Bike Boy

While I have been out for rides in the past couple weeks the bigger news is Daniel and his pedal bike.  He has made great progress in a short time.  The Strider bike seems to have set the stage well for independently riding his pedal bike, training wheels never  installed.

 Cruising up and down the street.

Earlier this week KT and friends went to Fredericksburg for a walk on the trail.  Well, the babies and ladies walked on the trial while Daniel rode his bike.  I was not too sure if this was a good idea because he has only been pedaling several times over the past couple weeks.   No issues for Daniel, he rode 1.1 miles before they turned around and he rode 1.1 miles back.  2.2 miles for his real bike ride at 3 years of age!  Wow, I'm impressed.

Dropping mommy and Ellen.

Today had a several laps up and down the street.  Daniel was literally riding circles around me in the cul-de-sac as I took some pictures.  All was good until we tried to have him use the brakes.  KT told him to "ride towards the mailbox then put on your brakes."  Well, he rode straight at the mailbox and crashed into without any braking.  Fortunately all was okay after some tears, enough bike riding for today.

Round and round is fun.

gray on grey

It feels like winter again.  Temperature in the mid 40's and 15 to 25mph wind will do that I guess.  The neighbor helped removed some unwanted plants easier with the aid of his mini-excavator.  I felt cold standing in the wind as the machine did the work.

The highlight of Daniel's year so far.

I decided to defy the lethargic mood of the day's weather and headed down to Mohican for a short ride.  The skies were no less gray and overcast down there.  I took the road up to the second trail head and rode the singletrack back.  It made for a nice ride and I had not ridden the Karate Monkey on this section of trail yet.  It made the twisty sections fun.

Gray... or grey?

North and Back

With wind coming from the NNW I aimed myself at the Overton Valley.  I made the right decision turning back to the house before reaching the end of the road, arm and knee warmers were needed.  The skies were clear but it was 59 and a bit windy when I left.

I had to stop and take this picture for Daniel.

"A grader!" he said when I showed it to him.

Several times I made the decision to ride further north before choosing a couple lefts and turning south.  I road 539 for a long time with the wind at my back and the smooth pavement carrying me along.  Second largest cog, down in the drops, I felt like I was flying.

A mile around the corner from home.

Just before sunset I was back home and hungry.   A fine after work ride.

Dodged the weather at the Knob

It seems everyone else head back to work after the Easter weekend, but I seized the opportunity to extend the weekend another day.  This morning we went for a family hike at Wooster Memorial beneath sunny skies.  The Trillium were on display.

After lunch I decided to head to the Knob.  Driving north the clouds on the horizon had me wondering if I should call KT and ask for a lookup on the weather forecast and radar status.  I declined to do so and pulled into the parking lot, the only car there on a Monday afternoon.

Two days ago I got in a lap and found the rearranged beginning a bit of a surprise.  Ryan had told me about it, but it took me a little bit of head turning to understand what had been done.  I think I liked it better before but I'm sure the old route will be forgotten before long.

The overpass is now in play.

A couple days ago I felt really good and thought I was handling the bike well.  It seems I had a slower start today but I got the feel back.  I'm still liking the new tire on the rear, though I did had one chain drop with the new Jump Stop today.

They don't call it Junk Hill for nothin'.

I came out of the woods into the Furnace and was greeted by some threatening skies.  Back to the car?  No, I'll ride until it rains.  I finished out the lap dry.  Try for another?  Oh yeah.  The second time around I was feeling good and the view up the Furnace was starkly calmer.  Nice day for a ride.

Lap 1... not looking good.

 Lap 2... no worries.

On the way home I called KT.  "How wet are you?" was her first question.  Apparently there was a torrential downpour or two at home.  She had looked at the radar map and was certain I was drenched.  Thankfully not!  At least not this time.

Daniel rolls his own!

Mr. Daniel is now self-propelled!  After great success on his Strider balance bike we have debated on whether or not to put training wheels on his little pedal bike.  I really didn't want to.  He could coast along with his feet up, balancing on the Strider.  Pedaling was all that was missing.

Today after work I took him out into the cul-de-sac with his pedal bike.  It seemed I was constantly holding him up as we attempted to ride in a loop.  After ten minutes I was tired of being hunched over, keeping him upright.  We went in the house for dinner.

After dinner Daniel said he wanted to ride some more.  Reluctantly I agreed to take him out into the street again.  After a couple minutes of supporting him I decided to give him a chance on his own... and he took off!

Katie came out with the camera for a couple short clips.  Of course after the camera was gone he was doing even better, riding circles and figure 8's "all by myself"!

 A still from the vid.  He's doing it!

We were super impressed.  Three and half and riding on his own.  Daniel has already asked about going on a bike ride with us.  It won't be long!

Thumbs up!

Monkey Share

Ryan and I went down to Mohican for a short ride.  We had a deadline to be back home, so we rode out until half our time was used up and then turned around.  I took the Karate Monkey for some singlespeed fun.

I still cannot say for sure... is it the tires, the geometry, or something else... I feel more confident on the Monkey.  I was having fun keeping speed and momentum while trusting the bike in corners.  At the turn around point we swapped bikes.

 He'll be coming around the corner on a Monkey.

Ryan said we could swap back in a couple miles, thinking I would be uncomfortable on his smaller frame bike.  Somehow I managed to become one with the bike two sizes smaller than my own and enjoyed the full ride back.  Ryan seemed to be enjoying the Karate Monkey calling it "agile".  Good times.

Heading back to the parking lot.

Mohican During the Week

To celebrate Ryan's spring break I took the afternoon off work and we headed to Mohican for a lap.  The weather was very agreeable, around 50 and sunny.  I expected good trail conditions based on recent weather.

We were greeted by a new kiosk sign with map

in the main MTB parking lot.  It looks nice.

Let's just say my Paragon has been neglected of late, mostly due to the Karate Monkey getting all the attention.  I dropped my chain twice in the first several miles before using a chunk of wood to smack my inner chain guide into proper position.  Ryan said, "Wow, I'm suprised to see you beating on your bike."  At least it worked, no more chain drops.

Maybe a couple miles later I realized I'd ridden the first three or four miles with my fork locked out.  Nice.  All I can say is my previous Mohican ride was on the rigid Monkey and, by comparison, my locked out fork felt plusher as it does have some compliance when locked.

Headin' up.

We enjoyed pretty much perfect trail conditions with only the occasional grease spot.  Ryan put his new front tire to good use and was ripping up the trail.  All was good until we reached the covered bridge and expected to do some climbing.  "Trail Closed."  The sign said something about forest clearing for a gas pipeline installation.  So we resigned ourselves to the road which was also a good climb, but less entertaining.

Thankful it's just temporary.

We stopped for some food at the second trailhead.  I had made some rice cakes with egg and bacon in them, so we gave them a try.  Pretty good, I'd make them again.

Victim, i mean recipient, of my cooking.

The next couple miles were okay but somewhere around mile 22 I stood to pedal up a rise and was shut down with cramps in both my quads.  Perfect, first the bike then me.  I was reduced to spinning cadence for the remainder of the trail, but still enjoyed the ride.

The last incident of the day was a mud splash Ryan took to the eye in the last quarter mile of trail.  One removed and subsequently lost contact later, we were on our way back home satisfied with our spring break ride.  It didn't feel like Tuesday on the drive home... I wonder if tomorrow will feel like Monday at work?  Whoo-hoo, short week!

Maiden Monkey Voyage

It was long overdue, but I finally had the Karate Monkey out on a proper ride.  And... this is one zippy chimp!

It loves to corner, fast.

By the time I reached the "mile 1" marker at Mohican I had already made up my mind; this is going to be a very fun bike.  The next 15 miles confirmed my thoughts.  The Karate Monkey is a cornering machine, I was surprised at how easily it was to make the bike turn.  On several corners I entered on my usual line only to fall into the corner much sooner.  I'd say the short wheelbase makes a big difference.  The Maxxis Ardent tires played into the cornering confidence of the bike as they hooked up very well.

The wood peckers have been doing trail work.

Next thought is the single speed setup; I like it.  I'm going to thank my gym work the past several months as I didn't feel too burdened with just one gear on the uphills.  I look forward to building more leg and core strength on the Monkey.  What I've been told is true, there may be more grunting and grinding on uphills but there's also plenty of time to carry momentum and roll without pedaling.  It will be fun to play this game more.

Back to the car just before rain.

Last, but not least, is the rigid front end.  I was sort of surprised for the first handful of miles at not feeling too beat up.  Choice of a smooth line was rewarded, as was weight shifting and soaking up bumps, roots, etc.  I soon learned the downhills would deliver a beat down.  With no compliance up front and faster speed, bumpy downhill sections were rough but tolerable.  I need to play some more with tire pressure and probably get serious about going tubeless on this bike.

It was a fun first ride on the Karate Monkey at Mohican.  There's a lot more to come to get to know this bike.

Out of the rain, in the car, having a post ride snack.

Gravel Grinding and Climbing

"It's going to be warmer soon." This is what I kept telling myself as my fingers throbbed from the cold.  It was 26 degrees when Ryan and I left the main trailhead at Mohican.  Instead of being on singletrack we were headed out for some fun, gravel road climbing.  The warm up I was looking forward to would also bring sloppy conditions on the trails, so we opted for the gravel roads.

Quick shot of wild turkeys.

Fortunately there was a good hill in the first several miles of the ride.  This helped me to begin warming up but it was some time later before I was finally comfortable.  We road a clockwise loop to the east of SR3 and the Mohican park.

Frozen puddle.

The skies were a brilliant blue and we expected to be out for 3 to 4 hours.  We stopped as needed to eat, knowing the bigger hills were coming.

Yielding while stopped for food.

Eating while yielding.

We turned south and enjoyed some fast, downhill gravel roads.  They sure are more fun to speed down on fat tired mountain bikes.  This was our first road ride on mountain bikes, the gravel made it fun and not too much of a slog on the slower bikes.  Actually, a cyclocross bike may be the best weapon for this route.

Turning west we hit a good gravel climb.  It was not terribly long but gained elevation pretty quickly.  A short distance later we hit the climb on Valley Stream Road, west off Wally Road.  Oh yeah, she's a good one.  I think I did a track stand or two in the middle of this mile long climb.

That's me climbing.

And that's Ryan on Valley Stream Road.

After Valley Stream Road it seemed like we were just a short roll from where we started.  Yeah... after several more hills.  Ouch.  We slogged back to the car, loaded up, and headed for home.  It was long time on the back with some rewarding views and, hopefully, strength building hills.

This is what my legs felt like at the end of the ride.

Rolling Nowhere

Sunday afternoon arrived and I thought about going for a quick ride around the block.  I looked out the back window and it looked decent enough, the thermometer stuck to the window displayed "39".  I thought for a minute about where I might go as I ate a pre-ride apple.

Five minutes later I did a double take out the same back window that was convincing me to ride; a flurry of wind blown snowflakes was in progress.  Okay... I guess I'll head to the basement.  I watched the final hour of the 2010 Leadville 100 video from aboard the rollers.

Levi won the Leadville while I won the

battle of motivation and rode indoors.

Riding Home via Moreland

This morning I drove to work with my bike and gear in the car.  I spent the rest of the day thinking about what route I would ride home.  Thinking about the setting sun and good vantage points I decided I would ride home via Moreland Hill.

I changed clothes in my car after work and jumped on the bike.  The sunset was setting up nicely with partially cloudy skies.  As I rode south I began to wonder if the sun on my right would set before I made it to the hill.  Thankfully I arrived in time to see a rather dramatic sunset.

Nice view and ride home from here,

watching the sun drop out of view ahead.

Church then Ride

After making plans with Ryan last night I packed my bike and gear for church.  We had a non-typical Sunday service with a number of people sharing their stories of faith, God's presence in their lives, and baptisms.  It was a very meaningful service to see people expressing their relationship with God.

Sunday morning bike.

We had some Chipotle for lunch before heading to Ryan's in-laws' house.  From there we rode west to the Overton Valley.  We climbed Pleasant Home Road out of the valley, dropped back into the valley and climbed Jentes coming back east.  We enjoyed clear, blue skies the whole way.

Turning east.

Ellen Likes Ergon

Picked up a pair of Ergon grips at the shop on a lunchtime trip today.  I will use them on the Karate Monkey, hopefully giving a little more surface area to distribute the solid front end.  Maybe, just maybe the KM will make it out to a trail if the weather and schedule cooperates.  Though it has been fun chasing Daniel around the basement on it.

Ellen displays handlebar technique.

More Swamp Pics

A few more pictures from last night's ride...

First pic of the ride on the way out.

Light at the ready, prepared for sunset.

Watching the sunset.

 Sun down view from Hoy Road.

Gravel Swamp Ride

The forecast for the week changed and suddenly today, Monday, was the only day calling for sun.  In the middle of the afternoon I thought about getting out for an afternoon ride and realized I had not made the most of the cross tires much this winter.  Gravel... I need to find some gravel...

Heading down Valley Rd.

I mapped out a ride through the Shreve swamps on the gravel roads.  It was not a long route but was entertaining.  It was 38 degrees as I drove home.  I dressed for post-sunset freezing temperatures and headed out in the sunshine.

It looks like it's been there a while, but I do not

remember seeing this oil pump in previous swamp rides.

The air was crisp and the light was soft as I pedaled over gravel and dirt.  It was quiet in the swamps, with the exception of some kids in a jacked up truck.  The sun was setting when I found a "pond" I didn't know existed.  The setting sun and reflections on the stagnant water was a picture waiting to happen.

Darkness coming.

I climbed up Clarke and got my lungs and legs burning before looping back through Moreland to once again cross the gravel on Valley Road.  It was a bumpier ride through the dirt potholes on Valley coming back than going out.  The dips and bumps were more difficult to see in the dark, even with the headlight powered on.  My tinted sunglass lenses were not helping.

Passing by Moreland Fruit Farm on the way home.

It was another nice ride past sunset.  The temperature sure drops fast when the sun goes down.  I look forward to the next one.

Back on Campus

Ten years later I made it back to campus.  Noah and I went to represent the company at a career fair.  We arrived the night before and had some time to walk around campus in the dark.  After the career fair the next day, where we met some solid students, we had another walk including a visit to the ol' engineering building.

Found some bikes in the dark.

 

 The meeting and proposing place for KT and I.

It was nice to see the campus and meetup with some of the faculty again.  I realized how much I under-appreciated the courtesy, cleanliness, and professionalism of Northern when I was a student.  The efforts of the faculty and staff really showed in the students we met, plus the students are a notch above your typical college student.

I remember an engineering professor who rode to work

everyday.  I'm 99% certain this is his new ride.  Nice!

At some point in our visit we drove down Main Street to find the houses me and the guys lived in our last two years.  Well, we must have been hard on them...

The former location of 911 & 915 S. Main.  Lots of fun

was had where these empty lots now stand.

Black Ops Library Roll

Pump it up.

"I feel like we are getting ready for a mission" Ryan said as we layered on clothes, prepped our gear, and buckled helmets.  I aired up the front tire on my cross bike and we switched our headlights on.  It was probably 7pm when we pedaled away from our cars in the dark.

Gettin' ready to roll.

Knowing our weekend schedules would not allow a ride together we made plans to meetup for a Friday night ride.  I wanted to experience some different terrain than I've been riding around my place, so I proposed riding from Ryan's house.  As we discussed our plan we stumbled upon the idea of riding a portion of the Fredericksburg Library Roll, an annual benefit ride co-sponsored by our cycling club.

The map was printed on green paper which was pretty

easy to see in the dark when held near our head lights.

The Library Roll is known for some good hills.  They were not any easier in the dark and it was ambitious for this time of year.  We made it down to Charm and stopped for some food and drink.  It was about 40 degrees when we began the ride and we were staying pretty comfortable.  After the stop I was feeling a bit cold but the climb out of Charm fixed that problem.

Ryan jousting.  (Slow sync flash mode.)

From Charm to Millersburg was a collection of climbs that one after another put a beat down on my legs.  At one point Ryan and I were nearly laughing at the faintly lit sight in the distance of more hills.  We enjoyed a long, fast downhill that left me smiling but chilled.  Ryan said it felt like a mountain descent and it did.

We conquered the last hills of the ride on the way into Millersburg and stopped at the rail-trail depot.  I gave KT a call to let her know we were still alive.  "Do you realize it's 9:30?  Are you even having fun?"  Oh yes, time flies when you're riding in the dark, trying to stay warm, and having fun.

 I stopped at a gas station for a coffee and walked

out with peppered beef jerky too.  Frosty roof.

The flat ride on the trail-trail back to our cars was cold.  The temperature was certainly lower here than it had been anywhere else on the ride.  We promptly started our cars to get the heat going and the thermometer in the car showed 33.  There was frost on the roofs of our vehicles.  We agreed on the epic quality of the ride and parted ways.  It was a good one.