Beware of masked men riding bicycles.

Scary creature. Warn your children. Beware of masked men riding bicycles.

Tunnel at Farley Iowa.

Studs only. Glazed ice, I could have ice skated down the trail.

Rear view.

Rode on icy trail for 40 miles, had to force the effort, didn't have much in the gas tank. Made the decision to turn around and head home, so no century, for January. :-( I compete for the Cup-O-Dirt. There are various categories for riding dirt centuries. One of the categories is to ride a dirt century for each month of the year. So that one will not occur for me. Last year I bagged 5 cups.

Decided to take the "E-bay" bike into the shop tomorrow. I went to replace the broken spoke today and realized the bike has a free wheel and I do not have the tool to remove. Also no matter what I do with the front hydraulic brakes I can not get rid of the slight drag.

Hope your weekend was fun, and thanks for visiting.

Dave

50 Miles bouncing on hard chunky ice.

Gotta get pedaling I am wasting daylight.


Trail was hard frozen and chunky ice. I bounced and tires hopped a lot. I popped a spoke. I adjusted the wobble out of my tire the best I could. Didn't get back in time to make it to the bike shop and buy another. I might go for a century tomorrow if I feel good, and wished I had that spoke replaced. Nokian Studded tires are the best there is for this kind of travel. Rode 50 miles, the sun was a welcome sight today.



Snack time Mountain Dew and raw Pop Tarts.



Saw two other humans the whole day, they were jogging. No bikers, no snowmobiles, no dogs, no skiers, no alien creatures, desolate.

This is the path out of town. Very little travel on it. Ground was so frozen hard I could ride on top of the snow for the most part.

I pedaled to my parents house to visit before I rode home. My sister Dawn was there. When she saw my shoe covers she got to laughing, saying "what do you have on your feet" It was funny. Plus I had on spandex pants that seemed peculiar to her. We laughed. I told her it was my Michael Jackson outfit.

Thanks for stopping in. Happy rides to you.

Dave

Anybody got a screw driver I got screw loose.

Anybody got a screw driver? I got a screw loose. Well that's what everybody tells me. :-)

Well actually the screws are from an ACL reconstruction, stables are from an High tibial osteotomy. Today the doc drained the fluid from the back of my knee which was result of the previous injuries that formed a Baker's cyst. Fluid from inside the knee that was caused from agitation develops into a Baker's cyst. It had been bothering me on and off for the last three months. Knee feels good now. I think the knee will behave and looking forward to a high mileage weekend of biking.

So keep on biking.

Dave

Riding as the sun goes down.

Hurried up after work, to ride some daylight. 20 degrees and breezy I had to dress right, and dress quick and saddle up. Riding through the cemetery, went by grannie and grandpa.

Sun is going down. Nice to see days starting to get longer. Riding after work during the weekdays are a need for me. Rode hills pushing the pace felt good to make heart pound and legs burn. Stopped over at Ma and Pa's to visit. Mama is home from hospital after serious kidney troubles. She is so sweet, I know she doesn't feel good, but she doesn't want us to know that.

Tomorrow I have to get some fluid drained from knee. Ahhhhhg!!!!! I suffered some serious damage way back in 1972, with broken ligaments ACL, MCL, medial cartilage removal and bone damage. 4 surgeries, among other things. With all that damage sometimes fluid builds up, this time it formed outside the knee, called a "baker's cyst" Only mild discomfort when I bicycle, but aches a lot especially if I sit for any period of time with it bent.
Hope your day was good to you.

Thanks for visiting

Dave

Through town, up in the park, and along the river.

A view from Eagle Point Park and the Mississippi River.
Felt zippy, on Cycle Cross light weight bike and paved roads. Been riding on snow trails with heavier suspension bike mostly. So the increased speed felt exhilarating. Was enough patches of ice that made me feel more comfortable with studded Nokians on the bike. Was really windy at times. Was standing up on the level.
Saw this guy riding his bike, oh wait, that's me.




Through streets with running water mixed with ice. The Studded Nokian tires do a amaznig job of keeping me from going on my (_!_) .

Riding the backways through a old part of town.

Sidewalk along the Mississippi River banks. Thought about riding on the frozen river, would be fun, but saw areas of water and then thought about "NOT"

Seemed strange, I'm the only human in the entire Eagle Point Park.

Ice, rain, snow, 6 hours, and enjoyment.

Not sure how far I rode, odometer would fail on and off. I think about 40 miles. Sometimes I would get up to a whooping 10 mph, but mostly around the 6 to 7 mph and sometimes 4 mph as I would slide all over and spin out time and time again. One nice thing I never biffed and flew off the bike. Trying out my new Ergon hand grips, very comfortable. They have a great design to support your hands perfectly. I need to figure a way they can fit with "Bar Mitts"

Stopped at the turn around point and snacking down on cold pizza I found in the fridge this morning from son Caleb's midnight snacking I suspect. Riding was hard work for the most part, my tire would punch through the snow time and time again, and I would lose traction. I let most the air out of the rear tire and that helped a lot. The rain started, on the return trip home and got heavier and heavier as time went on. Well it came as no surprise as usual out here, I was the only biker, but surprising there was no snow mobiles.

Started getting dark. I started thinking I should have packed a light. Sometimes towards the end of a hard long ride, you start thinking, "I just want to get home" That is part of the fun of this. The good feeling you get pulling into home after a hard ride.

Tomorrow, with all this rain, and I'm thinking ice removal from the streets is occuring I would like to take my Trek XO2 Cycle cross out for a town ride that would be fun, and to have traction again, what a concept that would be.

I found out from a phone call from my son Joshua, out here today that my mom has been in the hospital since Thursday with kidney failure. She didn't want to bother anybody. Geeesh mom, please bother me. So I headed to the hospital right after I got home and then went up and checked on my papa, he was so nervous, worried, mom and him have been married for eternity. A remarkable relationship.
Well glad you stopped in. Leave a message, and hope your day went well.

Dave

Icy rain tomorrow, and looking forward to it.

Duhh, Dave, putting Nokian Studs back on the bike for anticipated ice tomorrow and I find my tire lever inside the tire. So I rode 5 hours in the snow like this.

First signs of spring, taking my Bar Mitts off and putting Ergon hand grips on. Supposed to be rain and in the 30s tomorrow. I sprayed water proofer on my gloves, shoes, and bike pack. The ride will be wet with 70% chance of rain.

I'm ready to rock.

Thanks for visiting, and safe and happy rides to you.

Dave

ZIPPED, ZAPPED AND OUT OF GAS

Just in case anybody has forgotten what spring looks like.

GEEEPERS!!!! My gas tank is empty tonight. I am still sitting in my work clothes 4 hours after work in front of the TV. Was going to give the legs a break after 11 hours of mule work this week end plowing through snow and lift upper body weights. BUT!!! that is not happening the lifting weights that is.
On another note, does anybody know where spring is? Longer days, no ice on roads, trees starting to leaf out, that kind of spring.

I need to ride my bicycle.

Thanks for stopping in.

Dave

Performance enhancement drugs

I have an confession to make. Somewhere between Graf and Epworth Iowa while riding my bicycle today I used performance enhancement drugs. Yes I did!! I had some sugar and caffeine. A.K.A. Pop tart (eaten raw) and a Mountain Dew. :-) Hazy day.

The trees were full of ice. While I was riding little ice flecks were falling off the branches. It felt like bugs hitting me in the face.

My bike thinks she is a Mountain Goat. I think not. Today was all grind. Five hours 25 miles. Snow was softer then yesterday with the slight warm up today. Rear tire would spin out, and I would move from side to side trying to find a good line to travel on. I didn't have to walk bike but the going was slow. I was going to venture off the trail up on a gravel road but what I thought was level ground was a 4 foot ditch that was full of snow. Down I went over the handle bars, buried in the snow.

I'm thinking I might not bike outside for 2 weeks now. Next weekend I will be in Minne-toada visiting Cole Little and family. My grand baby, daughter, and son and law. Not enough daylight and roads aren't very safe to ride with the ice in the dark. Well it's times like this is why I have bike rollers and weights and other self torture devices in the basement.

So peace and happy thoughts to you, and thanks for visiting.

Dave

Just riding around

Rode 40 miles out on trails today. I am woofing down a granola bar and I hear this buzzing noise behind me. Did not have to get off bike and push once today, nor did I fly off the bike. Snow was compacted nice, my tires did slip and slide a lot a Pugs would have rode faster. I maintained about 7 mph. My tires wasted a lot of energy spinning out. I am going to try my "Big Earl" tires instead of the studs tomorrow.

Got back in town before dark so I rode over to Ma and Pa's house to shoot the chit with em. Dad had to come out and look my bike over. He is 85 years old and up to a couple of years ago he was still bicycling. Now his joints tell him not to do that anymore.

Here is my papa, he is my hero, simply an incredible man, WWII marine vet. Always took time for us, all 5 of us kids. Just a wonderful father. He is in the kitchen learning to cook to help my mama out.

Below is my mama, mama doesn't feel good lately. Kidneys are not doing well. You never hear her complain. I know she has trouble getting up the stairs and doesn't move around a whole bunch any more. She is a sweet heart.

So sure enjoyed the day out on the trails. Have some work to do on bike yet. Tomorrow I am gonna get up and do er again.

Thanks for stopping in.

Dave

Tonight Beer, tomorrow Bike

So tomorrow is going to be in the upper 30s F. So the plans are to ride a bunch this weekend on trail or gravel roads. Wondering what bike to take. The snow will be wet and melting. I have three bikes with Nokian studded tires on them that work under different snow conditions. Below is my cyclecross Trek XO2, lightweight, with 35CC studded tires. Here is my full suspension Schwinn Rocket with the 3.1 Studded tires that I rode all last winter and she never complained or left me stranded out the middle of nowhere with a break down.

And laying here in the snow is my Trek 6700 Hardbutt. My EBAY buy. IPOD is loaded and will feed my ears.

I bought a pair of Ergon GC3 bar grips and ends. I would like to try them out. I can not figure a way to make them work with the "Bar Mitts" The Bar Mitts have really solved the cold hand problem, but might not need em with the warmer temps.

Me At Triple D

My butt side trying to move forward

A fella in da cella

I'm just a fella in da cella spinning my pedals around in circles going all kinds of places in my head.

Lifting some weighs.

Giving my knee one more day of rest, it is a bit sore yet. Probably all that bike pushing Saturday. So I had to do something. I took yesterday off, after Triple D, and ate, drank beer, and ate and drank beer some more. So lifting weights in my basement tonight after work, listening to rock and roll made body and soul feel good. In my basement there is a treadmill, speed bag, multiple weights, and a road bike on rollers. So there is plenty I can do. But currently nothing compares to bicycling outside. I am going to have to see about getting set up for outdoor riding after work using my new lighting system. I used to compete at Powerlifting that was until I had to have L4, and L5 fused to my tailbone in 1992 and lay in bed for 39 days. You talk about making a nut go nuts that came close. Picture below is a me at a deadlift competition way back around 1986, that was 500 lbs and gave me 1st place.

So thank you for stopping in.

Triple D

Lance Andre race director and competitor giving a prerace meeting.
A bunch of horses ready to run at the starting blocks with a minus 20 F wind chill. Getting myself ready for this race I have gained a lot of winter biking skills. I learned to look at the temp and wind and select very carefully what clothing to wear. Buying good winter biking shoes, bar mitts to cover the hands, using chemical warmers to keep my fluids from becoming solid ice, using very low tire pressure, all have made winter biking a fun and doable. I have purchased a very good bike lighting system which will now enable me to bike more after work on these shorter days. I flew off the bike a couple of times during this race when the front tire would slide out on me, I saw others doing the same thing. Once my bike landed upside down on the side of the trail in the ditch and filling my bar mitts full of snow. I lifted bike upside down and shook trying to get most the snow out, but later with my hands in the mitts melted the remaining snow hence wet hands. Wil I do this again? Well yes, of course, the Lord willing and my health allows, 'let's get er on'.
Lance on his way to an impressive victory.

Triple D a.k.a Death march from hell

Me at the start of Triple D, all ready got some eyesickles developing. It was around 2 below Fahrenheit at start. The cold temperature was no problem you just learn how to dress right. I would venture to guess that there were only 5 finishers. Race started out through town then out in deep snow and everybody pushing their bikes which was exhausting. After a few miles of that we were able to get on our bikes at the town of Sageville and pedal without extreme difficulty. THEN!!!! The snow machine came through, and pulled the snow back on the trail. Without a Pugs 50% of your time was spent pushing. I sagged after 6 hours, my butt was whipped. Thanks Derick and Scott for the company and sharing the pain. :-) More later.

The crash scene.

I mentioned a motorcycle accident in my previous blog that I was in back in 1969. Here is a picture of that event. A city bus ran the stop sign and we ran full blast into the side of the bus. A person in the car on the other side of the bus said he saw us because we bounced that high. This picture was on the front page of our Dubuque News paper. That is me laying in the street feeling my busted up jaw. That is my dad standing their next to me. I can't imagine his fear after he was notified and rushed to the crash scene and seeing perhaps a 100 people gathered around me. I thank God to this day that the spilt gas you see around the motor cycle did not ignite, my pants had plenty of gas on them. The other blanket was from the driver of the motorcycle, my friend Tim, took the full impact of the bus hit. I broke my jaw on Tim's back. Tim suffered lifetime problems from this. A real bad day.
But who ever would have thunk it, that a accident I had in high school would still come back at ya like this? Well losing two teeth isn't the end of the world. Well I am going to crash and try to soak up some energy and have a good day in the saddle tomorrow at Triple D. This may be the straw that breaks the camel back and I buy a Pugsley. If my tires just spin out tomorrow I'll probably rap it up early, and talk to Parrish about a Pugs, who knows, we'll see.

Thanks for stopping,
Peace and saddle up for happy rides.

Knock, knock. "come in and join my pity party"

Outside tonight with my snow blower.


Where the dog poops. I even made a little circle in the back yard so Pitty my Pit Bull can do her business.

It's cold out here.

Removing snow from my sidewalk. 170 feet of sidewalk makes a snow blower a good friend with a 56 year old back.
Ok enough jibber jabber. I haven't blogged since my ride last Sunday. Been sort of whining. Because umm well ya see last Sunday when trail riding I became increasing aware my front lower jaw was getting very sore. I stopped to eat a granola bar and had to break it into little pieces and chew them way in the back. My front lower teeth could hardly tolerate breathing air across them. That night it just got worse. I got called into work at 4:00 a.m for some emergency problems, feeling terrible. I told my boss when I got this problem straightened out I needed to see if I could get into my dentist. I was thinking I would end up at the oral surgeons. OK to make a increasing getting longer story shorten up here's the gist of it. In 1969 I broke my lower jaw bone in several pieces from an motor cycle accident. I have had 4 surgeries on it since. My pain now, was caused by a abscess that was under the roots from the previous bone damage. The dentist pulled two of my lower front teeth. He said the roots to those two teeth had cracked due to the jaw damage. So now all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. Will have to do something of course this will be anywhere from 3 to 6 grand. Good grief!! I have felt very weak all week. Legs are tired feeling. The infection has effected my throat and sinus now. Some guys at work are now calling me "meth mouth"

Now I would normally say "big deal" but in two days I am in the Triple D. I need energy.
Today I felt better. Today I did a 30 minute roller workout with a pushed pace. Today the legs felt better.
I think I'll be good.
One of the weather reports for Saturday is saying high of 0 degrees Fahrenheit. How I dress will be critical. I will have to think and dress exact for the frigid temps and bicycling. It is the make or break principle. We also have gotten a lot of snow. I hope my 2.3 mountain bike studs can hook up and move me forward. I have often ridden in situations where you just couldn't ride, tires would spin out with the ice snow combinations.
So Saturday I will give it my best shot. Here is the route, plus add 10 more miles because the turn around is in the town of Dyersville.

Well thanks for stopping, leave a comment, if you have a blog I would like to read it. Thanks.

Dave