It was just a little muddy on the trails tonight.
Archive for the 'Biking' Category
Finally got back out on the bike tonight. I took off without my odometer, so I did the next best thing and retraced my path with Google Maps. Yup, still the best Lazy Sunday video.
This is why I had an incredibly hard time biking in CO.
This was taken at the Fat Tire Bike Week in Crested Butte. The guy above takes old townies (fixed gear bikes) and refurbs them. He joked, “I do more hands on work with Schwinns than Schwinn does now.” He had some awesome looking bikes; check out the blue and white one right-center of the picture.
I wish I had gotten his contact information but GTG and I had just been beaten up on guided mountain biking trails. We crashed back at the KOA shortly after this.
We later on joked that we wanted matching townie bikes for our wedding gift.
By GTG
My family took a vacation to Colorado when I was a thirteen or so. I was going through that whole teen-angst phase where I couldn’t like anything and had to frown and brush my hair into my face whenever my parents were around. I had no problem pouting and complaining all through Missouri and Kansas, but even I couldn’t feign indifference once we finally reached the mountains. I fell in love immediately.
We had a typical family vacation…camping and hot dogs. My parents and brother embarrassing the heck out of me. But even I had a good time.
At 21 I took a job out in Colorado for the summer. I wanted to get away, and it was the perfect place to go. It was an amazing summer because not only did I get to spend my time in a breath-taking place, but I also made some wonderful friends (one of whom will be a bridesmaid in my wedding).
I worked five days a week, meaning I had two full days a week in Colorado to do whatever I wanted. I hiked nearly every chance I got. I also visited Boulder often. One of my favorite places was the New Belgium Brewery (home of Fat Tire). A friend and I followed the Continental Divide to a group of lakes that very few people have been to. (I also got a second degree sunburn on both my shoulders and face that my brother called my “skin disease”).
I’ve been talking to Shoo about Colorado since we first met. I’ve shown him pictures, and I’ve finally convinced him to take a vacation…to Colorado. I’ve planned out our trip (only because he made me). We will spend several days in Estes and Boulder hiking and biking, then make our way to Colorado Springs. From there we’ll head down to Durango (my favorite Colorado town). We will end up back near Colorado Springs in Crested Butte where New Belgium is hosting a bike festival complete with a chainless bike race.
I love Colorado, and I’ve always wanted to live out there permanently. Shoo has never been. I know he’ll be drawn to everything there is to do (especially the brokeback biking) and the beer.
Maybe we just won’t come back…
–GTG
My butt is sore.
Playing around with the camera.
Brad reminds us that it is National Bike\Walk to Work Day tomorrow. Haven’t done it in a long time, so I think I am busting out the two legged transportation tomorrow.
Hit the trails today after work. Saw about 13 deer and a turkey.
Lately, it has been dog overload on Gotshoo, so I’ll make a quick update and write about geek stuff or something like that. The dogs are getting along much better. Oddly, Buddy has matured and can be trusted to stay in the living room by himself while I am at work. GTG and I took them for a walk in Washington Park today. After a full loop they were both pooped. Yes, GTG was right, two are better than one.
Geek stuff. Actually, I’ve been busy so I haven’t been able to do geek stuff. Wait.I do have Ubuntu (linux) loaded on my laptop. Did it about two weeks ago. I was attempting to try something other than Windows for a while, but there is still a learning curve while trying to figure out how to install stuff like drivers or updates on software. Looks like I am going to throw XP back on there. Hey, I tried.
Broke Back Mountain Bike Riding as it been kindly adorned by GTG and Amanda has not happened much lately. I think I made it out last week, but haven’t done anything recently because I’ve been playing with the dogs. I aiming for Sunday to do some riding. Anyone want to go? I promise not to wear spandex.
Yup, life’s good.
Warm weather is just around the corner. Time to get the mountain bike out.
For the longest time I’ve wanted a work stand so I could work on my bikes. I just couldn’t see myself spending a $100-$200 for some aluminum and a clamp. I did a little searching for an easier method of how to suspend a bike while you work on it.
I based my design on these sites:
http://www.ladyada.net/make/bikestand/
http://www.yourmtb.com/story/want_to_build_a_bike_repair_stand_for_less_than_100
Total cost of the project: About $20 bucks. Most expensive item was the iron pipe.
I am lucky that Roommate Steve works at an industrial machine shop. He actually did the hard-work. First he took this 1 1/4″ t-intersection and cut it with a band saw. The hinges and clamp are pop-riveted into the plastic. You could actually use bolts and nuts, but this way they’re not falling off.
I laid out the hardware on the pipe and marked it out with a permanent marker. Which was a good idea because I initially marked the pipe to be cut down the half way mark. After fitting the buckle, I adjusted it so there was enough space to drill and rivet the clamp down.
Measure twice, cut once.
I used a 1 1/4″ iron pipe with a base stand to mount it to my work bench.
I then stuff the clamp with 3/4″ pipe insulation. I wrap the insulation on the seat post tube then clamp it in. I also trimmed off some excess to make a better fit.
Looks good. The project turned out better than I thought it would. More images.
I just got the 2007 Bicycling magazine buyers guide and I all I want to do is “ride my bicycle… bicycle” as the Queen song goes. Expensive pretty bikes. I want them all!
I had to deflate my plans for RAGBRAI, a week long bike ride across Iowa, after realizing taking a week long vacation is not condusive to saving and planning for a wedding. I still plan to ride but my new ultimate goal this year is a full century.
Also, if possible this summer, Jessie lives off the Katy Trail in Missouri. GTG and I have talked about taking an extended weekend trip down there. Jessie also tells me that there are plenty of micro breweries in the area. Sweet!
Blog post title and inspiration coming from a Yakima ad in the buyers guide. “You need inspiration to ride? Flabby man boobs.”
2007 already. You know as a kid, I day dreamed what I’d be like in the future. Red flashy sports cars, swimsuit models, thick rolls of cash. Who knows what I was doing? I just had all that stuff.
Well, the real Shoo in 2007 has a great girlfriend, a great family, a sweet puppy, a house, a great job, great friends, and a blog. I am pretty lucky guy and I can’t deny that. A resolution means that you’ll try to solve the problem and make it better. I solve problems on a daily basis at work, so this year resolutions are really going to be goals. Why try to mess with the system when it is already great?
Before I get into what goals I have… Here is the recap on my 2006 resolutions / predictions..
…my new favorite brand Castle Rock. Discovered it at Biaggis, my favorite is their Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s the good stuff. I have a feeling I will be testing a few more brands this year.
I tried a few new wines, but I am not a wine-o by any means.
Now next year I may not have a gleaming six pack, but I will be eating healthier and a few notches off the belt. And I am going to get in shape so that I can do
at least onemany bike races this summer.
Nope, no six pack, but I’ve done a better job of eating at home. I also did the St. Louis Moonlight Ramble and the 40 mile course for the Springfield Century over the summer.
I would like to go back to school to start my Masters, but think that might be further down the line.
As much as I’d like to do school right now, juggling work, a house, and everything in between is a chore in itself. I don’t know if 07′ will be the year but I’d still like to get back into the classroom.
My major goal for 2006 would be to purchase a house. I have no idea what I can afford, or what I am looking for, but I know I want a house. Actually, that’s a lie. I want 2 bedrooms, 1 full / 1 half bath, basement, garage, nice sized back yard. This is something that I will more than likely pursue late in 2006.
Done. Bought my house in July.
And from the comments from the 06′ predictions post…(GTG)
and don’t let him fool you, kids, our shoo is becoming a wine-o. he drinks bottle after bottle out of those brown bags…wine dripping down his chin, giggling like a little school girl…
and with the 2 br, 1 1/2 bath comes a cute little puppy with lopsided ears and a cold, wet nose, right? *gotta find something to keep me around.*
Well, I technically picked up Buddy on the day I moved in. GTG, I guess you got your wish.
So not a bad year for the ol’ Shoo-miester.
What will 2007 bring?
Work on the house first of all. This weekend I will be rewiring my basement with my Dad. I put up some new lights already and it looks much better. Up till now, I have just been using the basement as a laundry pit. I think I will also put a fresh coat of paint down on the floor and make one half of the basement a rec area.
The kitchen and bathroom also need a coat of paint and new flooring. I’ve got a bucket of paint for the kitchen but I’ve held off because the outlets need to be rewired. Rewiring requires plaster work, so hence why no new painted walls.
Just as one of my goals last year, I want to do more bike riding. Above is a road bike that I’ve barely used. This year I’ve made a verbal commitment to do Ragbrai, a large scale bike ride across Iowa. It is a five day, approx 400 mile bike ride across Iowa. I had friends in town over Christmas and they expressed interest in doing it. I hope they’ll be ready by July.
I am also hoping to do an extended weekend bike ride with my Dad, Grandpa, brother, and possibly other family members in Southern Illinois. Nothing has been set in stone for that ride.
GTG and I have talked about taking a week trip to Colorado this summer. She lived in Estes Park over a previous summer and has told me that I will never want to come back to Illinois once I experience the beauty of Colorado. So we might go and check it out.
Here’s to a great 07′, cheers.
This weekend was a great weekend. I got to relax, burn some stuff, go trail riding. All and all, just a good weekend. I’ll let the photos do the recap.
Buddy relaxing with GTG as she plays on Myspace.
Watch dog.
Daryl ready to hit the trails with his 1989 helmet.
Yours truly, two thumbs up like the Fonz. Check out those white legs!
Out there yonder is some hills.
I came across this site tonight BikePortland.org. Putting off work, I went through the archives and educated myself on biking in Portland, Oregon. Didn’t realize how big biking was out west.
You thought Springfield had it bad with a smoking ban? Well, there is a big fiasco over fixed gear bikes without ‘hand brakes’. Ayla Holland, a bike messenger, was ticketed by a particular officer whom has deemed himself the ticketer of brakeless bikes with a loosely interrupted Oregon law. A few other cyclists have been ticketed by the same officer. Kind of interesting -read it for youself because I am going to bed.
Jessie, how is your fixed gear bike coming along? How about some pictures?
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