Tour de Nash

Why not cap off National Bike To Work Week with some pedal powered fun in the sun Saturday at Nashville's Tour de Nash. Eddie George will be there leading a ride as well as other such luminaries like Big Swifty, Old Greg, everyone's favorite curmudgeon, and maybe, just maybe a Fast Marsupial sighting.

Order Now

I've had tons* of reader and fan mail inundating* me, asking me for advice on how they too can be consistent and solid in such overwhelmingly sub par results. In fact, one asked just yesterday "I seem to always peak in March then suffer the rest of the year. How do you stay so mediocre all year long?"

Well, after years of scientific analysis, high tech wizardry, real world applications, and many many failed races, the J5 Training Plan has been released to the world at large. Yes now you too can revel in your Mediocrity. No more training to peak for specific events only to have your dreams dashed by not feeling good, a flu bug, or binge drinking. Now you can stay steadily plateaued and consistently sub par all year long. Yeah I know Henry Rollins always says to "Defy Mediocrity" but hey, we all can't be cool.

Curtis Inglis had this to say about the J5 Training Plan:

"I tried to wait for Thad, but he's too slow."

Dave "Bling Bling" Holmes said:

"On your left."

Yes, you too can achieve harrowing, humbling, humiliating sub par results with the J5 Training plan. Order now, our operator is standing by.

*tons: not a single email, snail mail, or male male has been received.
*inundated = 1 person made a wise ass comment.

Love, Trans Iowa Style

After a relaxing handyman Saturday complete with more scary over night storms, the Kanza boys, Big Head Jeff, and I rolled out for a nice gravel and hill grinder Sunday complete with horrid head and cross winds. Perfect taste of what's to come for the Kanza boys, Fixie 8-ball and Emu gRant. Not only were gravel, wind, and hills on the menu, but we even had a loose, running scared cow on a fast descent, a chicken, some ginny, a squirrel, and several dogs.

Fixie 8-ball and I were wondering why we didn't have the legs we had today last Saturday and Emu gRant was wondering where his legs are hiding. If anyone runs across them please call, the lady in the SUV up Leatherneck is worried about them and a bit smitten with that guy off the front (or so I'm told). Big Head Jeff (so named for his rather recently enlarged mellon pulling him downhill faster than a speeding PTJ), started off fearing he was in for a long, lonely, solo off the back painfest but ended up wheel to wheel with me in the final parking lot sprint. I owe him a lot too for that wonderful tailwind pull he offered the final few miles (after sucking my wheel all day into the wind). OK, I'm only teasing, he sucked Fixie 8-ball's wheel a lot too.

Anyone wanting to get Fixie 8-ball a cool gift, he's partial to wind blown grass, so a planter of grass and a hand fan would pull a nice smile on the kid's face.

Coffee Delivery

Nashville was celebrating Bike To Work Day today (all week was bike to work week, I got in 4 days). OldGreg rode over to the farm early early this morning and we headed off to get donuts and coffee to be delivered via bike. Henry and Harpeth Bicycles opened the shop early so commuters and bicyclists could meet up, drink some joe, eat some good for you trans fat free high fructose corn syruped donuts (mmm mmm good), and hang out. Smaller crowd than we expected given the interest from some local bike clubs, but we did get some true commuters in who had no idea it was a special day.


Thanks to Henry, Harpeth Bicycles, and OldGreg for helping out and waking at the crack before dawn today.

Note: I know I promised an SSUSA/DSG update. I did type it up, but it's long winded and not very entertaining. Perhaps I'll re-edit it or just post it via a link... not sure. At the moment I have too much work to do and a new super work laptop to play with, er... set up.

Just quick updates

Sorry, still swamped in at work so no tales to be told yet. I have enjoyed 3 70 degree, cool, crisp bike commuting days here in TN. 90 good recovery miles and it feels so good to be back on ti and 42x18. It's our Bike to Work week with a celebration of commuting (aka donuts and coffee) at Harpeth Bicycles Friday morning.

Until I can sit down to compose thoughts tonight, here are some lil' nuggets to keep you all occupied:

Swiftwick online store, go getcha some speed. 5% faster baby!

Dirt Rag photos of the weekend are up, along with a blog blurb.

Results and pics at the DSG site too.

Hey Man, Nice Shot: DSG & SSUSA Photo Fjun

I'm busy back at work for now I'll let the photos tell the story for now. Props out to SSlohio Rob and Tomawiki, the new SSUSA chumps. Extra special love n hugs out to Clay and Grant (DSG Squirrels), Swiftwick, Yazoo, Team Wank-n-Bake, Retrotec/Inglis Cycles, Epic Designs, The Rev, and my only one application needed for the entire muddy weekend Ernesto Lube.



More SSUSA photos here.

The Mule out front should have told you

Whirlwind in effect, and I thought the T.I. wind was bad... Stepping into work yesterday I met a headwind fiercer than that good ol' T.I. wind. I'm back again this morning trying to keep the fires from re-igniting. Then I got to get out to meet Eli to get a tent, hit the brewery to pick up the kegs, grab my bike, pups, and skee-dattle down to meet the Squirrels.

Hope I don't run into any of this:


We ran into that driving home from Iowa, that is near where the race got it's death toll. Not only were the gravel roads bad, the paved ones were questionable as well.

So from the T.I. Setup:


To the full on Black Death mode (ala Hodge wheels), I'm 10lbs lighter and ready for the big weekend: SSUSA and DSG 12 hour. Gonna be a hoot!