Riding With Kids

The ride of the day was 35 miles with the MNJRC kids. Rob Belz, Tom Bengel and I left with the juniors from the Bengel house in Saint Paul. We rode east along the Mississippi River to Highwood Avenue where we went up the big climb into Maplewood. We continued on into Woodbury and then turned for home.

TCBC Bike Swap

The Twin Cities Bicycle Swap took place today at the Hopkins VFW. Tom Bengel, John O'Connell, Bill Stuber and I had a couple of tables of stuff to sell. We all did pretty well selling stuff so we can buy more bike gear... Check out the picture from the swap. That's me on the left, John sitting down and Bill on the right.

Spinning Around The Lake

The after work ride on Friday the 27th (would have been my Dad's 89th) was a spin down Summit, through the north-end of Saint Paul and around Como Lake for a little over 12 1/2 miles. I rode the cross bike and spent time trying to find a new north crossing. The place I usually cross has a new chain link fence in place to keep bike riders and others out. Last time that happened a couple of years ago, a pair of cable cutters was found next to the fence and there was a cut allowing riders to pass through...

Skibby's New Tatoo

Skibby's New Tatoo...

Winds Of March

The winds of March were back today after calm conditions yesterday. That didn't bother Jerry Engen, Lori Belz, Rob Belz, Tommy Bengel and me though. We rode from West Lakeland into the wind on our way over to Hudson. From there we headed north through back-roads to Stillwater and then back to Jerry and Lori's house after a stop for some baked goods at the Bikery. We got in a little over 27 miles.

If One Is Good, Two Is Better

I finished the build today of the Specialized Allez frame with the carbon stays. This one is red. I built up a white Allez last year. Anyway, I took the parts of my Specialized Roubaix and put them on the red Allez frame. I'm selling the Roubaix frame and will try to get a Tarmac frame at some point. Specialized bikes are great because they're special... After finishing the build, I took it out on a 34 mile shake-down cruise to Lake Elmo and back. Check out the build pictures including the finished bike next to my multi-colored truck...

Cool Ride

The temp was 47F, the sun was out and a monster wind was coming out of the northwest. It was still pretty nice for a ride. Tom Bengel and Rob Belz joined me for a ride up to the U of M, through southeast Minneapolis and east into Roseville. We got in 20 miles with a stop at the Bicycle Chain. Yes, Dave, Tim and Alex were giving me a hard time about a recent thread on the Loon State page.

Flying With The Loons

I joined Mike Delaney's Stone Arch Loon State ride this evening. The ride used to take place on Wednesdays. I didn't ask him if Tuesday was the new day but with Opus coming up, it probably isn't. Anyway, I met Delaney, Brian Loecken, Kermando and Scott Olson at the U of M and then rode with them to Downtown Saint Paul. I headed for home at that point but got in 23 miles.

Spring Cleaning

With the great weather today, I took the Specialized Roubaix road bike out for the after work ride. My route took me up to the south side of Lake Owasso and back for 21 miles. I should have done some spring cleaning on the bike though... The cassette needs to be cleaned, I busted the knob off the rear tube and the crankset was really loose. After trying to tighten the crankset, I realized I need to figure out what went wrong...

Touring The Lakes

Another great day for riding with temps reaching the mid fifties. Rob Belz, Jerry Engen, Lori Belz and I rode through Lake Elmo and Stillwater. Our route took us around Lake Jane, Lake Demontriville and Olson Lake. The total was a little over 24 miles. Anyway, the picture is the Specialized Allez frame I bought. I'm going to swap out the parts on my Roubaix to this frame and sell the Roubaiz frame.

From Interstate 94 to Prescott

Big Bill Stuber and I rode from the Oakland Middle School in Lake Elmo north of Interstate 94 on Manning Avenue to Prescott, Wisconsin and back. I thought that was a 25 mile route but it was actually only 20. Anyway, we rode into a big headwind out of the south as we took Stagecoach all the way there. The big climbs we rode included Indian Trail, the Coulee, the big climb north of Afton State Park and the steep climb south of Afton State Park. After that, it was hammer into the wind. When we got to Prescott, we stopped and had breakfast at a local restaurant. On the way back, we had the big climb on 21 right out of Prescott and then up the big climb south of the state park. Next up was the south side of the Coulee and then the climb out of Afton on Stagecoach. Realizing we were not going to get fifty miles in, we kept going north on Stagecoach to 30th north. Then, we went west on 30th, up that big climb to Oakgreen and then west to Lake Elmo Blvd. From there we went south to 10th and then back to the school for a little over 50 miles.

Nord bei Nordosten

The after work ride was an 18 miles spin into Northeast Minneapolis via Summit Avenue, River Blvd and the U of M. The roads were fairly dry. I rode the Redline.

Bike Radio Link

I put in a link for Bike Radio in the Links Section. The show runs live from 5pm to 6pm on Sundays.

In The Peloton

I try to avoid most road races now because I broke my hand in a crash a few years ago. I was in the main pack or peloton when it happened. The peloton that I prefer now is the Schwinn Peloton road bike made from 1998 to 2000 by Match Cycles for Schwinn. The Reynolds 853 frame is hard to beat for a comfortable ride. I got this blue 56cm frame about a week ago. So far, I've added an Ultegra rear derailleur, 105 front derailleur, carbon fork, combination Aheadset and Cane Creek headset, Bontrager OS handlebars and an Ultegra right side 9 speed shifter and a 105 left side double shifter. I also put some Mavic Cosmos blue wheels on the frame but I think it will look better with black wheels. I wouldn't mind building it up with all balck 105 components either. Check out the progress so far.

Chasing Cars

Chasing cars is never a good idea. Throwing stuff at cars doesn't work too well either. I remember throwing stuff at cars when I was a kid. My buddies and I would launch various items and then take off running. My Uncle Roy use to throw rocks at cars when he was a kid. He got in trouble for that a few times. Anyway, Rob Belz, Bill Stuber and I were out riding the roads of Lake Elmo, Stillwater and Lakeland today when we came across a German Shepard lying in a ditch south of Lake Elmo. The dog had a red collar and he wasn't moving. I'm guessing he was either enjoying a rest, playing possum or more likely, was dead from chasing and getting hit by a car. Dogs that chase cars usually don't last too long... After passing the dog, we continued on and worked our way over to the Bikery which is a bakery and bike shop in Stillwater. Dave Ludwigson was inside after going on a Loon State early morning ride. We talked to Dave for a while and then continued on our way. The total for the ride was a little over 31 miles. Check out the picture of the Redline after the ride. It's pretty clean because the roads out there are dry.

On Dry Roads

I could have ridden the bike in Saint Paul after work but the roads were pretty wet from all of the melting snow. Instead, I threw the Redline Conquest in the truck and drove out to Lake Elmo. The roads out there are always dry way before those in town. That was the case today. I took off from the Oakland School parking lot and went through a neighborhood that has a big climb. Then, I cruised into downtown Lake Elmo. From there, I rode east on 40th to Stagecoach. I continued south on Stagecoach, crossed I94 and took Hudson road back to Neil. Next, I went north on Neil and then left on 10th and back to the parking lot. I got in a little over 20 miles.

On The Course

The after work workout today was an hour of skiing at the legendary Highland 9 Hole Golf Course in Saint Paul. Tom Bengel and John Wyland joined me for the classic ski. We want to get on the bikes again but we'll have to wait until the roads clear.

New Frame And Bike Radio

I picked up another Schwinn Peloton frame. I had one of these a few years back but that one was yellow. This one is blue. The only reason I got rid of the last one was because I needed the money. Like the last one, this frame was made for Schwinn by Match Cycles between 1998 and 2000. They made Schwinn Paramounts and Schwinn Circuits during that same time span. All three frames were made with Reynolds 853 steel which is gives really smooth riding. The Paramounts had beautiful external lugs and were made in the USA. In fact, the frmae builder for Match Cycles was Curt Goodrich who now makes custom frames and frames for Rivendel right here in Minneapolis. The Pelotons and Circuits were made in Taiwan toMatch Cycles specs. The Paramounts had Dura Ace, the Pelotons Ultegra and the Circuits used 105. I'll build this one up as I accumulate parts. Check out the picture. Anyway, we had the second episode of Bike Radio today on 91.7fm, www.macalester.edu/wmcn at 5pm as usual. Today, we talked about all things Italian and we did a book review of "A Dog In A Hat." Next week we'll talk about bike movies and do another book review.