Falling

Back to the Proving Grounds today,, A bit Nippy for the start but with all the
good layers from the T6 crew I was toasty and shedding layers as I got to

the trail.  Hard to believe how

perfect it was in the woods and I stuck to my guns of 

late season riding. Started at the exit and worked

my way back to the beginning.  Weather is going to change with 

rain coming tomorrow so that may make for some indoor plans. 

Would like to keep the wheels moving for as long as the weather holds up. Then it is going 

to be time to get the plans moving for next season. November is almost here. Ready not sure if

i am.

Crossing the Lines

 I have brought my CX bike from the dead.... Me and this bike have been through so much together.. It came from my wife's boss back in Breckenridge,, Amy was sick of racing cross and thought that if she sold it she would stop cold turkey.. It came laced up with a full Ultegra  group but in my heart of hearts It was meant to be a single speed.  Trough some modification it transformed.. First Cx race was the Brecktoberfest ,,Racing the 4's and doing well the chain popped off 4 times I did finish but was dejected.   The next day went better racing in Frisco crossing the line 2nd and I was hooked. That season I had some success with 2 wins and worked hard to get upgrade but the AcA would not have it. Did a few more Cx races before we moved to Wisco. Since moving I have done a few and still enjoy the time when I get to line up. But more than anything this bike has been for me another way to escape. Many many miles on the crushed gravel along the Mississippi ... long quite training miles with road tires on it... and even managed to get into the top ten in the H8ter race in Madtown.

 The bike gets used and abused.. The wheels are off my old Lemond and have 10K miles and with all the winter commute miles the hubs cry and scream while they spin.
Me and the old Red Machine have ridden the single track of HpT and morning group rides.. It has taken me places.. Would I love a nice slick Steel ride.. Well yes I would because steel is real,,,,,,,,,,,real nice. The Aluminum frame can make your teeth rattle and punish the taint.. But if you close your eyes and spin hard you can day dream your day away on the back of an old friend. 

This week has been a good awakening of a cyclist that I may resemble. I live too far away from the places where CX racing happens. Two hours of each way driving for a 60 min race is hard for me to swallow.... I read I watch and keep up with the CX world and @times feel like I am missing out on something,,, I even watch over and over Pure Sweet Hell while I sit on the Rollers in the middle of Jan.
I go over and over in my head how fun it would be to line up and hurt for an hour of misery.  
But I remind my self all I have to do is open the garage and head out in any direction and start my wheels moving,,, and before I know it I will be free from all that weighs down the mind.                                  I spend the whole summer driving all over the upper mid west racing and making my self hurt and wounder why I do what I do.. The fall is my time down here this is my time,,, and I got to make the best of it.  Bikes are freedom and freedom is a Revolution that is worth fighting for.

Single Track is more fun than....

I chose to skip the dark night race and hang 

out with my better half . Not racing and drinking beer

and watching football sounded like a better idea. 

I am tired and at times not in to having to go hard this 

time of the year. It was a long season with a ton of travel and

it is now time to chill and ride for the fun of riding. No rules no 

finish lines and no attitudes.

So sunday morning after a stellar breakfast I was back at it again. 

The trails are in the best condition that they have been in a long time. No moon dust 

and the leaves are not scattered as bad as they had been due to the work of the tail crew.

And to avoid the Hamster Wheel feeling I went at the trails from every direction. 

I particularly like the North side of the system with all the small connectors

and going backwards and forwards you can link up some fun stuff. 

It shall come to an end soon,,, but until then I am going to keep on swinging.

Paint it Black

The sun was setting as I climbed the 

quarry hill. After two days of grey skys

it made for a beautiful panorama of  color

as the sun dipped behind Minnesota. The first 

section of trail was ripping fast and their

was still enough light to ride with out

a head light. Rounded through French Connection

backassward through Imberm and back to buckthorn

keeping an eye out for others. Bumped in to 

a crew of riders as I slid down Bob and started

to head Frechies to ride that in the wrong direction.

Handed out a Big Air can for a flat and spun my wheels.

Felt great to be out playing after dark.. Not sure I 

need to be racing on saturday,, my legs are not 

to happy,, they can make the bike go but not 

like I want for a race pace. Still have a day or 

so to decide... I wont be crushed I dont make it. 

Saw one deer as I headed down through the quarry on 

my way home singing at the top of my lungs to try to 

scare any other animals from jumping in front of me. 

Big wheel rolling is better than sitting on my Ass... 

Blacker

It is going to be 

DARK...

Blown Up Sir

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Trails were blown clear and were

riding lighting fast. After a day at

Levis and riding in deep leaves riding

the groomed trails at HPT was Awesome. 

I have no issues with Levis and like 

riding there,,,But when it comes to 

trails our here in LAX are some of if not the

best. Up next maybe a ride/race in Iowa on

saturday.. Need to see how the week shapes up

the burn out level is here being late Oct.

Home with sick child,, skies are blue and 

my bikes are weeping and wanting to be ridden. 

Boxelder

The winds they be a blowing but in the woods life is good..

Like a wheel in motion it was time to move again. It 

has been a few years since I have been at the world famous Levis Mound.

The very first time I was with the Doctor and it was Nineteen years ago... 

Back then the trail system is not what it is now. We rode in circles and got lost on so 

many different levels. 

This time would be a new story of fun as me and the Kid went on a blustery day to 

go ride the Clark County Goodness,,

One hour from the house is really close to not be riding these trails more often,,,I need to stop being such a car hater and drive from time to time to go and play.. 

With the high winds every leaf that could fall did but

if you looked hard enough you could see the trail.. We looped sixteen miles to the best of my memory of the system. Yellow Jacket and Goat something Sidewinder and a bunch of other trails

danced as we speed the big wheels through and over the trails. 

October is going to be gone before we know it and it is going to be time for the winter

silent sports,, and again Levis will be on the list of places

to go and slide. Need to get the kid more proficient on the slide and glide. 

With the coming winter it is going to be time to polish up the Spot and get it on 

the Market,, So the Form can take shape and make speed blur the lines of my reality.

Up and down

The change can come quick with a few turns 

of a 5 and 4mm the switch takes place. 

Spent the past few weeks keeping it simple and enjoying the silence of 

direct drive. The bouncing sounds of chain on steel can get to 

be loud at times but the joy of changing speed when the leaves come down

and slippery traction happens.  Dry air again and 

the wheels will spin. 

Lights Wheels Action..

Getting Puddled

Weather man said rain and just passing showers. 

I have learned that unless you live in Phoenix AZ the weather man  is 

always wrong.. There the person just has to point to 

a picture of sun and say it is going to be warm. 

Here it rains and some times a lot....I have learned to deal with the rain over the 

years. I may at time even seek out a rainy day to ride just to 

get out and play in the puddles. One thing that has helped me when it comes to riding in the rain.....

 Fenders.

I am using these and they tend to work,,, They are not full fenders but they work really well and can be switched between bikes fast.
When like today when passing showers turn in to down pours... You just are going to get wet... But they do help keep the frog guts from getting all over your soaking wet kit.......
To day on the path coming home in the rain was like a seen from a  movie.. Frogs of all sizes jumping around the path and along with the leaves on the ground it made for some tricky rolling.
Felt frog bouncing off my shoes and saw a couple end up as spoke food.  As it has been stated many times I would rather be wet and commuting than stuck in my car driving. Two wheels and Puddles...

HOT Lapping

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Don't be afraid of the images on your screen.. 

It is just one of the 

29&Single Guys who slipped in to something more 

comfortable at the 

Holzinger Holeshot in Winona Mn.

Could not have asked for better weather for a day 

of reckless abandon.. 

6 Beers gets you in to a TT style event on some

 of the most ripping terrain in

area. 

Last year I had a bit of a Mechanical and I was sworn 

to not have that 

happen again.  Format was different

this year sending us out on the 

single track two at a time. I headed out 

with the 3rd place finisher from last year...

and he having gears I gave him the lead out. 

As we came back through the Start Finish line and started

heading up hill things were shaping 

up to be a good day. I followed through the 

first 4 short and ever harder punchy climbs.

Until I passed in a stand of

golden dogwood trees

 and started pushing it as I came to the big

right hand turn which I bobbled,, and lost ground.

 But now

starts the long climb to the top.. I just put my 

head down and

kept my pace the same.. Through 

the top I caught a glimpse of soon to be

 winner Ian 

Stanford. Moving well I could one again hear my self 

being stalked. Through the Rocky down

hill I just pointed it and was flying.. flying so well that 

I miss a turn and had to bush whack to get 

back on track...

Crossed the line 40:16 faster than last year but not under

40 I was so close,, should have listened to Borgan and gone 

Right Right Right.. 

Fun day good music great people and awesome riding.

2nd behind Ian is a good Spot to be in the 34x18 did not

let me down,, Now time to ride some more

it is Beautiful out..  

Up Yours 61

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  The past week of

 weather has been 

unreal.. I have been out taking advantage of it as much as 

I can. The 

trails right now are in prime condition. Yes you do need to

 be ready for the many 

leaves that are on the ground but for me with my Magura 

Brakes and Geax tires

keeping the up right and fast are not an issue. 

Tomorrow is an even up in "I know your Winona Rider" 

Minnesota put on by 

these guys....

It was a blast last year with good 

weather and great folks.. And with a 6 pack 

entry how can you go wrong.. Last year I got 

4th with a mechanical on the 

way down,,,,, and I can't remember what gearing 

I ran so just going with what is

on the bike now. If it is too much it will just 

hurt a bit more.. Should be 

a big party with a lot of the freaks and fringe's 

showing up.

For now it is friday and the coffee is good and 

the temps are 

up so time to get ready for another day 

of bikes and broken down home 

appliances.. Ohhh the Good Life....

PARTY ON!!!!

Dirty not grimy

Clean Bottles,,

their never seems to be enough of them. 

I have a cupboard full but never seems to have all the bottles in there. 

At my house instead of an Easter egg hunt I send the kids out to find bottles. 

Yesterday on Anna's ride I sent her out with a bottle that was not a Nuun bottle 

and that made her bottle cage fell funny.

80% of all the bottles in the house are Nuun with their distinctive blue 

color.

For me it has been three days back to back to back of single track bliss,,

just me my bike and a couple bottles of Nuun to keep the

well lubed up.

Anna Loop

Sent from my mobile. Enjoy.
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Late summer fun...... So late it is October     

Slice of

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   Single Track slices 

through the October Sun.

Warm and dry is making for some great late season riding.

 Wondering what the winter is going 

to bring. But for now will make miles the sun shines..  

Surge

A week of rain and a sky with out a sun was all that it took to crush my soul. I needed sun and needed to ride a bike. Some last minute plans were made and the Wood's came down from the twin cites for some late season road miles. 

 The original plan was to get up the big hill and play
on mountain bikes,, but the weather of the week trumped that idea.
  Saturday morning brought clear skies and some chilly temps. I made a killer breakfast and some coffee was drank ,, once we were all dressed the pave was ridden.

 Took the crew on the Mindro Cut ride.. One that Sophia has only  seen by car. She did well especially with the big climb up S.

                            

   

 40+ miles and smiling faces. Pip went off to work and we 

played in the sun and watched the Brewers win game one. Beers 

were drank as the Wisconsin game came on.   

 After some much needed sleep we got up and did it all over again. This time a twist on the loop the day before... More hills and sunshine from wall to wall.
Two days of good friends and great weather is what I needed to recharge the battery and get ready for the winter to come.

The only thing that could make life better was to get out of work and ride some dirt.. And dirt I did ride and it was awesome. I have been running the spot one by one and it has been good fun to slide through the woods.
We are suppose to see weather like this all
week which means more is more and more is better. So go and get some...