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.

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...