Thousand Miles.

Yesterday marks the first 1,000 miles for 2009.  I was hoping for more milage by now but Iowa has a winter thing that happens in January a February. 

Century II

I made it this time second century of the year 136 miles yesterday! I went out through Minburn and almost to Jefferson.  I was going to come back on the bike trail but that was unpassable.  So back the way I came the last 2 hours Ended up in the dark do to my poor judgement of trying the trail and the resulting 3 miles of gravel road (on 23c tires) I now understand why you avoid gravel on road bikes.  Stoped for lunch in Jamaca I could smell the food half a mile outside town and thought I need a greezy fat burger and onion ring.  made good time out, but as I'm cruzing along down p-30 at 28 mph I realize that I'll be fighting the wind that is now pushing me and making this so easy.  According to my Polar watch I burned 1,000 more calories on the way home than I did on the way out.  With the sunset the wind died down and my bad route became alot better.  Even tough I'm a little sore today I wish I was going out for a long ride instead of going to work this morning

Open Road

Jamaca

Spring Time is here!

I know its 15 degrees right now but I've got out my commuter without studs and that means it's spring.  With my day off today and tomorrow I've got to catch up on the tour before someone gives it away.  Century 2 tomorrow!

Tomorrows Friday!

Well for me it's friday.  Going to help my dad bottle the beer we made a couple of weeks ago.  Got out my other commuter yesterday maybe I can put away the studded tires for a year or so.. (haha) Tuesday looks to be a good day for a century not sure what route to take but I'll figure out something.  Anyone know any good little towns to make a lunch/beer stop about 50/60 miles out?  

Days Off. Finally

With the retail job I feel like I'm always at work.  So Yesterday and tuesday I had two days off in a row.  That doesn't happen much so when it doe I get a chance to relax (or something like that).

Went to visit a different bike shop (sorry Tom) bike country in ankeny An got the Bontrager Air rush 2 that has been back ordered or something since Christmas.

Not that I'll be riding my road bike for a few weeks.

Spent the morning cleaning my bike and shoes from tuesdays mud ride.  But I did figure out a good way to get my shoes dry for another ride last night. Got to see my kids during the day when they are tied and cranky.  Can't wait for better weather so we can play outside again.  

I learned not to hose off a bike in the cold and leave it in the shed.  The pullys on the rear derailer were frozen solid and I had to ride The Knife.

I rode and hour and a half or so I didn't keep track also didn't keep good track on how many beer refills at giffs.  Denmans was an ice track so the clive and west des moines trails were the way to go.  Other than the head winds and the cold and the ice it was fun (at least that's the part I remember).

Missed the mark.

Didn't I just clean this?

I didn't make my Century mark for today but I did get in a Gravel Metric (Ladies Century) 71 miles/6 hours.  Next Time I'm going to pick a route that isn't so Hilly.  I took the booneville road to Booneville then 105 to Warren rd all the way to Bevington.  There is a little place in bevinton called the hitching post that had some excellent food Believe it or not I skipped the beer. Don't Worry I stopped in cumming on the loop back for a couple.  Not A bad loop but I think the longest flat ground was less than 100 yards. My odometer was at 67 when I pulled on to the paved road so that is at least a metric.  After eating and showering I can taste something other than mud now.

Soup?

Century II (Maybe)

Well if the weather isn't to bad tomorrow I'm going for the second century of the year I'm thinking Gravel time.  But I'll see it might become a metric.  

I've seen a lot of tracks in Denmans But I've been stuck at work for the last 6 days straight so I haven't been down there since thursday.  Maybe I'll start my ride there.

Spring Snow ride

Okay so it isn't spring but ... 6"  of snow is a little much.  

The ride home from work was fun though.  My feet fully submerged into the snow on every pedal stroke.  my fenders were packed with snow and it took 40 minutes to travel 4 miles down the trail.  And someone beat me to denmans I didn't get first for the last (lets hope) snow of the season!

I declare shenanigans on Al Gore for this damn snow!  Where is our global warming? An inconvenient  mess.

Went out for Valentines dinner with Anna (even though I not catholic (Damn catholic holidays)) Stadium Always good food.  And Beer (some of us haven't given up)  We had an extra pitcher for the Fallen. 

My Wife needs a blog so she can talk about female crap (coach purses and tampons and stuff) and not  the bikes.

"Don't Trust anything that bleeds for five days and doesn't die!" is the best south park quote.  That just came to mind for some reason.

Jealous much..

8:30 am..  Denmans Woods (or at lest 2/3 of it) Spring 2008 all over again!

Pics from tuesday

The Birds Are back 

Minburn

The Flag is pointing the opposite way I was going

Done!

This Bike is officially done!

Schwinn Moab 

Sram x9/x5  drive train

Shimanno 32/22 crankset

Brooks!

century I

First Century for 2009 103 miles 6 hrs (saddle time)  Took a headwind ride to Perry and then came back through granger I wussed out the last 15 miles turned off the highway and took the clive trail downtown for some beers.  I will post pics tomorrow when I'm not so tired.

This one time at BRR

Got a ride to perry (so I wussed out on the gravel ride up) The offical ride wasn't bad You can even get a workout when your riding into a head wind and trying to not run into any other riders.  I brought The Knife, but on this ride is was like bringing a knife to a chick fight.  But I saw a couple of cool fixies...

And a ton of other riders...

But the best part Of the ride was the ride back to West Des Moines...

At night fall I turned off the paved road.  This seemed like a good idea take a short cut.  R-22 is a nice road for a gravel road.

I Got a good day in after all 75 miles,  1 Big party, and ?? Beers.  So the longest ride for the season so far is on a Fixed gear cross bike. Tuesday I'm going for the first Century..

Gifts

If anyone was thinking "I'd like to get Courtney a gift just because I was thinking of him... " well I will make the choice really really easy I'll have this...

Pinarello carbon track.

The new 2009 Pinarello line looks great so if you're not budget conscience than this ...

2009 Prince Super-Record 11

Would be perfect!

Okay so back to reality I like online catalogs of stuff that I can't afford.

Catalogo Pinarello 2009

I'd also Like to invite Campy to send me a test group (see hint below) so that I could review it for them...

Super Record 09

Making beer.!

Today I help to make some beer.  My dad is making an IPA so today we have been cooking and stiring.  In a few weeks we'll have beer.

My Dad stirring the Brew

Double Time

When out to meet Rick last night for a ride.  However Rick didn't quite make it some story about how he has WAY to much cycling gear and can't keep track of it.  I however have this same problem no matter how much I try to put all my stuff in one basket I'm always looking for a tail light (even though I own 12 or more of them).  

However I rode out from Rassys at 4:50 or so and looped thought beaverdale and a short part of the Neal smith trail.  I found I was still in pretty good shape after I took the direct route up grand over 56th so I decided to do some intervals on my mountain bike.  That was kind of nice the last month I've spent all my ride time trying to keep the bike upright.  

When I got downtown my feet were frozen (or at least this was a good excuse to stop at baitshop).  I said when I ordered an IPA and closed the tab "I'm only going to have one"  There were 2 other bikers there so I got to talking and had the second IPA.  At least I'm not the only crazy guy out riding in the cold.  

I left baitshop and took the fastest route to Giffs for some dinner since it was 7:30 or so I was hungry.  I made it to giffs in 21 minutes this was a zone 5 workout (192 bpm average heart rate)  That felt good. I couldn't even tell I'd had the beers downtown.

This state....

Back below zero again.  But the end is near supose to hit 50 this week maybe the brr ride will be the first good spring ride.(haha)  Today is my friday so its all good for me.  Anyone riding tomorrow night?  Maybe a taco ride...

The Road less traveled

Good ride yesterday 50 miles.  Took the booneville loop I think after the majority of the group turned off to go back at Orilla Some of us continued on.  I rode another 10 miles or so with Kim and Scott.  Kim turned off to ride more he doesn't require food like us mortals. Had the lunch with Scott at booneville and started the 10 miles home.  At this point my bike was so muddy that the rear deraillier started jumping up and getting caught on the chainstay.  I think if you put oil on your chain every once and a while it works better.  But overall I learned a couple of lessons on my first gravel ride.  

1. bring food

2. Oil Chain

3.rear fender

Maybe next time I try for a century..