A Few Pictures Lately

Skiing at Lake Elmo, the Solis road bike and rollerskiing the Afton Coulee.

Back on the Blog

It's been a long time since the last post... Months... I'm off my job for the winter so I've got a lot of time to keep this thing going. If I didn't mention it already, I'm selling asphalt and concrete driveways, patios, sidewalks and parking lots now so I get the winters off... With my first year of selling asphalt and concrete, I didn't ride much. I worked a lot and was learning the business. I only have 2,345 miles on the bike this year. That should change as I get better with time management. The weight was hovering in the low 170s for most of the summer but I somehow got back to 180lbs a few weeks ago. I rollerskied a lot this fall and got in some good training. When the snow came, I got in some classic skiing with the waxless crowns and then some good crust skating on a local golf course. That ended when I broke my toe last week while skiing on said golf course down a hill after the sun went down... I plan on trying to skate ski in a few days. Classic skiing will be prohibited until the bone heals... Anyway, I raced four time trials this year with mediocre results and then only two cyclocross races. I would have raced more cross but my weight kept getting in the way of fast times...

Afton Cruise

Bill Stuber and I rode to Afton today from my house in Saint Paul. I rode the new Solis Umbra carbon bike. It's made by RavX, the company I sell components for. The bike worked great on the 48 mile round trip. Otherwise, I got in a few rides during the week including one time trial training session on the Greenway. Plus a few rides on the Bottecchia fixed gear.

Building The Solis And Enjoying The Lake

I worked on the Solis carbon fiber road bike over the weekend. They sent me two left side SRAM Force shifter/brake levers so I have to get the one for the right side. Also, I went fishing with Jerry Engen and his 15 year-old grandson Zach on Sunday. After getting my boat and truck stuck in Lake Jane (thanks to Barry Torgerson for pulling me out), we went to Lake DeMontriville. I caught a big northern and a few bass plus one sunfish and a perch. Zach caught a northern, a few bass, one sunfish and a rare, blue sunfish. Jerry got a bunch of small sunfish with one big one and he also caught a bass. It was the shakedown cruise for the Hiawatha boat's 28 hp Johnson motor.

Second Bike Race Of The Year

I rode in the rain with John Wyland last Saturday. We rode the Greenway loop. A light rain at the start turned heavy about 1/4th of the way. We stopped at Chipotle for lunch so that was okay. It was 31 miles of riding... Sunday, it was back on the Greenway for more time trial training. Another 31 miles with time trial intervals mixed in. The Ride and Glide Tuesday Time Trial was postponed to Wednesday because of rain. Tommy Bengel and I drove out and raced it. I got 19th in a time of 33:15. My average speed was 24.36 mph. On Friday, I got in 20 miles on the Greenway, Kenilworth Loop. I rode the fixed gear Botecchia.

Selling Asphalt - Riding When I Can...

I've been selling concrete and asphalt driveways and parking lots with some appointments in the evening so I'm riding when I can instead of posting on the blog. I'll try to update it more frequently. I rode the TCBC All Club ride out of Snail lake last Saturday. That one was 67 miles. Joining me were Jerry Engen, Lori Belz, Rob Belz and John Wyland. Otherwise, I've been hanging out on the Greenway Loop. That's a great course for time trial training. Anyway, I'm at 1,417 miles for the year so far...

Riding And Racing

I've gotten in some rides and a race since the last post. A 52 mile road ride with Tom Bengel, John Wyland, Tina Olson, Jerry Engen, Lori Belz and Rob Belz on the 1st. On the 2nd, I did a 12 mile mountain bike ride at Theodore Wirth with Rob, Tom and Lee Bengel and Bill Stuber. We rode over from Kenwood. My first race of the year was the Ride and Glide Withrow TT. Tom Bengel joined me on that one. Everyone had a slower time than last year with the 20mph wind gusting to 40mph. I got 22nd out of 70. Thursday was a 31 mile loop on the Greenway System with Steve Prast. Today, I did the same ride with John Wyland and Bill Stuber.

Caught In The Rain

I took the Bottecchia fixed gear out for a little spin this evening. I wasn't planning on a long ride but a rain storm turned it into a 6 1/2 cruise...

More Time Trial Training

31 miles of time trial training on the Greenway with Tommy Bengel on Monday. We did five speed intervals. Today, I took off for the Greenway again and more time trial training. I ran into Tom Bengel, Dag Selander, Paul Schoening, Mike Shaw and Big Dave out for a ride. I rode with them between the nine intervals I did. I got in 30 miles.

Sunday Cruise

Tom Bengel and I waited for the rain to clear and the roads to dry up before going for a 19 mile cruise. We rode down Summit, up the High Bridge, the Marie climb, over to Fort Snelling and up the river on the Minneapolis side before heading back on Summit.

Hitting The Hills

I rode up the High Bridge and the Marie Avenue climb after work today. I got in 18 1/2 miles.

Another Synergy Ride

Synergy had the Ridley Factory guys at the ride tonight. They had some demo bikes for people to try. Now Bikes is going start selling them. We rode into Eagan and back. I got in 25 1/2 miles.

Time Trialing With Tommy

More time trial training for Tom Bengel and me tonight. We got in 31 miles on the Greenway Loop with five long intervals and lots of tempo work. Tons of people were out on the trails.

In Synergy

I joined the Synergy group ride from the Saint Paul Now Bikes Store out to Eagan and back. Neighbor Steve joined me along with Mike J, Alex D and Maria, Nicole, Chris, Jim and Nate.

Road and Single Track

The Saturday ride was a couple of loops on the single speed mountain bike at Salem Hills. Bill Stuber and Steve Prast joined me. The trail was in great shape. Today, Lori Belz, Jerry Engen, Bill Stuber, Rob Belz and I rode the roads from Lakeland through Lake Elmo, Washington County and Stillwater. We got in 31 miles.

Everyone Knows It's Windy...

Tom Bengel, John Wyland and I rode from my house down to Eagan and back for 28 miles. We headed south into the wind so we would have a tail wind on the way home. It worked out pretty good... I still have the Bottecchia for sale at $350.

Baseball - Bikes

I've been getting in some more bike rides since the last post. 31 miles of TT training on Friday (Greenway Loop), 29 miles of hills into Woodbury on Sunday and 31 miles of TT training with Tommy Bengel tonight on the Greenway Loop. Plus, the Twins game yesterday!

Mixing It Up

Sold a couple of bikes since the last post. The red Specialized Allez went to my neighbor Steve. The orange DOT fixed gear bike went to a bike commuter. One road ride, a mountain bike cruise at Battle Creek and two time trial training sessions on the Greenway loop since the last post. Soem of the peeps I rode with include Steve Prast, Jerry Engen, Lori Belz, Bill and Joe Stuber, Tom and Lee Bengel and John Wyland.

More Rides

Yesterday's ride was 26 miles after work with Jerry Engen, Tom and Nora Bengel, John Wyland, Bill Stuber and Rob Belz. We rode the Greenway, Kenilworth and Cedar Trails. Today was 20 miles of time trial training on the Greenway and Kenilworth system.

Time Trial Training On The Greenway

I got in 26 miles of time trial training on the Greenway, Cedar and Kenilworth Trails after work today. I rode the Specialized Allez Time Trial Training Bike. There weren't too many people out considering the great weather...

Weekend Rides

Friday, 18 miles, Saturday, 10 miles (after the TCBC Swap), Today, 80 miles... I rode with John Schmidt, John Wyland, Tina Olson, Lori Belz and Rob Belz. Tina and Lori went 40 and the rest of us went 80. We rode from Afton to Hudson and into the hills of Western Wisconsin.

Rising Waters

I rode 20 miles after work today on a route that took me past the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. While climbing the High Bridge, I checked out the river by Harriet Island. Yeah, it's very high. Next, I crossed the Minnesota via the Sibley Bridge. The water has flooded the whole valley there. Anyway, there were tons of other people out on their bikes.

Another 30

Today's ride was a nice 30 mile cruise from Baytown into Lake Elmo, Mahtomedi, north Washington County and Stillwater. I rode with Jerry Engen, Lori Belz, John Wyland and Bill Stuber.

Long Time Posting

It's been a while since my last post. I kind of got hooked on the facebook thing but I will update the blog more frequently now. Over the past month, I finished my 24th Birkie in a time of 2:47. I think I was around 600th place. Based on past Birkies with similar conditions, my time in '97 was 2:27 so I'm ten pounds heavier, older and 20 minutes slower than when I used to train big hours for ski racing. I figure it's hard to hammer all year 'round though some guys can do it. I guess I work more towards bike fitness than skiing... I've gotten in quite a few rides lately too. The longest has been 31 miles which I did twice on the Greenway, Cedar and Kenilworth Trail Systems. Today, I rode with Bill and Joe Stuber and my neighbor Steve Prast. We rode 30 miles into the northeast metro and back.

Training On Snow Again

I'm back to cross country skiing after a ten day hiatus due to weather a few weeks ago. I actually came back a week ago Saturday with a classic ski at Lake Elmo and then did the William O'Brien skate race last Sunday. This week, I got out Tuesday and Wednesday at Como and then did 2:15 and 1 1/2 hours of classic at Lake Elmo yesterday and today. Peeps I skied with lately have been John Wyland, Lori Belz and Jerry Engen. I finished painting the frame on my latest bike project so I'll put it together this week. Anyway, check out the picture from Lake Elmo. Is that a UFO above the sun?

Back To Now

I went back to Now Bikes and rode the trainer for 1 1/2 hours and 24 miles while watching the 1976 Joergen Leth film; "A Sunday In Hell". The film covers the 1976 Paris-Roubaix bike race on the cobbles of the north of France. The main players were the greats of the day including Eddy Merckx, Roger DeVlaeminck (who got third), Marc DeMayer (who won that day), Freddy Martins, Walter Goodefroot, Jan Raas, Hennie Kuiper and a very young Francesco Moser (who placed second).

Virtual Time Trial-First Ride Of The Year

I got some training in during the week. Last Sunday, I classic skied for 40 minutes at the famed and storied Highland 9 Hole Golf Course. Tuesday, I got in an hour of skate skiing at Highland. I knew I needed some longer sessions so I skated for 2 1/2 hours at the Comenkollen. That was 7 laps... Thursday I took off and then yesterday, I got home from work, put the ski stuff on and went outside. It was drizzling out so I promptly went back inside. Today was the Withrow virtual time trial course on the trainer at Now Bikes. I did one full warm-up lap and then started hammering to time myself. After 1 1/2 minutes, I blew the computer apart. Mike Johnson reset the computer but by then, I decided to bag it. The total time riding was 50 minutes giving me 15 miles. The virtual course is harder than the actual course...

On A Few Courses

I did some more cross country skiing this week. I skated a few times at Como and then skated at lake Elmo Park Reserve yesterday. Today, I got in a few loops of classic skiing at the Highland 9 Hole Golf Course. Check out the picture from Lake Elmo.

10 Days Since The Last Post

I've been busy lately and haven't posted for 10 days. I've been cross country skiing at places like Como Park, Lake Elmo and a new place I skied today called Green Acres. It's in Lake Elmo, has snowmaking and has hosted the Green Acres Cyclocross Race the last two years. The ski course is fantastic! This could be a decent place for a future velodrome... Yesterday, I drove down to the Cronometro Bike Swap in Madison, WI with my neighbor Steve. There were a lot of great deals to be found. Paul Schoening and Dag Selander were selling stuff at the swap. Check out the picture from last year's swap and the picture from Green Acres today taken by Bruce Adelsman. The Green Acres picture is Jerry Engen followed by me and Tom Bengel.

A Triathlon To Close Out The Decade

The last few days of the decade included a personal triathlon for me. Within the last week, I rode the Cobro's (common law brother-in-law) beater GT mountain bike, skied twice at the famed and storied Highland 9 Hole golf course and yesterday, the third leg of the triathlon, coyote hunting... I finished the year with 3,527 miles of biking. That was 525 miles better than last year but still down from the 4,200 I rode a few years ago. Anyway, while coyote hunting yesterday, I tried out the new winter camo insulated bibs that I bought while in Saratoga, New York last week. They worked great as I tracked a pair of coyotes for about a mile before I ran out of land for hunting. I need snowshoes though as I broke through the crust layer of snow numerous times. Regardless, Happy New Year to everyone!