ride your bike

white monday

2012-01-23T04:33:00.000-06:00

if it's going to be cold then we might as well have some snow. there's nothing i hate more at this time of year and that's the bone chilling winds we get. when it snows it's not as windy and it's warmer, so that's why i like the snow :) we didn't get much last night, maybe an inch and that was it, but it was enough to get all slushy before midnight and then freeze a few hours later. it's kinda fun to ride around in IF you have the right tires. this winter my 'snow' bike is my surly traveler's check with nokian/suomi hakkapeliitta W240s. the 700x40c size is the widest they make for a cross tire but it's actually narrower, like 37c or so. and that's even when mounted on my wide mavic a719 rims. i wish suomi made it a bit wider, say 43-45c, and it'd be way better. as long as we don't get a ton of snow i'll be alright running these skinny tires. i'm running a 42x20 gear and it's perfect for these conditions. if it dumps a foot next week then i will seriously miss having a 29er. i used to ride a surly km with fat gazza extreme snow tires but i sold it quite a while ago with the plans to upgrade and just haven't gotten around to it yet. anyways, here's to january being almost done! :)

62 tuesday

2012-01-10T20:30:00.000-06:00

i can't complain with it being 62 in january. i rode out to pioneer's for a few laps and to say hello to the bison. afterwards i went for some delicious pho. boy that stuff is good. pho is perhaps the best post ride meal in the winter.

turbo skarks

2012-01-06T15:23:00.000-06:00

these little guys are in the window at one of my favorite soup joints. nothing like starting a friday with some moroccan tomato. oh.. happy new year everyone.

it's bright

2011-12-15T18:20:00.000-06:00

i tried out my new Urban 300 that i won last month in the Ask Reba contest. i must say, for being such a small light it's pretty damn bright. here's to winning! :)

'tis the season...

2011-12-08T23:24:00.000-06:00

for coffee and studded tires.

the ladies on the hill

2011-11-21T07:20:00.000-06:00

from the second day of the lincoln CX weekend.

last of fall

2011-11-01T23:00:00.011-05:00

it's suppost to get cold and rainy tomorrow (which imho is THEE WORST weather for cyclists), and on top of that we might get our first snow, so i made sure to get some miles in today. i went out north of the airport and west out past pawnee lake, and then south to van dorn where i did a lap through pioneers park at sunset. i've ridden this route many times, but today i really appreciated everything along the route. i even saw this little guy spying on me when i stopped to check my tire :) i hope everyone got some quality time outside today, it might be the last we have for a while.

hello lincoln

2011-10-23T18:37:00.001-05:00

just goes to show you that many hidden treasures await you if you leave the car keys at home and just bike or walk around the city with no particular direction in mind.

gravel mondays

2011-10-10T23:21:00.005-05:00

tonight i got in some casual miles with bob and megan. it was megan's first time on the gravel and she enjoyed it. she's going to get a new cross bike soon so i'm sure we'll be seeing her out on the dirt more often.

que hora es?

2011-10-08T12:59:00.002-05:00

time to get this retro campy clock that's what! nate down at the shop got this cool commemorative campagnolo 50th anniversary clock from one of his buddies. dealers probably got some of these back in '83. no doubt there are very few of these around now, man what a great find. lucky!!!!!!!!!!!!

harvest time

2011-10-03T23:17:00.000-05:00

three day weekend

2011-10-02T23:45:00.001-05:00

thursday night's girly hustle (finishing downtown at the hr. lounge)

saturday i stopped by the urban prairie's bike wash / bake sale. i had never had a PBJ banana hotdog before, and i must say those kids know what's good.

and later that evening i hit up the war axe relaunch downtown at crescent moon.

and finally on sunday while riding around in the near south hood i stopped by the bike kitchen. pepe (of pepe's bistro) was there coordinating some bike fixin'.

welcoming dusk

2011-09-28T23:34:00.003-05:00

first night gravel ride of fall, and there's to be many more... especially if this weather keeps up.

streets alive

2011-09-25T20:47:00.001-05:00

the first streets alive! event was today. i saw all sorts of people out along the route. there were whole families walking, joggers, skateboarders, and of course lots of peeps on bikes. everyone was in such a great mood and we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather either. i certainly hope it will be come an annual event.

relaxing wednesday for me...

2011-09-21T23:08:00.005-05:00

fignon's autobiography arrived in my mailbox today. i've been wanting to read it since it came out in 2009, but it was either sold out or way too pricey at the time. today was gorgeous out, like it's been lately. i should've got in a real ride but instead just rode down to the mill, got a dirty chai, kicked back on the dock and started in on "we were young and carefree".

monday night gravel

2011-09-12T23:13:00.006-05:00

lis

GWorlds

2011-08-21T15:49:00.005-05:00

well it's over... the 2011 Gravel Worlds is in the books. most of it was okay... but the first part sucked because of a 2 mile stretch of MMR 'county road B' (minimal maintenance road = dirt road that becomes a mud bog after a rain). that small section alone brought the race to a stand still. many derailleur hangers were ripped off, and for a while i thought i had entered a hike-a-bike competition rather than a bike ride. but the sun came out and dried things up nicely and the rest of the race was just one long gravel roller after another. i can barely move today... but i guess i did have fun. after all, i got to ride my bike all day :) i did 110mi before bowing out. my legs, hands, and lower back were saying 'no more'. it was a good decision because on the 15mi ride home i caught myself falling asleep as a rode. i was that spent. major props to all those who finished the whole thing... especially to the single speeders.

prepping for mud

2011-08-19T23:59:00.002-05:00

g-worlds is still on for tomorrow. after the deluge last night and with it raining right now and till the morning... it looks like i'll have to go with the CX bike instead of the merckx. 153mi of potentially soggy gravel and muddy b-roads does not sound fun... but we'll see how it goes.

prepping for gravel

2011-08-15T14:29:00.001-05:00

the tire that was made for the cobbles.

front clearance... no problemo.

the back... they barely fit. i have about 3-4mm to spare :)

gravel worlds is this weekend... and it's gonna be epic. last year i did half of it on a whim, staying up till 2am the night before putting flat bars on my bianchi cross bike (dumb idea i know) and setting it up as a single speed with a 39x18 gear. i crashed hard in the first 20 miles and ended up bowing out at the halfway point in malcolm. this year i will try to get to bed early friday night and be well-rested and plan on riding all 153 miles of it. most will be riding cross or mtn bikes but hey... i'm a roadie so i gotta represent, so if there's no downpour the night before i'm going to ride my merckx corsa! :) i've been testing the challenge parigi-roubaix clinchers on a few rides since last week. they say 27c but trust me... they are fat! 29mm when mounted on a mavic open pro rim to be exact. my initial impressions of this tire are pretty good. it turns your road bike into a gravel/dirt road machine. you just float over everything with these bad boys. we'll see how durable they are... most reviews aren't that good when it comes to puncture resistance. if your frame can fit them i'd say give them a try, they really are comfy. my corsa has clearance for them, but it's the campy brakes that are making things tight. the front is ok... but the back has about 3-4mm clearance. if there is any mud on saturday's course it will be interesting to say the least. :-P

euro bike night

2011-08-03T18:19:00.003-05:00

for a number of years (i think it started in 2004 or so) the first wednesday of each month is euro bike (motorcycles) night down in the haymarket. it's grown to where they block off the whole street for it and lots of people show up around 5:30 or so and hang out till about 8 or 9. well this month a small group of well connected bike aficionados (an ex bike shop owner, a few collectors, and just all around cool biker peeps) started a 'euro bicycle night' right across from the moto one... on the dock of the mill. i was happy to participate in the first one... and i proudly hung my '89 bianchi up with the other bikes. whether you have a euro bike or not, come on down next month!

night owl...err... bug

2011-08-02T02:49:00.004-05:00

these guys sure do get big toward the end of summer.

nacho'ing with the ladies

2011-07-26T23:09:00.000-05:00

riding out to eagle for nachos on a tuesday night.

99 degrees

2011-07-19T18:03:00.001-05:00

bike jewelry

2011-07-07T05:39:00.004-05:00

i had a pair of these way back when and regretted selling them. imho the cobaltos were probably the prettiest brake back in the 80's. well recently i acquired another set and they are going on the '89 bianchi. they are a perfect match for dulce.

a lazy sunday

2011-05-22T19:40:00.001-05:00

cruising

2011-05-16T19:07:00.001-05:00

downtime

2011-04-21T06:22:00.002-05:00

i had a great time out in SF. now i'm in that lazy post-vacation mode... and also recovering from a cold that i must've got on the return flight.

having fun in SF

2011-04-15T02:14:00.001-05:00

i need a vacation

2011-04-12T05:29:00.006-05:00

the ritchey is ready for SF. i've had a break-away frame for quite a while but just now am i getting around to using it. i can't wait to ride up mt. tam this weekend and kick it in SF with some peeps (it's been a few years). oh i know i've been a bad blogger. i shall post more upon my return, i promise. till then i hope everyone is out riding lots and enjoying spring. :)

salsa, salsa, y mas salsa

2011-03-20T15:24:00.003-05:00

i was up in Omaha last night for Greenstreet's 'salsa party'. There was a company rep talking about Salsa bikes, lots of delicious homemade salsa & chips, and salsa music of course! Oh, and blended margaritas too. :)

it's been a long week

2011-03-03T19:50:00.000-06:00

so last thursday it was like this:

and today it was like this:

i like the later much better.

windy wednesday

2011-03-02T21:45:00.001-06:00

fun in the snow

2011-02-26T18:53:00.004-06:00

there was a good turnout for last night's 'snow hustle'. the conditions were not the most ideal for an urban bike race (even a short one) but it was good to get out on the bike with a lot of peeps that i haven't seen in a while. it's a great cure for cabin fever that's for sure.

soup run

2011-02-24T18:28:00.003-06:00

i didn't want to sit out the blizzard without more tomato basil soup.

just chillin'

2011-02-23T18:02:00.002-06:00

...@ the shop.

hump day sunset

2011-01-12T17:56:00.002-06:00

snow cat

2011-01-09T18:12:00.000-06:00

brujita tries out her paws on snow for the first time. finally we got a really good snow. if it's going to be damn cold we might as well have lots of fluffy snow to make things pretty, right?

flying flakes

2011-01-08T10:39:00.000-06:00

lunes

2011-01-03T18:02:00.001-06:00

here's to the days getting longer.

desde san pancho

2011-01-03T17:04:00.002-06:00

awww, thanks for the lovely card meli! :-)

the hills of manchuria

2011-01-02T06:11:00.009-06:00

it's been a while. with these bitter cold temps of late, i've been spending time inside working on a few bike projects, hanging with the cat, and watching a few flicks from my VHS (yeah i'm still on VHS) collection. this is a scene from one of my favorite movies, Urga. it's the surreal part toward the end... a young girl plays for a stranded russian truck driver who is staying with her family (sheepherders in inner mongolia), he has the music of an old army song "the hills of manchuria" tattooed on his back, and she plays it for him as her little brother watches... and then the camera pulls out to one helluva shot of the mongolian steppes. oh and there's even a bicycle in it :) anyways... i hope everyone had a nice holiday break, happy new year!

a cold wait

2010-12-16T16:51:00.000-06:00

maintenance sunday

2010-12-12T15:45:00.003-06:00

it's like 12 degrees outside which means it's a good time to stay in and do maintenance. brujita has a thing for brake cables.

cold... but picturesque

2010-12-05T17:10:00.001-06:00

first fridays

2010-12-03T21:05:00.001-06:00

hittin the lanes

2010-11-27T23:56:00.001-06:00

pump up the volume

2010-11-23T16:47:00.000-06:00

it was cold at the CX races in Pioneers Park last weekend but at least there was music to help warm things up. DK and his buddies were a rockin' during the mens1/2/3 race.

miller time

2010-11-19T09:06:00.001-06:00

i didn't do so hot in the hustle last night, it was cold and windy and i went the wrong way right from the start, but still... anytime you spend an evening with friends on bikes it's a good time.

margarita'd out

2010-11-08T16:44:00.001-06:00

the first "maratón de morales" was yesterday. it involved riding to all of the morales restaurants in lincoln and drinking margaritas (y cerveza tambien!). that's six stops. we started at la tapatia downtown, then south to las margaritas, then to el toro, then to mazatlan and mazatlan II, and finally back downtown to finish at la mexicana. the weather was perfect. besides one crash and some flats i think everyone had a blast, though i think i don't want to drink another margarita for quite a while.

haunted hustle

2010-11-01T06:16:00.000-05:00

i hope everyone had a fun halloween. i had a blast at the haunted hustle/alley cat race on friday night. there were lots of peeps there, including: a ballerina, a tron girl and a toddler in pigtails, a witch, the wolverine, an alluring hag, and yes... even beetlejuice was there! thanks to kat, the two l's (liz and lis), and everyone else involved in putting it on. what a fun night!

splinterfest

2010-10-25T16:28:00.002-05:00

rachel checks out one of the legacy phoenix models.

when he isn't riding his mountain bike he helps build pipe organs. here jon explains the innards of one of the smaller models.

alix and lauren get the lowdown on pipe construction.

hmmm, looks like alix and lauren beat us out there.

heading south on the jamaica trail.

on sunday rachel and i rode south of town to attend Splinterfest (aka the Bedient Pipe Organ company's open house). we wen't the only ones to bike to the event (we ran into alix and lauren as they were going for a road ride and told them about it so they met us out there). it was interesting to learn about all the craftsmanship that goes into building these timeless instruments. thanks to jon (aka johnny T) for giving us a personal tour.

2am tikka

2010-10-24T03:06:00.002-05:00

afterhours chicken tikka korma? yes!

flying home...

2010-10-18T20:40:00.000-05:00

rachel is learning quickly... trying to stay warm means go faster! it's definitely longsleeve jersey weather from here on out.

harvest time

2010-10-08T18:47:00.000-05:00

it was a good week

2010-10-03T23:42:00.020-05:00

monday... went for a ride that ended in the dark

tuesday... pecha kulcha & film festival downtown, and tacos at 3am with a good friend.

wednesday... at the mill (lots of coffee needed on humpday).

thursday... had some fun on the alleycat race that ended at the usual bar.

friday.... art openings.

saturday... dj'ing for lincoln calling.

sunday... dusk miles with rachel.

buenos dias

2010-09-27T07:33:00.000-05:00

firewood

2010-09-26T19:48:00.003-05:00

sunday afternoon miles with lauren. we passed by this place and she had to stop to get the number... apparently they need lots of wood for their kiln on campus.

equinox miles

2010-09-22T23:52:00.002-05:00

what better way to say goodbye to summer than with some evening miles with rachel, a few margaritas, and then riding home in the dark.

em and TJ

2010-09-22T05:46:00.007-05:00

last night i ran into emily and TJ at the shop. em and i go way back so i'm glad that she recently moved back to lincoln because that means we'll see her and TJ more often. TJ is the coolest pooch ever. he probably has put in more miles with emily on her bike rides (running or riding in a trailer) than any of her other biking buddies. we headed over to yiayia's to catch up over a slice and a few drinks. yo em, i hope you also brought a road bike with you back to nebraska. welcome back! :)

farmtour

2010-09-11T08:35:00.002-05:00

friday evening i rode out to the sunset community farm (in west lincoln) for the community crops farmtour. along with the friendly staff giving tours, each farmer had prepared some food from their latest harvest. i especially enjoyed the salsa and veggie tamales made with papalo that was grown by rogaciano and enriqueta. man they were delicious!

mid week sunset

2010-09-08T23:36:00.003-05:00

boy, i'm sure enjoying this weather.

29 years...

2010-09-02T15:44:00.008-05:00

that's how long this frame has sat in a basement according to the guy i got bought it from. it arrived this afternoon and brujita supervised it's unpacking from the box. it should make a fun fall project.

R.I.P. laurent

2010-09-01T07:23:00.007-05:00

this is the poster of laurent fignon that i've had up in my place for many years. i was a fan of 'the professor', as he was known, and i was saddened to hear of his passing yesterday. the cyclists of fignon's generation were the last of the hard men who raced during the big transition in the sport in the late 80's and early 90's, when clips and leather straps gave way to clipless, brake cables went aero, friction shifting gave way to indexing, and the doping became more prevalent. His autobiography came out last year and I'm curious to read his take on it all.

hwy 33 at dusk

2010-08-25T23:24:00.002-05:00

getting in some mid-week miles with rachel and lauren on a perfect evening.

cold bud please

2010-08-22T23:56:00.004-05:00

gravel worlds is over. i only did 70 miles, others managed to complete all 150 of it, so props to everyone... especially the single speeders! i went with a 39x18 gear and it was ok for the most part but the climbs between valpo and malcolm (the worst being west ashland road... what a brutal track that is) took their toll. i thought my legs were gonna fall off after each one. my crash in the first 20 miles didn't help but i had fun. what an epic course! thanks cornbread, you're a masochist.

tnmrw

2010-08-18T16:53:00.003-05:00

i haven't been on a tuesday night monkey wrench ride in ages. i finally was able to make it yesterday and it turned out to be a hard but fun ride. i met up with the guys at the shop and we rolled out east for some hilly gravel roads. we ended up doing 35-40 miles by the time we got back from eagle (where of course we had to stop for burgers and beers). for those doing gravel worlds this weekend on a single speed, my advice is to gear low... my 42x18 gear (on a cross bike with 42c tires) was too high. a 20t or bigger cog in back would have made things a lot easier.

bad kitty!

2010-08-17T07:44:00.000-05:00

i had my track bike sitting behind my couch for a while and the bars were near the floor. one morning i heard the kitty (who i've named brujita) scratching at something and i thought 'oh she's probably playing with a plastic bag', as she likes to do. nope, apparently she likes fresh cork barwrap. bad bad kitty!

train tracks and a sunset

2010-08-15T23:14:00.005-05:00

just wandering around on a sunday evening.

morning litter run

2010-08-05T07:34:00.000-05:00

trying to keep up with the kitty's output.

it's not the heat but the humidity

2010-08-04T06:40:00.005-05:00

the gorgeous dusk sky during the 20 miles back to lincoln.

it was a hot and humid 40 miles with rachel on monday evening. when we got to the convenience store in cortland we were drenched. cold gatorade never tasted so good.

rise and shine

2010-08-04T06:02:00.009-05:00

krunch cone!

we stopped at bossy's on n. 66th, just off the bike trail

do i look tired?

lindsey post breakfast

our crew: rob, lindsey, and cara

word of advice, if you plan on going on an 80 mile ride early on a sunday morning it's probably a good idea to get to bed early saturday night. instead i stayed out a bit too late and didn't get to bed till 3am. then i was supposed to meet up with a posse for the bacon ride at 630am (riding 40mi to platte river state park, enjoy the delicious breakfast buffet, and then ride 40mi back to lincoln). lindsey called me at 615 ...uuuugh. as you can guess i fell right back to sleep, but my kitty woke me up fifteen minutes later. oh what the heck, i was craving some bacon anyways. so i dragged myself out of bed, got kitted up, pumped up the tires on the luna, and headed out the door. i actually didn't feel too bad after an hour or so, and it turned out to be a really nice day to be on the bike. later that afternoon when we got back to lincoln we stopped for some ice cream to finish the ride.

faux denim

2010-08-04T05:15:00.005-05:00

last saturday night i met up with taura. i haven't kicked it with her in a LONG time so it was great to catch up. we rode downtown for some thai food and then hit a few bars. taura was stylin' and profilin' in her faux denim pants she picked up on a recent trip to NYC. she had me fooled that's for sure. let's hangout again soon taura! :)

got me some tees

2010-08-04T05:08:00.003-05:00

i picked up some cool shirts at the biklops closing show held last friday at screen ink.

panthers in our midst

2010-07-29T05:18:00.006-05:00

last night i let the kitty out for a bit and she met a new friend. i wasn't sure if it was beechum (because the downstairs neighbor doesn't let him stay out overnight) so i think it was yet another big black cat from the 'hood. even though he was huge my kitty held her ground, and she even went after him on the roof (which made getting her back inside kinda difficult).

FAC'ing

2010-07-29T05:09:00.007-05:00

lis and jeff

tom and brent

the three amigos

work has kept me pretty occupied lately so i haven't been riding much... but not to worry, i have been getting out. last friday i met up with some peeps for a FAC ride out to havelock (beers at bob's tavern, and food at pepe's bistro).

gravel, it's good for you

2010-07-22T04:55:00.006-05:00

last sunday i met up with cat and rachel for some road miles. we were south of hickman when i took them on a little detour on stagecoach road. riding a road bike on gravel and dirt roads really helps your handling skills. though a bit sketched out at first they got a hang of it after a few miles. back on pavement, we enjoyed a tailwind for the 15 miles back to lincoln where we then stopped at culvers for some desert. after all, it was national ice cream day.

she's getting bigger...

2010-07-22T04:42:00.008-05:00

...and bolder. the other day she made it half way down the stairs before being spotted by beechum (the downstairs neighbor's big black cat, he's like three times her size) and they had a kitty stare down for a few minutes. i'm sure they'll be buds before long.

even though i've bought a few toys for the kitty she instead prefers to play with household items... such as balls of string, rubber bands, tissue paper, and one of my campy record 10speed rear derailleurs.

4am bike stroll

2010-07-15T04:20:00.000-05:00

no scratching post needed

2010-07-07T05:50:00.008-05:00

i have a new shop kitty. i adopted her on the last day of BRAN last month, on a rainy morning as i was leaving david city. i haven't settled on a name yet. at first i was thinking 'luna' but after having seen her demeanor over the last few weeks... i'm thinking 'bestia' might be better (after the character behemoth). hmmmm

south with the ladies

2010-07-06T23:51:00.004-05:00

i've been feeling really tired lately (watching world cup matches in the morning and afternoon certainly has been disruptive to my sleep schedule) and so i wasn't really feeling like going on a long ride tonight. i still wanted to get out for some leisure miles though, and luckily for me lindsey and cara had the same idea. we met up at my place and decided to head south on the jamaica trail for a ways. on our way back to town we stopped at the silver spoke on satillo road. it's a old biker bar with some murals outside. they have cheap tacos on tuesday nights but they were all gone by the time we got there so i opted for a double cheeseburger. it was freaking huge and delicious. there was also a little guy running around (the bartender's new puppy) looking for scraps and of course linz and cara found him irresistible.

my 4th included...

2010-07-05T23:25:00.005-05:00

lis and i being dorks

watching bernard and eddy get all chummy in the tour de france coverage.

and finally setting off some explosions with some friends.

i hope everyone had a happy 4th!

it's july already?

2010-07-02T17:05:00.001-05:00

i'm looking forward to a night full of art.

i'm back

2010-06-16T16:36:00.002-05:00

BRAN was a blast. it was hard (if it wasn't the t-storms it was the wind) but i had a great time riding with some really nice people. i'm just now catching up on some things such as washing the bike (the bike was caked in grit from riding in the rain) and organizing all the photos i took. i'm done with the former but not the later. stay tuned for my BRAN reports.

retro influence

2010-06-03T20:04:00.001-05:00

i think rachel likes the vintage cap i gave her.

sunday trailblazing

2010-05-30T21:19:00.001-05:00

dusk miles

2010-05-28T23:28:00.000-05:00

i was still recovering from the previous night when lauren called. i almost didn't go (i was napping) but it was gorgeous out and i think she wanted to show off her new jersey. we went south and came back at dusk. having just bought her first road bike barely a month ago i think she's coming along as a roadie pretty well. BRAN starts next weekend and i think she's ready.

c-rad hussle

2010-05-28T10:11:00.005-05:00

last night it was my turn to put on the monthly 'hussle' as they are coming to be known. 16 people showed up including a few outta-towners. i sent them out on a tuff 20+ mile route. some got lost and went a lot more than that but in the end i think they all had a good time.

mopac trail and petting tolls

2010-05-25T23:58:00.010-05:00

another tuesday, and another ride out to eagle with some peeps for some food and a few beers. i had to be back earlier than the rest and rode back solo with just the moon accompanying me. as i got back into town i saw a number of gatos along the trail, and of course i had to stop to pet them. one black kitty really wanted to play and wouldn't let me leave. ahhhh... such a nice little gato.

breaking in her podio

2010-05-23T22:15:00.007-05:00

while i was sipping a latte at cultiva i got a message from rachel. she recently got a new salsa podio and wanted to go for a ride and wanted to learn some routes. i took her out on a 40mi loop and with the heat and high winds it wasn't an easy ride, especially for a newbie. on our way back to town we stopped at the casey's on hwy 34 for something cold to drink and i could tell she was shot but she didn't complain at all, instead she said she was enjoying it. she's tough so i know she'll make a fast roadie in the near future. welcome to the roadie ranks rachel! :)

sunday afternoon caffeine fix

2010-05-23T20:08:00.003-05:00

cultiva has a new place on s. 11th, and it has a bike work area inside... sweet!

welcome back hilary

2010-05-23T19:30:00.008-05:00

i met up with hilary saturday night, she's is back in l-town after after being away a year. she's riding a new bike too, a mixte single speed that she named cheetara. we rode downtown to the roller derby at pershing. afterwards we met up with lis and ryan for a few drinks. friends on bikes on a saturday night, it's a good formula for fun. :)

subs, buds, and bikes

2010-05-23T13:23:00.001-05:00

cvo chomping on a sub during the capital city crit on saturday.

blooming

2010-05-18T23:33:00.004-05:00

i met up with lauren for some evening miles. it was perfect weather and we saw many wild flowers in bloom along the roads. for being only her fourth ride on her new bike, lauren's drafting skills are coming along pretty good.

amigas y margaritas

2010-05-14T21:57:00.002-05:00

hey ladies, feel like some margaritas?

kim

ryana

el dorko

i started my friday evening off by going over to cycleworks for the tomac open house. afterwards i was thinking about dinner and just then i got a message from kim who had the same idea. she suggested la mex. on my way to meet her i saw ryana and of course she decided to join us! :) margaritas at la mex are hard to resist!

finally friday

2010-05-07T23:59:00.001-05:00

not only friday... but 1st friday! i went downtown to catch a few shows, take in some art, and then get a few drinks with some friends.

nacho'ing

2010-05-04T23:40:00.011-05:00

tuesday night's usually mean lots of people riding the mopac out to eagle for some food and a few beers (aka the nacho ride). cara and jon called me up and invited me to join them and a few other peeps. later the wind picked up and some rain clouds moved in but it stayed pleasant. on our way back in the dark we had a nice surprise... we came upon four or five fox kits playing on the trail! the mama vixen was probably closeby so we didn't want to disturb them for too long and get them in trouble, but oh how cute they were! i think cara was tempted take one home in her messenger bag.

learning curve

2010-05-03T23:03:00.002-05:00

lauren is enjoying her new bike and working on some skills (drafting and maintaining speed).

damas y bicis

2010-05-01T01:42:00.003-05:00

i had a nice friday, mostly because it involved two of my most favorite things... bikes and women! :) i met up with lauren for an early evening ride. she just got a new road bike (a giant avail 1) and needed to get it dialed in so i took her out on a 40mi southwest loop. we ended up coming back in the dark (but that's probably because we stopped at culver's... that place is so tempting after a ride as it's right there as you come in off hwy 77). a short while later i headed downtown to meet up with felice and melissa for a few drinks. afterwards melissa and i rode to el chaparro where we ran into some renegades: tim, patrick, and daniel.

me 0 - t-storm 1

2010-04-29T23:00:00.008-05:00

hmmm... that doesn't look so bad, i have plenty of time.

uh... that wall cloud does seem to be moving pretty fast.

oh sh*t!

one thing i love about living in nebraska, it's the storms. there is nothing like being on the bike and watching a storm come in as you race back to town at dusk. i thought i was gonna make it back without getting rained on but it started to sprinkle as i left the gas station in hickman and i still had 10-15 miles to go. i didn't really mind the light rain at all, but then the lightning started and i was like 'uh oh'. i just put my head down and went as fast as i could. trying to stay in front of a storm is an effective way to practice your time trialing skills that's for sure! :) thankfully the full downpour held off until i was only a few blocks from my place so i didn't have to ride very far soaking wet. the bike needed a wash anyways. here's to a summer of awesome t-storms!

april alley cat

2010-04-23T18:56:00.005-05:00

last night i was able to make it one of the monthly informal races that a group of local peeps have been organizing. i had a fun time, though i was in recovery mode all day (perhaps had one to many sapporos, or maybe it was the tequila).