Puck Rock Shaved my Life

Last day of November,, now maybe all the cheesy mustaches will get 

shaven off and the world will be freed from all the 

lurker porn star want-to-bee's...

Chilly start to the day with temps in the teens,, makes dressing for the 

ride in..interesting,, cold to start but then shweaty upon arriving to work.

Nice thing about today was it warmed up to the low 40's or just 40 

but regardless the sun was out and I was able to go through the 

quarry home. 

With a bit of extra time I rode in to the quarry usually just pass by it

riding on the double track that skirts the edge. When you get

down and into it you realize how much space their is and 

and you spin around at the 360 degree views and imagine all  the single track that could happen

you start to drool a bit.  

Now from what I understand even though this is MVC land trails can not be built due to the 

rattle snake habitat there, and for what ever reason the DNR wants to 

keep bikes out,,, they are afraid that people would disturb the land in now empty 

rock quarry. It is a shame the lines that could be drawn the climbing and open fields of wild flowers wizzing 

by as you descend through would be unlike anything in this area. 

This land is a gem and to a city to a community this could be a play ground for two wheels and hikers

snow play enthusiast etc..

All that being said it was a great ride home getting to blow off some steam from a job that 

as I figure will get me no where in life... And it gave me time to think about 

what is to come and how to get ready for it.  

Skiing if it happens will be a blast but for me it is just what I do until I can 

get back out on the road start getting ready to line up and go in to the red. 

With the sound of feedback in my ears and gravel under my wheels 

 I will survive.

Right Brigade

My son keeps asking me what I want for christmas and my response is

always the same.... I don't know,,,,,,,, I do know but 

the family never wants to have to get me cycling stuff...

One of These or one of These

or 

Snow would be nice some time soon so we can start sliding on the 

white stuff. 

I don't need or want much,,, just a healthy family and all the two wheeled contraptions 

to work and be ready for another race season. 

Calenders are out and time to  start planing

                               2012 Minnesota Mountain Bike Series Race Schedule

 2012 Minnesota Mountain Bike Series Race Schedule

5/20/2012      Afton Avalanche, Afton Alps, Hastings, MN

6/03/2012      Bluff Riders Charge, Mankato, MN

6/17/2012      Red Wing Classic, Red Wing, MN

7/08/2012      Dirt Spanker, Mt. Du Lac, Superior, WI

7/22/2012      Metric Auto Works Birch Bump, Burnsville, MN

7/29/2012      Single Track Attack, Elk River, MN

8/12/2012      White Tail Frolic,  River Falls, WI

8/19/2012      The Great Hawk Chase, Duluth, MN

9/02/2012      Laddie’s Loppet Stage Race, Maplelag Resort, MN

9/23/2012      Revolution’s Single Track Escape, St. Cloud, MN

9/30/2012      St. Croix Valley Woolly, St. Croix Falls, WI

 A few changes to the Schedule which should make it nice and with some alternate weekends 

the Pip and I should be able to hit some of the WORS series along with the big Subaru Cup. 

Need to figure out how to finance the season but should be a big one for the 

kid,,,, one last year as a JR racer. 

Been spending some time over here

reading and enjoying the cycling stories.... well put together and great photos.. Something to help 

get through the long winter. 

December is almost here and that means the bringer of the light will soon snuff out the 

dark... and that is a good thing..  Spin to win and ride with pride ,,, watch out for ice .. and stay warm...

I leave you with this... 

What the???

   Nope ride did

not happen,,,, looks as if they are conspiring. 

Revolution!!! 

Passanger

Blackfriday riding on my dark horse. Woods 

are where  I want to be. And every time I 

get out there I say this may be it. Still in the 

50's so temps are good for getting out there. 

I saw more people in the woods on the day after

thanks giving than i have in months . Great to see

people on bikes.

Always wanting more and more even when I am 

board with the same loops over and over. More now as

 I have another turkey dinner prepped and ready to cook. 

Food,,,family and Two Wheels.... Good luck to all 

that are racing today in IA go fast and Party ON>>>     

Rolling

Sitting sill is not one of strong suits. My saturday involved 

doing some stuff around the house and 

watching the rain fall.... No snow here like up 

north in the cities.. That made for some good 

cross weather for all the MN mafia that were out racing. 

The Hollywood Crew of Hwood and Kwood killed it and 

drilled it for a pair of 2nd places in their races.. way to go guys...!!!

So all that said Sunday with a full slate of football to watch I knew that 

i needed to get out of the house. 

With some T6 layers and a few from Craft I was out the door in 

sub 30 temps... Now even though I raced my MTB all season

with gears I still like to think of my self as a One Speeder.. And that is the 

weapon that was chosen. The one x Lemond is perfect for this time of year and got the job done. 

With the woods packed full of blaze orange deer hunters the roads 

were quite and I had them all to my self.  Rode the EMAG loop that for what it is worth 

has been shut down since aug due to road repair.  Bike felt good and the riding felt better. Movement was good which made for a better day of ball watching.. Now time for the defence to step it up and make 

a complete team..

Going back

I could go for some warm dry and dirty!!

I want to go back and Play

Nuun 4 You

Nuun has a grate deal going on 

$20 for 4-packs of Nuun and 3-packs of U-Hydration,,

Great for the Athlete in your life,,Co-workers

Teachers Etc..  Hydration is always a good idea 

through the holidays and while out playing in the snow. 

Check it out!

Watch out For

Been trying to get ever last ounce of pedal strokes 

out of my legs before the weather shifts.  Up through the quarry and down the bluff

through the woods over rivers.,,.,.all that kind of riding before it

becomes winter commute survival of the fittest. Hoping that 

can get one more year out of the Cannondal CX commuter before it 

has to be put down,, bike is hanging on by a thread. But for

now it still gets the job done. Saw this the other morning heading in 

thought that it was cool being 7:15 in the AM

This Kid here is way smart and a head of his age and the 

stuff that he has come up with is brilliant,, On top of that he 

is fast as hell and has ridden his bike across the USA and is going to do it again.

Their is all kinds of talk about Black Friday and 

how cool it is going to be bla bla bla,,, @ first I thought it was going to be

this 

But found out that it was going to 

just be this which is less much less cool

Not sure but pretty sure that people 

are pretty dumb when deals are at hand...

Turn the Page

   This could be it.. The 

last ride 

in the woods and it was a good one. Next 

saturday gun deer 

season starts and my not be the best time to 

be in the woods.  50 degrees out and 

over dressed. Not another soul on a bike

in the woods,, lots of hikers but no

cyclist. Trails rode sweet and the 

carving and drifting factor were

in full effect. If this is it ,,,,

it sure was good. Ready to start get 

things lined up for next season,, dreaming 

about single track and races to come. 

Get out ride your bike and change your life. 

I felt like a gringo

November 12 and out in the sun.. Pave to some gravel and then 

up the road that falls apart every 6months. 

D. Boon

Jumped into the single track up in the HPT and was loving the 

35mm tires as they sliced through the freshly fallen leaves.  Riding was good as 

I channeled my inner Stevil only to find  a sign and some tape closing off

 a section of trail.. Said NO Trespassing Nov 1through Dec 31..

Not a huge section of trail but closed none the less. 

From there things went sideways phone beeped and I got 

called in to work,.. Good thing that spinning wheels can make 

me smile so damn big..  Coming down the quarry road on canty brakes can be a bit unnerving,, but you 

just have to let it go and  hope no deer get in the way.

No Feelings

It it the time of the year when i sit and wait for the bringer of the light. As the darkness creeps deeper in to the 

soul and surroundings of my tiny universe preparations are made.  The pagans may 

dance around Stonehenge others hang mistletoe

me i continue to turn the cranks knowing that with every turn

I am closer to the sun,,,,coming back.  

A lot of time is spent on the the Red bike as it bends the space in front of me and leaves the pain behind. 

Layers and speed = time spent moving. 

It all adds up and the hope is that it adds up to the 

sum of the it all. 

Bring the light and fight the darkness,,as long as it keeps you moving.

B&W

Photo

Black And White

Off season Racing

Off the couch and doing my first CX race of the season. 

The Midwest Single Speed CX Championship. 

Last year had a good race and finished out of the money by one spot. 

This year the field was bigger and it was going to be fast. 

From the word go Hwood and my self with the work of Thorny were off 

the front. Nice course with some minny barriers which made for some 

humor when the roadies had to try to bunny hop ,,, some man made stairs and lots and 

lots of turns. Hollywood and I pulled hard to get some separation and get to

the prim at the start finish line. I had a great lead out for the captain of the team

and he scored the 25$$. From there I kept on the gas... Then started to 

blow up,,,but Hwood was gone with the eventual winner. 

From there I bounced off the ground a few times went crossed eyed and 

rode into some course tape. All in all not a bad day for coming 

off the couch,, I like the idea of cross racing but am not willing to drive 2.5 hours 

for a 60 min race. Have not seen the results I finished somewhere around

12th. Paying for the efforts today.. 

Sophia and finished the day off with going to get the end of the season 

awards. Got to party with the Hollywood Team and 

collect our #1 overall award.

Food

In my former life I lived and breathed in 

restaurants. Working in kitchens was my ticket to high places through out 

the west and for the longest time the way that I made my living. 

I have worked in some real shit holes and for some big assholes. 

But for all the shit and cornholes I worked for some amazing

Chefs. Two of which were down in Scottsdale.. James and 

Erik had trained under Alain Ducasse in France and in Monte-Carlo.

The time I spent with these two shaped me for the years to come. You may even say that 

it changed my view on food and hard to fit the molds of other chef's to follow. 

The food was real and methods were old world... They preached fresh and whole

and explained why food should be prepared the way it had been for hundreds of years. 

Old world style with a touch of modern tweaks. 

It was hard and a lot to learn bit it stuck with me and to this day I still practice the 

techniques at home.  

I miss food and miss cooking,,,, I don't miss the hours and substance abuse and crap that 

went along with good food. 

Being a cyclist and being in a house of cyclist,, we eat a lot and I try to make sure 

that we eat well.  Teaching the young-lings why and how is tough but 

 I hope that they can take it with them. 

So long rant short I came across on PBS this evening a guy on  the 

east coast of Wisco who is doing the same thing but with his own twist.

Can't wait to go and visit the family over on that side of the state so I can dig 

in to some of his creations.

WWJD?

Mild start to the day with no moisture  in the air... But you could feel the 

cold air coming. With all the essentials packed I was ready for what

ever was coming. Shoe covers and my winter gloves and the 

new greatest layer my T6 thermal I was ready for the 

cold hard rain that was falling on the way home. 

Layers and wheels spinning 

is better than being 

in a car!

My Friend Goo

November fist and the weather was spectacular,, a very nice treat for a fall day. 

I thought that I would never get away from work....Broken shit getting the 

best of me all day... Always seems like a fire to be put out 

some where and people at times can not be very understanding 

about why their expensive steel box of crap does not work. 

But Thank dog that their are bicycles. 

I was able to steal the last fun rays of sun on the way home. 

Then changed in to a fresh kit and headed to the 

park to do some laps and see what my legs thought of 

circles of pain. I like this one here

the off camber drift just waiting for the tires to 

hook back up and go straight.

My Cross rig is a Frankenstein of bits and pieces,, the wheels make so much noise back and 

forth between the pave and dirt the noise is like a symphony. Some day some thing sweet with some 

fast wheels and a tricked out frame.

After getting dizzy and spitting blood from my eyes  I gave it a nice cool down home. 

Got to watch the sun dip behind Minnesota and 

enjoy what could be the last day of niceness.