Bike Wrench Links

Crime pays, but I wonder if they get 2% rebate?

2011-12-16T08:46:00.000-08:00

Why is it that my credit card company has the ability to determine an odd credit card transaction triggering a phone call to me in which I verify their presumption. Wouldn't it seem more logical when these oddities arise to prompt the cashier for two forms of ID?

Not that I am too worried about it since it will all just be washed away and passed on to the hard working honest people who pay for things with legitimate money.

You know you want one.

2011-12-11T23:42:00.000-08:00

Throwing around some ideas I've been thinking about for awhile. I find myself switching my Kona around between being a singlespeed cyclocross bike and a geared winter fender bike. The bike works well for both purposes. Cheap, light and fun as a single speed. When spring roles around and the roads are full of junk it's nice to have a bike with plenty of room for wider tires, gears, and fenders. My plan is to make the conversion easier. Since the bike does not have down tube shifter mounts and I don't think Cannondale makes any down tube shifter mounts like they used to have for their aluminum frames. This may be the ticket to simplicity.

2011-11-14T22:02:00.001-08:00

2011-11-14T21:38:00.001-08:00

With a severe muscle tear to the calf from my recent return to soccer, I have been trying to find the magic quick fix. I haven't found a quick fix yet, but I did find some good food advice to fight off inflammation. This would require a major overhaul to my typical diet.Anti-Inflammatory Foods

2011-10-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered how people can do those amazing things to a bike. I did just that today. For real JRA. Glad there was no crash involved when they broke.

Single Speed

2011-09-07T21:15:00.001-07:00

State Road Race Richmond

2011-08-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/45393740/

Avon Road Race

2011-08-01T23:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/44193122

2011-07-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

These things are pretty cool for people who don't like to chew up their high end aluminum freehub body.
10 Speed Clip Kit
American Classic 10 Speed Clip Kit is designed to help relieve the gouging of a cassette into an aluminum freehub body. The kit works with Shimano 10 speed cassettes only (105, Ultegra, Dura-Ace). Note: Dura-Ace 7900 cassettes are not compatible with this product.

Savannah Road Ride

2011-03-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

I hooked up with the locals in Savannah for a road ride. The shop that hosted the ride is called Perry Rubber Bicycles. A very cool shop located in the historic downtown of Savannah. The shop has been there for a year and looks to be off to a solid start. They carry a full assortment of Specialized bikes and some Pinarellos. They serve up their own coffee and a few of the employees are SCAD students so they do a lot of their own artwork for jerseys, logos, and etc. Savannah is relatively flat which was probably good for this fat Minnesotan riding with year round riders. I felt pretty good and was glad I found some people to ride with since the last time in Savannah my rides were limited with my lack of knowledge of the areas roads.

Altima

2011-02-23T00:45:00.000-08:00

Felt liners for the rear wheel wells? Sound proofing probably, but what about all the road spray in the Mn winter that turns to slushy ice impeding wheel rotation?

Time has new Pro Tour Team

2011-01-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

Crazy, Sad, Interesting, Vivid and Long

2011-01-08T11:20:00.001-08:00

Synthetic its Good

2010-12-19T21:58:00.000-08:00

The car has been burning oil lately so I've spent some time looking into possible solutions. It occurred to me that the viscosity of the Mobil 1 might be a good lube for the Pugsley. Based on what it was looking like in the freezing conditions I thought why not. So far it's been great and it may even become the summer lube. Bonus: It's only $6 for 32 ounces. That will fill plenty of my empty Finish Line bottles.

Pay it Forward (or Backward)

2010-12-18T21:47:00.000-08:00

I was in the drive through and I had just ordered my gourmet meal on the go and when I pulled forward to pay and pick up my food, the window worker said my food was paid for. I said what? The worker said the guy who just drove off paid for your meal. Wow. Thanks. Did some Christmas shopping or maybe it was Holiday shopping. I played the Microsoft Kinetic it was cool, no remotes, just a sensor that picks up your movement. I ran track and field and after a few events I thought I was going to need a locker room to get showered and changed. It's good to see these games are getting people up and moving. Some random dude offered his all day Nickolodeon ride pass upon his departure so Abby was able to get some rides in.

Snowmobile Trail Riding

2010-12-15T23:09:00.000-08:00

4 days after 20 inches of snow. Didn't know what to expect. The snow machines do a great job of packing the trail, but it was still soft. I found out how important low pressure is to traction in this stuff. I found out about half way in to the ride, probably around 1 hour and 15 minutes. I guess I'm a slow learner or maybe just scared to run such low pressure since my mechanical mishap 2 weeks ago with the chain breaking. Running from Fort Snelling to Cedar Ave in Eagan can make a person re-think any risky bike set-up and I chose to run on the safe side with tire pressure. At the half way point of our out and back ride I lowered the pressure to what seemed soft but still firmer than most. It made a world of difference only that I had cooked myself on the first part using tremendous effort to maintain forward momentum. It was much easier on the way back with low pressure to keep the bike moving in the right direction and to pedal with a somewhat normal cadence, but I was cross-eyed and cooked. One of the hardest rides I can think of in a long time. Hard to believe that many years ago we were doing this ride weekly on 2 inch tires.

Chernobyl: Nothing to Do with Bikes

2010-12-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

Found this to be an interesting read. A girl who rides her motorcycle through Chernobyl documenting the destruction. Kid of Speed: Chernobyl

Arizona has nothing on Mn riding

2010-12-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

Cyclocross season is over, but bike season is not. The Pugsley is a blast, in years past I've ridden 2" mountain bike tires on the snow covered trails. The 2" tires on snow are a struggle not only because snow ridding requires a ton of effort, but it also requires a great deal of balance and finesse to keep moving forward with momentum. The 3.8" Larry's still require a bunch of force, but it's easier to keep balance and momentum.

The trails were in excellent shape prior to the 16 or so inches we just got. The bike trail (road) from 101 was plowed with a truck up to 169 and then where the trail gets skinny someone had used a snowblower to keep it open to bike commuting. It's going to be awhile before this is open again.

Red Barn Classic

2010-10-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the photos Skinny Ski

Linda or was it Larry?

First time racing the new singlespeed. I like it. It is a bit different not having gears to bail you out when the going gets tough, but that just makes you work harder and ride smarter. My singlespeed competition had some experience under their belt, I did not. I pulled a good couple of laps early in the race and was temporarily leading the singlespeed race. Then Stresse passed me and then after another lap or two Alme came by. Alme eventually won the singlespeed race and had a good overall finish. I don't know if I lost speed over the duration or if they gained speed. I'm thinking a combination of both. I had fun and the bike works sweet.

Cyclo Cross at Hudson YMCA

2010-10-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Big Ring Flyers over in Hudson put on a great race. The course was okay, but the event was great. They had a nice venue with the YMCA providing showers and pool if needed. Food was on the grill, a little hammer gel schwag, and music. The course featured a lot of off camber sections and lots and lots of 180's. The 180's are not my favorite since it involves a short acceleration with a rapid deceleration, so lots of hard braking and with my Brett Favre elbow acting up it puts the elbow through the ringer. A couple of sections that were long where you could get up to speed and lots of bumpy terrain. I had a decent start, in that I didn't go too hard and blow, but hard enough to have a good position to work from. I should of dug a bit deeper to hold off Bell. Fred and I had a rematch from last weeks Dakota Tech duking it out for the duration. I held my speed til the end and Fred faded. Next up is Saturday's race in Andy's crazy commune in St. Croix.

Cyclo Cross begins

2010-10-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night series is a blast. Good course, reasonable price. I don't have cross fitness yet, but it'll come. Some pictures from cycleture.

The RIver bottom commute was deep today

2010-09-27T18:41:00.001-07:00

This morning the path crossing the Minnesota River in Shakopee was dry as a bone. Not 6 hours later. Not one of the smartest commutes I've had, but I needed to get to day care, they charge a lot when your late.

The Yellow Line

2010-08-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

The Yellow Line is a pretty definitive line and it's pretty clear where it is. Officials need to enforce this ruling, it gets ridiculous when people push this line further and further into the other lane of oncoming traffic. A windy day in St. Cloud had people stretching the limits. For me that is the rule (I sat up and said F-this). When deemed necessary it is a good rule for the safety of the riders. Unfortunately it happens and it divides the fields.

Jim Bell had a kick ass race. Kudos to him for winning the race after he broke away on the first lap and fought through the winds with little to no help from his temporary drafting companions. He went for it and nailed it. The field was definitely attentive and he held them off. Nice Work!

State Road Course

2010-08-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

Hot Wednesday Night Worlds

2010-08-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

It was a good night for a ride, I committed myself to sitting in since I gave blood on Monday. I wasn't sure how this would effect me. I'm pretty sure I have taken a hiatus from giving blood all these years from May through September since I like riding and it's pretty much the opposite of what dopers do. To my surprise I felt pretty good, the heart was working harder than usual I'm sure.

I felt blind riding without PowerTap numbers. I have grown accustomed to looking at them and regulating effort based on what I see. I use it like a tachometer in a car and possibly don't push hard enough. I also missed having mileage to regulate effort.

Maybe the technology has become cumbersome and riding without it is better. Maybe I won't fix mine or replace it.

People are getting to lackadaisical and fanning out all over the road without regard for traffic. Drafting is good, but being oblivious to traffic is going to cause a problem. When someone calls out that a car is back riders should attempt to get out of the way to some degree.

Selling on Craigslist

2010-07-29T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have one of my Powertaps for sale on Craigslist. Here is the link. PowerTap

I have three other ones and this one I don't need.

Sprinting

2010-06-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

I've always just accepted that I can't sprint and left it at that. Maybe I should work on that, I hear people do sprints and intervals. That sound like punching a clock and going to work, I just like to ride. My 2 races at the State Crit were fine nothing more and that is because I have no sprint.

Saturday Soccer

2010-06-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today was a soccer tourney for Abby. She had four games for the day, they were shortened, but I could see she was worn out by the end. Afterwards we rode bikes over to Lifetime for a swim, she made all the hills on her little BMXer single speed. I was thinking Mankato for a MTB race, but after the weather we had I think the Mn State Crit will be a better option.

No hiding here.

2010-06-09T22:03:00.000-07:00

Dan, for your reading pleasure.

I'm guessing the 1hour 32 minute blank is the Jordan regroup. I'm also guessing somewhere on the bottom line where the minutes are not visible, probably where 1 hour 58 minutes would be, is where I fell off the lead pack. Probably right where the red line is showing heart rate. Weird since I wasn't wearing a heart rate monitor. Maybe my heart was beating so hard that it wirelessly sent out a cry for help that registered on computer.

I was looking forward to tonights ride because of the wind. It forces people to ride to their abilities and not be able to hide. Hiding itself is not a bad thing, in fact its quite useful to help some riders, however when experienced riders with strength hide its lame. It was a blast tonight, everyone got turned inside out. Some people found themselves outside of their comfort zone. Scott county looked like a bomb went off instead of the usual orderly protective cocoon. I like throwing caution to the wind, not being a reckless rider, but maxing myself out repeatedly without concern for whether I get dropped or not. If you get dropped so what at least you know the limitations of your fitness. Bantle "The Bomb" is a good example of this. Good to see him out riding again.

I'm not sure what happened to me. Maybe it was that I had my mind set on a Jordan regroup at the gas station where I could get a Snickers, maybe it was that I hadn't ridden since the last Wednesday ride, or maybe it was just a fn hard ride.

Some gore from the Square Lake RR.

Look out she'll be ready for Buck.

Racing on Gravel

2010-05-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

Should be fun. Hopefully it is the packed hard type and not the loose washboard type.

The Weekend

2010-05-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

Sibley

2010-05-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Is it going to be snowing?

Don't Forget Mothers Day

2010-05-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Soccer game on Saturday for the Abbster, that may make my decision for which race to race in Sibley.

Marty Road Race

2010-04-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

Looks like its a go. Race Route At least from what I remember and can make out from the flyer. A fun course with one good steady climb.
Drive Route
$30, It's better than spending it on the lawn fertilizer.

Wednesday Night Worlds

2010-04-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

The riding should be good, the weather is looking good and I've had a week off the bike because of stuff.

Sogn Valley or Ken Woods whatever it's called

2010-04-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

The weather is not looking so hot. I want to do the race but I'm not a big fan of the weather right now.

I guess we will wait and see.

2010-04-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

Easy Entry, Light weight. I'm pretty interested in these when I get the chance to ride them. I have the predecessor the RXS Carbon's and they have been great pedals. They are lightweight, durable and offer a good amount of float. The float is both the radial twisting type and the lateral side to side. Not too much float where they would feel sloppy or unpredictable. The cafe cleat is descent for walking in, or at least as good as you should expect for a cycling shoe. The wear is not on the part of the cleat that affects engagement or release. So what is new about the I'clic? Instead of a coiled steel spring they are using a carbon fiber leaf spring, so it is lighter. Upon release the mechanism gets set in a position similar to a mouse trap, so it is ready to snap back into place around the cleat. That to me seems like a good thing for the experienced clipless pedal user and the inexperienced clipless pedal user. Ease of entry requiring next to no effort to engage. Not to mention the amazing cornering clearance and the ability to know where those limits are by the close or small distance between the shoe and spindle.

A Sunday Cruise

2010-04-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Silver Coffee Ride

Wednesday Penn Ride

2010-04-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the details from the Wed. ride along with some other stuff from the Training Peaks WKO software.
The Performance Management Chart shows an "ATL" score which is the acute training load. This is a combination of duration and/or intensity.
The "CTL" score is the cummulative training load. More of a gradual build.
The "TSB" score shows the Training Stress Balance which will dip when you go to hard, too long, too often without the base.
If someone was more methodical about training they could use the chart to peak for events.

Wednesday Worlds

2010-04-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

A little cooler than last week. I was anxious to test the legs 24 hours after the phlebotomy. Legs went. Felt harder than last week, probably the missing blood. I'll have to make some more.

Pre-Ride Check

2010-04-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

A bit of a rant. A ride time should be just that, the time the ride leaves. Arrive with equipment that works, a lot of flats can be prevented by simply inspecting tires prior to the ride. Look for cuts or worn out tires and replace if needed. Making people wait for unnecessary flats is lame. It would be nice if roads were closed to traffic, but they aren't. Keep the group tight and to the right. Spreading out entirely across the road is a bad idea, it pisses off traffic. Their are times when spreading out across the road may make sense. A head/cross wind can create that situation, but only when the pace is hard and traffic allows for it. However when their is a tailwind and the group is moving along at a leisurely pace it makes no sense to take up the entire road.

Rosemount Ride

2010-04-02T20:15:00.001-07:00

7:00 am

Wednesday Worlds were Fast

2010-03-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

First one of the year for me. It has been a ritual of mine the last couple years to come out and get smoked on my first attempt and then get in shape after that. Broke the tradition tonight, rode comfortably. Some dudes have been eating their Wheaties all winter long and must have been spinning like mad gerbils on the trainer. The group imploded and their were splinters all over Dakota County. Good times. I like riding bikes

Weds. Night World Championship

2010-03-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

Penn Eagan 5:30 sharp.

Ride Plans for the Weekend

2010-03-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Trying to think ahead to the weekend.

Weather looks O.K.for the weekend but always changes.

Saturday, 8:00 am. from Starbucks in Rosemount at the corner of Hi 3 and Co Rd 42.
Descent ride about 20 people for a quick 40 miler, windy.
Sunday 9:00 am from Starbucks in Savage corner of Hi 13 and Co Rd 42.
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/mn/savage/153126966618412750
Windy ride, should have gone north. Probably 60 miles. Can't wait until the bridges are no longer under water, the improvised route was O.K. but not as fun as the usual route.

Bike Season has Come.

2010-03-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

At the shop it has been hectic. Lots and lots of bikes that need love. Would have loved to have seen these in January or February. It's good, but some people just don't get that it can't be done overnight. Got another nice 75 mile ride in on Sunday. We hit some dirt roads for a portion of the route, probably about 2 miles. I can't believe no one flatted.

I found some time to get my van seats fixed. The power button was only working in one direction, so every time I hit it, the seat would lean back a bit more. I pulled out some control panel that was behind the buttons to have a look. I was bumming because in order to get the panel out I had to electrically move the seat as far forward as I could, which put the seat in an un-drivable position. When I popped open the panel 10 little copper plates fell out. I was worried about getting them back in. After close examination, I hypothesized about their position and purpose. It was tricky getting these things to sit in the proper place and not fall out since nothing holds them in place other than the shell/casing which needs to fit back together precisely. A little patience and McGuyvering prevailed. Yeah seats.

Wednesday Day off of Work..Great Day for a ride.

2010-03-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

The moons were aligned. On Wednesday, St. Patty's day the weather was perfect, I didn't need to work and I was able to find some companions for a long ride. We had four people riding and amazingly everyone their had a child. It's not too often that on a whim you can find that many people who can spontaneously join in for a ride. It worked out well. Jackie and I left Savage headed for our destination in Eagan and arrived precisely at the time we had expected. Lee showed up within a minute of our arrival and then we departed for Hanson's house, who had just picked the kids up from school and was awaiting his wifes arrival. He was already on the road, probably about 1 minute away from his house when we crossed paths. We decided to ride to St. Paul. Shepperd rd. was full of festive green people. Hanson turned around and rode on his own back since we were still interested in a few more miles. We wound up heading to the Birchwood Cafe. Great mid ride food. From here Lee departed and went back to work. Jackie and I carried on, discussing the best route anticipating the underwater river crossings and decided to re-cross the river at the Mendota bridge. I would have preferred a tail wind at this point, but that was not happening. We clicked off 80 miles and burned some of that winter fat. Great Day and fun ride.

2010-03-16T23:52:00.000-07:00

Sundays Ride 55 miles. Good weather and good times.

Watch out for those speed bumps they can be dangerous. The elite don't like it when you ride bikes in their neighborhood.

Nothing Say's Easter Like the "Dude Bunny"

2010-03-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

The Dude likes his ladies.

Check out the bling necklace.

Government Creates Nothing

2010-03-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

Government creates nothing it only makes less efficient what already exist. Our politicians are busy spending our money on stimulus and bailout packages. How does enticing people with an incentive to throw away a car prematurely, help the American economy? How is that a green policy?
Top Ten Cash for Clunkers Purchases:
1.Toyota Corolla
2.Honda Civic
3.Ford Focus
4.Toyota Camry
5.Hyundai Elantra
6.Toyota Prius
7.Nissan Versa
8.Ford Escape FWD
9.Honda Fit
10.Honda CR-V AWD
8/10 cars purchased were foreign companies. At least the Focus is manufactured in Michigan. The Escape is assembled in Asia. Where does the money come from for these stimulus payouts? Our taxes of course. Extract taxes from citizens redistribute it to foreign car makers. How does this help the American economy? The government has duped the public into thinking they are promoting the well being of the U.S. economy and done so by using a green fuel-efficiency campaign. The government produces nothing, but they take money from people and redistribute income to special interest groups that don't benefit the U.S economy. This is just one example of unnecessary spending.

Last Sundays Chaska ride

2010-03-04T21:44:00.001-08:00

More Rides in February and a Good Start to March

2010-03-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

I got together with Gorski, Pribble, and Mark on Sunday for an excellent ride from Chaska to Belle Plaine up through Jordan and then back to Chaska again. The weather was excellent, about as good as you could ask for in February. I think it wound up being 47 miles.

Took Monday off except for a short spin on the rollers. On Tuesday I decided to ride up to Hwood's with a fork that I did some work on. It fit perfectly in my messenger bag which was good since I didn't want to drive. I was thinking I might run into trouble at the Ferry Bridge crossing with all the snow. I attempted it, but unlike riding on 2" mtb tires it just wasn't going to work out. So I improvised and rode down to Shakopee to cross at 101 and Flying Cloud. Turns out my 14 mile ride up changed into a 35 or something ride. More than I was planning since my overall initially would have been 30 roundtrip. Jay wound up giving me a ride south across 35 and I picked up my route from their. Decent 45 miler on another fantastic winter day.

The planned route.

The actual route.

Sunday Ride

2010-02-26T21:18:00.000-08:00

Planning a ride for Sunday at 10:00 am. The plan is to meet at the Chaska Firemans Park located here:
Firemans Park, Chaska Map
Hopefully plenty will show up, it's always nice to share the roads and fight the wind as a group. So far it sounds like myself, Pribble, and Gorski.
Plan on 55 miles.

Road miles in February?

2010-02-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

I typically don't get in too many miles until Opus starts. Usually I have been busy either training new mechanics for the bike man or the last few years too busy with school. Today was too nice of a day to pass up and the scale has been laughing at me. I did my old standby Jordan loop which winds up being 55 miles. Being that this route has no shortcuts I was a little apprehensive to start. I had to get psyched up for the distance since I knew I was in for the cross eyed bonk and the numb toes and fingers. It wound up being a good ride with intermittent bouts of cold fingers and cold toes, but not too bad. No bonk. That must be because of my excess fuel stores or my 30 mile mtb commute to work last week. I'm not a big fan of dog induced intervals, but I got one of those in today. This has never happened before on this route, hopefully that will not become a regular feature of the ride.

I saw the movie Shutter Island on Saturday with Karen. It was an alright movie. I expected it to be more scary. It really wasn't scary but it was a psychologically twisted movie that came up a bit short of great.

Spit

2010-02-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

It's kind of nasty, but it is also very useful for cleaning bikes. I guess that might explain spit shine. Seriously when cleaning a bike that has that nasty accumualtion of sticky whatever drink all built up and baked on from months of sun exposure nothing I have come across cleans it better than spit. Windex won't clean it, Acetone won't clean it, the bike manufacturers degreasers wont' clean it, but spit takes the stuff off easily. There has to be a product out that works as amazingly as spit.

My Brush with Fame

2010-02-05T00:40:00.000-08:00

I came across an old video "Chainsmoke" by FOX racing. Back in the day some of my MTB buds and I were watching some bike videos and to my surprise someone caught a glimpse of me in the video. We rewound it. Yes rewound it, it was B4DVD. Sure enough their I was going over the bars and breaking my collarbone. Thankfully Bob Roll was nearby in the parking lot as I struggled to get my bike on top of my car with one arm.

Arrowhead 135

2010-02-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

Nice Job Dave Pramann hanging tough with the Alaskan's. Next up Iditarod. Finishing this race in the brutal conditions is quite a feat.

1 95 Oatley Jeff 40 M Bike 2/1/10 11:20 PM 16:17:00 1st Overall, 1st bike
2 58 Bassinger Peter 29 M Bike 2/1/10 11:20 PM 16:17:10 2nd bike
3 5 Pramann David 52 M Bike 2/1/10 11:21 PM 16:18:00 3rd bike

Trickle Down Theory

2010-02-02T09:18:00.000-08:00

Hopefully all the good will and resources going towards Haitti, are reaching the recipients.

Arrowhead 135 Results at Halfway

2010-02-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

The racers took off from Intl Falls Kerry Park Arena a few minutes after 7am Monday.
Temps about -21. It is sunny and guessing around zero during the day. The bikers are making great time as the trail is hard and fast.

With Pramann, Bassinger and Andre and Oatley were leading the pack, Charlie Farrow was about half hour behind. A runner from South Africa was in the lead for foot category, passing bikers early on, about in the middle of the pack of bikers.

Latest updates
1Farrow Charlie M Veteran MN USA 50 O11:22
2Grelk Dennis M Veteran IA USA 30 O10:48
3 Gauld Lindsay M Veteran Canada 61 O12:02
4 Pramann David M Veteran MN USA 52 O10:54
5 Peterson Josh M Veteran MN USA 35 O12:15

Bye Di Luca

2010-02-01T08:59:00.000-08:00

Here is Danillo Di Lucca taking the 2nd tier of the podium in the 2009 Giro

Here is Danillo Di Lucca today as he waves good bye for 2 years.

Time Waster

2010-01-30T23:56:00.000-08:00

Here is the site
http://www.pedalmafia.com/mafid/mafia_id.html

F--k the Poor

2010-01-28T09:41:00.001-08:00

Capitalism--JP Morgan Chase--TARP "Troubled Asset Relief Program" -October 28, 2008 U.S. Treasury Department transfers $25 billion to Chase.

Chase CEO James Dimon is a Democrat and worked in President Obama's town of Chicago

2006 Total compensation $41.2 million

Arrowhead 135

2010-01-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

Less than a week away is the Arrowhead 135 offroad winter race. The race takes place up north in International Falls where temperatures will be in the range of -5 to -30. Weather conditions can be a big factor in this race. The course record is 21 hours, so riders will be experiencing extreme conditions as they fight through the cold and dark. Good luck to Dave Pramman, Josh Peterson, and all the other competitors. It looks like the event is starting to pickup momentum, as the fields are getting larger with a more international roster.
A link: http://www.arrowheadultra.com/

Rust Never Sleeps

2010-01-22T20:51:00.000-08:00

This week has been a somber week. A friend whom I hadn't seen in awhile passed away. He was much too young to have passed. Seeing his pictures and water bottle brought a rush of feelings that I didn't even know existed. I am grateful to have known him and to have shared some memorable times together. I will miss him, as will many others. RIP Gianni.

My uncle passed away on Thursday. My mother's brother has been suffering from a disease that he didn't know of until late in its grips. He found out about the disease about 7 years before his death. He was 57 on Thursday when he died. He was suffering from Liver Cancer which was brought on by years of undiagnosed Hemachromatosis, which is a genetic disorder that gets passed down through the family genes. This disease collects iron in the body, unlike regular metabolism that rids itself of excess iron.

I wish that I could have spent some more time with him or seen him smile one last time. It had been years since I had seen him, but I can still remember his charismatic smile. It came on so fast in the end. May your family and your soul go on in peace. Ron I love you and because of what you endured, I will live a longer life knowing that my body carries the same genes.

Fundraiser

2010-01-22T20:40:00.001-08:00

New EGR valve installed

2010-01-14T22:30:00.000-08:00

The engine light came on again. I double checked the OBD codes and came up with the same Po404 and P0406 which both speak of EGR malfunction. Last time I cleaned it with carb cleaner. This time it didn't work. So it was time to purchase and replace. Rock Auto great service, great prices and quick. The link to the codes meanings http://www.allpar.com/fix/computer-codes.html. Installed and ready to go.

Refrigerator ice maker was next. Pulled the tubing out and found ice back up way inside. Jumped the ice harvester and presto we have ice again. Thats gotta be worth a day of work.

Damn this is supposed to be about bikes and all I've got in the ads space is computer stuff. Well it's winter, I guess I need to get some cross country ski action going.

Ghetto Cross Country Ski Wax Table

2010-01-13T12:30:00.001-08:00

Here you go Matt.

Get yourself a 2*6 (the ski lays on it)
(2) 3/8 Carriage Head Bolts (or improvise some other bolts)
around 2 feet of 1*3 (for the clamps)

Thats it for materials (assuming you have an iron and some wax)

Lay your ski on the 2*6 and trace a pattern to be cutout
Use a jigsaw to cut the trace marks
Lay your ski in your newly cut 2*6 and determine where your clamps will go
Cut your 1*3 clamps
Place your 1*3 clamp piece(s) in location and drill through

Easy and Cheap

Screw You Chase Credit Cards

2010-01-13T10:16:00.001-08:00

I tried to identify the date in the Star Tribune Newspaper as today's date January 13, 2010. Next to it is the computer screen showing a picture of the computer monitor at my Amazon site. Looks like I can still use my credit card that was cancelled in Fall of 2008.

Above is the original purchase. As a college student with little income I bought into the advertised "Use Amazon credit card and get $# credit on purchases above $#".

Sounded good I was going to purchase with a credit card anyway, why not save some cash. My plan was to purchase my college textbooks, then pay the full balance upon receipt of the books, and cancel the credit card immediately. I don't like having multiple cards. All within the guidelines of the promo offer.

That is exactly what I did. Upon receiving my books I called up Chase banks, asked what my bill was and paid it in full. Then I told the customer service rep to immediately cancel my account with them. I think the closure to that conversation was, "Is their anything else I can help you with today?" My response, "No".

In the meantime my account has mysteriously not been closed and has been enrolled in paperless billing. All without my consent or knowledge.

I will be getting further details posted, once I acquire and scan the limited documentation there is of these transactions.

Conveniently all the sales/payment history is gone from "paperless (online)" including the email dialogue I had with them regarding my account.

This is where it all went down hill. Somehow after paying off the balance and cancelling the credit card in 2008. A small balance remained and has acrued interest and fees ever since.

Documentation of my second attempt to cancel the account

Hyland XC skiing

2010-01-11T23:34:00.000-08:00

I went to Hyland and Skiied three laps with Muyres and then ran into Jesse. Just wanted to try out the camera and see how it works with natural lighting and how easily it uploads etc. Wearing gloves and fumbling with the small buttons was not so easy, but it should work excellent on bike rides. Quick to turn on, compact size, and descent video will make it more likely to bring on those epic summer rides. The old mini-DV camcorder will probably not get much usage

RSS Feed Reader

2010-01-10T20:28:00.001-08:00

I'm looking for a feed reader that will pick out particular sections of a blog/forum. How about a weather gizmo that shows current and forecast.

Another Page

2010-01-09T23:26:00.001-08:00

The other page was getting to cluttered with junk.

Bike Wrench Links

Crime pays, but I wonder if they get 2% rebate?

You know you want one.

Single Speed

State Road Race Richmond

Avon Road Race

Savannah Road Ride

Altima

Time has new Pro Tour Team

Crazy, Sad, Interesting, Vivid and Long

Synthetic its Good

Pay it Forward (or Backward)

Snowmobile Trail Riding

Chernobyl: Nothing to Do with Bikes

Arizona has nothing on Mn riding

Red Barn Classic

Cyclo Cross at Hudson YMCA

Cyclo Cross begins

The RIver bottom commute was deep today

The Yellow Line

State Road Course

Hot Wednesday Night Worlds

Selling on Craigslist

Sprinting

Saturday Soccer

No hiding here.

Racing on Gravel

The Weekend

Sibley

Don't Forget Mothers Day

Marty Road Race

Wednesday Night Worlds

Sogn Valley or Ken Woods whatever it's called

A Sunday Cruise

Wednesday Penn Ride

Wednesday Worlds

Pre-Ride Check

Rosemount Ride

Wednesday Worlds were Fast

Weds. Night World Championship

Ride Plans for the Weekend

Bike Season has Come.

Wednesday Day off of Work..Great Day for a ride.

Nothing Say's Easter Like the "Dude Bunny"

Government Creates Nothing

Last Sundays Chaska ride

More Rides in February and a Good Start to March

Sunday Ride

Road miles in February?

Spit

My Brush with Fame

Arrowhead 135

1 95 Oatley Jeff 40 M Bike 2/1/10 11:20 PM 16:17:00 1st Overall, 1st bike 2 58 Bassinger Peter 29 M Bike 2/1/10 11:20 PM 16:17:10 2nd bike3 5 Pramann David 52 M Bike 2/1/10 11:21 PM 16:18:00 3rd bike

Trickle Down Theory

Arrowhead 135 Results at Halfway

Bye Di Luca

Time Waster

F--k the Poor

Arrowhead 135

Rust Never Sleeps

Fundraiser

New EGR valve installed

Ghetto Cross Country Ski Wax Table

Screw You Chase Credit Cards

Hyland XC skiing

RSS Feed Reader

Another Page

1 95 Oatley Jeff 40 M Bike 2/1/10 11:20 PM 16:17:00 1st Overall, 1st bike
2 58 Bassinger Peter 29 M Bike 2/1/10 11:20 PM 16:17:10 2nd bike
3 5 Pramann David 52 M Bike 2/1/10 11:21 PM 16:18:00 3rd bike