Homesick

While waiting on some info needed from a client, I stumbled onto the National Geographic site. There is currently a feature up on the 'Emptied Prarie', though it's about North Dakota, my home state and town don't look all too different, just a little more life. The drive up there though is littered with dying ghost towns. There is a photo gallery up too, worthy of a browse.

My grandfather came from Pine Ridge, SD. The badlands and the Dakotas have always intrigued me. I miss the small towns. The gravel roads dissecting the state and reaching to the horizon. The different way of life.

Feeling excited to get back to TransIowa this year after seeing these photos as we tour many small towns left to rot off the main interstates. The photos also reinvigorated my desire to get up and ride the Maah Daah Hey trail sometime in the next year or two. Maybe I'll take a season off from racing and just enjoy some new remote scenery.

I Just Don't Get It

What the hell is wrong with people? Really, is this necessary?: Brothers shot at while riding. Like it isn't sketchy enough out there with cell phone texting, make-up applying, tv watching, and ultra distracted drivers. Drivers who don't share the road or wait until it's safe and clear to pass. Drivers who think it's funny to run us off the road. I wonder if Pearl makes my wind vest in a Kevlar version?

The truckster is rumored to be repaired by tonight. Gonna be a $1500+ job. Yeah, now you see why I still ride the Surly. The temporary replacement frame that has become the main dream machine. Web-dow shopping dreams of upgrading to custom steel always get pushed back by life's little surprises. Not too worry though. The Surly is doing it's thing (not breaking) and bringing a smile on my face every time I see it. Still rides like a dream and gets the job done.

I've been lucky this week, only 2 rain storms. Tuesday night's was a fierce gusting wind with torrential rain. On the sketchiest part of my ride a guy in a huge 4x4 Dodge truck pulled out in the middle of the road behind me, cut on his brights, and held traffic up for the 30 seconds it took for me to get clear of the dangerous section. He then pulled up along side and offered me a ride. I thanked him but declined as I was already wet and only 2 miles from home. Nice of him to keep the cars at bay until I was safely out of harms way though. The Yin to above's Yang. This morning was just a warm drizzle. I ran a few errands including a stop at the bank. Regions Bank. As I rolled into the teller lane I got funny looks from inside. I asked if it was because my bike wasn't green (their ads here feature people riding green cruiser bikes), they didn't get the humor. It's ok though, I did.

Update: Damn. Truck isn't going to be ready. Not really pissed it isn't ready, but pissed the service station didn't bother to call and inform me of the delay. When I talked to them Wednesday morning I told them I needed it for Friday. They said they couldn't imagine me not having it back by Thursday. A phone call alerting me to the delay would have been nice. (whine over).

Snake Shots

Not sure who mtbepic61 is, but he posted some photos up on flickr from Snake. Thanks for taking the photos mtbepic61, hope you don't mind me linking to them.

Here is a photo of some damn spiffy over the calf wool Swiftwick Magic Socks, pretty fly yet a bit unfocused dude rockin' them out too. He must be a fast Marsupial.


JutRut focused and pushing the limit just a measly minute ahead of the handsome blurry fella sporting the wickedly cool Swiftwick OTC woolies above.


A fantastic shot of Jamie tearing it up over the rocks on his rippin' light Lynskey Pro-29'er. Nice ride racer boy!


Here is a great shot of 8-Ball requesting just a bit more cowbell from one of the great volunteer ladies cheering us on just as he crests the final single track hill and begins the zippy 2 mile descent to the finish.


I couldn't find a shot of Hodge. I had hoped to find one of him walking, but I was informed that his short cut shuttle dropped him off just past the photographer, so unfortunately there isn't a shot of him actually riding his bike.

Sorry, but there were also no sightings of Dicky's ass. Head over here to get your daily Dicky ass fix.

Call if you'll be late...

What a weekend. Friday at lunch I found that the oil decided it was too nice of a day out to spend it all couped up in the diesel engine so it lept out and played on the ground. There went the solo car camping plan. A quick call to 8-ball secured me a ride (Catastrophe 1 narrowly avoided). I paired down my crud to a few bags, but still a ton of crap as I had the stove, coffee pot, breakfast food cooler, and other necessities that I know Hennessey wouldn't pack (like a towel to cover his arse while changing but all he forgot was "a coffee cup"). Luckily, as the repacks occured over the course of the weekend and the food supply lessoned, my amount of gear stacked down into lesser and lesser bags. 8-ball had his bike loaded inside Sexpot's big orange box (not to be confused with T.roy's big black box) and put my bike on the Saris rack on the back. I was worried about the exhaust and my front tire, due to the design of the rack I couldn't really turn it around, plus it would have been the rear tire. But after letting it idle a bit and checking it again an hour later at MOAB, it was a non-issue. Then we pick up Hennessey and his bike. As we head out of town I hear (I'm sitting in the back seat) the rack banging against the rear window. We stop and have to adjust it. It puts Hennessey's front wheel too close to the ground for comfort (and train track clearance) so it gets removed. None of us think to check my wheel. About 10 minutes out of town on the interstate I hear "pffft". Huh, that's an odd sound. I check the window, bikes are there and look ok. We stop in 20+ miles away in Womanchester TN for Toxic Hell and I check the bikes out of curiosity. The noise was my tire deflating since the exhaust melted the tire. Nice. I quickly try to get ahold of Ivory, no answer. With 4 minutes till closing I call MOAB. Brian answers and I ask if anyone there is heading to Snake. He said Jut was just on his way out and he hooked me up with new rubber for the front. Whew. Catastrophe 2 narrowly averted.

We get to the lot and I set up my tent and make camp. We meet and greet others at the camp fires and find out they have a kerosene heated trailer for use this time. Wilkins and Richard the Canook opt for staying in there vs squishing their 6'+ frames into the Xterra for the night. I huddled under my down binkie and slept great, though the alcohol could have helped that somewhat. I don't know what is in a wheat thin, but when tossed into the fire they sure flame up the fire. The tube and old tire even made it in. Actually, a lot that wasn't nailed down probably made it into one fire or another. I woke up at 5 and still felt drunk. I laid in the tent and cooked coffee and eggs from bed. After eating I took a short nap and by the time I got up I felt much better. The rest of the crew showed up and friends not seen since last year stopped by and chatted. It was to be the start of a great b-day.

After the unable to be deciphered racer meeting, we headed to the bus. The death bus. I will not ride the bus ever again. It was bad enough last year but this year pushed me over the edge. No brakes, careering down a blind turn with oncoming traffic and too many riders crammed into an old bus. I swore at the Jailbreak Triathlon after the bus about flipped when the driver drove the rear wheels off the side of the road down an embankment that I'd never trust a bus again, but I let it slide. I'll ride my ss to the damn start next time. F that bus. It was nice to have Hodge, Fred, our lawyers the Jeffrey and Scotty G on board to share in the near death thrill ride. Glad I didn't sit up front like Stanley. Wonder if he had to change shorts? Hodge and I surmised we'd have a good ride due to the proper warm up our heartrates were getting from the South Park bus driver lady bus ride of death. Catastrophe 3 narrowly avoided.

We finally almost arrive to the start, everyone having to go and the bus stops on the road. What the? 2 or 3 guys jump out and head to the woods. Are they peeing? WTF?? The entire bus roars all of us pissed (figuratively, not literally, but close). We tell the driver to leave them to walk the last few feet to the start. We couldn't believe it, holding up the entire bus's swelling painful bladders for 3 dudes up front? whatever. We ALL wanted off that bus as quickly as possible.

Hodge is fired up. He's been training and really working hard. He even has a new fast bike. I was worried he'd not do well. He had a tough and injury plagued year last year and catches a lot of shit from a lot of people and he always takes it in stride. Even though he shouldn't have too. Jut and I had our last hard race effort in early November at Swank. Since then I've had one road ride with 8-ball and 1 trainer session (2 days before Snake) that I would consider something close to "training". Everything else has been either commuting to work or fun rides with the crew where we ride a bit, stop, ride a bit, stop. No planning, no graphs, charts, monitors, or even miles measured. Just having fun riding bikes, that's not an excuse, just an illustration that we don't try too hard. I mean the team motto is "We didn't come to win, but we might". So despite trying to catch Hodge and passing him like I did last year, I hoped he could stay ahead of me and not get passed. I didn't want him to beat me, but I didn't want to pass him too early. That's just not cool to see someone try so hard only to come way short to people who "got off the couch" so to speak.

The first half flew by. I had no idea of time or how I was doing compared to last year, but I felt pretty good. I wasn't red lining and I wasn't pushing my limit. I just felt good, not fast, just good. I was comfortable and trying to get acquainted with the squirrely new tire up front. It was a 2.1 conti vapor which really looks like a 1.9. Knowing the sharp rocks on the Snake and riding rigid, I opted to over pump the tire to 46psi. I didn't know how strong the sidewalls were or how it handled or anything, so I decided to err on the too much air side hopes to avoid pinch flatting. Conti's seem to have a very finicky pinch level. Just 1 psi too little and it's flat city. I paid dearly on the chattery decents for this decision. My kidneys felt like I was getting hammered on by Tyson on any decent the last 6 miles. Though the rigid fork tracked beautifully through the rocks and didn't beat my hands up, it was the bouncing of the tire jarring my kidneys that gave me pain and slowed me on the remaining chattery downhills. All I wanted was to break 4 hours. I felt really slow the last 3 miles. I'd lost everyone in the crew behind me sans Jamie who was killing it up ahead somewhere. The last 1/2 mile of singletrack I hear tunes rockin' out behind me, a quick glance and I discover Jut had caught up to me again. Second time. He was red faced and killing it. Riding strong but at the limit. Dude blows me away with his ability to push beyond the limit. So I huff off about how rude it is to pass the birthday boy with 1/2 mile trail remaining and try to reel him in on the gravel road/paved road descent to the finish. Hoping my extra 30 lbs over him will aid in the downhill. Nope. He nipped me by about 60 seconds.

Happy Birthday to me though, I checked my time 3:58! Sweet besting my best time last year and coming in under 4 and I wasn't toast despite not doing much of anything the last week and a half. That bodes well for the next two. Jamie killed it around 3:43 ish and Jut at 3:57. Hodge showed us he isn't playing around this year and demolished us all with a 3:31!!! Way to step up to the plate and throw down the challenge! Just know you are now a marked man. I plan on 2 road rides and 2 trainer sessions between now and February's run. ;-) The not toasted factor also helps as due to the recent striking of the engine oil Union, I'm forced to TeamDicky it and ride my bike everyday no matter what race occured over the weekend. No mr lazy pants for a while. Rain in the forecast but I'm hoping the b-day reflecto wheels and new grunge guard help keep me safe. Ivory hooked me up with a sweet Surly Walz Cap, a framed photo of the 3 most handsome brew crew members (me, Jut, Ivory), and assorted stickers/patches for my birthday.

Again, good on ya Hodge! I'm proud of your effort and sticking with your plan and excited you got to see a payoff from your hard work and dedication. You dropped like what close to an hour off of your slack-ass times from last year? Wonder how well I'd do if I were on the EPnO wonder drug cocktail you're taking? Dopers suck. (heh, I keed I keed). Until next time bro. Just remember, you started it this year.

Dancin' Shoes On My Straight Drive

My whirlwind of chores to be done before the weekend is nearing an end. Tis but a wee breeze now really with just a few more hours of fake working remaining. Need to drop my surly wheel off at MOAB for Brandon, pick up some Yazoo for Hodge, load up my bike, and hit the road. Everything was pretty much packed and ready last night but I wasn't able to load up the car until it got back from Vanderbilt this morning. I made sure to load the D.P. party pack and made me a warm and squishy down bed in the back so all I have to do is show up, party, and pass out without needing to worry about setting up or breaking down camp. Perfect.

I swapped tires back to my Conti's on Yersinia Pestis. As much as I love the 2.6 tires, as much as they make me crave descending faster than I've ever cared too, they tend to aggravate me like a heavy wheeled 29'er - too much effort required to loft, hop, and pick my lines. They are more of a roll over anything and power through kinda wheel. Which is great, but requires me to change the way I like to ride. So the (not much) lighter, smaller Conti's are back on for the Snake. The 2.6's will go back on Monday. They are still too much fun to ignore. Good heavy trainin' tires for my "straight drive" - that's what my grandfather calls my singlespeed.

"You still ridin' that straight drive? I got me a three speed in the garage." makes me smile every time.

Update: Well thanks to Hodge for passing along the "nothing seems to go right for me" blues, no more easy-peasy weekend setup. Heading out to the truck to run some lunchtime errands, I noticed a long string of drips leading underneath the truck. Then a larger pool underneath the truck. Oil. Great. The truck cranked up and there is ample oil pressure according to the gauge, but when I checked the oil dip-stick it didn't even register as having any oil in it. Great. T.roy ran me home to get my car so I can finish my errands. I've scrounged up a ride from 8ball so I can leave my car for H. so she can get to and from work this weekend. Looks like I'm getting a repair bill for my birthday. Yeah-F-in-Rah!

Who's That Girl?

I got quite a few birthday surprises last night since H. works from now until next Thursday, but not until I got my chores done. Due to mousing out on the commute and not having ridden since before the weekend, I was in need of a spin mentally and physically. I set up my bike in the only open area (the hallway), turned on ORTA, set up a fan and did one of my old time super secret workouts I used to do back in '05. Back when I regularly stomped Mista Krista (ok, thrice I beat him, once by 2 seconds. That wound ever heal Pepe?) at the SERC races. One more session tonight then it'll be off to Georgia Friday afternoon to party, er... prepare for Snake and my b-day on Saturday.

After the spin session, I called H. to get her ETA, she was getting her hair cut and bringing back my Dish from the babysitters (aka her parents) in the 'boro. She was about 15 minutes out so dinner would be perfectly timed. The first surprise I received last night was a cupboard and fridge full of food from which to create a healthy meal (one resolution is to eat better). Hodge can shove his EPnO and supplements down his throat, I prefer to get mine by eating colors. Check out this pan of simmering goodness. Protein, vitamins, minerals, colors, mmm mmm good. Way better than any old pill, don'tcha think Hodge?

The next surprise was a new set of skins for the commuter bike. Not just any skins, but SweetskinZ. They may be dorky to some of you elite, hip bikers, but I'm stoked. The sketchiest part of my commute is the last 4 miles on unlit, narrow, twisty, dark dark dark country roads with people driving 30+ mph over the speed limit, usually on the phone or texting. I cringe and prepare for the impact every time I ride home. I ride the MTB out of necessity as I'm often sent into the ditch by drivers too preoccupied to pay attention to the road or to on-coming traffic. I wish someone would make a bright bright bright rear light for bikes, something like the Vega or the Minewt. The front is easy to light, but the lone blinky taillights don't do much to illuminate me enough to feel safe. I coat my pack in reflective strips and even put some on my bike, but in the darkness of the sticks they barely make me visible. I have started using the Mars 3.0 taillight and have had 5 different cars stop to tell me how well the rear light works. That's re-assuring, but I'm hoping the new reflective tires (not just stripes, the whole tire is reflective) will up the visibility factor. Though my boss pointed out he'd probably hit me due to the moth effect. Remember it's not IF you're gonna get hit, but WHEN.

The next surprise, which actually was noticed before my tires, was the new girl. I don't know who she is but she sure looks a lot like H. only different. A new year, a new color. It's a nice change and she seems happy and excited about it. World Wide Web Debut photo, which I'm sure I'll get in trouble for posting. I also got a jar from her mom that counts coins for you, so all my Yazoo Growler savings jars will soon be moving over to the new electronic "bank". 31.83 already and it's not even 1/4 full. Between that and the weather center (tracks temps, barometric pressure, etc...) from her mom last year I'm feeling pretty James Bond. The weather center hasn't lied yet either, it's a lot more accurate than those news jockeys. 6.4 was the over night low, btw.

And in a small gesture to relieve some of my noticeably white trash decorating skills, the garbage bag and old sheet stylin' window decor of the bedroom to allow for night shift workers to sleep in the dark and to keep the summer time sun heat at bay was taken down. In it's stead now is an antique quilt. H. bought a curtain rod and rigged up one of her Occasion presents to add a little class, style, and insulation from the cold winter air to the bedroom. While helping her move stuff back into place I asked her what was in a box of mine being put back. "A bunch of sh*t" was her reply. "Why is it that my stuff is labeled as 'a bunch of sh*t' all the time Let's just see what's in there shall we?... an empty lightbulb box, a lightbulb box with a dead 102 bulb in it, a sponge, a box with packing materials, a bag of old rags, a clock that doesn't work, a cat toy".... dammit I hate it when she's right.

Snow Drive

The drive back to TN took longer than expected yesterday as a snow/blowing snow storm was happening South of the hometown. Visibility kept going from bad to worse, then the driving horizontal winds would blow the cars around. Several cars and vans in the ditch, many tow trucks out, lots of slick spots on the road and a few close calls of almost sliding out of control happened. Luckily we arrived home at the farm all intact and without incident shortly after 10 last night.

After a quick and cold (16 degrees in TN?) unpacking of the car, I set about gathering clothing and anxiously preparing the mini-pug for the next mornings commute. 4 days of no riding and overeating has me in a fine mood. I did get a nice run in with a short indoor spin at Papa Ted's Fitness Center to keep the blood pumping. As morning came, my sinuses were causing all sorts of pain and I feared riding for an hour in the 16 degree weather would have me sick with a sinus infection on my birthday (aka Snake #1), so I moused out. We headed out and met T.roy and co-worker Kevin for some breakfast before work. Co-worker Kevin hooked us up with a fresh bounty of British candies (he'd gone back to Europe for the holidays). We enjoyed a good breakfast, catching up with everyone's holiday, and savoring the Bongo Java coffee (small independent and local Nashville roaster) since it is just now close enough for me to get on a semi-daily basis.

So, back at work after 2 days off and a New Year rung in with the family (I opted for Guiness this year instead of the historical Blue Moon). I worked from home Occasion Eve and Occasion Day, then came into work Thursday and Friday (Weds I rode in the AM then worked for "the man" building the tree house). Anyway, it feels like I've been gone forever, but at the same time like I need a break. Oh, the irony. Luckily Snake Creek is this weekend so I can sit back and enjoy myself and some long hours in and out of the saddle. Of course after reading tale of Tomato's recent bike death I'll probably spend those hours worrying, fretting, and listening for creaks in Black Death. (8-ball, you haven't recently ridden the Surly have you??)