Monday, August 30, 2010

Awesome day!



70 miles of gravel/30 miles of road.  So this is gravel metric number 10 for the year broke in the new cross bike with its first century!  I was thinking all gravel but my bikes engine didnt agree.  The wind out of the south was a little harsh, but I still had a good time.  And in honor of Dave who always gets his handle bars in his pictures i decided to try it out to.

Location : 537 6th St, West Des Moines, IA 50265,

Gravel



I was going to do an easy trail century but the gravel road called and I answered.  Lunch in woodward now to redfield.

Location : 2300 SE Grimes Blvd, Grimes, IA 50111,

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Breaking stuff


I have always been really good at breaking stuff so far this week I have finished off 2 sets of Crankbros smarty pedals, and now the pastic platform pedals on my commuter.  So far this year 3 pairs of smarties, 3 pairs of platform pedals, a spoke on my comutter (still broke), ?? Tail lights, 4 chains (i guess you are suppose to lube them), square taper bottom bracket, seat poat, stem, and of course a couple tires.  So either i need to stop wearing stuff out or someone needs to make better stuff, or... I need to get a job as a quality control person for cycling stuff.  (That is like beer tester)

Location : Address not available

Friday, August 27, 2010

Cross ride

it seemed like a good idea to Billy

Nature trail is a good cross course

top of the soccer hill ...

First tandem ride


7 miles down the trail / street to Walmart and back

New Look

New stuff is always cool. This is just a background but it's cool.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

B-day lunch with Bob

6 already

No Beer and No TV make Homer Go something, something

Did the 'famous' cumming steak night ride Wednesday night with Dan and Steve. I also skipped the beers all together. This is the second week I have skipped on beer during my rides it seems to help a little. I got back to Des moines and felt like riding some more, so I went downtown for some extra miles and got home early after a good 35 mile ride. Today is another no beer day I will be taking my SS mountain bike out for a metric gravel then Abbies Bday party this evening. After 2 weeks of 'cutting back' on my beer intake it appears I have lost 5 pounds and have some extra energy even though I have a cold or some sort of virus thing. My cutting back has become every other night but next week looks to be dry also.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Ready for some time off

This working soooo many days in a row is getting old, but with friday off this week it looks like some gravel time :) Then next weekend it the 24 hour race I will not be doing the race but helping/watching/camping and riding up from WDMS with loaded bags :) I think metric gravel on the way up and back it's only 50 miles but I'm sure I can find 13 extra some were.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Race like a girl



I kinda wish i would have raced but i got a cool tee shirt with my $10 instead.

Location : 7118 Colby Ave, Windsor Heights, IA 50324,

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Gravel Metric #9


The G88 Race was my 9th metric for the year. I missed the one a month goal in July if all months, but oh well I'm still planning on getting in at least 12. Maybe next year for the 12 real centuries. I'm looking at putting in a little milage the end of this month so I'm hoping to do some bike trail metrics in the evenings after work and less beer/steak rides. It would be nice to lose about 10-15 lbs this fall before the snow flies. I still want a double century this year but the season is closing in fast and I'm not going to make it if I don't get a 'perfect' day off (70 degrees and not raining with almost no wind). Back to the G88 Race. We started out on 60th street and went 'neutral' until Jordan creek pkwy (by neutral I mean 25-30 mph in a pack) The 'race' started with the big hill on booneville rd I chased the fast guys up the hill and stayed on the lead group till the 3rd hill. I road by myself over the next hill and almost to Booneville Dave's group caught up to me and I hung with them till 105 (adams ave). I had a choice here either keep pushing and take a forced recovery in 10-15 miles or fall off the back to a comfortable pace and enjoy the ride. I choose the later (good choice) I cut back to a zone 3 effort for most of the rest of the race. Nick caught me about an hour later and we road the rest of the ride together. Nick says "is there a reason you're riding slow" I said "I'm old and fat". Anna met me on the course at the cemetery around half way, so Nick and I took a couple minute break. About 40 miles in I bonked bad, no breakfast and only 2 bottles of water is not a good choice. I got a little second wind on booneville road on the way back and dropped the hammer all the way back to the finish so overall 25th of 42 (31 finishers) 4:45 minutes. I'm curious about how many feet of climbing there was.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

5k way behind

Passed over the 5k mark for the year yesterday. I am so not going to make 10k this year either....oh well it's been a great year so far. I think the large amount of dirt/gravel riding have cut my milage back also full loaded touring hasn't helped either.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Austyn the Little Photographer









Anna turned Austyn loose with the camera at RLAG a couple weeks ago, she is pretty good too!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

All In



I normal go way over board with things i want to do as this year shows.  Trans-wisconsin way over my head, but would still try again just to see if i could do it.  Ragbrai fully loaded and riding out from Des moines I was mostly successful.  Summerset I did great (for me) Bonebender ouch all Im saying, Cirrem was great too.  I haven't done many races this year but thats okay Im now getting ready for RIM (rapture in misery) 6 hours of mountain biking.  Then of course 24 hours of seven oaks,  Im really set on 12 hour solo, and that will be the longest mountain bike race for me so far.

Location : 1110 66th St, Windsor Heights, IA 50324,

Monday, August 2, 2010

8 Days or Touring

So after a couple days of recovery I hope to be able to remember all the wonderful experiences that happened, since the 'Vortex' (that is what I'm calling my house) ate my camera memory card with all my pictures on it I will have to remember them.

The first day Started out in the rain riding 65 miles of bike trail out to Copper Iowa, then turning off the paved road to Carroll. The day was very hot or so my phone said with the heat index in the 110 range. I only made 2 stops one in Yale to eat the other on the side of a gravel road to lay down and rest for a couple minutes. I ate at a little place called Denny's cafe and had a couple beers there good food if your ever in Carroll. The overnight was bad friday and sort of shortened my trip overall. I wasn't able to sleep with the heat and then around 1am the thunderstorm kept me up the rest of the night. I decided at 4am I was going to take Saturday easy and not make Sioux City but hit day 2 of Ragbrai in storm lake.

The Second day I decided on the super milage of like 35 miles down the Saik rail trail from Carroll to Blackhawk lake in Lakeview Iowa. Met so of the Bad Monkey team in Brenda Iowa for several Beers (at 10am). Got into Lakeview Early and road around town after setting up my tent and dropping my gear at the state park. Had a good enough dinner in a bar (frozen pizza) and a couple drinks before heading back to the state park to hang out for like 6 hours. I did meet another rider headed to Ragbrai who was camping in the next 'site'. 35 miles makes for a very short day and leaves you bored at the end.

The Third day another impressive 40 miles to Storm Lake this is were I met Ragbrai finally. Rode a little while with another rider (last 15 miles or so) he said I kept seeing this motercycle coming but when it didn't catch up I realized it was a loaded touring bike, so I pulled off and waited. It is a very different experience to ride a loaded bike with a rider who is on an empty bike. My pace on a loaded bike is usually in the 12mph range were on an empty bike it is in the 17-18 range so major work out to keep up. Had dinner at a really good Mexican place the name I can't remember that is why I took a picture...so ask my house what it's called. Had some drinks with a group of people from several different states. I found that most of the people on Ragbrai were from other states.

The Forth day from Storm Lake to Algona I had the worst Mechanical Ever a Broke the stem in half and then rode 8 miles with my handlebars zip tied to my front rack. There was a lot to do in Algona and I walked around the Downtown area it was almost like the fair. Camped in an emtpy camp site in a city park with only one team there. Good night sleep and very refreshed.

Day five trying to make the wedding in clear lake at 2pm but I didn't take the short cut so I was late for Kim and Sue's wedding, but I had a good time at the after party at the tiki bar in clear lake. I think this bar could be on my vacation destination list. Dan met up with me at the tiki bar and we camped out at a house up the hill from the bar. The owner of the house had some great food for us and warm showers this is a good booster for the spirits.

Day six from Clear lake to Charles City I rode with Dan all day. We had a little of a dead line to make it there by 3pm so we didn't stop much on the 50ish mile day. There was a cool rope swing jump thing in one of the towns but as with everything Ragbrai the line was around the block. We got to Charles City I found a nice campsite next to the river in a city park. This was the only day I actually hung out in the beer garden for a while. Had some good food in the downtown area and went to bed early.

Day seven would be the last day I rode this year (thursday). It was very hot all day long and the 82 mile (95) route was starting to drag on me. Stopped in the last town Dike Iowa and had several (6 pack) beers. I felt drained the rest of the 25 miles to Waterloo. Got camp set up in Waterloo around 5pm and then found a Hy-vee. Hy-vee is like an oasis in the desert after all you seen for days has been Caseys stores. Grabbed a couple beers and headed to the mall to absorb the AC. Got gifts for all the kids and some dinner at a mexican place then back to camp for what turns out to be my last night in a tent for a while.

Day eight started off with pouring rain and a lightning storm that had me running for cover at around 6am. Somewhere in all this I decided I was done riding and really done camping so I phone for Sag-support. Anna picked me up around noon and we headed for Iowa City to pick up a bike frame and have a couple (alot) of beers at Old capital brewery

Next year I believe I will take a ride to the start and not carry all my gear so that I can finish from end to end. I did determine some limits. 7 nights is my camping limit, 106lbs is too heavy, 110 miles is too far with 106lbs, 1 person on ragbrai is too few (some boredom issues), 2000 miles is time to change the chain on my touring bike. Good times :) Oh ya and the Vortex spit my memory card back out so the next post will be all pictures.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

New Cyclocross bike

20.9 lbs for the weight wennies

need a little shorter stem still but done other than that

waiting for crankbros pedals