Archive | October, 2014

Scary OK

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After Friday’s sandy slug-fest aboard the Farley, I spent Saturday being a soccer dad and then later hanging out with Wifey watching bad TV and drinking a few beers. On Sunday I did the whole soccer dad thing all over again, but afterwards headed up to MMCC for a lap on the Superfly.

There is nothing quite like spending a week riding a fat bike then switching to a carbon, full suspension race bike. It felt really, darn OK and it was great to get out and enjoy a semi-warm and sunny fall Michigan day, especially since I think it’s supposed to be nasty all this week. Great.

The only downfall to the ride was seeing one section of trail done up with ghosts, gravestones and other Halloween type accoutrements as the college readies for the “haunted trail” thing they do every fall for kids. Nothing against Halloween, I just hate seeing the stuff ’cause it reminds me that the Tri-Fecta of Misery that is Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years will soon be here, followed by four to six months of cold, dark, Hoth-like weather (depending on what Ma Nature decides for Michigan in Winter 2014/15). Sigh.

Hoping, praying, and crying into my pillow that having a worth-while fat bike to ride and race will help ease the pain of the coming winter… well, that booze, antidepressants and if I can get my hands on some; horse tranquilizers.

Speaking of racing and the coming winter, the Northern Michigan Fat Bike Series Festival of Lights race at Timber Ridge on December 21st will MOST likely be my first fat race of the season. Still have to see what races Fun Promotions does this year and weigh the options (distance, price, etc.,). Not matter the event, after a season of little riding and racing I sure to put on one hell of a frozen shit show. Stay tuned for all that.

Riding may be sparse this week, so blogging will be too [collective groans now heard internet-wide].

Later.

Get Lost

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My plan on Friday was to drive a bit up north to ride some seasonal roads, snowmobile trails and ORV roads on the fat bike before hard core, shoot everything that moves, firearm deer season starts next month. As of now, all I have to worry about is an arrow hurling through the air and plunging into my chest, I can live with that (or die like that).

I’ve done this ride three or four times before and have been pushing a bit further in my exploration each time. I didn’t push as far distance wise this time, but I did explore a bit more.

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What is Wrong?

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For the second day in a row, the Michiganderburgh winds were howling like a bean fueled anus in exit mode après an all you can eat chili bar with an endless Old Milwaukee keg that is two months past due. Gusts were getting well over 20 mph or more and a voice in my head was heard to say the phrase “FUCK THAT! I ain’t doin’ no dirt road ridin in THAT shit’.”

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In Praise of Putzing

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At this time in my life, I would never dare say that what I do on a bike is “intense,” “epic,” or the most overused word in the modern day cyclist’s lexicon– “rad.” However, I do usually have a loose plan for what I want to do. Most of my rides are based on time in the saddle (but usually by how much time I have), while others are merely based on a desired loop or the amount of miles I want to cover. What I rarely do is just putz around. What I mean by “putz around” is to ride without a planned route or set goal. I also rarely ride the trails of Deerfield Park, a local county park just a few minutes by car from my house. Today though, I not only putzed around, I putzed around on a bike at Deerfield Park.

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No Flesh Taken

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The photo you see above is not from today, it’s actually from Saturday’s ride at MMCC. I sadly didn’t have a chance to ride today, but I did have some time to cut a little off of the EXTREMELY wide bars that came on the Farley (utilizing the dullest hack saw blade known to man) and to run over to the bike shop and pick up a pair of ESI grips. As luck would have it, for the first time EVER I installed the ESI grips without taking a pound of flesh off of my hands. Joy.

It’s looking like I’ll have the chance to get out for some fat on fat on dirt road action tomorrow. As you many have gathered, against my better judgement (judgment, what’s that?) I plan on using the Farley. I figure since I didn’t ride today, I’ll force myself to work harder and ride the fatty on muddy dirt roads as sort of a penance for being fat and lazy. Of course if we get more rain tonight, it might be just the ticket to handle the soft dirt roads.

Sleep beckons.

Later.

 

A Short Foray Into Fall

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I was able to get out for a short ride in between the rain drops, hail stones and gusting winds on Saturday morning. Ma Nature, was throwing everything she had–short of snow–at Michiganderburgh and I really have no idea how I managed to ride for over an hour without getting soaked or blown across the lake to Wisconsin.

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I Feel Wham!

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It’s been some time since my last post. I figured it was best not to post since the weather has been windy, rainy and crap-tastic, I haven’t been riding and I’ve been taking the Black Dog for a long, LONG walk of late. People barely want to read about an old, fat dude riding his bike, let alone read about an old, fat, depressed dude NOT riding his bike. Sigh (drink)… Those days are now sort of, almost, not quite behind me now, and I have moved on (sort of) by getting a new bike that I have no right to have really got (Is that right? It doesn’t sound right… gotten?..purchased?… fuck it, we all know I’m an ass hat).

Thanks to selling some shit, a generous Wifey and the amazing bare assed folks (don’t ask) at Terry’s Cycle in beautiful downtown Alma, Michigan, my winter racing and riding plans are now as solid as a post-Golden Corral buffet bowel movement: KAPLUNK!!! Yep, today I took delivery of the very black and very anodized Trek Farley 6. It’s sort of like Jay Z and Wham! guest starring on Drop Dead Diva. I have to say, I am pretty darn, nonplussed about it.

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