Took off from the house and gave it some race pace to see what the 

legs felt like. Things were clicking and from the house to the trail in 25 minutes.

A fast time epically when climbing up the quarry road.

With the bit of rain that we got yesterday the trails were tacky, and fast.

I could not get enough I want to keep going. The new bike and  I are starting to 

be come one. Snappy fast and nimble on the climbs. 

With a bit over a lap and a half I had to go home but did not want to. 

Twenty six on the day in 1:49,, good climbing and fast single track riding. 

I want more and I think that I will Tee it up again in the AM.

DriftLess RiDeMoRe

I stink,, it seems like all the time now. Tons of hours on two wheels... Been loving it.

Yesterday rode the Single Lemond up through the quarry and then back up

bliss just for fun. Gets a bit stiff with a 53X20,,, and the rain that they had 

called for never showed so after work back out on the Spot to 

the HPT for some single track fun. 

But all of this is adding to my constant smelly body and piles of bike

clothes. 

Weather changed and this morning @5:20 it was almost chilly 

but the engine warmed up quick again on the SS Lemond..

The Group was big again this morning and on the front 

the speed was good. Ready for more,, seems as if every one is racing this weekend

I will be working at the shop which ok at least I will be 

surrounded by my bicycle friends. 

May have to sneak out this evening and get some more dirt.

Shift to the Left.....

Been pedaling a bunch over the past few days.

Got a good amount of time on the new MTB and am loving it.

As I type this a box of goodies sits on the floor from Thomson,

for both my rig and the kids new toy. Been having some Achilles pain again

and just trying to work through it. 

The only thing that I am ascared of is the lack of racing to this point.

All the boys in MN have gotten to line up a few times and me

I am going to be going into the first one kind of cold. I worry about the high end, I hope that it 

is there.

Let the house before 6 this morning and got two hours of dirt before work..

Love it when the day starts out good.

Now good pedal your bike and spit on the gas pumps..

Momsday

It is cyclical,,,,round and flows like water. Enough is 

never enough almost like waiting for the next fix.

That is what I am felling when I ride my new Spot.

Been out on it three times this week and we are becoming good friends.

Quick.... fast edge to edge and snaps out of corners. Climbing and descending this bike is 

at home. Only problem is I want more I get done and I want to go 

right back and ride some more.

Glowing

I wake up every morning and think that i get 

to ride my bike today. 

Some days 

are tough and

 others are easy.. 

But as long as I am on two wheels life will 

 be good. 

AM single track was on todays menu.....Dirt to work is 

the best way to start the day. 

I want more and then I want it again. 

As long as the wheels are turning the smiles will be glowing.

It wants to be ridden

It supposed to be warm yesterday and I swore that I was not going to wear my XC Ski gloves

while riding...My hands paid of that.  Went out and did the TNWC ride with a good size group and wind in every

direction. Goal was to hurt or as Tim says break some dishes.

Mission Complete. 

Good spin in the sun to work and out after dinner with the 

Kid. Rode around in the quarry and 

peeked in to the woods to see how things were coming along.

Close if not there time to ride dirt it needs to be ridden it is calling out.........

ride me ride me.!!

More rain coming,, back to the Portland weather. Booooo...