I really need to commute more

Finally decided to take the bike in to work today. I really don't know why I don't do it more often... well, I do know why, but many times it is not for an actual good reason. We should make a new SPH challenge... whoever can commute the most miles (can't take ridiculous detours just to pad your stats) the rest of the year gets something really sweet... ready? GO!

Mission Creek

Just a little riding in Duluth...

GCSSC 2016 is set!

November 6th!

Warrington compound

About 1:30 or 2:00

Same course, unless we want to add in some city streets and the .125 mile trail up on Sand Hill.

Beef Stew, Cornbread, and whatnot for post ride dinner.

Families are encouraged to hang out and eat and play.

SPH get togethers have become less frequent, so be there or be square!

Vacations and Work Trips

Not much riding in the past couple of weeks... but life goes on!

Work trips to Idaho, and family trips up north to fish... Looking forward to racing in Duluth in a couple of weekends... maybe an SPH weekend trip someplace... maybe a WEMS race in September if I get off of my butt.

Bike shop opening up this week Friday is the big news... who will make the first purchase!?!?!?! I have some things already on order... gah!

Flying back from Idaho Falls

Can we eat it?!?!?

Last morning up north

Turkeys!

4th of July Weekend!

It's been a little while... life is crazy!

4th of July weekend brought us back up to Duluth.

Some hikes....

Congden Park - Tischer Creek hiking trails

The Lift Bridge at night

And biking! Thanks Mike for the guided tour! Sorry to need to get going early and have a deadline to be home!

Tree thinning is underway

DEER!

After the ride... Happy 4th of July!

Racing! and New Bike! And summer....

Last weekend the family piled into the Pilot and headed over to a hot race at Mt Kato. Always a fun course... and usually a bit hot... this one was hotter than most I think. They even had a second water stop up on the top of the hill...

(photo taken by tmbimages.com)

That's actually a fairly gruesome photo.... large melon head the wrong shade of red... my hairy legs looking chicken like... yikes

Anyways... it was also Graham's first ever "race" too... this was the highlight of the day probably. He was nervous at the start, but really flew around the course, winning his "little kids" heat easily!

This week also heralded me getting a new bike for the first time in about 8 years (I'm not counting my fat bike... which barely has been ridden.... gah!)

Salsa Deadwood... 29+, dropbars, weird. One ride and I think there may be some potential there... but I will need to tweak things a bit I think (thicker bar tape, slightly higher position).

Memorial Day Weekend

The weather cleared up just in time to have a couple of enjoyable days outside on a long weekend.

Saturday was a wash, but Sunday was nice, and Monday was perfect!

Sunday after breakfast I loaded up the kids onto the trailer and headed toward Colvill. Jillian wasn't happy with things at first, but we got moving and she was happy. Graham had a blast pedaling. He was about 50/50 with pedaling the correct direction, but it was fun. Let me tell you though... pedaling a fat bike (with non-good rolling tires) with a double Weehoo loaded with almost 70 pounds of kid is tough! Glad I didn't remove the gears from the fat bike! Definitely need gears to pull 110+ pounds of trailer!

Memorial Day was time for our RAMBO Mem. Day ride! Memorial on Memorial!

Lower than hoped for turnout, but it was still doing a lap with the guys and chat while eating brats and chips. After eating I headed out to see what happened if I rode more and more and more. I ended up with another 2 hours of riding and the realization that I'm in ok shape, but not really ready for 30+ miles of singletrack....

Stairway was hot!

FLAT TIRE! 32 oz. of Powerade and I was still thirsty...