riding and sliding

Couple'a beach ride and some silver lake laps are all I seem to have time of inclination to ride these days. Switching back to a Larry on the front of the pugs in anticipation of the moon landing later this week.  Back to my white odtssy pedals on there too. The fixation pedals are headed up to alaska to get tested by Josh.

Cruiser Finale'

I've been tinkering with this cruiser project for quite some time now and I think the photo above is the final product. I have a pile of parts left over from, springer forks to half moon handlebars. The bike started out as a 1950's Colson, private branded for a MPLS hardware chain. I bought the complete bike for 20 dollars at a garage sale outside of Wilton WI. I rode that version of this bike for a decade. Pictured below.

Almost a year ago, I busted the bike down to the bare frame and sent it out to be stripped and then powder coated. New wheels with a 3 speed rear hub...a new springer fork and handlebars got bolted on after some sweet vynil graphics were expertly applied by my friend Cory up at his sign company in Slinger, WI. The bike looked very cool at this point, but the fork was so noodly that it was a bit scary to ride.

I rode the springer for most of the spring and summer and then the hardest part of the restoration took place, when I sought to replace the headset and fork. These older cruisers all have 1" stertubes, but the ID of the headsets are one of maybe 3 different specs. My colson's head tube measured 33mm in diameter, so after much contemplation disguised as confusion, I shared my dilema with Jim at Ben's Cyclery and he told me that they had the tool to ream my head tube to 34mm, which is a modern day 1 1/8" headset spec! Another, new headset, fork, and stem later, my chopper was born!

I tooled around a bit in MKE on the bike with the full chopper effect and decided to cut the ride short and take her home and ended up trimming 4" off of the fork legs. The new fork was everything that I had hoped.  The new front end was sturdy and bomber. The bike now rode beautifully, downhill and tracked like a big cat.......but what goes down, must go up and Twin Lakes is hilly. Climbing was awkward, due to my hand position being so far back towards my hips. I could slide my hands a good, 5" forward on the moon bars and grind out the climbs, so I started looking at bars all over the internet.

I ordered a set of bars from Soma and then spied a set of these Sadio 420 bars on a photo in Flickr. I emailed, Earl at Ben's and he had them in stock. I bolted these suckers on and as soon as I straddled the bike and rolled down the drive, I knew this was going to work. Perfect climbing leverage out of the saddle, is how I would describe the effect that these bars had on the ride. Not as cool looking as the half moons, but functional and bad ass! I've now got a cruiser that I could ride anywhere around my house....I think I could ride this bike off road now! So it was a long and winding road that left many used parts in its wake, but the cruiser project is DONE!

Neglect

Much of my blogging energy is going into www.fat-bike.com. I'm chasing my passion and it feels really good!

Gravel-Time

I saw the white river trail hooker today and once again I tried to shoot a picture, but (once again) my camera malfunctioned. I'm pretty sure that this chick is a witch or some sort of spirit. Today she had on red like gym shorts.....the other weird thing was that I could tell it was her before I could even see her.....like she was just a dot on the horizon and I started to get my camera out cuz I just knew it was her......totally fucking weird!

Here's something that isn't funny. Trail Advocacy Politics.

Shit is go'n down Muh-Fuggahz...

Butch is building some sick fucking trail out at Canopy....the Beer Run Trail is gnome-crazy.

So what are you doing that's cool?

Help Trail Advocacy at Kettle!

Ladies and Gents,

We're trying to get our Trail Advocacy Organization to adopt a set of bylaws that would accomplish 4 main goals.

 - Open and Fair Elections of an expanded Board of Directors

 - Term Limits for Board Positions

 - Financial Transparency and Regular Financial Reports

 - Establish our Organization as a Chapter of IMBA

Our organization is currently run as a closed system, with no process in place for any new Board Members to be added or for the replacement of current Board Members. Currently members of our organization have no information about the chapter finances. After several attempts to ascertain the cost of the new Muir Archway, I still cannot get our current Board to divulge the actual cost. We are currently a WORBA Chapter. WORBA has been dormant for nearly a decade. They have not had a President in office for the last 7 years. WORBA has no pulse. Our neighboring mountain bike trail advocacy organizations (CORP - Madison & Metro - Milwaukee) have chosen to become IMBA Chapters in response to the current WORBA situation. 

I ask that you consider the new bylaws and decide for yourselves, whether you support these policy changes. That's right....we're asking you to think for yourselves and choose between a closed board with financials that are a complete mystery VERSUS an openly elected board that will be required to provide its members with regular financial reports. In addition we would like you to decide whether it is in the best interests of our organization to remain a chapter of WORBA or become a Chapter of IMBA.

How ever you decide, I would like you to send Paul Sandgren an email letting him know how much you appreciate the excellent mountain bike trails at Kettle Moraine and his steadfast support of the Mountain Bike Community. In addition I encourage you to share YOUR decision about what the future direction of our Trail Advocacy Organization should take. Paul's email is - paul.sandgren@wisconsin.gov.

Thank you and Happy Trails!

g

Team SnowBike Enduro

Plans for the Team SnowBike Enduro are moving along. Looks like the LakeGeneva Canopy Tours will be the location and the date is January 14th.

gravel ~ metal

Remembering

Looking back to special times at GF-Ocho, Sunday morning rides at GF are always such a mellow good time.

We'll be doing some serious looking back for GF-9  - Gnome-Fest-Nueve'-Retro

Farmboy @ GF-Uno

Back for Next Year
 - Gnome Bike Enduro - Stage Race - Parade
 - Home Brew Contest
 - Saturday Night Pot-Luck
 - ? any other suggestions?

New for GF-9
 - Mayor(s) of Family Gnome Camp - Lisa & Martini?
 - Kids Bike Activities
 - Women's Mountain Bike &Tea Society Ride/Clinic with Jaquie Phelan
 - Classic Mountain Bike (Klunker) Sunday Morning Ride
 - Adam Blake  stepping into a Mayor's role next year!
 - ? - Anything Else?

Beach Date

An early autumn bluster was cooking for Sunday's Beach ride. After an early trail advocacy breakfast in Milwaukee we headed up to Port and during the car trip, we got sprinkled upon from a bruised sky. The radar looked like we would have a two hour window, so we put on rain gear and hit the beach. Just Bethany and I on a little beach date. Bethany's first fat-bike ride all on sandy beach. The wind was to our back and the rain stopped almost as soon as we got started. Dicey weather is the best time to go beach riding. All of the usual suspects are inside and the light and color are usually pretty spectacular. makes pretty pictures.

The color on this shot reminds me of the super saturation that you get with slide film. We had fun and that was the goal.


Fun,

g

Fat Tire Memorial Tour all up in da' LG

"Those are some FAT tires"

We can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance
Well they're no friends of mine

g

Braaapp!

Fuck Yeah!

Gravel is my middle name...

Gomez GianFranco Gravelero Guisepe Lago del Raven - My schwinn continental loved some Indana gravel in the 70's.

My cross check loves everything and everybody with gravel in their blood.

...and bleed I did. Gravel over concrete = spillage in the village.

Gravel is in my blood - gravel is in my bones - gravel surrounds my heart - gravel is where I'm home.

OCHO - a gnomese word for lunacy-fringe

Spinner & Puck

Every once in a while, all of the planets align, and crazy good times flow like the Niagara.  Gnome-Fest Ocho was one of those times. Perfect weather...generous sponsors...and incredible guests all came together to create a gnome-city festival  that will certainly become legend ...past - present  or future.

Steve & Carl Trailbuilding on Corkscrew

Cale and I headed up to Levis together and found a few folks had already started to build gnome-city. We camped behind the city hall -chalet and cracked open some coldies with Carl. The day was beautifully warm and sunny. A few folks from Madison came and started a suburb of Gnome City right out of the box. The only real thing on my agenda was at 4:00 pm to help do a little trail work on the last bit of Corkscrew, so I stayed hydrated and hung out. Steve Meurette, Carl, his swissy Fezzek and I headed out with tools and found just a few spots about midway down that needed some finish work. We worked for maybe an hour and as we hiked the length of the trail back towards Steve's truck, we commented on how the trail was primed for a fat-bike steam-rolling parade from gnomefezzetrs!

Blatz & Julio

Thursday night, things got a little blurry, so I'll skip forward to Friday. Amigos started to roll in and build their gnomesteads from the great lupine field out to the raw pine frontier....Gnome City [GC] was steadily getting and erection. Julio, Blatz and I got out on the bikes. Another perfectly warm sunny day up on the front mound was just what we needed. ~The calm before the storm~

Levis Gold

Julio and I headed out to Sand Creek Brewing to get set up for our first off-site registration event and pick up 2 half barrels to bring back to GC. By the time we left... the tap-room was full of amigos getting their fest started with a pint and a growler to go. We jetted back to GC, while the Ladies (Bethany, Sandy & Amy) stayed at the brewery to get peeps registered. I hear that the brewery was a rock'n party. Back at GC we turned the dial to ELEVEN and didn't look back. We tapped the kegs and derby'd around the blazing firepit. Multiple rounds ensued, with good music thumping away and Spinner taking multiple diggers riding the gnomungus pile of firewood. He put a nice crack in his frame in a spectacular endo that would have killed most earthlings....but this is Spinner, we're talking about.

Will ~ Derby

Iowa City ~ in the gnome'n house!  Adam and Aaron, accompanied by a band of crazies lit the fuse of a party that just raged! Words can't describe the chaotic fun....you just had to be there. Double A led a night ride out to Goat Dance and back down the Hermosa's while GC rocked. More pilgrims rolled into town and staked their claim to some real estate. Just when we thought we'd run out of beer, Collin from Lake Front Brewing showed up and quenched our rather large thirst....I crawled into our trailer around 2:40 am.....but the party went on....the NWA at 3:00 am was not appreciated universally by the good citizens of GC. (I told you to pack earplugs). It was a RAGE'r!

Saturday morning we surprised Julio and Bethany with new FatBikes from their spousal units. Julio received a Schlick Cycles Northpaw, all murder'd out - blackity blackness - a fat sexy ride....just how Julio likes it!

...and Bethany received a tiny hot salsa....I love to make my honey smile! This all happened as the traditional Saturday Morning Ladies ride assembled in front of City Hall. This will be the GF known for how the ladies just stole the show.....all Girl Power! and.....(wait 4 it) ..............Wild Cougar Formation [WCF]!!!

the Ladies

After lunch Mayor Martini assembled everyone to get set for the start of the Dirt Cat. This year, I didn't get assigned to a check-point, so I headed out with a group of our closest GF couisins to check out some of Levis Trow's sweetest trail. We ran into Keiker and the Q7 pair of Aces and made a party of it. I got to put a few miles in on Julios new Schlick and man that bike is F'ing sweet! The group tried to ditch me, but I found them swilling beers (up top) at the entrance to SideWinder and after a beer (for courage) we rode SideWinder and then the Hermosa's and ended up at the Talent Show checkpoint, where there was no shortage of liquor. Whirlwind forward through dinner to the awards!

Lisa on Sidewinder

At the awards people won stuff....and we raffled off some great prizes from Surly. Matt from the Twin Cities won the Pugsly frame and Fork. I can't wait to see how he builds it up! The baby pools were full of beer and the needle was still pegged. Stand by for the best Dwarfcycle Figure Eight Death Race since Cone-Man!

Photo by Lyle

Mayor Julio was up to bat and with the assistance of Cale they set the brackets for the infamous GF DeathRace! We started with ten soft dodgeballs on the course.....that was a mistake! People were just crazy aggro with their balls.  We eventually collected them all and the racing got better...and better.....till the streaking started and plenty of Girl on Girl Wrestling and skip streaking .......and starting line tequilla.....the debauchery was as thick and sweet as gnome jelly! We crowned champions and corinated a new queen of all gnomlandia - Her Royale Majesty Gabi the First with a shower of tequilla and much revelry from the bawdy citizens of Gnome City. Cale won the whole gnome enchilada and took home the rainbow underpants for his trophey case back in California. I don't really gnow how late the party went, because I couldn't quite gather my faculties to locate my phone, so I just retired with  looney thoughts racing through my head.

Sunday Services

Sunday morning our little tribe whipped up a pot-luck breakfast that was just what we needed to soak up some booze and get us ready for a little mellow farewell ride. As these things usually go, we got to wait and chat as folks found their bikes and put on their sunday best. By the luck of the gnome, just as we were ready to begin, Steve Muerette rode up and guided us on a delightful tour de points. The perfect cap to a glorious weekend of FUNonBIKES!

A huge thanks go out to all of our guests...our generous sponsors....all of the good folks that build trail at Levis ....my Co-Mayors (Bethany ~ Julio~ Martini) and of course - Gnomes everywhere!

A Gnomanifesto - or everything you gneed to gnow about the ocho, but were afraid to ask

Sooze - ConeMan - Landon

Three people that I would have never met, if it weren't for gnome-fest. Three people that still enrich my life - all in different ways. People are always asking me "what's up with gnome-fest?". It's not an easy question to answer. There is a pretty good set of answers here in posts 8&9 from a couple of GF veterans that also became dear friends because of the gnomes. Gnome-Fest is more than a mountain bike festival. It's a family reunion of sorts....it's a judgement free zone, where you can revert back to the kid that used to just go out and jump on the bike to go out to play. Those of you that have been to GF know what I'm talking about.....

So if you're a veteran of gnome-fest, I kindly urge you to walk around gnome-city and introduce any new comers to our eclectic tribal family. Invite people to camp with you. Share some food, beer, and take a ride together! That's what I think makes our festival rock like no other!

The Schedule of Events

Pre-Fest - People are already camped out at the festival grounds. I plan on a thursday arrival. Camping is first come first serve, but we predict a very large crowd this year.....so invite newbies and strangers to camp along side of you. You may make a lifelong friend! (I know I have) Please pay the Clark County Posted Fees for camping and trail passes! The County is going to crack down on their fee collection! - Pay the fee amount posted at the self-pay station. we have lower camping rates that apply only for Friday and Saturday - more on that further down the page...

Friday - Let the madness begin!

All Day Long - Guests Start to arrive and erect Gnome City. As in previous years, there will be Family (quieter) camping along the left side of the parking lot. The main festival camping area is in the grass field, to the right side of the parking lot (beyond the row of pines). You will be able to access this area with your vehicle to unload, but then you'll need to move the car back to the gravel lot. The vehicle access to the main camping area is the only gate on the right just before you get to the main lot. Your camping fees will need to be paid when you register for the fest. Even if you have pre-registered you will need to pay Clark County their Fee's for Camping and Trail Passes. We have negotiated special (festival only) camping fees. This was not an easy task considering that the county has the perception that we have a lot of festival participants that have not paid for camping during previous years.

Camping Fees

Family Camping Area - $13 per night - per sleeping unit

General Camping Area - $7 per night - per sleeping unit

Trail Pass Fees - $5 per day

These fees will need to be paid when you register. We will give you a county form/envelope to fill out and you will need to give us the completed form with the specific fee's enclosed. You may want to bring a checkbook to pay these fees. These fees are additional to the festival fees. Keep in mind that all of the festival profits go right back into building and maintaining the trails at Levis. The Camping and Trail Pass fees go to the county that maintain the facilities that we get to use during the fest.

NEW SAND CREEK BREWING REGISTRATION EVENT - 3:00pm - 7:00pm

Sand Creek Brewing will host a registration party for us at the brewery located in Black River Falls. Link to Map. They have printed up a whole skid of special edition GF-Ocho growlers that we can purchase filled with their delicious beer for just $6. There'll be live music from six o'clock on. This is the place to get your magic gnome-fest wristband......register and pick up your pre-registration goodies - enter or purchase additional raffle tix to win the pugsley - This is the only place and time you can register on Friday.

7:00 pm - Back at Gnome City we'll tap the first keg and get the party rolling with a big bon-fire, fat-bike derbies and hammershlaggen! Embibe in some tasty beer from both Sand Creek and Lakefront Brewery. We need you to help drain, at least, 4 half barrels! We're going to try to minimize the amount of plastic cups that eventually go to the landfill and embrace a semi-green policy of sustainable drunkenness, so bring a mug, stein, drinking horn, or pint glass to fill and re-fill. You will not need a wristband to participate in the kegger.

9:ish - Professional stunt man and good friend - Adam Blake (who I coincidentally met at GF-Quatro by encouraging him and his amigos to camp behind us) will gather up the (sober) troops for a night tour of the farthest reaches of space....otherwise known as goat dance. A bike ride that you will not soon forget - the moon will be amazing!

Sleep? The party on Friday night goes well into Saturday morning. This where a nice set of ear plugs can be your best friend if you like to get a good nights sleep.

Saturday - Breakfast anyone? (see above)

Saturday morning we encourage everyone to go out and explore. The trails at Levis are outstanding! Go out and play with some of your new friends! Get the lay of the land, because you'll need some of that for the Dirt Cat.

10:00 am - Noon - Registration at the chalet. This is your final opportunity to get the official GF8 wristband - register or pick up your pre-registration goodies - or get into the raffle to win a pugsley. You will also have an opportunity to pay for camping and trail passes as explained above.

Noonish till almost 2:00 - Time to get ready to race/ride/raceplay? Eat some lunch and maybe get into costume for the upcoming Dirt Cat.

1:30 - DIRT CAT - world renowned illusionist and mystic of the Mississippi - Martini is the director du sportif for this event. You will be given a map and a manifest along with some instructions that will provide you with quite the cycling challenge (and more). To participate in the Dirt Cat you will need to have registered. If you don't have a wristband, you cannot race - or win stuff.

Beer Pot-Luck - once you get back from the dirt cat you can start loading up the baby pools with your contribution to the beer pot-luck. We'll get it all swimming in ice and ready for you to drink all night long! (This is a good time to relax for a little bit and grab some food.)

6:ish - Dirt Cat Awards! Schwagfest! PUGSLEY DRAWING!

Drunk O'Clock - The Dwarfcycle - Figure Eight - Death Races - Julio ....along with his faithful sidekick Ernesto invite you to don.... and then (eventually) strip off, the costume of your choice, for the most photographed event in the Gnome World of Sports. Head to head full contact racing for prizes, culminating in the men's champion vs. the women's champion, battling for the intergallactic rainbow underoo championship of the universe! We have prizes for the best costume (M&F) to be awarded by our distinguished panel of judges comprised of all of the previous Mayors of Gnome City in addition to awards for 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the death races. Just like the Dirt Cat.....you have to have a wristband to race.

Sunday - Some pack up and head home right away, but I like to head out to goat dance for one last ride with amigos (both old and new) at a leisurely pace. We ask that you clean up your area and stack your garbage in the designated garbage corral before heading home.

Finally -

I asked some Gnome-Fest Veterans to assemble a list of ten things to remember not to forget, when you're packing up the old family truckster to head up to the big gnome round up at Levis and here is what we've come up with...

Cale - Former Mayor of Gnome City

1. Booze with caffeine in it, stuff is illegal now so I hope you stocked up.
2. A fat bike, everyones got one now. if you don't have one buy one (or win one at gnomefest!)
3. a good costume (or no clothes) for the dwarfcycle death race.
4. co-ordination for hmmerschlagen
5. somewhere semi-comfortable to pass out.
6. things to eat, or edibles as it were.
7. Kindness, treat your fellow gnome festers well.
8. stuff to do in the woods at night
9. 9. a camera to record the parts of the fest that should be recorded
10. 10. your memory to record the parts that should not be.

Katy - GnomeWorld SuperModel and MORC Den Mother

1. 1. Headlamp so you don't step on gnomes while you're stumbling back to your tent drunk.
2. The most obscure microbrew to impress all of your 2-wheel loving friends.
3. Glowsticks!
4.  Full body armor for when the bike derby gets dirty.
5.  Some sort of heavenly goodness to share with your fellow Gnomefesters.
6.  Girls: a Go Girl or She Wee so we can show the boys we can do it better!
7.  Any type of "paraphanelia" that you feel is appropriate. If you're not sure, bring it anyway, we'll decide for you.
8.  Alleve or Advil. Lots of it.
9.  Your alter ego, so it can stretch its wings a little.
10.  Your original polaroid of the pyramid at gnomefest V to burn in the bonfire so it is lost for all eternity!

Marty - Current Mayor of Gnome City and Dirt Cat Director du Sportif

1. extra liver. or three.
2. an appetite for misery. - he means awesomeness - I think
3. tubes. For what, that's up to you.
4. lube. For what, that's up to you.
5. hangover worthy breakfasts. Think bacon.
6. ice.
7. a ride home.
8. an ability to clean up after yourself. We're not your mom's.
9. a good attitude.
10. a bike. preferably a fat one.

Ernesto - mi amigo el primo and one crazy muh-fuggah!

1. 10 foot long outhouse ladle
2. Tums
3. a dog whistle to drive dogs nuts
4. fibromyalgia medicine
5. one of those things
6. beekeeper helmet (for me)
7. a catapult and sacks of flour for the battle
8. sediments
9. gasoline spritzer for the laugh gland
10. a tuba

Joe - JTM - Julio - Current Mayor of Gnome City+my other best boyfriend

1. 6 pack of microbrew for the beer pool
2. Anti itch cream for that mysterious rash that you will undoubtedly develop
3. Extra underwear
4. Barbie Dolls (gnomes use them as sex toys)
5. Lube (both kinds)
6. Water
7. spare liver
8. a boomerang
9. A mint condition first pressing of William Shatner's The Transformed Man

Sandy - veteran of every gnome-fest...like ever......and can swear like a sailor ( i happen to like that)

1. A sense of humor
2. Love of biking or people who bike
3. Cold(er) weather gear...gets chilly at night
4. Baby wipes - there are no showers at GF
5. Camping gear - tent, kitchen stuff, sleeping bag (really stinks when you forget this), camp chair
6. Beer - good/interesting stuff for the baby pool
7. Bug spray
8. All your bike stuff - bike, shoes, helmet, lights (if you're going to night ride), etc.
9. Garbage bags - let's keep the campgrounds as clean or cleaner than when we got there
10. Big smiles and good stories for friends old and new

Bethany - My honey, and like me, sandy and Joe vertan of each and every GF, plus she's and ex Mayor and Current Mayor of Gnome City - Inventor of the Gnome Bucket y mi corazon!

1. Good Weather Karma
2. Head protection ( helmet or condoms)
3. Towel to wipe your wet head
4. Peace - Love
5. Extra Batteries
6. Underwear not required
7. Bathing suits in case it rains
8. Hey dogs - don't forget your poop bags
9. Party favors to share
10. Heavy duty garbage bags to hide the evidence

Gomez - Some old fat guy

1. Large Black Heavy Duty Garbage Bags
2. Ear Plugs
3. your childhood love for going out to play
4. camp chair
5. kindness to strangers
6. camping gear
7. drinking vessel - (let's minimize the amount of plastic cups we send to the landfill from the kegger party)
8. costume
9. Bike+Helmet+all the assorted gear to ride all day and all night
10. All your Camping Stuff

Confused?

Me too!

Fruita Groove ~ Kettle Weekend ~ WRT-Pro Sighting

I've told anyone that will listen, which usually consists of Bethany, Cecil, Bodhi or my (imaginary friend) Boo that I keep on riding by(what I've began to call) the White River Trail Hooker. Yet every time, that Bethany and I ride there together, we never see the her....but sure enough...today, when I was coming back east from Elkhorn, I spotted her signature, hootchie mamma, midrift top and daisy duke shorts and got my camera out. Now I had tried to snap a picture of her before, but the camera never boots up in time or some other thing gets in the way. I was beginning to think that witchcraft might be involved, but today, I snapped this as I went by at a pretty good clip.....just in case she is a witch. What a lovely creature...

Kettle Weekend

We spent Saturday morning building new trail at the George Carlin Trails up there at Kettle. Then on Sunday we met up with Sandy, Lindow, Vinn and Vinn's friend to ride. The day was just perfect for riding. 60's and brezzy with sunshine, no bugs, and totally buff trail. Good Times!

Fruita Groove

Just when i really started to settle into a groove out in Fruita, I came back home. Fruita is so kick ass! I love my friend Tommy, Man! and I got to see Jerry to and when we get together....well we laugh a hell of a lot! I made new friends this trip and got to know Noah and Michelle and many more Fruiticians better than before....hell I even stole Troys bike for awhile.

but I'll be back some day...

The Dao of Fruita Tom

" Its all about eating food, riding bikes, drinking beer and other things...

That's what we love about Fruita! "

Two dirt days in Moab

Moab in the Morning, a photo by ~gomez~ on Flickr.

With the rain in Fruita, Boo decided we should go get us some wheels and head to Moab for a little ride action. So I scored me some hot mini-van crossover chebbrolet and drove to the gatlinburg of the high dessert.....Moab Utah. Not having planned, much, i decided to head up sand flats road and ride the now legendary Slickrock Trail. The last time I rode it was over 20 years ago and I was riding a rigid Klein. I knew the trail was demanding, but i thought what the hell. Right out of the box, I endo'd on a short step up by mistiming my manual. I landed in a hand-stand and then pushed off and back onto my feet. Swell...this should be interesting. Well after the first few climbs and associated panting it started to sprinkle rain. After the next few rest stops it started to rain pretty steady. Slickrock has awesome traction till it gets wet.....and then it lives up to its name. I stopped and put on arm warmers and a vest. The climbs were just handing me my own ass and I was riding cautiouslywhich didn't help out the the old 'mo'. A whee little racer girl passed me and danced up an impossible slab of rock.....uhhh! The photo opportunities hower were incredible.

The next day I wanted to find something easier, so I hit the internets and found a ride that they said kids could do....but that plenty of slickrock playgrounds for bigger kids. An 8 mile loop with spurs of easy rated singletrack.....with names like E-Z and Lazy! Woot! Windy and cold, but with pure blue sky contarted with brite white clouds and even some nasty black clouds near the end....but I didn't get rained on, for once.

Well enough of Moab.....lets get back to Fruita!

Ride Fruita

My favorite ride in Fruita is out on 18 road. Ride up Prime Cut and then hit Joe's Ridge down to Kessel Run and back to Tom's Jeep. Pure mountain bike bliss...even the climb up Prime Cut felt good on this April Thursday afternoon. The desert is in (full) spring mini-purple flower bloom. The path is familiar, yet the memory is a bit blurry. The parking lot seemed crowded, and yet, the trails are not, so....though we do come across a few other riders that we share laughs with at the road crossings out on PC. What a playground....made just for us*.

We've been getting some rain since my first ride, so things have gotten a bit depressing. They tell me that Horsethief Bench turns into a traction sweet chewiness dream-scape the day after it rains and that's all I have to get me through an Easter High Holiday, where I got soaked, while doing some grocery getting on Tom's ASC^ cruiser.

*the MTB Tribe

^Aspen Street Coffee

Fruita the Journey and Getting Settled

Is it good luck when a wild turkey lurks around your house at the beginning of a journey? I'm going to take it as a sign of good fortune for my visit to the Colorado Plateau....specifically, Fruita, Colorado.

This was to be my first train trip out west. Jumped on Metra into Union Station and then waited for our Amtrak train to show up (about an hour late). The first twenty hours went by with little discomfort or trepedation, but as we got closer to our destination, i think I was ready not to be cooped up. Tom picked me up and we soon landed at the Hot Tomato for good beer and laughing with friends.

I'm living at Tom and Noah's house in the (infamous) Fish Bowl. A well appointed tool shed with everything but running water. Day two in Fruita would be all about easing into spring training camp. I unpacked my bike and put it back into riding order. I could tell right away that the rear disc brake was fleuggered, so I rode it up to Over the Edge and after some logistical gymnastics got it straightened out and ready for some singletrack cruising, grunting, sweaty good times.

Tommy and I spent the afternoon hanging out on the patio with a case of Session Lager waiting for my bike to get fixed. It was a beautiful warm sunny afternoon. We went to see Michelle's daughter sing in a play at her school. It was all about the great state of Colorado and .....as it should be....the seats hurt my butt.

So now you're caught up to Friday morning at the coffee shop, blogg'n and coughing (I still have a lung full of gnomes). Today we ride and stuff.

Hump-Day ({[Date-Nite]}) Trail Opening Ride Report

Maybe as many as 20 fun-seekers came out and rode the S.Kettle Muir loops, ala choy. We were all jealous of Julio's new team evil honkey threads. We had trail runners, grommets and three trail stewards from across the state. We rode en'mass out to downtown, where with enough coaxing the speedier gents took the lead and the rest of the rabble broke into smaller groups....fanning out to seek bike funski's throughout the Muir system. At the end of the ride Vinny warned us that someone had crashed and broken their arm and that the paramedics could be up ahead on an ATV. The real story of how the rider sustained multiple bone fractures sounds like the Kettle Gnomes are setting some diabolical traps out on the Squirrel Loop. So the dude gets a little off the trail and clips a small tree that is holding up a bigger tree that has fallen. The larger tree falls and knocks the guy off his bike, pinning his arm between his frame and the ground. According to an eyewitness account the dude's arm looked like the letter W. The Bike Patrol led the paramedics to the guy and they evac'd him out of there to the hospital. So we had emergency disco lights for most of our post-ride celebration. Kenny had the coals going by the time I got back to the car and Butch took charge of the campfire just as the moon rose on a gloriously warm and wonderful spring evening. We barbequed up some dinner and laughed our asses off.....so just like old times. Thanks to everyone that helped. It was great to see the tribe again! I think this is going to be a great year!

and the weather's good!

Lungday Adventure

Lungday Adventure, a photo by ~gomez~ on Flickr.

After a week of coughing my fool head off, I tested the ole'lungs out and took the pugz out for a little lungventure ride. Trails are ready to go......it rained last night and they're already dry enough to ride.....yesterday at the kettle trail work event, there were tons of worms in the soil.....but who knows when they'll decide to open them.....and basically, who cares, cuz I'm going to fruita.

Beach Time in Central Sconny

2 beach rides in 3 days...neither above freezing!

Spring 2011!

Black Spring in Westosha!