cold...

enjoyed 1.5 hours in the park. outer loop with a shot out to the shop and back and a loop each in the n.lights and the diytt mtb loop. by the way - the snow machines are putting snow down already - climbing that hill from n.loops up to the warming house by the snowboard hill is tough on a single speed in the snow...max heart rate in about 30 ft.

note to self - once that sun goes down behind the trees - start to hurry home...it got wicked cold really fast tonight and I was about 60% ready for the climate drop.

enjoy the week

ac

from cycling news

kinda chuckled when i read this. though not a big fan of Armstrong - he does have an amazing ability and this was kinda funny.

Who the hell is Linus Gerdemann?

Recently, German rider Linus Gerdemann said that Armstrong's return may not be in the best interest for the sport's credibility. "He's right, I am older. I raced with Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Miguel Indurain and Greg Lemond of all people. I have been around a long time and I don't know who the hell Linus Gerdemann is, but I know that when I rolled up in 1992, I started winning races. And when I roll up in 2009, I am gonna be winning races. He better hope he doesn't get in a breakaway with me because I can still ride hard," said the Texan.

Thanks Guys

I had a blast today - 3.5 hours with the guys in the cold/sleet and snow at times. mainly urban ride today and we visited the cyclocross race in blaine - got some coffee and had fun. I was chilly but the new duds were just fine. Me, Neil, Jay H and Dave G. Thanks for the ride guys - good times, back in time for the wife, hope you faired well Neil on the 144 loop...

i almost forgot how slow things can get when its cold outside. think i will hit some single speed mtb tomorrow...and i will have the foot covers on for sure.


enjoy the weekend.

I find great humor in this..

Know the source - the Onion.

Land of the Free.

this has sparked in me a re-newed determination to care more about what we do as a nation - just for the record - it wasnt McCain that i voted for - as many have made comments here and there. Not that anyone should give a rip what i think anyway. i am excited for change - and i am not hating that word. it was going to change no matter what.

I work in a place where people show and tell me of their former country - and all it takes is a few moments to realize that America is blessed and wonderful. I fear for what lay ahead in the area of National identity - I fear that this country will slip through the fingers of rational thinking (Erik - i know you will disagree on that) - i do hope that I am wrong - i really do.

Change for the sake of change, something hip, young, inexperienced, questionable background and associations is, in my mind, a bad idea....but i am just Andy in Minnesota and no-one reading this is an expert either.

I believe, through the people I have talked with as friends and family, that many think that Obama is the black knight saviour that is going to bring stability, jobs, money, lower taxes - heck there were people out there saying they are glad b/c they "wont have to worry about paying for gas in their car, paying their mortgage.....we helped him [obama] and he will help us." i have the link. amazing - is this what he instilled in people is the image of - "gov will take care of everything?"

Again - i do hope things improve but he will fail like all have. He will dissapoint like all have - he is human. the supporters of obama have put in their minds a level of expectation that is so high - even he stated that this will take a LONG time - opposed to the campaign of " I will change the white house overnight."

Oh well, off to the bike I go - going to watch either braveheart or gladiator on the spin bike and enjoy every moment of it. and if it matters to anyone - i have been in contact with the person that posted on the comments about abortion and mends are made - she is a good friend of mine and dear to my heart - enjoy the day and pray for this nation.

My Hats....

Off to the people of America for their turn out in this election and making their choice - the people have been heard. May God bless this great nation.

So many ask...

So, who you gonna vote for?

Well, seeing that so many in politics are of the same ilk - with no grasp on the middle class no matter what they say - i have to boil it down to some basic key points that means something to me. After all - it is my vote - my opinion etc.... looking back after writing this - it is more like free-association more than collected, organized thoughts. feel free to criticize.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Declaration of Independence - 1776

Life - point one for me. This is simple to me and complicated to others. I have a real problem with baby killers - thats right - abortion. Anyone that promotes this - especially partial birth abortion as it is wicked and evil - God pitty their soul. black and white to me - and i think that all that are reading right now are glad that they were not aborted.

Liberty - the freedom to act. Go to a third world or socialist nation - heck leave America and see what life is like without Liberty. We have been blessed in America with Liberty and our fore-fathers died for this right against the guns of Brittan. We have liberty to live without the government paving each step we must take. we have free enterprise to ensure good services rendered....let gov take over sectors of private life and then we can belly up to the government trough...not my idea of free...it is bondage.

Pursuit of Happiness - not the promise of happiness but the ability to pursue a dream. tough to do when your daily and life's work is being undercut. free market enterprise vs. socialistic ideals....create a more socialistic nation and you squash the very happiness out of most. I fail to see the advantage of letting gov control and govern over the daily on-goings of private enterprise. I am not an expert at all - just fed up. do i think its perfect now? Nope...just saying to promote more control by gov...take more from us to pay for such things "charity at gun point (socialism)" is not my idea of what is good for the people. just me and my untrained thoughts.

Other than the these - and I may have miss-represented them - is the character of the person and their background. In my line of work - this means EVERYTHING as it is a measuring stick for ones intent or long term goal. I am actually surprised that Obama has made it this far to be honest. there is no way in God's green earth that he could be hired in our circles yet he is running for office? i wont get into this. ... ok a bit... a good friend mentioned - in so many words " so he had a wacky pastor in the past..." well, this wacky pastor was about as un-American as it gets and very vocal about it...this alone would in any other security cleared environment - exclude him from gaining access....I guess being a God fearing - Christ loving man - the litmus test is the Bible and in the case of "that" church - for this thoughts sake - I would have to say - yikes.

Aint to keen on McCain either as he is pretty liberal for republicans sake - so where or where is Ron Paul? At least he stood on the Constitution and the founding principles by which this nation was built. I dare say that this is becoming American the Unrecognizable.

I think we all know that once in the office - not many have been able to make the changes they "say" they are going to make - we have checks and balances to even the power and not have one sided options. What I would say is 'what has this person done with what is lay before him? ' I love the ads about - Bush being so horrible - ok...you try leading a nation in the face of attack on our own soil...have we forgotten this already? oh, and the one about how the economy is horrible? really? the stock market turns south - its a gamble anyway - and all of a sudden, Bush is the martyr hung out to dry? You could have had Gore in there 8 years ago...and would it have been different? sure, either good or bad. would we have had more attacks on American soil? who knows. Good thing for the employment of spooky intel operators that protect our boarders. shoulda, coulda, woulda....

Change will happen no matter what - which is why I didnt understand O's campaign. Geez - McCain is pretty far to the left as far as Republicans go....now, if we could have another Reagan - that would be worth a thousand elections. This nation is slipping away from its identity and former self - its like people are following the yellow brick road to Oz to only find that the dream they were following was just a normal person with smoke and mirrors.

The next 4 years should be interesting and I fear that we will be the next Canada, Sweden or KSA...

For Sale - Vintage Groupo.....a craigslist parody

I love craigslist - I really do. We have all gleaned the c-pages looking for that nugget of gold/unobtanium alloy do-hicky we cant live without....in the world of cycling however, there sure seems to be a lot of mindless crap being pawned off as being much more than it really is....such words as vintage, classic, timeless, single speed and Italian are being mocked in every way possible.

So to add to the mix of the worthless being marketed as something you just might see Sotheby's, I give you my old groupo of rare parts - "much like what Greg LeMond used"...but not so much.

Avoid scams and fraud by dealing locally! Beware any deal involving Western Union, Moneygram, wire transfer, cashier check, money order, shipping, escrow, or any promise of transaction protection/certification/guarantee. More info

Dia Compe BRS Blaze brake set - complete with OEM Suntour Vintage DT Shifters (North Metro) $175

Reply to: sale-Isellcrap@craiglist.crap ^[?]
Date: 2008-11-02, 10:37PM CST

I recently upgraded my out of date but highly functional Cannondale (circa 1990) with STI shifters and new dual pivot brakes. What this means to you is that you have a chance to bank on some classic components for that long overdue frame-off restoration that has been looming in the dark corner of your garage. For sale - Dia Compe Blaze brake set - both front and back - single pivot with heavily worn pads and matching brake levers - I will throw in the orig cable guides for an extra $5. Perfect for completing that perfect old-school look. If you look at old pics of Greg LeMond - you will see similar style of components used. Also for sale are the original DT shifters - these are a beauty...Suntour levers that have seen better days. Index shifting at peak form - good luck finding a matching cassette. If you are building that single speed of dreams and need to add in a front or both brakes - these Dia Comps will fit the bill and retain that vintage look that so many are paying top dollar for.

down with the sickness

yup - i got some weird head cold bug...at least i got it now instead of feb...knock on wood. went for 10 miles today - planned on more but with a headache the size of king kong - i was in no position to push it. took the golden boy on the ride and I was impressed with full carbon - pretty nimble and smooth. with that - my set up in the basement is done - and i will be spending more hours in front of a tv than i have ever done before. the rat bike is now set up as a six speed and that should be good enough for winter riding and commuting if need be. thats about it as i sit here waiting for nyquil to take affect.

is it possible i am back in the market for a bike with gears???

sure.

found myself...

riding in some slippery spots today. left the house at 2 pm - walked in the door at 5 pm. Rain, no rain, standing water, standing mud - lots of wet leaves and absolutely beautiful in the woods today. I had a lower gear today and went for high heart rate at extended intervals. well worth the ride - totally covered in mud - worse than Cheq - man, it was so cool. In fact, it was so muddy, it was not easy to tell what jersey I had on - well, it didnt matter the clothes I wore - what mattered is that I was out today. Rain Rain Go Away.....????? No way - rain rain come my way and give me another reason to get on the bike today.... hope you had a chance to ride today as it was worth every second.

ac

5 hours in the park

Crazy Lady Maria and scared David (above)

Maria and David (above)

Peter on the trail (above)

No discomfort today - perfect day with the kids!

Headed out with the kids today about noon with the bikes on the rack...thanks Ed and yes you will get the rack back. Took off from the north end parking lot and headed counter clock-wise around the park with all three. It was interesting to say the least and exciting above all that the kids were having such a blast. Made our way around the outer loop to the warming house and then took the N.Lights trail to the playground...then headed to Culvers for lunch and then to the bike shop for a quick repair on Pete's seat so that he was not in pain anymore...headed back with various stops throughout the ride...back home about 5:15.....it was a good day and the kids were wiped out.

What a PERFECT day to be out riding. FLAWLESS! it was the slowest 20 miles i had ridden in a long time but soooooo worth it. Pete and Maria had my jersey's on and were loving each second - Dave was way out front. We took some mt bike paths here and there to mix it up. the kids did so well.

that was my Saturday!

proud moments....

Last night at the boy scout court of honor - David earned his Tenderfoot badge and a host of other awards - oh, and a few merit badges... mom in law, David and me. Great moment I will remember forever....

To Do List....

Okay - well with so much to look forward to this next year, I felt the overwhelming desire to really focus on a few major issues that have plagued my soul as of recent....house projects. Today was a good day in that we were able to accomplish a few of the biggies..... patio sliding door - replace/install etc.....remove rotten drywall in shower - add dura-rock and re-tile.....pull window on lower level and rebuild the wood frame - reinstall. All done today. Next is to repaint the non-stucco portions of my house prior to snow fall. We will see on this one as it appears to be lots of prep...heck, if i can do what i did today, I should be able to paint.

Biking? who has time for it? Well, i guess a few did over the weekend. I trust the Headwaters went well. I got a text from JayT that he singled it in just over 4 hours. Way to go Duke....i guess the 45.16 was the charm.

I did walk past my bike about 20 times today in working on the house....I did pull my mt.bike apart last week and the parts are still lined up on the floor.....so I can be happy that I did at least think about biking today....

RAAM - June 09 - now the fun starts

so the word is yes from those that decide. 8 person raam is in my future...there is something about the 4 person that has me excited as well but if the 8 person is the way to go next year - I am in....less costs up front. 12-14 hours of biking a week, strength training every week...9 months of concerted effort and this will hopefully put me in contention to do well.

Crap, I sold my bianchi a few months ago for a single speed mt bike and a washing machine...my cost for this RAAM just went up....onto craigs list I go...unless someone is willing to rent out a bike...lol. I think Justin still has his Kabuki - LOL....just kidding..kind of.

I was told no single speeds - what kind of race is this? man, i am really excited...crap, I wont be able to sleep.

or work.

various rides when I can

Pulled the Mt Bike apart to find water living comfortably in my tubes...love it. Prior to this - I spent some quality time with the Cheq bike over the weekend - putting on 30 off road. felt great to ride more...not sick of the bike...thanks to not riding that much this summer.

Once the mt bike was apart - I got on the blue bike and started to get comfortable on this. noticed my seat was off a bit and it was causing some nice back pain. Corrected and happy. In my quest to stay on course with averaging at least 25 miles a day I was on course up to today. With lights on the bike - i am good. With good warm weather, I was happy.

I was able to harness the average still above 21 mph on each ride and felt fresh. I guess the trainer is going to get a work out this year. Spin class, gym, winter riding....all in an effort to springboard into spring /summer and all that may come my way.

so, bring it on. i have the desire and the full support of the family for excessive training this winter....now if i can cut back on eating fast food...that is my next epic span to cross.

ac

wow - training starts now? Okay.

commitment to next year in many different aspects means not letting this winter slow me down. I fully expect the few that read this to keep me accountable until my proper habbits are formed - needs about 28 days...maybe longer with the cold weather. why? b/c living outside of fitness sucks.... there are some things that have caught my eye for next year and instead of waiting - start now....

food, training, mind set, setting aside vices....sounds icky but the plus side is I am happier........

why we do this? because we are tested... that's why.

the moment i realized i beat my time...final sprint to finish.

Pre ride on Rosey's Field - heading to the main Berkie Trail

pre- ride 3miles into the trails - fast drop...it was raining by this time

Ted and I walking to cure the nerves

Pink is the new black

The line up - crazy

over 1700 bikers start at once...yikes

AK - the rig waits to be driven hard

All lined up - waiting to start - nervous

Matt and I ready to rumble

not in order - waiting to get prepped to ride -

after the finish - going to clean bike - icky/fun

My good friend Pete Taylor and I showing that friendships can last from 2nd grade to age 36 without any issues - we starting riding together in middle school. this is priceless -

Cheq weekend (fat tire pics)
2hours 53 min - finished 161 places better than last year...sucess
Great weekend - where do I begin? I knew a bit more this time - turns, climbs, nerves etc....I was excited to try out the new bike of course but more excited to just have fun. Fun it was - RAIN on the course. Neil - you would have just loved it. It really was classic. Peter Tayor mentioned that it was a Roubaix weekend. I agree.

Pre ride was 5 miles in - 5 miles back from Rosey's. perfect day to say the least. The buzz was all about people saying how they were going to attack the hills, best lines etc....hell, just ride it. with 1500 plus people - your plans meaning nothing - ride.

Up early to the start line - good start - 5 rows back. the cannon shot and we are cruzin through hayward enjoying the sights but trying to find the best line. Hogeland was the dare-devil whizzing in and out of people getting up front (he did really well). Single speed folk kinda filter back - Jesse and Marko's brother passed me on the roll out - he was flying. Hit the trails and began gaging my strength....my lack of riding this year was easy to see right away. my overall fitness wasnt quite there but i felt good. Then the rain...it was soothing of course but it made me wonder - is this going to be easy or hard....in some ways it was easy - the mud said it wasnt.

By "OO" i was cramped pretty bad - my abs were torn and i felt like sitting up - I kinda did while i tried to work out the cramp...gut cramps suck. I came into the OO feed zone and missed the water cup and splashed the water in the kids face...missed the second on and splash that on the nice lady......the last person had the bananna - he ran with me and i got a bite of food...to only throw it up upon swallowing...it was funny. The guy behind me said " well, you dont see that everyday - that was the funniest thing I have ever seen.." well, i am glad he found humor.

after the cramp went away - i felt like super man but unfortunately i lost my chance to catch up to Jay or Bob....well, i have feeling they were way out....and hell, was I really going to catch up to them or keep up with them? NO. so thus begun the picking off of people - one at a time. I hung with 4 single speeders all running 61 gear inches and we helped each other. it was cool. our own team - of single speed fools. I dismounted 3 times only and i was happy with that. lots of speed and the low tire pressure helped a lot...i was surprised with my daring on this ride. parts of the ride were not friendly - most of the course was really wet...the grass was fast the mud was not.

I had a blast hunting down the next rider. once the 10 miles to go sign passed - i figured i was with who i was going to finish with....then as we hit flats - i ramped up the rpms....trying to recover from the hills..it wasnt easy...my miles were low this year yet i was happy with how i was riding. i felt vomit surfacing every now and then so i can say that I was riding "just below puke" the whole ride. I left nothing on the table saturday.

Fire tower hill is a walk-fest anyway so i was not upset to have to walk it. i admire ANYONE that rides up that frickin wall. Once up top we started on the berkie rollers - these suck after the FT hill. My calf muscles were cramped walking up that hill....i hung in with the same SS guys and I noticed that the group of 10-15 around me were the same from mile 20. The cramps then went away and I felt great - i hammered the best i could and gapped some of them - i had no issues with traction - the crossmark tires are perfect. I ran with 25 psi and it was the best. I just need to ride more to keep the cardio and resp fitness up there.

with about 4 miles to go i had to drop my sunglasses - had issues with finding my back pocket and then while i slowed down, about 15 people passed me up. I got back on it and hammered to catch up - the last 2 miles were really fast. I burried my head and watched the sweat drip from my nose and as i caught the group i noticed that many were blown off the back. the drop into Telmark was great - I saw the 8 people left ahead of me - i stood up and pushed hard - passing in the tall grass - a quick break check had the group hesitate as i swung to the right side and passed them on the first turn into the shoot. I stood, sprinted as I heard someone yell my name, that gave me what i needed to pass the last single speeder of the group to cross the line by myself - 6 mins faster than last year....i was jazzed considering the course this year.... then there was Peter - with the high five and a hug.

Cheq this year? it was well....wonderful. I will remember this day.

and I'm Leaving....on a

Suburban.....heading north by north east.....

SHould have some great pics to follow this weekend....Chequamegon....friends.....all around good times.


see ya later..


andy

interesting weekend.....

Looks a bit - well - wet this weekend....