IBIKEMPLS.com - it's where I get all my news

Snapshot of the women's finish - SBXV

2012-02-08T12:29:00.003-06:00

Tight finish.

Beth Franklin (Blue) takes the title.
Christina Peck (Black) takes second.
Kate Olson (Yellow) in third.

MPLS Stupor Bowl X-XV, from the archives.

2012-02-07T22:38:00.000-06:00

Stupor Bowl XV (2012)

Stupor Bowl XIV (2011)

Stupor Bowl XIII (2010)

Stupor Bowl XII (2009)

Stupor Bowl XI (2008)

I didn't take photos of IX or X, only fond memories.

Edit - I did take some of Stupor Bowl X (2007)

Documenting Lake Superior

2012-02-05T18:42:00.002-06:00

Our good friend Marlin is off on another adventure on Lake Superior. This time he's going to "document Lake Superior through the use of field recordings, photography, writing, video, and music written during my 4-6 month long sail boat journey."

Give the guy a few bucks, he's only asking for a total of $1000 and he's almost there, so do what you can to put him over the line!

He's living the dream while the rest of us toil away at the cube life.

Godspeed Marlin, and when you're back in town, stop by the garage.

McMillan & Wife - watch for the pedestrian bunnyhop stunt

2012-02-05T09:23:00.000-06:00

"Hey, those guys are swiping our bikes!"

Found this video the other night at OOOBS while perusing a bicycling magazine from the '70s.

Pretty sure this is where the inspiration for the Bullitt car chase came from; Rock Hudson, MASH SF superstar:

How the Dutch got their cycle paths

2012-01-18T16:46:00.005-06:00

If you've traveled in The Netherlands, the sheer number of bicycles and related infrastructure is beyond belief, at least by my standards. It wasn't always that way...

China mop ice river jumper for the win

2012-01-05T16:37:00.004-06:00

This is my favorite photo of the year. So far.

A winter swimmer with a mop jumps into the icy water of the Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, on December 26, 2011. (Reuters/Sheng Li)

So Andy at Trashbags is now offering mittens. If anybody has given them a try, I'd be more than welcome to hear your thoughts.

Also, to further encourage the Google bomb:

Rick Santorum

That is all, carry on.

2012-01-04T07:39:00.000-06:00

It's a new year, do a wheelie!

Oh wait, I thought you had studded tires.

The fifteenth installment of the Stupor Bowl is coming up on February fourth. Go to this event and have fun, but don't be a jerk about it.

Spock sings The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins

2011-12-21T07:27:00.000-06:00

You've got to be in a special mood to stand the length of this one, but if you're there, turn it up!

Now get on with your lives:

2011-12-17T15:24:00.003-06:00

Hey there little buddy!

I've got the concert stub for the Joshua Tree tour around here someplace...

Goodbye Walgreens, though I never did like you.

2011-12-05T14:23:00.001-06:00

About a week and a half ago, while at work, I feel a bit of nose tingling, ear ache, and head compression; the beginnings of the common cold. I decide it best to make a visit to the nearest drugstore to get some zinc lozenges in the hopes it will minimize the illness over the then upcoming T-day weekend.

So the nearest place is Walgreens, definitely not my favorite place to visit, but it's close and I want something fast. Walking into the door over the past several years I've noticed they have more candy on display than products to improve your health. This visit was no exception, with over abundant displays of chocolate and other candy filling the aisles, even spilling out between the aisles, blocking what would otherwise be space to walk more than one abreast. I scurry past 'value packs' and bulk packages of candy, past a few aisle dividers with more of the same, get my lozenges, and head to the counter.

There is a line of four people in front of me and within 15-seconds I have three more people behind me with only the single register open - this is a big issue for me, but if I can cut the length of this cold by a few days, I'm staying put. The petite young woman directly before me in line is checking out and I can hear but not see the clerk asking her if she wants to purchase any candy, I shit you not, like that's the main reason this woman came to the store and thanks so much for reminding her or she would have clearly forgotten and had to make the trip again. The clerk then asks the woman if she wants to donate to the cure for diabetes. The woman kindly declines both offers.

It's now my turn, I step up and can now see around the candy shelf on the counter that the clerk is indeed a morbidly obese woman who has to be at least 350, possibly pushing 400-pounds. The clerk first and foremost asks me if I want any Reese's or Hershey's candy bars, as they are on sale, pointing to the display that was previously hiding her from my view. I decline her offer of candy and say the lozenges are all I need. The clerk then asks me if I want to donate a dollar to help find a cure for diabetes. I sarcastically ask the woman if she sees the irony of the Walgreens corporation requiring her to push candy bars while at the same time trying to find a cure for diabetes, more than arguably caused by the saturation of sugar in our diets. She isn't in a playful mood, not that I would be either, and our conversation is already over. I don't blame the clerk, it's part of her job requirement and is surely "happy to have a job," which should be the slogan for the decade.

Shame on you Walgreens - seriously; you are sleazy, unethical, and just plain disrespectful of the human race. Like I have any other choice anymore, after Walgreens has gone through and killed what was left of the locally owned drugstores, but I hold grudges, and this grudge says I'm not going back.

As far as the cold goes, I'm in the post-nasal drip induced coughing stage, which is doing a hell of a job keeping me up at night.

Schneider drug near the channel 5 tower is still open, hopefully for some time.

I've been sick, give me a break here.

2011-11-30T16:31:00.001-06:00

Eye opening photoset showing the US in the 70's. The Atlantic does it again. We've made some progress, but for some unexplainable reason I didn't see any obese people in the entire set of 46 photos. Now excuse me while I eat a few Big-Mac's.

DOCUMERICA: Images of America in Crisis in the 1970s:

MN CX Championships - now with video!

2011-11-25T13:03:00.001-06:00

It's snowed for two-years in a row now for the MN CX championship race up in Crystal. Last year saw much thicker snow, while this year brought the cold wind and icy snow that felt like needles hitting your eyes - very hard to see even with glasses.

Warming up, Hollywood style:

Or Lady Hollywood style:

Lots of action:

Lots of burning thighs:

You have a permit for that fire, son?

Read about the race here, if you are so inclined.

Video one - beware of motion sickness:

Video dos, complete with drum corps and ass slapping action:

That's all I got.

Anyway, full set of photos here.

rage against the machine

2011-11-18T08:53:00.001-06:00

After the recent move, my clothing is mostly stuffed in various boxes laying around the house, but I think I chose a good combination for the ride in this morning. It's important to keep an extra pair of gloves, hat, and socks in the backpack this time of year as you never know what's in store around the corner.

I never got too far into the cassette format, sure I made a mix tape or two, but I've always preferred to listed to entire albums; I made the jump from LP to CD back to LP and have no regrets. This one should take a few of us back to the day, depending on how young you are inside:

In other news, what's the best way to break up a non-violent protest? Why, violence and rage, of course! With every 84-year old woman the police pepper spray, the movement gets stronger.

Veterans Day Tribute

2011-11-11T10:31:00.001-06:00

I first posted this video of Pearn jumping his Suzuki three and a half years ago. It's fitting we revisit this landmark jump on Veterans day.

Turn the volume up comrade, way up!

Also, the Bottle CX race on Sunday has no limits. Not sure what that means, but it can't be bad.

Kenilworth Bottle CX - Sunday!

2011-11-09T07:58:00.002-06:00

Our own good man Hurl himself has put on a bit of a race. Be there. Bring a bottle. Hell, who is he kidding, bring a few!

Oak Indoor Bicycle Rack for sale

2011-11-08T11:28:00.003-06:00

Buy this indoor bicycle rack, it's wood, oak even! Like new, holds two bikes, but has an option for 4. $100 takes it home.

It packs a punch

2011-11-07T08:49:00.001-06:00

I missed Halloween this year, but after this photo was forwarded to me I believe this may be the first good reason I've seen to have a kid. I'm thinking Beam and Camel straights would be my preference.

House hunting in Faridabad - not really

2011-11-03T21:29:00.003-05:00

A brief video taken while traveling a few kilometers across a relatively low population dense region of Faridabad, never mind the comments by my colleague regarding the touchy subject of welfare later in the video.

Highlights include a shit-ton of cargo bikes, though none too loaded down here, a cargo bike being pushed by the left food of a scooter driver (left frame at about 0:45), slums, pollution, a few bicycle repair stations, and well, just take a look-see:

I saw a well worn older man on the side of the road wearing a t-shirt with the phrase "6-pack: coming soon" written across it along with fake ab muscles. It's little things like this that allow you to laugh a bit under the circumstances.

BMFCT - aka ???

2011-10-27T22:56:00.001-05:00

This weekend is the HFF, or the Homie Fall Fest for those of you that fear acronyms. Or is it synonyms, I always confused. Since there has been little (none) mention of this event until I just manually checked the Surly Blog, we can now say there is mention of it. It seems like it's being called the Blow Me Fall Colors Tour now, so disregard that first line up there. Something about meating (sic(k)) at the Town Hall Tap at 11-ish, though I was told noon-ish earlier; you can never tell with this bunch. If you miss the start, just look for group of homeless looking folks down in a nearby woods close to a body of water - even if it's not the intended crowd, try and make the most of it. One rule of thumb to remember for those new to the event: if you don't sin, Jesus died for nothing.

This week I move on Friday, try to hit the BMFCT on Saturday for a bit, get groped by the TSA, then jump on a plane for 16-hours bound for India for a week of sleep deprivation and putting in more hours than I care to admit on the job.

Good times. That's all I got.

Chris Hedges: "This one could take them all down." #OWS

2011-10-19T16:23:00.001-05:00

Chris Hedges is interviewed in NYC regarding the OWS movement - worth the watch.

Theo Wirth CX - 2011 ed.

2011-10-17T22:26:00.001-05:00

High action at the 2011 Theo Wirth Cyclo-Cross race a week ago Sunday, October ninth.

This isn't the most efficient method of dismounting, but it's great for getting attention:

Check out that air:

Ted is one of the first riders to take a shot of Jameson, tended by Sister Nate, as always:

A lot of action was seen down on the trail bottom at the winding descent and log obstacles.

Until the next event, Ben, Anna, and Randall give their best:

Whole gash darn set of photos here.

CX racing at the height of fall

2011-10-13T11:10:00.003-05:00

Photo #1 from the Theo Wirth CX race this past Sunday - hell of a race, hell of a great day. Here's visiting Christof posing with Melissa and Kmac down on the trail bottom. Prost!

Phone photos from the past week or so

2011-10-05T11:09:00.000-05:00

I picked up a 1L can of Paulaner Wiesn last night; it came packaged in a 1L stein, which made me happy. That it was not pre-chilled turned me slightly less happy, but not too much so.

Here's a shot of Roscoe (P Coltrane,) the shop dog at Hollywood Cycles. He enjoys playing fetch with various toys, though this striped one seems to be one of his favorites.

Found this pre-packaged pack of limes at Lunds a few days ago titled 'Beer Lime.' There are directions on the side for how to cut a lime into a wedge shape so it will fit in your bottle of beer. Two things: you don't know how to slice a lime into a wedge, and why the hell do you want a lime in your beer? Packaging something that grows naturally with it

This is one of my preferred non-beer beverages, the hecho en Mexico orange Fanta - this one in particular reminds me of my childhood when I cold get a soda-pop made in the USA that taste like the ones I now have to get imported. #progress

Again at Hollywood Cycles; this used to be a 54-tooth Dura-Ace chainring, which is really not useful at all in its original form. Now this expensive piece of aluminum is acting as a chain and bash guard on this Masi. I approve.

Here's a photo of how grease ejects out of the end of a hex nut; I'm nearly positive this was more impressive in person or with a non-cellphone camera:

Sunset on a non-frozen lake - get out there and take advantage of it!

Finally, it turns out there are a few drivers remaining that don't absolutely hate cyclists; this movie should turn the tide:

27, rail rider

2011-09-28T09:54:00.000-05:00

It looks like Deuce Seven is out riding the rails once again, though this time on a pedal-powered railcar - looks like a blast! There are related photos on his flickr site, so go take a look.

Damn this looks like fun:

Daddy Long Legs, Who Did Name You?

2011-09-26T11:01:00.000-05:00

This guy had me chuckling for a bit.

His name is DJ Flula and he's funny like Neil Hamburger. Well, maybe not that funny.

The clavicle is mending up nicely. The bone isn't quite set-up, but I've made noticeable mending progress in the past few days. It's going to be a while before I can get rad again, but no worries, it's all part of the process.

This Pugsley on log rollers video was posted back in 2007, just sayin':

Cirque du SoGAY III (3, three)

2011-09-21T11:11:00.003-05:00

This one is a lot of fun, so you should do it!

Cirque du SoGAY is Queer Bike Gang (QBG)'s annual bicycle tour of the hottest Queer establishments in the Twin Cities. Cirque du SoGay was created to celebrate Queer culture while connecting people to LGBTQ resources in the community, and is followed by an awards ceremony, performances, and a big gay dance party.

Visit their page, race the race.

Monday Calls for Video

2011-09-19T08:09:00.000-05:00

Joey goes down over the barricades:

Hope he's okay. Thanks to BikeHugger for their link.

And in other news, I need to get down to Lincoln at some point; Star Wars themed parties, I mean come on! Video by Elisabeth:

My Week #126 (September 12 - 18) from nocoastfilms on Vimeo.

That's all for now. Get to work!

October is Rideshare to Work Month!

2011-09-16T13:43:00.002-05:00

I'm just gonna throw this out there as I've got a broken bone and feel like I need to do something positive:

==============================================================

October is Rideshare to Work Month!

Please partner with us to promote Rideshare to Work Month aimed at encouraging employees to share the ride to work, saving money, reducing stress and helping the environment. If your employees carpool just one day during the month of October, we enter them into our prize drawing to win a $500 Gas Gift Card or Garmin GPS!

We offer FREE ride matching assistance to help people find someone to carpool with.

Schedule a Commuter Fair with us, or simply forward this Rideshare to Work Month flier to your co-workers.

It is time to Nominate yourself or your company for a regional Commuter Choice Award!

Every year the region acknowledges companies and individuals who promote commuting options. Awards recognize outreach efforts, achievements and programs designed to reduce drive-alone traffic that were completed between October 2010 and September 2011.

Last year’s awards included:

Progressive Organization

Corporate Responsibility

Civic Champion

Outstanding Employee Support

Technology Excellence

Sustained Commitment to Transportation Options

Outstanding Regional Leader

Workplace Leadership

Please reply to this email to receive a nomination form. Nominations are due by October 10. Click here for more information.

2011 Work/Life & Flexibility Expo

October 11, 2011
Minneapolis Marriott Southwest (Hwy 169 & Londonderry Road)
8:30 - 9:00 am -- Registration
9:00 am - 4:00 pm -- Conference

The 2011 Work/Life & Flexibility Expo was designed to offer an interactive and cost-effective way to tackle an organization's challenges with new ideas and shared experiences. The event will feature the largest number of practitioners, researchers and business leaders ever. In addition, conference attendees will have the opportunity to earn HRCI credit, build new relationships with peers and discover practical business tools they can begin to use immediately.

For more information on speakers and breakout sessions or to register for the Expo click here.

Extending the Season – Bike to Work this Fall

Encourage your employees to think about extending their bicycle commuting season past late summer/early fall, they can attend our free Winter Biking Class to learn tips on biking in the dark, what to wear, how to stay warm, etc. Click here to view the Winter Bike Class Flier.

Saturday, October 8

10:30 - 11:30 am

Edina High School

6754 Valley View Road

Edina, MN 55439

in Community Room #333

RSVP to Melissa: melissa@494corridor.org or 952-848-4947

Commuter Services staff are happy to schedule an onsite commuter fair at your workplace to promote Rideshare to Work Month and extending the bicycle commuting season. We also encourage you to forward the Rideshare to Work Month flier to your co-workers.

Everyone’s effort adds up to faster flowing traffic and cleaner air!

Thanks for partnering with us!

Melissa Madison Kate Meredith Robin Nelson

Stolen Surly 1x1 - Uptown

2011-09-12T16:22:00.000-05:00

This in from Sascha:

My son's bike was stolen out of a garage in Uptown on Sunday 9/11. It's a black Surly 1x1, size small (16"). Silver Thomson seatpost, silver Thomson stem and silver Paul brake levers.

Please keep an eye out for his bike. Thanks for your help!

Sascha

2011-09-12T08:33:00.000-05:00

Here, check out the view from Harney Peak, the highest peak in the US east of the Rockies - quite worth the hike.

Not going to Interbike this year as I have to heal up my clavicle and give the liver a break.

Saturday Saturday Saturday

2011-09-06T20:44:00.000-05:00

6pm is the 5th annual Babes In Bikeland race starting at The Soap Factory. If you are a lady of any riding level, I really can't encourage this more - you will not regret this, you'll likely win some swag, and there's no way you won't make new friends

At 7pm is the Handsome Cycles 2012 launch party at One On One:

If riding a klunker clad in denim and listening to Led Zeppelin is more your style, perhaps the Denim Derby Clunk Fest is right for you.

No matter your choice, you had best not stay home on Saturday.

2011 Dakota Five-Oh

2011-09-06T13:47:00.000-05:00

So we took a trip out to the Black Hills to ride the Dakota Five-Oh, a 50-miler with 7500-feet of ± elevation on singletrack starting and finishing in Spearfish. Map of the course here.

Keeping this short, as I'm typing with one hand:

I started in the second wave of riders at 0730, those expecting to take longer than six-hours. I've never ridden this course, and not that experienced in off road riding, so I hung off the back at the start. The first few miles are all up and on gravel roads, winding through a neighborhood and past some houses outside of town. I found a cadence that felt right on my 34x21 singlespeed and pressed on, passing about two-thirds of the riders in the second wave before the turn onto singletrack.

My ride, which performed flawlessly all day:

The leg up until the first aid station was a lot of fun, crossing several times over muddy creeks with no visibility of your line, over a few cattle guards at fences, and a lot of climbing - to the point where the biggest frustration was the congestion - I kept my cool and told myself that riding slow was going to pay off later, just pace myself. There were too many riders that I simply could not ride behind though, and got my singletrack passing skills on quite a few times.

The first aid station came up pretty quick at the 10-mile point and I was looking forward to getting rid of my long sleeve layer, which was welcome during the cold start, but the day was warming. Melissa and Casey were there to grab my layer and provide encouragement. I topped off my water bladder, got a pack of gel shots, and moved on, stopping for maybe 90-seconds, the longest of my aid stops for the day.

The run between the first and second aid stops was much more spread out, so I got a lot more alone time, usually catching up to others on the climbs. Not far up I ran into Kelly Mac, who had flatted and was having trouble holding air in her rear tire. She was also regretting her 36x21 gear. We walked up a hill together, catching up on the day, but I was feeling too chipper, so threw my leg over the frame and kept pushing on.

The second stop at mile-22 was a sight to see, what with the spectators cheering and cowbells clanging - a sure motivational boost. Again I topped off the CamelBak, grabbed a few Fig Newtons for my jersey pocket, and moved along, stopping less than a minute.

The third stop came up at mile-28, which felt like no distance at all from the second, so I rolled through it.

Here is a shot Showen got during a pre-ride, though I have no idea on the trail where it was taken:

I believe it was this next stretch that had some amazing downhill sections - just bombing down a wide valley path, winding left to right in the rocks and grass for the best line, nobody in front or behind me. This is the sort of riding where that front suspension fork came in very useful - there's no way I could have kept these speeds riding fully rigid. My whole body was one huge smile and I couldn't believe how much fun I was having.

The fourth stop at mile-35 was situated at the base of a big climb to the left. This is the first time I didn't recognize any of the spectators, but I at least had to encourage the choice of Michael Jackson to the DJ while I took a final top off of water and grabbed half of a peanut butter sandwich - I asked for Billy Jean but got Thriller, which I could hear as I begun walking up the hill and eating my sandwich to save a bit of time.

There were some more amazing downhills in this next section, a lot of climbs I couldn't believe I was clearing, and a couple that I had no choice but to walk.

The bacon station came up with about 10-12 miles to go; you could hear voices and music in the distance for quite a while before a sign announcing the donator of the bacon at the top of a small climb before a descent into the stop. Melissa and Casey were there, so I stopped, slug down a bit of PBR, asked how much further to go, and moved along again. I'll have time to celebrate at the end.

Just feet from the bacon stop introduced probably the most technical section of the day: a lot of ridge riding, slaloming through rocks and trees, mixed with lots of ups and downs. At the top of one climb was a simple note stating "look behind you." The view was really incredible, spanning over several hills and down to the plains - I moved on with just a quick glance.

I didn't see too many riders past this point, passing a handful one or two at a time, but riding fast and alone otherwise. I recognized the point where the trail end overlapped the start, and knew the final road couldn't be too far away, though it took longer than I had anticipated. Upon getting to the final S-turn with a left off the single track down onto a road filled with large gravel then a turn to the right on the gravel road I knew I was home-free. There was a man and a woman standing on the road, shouting encouragement while keeping an eye out for cars.

I was coming down pretty fast, though not uncomfortably so. I looked up a bit and saw a large and somewhat hidden flat rock ahead, angled a bit too steeply towards the left with gravel sprinkled on it. I didn't want to hit that rock but I was already committed to my line and went for it - this was nothing compared to what I just finished! My front wheel hit the flat rock, somehow flinging straight out to the right as if the rock was polished ice - I must have been leaning left through the turn. I hit the rocks going about 20mph, landing on my left shoulder and thigh, my helmet hitting last. I immediately got into a sitting position with my knees up and feet down in front of me. The man came running up, got my bike out of the way of oncoming riders and started asking about how I was doing. "Just give me a second, my head seems okay." I felt the slap of the ground on my femur and thought the worst, though I quickly ruled that out - something wasn't right though. Feeling up to my left shoulder with my right hand quickly confirmed the fractured clavicle, bone sticking out but not penetrating the skin. Shit.

The man said he could drive me to town, but I wanted to stand up first. It took me a few tries, but I got up unassisted, right when Lance flies by screaming out my name and asking if I'm okay. "Collarbone," I replied. He's riding for time and rightfully doesn't slow, and I was in plenty good hands.

The woman at the corner stated to me that there have been lots of riders crashing at this spot, to which I did everything inside me to keep my mouth shut. Going down was entirely my fault, but if it were me standing there I would have at least cautioned riders to slow down a bit if there had been repeated crashes.

The kind man got my bike up for me and I slowly walked it across the cattle guard on the road. He had told me that he would watch me go down the hill and would come for me if there was any sign of trouble. I thanked him and slowly put my leg across the top tube, formed a sling with my left arm, and rode on, hugging the right brake hard, squealing the last few miles into town. Hitting the washboard sections of gravel was the worst, as the bike is shaking up and down, out of sync with the wheels. The climb up through the neighborhood was no fun, but I kept upright and kept cranking away.

I rode through the several blocks of cheering spectators, which was a boost in spirits. Crossing the finish line I turned towards the left where a rider saw me and asked if I needed help to the medical tent - damn that sounded like a good idea. Soon Squirrel came up and the two of them helped me off the bike and across the street to the tent.

Long story short:

6:05 with #38 in men's singlespeed, lost about 20-minutes to the crash and snail's ride to the finish.

Sitting here on a Tuesday with the bone still overlapping, spreading my shoulders back as far as I can. The ER confirmed with a pretty picture that my bone was snapped, but really didn't do much more than that. Getting into a specialist takes 2-weeks - what's the point?

This is one of those rides I've wanted to do for years, but kept pushing it off each time; I'm already looking forward to 2012!

Looks like I'm out of the upcoming Gentlemen's ride as well as the Heck of the North; I was looking forward to both of these gravel grinders.

Thanks to Perry, all the volunteers, spectators, and riders. Made a lot of new friends and have nothing but love for Spearfish!

Hey, not bad for one hand.

-----
update - more photos:

Replaced the rear tube two days prior to the race while camping in Custer State Park - check out that red squirrel:

Wave 1 racers just prior to their 0715 start, 15-minutes before I went out. The majority of the riders were in wave 1. Passing someone from this group felt good, because I was 15-minutes ahead of someone.

At the ER; I got the best-dressed award for the waiting room - bloody half-dressed bib shorts and a sling:

working at the car wash

2011-08-25T08:28:00.002-05:00

Was it worth the ten quarters? Yes, yes it was. Just be careful not to spray directly into any bearings and you should be fine. Bring along a friend as there is plenty of time for several cleanings.

bicycle maintenance 101

2011-08-23T12:06:00.003-05:00

I was wondering why my headset was feeling sticky. Then I took my fork off for inspection. Oh yeah, several winters of usage will do that. Sprayed a bit of lube in there, which helped out considerably.

To do list: buy new headset bearings.

I think the fork will last a few more seasons, but the dropouts are fairly rusty as well...

Friday night at the bicycle races

2011-08-22T11:50:00.002-05:00

Friday night at the bicycle races - just clean good fun:

Cops kicked us out - we have too many lawyers out there:

Tall John takes 2nd - here with SK, who eventually scored 4th:

Charlotte takes first women:

Trevor takes first men's, twice in a row, at least:

More photos here.

The rest of the weekend is a blur, but it involved urban camping, swimming, more races, a freeride, and pizza.

Bicycle Weekend in MPLS

2011-08-18T16:51:00.003-05:00

Big weekend ahead of us.

Thursday night at 7 is Bandit Cross down at Hobo Camp.

Friday is match sprints starting at 9pm at One On One.

Saturday is the All City Championships Alley Cat race, meet at 4pm, race at 5. After party at Peacock Groove.

Keep up on the Bikejerks site for updates on the above.

There's also a party Saturday night at Kitsune Cycles, which I love the location of.

Sunday is the Freeride. Thanks again to Roger Lootine for the newly colored artwork!

Powderhorn 24 race recap

2011-08-15T07:33:00.005-05:00

The Powderhorn 24 hour race happened this weekend.

Some clowns put up a jump at stop 1.5 - and even better is that riders kept hitting it after the hill climb!

It rained hard for about an hour, starting at about 2am, but that didn't stop riders from pushing through, including solo rider Dan during the Nice Ride bonus lap:

The race ended promptly at 7pm Saturday night, and all racers and spectators rushed to get to the main checkpoint prior to the cutoff.

Skidz!

Tim here rode solo in the men's category and hit 340 miles in the 24-hour time allotted. I rode the coarse a few times, and the most I've ever ridden at once is 150-miles, though that was from point-to-point, not seeing the same thing twice. Riding hundreds of miles (which many did here) over a roughly 4-mile coarse filled with a dozen or more stop signs and red lights is leaning on the verge of crazy. All the stops and starts takes a beating on your legs and knees - there were a few people holding their knees during the race. You've got to be hurting today - take a rest, you've earned it.

Click for big.

Final results.

More photos here.

Until the next big event starting this Thursday...

Freeride 2011

2011-08-11T23:41:00.003-05:00

Meet with your bike and beverage of choice (to beat this heat) on Boom Island at 1pm. We'll minimize our interactions with automobiles and stroll through beautiful MPLS.

Don't forget it's a whole weekend of bike related fun, starting Thursday night!

That's not my bike and those aren't my kids, but I play one on TV.

2011-08-09T17:18:00.004-05:00

Look at the smile coming from the backdeck! Thanks to Jennifer O. for sending this one out from a short ride around the downtown.

Cargo bikes and kids are an excellent match - the problem is convincing them that it's time to stop and get off, as they want to ride all day and night!

boots always win

2011-08-09T07:05:00.001-05:00

CVO and Kacey stopped in for a visit this weekend.

See yinz again soon in Spearfish!

Motley crew

2011-08-06T11:19:00.005-05:00

Namond spent 30+ hours in the detention center. He's out, so give him some kind words:

Mike wasn't in jail, to the best of my knowledge anyway, but he was ripping it on his sweet coaster brake clunker, equipped with front Spinergy, like you hadn't noticed:

I'm more of a mild- to cold-weather camper, but will make the occasional overnight during the humid summer weather. Nice you can jump in the lake/river in the morning though.

And what's the deal, Portland?! It's just a derby:

Live a little!

Monday morning blues

2011-08-01T10:09:00.001-05:00

From the files of Andy Singer extraordinaire comes another look at what life might look like sans the automobile:

Circulus at PDW

2011-07-24T20:00:00.003-05:00

Set here.

oh, and the video of the championship bout here:

Thank you Portland!

This photo speaks volumes, even more so after reading the caption.

2011-07-20T16:37:00.003-05:00

A tandem bicycle carries a whole Belgian family of four with some of their belongings strapped to their backs, as they flee from the advancing Nazis into France, on June 14, 1940. (AP Photo)

From The Atlantic's WWII in photos - I highly recommend you take a look.

Bike Night at the MIA - this Thursday

2011-07-18T15:14:00.002-05:00

To kick off the BFF, head on over to the MIA this Thursday for another event chocked with activities, prize raffles, drinks, and friends. See you there.

More details here.

holy downhill!

2011-07-11T13:02:00.001-05:00

Yeah, but let's see it done on a fixie...

Blame it on the teachers.

2011-07-07T14:50:00.003-05:00

by Wuerker.

winter is just around the corner - enjoy it while you can, year round

2011-06-30T15:30:00.002-05:00

Politics today - be it in Minnesota or the Federal Gov't

2011-06-29T15:27:00.001-05:00

Danny MacAskill - Crazy Skills

2011-06-27T09:01:00.000-05:00

Long Live Secret Spots

2011-06-26T23:19:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Duffin on his new job down across the street from my workplace in Bloomington :( By first glance it looks like a great work environment. I had a chance to share a refreshment with him while out riding on Saturday:

Bread & Pickle stop

2011-06-24T10:17:00.002-05:00

Hit up Bread & Pickle on the way in to work this morning - I've been meaning to stop by and give the Organic Egg and Cheddar Sandwich a try, which I did, and it's pretty damn good. As I walked back from the pick-up window with my treat, two women sitting nearby professed how much they love the sandwich I ordered and how they have been coming back for more - they also stated their preference for the homemade scones. I sat watching the calm lake with the idle sailboats and frequent runner on the trail while eating the crunchy muffin crust and sipping on the Tree Hugger coffee drink, though while quite expensive at 5-bucks is nevertheless quite good.

I like what Kim is doing with this place and will surely be back for more.

Uptown Crit - 2011 Nature Valley Grand Prix

2011-06-22T08:26:00.002-05:00

Rest of set here.

In the end the race was voided due to the crash going into the final lap - I can't say I agree with that approach by the officials, but at least we got to see some great racing on a fast course.

4130 - live from May 21

2011-06-17T07:10:00.001-05:00

Thursday night and the Freeride date is revealed

2011-06-16T23:07:00.004-05:00

All thems at the shop in the downtown say welcome to summer!

Speaking of that shop; there's a party there Saturday night that you might be interested in.

Also, Ted showed off his skills on his new pedal blender with an ice cream drink for all:

Freeride 2011 - it's taking place on Sunday, August 21. Starting point is Boom Island. Stay tuned for more. Save the date.

Dirt Burger 3, in the books

2011-06-12T20:18:00.003-05:00

A brief recap of all things this past weekend.

We had riding:

Big wheelie action:

Full-on bucketball:

Stock car racing:

Braaap! Now on video:

Teeter-totter fire riding action:

And again, this time on video! (thanks to Showen from Lincoln for posting that)

And campfire stories until the early hours:

See the whole set here.

GMME A DIABLOE SAMICH AND A DOCTA PEPPA

2011-06-10T11:09:00.001-05:00

Childhood memories - watched this on VHS too many times to count:

Bicycle events this weekend, now in list form

2011-06-10T10:22:00.004-05:00

MPLS area events:

MN fixed gear classic (@Velodrome), Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Go to this!

MS-150 (ride from Duluth to the cities), Saturday and Sunday.

Dirty Benjamin - registration has been closed for months, but you could be a spectator. Saturday.

Riverlake Greenway Grand Opening, Saturday 1-5pm.

Greaserag NE Kick-off Party, Saturday, meet at Sunrise Cycles at 6pm.

Global Gutz 2011, Saturday 7pm.

Open Streets MPLS, Sunday.

Outer limits:

Dirt Burger - Decorah, Iowa. Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Cayuna MTB Trail opening weekend. Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Get out there and do something!

Going Green

2011-06-09T08:59:00.007-05:00

A colleague from Tokyo dropped off a green Kit Kat for me this morning, but with a shit-eating-grin on his face; I looked at the color and said "it's wasabi, right?" He was disappointed that his surprised was ruined.

Nearly every friend I have from Japan has tried to get me to eat a spoonful of wasabi while at a restaurant with the "it tastes like candy" line. Come on, I don't lead a completely sheltered life. I like wasabi, by the way.

This weekend

2011-06-08T10:46:00.003-05:00

Lots and lots to do this weekend. If you're in town, do yourself a favor and go watch the MN Fixed Gear Classic up at the Velodrome - very impressive athletes and a lot of fun to be a spectator - I'm sorry that I'm missing it this year.

Here's a 2009 promo video of the FGC; that crash is gnarly:

I was signed up for the Dirty Benjamin, but the sharp pain in my knee is lingering from that wretched landing I made on the 3-story rooftop slide at the City Museum two weeks ago, so I'm going to the Dirt Burger 3 instead. Sure I plan on riding the trails, but there's no way I'm pulling out of the Bucketball World Championships bout, the stakes are simply too high to miss - check your local listings for live coverage, I'm pretty sure it'll be covered on ESPN 8 - el ocho.

[Update - Go here for the low-down and stuff.]

Thanks to Surly for the image.

a wheel no more

2011-06-06T22:13:00.002-05:00

We're running laps in the alley the other weekend when Gene mounts the coaster-brake cruiser and the rear wheel buckles under him. Good times.

The Junk Strap Gets a How-To Video

2011-05-25T21:39:00.004-05:00

This is how I've been using it, though it wasn't purely intuitive, what with the extra strap slots in the buckle and all:

Reading through this book puts the below page in perspective, though is hilarious on its own:

Memorial day weekend coming up, JFK's bday on Sunday, Thursday night lights at the Velodrome tonight; surely you'll find something to do.

Saturday Night - Farewell To Ben

2011-05-20T10:47:00.001-05:00

From the OOOBS blog:

...That being said, there will be a farewell throw-down in the alley this Saturday the 21st after the shop closes. Sounds as though we’ll get a little show from the current band of local misfits, our favorite blend of Chromoly tubing. If you know what I mean. Stop on by, ride your bike, and bring your own beverages chumps, I’m moving and not going to pay for you to have a bunch of barley-pop this time. And be nice. No jerks allowed. If you can’t be nice, stay home and wallow in your own self-pity...

See you there, unless yer a jerk of course.

Tuesday night

2011-05-19T01:48:00.001-05:00

Tuesday night turned into this, after Andy packed his guitar away and I was getting itchy to get back and ride:

Then how could anyone resist that crazy full moon rising over Riverside? Next time carry a tripod. A bit of lens flare there, don't mind it; the moon is the blurry blob on the lower right.

Saw this a little while later, sweet. Dude said it's a 1959 Galaxy.

The new 1/1 dock ramp is a work of art and gorilla proof, courtesy of Rollin. Photos in the near future, stay tuned.

a few from yesterday

2011-05-17T08:22:00.006-05:00

Riding down the alley yesterday afternoon, I did a double-take upon seeing the below, neatly organized pile of pizza boxes. The boxes with address labels on them all verified the same residence. Hopefully this is more than a 2-week supply, assuming the frequency of the recycling pick-up.

Luce, Savoy, Dulono's:

And if this is your helmet, it's been in my garage for a few weeks, come and get it; it's too small for my head.

2011 Almanzo recap, one rider's view from the back

2011-05-16T08:43:00.023-05:00

Four of us rode down to the check-in on Friday night in Charlie's RV, which we continued in down to Spring Valley a few hours later. My head was getting congested during the day, with my nose running and a constant headache, though not sure if I'm getting a sudden allergy issue or a head cold. I went to bed by 11pm or so while the others went on a walkabout.

Upon waking up on ~~Friday~~ Almanzo morning it was immediately clear that it was cold and raining out, though not heavily, making it tough to get out of my warm sleeping bag inside the RV. Very glad at this point that I had packed a decent rainjacket and wool helmet liner, as well as a rain helmet cover, and wool everything. I quickly packed the night before with enough clothes for three riders, not knowing the conditions until we got to the start - something like a 50-70% chance of rain forecasted a few days ahead.

I threw on two pair of Sock-Guy wool socks, a thin wool t-shirt, pulled up my wool bib knickers, a wool jersey on top of that, finished by a rain jacket. My head had the wool beanie under the helmet and cover. My fingers took just a thin pair of full-fingered Mechanix gloves, my preference for year-round riding.

Ate the high school breakfast, more to support the cause than to eat the food, I'm glad I ate, though it's still being debated whether or not there was actual food on the plate. The lunch-lady was kind enough to fill up my Camelbak, which I should have done prior to the race start, but the only stop we seemed to make on the way down was to get beer, which I was saving for finish time.

Headed outside again, I run into Chewie, who scored the mark of the beast. We discussed the upcoming Dirt Burger, which is going to be bigger and better than ever, by the sounds of it.

Here's a video Chris shot of the roll-out on turn 3. That's Hurl leading the pack into the corner, I saw him lead this left turn and didn't see him again until the finish. I show up at the 40-second mark, letting Chris know he's #1. There's already a 4:15 gap between the front and back of the pack!

Untitled from Chris Skogen on Vimeo.

To give you an idea of the racing conditions, here's a shot of Hurl (R) and four other riders at mile 20:

Another shot of the leaders at the same spot:

I didn't ride great during the first 22-miles, but got a bit of a second wind up until the town of Preston at mile 40 or so. The town came up sooner than I expected, and this year I decided to take a left and venture to the market, where I figured I could top-up on enough water for the rest of the ride - there are no further towns during the remaining 60-miles of this ~~race~~ ride. By the way, the hospitality of the workers at the market has to be mentioned - thank you for opening your doors and floors to the mud we left behind.

Eric Leugers of Banjo Brothers took this shot of me when I arrived outside the market.

Note how I'm clean from the waist-up, my ass was dry from my fender and there was no drafting on my part up until now, hence the clean face. My legs were wet up to the mid-calf, but the wool knickers saved the day, keeping me warm and cozy. I'm also trying out contact lenses, something I haven't worn in several years - they treated me very well, with added clear safety lenses for protection.

People were dropping from the race in this town of Preston like flies, by some accounts several hundred riders called it quits here. I didn't feel great, but wasn't that bad off - I decided to keep on keeping on, before I saw Kelly Mac and Charlie, and we agreed to team up and ride together from this point out (K-Mac was my riding partner from this years Ragnarök, if you recall.)

I have no hard feelings whatsoever for the people that dropped out at this point. One of my first century attempts was back in April of 1989, where I made it about 65-miles before being pulled out by volunteers at a rest stop - it started chilly, but turned to rain, then sleet, then snow. I'm out in the middle of farm country, riding solo, wanting nothing more than to curl up on a farmhouse couch and take a permanent rest. Turns out I had hypothermia - when I walked into the rest stop there were no empty chairs - without a word from me, I was surrounded with people offering their seats, my bike was placed on the sag wagon trailer, and I quickly had something warm to drink, though chilled to the core. That was my lesson in being prepared - I was never in the Cub Scouts.

So the three of us roll out of Preston. Readers take note that K-Mac is riding her single-speed, but the freewheel was slipping, so she had to flip the wheel to fixed. At this point I didn't think she'd make it the 100-miles riding fixed, not knowing yet if I would continue on solo. However she does like to handicap herself on these rides, and usually pulls out ahead of most, historically. After just a few miles, we were all warm again and feeling much better; I knew just a few miles out of Preston we were going to go the distance.

The wind wasn't a factor up to now, but we would soon be introduced to the gravest headwind I've felt in a long time. There was a roughly 8-mile stretch around the 55-mile point that sucked the soul out of me - pushing the cranks one rotation at a time, making 7-9 miles an hour. At the end of this stretch, there was a turn, but now the wind is at our sides - easier, but not easy. The course was followed by many more soul crushing miles pushing into the wind.

We passed a few riders on bicycles I wouldn't choose to ride 100-miles on dry pavement on a clear and windless day - ride what you have, but good god man; more power to you.

Coming up to the checkpoint at mile 64 or so, three riders come up from behind like we're standing still - it's the lead riders from the Royal group, a ride that started at 7am and totaled 162-miles. So these three are 62-miles ahead of us and are riding as if they just started out. These three Royal riders yelled out their numbers while barely slowing down as the three of us dismounted to grab a few energy packs offered by the kindly volunteers.

Here's my bike at the checkpoint.

And a shot of my lower leg, note the new shoes courtesy of folks at Specialized via a brief stopover with Hurl - they fit like a glove and I couldn't recommend them more. What model are they? Hell, they're covered in dirt, I can't tell anymore than you can. (Though upon a google, it looks like they are the BG S-Works shoe.) Huge thanks to Amy for the footwear.

The three of us walked up this hill at about mile 69. It is steeper than it looks here. A pick-up truck stopped me here and a couple asked if I recall seeing a broken down tandem. Yeah, but they're several miles back and on the other side of the bridge, which you can't cross with an automobile. I wished them luck and carried on.

The rest of the day consisted of wind, gravel, more wind, hills, and some extra wind thrown in for good measure. Walked across the water crossing, it felt very good and cleaned up my legs, though the mud on my socks was not fazed by the strong current; the cuffs were solid at the end of the day. There was a bit of cheering from K-Mac at the 90-mile point. At the incline at roughly 91-miles, there was a lack of cheering - that hill downright sucked. One more hill with 5-6 miles to go and Charlie broke ahead from the two of us.

Like last year you can see the water tower with about 3-miles to go. From there the ride is over mentally, just grind down a few more times and make it to the high school.

I've never finished a race that late before - the parking lot was mostly empty and the prize tables inside were gone. I did get a few cookies after rinsing off my ride, however. [update - results posted: I came in 100th.]

Props to Sage, who rode the distance despite her friends all bailing on her and her gears unwilling to shift the last half of the ride. My gears were getting janky for sure - next time bring a small bottle of chain lube.

The course was exceptional, seriously. The rain made for packed gravel, with the occasional long stretch of single-track to ride smoothly on. Occasionally wiping the muddy grease off my handlebar mounted computer, I took note of my speed on the downhills, which didn't exceed 35 mph or so.

Next time have shoe covers and different gloves, though my digits weren't uncomfortable, just wet.

Am I doing this ride next year? Very likely, though I wouldn't mind shooting photos one of these years; there is too much beatiful scenery out there and I would love to have my SLR along one of these times.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

A huge lot of photos by Craig Linder on Flickr here. Dang, he even got one of me, trying not to overheat during a dry spell, by the looks of it. One of K-Mac, and Charlie. This is a beautiful shot of Hurl - love the green and blue.

And some very impressive shots by David Gabrys.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

* * * Screw it, here's a recap list gathered by Skogen - it's better than I'm gonna do. * * *

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

My previous list, no longer being updated:

Martin's recap here.

Don, Craig, and Zach after finishing the 162-miles at 2am.

Blowing & Drifting recap.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Photos from Wednesday

2011-05-13T13:11:00.005-05:00

Namond rides the stairs - braap!

Roger Lootine on his brand new Steamroller - skid!

Jenn and SK are the reigning queen and king of skids, respectively.

I'm going down to skid town, son...

Stopped by K's pad on the way home:

The Cykel garage is now just a distant memory, kept alive by the miracle of the t-shirt:

Is Matt and Molly's baby ready to start fending for his own this weekend?

Get born, get a job!

Kevin and the moon:

Stolen Bike Alert, get on it

2011-05-09T19:56:00.002-05:00

These photos were taken on Friday. The bike was stolen on Saturday at Chicago and Lake. Get on it.

Skids are all the rage, always have been, especially when you're high on life like SK here.

This thing is going to show up, right?

a big wet one

2011-05-09T11:47:00.004-05:00

The Almanzo is coming up this Saturday, and by the looks of it, it's going to be a wet one.

God I hate Microsoft computers and their way of processing image files, but this is a known fact and I'll leave it at that.

So even if it's not actually raining on Saturday, the gravel will be nice and wet, not to mention the water crossing, which has a good chance of being remarkable this year.

I'm thinking of changing out the handlebars, shifters, brake levers, and adding cross levers to the Pacer; I guess I should decide and do this prior to Saturday morning. I've got the bars, new tape, and brake levers, just need to get a shifter, I'm leaning towards bar-end, though down-tube would be a nice alternate - getting back to my roots and all. Nine-speed. Looks like a stop into 1/1 is in order, if I can get past their snobbery and bad coffee, or is it java? Ah, the power of the anonymous internet complaint. That's okay, I don't give my money to Freewheel or ACF, though I don't post anonymously about it (yes, Penn and Erik's are on the list as well, though did I have to even say that?)

Your Weekly Hump-day Snowmobile Post

2011-05-04T19:31:00.007-05:00

I'll be honest, I miss the snow, though am looking forward to the summer and all activities associated with the season. Back to the topic of snow though, I never knew until a few moments ago that driving your snowmobile up the side of a mountain to the peak was a sport.

This video of a guy driving his snowmobile up the side of a mountain to the peak contains about nine different levels of stoopid, in fact it's hard to comprehend that the guy does what he does after he reaches the top and dismounts his sled - what's a sport snowmobile weigh, 500 pounds?

Motoneige 0 - Montagne 1

If this guy had up to this event realized that momentum is the product of mass and velocity, he wouldn't have played the cowboy and attempted to lasso that bronco down. But I guess it takes a certain type of personality to even be in this sort of situation in the first place.

I've got sunburned calves from yesterday's ride. Damn.

Osama's dead, baby. Osama's dead.

2011-05-03T21:06:00.003-05:00

Now could we possibly let this monumental event pass us by without making the most of it; something like, oh I don't know, have one of us ride around on a 4-wheeler, waving the Old Glory, and oh hell, why not shoot off a few rounds while at it?

Good loard I hope you said no.

Hats off to you, fellow patriot, hats off.

And if you want to hear a hell of a clearly composed and thoughful argument for or against gay marriage, take a look/listen to Representative Steve Simon (DFL Hopkins/St. Louis Park); I wish I could vote for you. Get it quick before it's blocked by the evil-doers.

Meanwhile, I watched the Daily Show from last night just a few minutes ago, and I have this unexpected urge to go buy Rogaine.

That's it, I'm out.

Traffic Related Fatalities in the US, 1994-2009

2011-05-02T15:59:00.005-05:00

I've mentioned this at least a couple of times in the past, but a tweet from @vabike reminded me that I need to look at the numbers again. Not that I relate traffic deaths to terrorism, but after seeing the below numbers you'd think we'd react more appropriately, say following the rules of the road for instance.

The figure below shows data, however grim, taken from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), highlighting fatalities caused by motor vehicles between 1994-2009.

Pardon my lack of plotting etiquette; that's number of fatalities on the ordinate with year on the abscissa.

One way to look at this is that there have been 411,574 deaths in the past 10-years due to motor vehicles. According to the latest census data, the population of Minneapolis is 382,578. So every 9-10 years or so the United States kills off the equivalent of the population of the city of Minneapolis with running errands and getting to and from work. Data is not further broken down to show how many of the now deceased individuals were drunk, texting, having sex, or road raging at the time of their 'accident,' but surely they're included in the totals.

The number of bicycle related deaths in a single year, by the way, ranges from 629 in 2003 to 833 back in 1995; bicyclists account for between 1.5-2% of all traffic related deaths, at least in the US, and during the past 16-years or so with 2010 excluded as the data is not yet available.

One can note the decline in the past few years, though how much of that can be due to the Great Recession we're experiencing I can only presume - someone should link an article, I know I've read one in recent past but my memory is fading as I grow older.

Bicycle races and tow truck drivers

2011-04-27T20:04:00.003-05:00

Stuff coming up this weekend: the dirty-30 something or other, followed shortly after by the Bandit Cross somesuch. Should be a good time, that is if it's not too early in the season for you to go outside. Oh snap!

Turning pages, and in the meantime, check out the below video of a night on the town with Two-Ten, a tow-truck driver in Boston - I believe that's what the kids call a 'blunt' he is smoking from near the start; sort of puts the rest of the night in perspective.

My Name Is Two-Ten from Michael Nusbaum on Vimeo.

Watch Gene fix a flat

2011-04-26T11:43:00.003-05:00

In the comfort of his shop, and without dealing with the chain. And something about the Stupor Bowl too, as if that hasn't been beaten to death...

Bike City // How To Fix A Flat + Stupor Bowl from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.

Dirty Thirty (and tour de taco)

2011-04-26T10:15:00.003-05:00

Did Zito name this race/tour? Either way, you should show up to this, there's gonna be some sweet swag giveaways - what!

Here's a (Facebook) link to the site.

show me your rear differential

2011-04-20T16:26:00.004-05:00

Yeah yeah, it snowed today, let's talk about something else.

This is how a differential works, in simple terms anybody can understand - this stunt at minute 9 is purely unique, I'll be trying this at home:

Changing from The Flaming Lips to Nirvana

2011-04-17T18:37:00.004-05:00

Nirvana played 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' for the first time live 20-years ago today. Of course it's on the Youtube, and very good quality. Enjoy:

Do the letters F O mean anything to you?

2011-04-14T16:26:00.001-05:00

Your camera sucks.

Ragnarök 2011 - one riders view

2011-04-09T23:45:00.004-05:00

107 riders, 105 bicycles, 111-miles of gravel, 14+ climbs, good times.

The results of the race are up.

I printed out the elevation map of the 111-mile course and kept it visible in my cue sheet holder. Something about knowing how many climbs are left takes away a bit of the pain, mentally anyway, the legs still struggle, especially this early in the season.

I'm told there was 7950-feet of climbing for the day, but check the Rök site for updates on that.

The course consisted of loose gravel, fast downhills with off-camber areas with thick and sketchy gravel, smooth gravel with the consistency of asphalt, mud, snow, peanut butter, and all sorts in-between. There was probably less than 5-miles of pavement, and the wind was always working against us, or so it seemed.

The scenery included isolated farms and fields, horses, cows, chickens, dogs, tractors, road graders, lots of pick-up trucks, major appliances dumped in ravines, homemade El Camino's out of a Buick Le Sabre and Chevy wagon, woods with trees yet to show any sign of spring, but very few people other than the riders.

The start was promptly at 0730 from a golf course near/in Red Wing with no available bathrooms. My alarm was set for 0430 with a 0515 pick-up, with five of us car-pooling from MPLS to the start. Considering Kristin's birthday party the night before, I did very well not only in getting up, but throughout the race. The talk before the race was the weather - was it going to rain or not. A lot of people took the gamble that it would not, though I strapped a light rain jacket on the back of my camelback. Despite the darkening skies and the sound of distant thunder, no rain hit by the time we finished.

The below image at about mile 20 is the only one I took during the race, I didn't see anybody ride this, though there were a few tire tracks from the lead riders. During the crossing, my shoes got ice-cold water in them, which was really awesome and I was nothing less than thrilled about it.

The first check point was at mile 40, which Kmac and I rode in and out of, stopping at the gas station on the way out of town for a refreshment and use of the facilities.

The two climbs at about mile 60 you ask? The first one was tough, but I rode up without complaint. The second started rather abruptly after the descent from the first peak, which made it much more difficult than the first, though I pressed on in my easiest gear without putting a foot down, though I was crawling at parts. To this second peak I hereby proudly name the '2011 Ragnarök Suzanne Somers Thighmaster Spectacular.'

The big climb that starts at about mile 70 was on my mind, but I was at the top before I knew it. I had to convince myself the climb was over only after looking in all directions and having a birds eye view of the countryside. Piece of cake.

At mile 85 I stopped at a Kwik Trip and fueled up on a banana, frapachino, and water. I meant to keep the stop to about 5-minutes, but the train crossing a few feet from the station kept a growing number of us from moving for an additional ten long minutes.

After that I soon met back up with Kmac, previously haven beat the train, now on the side of the road finishing mounting her rear wheel. She got a flat and realized the rubber had also blown, so she used a cue sheet to reinforce the tire - after another stop to put in a bit more air, all was good mechanically for the remaining of the race.

The fourth to the final climb at about mile 90 was a staggering bitch of a hill. This particular "minimum maintenance road" was mud and dirt, though mostly mud, with a practically unrideable grade; this hill was more for 4x4's and motorcross machines to whip up and down, which I can imagine can be a load of fun. I walked up the majority of this one, the saving grace was seeing a group of people at the very top - turns out it's Skogen and crew, featuring about five riders not selected for this years Rök race. Kmac and I paused for a minute, she got a spare tube from the gang, and we pushed on.

The final three climbs of the race went by smoothly, sure they were work, but mentally I knew we only had about 15-miles to go, so just push and don't think about it. We soon grouped up with five others and finished the race nearly at the same time, and then of course quickly heading over to the clubhouse to book a quick round on the back nine - probably didn't happen.

I came across the finish with several other riders, 3h22m after the winner; holy shit was I slow, or is the leader that fast? A bit of both, I guess. I've been sick since visiting China a few weeks ago, but this ride may have cured me. I had fun, saw some unique scenery, met and talked to new friends, and physically have no complaints after 10-hours in the saddle. The only thing I could have asked for is improved endurance, which of course is better now than this morning, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Nick crashed early on, scraping his legs and hands up pretty good, and decided to ride back to the start, totaling 80-miles for the day. He's okay, but gets to spend the evening picking gravel out from his knees so he can recover for his trail running race next weekend in Highland Park.

Overall I rode the right bike, had the right tires, and wore the right clothing. Wouldn't do it any differently. Well, the STI levers are starting to bug me, especially on fast gravel descents, but we'll address that later...

Update - post from the cheering section. Love the hill climb photo.

Update - and a write-up from Martin, first place SS.

Update - Kelly's write-up for Salsa, where she now works - that's me hammering in photos 2-4.

the weekend is nearly upon us

2011-04-08T12:32:00.004-05:00

Check. Check. One. Two. Three.

Well tomorrow morning is the Ragnarök-105, which despite the name is actually a 111-mile gravel road race. In no way am I ready to do 111-miles, especially considering the elevation profile up on the site. I rode my Pacer for the first time yesterday, putting on about 28-miles. It took me a second to realize the change of wheels does affect the computer's odometer, reminder to swap the magnet over tonight to make course navigation a bit easier. The shifting was a bit reluctant, and the big chain-ring became unobtainable after a few miles in, but these are things I'll work on tonight, as long as I remember to do so, of course.

So the course starts in Red Wing, at a golf course nonetheless; I was never accused of being a fan of golf, besides of course the occasional viewing of Caddyshack, but people are people and a big thanks for letting us use your lot for a start/stop spot.

Now do we leave tonight and camp nearby or do we leave at 0515 tomorrow and drive straight to the links? That's up in the air. More news to follow, following the following of the race.

By the way, I plan on being in the top 90% of riders when I hit the finish, so place your bets wisely and accordingly.

A brief visit to eastern China

2011-03-27T17:41:00.003-05:00

Just got back from a week in Shanghai and surrounding areas. Didn't get a whole lot of sleep, but traveling is like a drug - why sleep when there are things to see and do? Overall the trip was an adventure, and both enlightening and humbling. The people in China are just like we are, just like people all over the world; the one thing that seems to act to separate us is our governments, which we all seem to agree are nothing more than corrupt money-and-power-drunk hypocrites.

I met a lot of good people, both colleagues and strangers, and made a few friends who I will see on future visits. Hello to photographer Jason (English name) who I met in Wuxi, thanks for showing me around. Note to self: Sunday nights between 6-9pm, all you can drink Stella on tap for 150 RMB (about 23US) at Bluz Lounge in Wuxi.

A few scenes, mostly taken in the morning hours before I went to work. Something about being on the other side of the world and being wide awake at 4am everyday, no matter what time I laid down.

Flat tire repair on the side of the road in Wuxi, notice the blue electric motor assist:

Cargo bike in Wuxi:

Shanghai rainy commute. Everyone was either wearing a rainjacket or riding with an umbrella:

Pick-up style truck working on a construction project. The back was filled with bricks and dirt:

And a quick shot to see if people were watching me when I turned my back. Busted.

I'm ready to go back.

A few more shots here.

Enjoy.

So I come upon two messengers and a barista down by the river...

2011-03-18T23:28:00.003-05:00

I heard from an un-named source there were a few gents down by the Mississippi, my sources rarely let me down. This was Thursday, when it was in the low 50's and we thought summer had arrived. Thanks for the High Life, Evan.

Here we have two messengers and a barista wearing a shamrock suite taking a moment to relax after the days shift. Godspeed gentlemen.

2011 Slick-50!

2011-03-15T10:00:00.003-05:00

This is a highlight of spring, a rite of passage before warmer weather is allowed to return to the MPLS. I'd highly recommend at least a rear fender, one long enough to even keep the person behind you clean; you will see grease and muck, oh how there will be the grease. Taking it down a cog may be beneficial, though practice makes perfect and the course and conditions are different from year to year.

Don't worry about that "no kooks" thing; I've seen plenty of kooks on this ride and they do fine, some of them anyway.

Recap of the 2008 ride, through the tunnel:

Another from the 2008, post-ride:

Video Friday Too?

2011-03-11T10:02:00.001-06:00

This in from Faceplant; skills required? Affirmative. Uh, watch out for the stray dog there.

VCA 2010 RACE RUN from changoman on Vimeo.

Video Monday

2011-03-06T17:24:00.005-06:00

Somebody has a case of the Mundays? Well take your mind further off work and settle back.

This is painful to watch, and Bob is getting ready to cut to commercial before she actually pulls it off. Good god.

A triple-decker burnout in New Zealand, no shit:

In closing, I saw another instance of a tow-truck-pulling-a-tow-truck this morning; this is an occurrence that is happening with more frequency and I like it.

Keeping with the space theme then

2011-03-01T19:59:00.002-06:00

The Sun is pissed! Video from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:

Come to think of it, there hasn't been a cute kitten photo or video around here in a while. I say let's keep it that way.

Back to space then, way way back to 1977. This doesn't look like it would be the smartest idea, but then space exploration wasn't meant to be low-cost and adventure-free:

Which of course raises the question, why doesn't the damn shuttle just fly itself back to Florida? I mean am I right?

Oh, and anybody find a camera flash out there? If so, let me know as I seem to be missing mine.

breaking news

2011-02-28T12:07:00.004-06:00

Transit for Livable Communities Approves $1.172 Million for Twin Cities Bicycling and Walking Improvements

Funding from Bike Walk Twin Cities program will be used for expansion of Nice Ride Minnesota bike-share program and new bicycling and walking projects in Fridley and Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis

Feb. 28, 2011 [Saint Paul, Minn.]—To improve bicycling and walking opportunities in Minneapolis and surrounding communities, Transit for Livable Communities (TLC) has approved $1,172,000 for three capital projects. TLC administers, under the program Bike Walk Twin Cities (BWTC), the federal Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program, a $25 million initiative to further bicycling and walking as transportation options.

The three projects being funded are as follows:

$1 million to expand the Nice Ride Minnesota bicycle sharing program. The federal funds allocated by TLC will enable Nice Ride to leverage more than $500,000 in challenge pledge funds from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and $250,000 from the Central Corridor Funding Collaborative, a collaboration of private foundations. Nice Ride Minnesota was launched last June through this type of public-private partnership. More than 100,000 trips were taken on Nice Ride bicycles in the first season, which ended in November. TLC, through BWTC, is the largest funder of Nice Ride Minnesota.

“Nice Ride Minnesota has shown benefit in shifting trips from driving to bicycling,” said Joan Pasiuk, director of BWTC. A survey of the system’s annual subscribers indicated that 20% of trips via Nice Ride would have been taken in a car. “We believe that expansion of the Nice Ride system will increase its transportation significance and accessibility by more Twin Cities residents,” Pasiuk said.

The new funding will enable Nice Ride Minnesota to add up to 50 new stations in 2011, including 8 already slated for North Minneapolis, according to Bill Dossett, executive director of Nice Ride Minnesota.

$110,000 to the City of Fridley to provide better walking and bicycling connections between the Northstar Rail Station and communities to the south. The project arises out of Fridley’s recently completed draft bicycle/pedestrian plan. With this funding, matched by $67,000 and in-kind contributions from Fridley, the area will now include sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of Main Street, from 57^th Avenue to 61^st Avenue.

“This is a model complete streets project,” said Pasiuk, referring to a national and state effort to improve accessibility for all users of roads. “Through these improvements, Fridley residents and visitors will be able to more easily access transit.”

$62,000 for the City of Minneapolis to address pedestrian safety issues on Franklin Avenue in the Seward neighborhood. Hennepin County plans to repave Franklin Avenue this summer from Hiawatha Avenue (TH 55) to the Mississippi River Bridge. The funds will enable the addition of countdown timers, marked crosswalks, and curb extensions at four intersections from 22^nd to 26^thAvenues. Bicycle lanes will also be considered as part of the work along Franklin Avenue.

“This is an exciting project for enhancing walking and bicycling, including connections to transit, in a vibrant inner city community,” said Pasiuk, noting that the project arose from the grassroots work of several neighborhood organizations, including Redesign Inc., Seward Neighborhood Group, and Seward Civic and Commerce Association. “This project will provide a model for other work along the corridor and is testimony to how residents can shape their community,” Pasiuk said.

The TLC board will consider additional capital projects in late 2011. BWTC has so far funded nearly 90 miles of new bike lanes and sidewalks in the Twin Cities, as well as community outreach, bicycling and walking planning studies, and an effort to measure bicycling and walking as forms of transportation.

Snowballs chance

2011-02-27T22:08:00.003-06:00

The riding was good today on the 26-inch bike. I took the small block eight approach, mainly because I didn't feel like switching out the tires. I held a good rear but the front kept slipping in the very slick corners.

Keeping it rubber-side-down.

Here's the $20.11 prize for the overall finish.

Burnsie and Janis showed up with a Big Dummy loaded down with two Weber grills, two frozen turkeys, and ultimately served up a feast.

And then we enjoyed the outside evening that only February can deliver.

A few more images here.

Snowball's Chance Coming Up This Weekend

2011-02-24T23:21:00.010-06:00

A bunch of local people are at NAHBS right now, enjoy it but try not to salivate on the frames, except if it's carbon fiber cause then there's no harm done there.

When times are bad, at least people can laugh. Unfortunately I'm not aware of any witty Robocop quotes to insert here (now give me Office Space or Lebowski and it's a different story.) I never did like that movie, it was supposed to be futuristic but the cops drove a Ford Taurus for chrissakes. Detroit will likely have to outsource that statue overseas.
Matt Bors.

In honor of the Discovery's last flight today, here's an in-cockpit view of a space shuttle launch, I think it's pretty cool (launch is at about 3:20). Only two more launches to go now.

And speaking of space, may Jebus help us:
I spent the day trying to talk with high school students at a career day...

And finally, that was a nasty cold, but at least I'm done with the worst of it; nothing but dry phlegm for a day or two and I'll be cleared up.

almost forgot, I can shoot video

2011-02-16T03:10:00.000-06:00

This is from last month, unedited and pure mobile fire.

Moving The Fire from mark on Vimeo.

Friday post. Testing. 1. 2. 3.

2011-02-11T06:33:00.001-06:00

It's Friday, you deserve a video to watch at work for your toils. I'd seen about half of these cycling related crashes, and I'm certainly not a fan of the laugh track:

Ride me!

2011-02-10T00:38:00.003-06:00

Made a stop off at the CC Club to visit a few acquaintances. Much too sad to see transportation devices like these rest idle, pending their demise. Current temps are -5F drybulb and -11F windchill; winter is hopefully just beginning!

Carry on.

DOWN BY THE WEEP HOLE: The story of the Stupor Bowl

2011-02-08T10:04:00.001-06:00

I haven't seen this yet; perhaps this will remind me to watch it sometime.

DOWN BY THE WEEP HOLE: The story of the Stupor Bowl from Nathaniel H. Freeman on Vimeo.

Stupor Bowl 14

2011-02-07T20:49:00.007-06:00

I'm here to say that a good time was had by all. Like any race there is a lot of bitching about how the rules aren't fair and blah blah blah, but it's a race and Nick and Leif can do whatever the hell they want because "thems the rules." Nice job to the organizers and all who volunteered on this thing, by the way.

Highlights include meeting a lot of people from out of town, quite a few from in town, and of course riding all over the damn place. After a few post-race party stops, I got home at 0130 and was ready for some peanut butter on bagel, which I happily obliged myself, but I digress.

The Men's winner bags:

There are three manifests this time, you don't get the second and third manifests until you complete the first and second, respectively:

Roughly 300 racers heading out on the Le Mons start down packed trail through the snow; we can stop the race now, Frane up front there wins:

The stop at Nick's house (Motörhead is playing on the 15th):

Okay let's just cut to it.

Chelsea ends up winning women's speed (even after stopping to fix an early flat) while Erin takes 2nd in men's stupor:

Jana ends up taking second in speed, seen here before the race:

Women's stupor champ goes to Christina from Chicago:

The rest of the photos are here, wait until you're at work then take a gaze.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

My new friend Rogelio has a few photos up.

Another flickr set from Levi.

MPLS bike love coverage.

MPLS messengers.

And Showen took a few pic(s) as well - props for bringing yourself and Hoss up from Lincoln.

Stupor Bowl 14 has come and gone

2011-02-07T09:03:00.004-06:00

Lots of action. In summary, it was a hell of a weekend.

I got one photo uploaded and will get more up in the next day or so.

(L-R) Marko Sundlin(Stupor 1), Matt Allen (Speed 7,10), Jeff Frane (speed 13,14), Jason Stukel (Stupor 2)

Corrections? Leave 'em in the comments or hit me here: mark at ibikempls.com

Thanks to Hurl and Spencer for above updates.

Why We're Here: Twin Cities

2011-02-04T04:09:00.001-06:00

You've probably seen this one, but it has nice images of MPLS summer weather in the background. One of the backgrounds reminded me of riding right before a thunderstorm strikes; the darkening gray sky, the wind speed increasing. Then you have to decide on whether to try to beat the downpour or take it safe and seek shelter in a nearby watering hole - I can never resist the urge to race the storm and almost always end up soaked to the bone.

I recognized nobody in that video, sort of depressing; the city isn't that big. Saw a white Banjo Brothers bag, and a few riders going by, but their backs were turned.

The streets are clear again

2011-02-03T07:26:00.004-06:00

The odd-side-only parking restrictions go into effect as of 8am today; I forecast a lot of neighbors getting towed.

There's always that one guy with the Christmas lights.

I need some thin gloves that keep my fingers cold while operating a camera; any ideas?

Post pre-ride rally

2011-01-30T21:20:00.003-06:00

Four riders showed up to the first (pre) Bootleg Cross Rally on Saturday evening.

Fires in the snow are one of the highlights of winter:

It wasn't my bike:

Stay tuned to news about the Bootleg Cross Rally coming up after the Stupor Bowl thing dies down.

Remember, February is outside party month.

2011-01-29T11:56:00.004-06:00

Unrest in Egypt as tanks roll through the burning streets of Cairo:

Meanwhile, take a look at the top shared news story on my google news page:

We don't need no education...

From Steel

2011-01-29T11:41:00.001-06:00

Seal Walling at work on a Soulcraft:

FROM STEEL: The Making of a Soulcraft from michael evans on Vimeo.