Wed. 8/27/08

We started with 11 from Erik's. The rain had passed by earlier in the day. The roads were dry, but sections of the trail were still slick. This means I'll be cleaning my bike later on. And Steve brought out the new ride, just in time to break it in right.

We met Big Jeff on the trail right near Douglas. After some debate, we continued north on the trail until we got to cty 3, then we headed east for Oronoco. Past Todd's local watering hole and then over nwy 52.

Here we turned north and headed for Mazeppa. Marty and Trevor slugged it out for the cty sign (well, not really). What a fun stretch of road with everyone taking turns at the front and some nice rollers to heat up everyone's legs. Just before Mazeppa, we turned west for PI, but not before I snuck down the road an extra few feet to grab the coveted cty sign. I can almost taste the green jersey, now.

As we made our way to PI, we had not only the rollers to contend with, but now we were facing the south wind on the several stretches. Good thing we had 11 riders, as everyone took their pulls and then quickly headed back to the shelter of the pack. I just really wanted to stay in the back all the time, but Big Jeff and Big Jim said "NO". Dang, those guys are mean. We rolled into PI, without too much fuss over the first town sign. But everyone got whipped up for the second town sign after we crossed back over 52.

From PI, we headed south on cty 3. Big Jim didn't want to go home just yet, so he headed off on cty 5 for a few more miles. The rest of us continued (into the wind) for the Douglas trail. And from there we rolled back to Rochester. Along the way, people started spliting off for home as we were fast running out of daylight.

AS the remenants of the group turned for Erik's, I continued on the trail and then took Vally High back into town. From there I turned on 7th and headed east. About this time I got cutoff by a car turned left in front of me, so I decided it must be time to turn the lights on. I turned on the flashing taillight and I had packed a small LED flashlight, which fit nicely in my right hand while I was still able to hold onto the brakehood.

I motored home without any other incedents. Almost 65 miles and it was plenty dark when I got home (to the glares of the wife, who insisted I was nuts).

Great ride everyone (Marty, Steve, Kristi, Big Jim, Big Jeff, Eric, Craig, Jeff G., Jim, Trevor, and Mark).

Sounds like that may be all for the Wednesday Erik's rides for this season. Maybe it's time for some CX??? Mud anyone???

Tues. 8/26/08

Had just enough time to sneak in my standard 20 mile route. On the way out a real neat looking three wheeled motorcycle passed me and then again on the way back he went by again.

I may just have to give up riding bicycle and buy one of these...

Mon. 8/25/08

Added a few more miles to my 20 mile route tonight. With the wind out of the SE, I kept going that direction until I got to the Turkey farms south of Eyota. Then I turned around and got a nice push all the way home.

Nothing extraordinary happened, just a nice day for a nice ride.

Sat. 8/23/08

It didn't look like there was going to be a large crowd for the Saturday ride, but as we waited to get going more showed up. So we eventually ended with 7 riders for our morning ride. The winds were a very stiff WNW, so we headed west for Mantorville. We motored along to Salem Corners with everyone having fun at the front. Then we moving on to Byron. With a few rollers and a couple of spots where the wind wasn't too bad, this was a nice stretch of road. At Byron, we turned west again for Mantorville, via the golf course road. Again, some nice rollers with some sheltered areas made this a fun stretch. We turned north at Mantorville and headed for cty 11. We stayed north on cty 11 all the way to the River Road, then Terry switched it up on us, by continuing north up the climb to the next intersection. There we turned east (finally a tailwind) and headed for PI. Along the way, some local country bumpkin, decided to pull his middle finger out of his bum long enough to wave it at us. He was heading west and it still bothered him that we were on "his" road. Anyway, nothing could bother us on such a perfect day. We rolled into PI, and stopped at the Kwik Trip for refreshments. We then headed south out of town on cty 3. The road by Big Jim's is tore up for construction, so the group decided to end the day on the trail.

I finished with almost 64 miles. Nice ride everyone (Big Al, Terry, Tim B., Jeff S., Allen, and Kristi).

Wed. 8/20/08

We started with 13 riders from Erik's Bike Shop. Marty had us head north on the trail to Douglas, where we picked up Jeff S. With the fairly brisk south winds, we then turned south on cty 3 and headed back toward town. Once we got to cty 4, we headed west until we got to where cty 3 headed south again. We followed that all the way to Salem Corners. Along the way, we got the a very nice paceline going. At Rock Dell the paceline broke up a bit, but the group stayed together on the climb heading south out of Rock Dell. Just about the time I grabbed a granola bar, we turned east on hwy 30. With the south cross winds, I soon found myself hung out, off the back of the group. I tried several times to catch back on, but was not making up the lost ground. Luckily, the group waited at the cty 15 turn. From there we all headed north. Shortyly after that, a group of 6 decided to turn it up a bit, while the rest of us kept a nice pace going back toward town. The group came back together for a short time on Salem Road, but then broke up again. Most everyone turned north on cty 104 and headed for the shop, while Jim, Tim, and I continued on Salem Road for town. First Tim turned for home, then Jim peeled off, and finally I headed off for home. I got home right around 8:15pm, and there was still plenty of daylight.

Great ride everyone.

Mon. 8/18/08

I had the day off. So after I finished a few things on my "list", I decided to take the CX bike over to Eastwood for some offroad stuff. I did a few laps on the west edge of the park and got more comfortable with the rough trails before I headed over to the east side for more of the singletrack experience.

After a bit of riding, I happened upon two fellas who appeared to be enjoying a "walk" in the woods. Get a room! Anyway, I didn't have time (or want to make time) to worry about what some perverts were doing. I continued down the trail and did another lap or two on the west side, before I decided to call it quits and head for home.

I felt pretty good, but I still can't get the hang of jumping off and back on the bike very cleanly.

Sat. 8/16/08

There were 10 riders to start the Saturday Dunn Brothers ride (Todd, Marty, Kristi, Paul, Jeff G., Bruce, Tim B., and Joshua). We headed west out of town and not before we had gone a mile, we met up with Big Dave. We headed for Salem Corners and along the way, just past the Historical Society, we met up with Big Jim. So, now the 12 of us headed for Salem Corners.

We turned south for Rock Dell, when Joshua called out to the group that he had a flat. While changing the first flat, Joshua got his second flat (I guess the tube must be ALL the way in the the tire before you inflate the tire with a CO2 cartridge). After the repairs were complete, we continued to Rock Dell.

Then we headed west (into the wind). Everyone took turns at the front and the group moved along nicely. At cty 9 we turned north, again everyone took turns at the front. We crossed over hwy 14, then turned west to Dodge Center.

After a quick stop at the Dodge Center Kwik Trip, we headed north out of town and then we turned east for Mantorville. From there we kept going east until we got to cty 5. Just before cty 5 we passed another group going west. We turned south on cty 5 for Byron, while Big Jim peeled off for home.

The rest of us continued south at Byron, where Todd, Dave, Tim, and Joshua decided to really turn the heat up. Bruce went by with a big head of steam, so I jumped on his wheel and he pulled all the way up to the speedsters. We then turned east into Salem Corners and eventually back into to Rochester. Then everyone split for home.

I finished with 74 miles averaging close to 20 mph. Great ride everyone.

Tues. 8/12/08

I did the 20 mile out and back again tonight. With a SSE 10 mph wind, I was fighting the wind on the way out. There was alot of traffic on the road tonight. I guess everyone was out to get a glimpse of me powering my machine. Met one other rider on the road as I was heading out and he was heading in. If I get my usual 60 miles in tomorrow night, I will be over 3500 miles for the year. I hope the weather is nice tomorrow.

Mon. 8/11/08

Just a quick 20 mile out and back with no juicy details to discuss. Pretty much a standard, quiet, peaceful, ride all by myself. Sometimes it's good to be alone...

Sat. 8/9/08

I missed the Saturday group ride. I oversleep. My brother and nephew had come into town, so we had a few Schells and stayed up late talking smart.

After they headed out, I changed and headed for my 50 mile Chatfield route. No real wind to speak of (except it got a bit stronger as the ride went on). Made my way past the Gun Club and east to Eyota, then south across I 90 and east again past the turkey farm. No Ed, Ed, and Eddie (the three black labs that loved to chase from the one farm just before the turkey farm) this year. Must be new tenants in the farmhouse or the dogs were all in the house. Turned south and I noticed I had three big corn combines coming up on me, so I turned it up a bit to stay ahead of them.

I turned south on cty 10 for Chatfield, while the combines continued east. Up and over the rollers on cty 10 and then down the nice descent into Chatfield. I didn't know this until I rolled into town, but Chatfield was having a parade and most of hwy 52 was closed and traffic was being routed on the back streets. So, I had to deal with the extra heavy traffic and the detour around the parade route. As I went by, I heard the usual comments, "Is that Lance Armstrong?", "Doesn't you butt hurt from sitting on that tiny seat?", "Why do you wear those funny clothes?", and "Get the $*&$(*&%!#@ off the road, you $@&^*&@$&*# fairy!".

After waving goodbye to my many fans and friends, I headed west out of town on cty 2. Up the hill on the new pavement and then into TT mode for the rollers all the way to cty 1. I turned north on cty 1, then west on hwy 30 (cty 1 is still closed near Fugel's Mill). Then I turned north on cty 20. Up the Cemetary hill and then again TT'ed it to the corner of cty 16 (I think), by St. Bridget's Church. By now I think the wind was from the north, so most of this and the remaining stretches home were going to be into the wind (nice). Into Simpson and then north to cty 11. I turned east and then north on cty 11, and finally north up the "all too familiar" cty 11 climbs.

I finished with just over 50 miles, some new friends, and some tired legs.

Did I mention that I love my new saddle?

Fizik Arione Wing Flex, don't leave home without it.

I can't wait for those endorsement checks to start rolling in...

Also no sign of Steve:




or Big Jim:



or Jeff:

Wed. 8/6/08

Two words come to mind to describe our Wednesday ride, "No Shenanigans". That's right, everyone behaved themselves, no Tom-foolery, or Jeff-Foolery, or Steve-foolery, or Marty-foolery, (you get the picture) and I think we all had a great time (even in spite of the rain).

We headed out under dark skies and didn't even get to the trail before we were hit with large, cold rain. Once we got on the trail, there were a few spots where we had shelter from the rain. As we got near Douglas the trail openned up abit and the rain was pretty steady. We met Jeff in Douglas and the group turned west for Genoa. About this time the rain stopped and we just had to deal with the wet roads (and the rooster tails from the bike ahead of you). Marty and Jeff S. held a nice steady pace up Genoa hill, then Big Jim and I lead the group up to the corner. From there we turned north for PI.

Again the group kept a nice steady pace into PI. We kept rolling east out of PI toward Mazeppa. Over the rollers, along a beautiful stretch of country road, then the rain started again (just for a few minutes), then it stopped again. At Mazeppa, no one needed to stop so we kept going east on hwy 60, then we turned SE on cty 7 for Chef's hill. The pace was again very steady and everyone took turns at the front. At the foot of the climb, Big Jim and Jeff G. were on the front (I think) and they held a nice steady ~14 mph tempo up the hill, so everyone hung together on the climb. Chef and family were on the deck as we rolled to the stop sign, we waved and yelled "Hello", then turned south on hwy 63 for home.

Everyone took turns and again the pace was nice and steady all the way to Rochester. Even the Rochester town signs were uncontested (I thought maybe Steve, Eric, and maybe one or two others would go for it, but they didn't, 3 Gold stars for each of them).

Great ride and in spite of the rain, I had a great time. Thanks everyone (Steve, Kristi, Marty, Big Jim, Jeff S., Al, Ben, Craig, Jeff G., and Eric). I finished with 62 miles and was home before dark.

Sat. 8/2/08

There were 10 to start the ride from Dunn Brothers South today, Terry, Big Dave, Jim T., Jeff S., Big Jim, Al, Todd, Tobias, and Bruce. With no wind to speak of, the group decided to head south for the Racine area. We cut across town and headed out on cty 1. The pace was nice and steady with Dave taking the Simpson sign (I think). We turned west and then south on cty 20, because of the detour. We headed back to cty 1 on hwy 30 for a bit, then south again.

Terry and Todd had to get back earlier than the rest of us, so they turned and headed toward Racine, while the rest of the group continued south to Spring Valley.

We stopped at the convience store for water and food. For the first time that I can remember, Jeff was actually grossed out by something. Some guy was in the restroom for quite awhile and when he came out, Jeff just couldn't stand the smell the remained. So he passed on the reststop.

We headed south and then east on cty 12 and with everyone taking turns the pace stayed nice and high. What a beautiful day. We turned north for Wykoff, where my shear power and speed won me the coveted town sign. From there we hit the rollers north of Wykoff. Here is where Bruce and Big Jim pretended to be Energizer Bunnies. They just kept going, and going, and going, all at a blistering pace. Then it was Big Dave and Jeff's turn to make us all suffer a bit.

Finally (thankfully) we made it to Chatfield. Again we stopped for some water at the Kwik Trip. Some local fella told Dave that cty 2 to the west of town was open, so we decided we needed to see the new stretch of road. Dave and Jeff towed us up the now straight and fairly steady grade climb, that once was several curves and several steep spots. But the pavement was nice and it is a sweet stretch of road. I can now do my old 50 mile route again, yippie.

From here everyone took turns at the front and the pace stayed high all the way to cty 1. From here we backtracked to hwy 30, then north on cty 20. I turned east and headed home, while the rest of the group was headed past the airport (I think) and then were going to come into town on cty 8.

What a nice day for a pleasant ride with good friends (and Jeff). I finished with 90+ miles and averaged 19.5 mph (including my lazy pace into town and back home after I turned). Great ride guys.

Here's the map:

Steve, where were ya???

Thur. 7/31/08

One last ride for July. I did the 20 mile out and back with a pretty nice tailwind on the outward section. I had to stay in the drops on the way back (just because). I felt good the whole trip. I think my legs are starting to recover from the past weekends follies...

No sign of Steve...or Jeff...or Big Jim.