9.28.06

This day has been one of an emotionial ride. Rain once again woke us all, followed by typical fall weather. Our day here was mared by a funeral for a grand lady of 102 years of age. Viola Daniel who was one of our ex-neighbors but a major cog in the wheel of our lives will be sadly missed.

After the funeral I rode my bike for twenty plus miles in the wind and sun, fighting the wind and gear changing along the way. I have been bouncing back and forth beween variations of the same route of 15, 18 and 20 milers since coming back from vacation. Right now, it is good for me, but it will become boring after a while.

Hope all is well.
b

World Car Free Day 2006

Does anyone know what this area (especially New Albany) will be doing for World Carfree Day 2006?

"New this year, we are encouraging all organisers to make this year's unofficial theme of World Carfree Day Street Conversions. World Carfree Network and Carbusters magazine are co-sponsoring a competition to design a carfree street, parking space, or intersection. For more information on the contest and the concept of street conversions, click here."
Taken from http://www.worldcarfree.net/

Be Careful

Went out and did a twenty miler this morning, but played dodge the rocks. Mother Nature specialized in hyrdaulics this weekend and with that came everyone's gravel driveway down onto the road surface. Please ride carefully.

That twenty this morning gives me eigthy plus miles this week, the first week back from a vacation that ran my system in the ground. My body is still feeling the effects of much riding and hopefully will get back in the groove before long.

I need a new chain for my bike, any suggestions of a better brand over another?

Cheers

Just outside of Prague.

We didn't make it the whole way, but I'd say that Kevin and I managed about 275-300 km of the Greenway.

As previously alluded to, we've had an epiphany with respect to the proper balance of cycling and beer drinking.

Guess which one gained ... 

Big country, relatively small path.

Beercycling 2006 has concluded, but the stories should continue to grow and prosper in the coming years.

The view above is from the national park area near Znojmo on the Czech-Austrian border. The Greenway is somewhat rough in this area, and Kevin and I bypassed it according to the dictates of our new slogan: When the going gets tough, the tough take the train.

In spite of our long overdue recognition that we're no longer spring chickens and would rather drink beer than fight mountains (at least on a regular basis), 500+ kilometers were recorded, and the beercycling adventure will be remembered fondly.

I hope to offer more in the next few days, but right now, there's work to be tended. 

CA Trip (2)

Well friends, for all that I posted about my trip to California in May of this year, ditto it and add much more. We wound up with about 400 miles in seven days. Some of that I was on my own due to my buddy TR's work schedule at the Saint Michael Alley Bistro where he is a waiter. Never the less, it was good weather and was coupled with many fine memories of the Bay Area and the peninsula area south of 'Frisco and over the mountains to Santa Cruz.

We did a little more exploring of the north shore area between Sausalito and Larkspur which included Tiburon. We road the hilly terrian of the paradise trail. Our return that day was coming back across the Golden Gate Bridge in total fog with visibility at about 30 feet. All I could see in front of me was TR's flashing red light on his bike and could hear the massive horn blast warning the ships heading in the bay of the bridge. Just like out of a movie.

The photo was taken on 9.13.06 at a bar called Zeitgeist where it would be safe to say there was near sixty to seventy bikes there in hanging racks or just locked together out back in the backyard by patrons enjoying fine California hoppy beers and other substances. Totally different culture than we are used to here in this area.

Good to be back in Indiana

Well it was a hoot, my second bike trip to California this year, but always so glad to get back home to comfy confines of good old Southern Indiana. I'll post later on the details of my trip, but for now here is a taste of one of the "grand scale bikes" that is taking the Santa Cruz area by storm with the younger crowd. Way strange when you see them coming at you on the road.

The Left Coast

Hello all from the wonderful land of bicycling known as California. We have been some 200+ miles thus far including a trip from Santa Cruz today that brought us over the mountains in 90+ degree heat. Hope all is well and will post later in the week or when I return. Oh yeah, I'm in Palo Alto and lovin' it drinking fine California Double IPA's.
Cheers....Ed

Coffee and A Newspaper

We rode over to Louisville today to the Heine Bros. on Longest, where there is also a Carmichael's bookstore. It was great that both places were open early on a Sunday because we got our usual coffee and I was able to purchase a couple of copies of this week's Business First newspaper because my daughter is in this issue! She's on the Ahead of the Curve page which is about young business professionals. So a bike ride, coffee stop and reading about your kid, what could be cooler on a Sunday?

Total mileage today: 40

Chasing Cormac

I have been hindered as of late by September infirmity, nearly as predictable as other rituals of autumn. I did seek medical authority and thus felt a return to the living yesterday. I had spent the week reading the remaining two thirds of the Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy and was inspired to seek the natural. The myriad lands around Loop Island do not recall the Southwest and Old Mexico of the maestro's explication on Duty and the sundry caprice of Life. No, it actually recalls Sutree, primoridal stretch of striated Natura Firma a stones throw from inerstate traffic. The brambles and ivy have yet to concede the onset of chilly weather and I pedalled along accordingly, noting the cadres of young people fishing, homeless blokes catnapping and the presence, en masse, of New Albany's finest investigating some situation where Silver Creek empties into the Ohio. There are paths below the old railroad bridge, though the topography of such requires greater skill on a bike than I can reasonably manage. So it goes.

Finals standings

Here we are one week later and I finally found out what my national ranking is, #8. I'm happy with it, but next year it will be #1! With my national ranking, I am now on the U.S. Cycling Team that will compete next year at the 2007 World Championships that will be in Canada.

On another note, I'm pretty bummed out that there was so little coverage of the race, especially since New Albany had two riders representing the city in the main events. The Tribune, nor the other news media I contacted prior, during and after the races have responded. The CJ just ran a press release and I saw WAVE3 out there, but nothing was on the program.

What I'm trying to get at is that New Albany is home to two national champion cyclist! We've worked really hard to earn that, but unless it involves a ball and two goals, news deems it unworthy and that BMX is some underground kid sport. Did you know that the Grand National brings in about 20 thousand people to our local area? Maybe next year we might get a nod...lol..

Exit to California

Well it is my turn to exit for a cycling vacation, my second trip to California this year. I broke the bike down and placed it in the case tonight, so as not to bother with it tommorow night. Yeah I probably should have ridden one more time but I have been working a lot and need to rest my legs. My buddy TR and I will see if we can exceed the mileage we racked up in May, hopefully, and have good weather to do it in. The rainy season starts there in mid September, maybe we can get in some good days of cruising in the mountains and also trips to San Francisco and farther north towards Santa Rosa.

Tuesday

Went out for a two hour cruise up Corydon Pike and around over to Spickert Knob this afternoon after work, damn it felt so good. After making it off the hill I road alittle in the New Albany area before making my way to downtown and then up the Spring Street hill to home. Did not ride real hard, but kept a descent pace so as not to burn my self out before my trip this weekend.

2006 NBL Grands

The 2006 NBL Grand National is history. No doubt, the best Grands EVER! We had over 450 motos. That's about 2500 riders, ranging from 5 and under to 70 something I believe.

The local organization, which is all volunteer based, put on the best race I've attended. I started out a little shakey, but finished all first through my qualifying rounds in 35 and over expert and posted a 1,5,3 in the 30 and over open wheels. Today, we started out with 1/8's and kept the winning going all the way until the main.

In class, I got out a little sluggish, but was able to keep the leader insight and I played follow the leader until the last turn and tried to make my move, but I just didn't have any fuel left. Bob O'Gorman is the world ranked #3 rider and one of the classiest guys you'll meet on the national scene.

Here's a pic from Saturdays motos. I'm # 865.