Back On The Cross Bike

I got back on the cyclocross bike for the first time this season. I don't think I've ridden the Redline since the Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City last December... I heard some squeaking from the bottom bracket so I need to re-grease it. I need to adjust the gears and lube the bike as well. Anyway, I rode the single track trails of Saint Paul's north end for 11 miles.

Hauling Stuff And A Stuffed Garage

Check out the picture of my truck loaded with sand and bricks. I've been hauling a lot of stuff lately for home projects as directed by my wife... The other picture shows a bunch of stuff filling the garage along with my john boat in the background which also is loaded with a bunch of stuff... I did manage to get in a 24 mile after work ride today. The route was the Lake Owasso Loop.

Short Rides And Body Work

I've been doing a few short rides lately mostly because of all the stuff I need to get done. A couple of 16 1/2 mile rides and one 17 mile ride are all I've gotten in in the last week. I have managed to haul a lot of dirt and brush though along with fixing the post on my old pickup. I took the sheet metal off a Chevy truck, drivers side post assembly I bought at the junkyard and attached it to my truck. First, I had to take the damaged sheet metal off my truck. I need to do some sanding, sealing, light welding and painting but so far it has turned out pretty good. Compare the before and after pictures.

Fat Tire Weekend

I planned on another tune-up ride Thursday before the Chequamagon 40 miler on Saturday. I grabbed the road bike and headed out the door after work. I got in a few miles before the rain started. Within a few seconds, it became a downpour. I blasted for home soaking wet and got in 11 miles... Friday at the Fat Tire Festival included a 6 1/2 mile tour of the Ojibwe Trail with Bill Stuber, Barry Torgerson, Jerry Engen and Lori Belz. Race day Saturday, I got my bike in line too far back from the front. I think I need to get there earlier than 8:15. Anyway, the cannon blasted and everyone took off... Well, those in front took off... For those of us in back, we got going in about a minute. I rode really well on the asphalt roads and then on the flat sections of the Birkie Trail, logging and forest roads. As usual, the uphills got me... My Niner set up as a 1 x 9 (36t chainring, 12-32 cogset) worked really well. The straight carbon fork worked great too. Anyway, I walked a few uphills including the Firetower Climb and only landed sideways in one of the many ponds on the course. I got a big leg cramp on the very last uphill but I rode through it and blasted the downhill to the finish line. My time for the 4o miler was 3:06. Bill Stuber came across the line in 3:11, Lee Bengel had a time of 3:15, Lori Belz clocked 2:58, Rob Belz had a time of 2:40. John Schmidt was 2:58, Dan Meyer rode to a 2:36 and Dave Meyer was at 2:31. John Wyland, Jay Wenner, Ron Belz, Stu Benson and Jerry Engen did the Short and Fat. It wasn't good for John, he flipped over the handlebars and broke his collar bone. Jerry had a better race and Stu clocked a 1:01. Jay Wenner's time was :57. Check out the picture taken by Bruce Adelsman... Do you thinkI was having fun?

Back On The Blog

It's been a week since I made my last entry to the blog... Hey, I've been busy! Riding, golfing, auto body work and yard work have kept me off the keyboard. I got in three rides since the last entry. Among them, a 23 mile Chequamagon mountain bike training ride at a local double track trail and last night's 28 mile TCBC Acapulco ride. Anyway, check out the truck pictures. I smashed the drivers side last winter on a cedar tree. I went to the junk yard, took a door off a Suburban and swapped everything out from my smashed door. Now I need to install the cab/door pillar section I picked up yesterday.

Donde Esta El Acapulco?

The Acapulco ride is in Stillwater and it's a TCBC ride. I rode it again last night with Jerry Engen, Lori Belz, Tom Bengel and Rob Belz. If you're searching for some great training rides, check out the TCBC schedule because every ride seems to be at race pace now... Another hammer fest just like the TCBC All Club ride last Saturday... The Belgian owner of the Bikery in Stillwater blew apart the pack. I got in 35 miles.

Big Ride Big Golf Big Weekend

The weekend started out with 18 holes of golf at Brackett's Crossing in Lakeville on Friday with my neighbor Dianne and a couple of her friends. It's a long course. I played from 6500 yards and got into trouble due to lack of familiarity with the course. 102 was the final score... Ouch! Saturday was the big TCBC ride out of Snail Lake to Scandia and back. Close to 65 miles of hammerfest riding. Yeah, I stayed with the lead pack which was whittled down to about ten guys but I barely hung on. Mark Stolpe, back from Idaho for a visit and John Wyland rode with me. Rob and Lori Belz were with the much bigger pack going in to Scandia but the big climb out of Marine dropped quite a few riders. I barely made it to the top where I joined John Wyland as we chased back on. I was gassed but I made it. Joe "Hammering"Hamlin was in the pack and he made the ride look easy. Jerry Engen did the shorter 50 mile route. Later in the day, I went to Golf Galaxy with my neighbor Dianne. She picked up a new driver and iron set. We then drove over to Oak Marsh where I shot 42 on the back nine. Sunday was nothing but golf. Kathleen and I played Valleywood in Apple Valley with a couple of friends. I shot 93 in windy conditions which wasn't too bad... Monday, we had a lot going on but I managed to get in a 16 mile cruise through the war zone, aka, the Republican National Convention. The protesters were out. I gave the thumbs up to every cop, trooper and paramedic I saw on duty. They had a tough job to do today. I continued on to Ohio where I took a right on Cherokee and then up Smith Avenue. From there, I rode over to 35E and the ride home. Is that Andy Kruse behind the mask smashing a window at the RNC in Saint Paul?