Another National Holiday

Well I have officially declared this day, November 30th as a national holiday, Ms. Lard'O's 1st birthday, my FatTire Bike. So to celebrate we went and out and busted our butts on 70 miles of grinding gravel.

Before I talk about that I must give a little history about how the FatBack FatTire bike, appropriately named Ms Lard'O entered  into my life. 

The winter of 07/08 I put the skinnie tired road bike away on Dec 1st, I was out riding when the first significant snow of the winter hit That was it, I only owned skinnie tires, I couldn't ride again until the snow and ice finally left in late March. As much as I tried to ride indoors, I lost my bicycle butt, and my riding legs.

The winter of 08/09 I bought a used Schwinn Mountain bike from my LBS, and bought a pair of Nokian Studded tires from the local winter riders the Andres. That sorta worked and sorta not worked.

The winter of 09/10 I bought a used Trek HardTail from Ebay. I put the fattest tires on that bike it could accomendate, Big Earls, 2.5" The bike was shot, and after spending more money in part replacement then a new bike would have cost, I rode as much snow trail as I could. I entered my first snow race that year, and found out there were these beasts called FatTire bikes and they dominated the race, hands down.

During these last couple of years, I also purchased a new Road Bike, and a high end XC bike that I rode for 1000s of gravel miles.

So how could I buy ANOTHER BIKE!!!!!

Well I did, I had been talking with Greg up in Alaska owner of Speedway Cycles and builder of the FatBack, the sweetest FatTire bike on earth.

So somewhere around October of 2010, I ordered one. I came up with this plan to explain the presence of yet another bike. See picture below.

I wondered if this would work. I wondered if Birgit would believe me. In the end I decided to tell the truth, and I did. I was greeted by this comment, "You wear your bikes out, it is your passion, it is what you do.'  MUAHHH!!!!

So the FatGirl arrived and Creepy Baby and me stayed up late wrenched and assembled.














So zooming ahead one year. Today. After trying to figure out exactly what to wear with the temps starting out in the teens for the coldest ride so far of this winter season. I hit the hills of the start of Triple D first, and found out I was over dressed, zippers make for great climate control modulatoin. After a series of grass covered hills soon to become snow mobile trails I cooled down by the long drop into the valley and wandered around, up and down the gravel roads to the town of Dyersville.

Picking out clothes and opening zippers  to cool down afterwards.

Started out a frosty ride this morning and a ride past the local residents.

I  picked up Heritage Trail in Dyersville and figured 31 miles of level pedaling to get back home, and put myself in cruise control. I found the trail closed in three sections, so that left my climbing up out of the valley of the trail and onto gravel roads, so hills and distance were increased. The sun went way out west and down which left me riding home in the dark with lights. Tired and comfortably exhausted upon my arrival home.

Well I hope Ms. Lard'O has another great year.

See you later.

Dave