New Toy

this is why I can't go to bike shops anymore!

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new bike

happy birthday monkey

new bike

demo time

bigger hammer

daddy do you need a bigger hammer?

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Oh Ya!

So if anyone needs some Shimanno crap I want this bike but... it only comes as a complete bike and not  a frame set.  I would use SRAM force or at least rival for a touring bike.  You also need a good hub light system and Brooks (duh) but the frame has an awesome paint job.  I wish I could afford another bike that I don't need.....

100 year floods..

Usually you would only witness one of these floods in a lifetime.  If you live in Iowa however you can witness them every couple of years!  I went out at 7am for a short ride planned  to run down GWT to cummining and back however,  the 2 foot deep river that runs over the Bill Rally trail turned me back.  I decided to ride downtown anyway via Grand ave.  I had a nice hour and a half rush hour ride around the downtown area.  Surprisingly drivers are curtious in the morning.  

I think we still need someone to blame for this flooding so I have a suggestion: 

If your global warming worked we wouldn't have these problems!

I do think we should give Albert his own tv station to just talk, because he is so funny when he has an open mic and no writers.  Or maybe Al will invent another new media that will make the internet (and everyone knows he invented that when he was a child) useless.

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A time to choose???

The 2 shoes that I've narrowed the large selection of over priced carbon road shoes down to:

 

RXL Road

Or

BG Pro Road

So I'm still undecided Read good reviews of both of them leaning for the Bontrager.  If BikeWorld could get these in (hint).

  The other choice for the day is the first monday night ride or going to work today (11-8)  Too bad I need money for the before mentioned shoe so I'll have to miss the ride tonight and go to the unfun factory for a day of hell.  But I will be able to attend the monday night Adventure/Race next week!  Maybe with new shoes?  

Century V

Headed out early (so 7am) yesterday morning.  I took off North-West (wrong very wrong) Strong cross/head winds heading west  Got a nice break at the Dallas center turn off.  30 mph all the way to Miniburn Road.  This is one of my favorite highways,  not yesterday.  Head wind all the way to p-58.  another 7 miles of 30+ mph coasting to Perry.  Pulled into Perry around 9am still feeling good, not realizing that the tail winds where all done.  If your doing a Century remember coffee is not breakfast even if it has whole milk and sugar in it.  Not were to sit so I found a spot in the grass and drank my coffee and snacked on granola bars.  Headed out to Rippy  the BRR ride seams really short when it's warm and your sober.  Went straight through into Grand Junction.  7 miles to Jefferson and it was time to eat again.  This is were the lunch of champions comes into play 24oz Bud light (they didn't had the real stuff)  The kum&go was so dirty that I didn't dare eat anything that wasn't vacuum packed salt (jacks links "meat" and "cheese")  and some peanuts that I brought with me.  The next 23 miles were due South on the open trail (this was a bad idea) it was like a 23mile 2 hour 5% grade hill climb I've never leaned on my drop bars for 2 hours before.  I finally got to Panora never thought I'd be glad to see a hole in the wall redneck town but it looked great.  96 miles down only a lot to go.  For the first time ever I thought about giving up and calling for a ride in Walkee,  but I pressed on.  I think I like the route but next time I'll do it when it's not windy as hell.

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Posted via Pixelpipe.

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Just another day..

After a long day at work I had my first experience with with panniers.  I purchased some groceries on the way out of work and loaded up my fixie with the panniers.  I didn't realize how much extra work that wind and extra weight can create.  

Went out for a couple of denmans loops before my daughters first softball game.  On the second lap I guess I miss calculated the distance between 2 trees and clipped my handle bar on the tree.  This always ends with me on the ground in front of the bike cursing the tree.  Good times,  still didn't stop me from an hour and a half of hillside and denmans before work today.

My oldest daughter started softball so for the first game we were wowed with the skill of coaches to get 4-6 year olds to play softball.  But my daughter did hit the ball without a tee and run the bases in the correct direction!  (that can be a big problem)

Mayors Ride 09

Yesterday was an excellent day for riding some light rain in the morning during the ride so we had a good time.  The railroad crossing on MLK was a bad idea several people fell down on the wet 45 degree angled tracks.  For the first time ever I did the short route.  I know this is wrong but the lack of breakfast and the free food and beer I turned left and went to the food.

My dad and I continued to the Fun haters ride.  The hole in the wall bar was better this year but still very crowded and load so we left there after a round and went back to the trusty El Baitshop for some good beers.  I then did nothing else for the rest of the day :) 

Center Trails :)

Headed out last night late (7 or so) to do a few laps on center trails.  I'm riding down to the trail jumped over some of the holes on the "paved road" and was thinking the shocks in the rear are a little soft.  I then realized I don't have shocks (duh..shocks are for wussies) I did however have a tire with like 10 psi in it.  I personally hate changing tires so you would think I could inflate them before leaving for a ride.  You would however be wrong.  I stopped just inside denmans to inflate the rear tire, at this point I realized how bad my pump really is.  After several minutes of pinched fingers and bad words I was on my way.  Denmans flowed like a rollercoaster.  Small cut from a tree at little italy too fast, or not fast enough (beer may have played a part).  I also rode a section off dirty exspress I've never been on before if you don't turn to go over the bridge it loops back around,  this was ridable a little sandy though.  One loop of hillside was enough for me since by this time it was getting dark.  Took the ghost of j-11 (nice to see someone cut the tree again so you can get through) and back into denmans.  Made it to the tractor tire over the 5 logs finished my rear tire off.  So changing a tire in almost darkness with a crappy compact pump really not so fun.  However the heart monitor says that pumping up a tire is a good workout.  I didn't go back for a reverse lap in the dark like I wanted to for fear of flatting in the dark without a spare tube.  

Bicycle Safety ride 4/15

Great turnout last night for the ride. Hopefully it will help the bike safety bill, but if not maybe it will wake up some rednecks and they will stop hitting people on the road.
I'm thinking we need a new tax for redneck idiots. Madison county needs a casino maybe a cycling group needs to open a casino to help buy the vote needed for bike safety because lets face it ALL politicians are for sale. If we want justice we have to pay. The new Godfathers are the judges and the new gangsters are the lawyers and the new shop owners who pay for protection are the honest working people. So next time you get hit make sure you have a few hundreds on you to pay the officer to give you justice. That is if the driver doesn't pay him/her first.
So all I have to say is democracy works... Mien Führer Culver/Obama save us.
Here is some pics from last night.

4/19 gravel ride

Last night we took a short gravel run to Martinsdale (40 miles).
Should have worn my legg warmers and glove but I'm never prepared for anything.
Mike and Matt met up with me in orilla (west des moines) and we took off down the gravel. Stopped at cumming tap for some beer and pizza. Then the cold set in I took the sw connector home so I could
warm up a little. Then the death roll down 63rd street that highway is always a little freaky but it is no fun. On fixed gear cyclocross bike. Good times... I would upload pics but I can't do that from my cell phone yet

New transportation

Yesterday my wife killed the car. Side swiped and undrivable so I suggested cycling and walking as a new form of transportation. So I think a matched pair of new cross bike is a good alternative to a new car! So here is my suggestion for the insurance company I'll trade you my piece of crap minivan for these....

Sram rival group, mavic wheels, gravel time!

I'll let you know how that goes...  but on the better side I got in a good 30 miles on the road last night mafit hill loops.  And a good 10 on center trail this morning good times.  Now it's off the the unfun factory for some salt mining.  No taco ride tonight for me.  Except when I ride from work to giffs for tacos. So I guess it is a taco ride.

Telephone

So I got a cell phone and after 4 days my wife wrote down the phone number so I could give it to people. I know I don't know my own phone number. So 515-864-9076 or I get email on my phone too so C.hilton.mchsi@hotmail.com.

snow snow snow

With todays wonderfull weather I managed to not bike anywhere. I did install
A new screen door this was a great idea. Tear a large hole in the front of your
House in a snow storm. My dad came over to help so it went well. We also had
A bottle of rogue's imperial ipa! The best imperial beer. Good snow day.

Squeaky II is okay....

After an inspection of the bike today is seems to be okay.  After yesterdays crash the first thing that went threw my mind was I hope the bike is okay.  So no damage except a few scratches on the brooks leather.

No century this week.  But looks good for next week maybe a double to make up for it.  

New Helmet.

Last night we rode out to babinos for pizza and beer.  The ride back (in the dark) wasn't bad until I slipped off the edge of the trail (15mph or so) and before I could do anything my front tire stuck in the mud at the edge of the blacktop.  So bike summersalts aren't really cool but I managed to crack my helmet.  I now find myself wearing a wrist brace and laying in bed in light pain.  More from being sick than the crash.  At least the bike is okay.

first post from a cell phone

This is my first post from a cell phone wish me luck with the new age of phones. Next post is from a fixie...

Night rage...

Went out tonight for a Taco ride hoping to find some other riders out there.  Met up with Kent and some of the Rassy guys after a lap of denmans alone.  I then chased then all the way back throught.  Meet up with Scott and Steve after that and rode off with them for some tacos and only 3 beers.  I told myself that I'll stop at 3 so I can ride one more lap tonight.  It worked and I got a 3rd lap in and 9pm!  30 minutes off denmans in the dark.  awesome. awesome. I think that this year I'll do more night mountian biking.  Next time I'm bringing beer.