Good News

I’d mentioned in a not-too-distant post I’ve a Surly Moonlander on order.


Picture grabbed from the Surly site.

When I ordered the bike, I also ordered a Surly Nice Rack rear rack


Picture also grabbed from the Surly site.

At the time of my earlier post my local bike shop mentioned the bike wouldn't be in until March. Yesterday, in my email inbox, I’d received notice the bike will be in December. As in THIS December! Fuckin’ Ay!!!

Now, if I can get the snow to hold off until the day after I get this new rig, things will be perfect. That would mean I’d probably not change out my regular bike tires for studded ones for this winter. I’m anticipating the Moonlander will be my commuter bike for the snow / ice months.

Ride On.

Back

The short version – traveled, ate lots, napped, rode bike, played (board and card) games, ate, rode, played more games, traveled home.

Coming up, the longer version with a handful of pictures.

Ride On.

Park Map

Below is a very close to final version of the map for the singletrack project.



All is left is to get this to a sign company, printed, mounted on a sheet of aluminum, and then bolted to the kiosk thing I'll make. We'll plant it in the ground in the spring. In addition, we'll put the trail marker posts in at strategic places along the trail.

Ride on.

Board Games Outbound

Later this afternoon, as in after work, I’m heading out of town to the parental unit’s domicile. I shall engage in overeating, (followed closely by) napping, and something I don’t get to do near enough of – playing (board/card/electronic) games.



In addition, I shall take a bike along. I’ll need something to wear the Thanksgiving bird off. I’ll engage in a gravel / dirt / grass road grinder of sorts. There is no close by singletrack. But, not to worry - grinding some gravel will be OK. I’m thinking the single speed Karate Monkey will be the weapon of choice.

Ride On.

Upcoming Adventure

A couple years back I did the San Juan Hut to Hut ride. I picked the Durango to Moab (more challenging – 26,000 feet of climbing) route. A short video of the thing is here:



My pictures of the whole thing are here:

Day 0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/snakebite/sets/72157606038171538/


Day 1 http://www.flickr.com/photos/snakebite/sets/72157606069567757/


Day 2 http://www.flickr.com/photos/snakebite/sets/72157606078724383/


Day 3 http://www.flickr.com/photos/snakebite/sets/72157606105077609/


Day 4 http://www.flickr.com/photos/snakebite/sets/72157606160615847/


Day 5 http://www.flickr.com/photos/snakebite/sets/72157606189610164/


Day 6 http://www.flickr.com/photos/snakebite/sets/72157606207245980/


Day 7 http://www.flickr.com/photos/snakebite/sets/72157606228722405/

Now, I’m ready to go back. I have not yet decided to do the same route or the easier (16,000 feet of climbing) Telluride to Moab route. Regardless, if you’re interested in going the same time I am, maybe give me a shout so we can stay in touch.

There will be much adventure in 2012. Who’s in???

Ride On.

Upgrades

I was thinking since I’m getting a Surly Moonlander bike, it might be nice to have some additional gear to go with it. This might open up some options for winter activities.

The first (1st) upgrade will be in the glove / mitten department. Right now I’m good to about ten degrees below (-10) before I need to add chemical warmers. Perusing the Black Diamond website I found some mittens that are rated from zero (0) to minus twenty (-20) degrees.



The link is HERE. They call it the Mercury Mitt. They run $99. I’m hoping they will be warm enough for “other adventures” in addition to winter commuting. Time will tell. I’m going to order a pair. They do have another pair that’s rated from minus 20 degrees (-20) to minus forty degrees (-40). However, they are a spendy $199.

The “other adventures” I’ve alluded to are winter endurance bike races. The Arrowhead 135 in particular. I was sort of planning for this winter to gather the necessary gear and to test it. Next winter (winter of 2012 – 2013) is when I thought I might enter.

The other extremities that will need a gear upgrade are the feet/toes. I’m thinking mountaineering boots. I’ve had the opportunity to use Scarpa Invernos. While they are fairly ubiquitous for lower 48 mountaineering, I’m not sure they’ll have the warmth I think I’ll need. Their high-end mountaineering boots – Phantom 8000 – are a staggering $870 per pair. Ouch. I’ll research this more before I lay down that amount of cabbage.

As long as I’m looking at upgrades I’ll be in the market for a four (4) season tent. Winter use and all. I’ve only thought about this and not done any research. It is not a pressing issue.

I’ll be looking to upgrade my Thermarest for a Big Agnes insulated pad. For not too many more ounces I can have a thicker, insulated pad. Big Agnes makes a one (1) called, wait for it ………. Insulated Air Core. I’ll need a colder rated sleep bag to round out these items.

I guess this is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. I love to research, shop for, and buy gear. I’m looking forward to the upgrades and additions. Even more so I’m looking forward to testing it.

The first (1st) test is an easy one (1). Wait for a really cold night, go out on my deck, set up the tent, throw in the insulated pad, toss the sleeping bag on top, and spend the night in the works. If, for whatever reason, I’m either much too cold or too warm, I simply pack up the works and step inside. The next test will be overnight camping excursions to state parks on equally or even more cold night.

Ride On.

Pain, Misery, Suffering

Yes, pain. But, no worries – it’s the good kind. If there is such a thing.

I’ve started my strength training program in the gym. Five (5) days per week of lifting and two (2) days per week of cardio. Clarifying – the cardio “in the gym” hasn’t actually started yet. Not with no snow / ice. Anyway, the pain is that generated from weight lifting. And, it is the good kind – muscle soreness. Muscles soreness means I’ve done something worthwhile in the gym. The bad kind – joint pain, I’ve not had any issues with. I know better than to go too hard too fast.

While grocery shopping, I ran into a couple (2) of mountain biker dudes I know. Chatting they mentioned they want to get a cross country ski thing going. I said, “I’m in.” I’d much rather be outside doing cardio than in the gym hamster wheeling it.

I’m hoping the combination of outdoor winter activities and indoor lifting will make the snow / ice months pass quickly. In addition to activities, I’m ordering some additional cold weather gear to facility the outdoor playtimes. This should be good.

Ride On.

On The Radar

Recent conversations with this person and / or that person has me thinking forward to 2012. There are a number of things I’d like to do. I’m thinking I’ll start to put a calendar together. As always, a shout out will go as dates get closer to see who might want to join in on the festivities.

Late April brings the Fruita Fat Tire Festival. Fruita, CO is nine-hundred (900) miles and about fourteen (14) hours worth of driving from here. However, the trails are outstanding and the festival a blast. This is likely a lock.

In October of 2010 I journeyed to western North Dakota to traverse the Maah Daah Hey Trail. A turn in the weather made this impossible. I’m thinking the summer of 2012 would be a good time to get back to the North Dakota Badlands and ride this.

I’d really like to get back to Colorado to do either the easier route or the harder route on the San Juan Hut to Hut adventure. To date, my visit there doing the harder route was the best vacation I’ve ever had.

I’ve heard many good things about the trails around Bend, OR. A visit that way should be in order. I’ve also wanted to get to Carson City, NV and the Lake Tahoe region. Some biking and camping would make a great combo.

There’s always the “in state” things. The Black Hills Fat Tire Festival is likely a lock. Doing The Big Mick is pretty sure. I’d like to do the full session of the Tour de Kota, too. I’ve been thinking about a return to the Highway 212 Gut Check.

So many things and places to go, so little (vacation) time. There will be a lot of things going down in 2012 - some may affect Thee Ride Schedule. Maybe big changes on here, too.

Ride On.

Now This Is Functional Art

This picture was found HERE.

Ride on.

We Come To The Truth Of The Matter

Have been paying attention at all to the Occupy Wall Street protests happening around the country? I have. The bigger question is, are you interested and attentive enough to get to the heart of the matter? After all, you have more attention span than the Facebook, Twitter one-hundred-forty (140) characters of fluff, don’t you?

As Wall Street tries to change reality from just that – reality – to how they want recent history to be perceived, perhaps those with attention spans longer than mosquitoes would like to know what the Occupy Wall Street hub-bub is REALLY all about.

You can learn much by reading from HERE. Go ahead. Go THERE and read. I’ll wait.

So, did you learn anything? I hope so. I also hope you’ll remember what you learned at each and every national election. It is not the congressional democrats who are the problem and it is not the congressional republicans who are the problem. It is the collective cluster fuck known as congress that is the problem.

I challenge you to vote against incumbents (those how currently holding a particular office) each and every election. “But what if (by some weird chance) we elect someone good?” Thank them for their time and service to their country and send them on their way. By changing every elected official each and every election, things will not get worse. After all, how could they possibly? Things will get better. Elected people will not need to be white males who are exceeding rich to get elected. Political parties will become obsolete. Lobbyists will become extinct. Yeah, we’ll end up with a few cracked pots in the mix. But, chances are much greater we’ll end up with people who are truly interested in serving their country instead of serving their political party and posturing it for the next election. We’ll end up with a truly representative slice of the population instead of those who serve the special interests.

I’d suggest becoming part of the Occupy Wall Street movement. And, you don’t have to quit your job, be arrested, or be beaten by those who are supposed to be protecting us for exercising our Constitutional Rights to do it. Do it at the voting both. Vote against incumbents every single election and without exception.

“People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” – from V for Vendetta.

Ride On.

Weird Things I Can’t Explain

I have this little notification thing on my computer that lets me know when I’ve a new email in my Google account. Almost at the same time, sometimes a little before and sometimes just after, my phone says, “DROID” when an email or text message comes in.

Yesterday I received a strange invitation in my email. I was invited to Los Angeles to attend a screen writer’s summit. The invitation was legitimate. A screen writer’s summit? It was one of those WTF moments to be sure.

Perhaps I’m in for an abrupt and one-hundred-eighty (180) degree career change. But, I seriously doubt it. I shall not be attending the screen writer’s summit – as interesting as it might be or as interesting as the people might be who will be attendance.

Ride On.

OK, Here We Go

With the singletrack dug, the weather getting less than, darkness overcoming light, and not much on the plate, it is time to relegate myself to inside training. This does NOT mean putting a bike on a trainer. Give me a break. This means other things.

This week begins the strength program and fitness training. I’ve been addicted to weight training for some time. It has been put on hold during the trail digging months. Now I get to be back at it. With a shoulder malady completely healed there’s nothing to hold me back. I’m looking forward to the masochistic ways I tend toward in the weight room.

A few years ago I ran a couple (2) of marathons. A visit to Los Angeles for that one (1) and later that year in San Francisco. Doing those taught me two (2) things. First (1st), I find running boring as hell. Second (2nd), running makes my knees less than happy. However, I will be back at that, too, only hamster wheel style. Treadmills have more give than pavement. Plus, I can plug the ear buds in, tune my phone to the TV’s, and do something to distract me from the mundane. I’ll not be training for distance running again. Instead I’ll do some longer runs but also sessions of sprint intervals. The goal is improved fitness. This summer I had little opportunity to keep in shape. Now I’ll pay my dues over the winter.

I feel I’ve sacrificed many things this past year for singletrack. Now I’m looking forward to making up for lost time. First (1st), I’ll get my ass in shape. Then, as winter fades, I’ll be heading out for adventure. There are many things I want to do in 2012. Who’s in to play along?

Ride On.

Ordered

So, last night I stopped in to my LBS and put down an order for one (1) of these:


Picture grabbed off the Surly site.

The bad news – it sounds like it won’t be in until March. March?

Ride On.

Meetings

Wednesday was two (2) bike related meetings day. It started off with the Sioux Falls Bike Committee meeting. The Sioux Falls Bike Committee is a group comprised of Sam (from the City Planning Office) a police officer type, and several bikers.

Our task is to handle all things bikey for Sioux Falls. We talk about detour routes when the paved bike path is closed, which streets get bike lanes and / or sharrows, and stuff like that. Last night’s meeting was well attended and much was discussed.

Our primary charge is to review and revise bike related city ordinances. Some are out-dated, some are poorly worded, and some need a major overhaul. We’ll put together some suggestions and Sam will bounce them off the City Attorney.

Meeting two (2) was a the board meeting for Falls Area SingleTrack (FAST). We convened at Monk’s (where else?). Agenda items included trail maintenance, the trailhead kiosk, trail markers, winter meetings, the Bike Swap, and a few other minor items.

The sign/map for the kiosk took much discussion. We are narrowing on its form. Once that has been determined, I can finish assembling the thing. Then, it can be planted in the ground. Pictures to follow.

Ride On.

Thoughts I'm Having Right Now

Ride on.