Fish On

Song makes me laff, especially when cruising a fishin lake in the middle of nowhere and your almost out of water.

Temperature liar... Wasn't that hot.

TI needs to be recalibrated

Note to self- A piece of plywood can serve as a bicycle floatation device/ boardwalk. Sweet. In these here parts riding in the mud is no thing. This little not legit area is a goldmine.

Swamp CX- ride it.

Momma turtle, just wants to get down to business...

Just leave me be...

Nope. Could not pass. Had to relocate. Too many Hillbilly D-bags like to run over turtles... I'm part hillbilly myself, but pick on your own kind.

She was friendly she was... 

Note- All this packing for N Iowa, I have an idea on next spring... A loop, a non-race race, some earlier season suffering... Rag Practice. You talking bout practice? Yap, I'm talking about practice. TBD, still have a few pieces of the gravel puzzle to put together... But it's worthy, especially with that swamp crossing above...  

Cuyuna- Rusty Race?

All you bike tweekers know, you got to have a target to keep the doldrums at bay...

I have many theories. One is, you can only do a first time event once... Check it:   http://mnrustyride.com/

Only 2 questions on this event. They call it Rusty "Ride"... Who they fooling, we don't ride. Second, I hope they make the four 100 mile laps as difficult as possible. I can have a picnic for free on my own.

The Kids are getting bigger, not long and they will outgrow the roof.

All yag blogs must have some sort of visual aid...

Back too original topic, there is an Edduro looming... Lester Park MN race on Sunday. Back to back Jack?

I just heard Faith No More on the Currant, I haven't heard this song in 20 years. Crazy.

Wolverines! & Uncle Buck (non-bike)

Bikes and bike racing on hold. Sunday was paintball war games for four 12 year olds and getting my "Uncle Buck" skillz on... MN Propaintball summed up as americana in the least of the least... The intent was in the right place as the whole operation was to raise cancer awareness. 500 wannabe and rejected GI Joes/ Janes/ and Jr's...

"Wolverines" in midst of combat

If you've served in the Armed Forces and expect something structured/ organized/ with rules, wrong. Basically just Randoms running around shooting paint. For four 12 year olds calling themselves "Wolverines!", it was a dream come true...

When I was 12 we had 12 gauges and hunted water fowl, now adays they hunt fellow humans with paint.

"Mexican" Headquarters- brains of operation? Nope.

Viva le Mexico!!! Get non-instruction and more compressed air here. Random Riddlers abound.

Wolverines!, Madylion, and Uncle Buck wannabe

Kids had the time of their lives... Now I need to teach them the proper way to respect a gun (even one that just shoots paint)...

Dawn and Madeline were excellent troopers, hanging out in the rain for 3 hours to allow the Wolverines plus an Uncle Buck to get their paint on...

Bike on the Brain--- Not to fret yo, I was tweeking knowing what I was missing on the day at Afton. I've learned, sometimes missing out makes you enjoy the next go around that much more.

Jimmmmay you should of came out and played...

Talk to Jack or Richy for a Tough Mudder story... LCR anti-cross training?

The packing for N Iowa continues.

Buck 2 (worlds?)

For 58 minutes all I was saying to self "I gotta stop drinkin so much coffee". Seriously. Tit for tat, gave up chewing copenhagen for drinking coffee round the clock. I need a new vice.

Random- Is this Sting? mountain biking can be analogus to wrastling.

Buck 2, I don't get the "worlds" reference. Can it be a multicultural reference? Perhaps a political message to the people along 35W? Buck/ Penn institution innuendo? Or reference to style of race similar to what the international pro guys do. Speaking of Pro's, where is Young Jack Hinkens?

Buck 2, work day was in control (but drank too much coffee as stated above). Conditions beyond dry, odd... Hot but no humidity made you feel like you were withering away like a weed in the sand. Warmup/ course route/ starting line. Off start, fail- wanted to jump instead tap danced, 50' off line there is my manz Jim ahead of me (nice! he practices that stuff I think).

Buck 2, first lap had very difficult time getting up to speed and holding it, lap 2 attempt to be the hound and catch the fox's, lap 3 caught some fox's, lap 4 attempt to drill it to finish.

Sum- felt slower and flatter then last week, but had better result, go figure. I'd get heart rate up but anytime I backed off it just dropped. Parking lot hacking dust and vomit behind MVP car. Odd, no excuses. Just gives you something else to riddle over.

Results:    http://penncycle.com/articles/2012-thursday-night-at-the-races-pg949.htm

Good luck to those taking place in Saturday events (Cable Classic- GobigWondertwins!, Almanzo). Some people doing back to backs with Afton on Sunday (if Ed himself was then it would be an Edduro). That Royal certainly looks like the feat of feats...

Time for me to get packing... Full circle, moving back to where I started in less than a month... North Iowa (Lakeville), gravel, and my Murphy summer and winter edition loops. Odds are we'll get more snow this winter, bliss.

Afton doesn't suck but...

you gotta know the loop. Afton is in good shape considering not much dirt moving goes on these days. For those that never been, if you just follow the race course you'll get cheated. Follow the Original 24 hour loop (2012 Afton map).

Photo, Cliffs Edge, so called "expert" (I say Cheater) line to the right. LCR line to the left. If I had any say, I'd block that right line off for the race, then you experts/ comps wont get cheated.



LEFT LINE IS THE ONLY LINE IF YOUR LCR, SKIP IT- FULL LOSS OF POINTS

Sign says "DLA"... Squirl Nation circa 2005 or 06... You wont ride this as part of the race on Sunday, yep cheated... 

DLA- High quality photo.

When most others wanted to abandon Manhandler as part of racing, LCR kept it alive. You wont ride this as part of the race on Sunday, yep cheated.

Manhandler- Photo does no justice.

Alps Maintenance bulldozed over the trail at top of Whistler. A few years ago I'd of had a fit, now I just shake my head and move on... Actually enjoyed riding through the loose dirt. Felt like fatbike motorboating. You'll ride this on Sunday... Not cheated. 



Ride it.

You call this a rutt??? This ain't no rutt... This is freakin fun!

Ride it.

I'd like to build a revenge part 2, but life is taking me to North Iowa.

Good time beatdown...

LCR Corner... Little loop, Just like us, random, off to the side, doesnt make sense, do our own thing, but you better be on your game. Keep your head up prior to the corner at the bottom of Shady and you'll see it, and you wont get cheated.

Build by the LCR Infantry.

Afton doesnt suck. But if you keep your head down and just ride the race loops you'll get cheated.

Go enjoy what some call rutts, sketchy, random, non Imba. I call a good time beatdown. Thanks Afton Alps for keeping this trail alive for those that enjoy the pain and suffering.

Buck 1

Good times kicked off at Buck. 
Took aways-

• Same drill different year, but less weekday work crisis' to consume self.
• A bit of new trail, thank Goosey and Pickles.
• Trail loose, scetchy, not ridden in = perfect.
• Over 200 rider/ racers. Results-  http://penncycle.com/articles/may-10-2012-pg1245.htm  
• Sort of late to the line, Triflow doesn't have the dress or room for me to fit in the front.
• Unlike some who think they deserve a spot up front and weazle in, I take up towards the back.
• Fighting from the back works the race handling skills and mental game. When backed in a corner, those that don't practise it have high probability of tap out.    
• Lap 1 was a prolog and panic at the dirt disco, lap 2 attack dog, lap 3 eyes bled, lap 4 scramble and fail.
• Odd high end physio output. Felt like my lawn mower with a bad air filter. Run good, sputter, repeat. 
• 30th place,  Beatin by my guys Nope and Ed Guy Johnson. They are the marks now. ha
• Post race LCR lap... Details remain excluded to protect the guilty.

Nope with the pre race nap.

Good Ata Boy after race... I spot a chair in middle of crowd. D-Man, do like his Old Man do, mobile chair plant in midst of crowd. Representing his Pops well indeed.

Next up- Planning a move, riding bikes- need less base but more high end, races (not sure- random). I do know I got to get to Mammoth and ride Log of Death X.  

Happy Mothers Day all you Moms and Mothers...

Gratitude/ Gravelman

Good Times Gone And You Missed Them
What's Gone Wrong In Your System
Things They Bounce Just Like A Spalding
What'd You Think Did You Miss Your Calling
It's So Free This Kind Of Feeling
It's Like Life It's So Appealing
When You've Got So Much To Say
It's Called Gratitude, And Rhat's Right


Rapped by the B Boys


Iron (Gravel)man... Better people watchin then the state fair.  I align with the Randoms/ beginners/ and nonshalants more than the Bike or Race Cultures.

Riddler of the day.

My work sponsors those of us that pedal. Decided to mix in gravel and dry ditches with the boring road. Hilarious response from the Randoms, when I'd do a 90 onto gravel, "your going the wrong way!". Just respond, "LCR!" Then there was coming off gravel to the route I'd get, "you lost?"... ha.


Taking my ditch/ gravel route, many a interesting flood situations...

Idea, duathelon- Bike/ Kayak/ Bike?

Road closure in the works...

Too bad no full flood crossing, the unknown... 

Got this from the garden. and my House sold (for the second time in a week)... 

Dime bag of Taragon

Skipping the Sandwich allowed sale of current home and purchase of new to go down! A few hurdles ahead, but for now looks like I'll be heading back to my roots in N Iowa (Lakeville). 


Download some B Boy music and have a good laff... Yo. 

The Blue Nun

Our evening began
in Peter Sichel's comfortable study
in his New York townhouse
Where the candlelight was just right
The hi-fi was in the background
And the wine, was delicious
[partying and laughter]
[Woman] What's the secret Peter?
[Peter] Naturally, I'll say it's the wine
[Woman] Mmmm, it does go well with the chicken!
Delicious again Peter


Composed by B Boys

Mud tire wont get used today. 

Long story short- 8 months of trying to sell house, Finish Ragnarok, upon finish message from Realtor "offer on house", the last 3 weeks work the deal to a point of "signed offer we are done", we find our house- meeting realtor to do second showing- realtor shows but instead of showing we get buyer backs out on a "lost job" out clause, what the frank, scramble to get house back in show order, last night 10:30 PM realtor calls, got another offer to deal with today, haste or we could lose the house with a backyard winter playground (swamp). 


Off to meet Realtor to repeat the paperwork thing and get the "your done, we have a signed offer" schpeel. 


Eat a sandwich for me... Or just use my name as the punchline... 


I was so looking forward to trying on that dress.  

RIP MCA (B Boy)

Getting old... Amazing thing, you do it along side family, friends, associates, pets, and people that garner attention from many a vector... Certain individuals you associate with regardless if you've never met, you gravitate because of like mindedness. You grow old right along side and share some sort of odd age bond.

   

One such odd age bond for myself would be with the Beastie Boys. Riddlers from the 80's... Odd ducks I align with. Ricoh candidates. Licensed to Ill, Check Yo Head, Ill Comm, music that turned a corner and pushed Mullets like myself away from the garbage music that consumed the waves. 

MCA, one of the three B Boy ridders passed away from cancer. Dang it. Sounds like he had plenty of time to come to terms with leaving this temporary world. I sure hope he did anyhow.

Shift gear- Sandwich Sat... Rain/ mud ride? I like riding/ racing in grease/ mud. But don't like having to deal with the bike after the fact... Wonder what Triflow and Kurke are gonna do? Trails do get wrecked. And for the people that put the time into building/ maintaining it sucks to follow behind and cleanup from a bunch of Race Cultures. 

Do you melt in the rain?