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Sunday's first Snow ride of 2012

 Sunday morning started off with a lite dusting of snow. Didn't matter to Izzy cause as soon as she awoke she wanted to go out and play in it.....pajama's and all. After some coffee and pancakes I decided for the same.

 Planned on hitting some dirt but upon trying the entrance to Denmans off of the bridge and falling flat on my back side instantly I quickly decided it was too wet. Thoughts of an all out black label ride left me wanting to just go back home. Then I thought about the sandyish quad trails off of 63rd. Perfect and nobody gives a shit if I leave a little rut here and there. Well the scenery was going to be better to. Basically this is just a 4 mile section of wooded area off of 63rd st that will take you all the way to the backside of Raccoon River Park.

First tracks on the trails:)

saw this little guy after popping out of the quad trail and up onto the cinder trail of RRP

somebody else had the same idea as I:) 

20 miles all said and done, my new 45N Wolvhammers are da shit! Gonna try and get OUTSIDE today, but may have to settle for a spin bike ride. Need to get a bunch of welding done for the holidays!

Sickness after Global Fatbike Ride....Boo!

Sunday morning after the Fatbike ride Fuller, Blackford, Taylor, Pete Basso and I go out for one hellofa foggy morning ride. I wanted 4hrs of gravel travel, but after Saturday's ride and the fog in the area I knew better. Opted for a 25 mile black label ride, and the sickness came on shortly afterwards. Sunday evening through Wednesday morning I felt like complete shit, no energy, stuffed up head, stupid runny nose, sore throat shitty. Back on track today and riding tomorrow. Was going to start lifting this past Monday but the funk put me back a week. All good I'm just rolling with the blows!

Global Fat Bike Ride Dec. 1st 2012

 Our UNofficial Fat Bike Ride started with 13 marry souls at the Mile Long Bridge just outside of Polk City. Jeff A, Tad C, Brett B, Brian S, Nick L, Todd S, Chris R, Kent C, Jason P, Teri P, Steve F, TJ F, and myself. The plan was to ride Saylorville Lake shoreline and the Des Moines River shoreline to the High Trestle Bridge up by Madrid, have some lunch and ride back most likely black label and gravel roads.

 There were a few log overs on our way to the first designated beer stop just a mere 4 miles or so in at Hwy 17 bridge.

 Jeff Anker the "planner" that he is had dropped a case of PBR's off for our consumption. Only thing was WE all were packing beer too. Damn it!

 After the Hwy 17 bridge it was basically adventure riding, none of us had been past it. Things got rocky, offcamber, and narrow...AWESOME!

 Fuller preparing to hike the Beaver Lodge

 A mile or more past the 17 bridge and the valley just opened up to this HUGE sand flat. The above photo with TJ and Teri in it is looking from where we came.

 this one is looking to where we are going. HUGE OPEN FLAT! Sorry for the shitty photo but my camera had some sort of filter going on.

 Second beer stop,

 folks took time to clean out muddy clogged up drive trains and,

 pick the MUTANT BURRS off from hugging the inside line:)

 We met up with Joe Short at the next beer stop only a mile or so past the last one. The line up of bikes all from Rasmussen Bike Shop in the boat ramp parking lot.

 a shot from the High Trestle Bridge looking down on incoming riders yet to get to the top

 Nobody made the climb although Joe came awefully close

 TJ hike a biking it

 Fuller broke a der hanger, almost all of us broke the "don't drink on the High Bridge" rule

 needed a push to the bar

 real food...HELL YEAH!

 Elmo's didn't disappoint, food was excellent! I'm sure we spent over $250 in the hour we were there:)

My Elmo samich...fried balogna, eggs, cheese, bacon, stacked 6 deep on bread! After this we all bailed for the Mile Long Bridge. All in all I think we did just over 30 miles. What a fantastic ride with some awesome friends. Next one we leave from the Saylorville Dam!

Sunday's Church of Dirt, RR tracks, black label, and more!

Sunday started way early as I couldn't sleep. Up at 4am, surfing netty for info on endurance practice stuff. Pretty interesting....need more coffee! After 3ish hours of crossing my eyes and not trying to fall asleep again staring into the screen of abis info. I bail to take beer cans back to Wally World and get oil for the jeep. While waiting Bill Durkee rings me and wheels are set in motion for the day's ride....Yay! SS'ing a lil bit of this and a lil bit of that. Knowing the Banner Bacon Ride is going on this fine morning too, we opt to stay local and get miles in. Instead of bacon and beer.

9am we roll from my place to bust a lap out at Center. Its a 4min ride from my door to the Denmans trail head. Talking while getting there Bill wants to hit Syc and Ewing this morning also. I opt to change his mind as those two trails are on opposite sides of town. Telling him we can do ERT (east side river trail) then hit Ewing. Perfect the plan is set.

Bust a lap of Denmans, hit connector over to Squirrels Nest to cut it short and check out the construction they're doing in the bed of the Raccoon river.

 Up over the bridge Durkee is all but about to crash riding the tracks:) Into Water Works Park and I start to think fuck to much pavement this route, so back over the wooden bridge by the frisbee golf course and we are heading to the Lost Planet for a outskirt lap. Around the Planet and its time for some connector RR tracks to hook up the Homeless Alley levee on the north side of the Raccoon River. Track section is close to a mile and not too bad, although I kinda like riding them most folks don't. On the levee we shoot towards Mullets cruising by all the Homeless camps that litter the banks of the Raccoon on both sides of the levee. Half a mile to the pedestrian bridge at SW 5th st we ride into the mine section......HOLY GOOSE SHIT! It's everywhere! There is no wheeving or bobbing that shit just riding through it and keeping your damn mouth shut. On to the south side of the river and to Mullets!

Past Mullets, back over the river to the north side and I'm thinking of rolling some old quad trail that hooks up ERT from here. NOPE.....HOLY GOOSE SHIT!! Again wheeving and bobbing no good, bail....BAIL....shit my water bottle!! Once again on the south side and we are good the geese seem to only like the northern side. Rolling on the "new" black label to the RR trestle bridge that gets you back...yes back on the north side of the river to whats left of the ERT. There are train cars sitting on our bridge but thats no problem as we have a rideable walk way....just be sure to keep the needle straight or else:) ERT "used" to be an all out quad trail, now the 4x4's are back in there rolling most of it. Still a change of pace for inside the City. Roughly an 8.5 mile lolly pop of twists, turns, sand, banked corners, steep drops, and climbs only made for machine....good fuckin times!

Almost to the back of the lolly pop is this above structure. When I first saw the mates building it last year I thought it to be a sweet killing pad. Tons of sausage (deer) back there for the taking. But today we see that was not the case, its a pad for a 150yrd zip line! The line is too slack right now due to a couple little trees' hanging on it. Some day!

Out of ERT we bolted up 22nd st to head over to Ewing Park, CITA's newest piece of dirt that is in progress. Thanks to Brian Sheesley I had insider info on a "short cut" to keep us off of Evergreen St and Indainola Ave. with more dirt and grass. It's the little things like this that keep that smile of inner City mtbing alive and well. Just past Sheesley's house we cut through a yard and whala Easter Lake's Shore trail gets us over to and under Indainola Ave and right in Ewing Park. A quick lap of the 2+ mile route here and another quick lap of the BMX track we are back on City streets heading home. All in all a great day on the single speed with 38.5 miles in 3:48:00 and some change, need to hook up Syc and the rest of this ride for the Inner City Epic. I'd even be break some rules for a loop of BW in there!



Peace!

Shitski! I made it into Trans Iowa

Well as of late Friday night it seems my fucking post card made its way into Marks hands and I made the 2013 Trans Iowa V9 roster. BIG WAKE UP CALL!

Looks like I'll be turning pedals more with this one goal in mind. Hell the furthest I've ever ridden is 157 miles and that was damn near 10 years ago and 10yrs ago I was 31 not 41. Last time I signed up for this stupid ride my Grandfather passed away and I wasn't able to make it. This year his wife, my Awesome Grandmother passed so I'm saddling back up to tackle some demons and attempt my furthest ride ever.

Grelk basically says just train in the shittiest conditions you can find. Seems easy enough given Winter is damn near upon us, cold riding is all we have now with HUGE winds and counties pouring freshy on our open gravel. I'd planned on riding home yesterday from Boone Iowa after eating with my Family for our Turkey Day. I kept the meal lite knowing I needed the blood in my legs and not in my belly. But upon reaching the gravel I knew I was pretty much fucked. A 3" fresh layer of gravel looked to go on forever and a sustained 20mph SSE headwind wasn't going to make this 60 mile ride any easier. Considering my whole ride home would be SSE! Grelk comes to mind.....SO did my cell phone and Teri picking me up in Madrid and not riding all the way home.

By the time I'd made it to the "Peoples Cemetary" I stopped to get some water, looked at my phone and I'd only been 15 miles in 1:15:00. FUCK my legs where heavy, my mind stuck on nothing but calling Teri, and most of the blood in my belly digesting the small plate of yummies I thought smart to eat. Another 5 miles and I'm in a ditch making the bail out call. Teri was in between Granger and Grimes, we determined Madrid a good pick up place. I could see the water tower of Woodard so I figured I was 30mins or so from Madrid. By the time I got there my knees where trashed from all the fresh gravel, I was beat up with only 27 miles in. I HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO! Cheers to an interesting 5 months of bike practice for this great adventure!

Weekend of Play:)

 Start line for the ShootOut race at Summerset Park

 If you track stand the start....

 YOU get the hole shot!

 coming down the hill past Fuller's Drop

 there may be a little muscle in those legs of mine....

 trying to rip my bars off climbing up and into Corner Pocket

 Done!

 Every SS'n brother or sista's favorite post race bevey.....free hand-ups from course help...always GOOD!

 Jubil and I on the podium

 Sunday's putt-putt took me to this old corn crib. I'm going to get 15 good boards off this before the City tears it down.

 also found my next bar stool pieces....RR track!

Ergon weight training was upon thee, found a 5' long, 1/2" log chain while I was out. close to 15lbs:)