The Night Ride

I love autumn.  The weather means I can bust out my classy flannel shirts, my beard doesn't look like a desperate attempt to hide my neck waddle, and riding bikes is so much more fun.  The cool, (not cold) weather is refreshing at mile 15, and the landscapes inspire longer rides and bigger grins.

But this beauty comes at a price, and we all know that price is the shorter days.  But this too, can make mountain biking a whole new adventure.  Isn't that why we do what we do?  To find adventure? Fall provides that adventure in the form of a night ride.  I love night riding because as the days get shorter, it is a great way to extend your season, and with fat bikes it is like a never ending season!  But you have to have the right equipment.  Here is my equipment list for those new to this:

1. Helmet, bike, gloves, water, bike...basics you would have on any ride

2. Lights.  I like to have a light on my handlebar, and one mounted on my helmet.  The handlebar light is a given, but the helmet mount gives the advantage of being able to look further ahead and around corners.  My handlebar light is a pro series NiteRider light.  Powerful with a long lasting battery.  The light I mount on my helmet is a Stella Light & Motion, though it is an older model, it has stood the test of time and it is equally bright with a super fast charge time and a long lasting battery.  There are tons of quality light companies out there, but these two are tops in my books because they last, and you can find them at your local bike shop.  #supportlbs
3. Friends who are as crazy as you are.  Seriously, it is nice to have friends on night rides.  I go alone all the time because I enjoy the comfort of solitude.  But it can be scary out there.

So go ride your bike...longer too.

The Tour de Laramie, a non-sanctioned sport.

Greetings friends, this blog begins like all good blogs,...with cheap wine.  Last night Jessica and I decided to examine the world around us.  What was around us?  The Tour de Laramie.  It is a grand event, similar to the Marine Corp Ball.  What follows, isn't for the faint of heart.  It is only for the strong, the ideologically profound.  The geeks.  It is bicyclists depraved and acting like children.  And after all, isn't that why we love bicycles.  At the end of a long day, a long week, a long month, a long semester,....bikes remind us of our first freedom.  That first pedal stroke without training wheels, when we ride away from our parents, and into the open spaces where we learn to be the person they taught us we could become.  We ride bikes because it is fun.  I saw some some fun, and I am so excited about the coming season.  Let's go ride.  Because bikes.

1st street, in all its glory.

Winter and Loni! 

Jeff loves love.  

I love Wyoming

Jeff has a pink collar.  So what. 

The Bicycle knows

Security is important, that is why we have superheroes.  I see a superhero, but a name escapes me. 

  That is right, because bikes.

Making Dreams come true.

"Making dreams come true."  We take great pride in that idea.  

We have all seen, and been affected by the smile of someone who buys a new bike.  For me, it stirs up the sense of adventure I feel every time I move at a speed that I create making me a part of a symphony of symbiosis. It is a big part of working in a bicycle shop, and it feels pretty good. 

But the reason being a mechanic is special is because of the other part of the job.

"Making dreams come true."  It has a deep meaning to me because I am fortunate enough to work with people who have been well educated in the craft of making broken things work very well again.  If it can be fixed, or made to work, then it is with these hands that it will happen. That is the true meaning of the words; "Making dreams come true."

When there is desperation in the eyes of someone who is afraid they have wounded an old friend beyond repair, my mind searches desperately for a solution. I know what it is like to lose a bicycle to the destructive nature of the universe.  These moments, when we have the opportunity to keep someone on a bicycle they love, they are the reason this job is special to me.

Recently I was presented with something that made me smile:

The Bike: 2011 Brougham by Felt Cycles.

The Job: Add a FreeRadical by Xtracycle

The Problem - Without a chainstay bridge the Xtracycle will float from side to side with a fixed gear.

The chainstay bridge isn't necessary for the Xtracycle to work.  In fact, in their directions, they have a handy dandy way to solve this problem.  But...when using a fixed gear bicycle like Felt's Brougham, there are some extra factors to keep in context.  Chain tension and chain line are extremely important.  If they are off, say because the Xtracycle floats between the stays, then parts could be damaged, and the bike is in the shop.  So it needs to be perfect.

The solution: Make a brace to fill the space.  (Formerly a top tube from a steel bicycle frame.)

Powder Coat it!

Make sure it looks good!

Assemble the contraption!

Make sure it works!

Make dreams come true. 

I really enjoyed this project.  Recycling the world one discarded part from our basement at a time.   I was happy to help make an old bicycle feel brand new.  Thanks Gus, Jackie and Axle.  Happy Trails from the Pedal House.

Roland Cycling CycloCross Race - 10/6/13

My friend Miguel has always been a strong influence on my life as a cyclist.  We have been friends since before I have memory, and we have ridden bicycles as long as we have known each other.  I am not sure who got who into cycling, though I feel it was a mutual desire to ride to something, rather than the more common metaphor of riding away from something.  

Several nights we would ride our bicycles around Laramie and evade the detection of undesirable forces..... Police Forces.  Not that we were  criminals, just bored.  Like one time, we were sitting by the fountain that used to be on the corner of University and 3rd street.  I think we were about 14 or 15 years old.  It was about 12:amish, and Miguel had just said he was going home soon.  Then, out of nowhere, someone lights a bunch of firecrackers and throws them into the street.  (Here is where you make assumptions about which one of us did it.....heehee, I'll never tell.)  

Well, as chance would have it, a very nice police officer was driving by at that exact moment.  A moment so perfect, the firecrackers actually landed on the trunk of the cop car.  Long story short, If I had been a better cyclocross rider back then, I would have gotten away too!  But instead, I watched Miguel role off into the evening, hoping bushes and retaining walls like a champion.  (To his credit, he came back, and because he did the police officer just told us to go home.)  

  

Currently, the Roland Cycling team is hosting a series of Cyclocross races, Sans Police Force.  The pictures below are from the race this weekend, Enjoy.  

Starting line, Eric enjoys a moment. 

Big Leg Allen and Felix

Chest hair and all.

Barrier hop, a fantastic part of the day. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Hop!

When you're this fast, you hover over your bike!

Can't be to safe during hunting season. 

Running was actually faster here, but it was still running.

Nathan attacks the barrier!

Sweet brakes on that rig.  

The last race is on 10-13-13, Sunday at 1:pm.  If you have never been to a cross race, come on out and check it out.  It is a fun atmosphere, and there are lots of dudes in spandex.....okay come out in spite of that last part.  

Commuting with Clarence

I have always been that guy; the guy with the dog. People always ask me, "How did you train your dog to do that?  My answer, "I listen to them."

My first dog was named Midge.  She was a poodle who used to tag along with me on all of my adventures.  She taught me the love and loyalty of a dog is way better than any person could offer.  Then Tuffy, he was a rough and tumble pitbull born into the body of a Cocker Spaniel.  Tuffy taught me that the antics of a cute puppy are not always cute when they are grown dog antics.  My best friend ever was an amazing dog named Clarence, a black long haired mutt that was the  first dog that I had after moving out of my parent's house.  He was mine.  Don't get me wrong, Jessica was a huge part of this dog's life, but when I first got him, it was because I knew he would be a special dog and I wanted to make sure he was always happy and safe.  He made me a better person.

This blog is dedicated to Clarence and all of the things we learned together as riding partners. For this blog I will focus mostly on commuting with a furry pal, but in the future I will do a blog about mountain biking with a mutt too, so if you love your dogs and want to bring them along on your adventures keep an eye out for the second part of this blog. 

So here are a few things that Clarence and I learned.
1. When riding through town with a dog, keep them on your right hand side at all times, and keep them close.  When you are riding legally through town, cars come up on your left side, so your little buddy should be on the other side for safety reasons.  Before the new leash law, I never leashed a dog in my life, but on the bike they were under a strict voice command.  I would never let Clarence get his nose ahead of my front wheel.  It is like the Alpha dog thing, nobody goes ahead of Alpha.  Dogs will understand this.  I taught him this before we ever got on the bike.  When he was a baby we walked everywhere together.  I would let him run around, but when I said, "Right side" he had to come directly to my right side and stay there until I said, "Free dog."  The commands are not important  you could say, "Pickle" and "Fernando Valenzuela" as long as you are consistent, but make sure when you use your command, he responds.  When he is a baby, you will just have to move him there and make him stay, but it is easier to teach them good habits as a puppy, then to break bad habits of a dog. (Thank you for that one Tuffy.)
2.Be the Alpha and set the pace. There will be days when your dog wants to outpace you.  You can't always say right side and expect him to respect you.  Sometimes you have to earn your alpha place.  It might not be on the bike, but dogs want to know you are in control, so be in control.  One way to do this is simple.  When they are puppies hold them a bunch.  Not just because they are puppies, but use it as training.  Sometimes dogs don't like to be held.  As a puppy I hold them like babies sometimes, and when they struggle I gently keep them in position until I decide they should be let down.  That is a gentle, easy way to show dominance.  But sometimes I like to race too, so Clarence and I would have it out on a dirt road, and I would house him.  (My new dog Jeff is a different story.  He is fast.)
3.  Be careful with the conditions.  In the summer time you have to be careful of the heat.  Don't hurt your dog by overdoing it, and bring lots of water.  In the Winter be sure they are not getting frost bite on their paws.  Pam cooking spray helps if you spray their paws.  (If they don't lick it of like my new buddy Lenny.)
4.  If you have to use a leash, use one of the retractile ones so that if your dog sees a squirrel you have some reaction time before things go crazy.  If you have trained your dog well, this won't be an issue, but even if you are Cesar Milan, sometimes things can't be avoided, so be prepared   (Once a dog came out and attacked me while riding.  Clarence saved my life, but if he would have been on a leash we would have wreaked bad, and he was always right side no matter what.)
5.  Training your dog is simple.  Spend lots of time with them, puppies or dogs love to spend time with their family.  If they are on a leash in the back yard all day, of course they will be crazy.  Exercise them often and they will listen to you because they won't have energy making them completely crazy.
6.  Cary poop bags, a leash and something they can play with in your purse.  My purse is a Timbuk2 messenger bag, and I keep all kinds of stuff in their for my riding buddy.  With the new leash law, you at least need to have the leash and poop bags always.
7.  Be gentle, patient and committed to your dog and you will have a fantastic dog.  Patience is the key because training a dog takes time.  If you don't have time, you shouldn't have a dog.  They deserve your attention and love, and you deserve theirs.
8. Don't use treats to train your dogs.  What happens when you run out and there is a cat by the dog catcher?  Use love and patience and lots, and lots of exercise.  It works.

I hope this (incomplete) list of ideas will help you and your dog get out more often.  I find it extremely gratifying to ride to work with my best pal.  I find it even more gratifying to have him sleep really well because my commute to work was part of his exercise.

Disclaimer; I am not advocating for riding illegally in any way.  If you ride with your dog, it is up to you to insure you are compliant with all of the laws of the area you are in. 

Fall Riding.

Well, it is fall again,....or should I say still.  Not that I am complaining, I have really enjoyed this late riding season.  If the Mayans are right, they picked a pretty good year to wrap things up.

 

December 2nd, 2012

Now when winter does come, we can clean our gear, sit on the couch drinking beer, and catch up on all those episodes of Breaking Bad that we fell behind on.  So to the winter I say, I still kind of hate you, but thanks for letting me play a while longer while you waited.  

Summer is here, and for me that can only mean one thing; the Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throwing Contest!  That is right, but since it doesn't start until September, well after our summer is off and running, I guess we will have to find something to do around here.  Well, here are a couple of things we have going on locally.

First off, this weekend there is the Dead Dog Classic road race.  Below is a video I found on Youtube highlighting the 2010 race.  This weekend you can see riders blasting through our Wyoming scenery like the long ago buffalo our ancestors chased....kind of.



And don't forget about the Tuesday night race series, the Laramie Mountain Bike Series, held in the most beautiful place in the world, Happy Jack recreation area. 

We also have the Laramie Enduro coming up.  Another video I found from the Youtubers gives us an inside look at the race.

 

The Tour de Wyoming is also on the horizon.  It is going to be supported by the Pedal House this year, so all you riders will finally have Joel's mechanical expertise to keep you on the road. 

So get out there and support your favorite local races and tours.  And thanks to all the Youtube people who put together these videos. 

Big Brothers & Big Sisters

I was originally an Elementary Education teacher.  That was my degree.  I couldn't get in the door of any of the local elementary schools in our community so I dragged my feet out to the Cathedral Home with wild ideas about how abnormal the kids were.  I thought that I would see kids who were crazy, drooling, spitting, incoherent psychopaths with missing teeth, and instead I found out that my dream job was actually working with treatment kids...and here is the kicker...they are all so eerily normal.  Granted I did find the toothless psychopaths, but we are not talking about the people it takes to work with treatment kids...(joking of course.)

I started as an English Teacher, but quickly grew bored of the curriculum filled with rules that aren't followed anywhere but the classroom.  I did, however, fall in love with the kids because they were so real.  They wouldn't accept anything but the truth from a teacher, and they even challenged the facts found in the truth.  It was fantastic because it made me focus in on the things I love about life, and I wanted to share that love for life with the kids.  My love for life has always, as long as I can remember, been most intense when in the saddle of a bicycle.  So, we started working on bikes, and to make sure it looked somewhat like English, we started writing about our process.  Now, some nine years later, and thanks to a plethora of people, there is a Vocational Education Program based entirely on the concept of fixing bicycles.  It is a dream job.

Well this past Saturday I was able to share the fruits of the Vocational labor (of too many people to mention) with the local community.  The Cathedral Home Advanced Bicycle Mechanics class, in conjunction with the Pedal House, held a 2 Hour Basic Maintenance class for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization here in Laramie.

As you can see, the snow cut back on our participation, but the kids and Bigs that did show up were AWESOME!  Not to mention how fantastic my advanced kids were in helping assist with the instruction.

Overall, I think it was a big success.  David, Michael, Dezarae, and Katie learned how to service a couple of parts on their bicycles.  My advance class was able to demonstrate their knowledge in a real world setting while meeting Wyoming and California Vocational State Learning Standards, and I was able to enjoy the company of both groups.  It was a pretty good day.





So to everyone at the Cathedral Home, and everyone at Big Brothers and Big Sisters, thanks for sharing your life with kids.  And to all the young people who have been in both programs, thank you for sharing your life with us.  Until next time, Happy Trails from the Pedal House. 

Trainer Time Again.

Well for the last couple of days we have been able to sit in a saddle and be outside with the wind in our faces. I even saw a few people brave enough to ride Roger's Canyon road out at the end of Ninth Street, braving the mild weather and the viscous dogs that run wild and unkept by the residents of our rural and rugged outskirts of town. So what do you do when a dog chases you? a good old fashioned water bottle squirt to the face. And for all of you who would wear a Camel Back on a road ride, pedal faster.

But none of us could pedal fast enough to get away from old man winter. But, if you have the itch that only cycling can scratch, then you need penicillin. If you can't afford penicillin, then you might need to find other means to satisfy your cycling psoriasis. Spin classes are one way to go. It is like a stationary Tour de France, and if you have a Calvin and Hobbs style imagination then you can always come in first.

But if you are like me, then you might need to set something up a little closer to home.

I hate riding a trainer, but it is a great way to kill an hour and keep a few miles on your legs.

As you can see, I am posted in front of the old boob tube, and I don't watch all of the race videos to motivate me. Instead I have created a little game called sitcom sprints. I watch the program and spin comfortably, but during the commercials I sprint...okay two minute sprints would kill me, so I just go hard for two minutes. (Notice Pedar's rollers tucked neatly away by the door.)

Speaking of commercials, I decided that sometimes I needed to channel surf but had a hard time keeping the remote close, so I made this remote caddy from some old cloth scraps I had laying around from my frame pad fixie days. Pretty snazzy, I know. If you have a good way to fight cabin fever....besides skiing, let me know, I would love to hear about it. Thanks, and as always, happy trails from the Pedal House.

The Pedal House Cabin Fever/"Thank You" to our Customers Party.

I am just going to say it; "I love the Pedal House." Thanks to the P-House I have learned a thing or two about business, community, and of course I have become a better mechanic due to the teaching of Joel "the Master" Charles, and Pedar "Shock Therapy" Enger. So, in keeping with the custom of my people, I wanted to thank those of you who helped us be THE bicycle shop in the region. But How?

Well, after a brain storm session of epic proportion, Jessica and I decided, let's try to kill all of the brain cells that store the knowledge I have gained, by drinking in celebration of our customers; PARTY TIME. As you can see, an eclectic group of Pedal House aficionados were in attendance. It was a high class affair. So if you missed the party, you missed our thanks too, so let me say it here; Thank you very much for supporting the Pedal House, and we hope we can continue to help keep you on your bicycle.

By the way, when the majority of the customers left, and we were down to the seedier side of the Pedal House, it got kind of grimy. All I can say is, can you remember high sch...I mean college? We can, thanks to Pedar the Tank!