So on a cold dreary Wednesday morning (December 2nd), in the dark, bumbling to work at slightly less than 16 mph the Mi 1000 is rather unceremoniously finished. The lack of occasion is exacerbated by the momentous moment being marked by my odometer clicking past 930 miles! As a consequence of some early Michigan luddite moments in my first weekend when I dropped my cycling computer and the batteries coming out - resetting the odometer and loosing me 70 miles!
Still it is behind me - and a good job cos on Thursday we have our first snow of the year and as a result my Friday morning bike commute is cancelled due to slippery conditions. Good effort generally though - first time I've ever 1) ridden a thousand miles on the fixie in a single calendar year (in fact in just shy of 7 months) and first year I am still riding my fixie to work in December.
Not sure how many more mornings this year will see fixie action to work!
Cheers
DB
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
November to Remember
So October was pretty freakin’ average weather wise – wet as a ducks arse. Consequently opportunities to ride were rare as hens’ teeth. But baby what can I tell you? November has been a totally different animal. Cool to be sure but nice and dry and perfectly fine for time in the saddle.
First week was spent out West – San Diego for the second time in two months. Mr sensible the whole time – “early to bed early to rise”… means I could go out for a run every morning before the conference started! Sunday through Tuesday did just that Sunday about 50 min along a jogging trail from Mission Valley to Fashion Mall (?) then a fantastic climb up to the University of California campus. Next day just went straight up the valley wall – first ten minutes all up hill, through some pretty dodgy neighborhoods – running is a kin brilliant way to see a city. Early morning, people heading out to work, school and an amazing number of homeless people getting their stuff together. Guess if you are homeless San Diego is probably a good place to be based – would bloody well beat Michigan in November! Last run was a different animal – headed the other way and up into a very pleasant neighborhood – gated the whole business. Ran up a storm drain to the electrical towers then down into the valley and along a dried out river bed. As I head through the scrub and brush I suddenly think – “hey no-one knows I’m here, wonder if there are any snakes around here?” Ran back to the road faster than I ran out! As I run back into the neighborhood I notice all along the chain link perimeter fence signs warning about rattle snakes!! Holy CRAP!! Sighting of coyotes on the way back too the hotel and enough West Coast fun for this Mid-Western guy.
Back in the safety of Michigan and back on the bike – Marky, Mark “Mr Marathon” calls and asks if I fancy a drive out to Brighton to hit some more challenging trails than Rockburn? Oh I hate the difficult questions! Like “does anyone fancy another pint?” Course I fancy a trip to Brighton! 40 min each way – blimey! But there we are, driving past guys emerging from pick-ups with guns to head off deer hunting, into Brighton Park. We assume/hope they keep the hunters and bikers apart, cos a slug in the back would put a serious downer on any ride. Hit the Torn Shirt Trail – 5 miles of serious up and down amusement. First time in Mi that I encountered hills that were a struggle on the SSer. Actually failed on a couple and ended up pushing – how it should be. At one point I pass a kids tent by the edge of the trail – only it’s not a kids tent, a soddin’ shooting blind!!! Oh how safe we feel for the rest of the ride.
First week was spent out West – San Diego for the second time in two months. Mr sensible the whole time – “early to bed early to rise”… means I could go out for a run every morning before the conference started! Sunday through Tuesday did just that Sunday about 50 min along a jogging trail from Mission Valley to Fashion Mall (?) then a fantastic climb up to the University of California campus. Next day just went straight up the valley wall – first ten minutes all up hill, through some pretty dodgy neighborhoods – running is a kin brilliant way to see a city. Early morning, people heading out to work, school and an amazing number of homeless people getting their stuff together. Guess if you are homeless San Diego is probably a good place to be based – would bloody well beat Michigan in November! Last run was a different animal – headed the other way and up into a very pleasant neighborhood – gated the whole business. Ran up a storm drain to the electrical towers then down into the valley and along a dried out river bed. As I head through the scrub and brush I suddenly think – “hey no-one knows I’m here, wonder if there are any snakes around here?” Ran back to the road faster than I ran out! As I run back into the neighborhood I notice all along the chain link perimeter fence signs warning about rattle snakes!! Holy CRAP!! Sighting of coyotes on the way back too the hotel and enough West Coast fun for this Mid-Western guy.
Back in the safety of Michigan and back on the bike – Marky, Mark “Mr Marathon” calls and asks if I fancy a drive out to Brighton to hit some more challenging trails than Rockburn? Oh I hate the difficult questions! Like “does anyone fancy another pint?” Course I fancy a trip to Brighton! 40 min each way – blimey! But there we are, driving past guys emerging from pick-ups with guns to head off deer hunting, into Brighton Park. We assume/hope they keep the hunters and bikers apart, cos a slug in the back would put a serious downer on any ride. Hit the Torn Shirt Trail – 5 miles of serious up and down amusement. First time in Mi that I encountered hills that were a struggle on the SSer. Actually failed on a couple and ended up pushing – how it should be. At one point I pass a kids tent by the edge of the trail – only it’s not a kids tent, a soddin’ shooting blind!!! Oh how safe we feel for the rest of the ride.
Marky Mark "Mr Marathon" hitting the leaf strewn trails at Brighton
Next weekend and I get a “pass” for two hours on Sunday morning! So it’s out on the fixie for a few miles. 34 oF when I head South to Dansville and back – pmretty flat which means even though I am not pushing I can cruise at 18 mph for the whole time. Hit a nice patch of dirt road which has me just laughing out loud it is so much fun! End up with just over 38 miles and closing in on the end of the Mi 1000 – over 970 done! With a commute to work the next day and I am less than 7 miles from 1000 miles fixed riding in Mi – life is sweet!
"Don't go back to Danville" oh go on then!
Happy Thanksgiving
DB
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Brass Monkeys (Part 1)
First sub-freezing ride of the year this morning. 28 oF as I left home on the trusty old fixie, beautiful morning, frost on the ground, sun just risen. Perfect ride through the fields of the MSU agricultural grounds past gently steaming livestock. Even did an extra lap of the car park at work to bring up the 900 mile mark for the Mi 1000.
Off West tomorrow until Thursday so no fixie fun next week :(
Happy Guy Fawkes for yesterday!
DB
Off West tomorrow until Thursday so no fixie fun next week :(
Happy Guy Fawkes for yesterday!
DB
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Fixed Heaven!
Yeah O.K. so we've established (i) the trails lack serious technical falloffability round here and (ii) the weather's been a bit crap lately. I've whinged and bloody moaned to everyone who would listen and to many people who really don't give a c**p. Eventually Mr Malone heard enough and told me (via email) to shut up and do something about it!!!! Sensible man Mr Malone (aka Mikey, Mike Mr Bike). Suitably chastened I decided that changes needed to be made........ and that change has arrived, in the form of a nice shiny 20 tooth Tomicog. For the uninitiated a Tomicog is a thing of great beauty, it is a cog drilled so that it bolts to the disc tab of the rear wheel very inexpensively and painlessly converts my Monocog 29er into possibly the biggest baddest mtb ever! A 29er, fully rigid (ooer) fixed bloody wheel. Spent the past week irritating the crap out of my 6 year old as I spend most of our bike rides trying to do track stands on my "new" rig. Christened it "Big Dog" for good measure and aching to hit the trails (I suspect hitting the trails is a pretty good description of my first few rides on this beast). Gonna add spice back to the riding.
Oh the fun we will have!
Cheers (photies to follow)
DB
Oh the fun we will have!
Cheers (photies to follow)
DB
Sunday, October 25, 2009
It's Grim Up North
Full impact of increased latitude has become apparent - it's now "proper" dark when I leave for work at a smidge before 7 am. New commuting lights have been purchased and installed which at least means the cars can see me - but with headlight glare my visibility is limited at times. No mishaps yet but a couple of near misses. One early morning shadow turned out not to be a shadow at all but a very deceased raccoon lying stiffly across the bike lane. My heart rate went up significantly even if its didn't. Then I had a close encounter with with a piece of cast iron sewer pipe that some kind joker had stood on end right in the middle of the bike lane - few choice words into the darkness I ca tell you. But the best was yet to come! Friday on my very happiest commute to date - 45 oF and pishing down, and I only have a very jolly flat don't I!! Dark with frozen fingers so a fix at the road side wasn't on the cards so I took what was described as the "walk of shame" in this weeks "Bicycling" and walked/jogged my bike the last mile to work - what joy!
Still at least the 2-3 times a week bike commute is giving me some saddle time! And glacially slow progress toward the Mi 1000 (almost at 900 miles now). Weather has been damper than Marty Pellows backing band and has put the kibosh ob mtbing completely! The Rockhopper hasn't seen any action in weeks. Trying to maintain a semblage of fitness by running - but crikey isn't running (even in the dark/cold/wet) a dull activity? Mustn't complain and just get the miles in over the winter so that the HAT is at least a possibility come March!
Cheers
DB
Still at least the 2-3 times a week bike commute is giving me some saddle time! And glacially slow progress toward the Mi 1000 (almost at 900 miles now). Weather has been damper than Marty Pellows backing band and has put the kibosh ob mtbing completely! The Rockhopper hasn't seen any action in weeks. Trying to maintain a semblage of fitness by running - but crikey isn't running (even in the dark/cold/wet) a dull activity? Mustn't complain and just get the miles in over the winter so that the HAT is at least a possibility come March!
Cheers
DB
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Epiphany
Been a long time again, many reasons other than just sloth.
Been travelin' some, workin' some and even ridin'/runnin' a bit. But the progress on the Mi 1000 has become a real issue! Few weeks back I was doing nearly 70 miles/week on the old fixie, this past two weeks only 30 miles in total! Weather played a part but no real excuses.
Been running maybe twice! Once round the local burg, on roads/trails around Okemos and one in San Diego (a nice early morning jaunt round Coronado).
Only real thing of note in past couple of weeks is the epiphany of why we (in the old country) drive on the left hand side of the road! It's not just down to obstinate wrongheadedness (or not totally anyway), but down to the need for motorists to recognize the righteousness of the fixed wheel cyclist! Over here, riding on the right - your drivechain is tucked against the roadside where no bugger can see it! Motorists charge by without any appreciation of your wholesale awesomeness. BUT!!! Back from where I came from the drivechain is loud and proud out in the open! Into the road so all motorists have no choice but to be aware (and bow down) of the puritanical struggle of the fixie cyclist!
Hey this might be a pile of horse do, but whatever.
Till next time - be careful out there.
DB
Been travelin' some, workin' some and even ridin'/runnin' a bit. But the progress on the Mi 1000 has become a real issue! Few weeks back I was doing nearly 70 miles/week on the old fixie, this past two weeks only 30 miles in total! Weather played a part but no real excuses.
Been running maybe twice! Once round the local burg, on roads/trails around Okemos and one in San Diego (a nice early morning jaunt round Coronado).
Only real thing of note in past couple of weeks is the epiphany of why we (in the old country) drive on the left hand side of the road! It's not just down to obstinate wrongheadedness (or not totally anyway), but down to the need for motorists to recognize the righteousness of the fixed wheel cyclist! Over here, riding on the right - your drivechain is tucked against the roadside where no bugger can see it! Motorists charge by without any appreciation of your wholesale awesomeness. BUT!!! Back from where I came from the drivechain is loud and proud out in the open! Into the road so all motorists have no choice but to be aware (and bow down) of the puritanical struggle of the fixie cyclist!
Hey this might be a pile of horse do, but whatever.
Till next time - be careful out there.
DB
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
