Sycamore Trail

today brought to an end another week of toiling away in the mines.....being on the night shift i've developed two rituals of note:

1) the beer bath---this is a steaming hot bath (of the bubbly variety) accompanied by a six pack of my favorite overpriced, thick as mud microbrew

2) the friday morning exhaustion ride---working nights means monday starts on sunday night, thus friday ends on friday morning. so being the idiot that i am i have a developed a "unique system", whereby, i get off work in the morning, go home and get some much needed family time, see wifey and son of to work/school and after being awake for 20hrs, go for a ride.......

which brings me to the title line of todays entry.

after a quick visit with my friends  at ironheart tattoo i zipped east on urbandale ave, picking up the trestle to trestle trail for a mile or so, then crossed douglas ave at MLK and dropped onto the sycamore trail. once on sycamore there is a paved trail that parallels the des moines river that stretches from MLK to morningstar dr.....there is also a double track trail the runs between the paved trail and the river.feeling a little adventurous i opted for the double track. i cruised along the slightly damp dirt path for a bit, noting that with each pedal stroke more and more of the world famous iowa clay was collecting at the pitch points on the crosscheck. after a half mile or so i happened along what appeared to be minor stream crossing. it was NOT a minor stream crossing. so after fording the knee deep frozen steam i pressed on only to be reward with an awe inspiring display of wildlife (none of which i was able to capture a picture of ) , i was shadowed by a pair of bald eagles, badgered by a group of canadian geese, buzzed by suicidal squirrels, and spooked by a pair of white tail rocketing across the trail. The animal show inspired me to press on  though the soup and three other stream crossings till i reached a clear cut makeshift trail the followed some power lines running from east

just before crossing the stream in the background

to west...by this time my feet were quazi-frostbitten and my bike was completely covered in muck. with a strict 3:15pm retrieval time for my son, i decided to follow the power lines to some blacktop. a half a mile later the trail intersected the Neal Smith which after a short ride, delivered me to the intersection at nw beaver ave. i grabbed a quick drink snapped a picture at the trail head on the west side of beaver and spun off on what i thought was the neal smith toward saylorville dam. my actual destination was urbandale via johnston by way of an as yet unidentified paved trail. upon arrival in ubandale i happened on a cookie cutter housing development ripe full of mini-vans, this served to remind me that i need to fetch the boy from school. so half frozen and super stoked about the urban adventure i'd had i sprinted back to beaver ave and then home. this was an killer ride....adventure just out of my doorstep, i'm now completely sold on the merits of owning a cyclocross bike. trails that i would normally pass by on my mountain bike are now viable options, it was a welcome lesson in line section as with a 35mm tire small ruts dramatically affect steering. i cant wait for spring!!!! GRAVEL, HERE I COME!!!

one post begets another

had to post a pic of the new bike that landed in the stable today......this is the"fresh outta the box" look, soon to be traded for the "looks like a bike dre would ride" look. for those of you who are wondering why this bike was purchased as a complete---surly and QBP have WAY more buying power than me....so, shimano cuts them a better deal on parts than i could ever hope for. Pay attention kids, this is probably the only real good piece of advice on purchasing a new bike (aside from buy the one that fits ya!!): Buying a bike complete  is alot cheaper than piecing it together bit by bit. anyway, here's the new crosscheck....i'll be updating and filling you in on the ride as i get some saddle time on the thing.

on a separate, but equally cool note the wood plugs i ordered from omerica organic body jewelry showed up at the casa today.....holy shit, they are really nice (the picture really doesn't do them justice at all) they are beautifully crafted with high quality materials....and very reasonably price, got both pairs for under 80 shmackroos....for those of you that are into this kinda thing, you know its dirt cheap......omerica is a denver based company that makes all kinda cool shit....not stretched? never fear, they make belt buckets, dog tags and post style earrings as well. check 'em out

danny macaskill......and my coffee cup

this video has been floating around  you tube for awhile....but  its still fan-tabulous. if your not inspired to ride after watching this.....check your pulse, you may be dead. check this guy out at: http://www.dannymacaskill.co.uk

after a week of 12hr days....i think the message of my coffee cup sums up my needs and feelings for the week (the message, in case your NOT a master of the obvious---"fuck you i need coffee!!").....to make it bike related i will say that this cup fits perfectly into a standard water bottle cage

have to share this little tidbit about my son sage, who being the coolest five-year-old of all time (and i swear i'm not saying that because he's mine) requested that i play "robot music" for him as i'm writing this post.....sure you're wondering "what in the hell is robot music" click below to hear my sons favorite song

merry weekend y'all

Brr in the books, Ragbrai overnights announced

Brr was a blast...the weather was nice as it can be for a february ride in iowa, and aside from a few drunken country bumpkins the ride had little to offer in the way of drama.....which is a good thing. our small, but stalwart crew set out for the glorious hamlet of Ripey about 10:30a (a half hour after the official cannon shot start), arrived at noon-ish had a few of the local libations and then headed back to perry (albeit, two shy of our of our crew...but never fear we picked up two sets of fresh legs for the return trip). One of the best things about this ride is the fact that for a few hours cyclist rule the road. The roads aren't closed to motorized traffic.....they are just at our mercy...which here in des moines probably isn't so odd, but out in the country? not so much. Thanks to the Perry Chamber of Commerce and bikeiowa.com (who by the way answer emails in minutes, amazing)....ps--the surly open bar handlebar i was gonna put on my salsa for this ride never made it on the bike, i instead started breaking in a new brooks saddle...which ill also review at some point.

pictured here(from Left to Right): J Dis, Apollo Creed a.k.a Stars and Stripes, Grandma Fixed, Dre, Dr. Sandy & Jamie BMX

Oh yeah...ragbrai overnight cities are as follows : Glenwood, Atlantic, Carroll, Boone, Altoona, Grinnell, Coralville & Davenport....i may or may not do a little write up on each one at some point...but i have linked all the local chambers of commerce if you wanna check them out.

I am an Ironman....?

Sterling @ Rasmussen Bike Shop found this and showed it to me the other day......had to post it because its HILARIOUS!!!!

Frickin Sunshine & Surly Open Bar

This morning brought a tiny ray of sunshine....so being the rocket genius that I am, I thought that a little early spring cleaning in the workshop/garage was in order. So, brewed up some coffee and added a hefty splash of  Bailey's and headed to the dungeon. Three hours later I've come to this conclusion: I HAVE A ABSURD AMOUNT OF BIKE SHIT!! Here's a shot of the garage with all the bikes in a central location

Don't get me wrong folks there are plenty of people out there with heaps more bikes than this....but it couldn't help but make me wonder two things:

1) Is my wife right? Am I really obsessed with cycling and bikes

2) Do they pay those wackos on that hoarding show, and I wonder if it would be enough to get that custom titanium Black Sheep I've been drooling over for the last 2yrs?

What I'm most proud of is that after 3 months I can finally see the top of  the work bench....so proud in fact, that I'm gonna post a picture of it:

And  as promised a blurb about the new handlebar I'm gonna guinea pig for BRR.....

Product: Surly Open Bar

Manufacturer: Surly Bikes

Price: 60 bones (US)

First let me say....this bar is Really frigging wide....surly claims it to be 666mm (damn number of the beast!) which is about 26.25 inches, but never fear there is a truck load of grip area  (6.5inch or 165mm).....soooo, if you wanna a shorter bar it can be cut down a bit. As a reference most grips range from 100mm to 130mm, add little room for brakes and/or shifters and I figure I could conceivably cut off between a half to three quarters of an inch off each end....I'll post a final width on the bars when i have them mounted and cut. Also, I wanted to post a top view of the bar as it is nigh impossible to find this view anywhere. It is worth noting that the handlebar pictured is the 0mm rise version, its also available in a 40mm rise.....for BRR its going on the Salsa, but the finally destination will be a 1x9 Surly CrossCheck (as soon as the robins egg blue frame comes available in my size).....Anywhoo, that's all I got for today....I'll leave you with a cool picture from a coffee cruz my wife and I did this summer....toodles!

BRR Ride and Thoughts On Winter Riding

Well folks, it is officially upon us...winter. If your anything like me, when sub-zero temperatures hit the first thought that comes to mind is: "Goddammit!!! why didn't i ride more when the weather wasn't freeze your snot cold?" Then like any cyclist I'll spend the rest of the winter waiting for days that the wind isn't whipping to get out for a spin. Most times this means I hit the road for a bit then limp to a coffee shop (usually Mars Cafe) to thaw for an hour or so then brave the elements only to arrive home with a perma-chill and spend the next hour in a steaming hot bath. Yet, there are those rare days and evenings when Pluto aligns with Uranus and a winter ride becomes a portal into another world. That night ride when a light snowfall insulates the city just enough to dull the chill and the street lights shimmer through snowflakes to create a glow the warms your soul. The sound of over sized knobbies hooking up on frozen earth as you rail around deserted singletrack only to find a group of deer more than willing to prance along side you, if only for a moment. These are the moments that keep me coming back for more, and will you too if you have or do ever experience them......anyway, enough of this sappy shit lets get down to it

The 34th annual BRR Ride ( Bike Ride to Rippey)

Kids this is the ultimate winter ride, 20ish miles on Iowa country roads in what can be described as: sometimes crappy weather and most time down right nasty weather. But, i gotta tel ya its a BLAST!!! Billed as "The first Ragbrai reunion ride...." is has none of the pageantry with all the drunkenness one can handle. Its not uncommon to see drunken riders take the ditch or just flat fall over struggling against massive headwinds. My first experience in 2008 was an epic.....20 below, riding my northwest equipped single speed mountain bike, hauling a trailer full of booze. Can you say BRUTAL? Here's a few tips from that year of suffering

1. Those 250 cycling shoes you bought are designed to vent heat not hold it in....so if you don't have winter specific shoes, ditch your clipless pedals. Remember those el-cheapo plastic flats your bike came with? Dig'em out of the spare parts bin and put'em on your bike. Then take those carbon soled wunder shoes and put them in the closet where they belong and put on the warmest, sturdiest boots you own.

2. While Alcohol does offer a bit of warmth, to much will offer you an early trip to the ditch or worse. Alcohol and anaerobic actives generally are not a good mix....so, if your gonna drink (which I do) pace yourself, hurling on the side of the road with no sag wagon in sight in -30 windchill is not a good time.

 3. Keep your core warm, and your extremities warmer......cold hands, feet, and face are best winter riding buzz kill i can think of. As long as your core body is well insulated and you keep moving your legs and torso will stay relatively warm. Hands, feet and face however will be hammered by the elements if not covered. A good rule of thumb is double up on gloves, socks and face covering....shit, if its too warm you can take them off right?

 4. Finally, its 20miles....no need to pack the kitchen sink. If it doesn't fit in a daypack, you don't need it....really. Remember you'll already be carrying an extra 15-20lbs of extra clothing so don't over do it with the carry-alongs. They're are a few places to stop along the way to warm up and grab a snack (bring some cash)......and above all: HAVE A GOOD TIME!

all the information you could possible want, including online preregistration is available at:
http://www.bikeiowa.com/