random rides

Last Sunday Lazy day around the house, Easter Bunny is going to get you!.

Finally found out what the problem was with the Redline, I was breaking chains, well they were bending the side plates and popping the pin out. The barrel adjuster on the rear derailleur was not threaded into the derailleur, so on the stand it would shift perfectly, but under intense climbing, the screw would move and the derailleur would twist and not shift correctly or even stay in gear.
Out for a test ride to Beverly, I was the only one there, around 5pm. I did see two guys walking and smoking cigarettes. Trail was damp and slow, but good enough to ride, when I first got there I just rode the gravel road up and down a couple of times.. Rode home and went out the the bar for music at 8pm. Pre-apocalyptic junkyard orchestra. good guys from Mankato, seemed to be having fun. No disc since before opening day, john hurt his hand riding home from that night. Fed hasn't played since Jan 2

sprin continued

spring is coming

just not today, frost warning last night.
Thursday, went for a marg at Natalie's and then over to Shaver park, into 25mph winds. rode the road up and then bombed down through the course at three different areas, cut through someone's yard leaving the high side of the park in order tom come back in and down through the middle, right by someone's window, they were banging on the window. I acted like I did not hear them ignored it. down and out, up the road again and back down, some golfers on 16 tee pad, moved out of my way and didn't seem to mind too much. Later out to Smelly's for box of Rox, they played until 1 for the last time, switching to 8-12next week , so we made them play until 1 and shouted random shit at them.. pic from shaver.

Also made it home on a broken chain at 1 am















Wednesday: ride out to ELY after work, had a slight tail wind out there, rode the trail all the way into Ely, no highway riding needed to get there, nice. The last block before the bar had the street torn out, but you can cut through the grass and miss the construction. Had a couple of beers and $1 tacos and then a shot of Templeton Rye, fuckers charged me $8 a shot. One thing I did different on this ride, I rode casually at about 60% on the way out there instead of riding at 90% like usual, I had plenty of energy for the ride home. I rode all the way from Ely at 9pm in the dark with no lights until I got near the shack tavern. watched NBA and drank $1 PBRs I was sitting there and the deer were looking at me.  Picture above.

wnbc 4/20/11

went to meet the club at the bar, they were only going to go to Beaver Creek Saloon, about 2 miles. So I took off and rode downtown and out to Ellis Harbor, then followed the pump station roads next to the river. The road is blocked off to vehicle traffic, it is a combination of sand, large gravel and mud, some of the sand is packed and can be ridden, but then there will be a large pile of sand to forge through followed by mud and bumpy rocks, repeat. I hit every area of the park, down to Robbins lake and by the gardens. then went hill climbing up from Ellis, new neighborhoods with only a few houses on top of the hill finished. back through the park and back toward Roosevelt school, climbed that hill too. All of this on the Towny. Ol Motobecane, with a new front fender, but still heavy and half full tires and dry chain. about 17 miles by the map, but add the sandy roads and then the hills. Went to Beaver Creek and they were leaving so I joined them over to Parlor, where some guy I never met bought me 3 shots, crown and glory? nice dude, he was alone, I think he was hitting on the waitress.

spring commuting

This morning it was 37* F and I had 28 mph headwinds with steady rain. Last Sunday, I sat around the house all day, did some cleaning, finally went out for a ride at 5pm with rain in the forecast. I rode south on the trail and then out toward Shueyville. I was 8 miles out and it started to rain and I turned around, missed most of the rain, but they were cold hard drops. Made it back home relatively dry and felt the best I had in a week. I rode at an intense level for most of
the ride. 1997 Clark Kent road bike. Last week I headed north on the trail, again only just over an hour, but with intensity.