Ira Ryan Ride

February 7, 2010 · Filed under Ira Ryan Cycles, Life, PDX, Ride Reports

So, yeah, the build up of the Ira Ryan frameset that my good friend Ira Ryan built for me has been slow going.  I don’t much like bringing it up again, except it is finally done, and it did not even take a full year!  A complete bike, except the left sti no longer seems to work, and the seatpost and stem and brake hanger will be silver, but those are just small problems.  Today I took it out for the first official ride, and to accommodate the faulty sti and honor the legacy of Mike Walden I kept it in the little ring.

I remember long ago Bicycling Magazine did a 2 or 3 month feature about Mike Walden and the Wolverine Sports Club.  I was a young and impressionable youth and some of what I read still bangs around in my head sometimes.  Like do your first 1,000 miles every year in the little ring.  And chew your food up.  Really, put your fork down between bites and chew that food up, proper digestion starts in your mouth!

Back to the Ira, I rode it today!  I did a couple of rides the last few days on the bike, just around the block and back and forth from the house to the shop so I could check out the position.  I flipped the stem, lowered the saddle half a centimeter and it all feels good.  Today I rode four hours on it.  I can not say with any degree of confidence that it disappeared underneath me or was compliantly this or stiffly that or that it helped me feel the road or any of that.  The rear tire had a slow leak – fact.  But it felt good to ride it, it felt smooth and looked great and we even bombed a couple of corners and it felt very stable.

I was suprised when it started to snow on me, but it seemed appropriate, actually, and the MK  Wood Fenders kept the spray off with style.  A great first ride on the new bike, the only thing that would have made it better was if Ira could have been along for the ride.  Ah well, I have no doubt it will happen someday, thanks for the bike Ira, hearts to you buddy!

Leave a comment »

Riding is Rolling

February 4, 2010 · Filed under 30th Century Bicycle, Ride Reports

This Friday will mark 3 weeks since my first chamois short ride of 2010 and things are going well!  Townie miles continue to stack up, wildlife to be seen.  This past weekend I got out for a quick 1.5 hour stroll on Saturday afternoon, a 4.5 leg burner on Sunday and at 2.5 hour cruise on Monday morning.  Some weeks last year that would match or even eclipse my weekly total…  So the best thing about it all is that I am feeling mentally fresh and excited about the year ahead.  We are planning to try something different at 30th Century Bicycle this year and be closed on Sundays, so I am hoping to hit some of the Sunday heavy Iowa mountain bike series.  I did a couple of events a few years ago and had a good time, so I hope to get to a few this year.  Might motivate me to finally get that Niner?  We will see…

This morning I did my trainer workout while watching the 1989 Tour.  It is always fun to watch that race because it was when I first was starting to race so them guys were my idols!  Funny to think that now I can watch even Cyclocross Worlds live over the internet, but back then all I knew to do was wait a month until the giant format TdF magazine came out to see what had happened.  Few helmets, steel frames, some toe clips still out there, even back to back 150 mile stages!

Just 3 more trainer rides on the schedule Coach put together for me this year, wonder what else I might watch?

Leave a comment »

Townie Pride

January 30, 2010 · Filed under Life, Ride Reports

Riding continues to go well, skiing is almost a distant memory.  I miss the skiing, but having no Birkie to prep for I am cool with waiting for more snow, if we should be so lucky, and just getting out on the bike.  I now have 2 trainer rides under my shorts, which is dandy, and a few, uh, “serious”, rides outside, and lots and lots and lots of townie miles.  I loves me the townie miles.

Plenty of clothing keeps me warm (sometimes durned right hot) and not needing to change into the zooty-pa-suity means more time riding.  And what is not to love about my townie?  It does most everything I ask of it.  It is a friend, cruiser, racer, commuter, good looker, trainer, load hauler, etc.  I love my townie!

I have mostly been cruising around in town, all at a tempo kind of pace, and getting out of town a bit, too.  I love riding around like this as I get to see what is new in the ‘hood.  Plus, with snow and ice everywhere, it is usually easy to ride some sketchy sections to further raise the heartrate.  Tonight I had an awesome townie ride, the kind worth mentioning.

I rode North from home, and then turned out East and hit a bit of gravel before bee lining South of town, past the soccer fields if you know where they are, and back into town on Sand Road.  It was a fine evening to be out.  Not very windy, cold but not freezing.

Most of the ride was just quiet pedaling, but as I was almost back to town and the sun was set to the West, I saw a big shadowy shape dart in front of the headlights of an oncoming car.  It was heading my way and I closed on it rapidly to see that it was a fox.  A big one.  It ran right in front of me for a spell and I did not want to startle it back into traffic so I just rode behind it and marveled.  It jumped over the roadside snowbank, I hit my bell to goose it further from the road, and it was off like a shot.  Pretty cool!

Within moments of passing the retreating fox I saw another shadowy shape cast by another oncoming cars headlights, this easily recognizable as an ambling deer.  It, too, was headed my way, but crossed quickly and my bell goosing had no effect on it whatsoever.  It just stared at me.  No sooner past the deer and off the road onto a bike path to take me into town and there was a raccoon running for all it was worth down the path in front of me.  Amazing, wild kingdom Iowa City!

I stopped by the studio to visit the hard at work Cody, and finishing my townie ride home I witnessed the amazing moonrise.  All from the seat of my townie, riding around my town.  I am happy just to be out in the world, seeing what it has to show, any fitness these rides might translate into is just a bonus.

See ya around!

Leave a comment »

Heavy Breathing

January 25, 2010 · Filed under 30th Century Bicycle, Ride Reports

Thinking about a new bike this year.  Oh yes, the Ira will (finally) be finished, ridden, raced, etc.  And I  am looking forward to it, but as we at 30th Century are MASI dealers it makes sense for me to get one.  I have had a longtime crush on the Gran Criterium.  Sure, it might have started because of a movie, (some great stuff in that link – check it out) but it really blossomed when I returned to ISU from Winter break in 1992 or 93 and Ralph had one.  It was barely brand new, but he had a habit of breaking bikes, and this one already had a big dent in its top tube from a group ride crash.  It was still a beautiful bike to a kid who was riding a Trek 1200.  That was then.

This is now.  Same color frame as Stohler and Ralph’s was, SRAM 10 speed, only weighs 18 lbs or some unbelievable thing.  Sure I wish it were steel, but I have never had such a light bike so I could get over it.  Would change the saddle out for a flite for sure, put some speedplays on it, but other than that I would be good as it sits.

To provide the bike with a suitable motor I have been training.  Good thing it only has Rival on it, I could never do Red justice and even Force would probably be bored by my mediocrity.  Anyways, I had a pretty good week last week, lots of townie miles, a couple of days on skis, one day on the trainer.  Yesterday I got out for the classic Sugarbottom – Oxford loop with the Thrillah, and this morning I braved the little blizzard and rode a Sugarbottom loop by my lonesome.  Sure was lonely…

Leave a comment »

Fer Serious

January 21, 2010 · Filed under 30th Century Bicycle, Ride Reports, Skiing

Today, I rode the trainer.  It has been a while.  I don’t like riding the trainer.  Not many people do, I suppose, but I have been good at avoiding it over the many years of my lycra clad cycling days.  I am not sure how the year ahead will shape up for me, will I be motivated to do any racing?  Will the Shop be so busy I can not take any time at all for training?  Will I decide to buy a bike from Target and ride it, straight off the shelf, in the Dirty Kanza 200, just to see if it could make it?  I just might…

Who knows.  So today, with the snow destroyed and the skis sitting on their rack, I hope for a good season of strong riding from me, and I rode the trainer.  I got it as a gift in the early 90’s, I think, from my folks.  It is from Performance, and has some magnetic resistance thing that is pretty chunky unless you keep it spinning.  And if I spin it up?  LOUD.  Sounds like it is going to rupture or something.  Long ago I read some book or another and it gave me one specific workout for trainers and I still use it.  It takes 1 hour 20 minutes if I do the whole thing.  I did the whole thing.  I watched the Cannonball Run again.  It was all okay.

I am not going to become some regular basement dwelling, stationary group riding, fan in the winter using, driven to success to the point of turning off the lights to work on mental toughness kind of trainer rider.  No.  I will ride the trainer once a week, at most, for an undetermined period of time, do my token workout, and watch bad movies.  I hope the ICPL has Ace Ventura: Pet Detective for me next week!

Comments (2) »

A Blistering Ski

January 18, 2010 · Filed under Ride Reports, Skiing

2 days in a row skiing,  2 days in a row posting something on the ol’ weblog.  Wowser.

Up early and over to Ashton for more skate skiing.  Temps had dropped overnight, black ice was everywhere but my ride over was steady and sure.  How, you might wonder aloud?  Well, my tires were dialed through a three part process consisting of a most robust knowledge regimen combined with a  general apathy towards townie maintenance, that’s how!

  • A:  Colder morning temps led to an overnight decrease in tire pressure.

For each 10-degree-Fahrenheit drop in the temperature, your tire pressure drops by about 2 percent

  • B:  Tires lose air naturally.  It is all part of His plan!

Understand that it’s normal for most tires to lose up to 10 pounds per square inch (psi) per week. This does not mean you have a slow leak.

  • C:  I rarely bother to put air in my tires.  Call me lazy, I don’t mind.

This is the country where people get in fights over a parking space 10 feet closer to the door.

A + B + C = Optimum townie tire performance on the way to Ashton to skate ski on January 18, 2010 in the early morning due to an increase in traction.

Pretty simple stuff.  So I went skiing again.  5 laps today for 15k.  I did not feel tired from yesterdays 6 lap/18k effort and I had hoped to do 8 laps, but my skate boots sometimes disagree with my feet and this morning they did.  After the 4th loop I stopped and made some adjustments but after the 5th I knew big blisters were coming and I should just call it a day.  My hands were each developing a blister, too, I switched to some new ski gloves this year and they are not as good as my last pair.  I need to go shopping.  Today’s snow was much icier, which was faster, but sketchier.  I did not biff it but I did flail a couple of times, which is good for core fitness.  Skied with Scraps for a bit, and then the Eppens, and then Smoky Joe.  It is great to get out skiing again, it feels like we are cheating with it being so warm and all, but the groomed snow is still there and it is much preferable to riding.  But I did ride home, and even though the temps had risen the black ice had melted so it was another good cruise.  I am so in tune with nature and stuff!

Leave a comment »

Etsweatera…

January 17, 2010 · Filed under Ride Reports, Road Prize, Skiing

I don’t really know how it happened, but I went for a bike ride on Friday.  One hour, on the cross bike, to Hwy 1 and back.  It was so much fun I did a follow up ride on Saturday.  One hour again, Salsa big wheeler, rode around in the snow on neglected bike paths.  It was so much fun I was going to ride again today, with others, at the park at 10.  But then I decided to go skiing.  It was warm, but foggy, too, and riding sounded cold and wet to me.  So I rode over to Ashton, sooper tuber full of skate skis.  A college girl yelled at me, “Fishing, yeah!  Oh, wait.  Skiing, yeah!”, nice to have you all back, college kids.  The ride over was good, I was feeling the bike fitness I had attained over the previous 2 days kickin’ in and my tire pressure was perfect!  Skiing was really good, I skied with the Eppens for awhile, they took it easy on me.  I skated half of my 5th lap sans poles and then my 6th lap was my best of the day.  So best that I nearly bonked on the ride home.  Nice to get back on the skis, and nice to have been out on the bike, too.

Bonus to all the riding, I scored a road prize today!  So many screwdrivers out there in our streets.  Proud to be doing my part.

Leave a comment »

Ski, Cell, Sick, Swap, etc

January 13, 2010 · Filed under 30th Century Bicycle, Life, Skiing

So much to update, too much.  No time.  I will try.

First IC Ski TT of the year went off with out much of a hitch last night, glad it all finally worked out!  And I made some killer trophies if I do say so myself.

Saw a rift in the time space continuum just before entering the Hawkeye Harley Davidson dealership…

We counted ourselves lucky to make it out of there alive!  The Harley dealership, that is.

I ran my cell phone through the laundry and it still works, 2 days later.  Amazing!

I felt a bit sick early last week, got better, than got a full blown head cold over the weekend.  Snot machine.

Went to the Madison Bike Swap last weekend, what a blast it was.

Putting together some kind of “event” schedule for the year, I am in for the Almanzo 100, hopefully another DK200, Ore 2 Shore or Chequamegon, etc.  Maybe the Lumberjack 100 in Michigan, but if I do get into Kanza the Lumberjack is just 2 weeks later and that seems like a lot of training, recovering, and travel so we will just see what evolves organically…

The Shop is good, we have been working on our year end bookkeeping, which is really fun (!!!), and spending quality time with Otis the shop cat.  He is so great, we would bring him home but it just won’t work with our 2 boys and his kitty leukemia there can be no common ground.

John LaRue was in town.  Things got fuzzy…

Ira is in town.

I got the TT Xtracycle all back together yesterday!  It is now sporting my handbuilt rear wheel and a monster 203mm disc rotor that I got at the Swap for $4.00.  I switched the brake levers out for them nice Tektros that can do long or short pull so they match and I think this is it for a while, there is not much else I could think of doing to the bike anyways other than just using it.

It’s nice to like bikes!

Leave a comment »

The Amazing Skiing Mousetrap!

December 20, 2009 · Filed under 30th Century Bicycle, Life, Skiing

Today I went skiing.  My 7th outing of the season, 4th on skate skis, at which I annually suck.  Today I sucked a bit, but also had some really good / strong moments.  One time I only got dropped by the fast people by like a football field or something.  Not too shabby…  We were at MacBride, I bummed a ride out with the Eppen’s in their huge truck.  Lots and lots of people out there, one guy skijoring, one guy who was just in the shop yesterday and not only bought my old moustache handlebar but ordered up a couple of handbuilt wheels for his Raleigh 20, that one pro guy, a canadian, Team Skin representatives, a new local bike/cook/ski/roof/tri/garden/swim/knit/run racing kind of team, and me.  Plus all the other usual local yokels that would be skiing on a Sunday morning.  It was great!

photo by BEppen

I lost track of time, crashed 3 times, got tired, it started to snow, it got frozen into my hair, eyebrows, chops, and all over my sunglasses.  I could not see by the time we called it a day.  It was still snowing, we got 2″ maybe?  The road out was super slick, the Eppen truck was not fazed but some of the sports cars that are so popular with the fitness crowd had a tough time getting out of the park and at least one had to be left there until the road could be cleared.

Upon walking in the door at home, sweaty and tired, a mouse ran across the floor right in front of me.

file photo, but this is what they were doing

The cats were busy, so I used their empty food containter to catch the little bugger for them and then deposited him in our compost pile so he could find something to eat.

If you need some skiing or mousetrapping done send no money now, just ask me if I want to go skiing or mousetrapping and I will check my schedule.  Happy winter, starts tomorrow!

Leave a comment »

First Tracks

December 16, 2009 · Filed under 30th Century Bicycle, Skiing

The typical Iowa winter has been working it’s magic.  Snow, melt, freeze.  Not so good for the skiing, it topedoed our first race, but it is at least passable for going out and getting sweaty.  After a strong 3 days in a row classic style start I missed a couple of days due to other things going on, skated a day when it was really warm and I sucked with a capital everything, then I missed another day due to crummy conditions.

Neighbors house included for scale

Today, however, was magic.  The snow was freshly groomed, I was the first on it at 9:45 this morning.  After a couple of days off here and another there I was actually feeling pretty fresh.  I think it was the best skate outing I have ever had.  Skied 6 loops, never biffed it, and felt like I was actually going somewhere.  It was a beautiful sunny morning, too.  My skis were sporting many layers of wax that Brian had helped me apply over the weekend while we drank beers.  Thanks Brian!  Between building my wheel, waxing my skis, and grooming my current faboo facial hair (chop, chop) I am feeling like a durned-right militant Tarikista!  I am going to get out again tomorrow for more skating, and my boss has cleared me for another daytime expedition so it is good to be the me.  Hoping to work my own waxing stand and related accessories into this winter budget, we shall see.  I sure do love the skiing, and hope we have a long season of it!

Comments (2) »

« Previous entries
Next Page »