Facility Bike Club

And In The End...

2007-11-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about this for a few weeks now, and I've decided it's time to end this blog and fold the content into the new blog, Cycling Carson City.

My idea is to keep this blog for archival purposes, and create a column or daily feature on the new blog that has stories of our lunch time rides. This will benefit me, as I will only have to maintain one blog. It should benefit you, the reader, as you'll only have to go to one place for content. It should make the new blog a more well rounded blog that will be more fun to read.

I think the only drawback will be for the loyal blogger readers that can easily make comments on this blog. It will take a little more effort to make comments on the new blog if you don't have an account on Word Press.

Please update your links! I noticed some of you already have, and I thank you for that.

So if there are no massive protests or objections, I'll see you over at Cycling Carson City! The cycling revolution begins...

The Deer Run

2007-11-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

If you were every wondering why they called this trail, "The Deer Run", now you know!

Saris Thelma II Bike Rack

2007-11-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

The Saris Thelma II is a great bike rack. I had a Yakima bike rack that was a hitch mount rack that could hold 4 bikes by the frames. The problem was, the only bike that I could put on their easily was the road bike. The Mt bikes were so hard because of the frames. I have for the last couple of years been looking for a bike rack that holds the bikes by the wheels, that was not so highly priced. The Yakima and Thule Racks were about $350.00 Compared to the Saris Thelma II at $249.00. I bought mine at Bike Habitat in Carson City.
My first impression was that it may be a little weak. The assembly of the product was quite simple and only took about 20 minutes. At first glance the wheel holders looked like they would break really easy. But on closer inspection, I could see that the tray that holds the front wheel was re-enforced with steel or aluminum. The straps on the Saris are not that user friendly. They do secure the bike properly but in my opinion they could have been a little longer. It would make it easier to strap the bike in.
Other than the straps I am really happy with the rack. It is very easy to deploy and to stow. You just take out one large pin and then swing the rack up for stowing. At first it took about a minute to load the bikes. Now it takes about 20 seconds. It seems like the bike would wobble a lot back there but it does not at all when you are driving. It is really solid.
The best part about it is that when you look in your rear view mirror you can see your bike. That always makes me smile! So on a recent trip to Sacramento, while on the freeway, I realized I missed my exit, I looked in the rear view. Dang there is the exit, but look at that BIKE! What a sweet shock mount pivot point! Yeah! And then I thought there was a cop behind me. Nope! Just a rad bike! Smiles....

So overall, I would rate it 4.5 stars out of 5. It is really easy to use, it holds the bikes really good and stows easily. Priced right.

Between Homes

2007-11-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed the lack of activity here at FBC this week. Thankfully Marcus got a post up in my absence. Most of the usual readers know that I was moving in the near future. That future became a reality the last couple days as we packed up the old house in Gardnerville, and moved most everything into two storage sheds. We have the keys to our new house, but we can't occupy it until the floors are done, a week from today!

So where are we? In Carson City! Thankfully, Jeff and Amy volunteered to put us up in their camper for the week. It's pretty comfy and even has wireless internet. I can send Jeff P. emails, "Hey! Bring me a beer!"

Kristy, the boy, 2 dogs, the cat, and I are all snuggled in the camper. The mouse went to my son's school to visit. My son was the only one who could sleep through my cat's nonstop meowing last night, and the rest of us are delirious. Tonight should be better though, since the animals seem better adjusted.

I was driving a 26 foot moving truck the last couple days. A huge, manual 5 speed, diesel, that I'm guessing was built in the early 80's. The side of the truck advertised, "Cloth Seats and Power Steering!". I felt like I should have been wearing old Soviet military clothing when driving the beast. I was so glad to return it!

Smudgemo recently said, "Three moves equals a fire". I wasn't totally sure I knew what that meant, but I realized what he was talking about these last few days. I got rid of truckloads of stuff! Unfortunately there was still tons of crap to move, but no time left to sort it out. Box it up, ship it out.

It was strange to leave the old house last night. Without our stuff there, it seemed to be soulless. Just an empty shell. We said good bye to a couple neighbors, and then drove off into the night.

Today was a rest day...

Tomorrow I hope to ride, and if I'm lucky, I'll even find my camera in one of my bags.

The 80's called, they want their bike back!

2007-11-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

Saturday I had to go to Sacramento. It is always nice to get a ride in along the way. At the last minute, my old roomate from college, Eric V. and I put together a ride. We met at the parking lot of the foresthill loop just above Auburn, CA. As usual, always good to see " Das Voosen" but what a surprise when he rolled the bike out of the back of his truck! It was from when we were roomates! The Klein! I remember the day that Eric got those spinergy wheels for it! I was soooo in bike envy! Eric tells me, that now, people smirk at him with the wheels. He has kept this bike as his back up bike and states " I just cant sell it. I could probably get $500.00 on ebay for it, and I have put so much more into it" Well, I would never sell it at this point. It still looks great in my opinion.
While Holly and the doggie went for a run, Eric and I banged out the Foresthill loop.It was fast and fun. Warm but shady in the cover of the trees. I told Eric he needed to keep the bike and tell anyone who asks that he actually was the stunt coordinator for Pacific Blue

Eric acted like he had never heard of Pacific Blue... C'mon Eric, come clean. You know thats why you bought the wheels braaaa!
If that first link was not enough... here's more!

How Many is That?

2007-11-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

I'm often asked, "So Jeff...how many bikes do you guys have now?". My reply is always, "I'm not sure...".

Moving to Carson City began today. The first order of business was Operation Bicycle Drop. We filled up a pickup truck, a horse trailer, and a roof rack with bikes, and almost got them all! The bikes have all been delivered to an undisclosed location somewhere in Carson City. We held two bikes back for riding this week (like we're gonna have time, yeah right!). I also have a few derelict bikes out in the back yard that need to find their way to the Reno Bike Project.

So how many bikes are in this picture? Over 20! As bicycle owners, we often joke about how you can never have enough bikes; that the number of bikes one needs is the number you have now plus one, etc. After moving all these things today though, I came to the conclusion that I do have enough bikes. I think I will get rid of a couple before buying anymore!

Rusted Chain Gang Poker Run Report

2007-11-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

Go read about this event over at Cycling Carson City!

Facility Bike Club Expansion Team

2007-11-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

It was my INTENTION to ride every day this week. However, with a little girl who got sick and had to stay home. A client that could only meet me at noon. Various other reasons, Today was the only ride I could make. But man was it a good one. As John Lennon once said "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." Today life was really good. The ride expanded into an almost two hour tour of Ash Canyon. We started early, at 11 am. It was Sandie, Ryan, Mike, Kathy, Jon and I. We rode up the dirt road past the water towers. The sun was shining and the air was crisp. The trail was packed from all the recent precipitation. Ryan of course was way ahead and I was pedaling hard to try to stay at least within sight distance. This caused me to get my heart rate up and good blood flow going as I tried to have a conversation with Mike without gasping too much. We made it to the top of Deer Run and Jon and Sandie had to go. Mike, Ryan, Kathy and I decided to keep going up and do the creek trail. We were the Expansion Team.... Our mission? To inspect the Ash Canyon Trail System for Safety and Security in what could be considered a hostile environment of Bears, Coyotes and even beer drinking Jeepers. With our mission cut out for us we did the creek trail and found it to be safe. Upon completing that trail we split up again. Ryan went down and did the " Sandie goes Postal" route while Mike, Kathy and I went back up the fire road and climbed the Baldy Green trail. Aaaaaaah! it was a splendid climb! Cant believe the day! It was cool and crisp and the traction on the trail was the best ever. We all STUCK that climb. Switchbacks and everything. The ride down was also mind blowing. A most excellent day! Now, back in my office. I have given myself the " office Bath" with my wash clothes and pit juice. Dressed back up in my Mortgage Guy clothes I am off to shake hands and kiss babies with prospective clients. Little do they know I am an FBC special agent who completed a much more worthy mission earlier in the day... Fall Riding at its finest.

Photo Dump

2007-10-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

Not much to say tonight, so it's Photo Dump time! Here are some of the pictures from the last few weeks taken by FBC riders of FBC riders...

Ryan - Big Air on Jackrabbit

Jon - Finishing up a fast run on Jackrabbit

Sandie - Eyes forward for the upcoming turn on the V&T

Me - Peace, Love, and Mary. Love the bars!

Kristy - Riding the chute on the creek trail

Amy - Riding the chute

Jeff P - setting it up

Jeff P - Bravery and Balance

Amy - Loves to be photographed, and it shows

Sandie - Blew out her shock on this jump!

Wooly

2007-10-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

How about that last post, huh? A comedic piece that turned rant! I loved the discussion though! I'd like to lighten up the mood a little bit tonight though, and slip into something a bit woolier.

In a previous post we debated the coolness of shorts over your tights. There were some for the look, and some against this abomination. Some readers were even inspired to take fashion to areas not yet explored. Tights over jeans? Smudgemo has the full review.

The suggestion of knickers came up in a couple comments and settled in the back of my mind. While cleaning out the garage this weekend, I happened upon my Father's Nordic Ski outfit from a decade long passed. I snickered at first, but then the revelation came to me. Wool is hip. So are knickers. Mork from Ork's rainbow suspenders were also cool.

What you now see before you, is the outfit that can be plainly worn about public and the trail alike, appealing to both the young and the very old, worn free of scorn and ridicule, and appreciated by those with the most discriminating taste.

Angry Highway

2007-10-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

Impatience, intolerance, and hatred is building in America, and the best place to express these feelings is on the Highway! Hidden safe in our metal cages behind tinted windows, we are free to tell people how we really feel. And if someone disagrees with us? We just flip them off, mouth some dirty words at them, and pray that we don't run into them and the next stoplight.

There have been a lot of stories around the bicycling blogosphere of road rage and hatred towards cyclists. Fear, anger, sometimes even death. The family had to drive to Reno yesterday, and Kristy and I decided to take a sampling of some of the rolling billboards along the way. These three pictures are from a five minute stretch of traffic before entering Carson City. The theme? Meaningless Jingoistic Symbols.

My favorite of the three is the first one. "America. Love it or Leave it". What does this mean exactly? "If you do not do things exactly the way I do things, and do not believe the same things that I do, you must leave the country." Half of America hates the other half. We pollute the land, air, and water. Our tax dollars go to destroying far away lands, while our own is left to decay and crumble. We don't make anything for ourselves anymore, and send our money to communist countries so we can buy cheap appliances that will last one year if we're lucky. We want to deport anyone without a legal piece of paper that says they are welcome to pick our lettuce or flip our McBurgers for minimum wage or less. Americans are content to sit back and be sickened and fattened by government subsidized, corporate corn syrup. And if I don't like this, I am to leave? Time for another Boston Tea Party! TSOL! This time we'll be dumping barrels of High Fructose Corn Syrup into Boston Harbor...

Not much to say about this picture, except that I feel sorry for you. You don't know that the 2004 elections are over. You are among the small percentage that believe the country is headed in the right direction. My country right or wrong. There is nothing patriotic about supporting a billionaire politician that could give a rats ass about some piece of white trash living in the desert. Because if you die, there will another along soon to replace you. Another soulless consumer to buy their crappy products or make the ultimate sacrifice for a better corporate profit margin.

Bill Maher recently said, "This generation doesn't do real sacrifice. Or even pay for our own wars. That's what grandkids are for! No, we do flag pins and bumper stickers. And not even bumper stickers. Bumper magnets. Because stickers are tough to get off, and we may change our mind about never forgetting." There is much conflict here. By continued support and funding of the troops and war, it keeps them in harms way. I say bring them home. Supporting them just prolongs their exposure to bullets and bombs. These brave men and women could better defend their country at home. These magnets though... Communist, Chinese products. We're buying magnets from a country that is competing for the same oil reserves we are fighting for in the Middle East. Buying these products puts a greater strain on the situation, and further endangers soldiers abroad.

I hereby decree, that $3.00 gas is now a tax on impatience, intolerance, and hatred!

Opt out of the madness! Riding a bicycle is part of the revolution! I'll see you there.

Ooooh Yessss! A ride did happen....

2007-10-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

In honor of Nevada Day, Jon and I did timberline and the Creek Trail. We did this as an unselfish act of kindness for the other trail users. To ensure that the trails were free of bears and wash outs.

Also, Did the same trail last Thursday night, under a full moon and warm temperatures with Dennis C. Take a look at the nice rock/tile work of Jeff P. on the Baldy Green trail. Wow. Nice to make that turn in the moonlight.

The trails are in GREAT shape! Firm and grippy. The weather has been warm. Perfect fall riding conditions.

Nevada Day

2007-10-26T08:59:00.001-07:00

Mark Twain
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

The FBC Blog will be closed today in observance of Nevada Day. Sorry you all have to work today, but we'll be out playing!

Normal Business Hours will resume tomorrow...

Listen to Your Jedi

2007-10-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

A wise and powerful Jedi once said, "Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the moment."

We rolled up to this intersection yesterday, and got in line behind a couple cars at the red light. An older man with long gray hair, a black trench coat, and a guitar case slung over his shoulder walked up and took a position on the sidewalk right next to us. At first glance he looked homeless, but upon further examination, he was well groomed and clean. All the while though, he was muttering nonsensically, almost rhythmically like he was rapping. I couldn't make out a word he was saying, but I was getting a creepy vibe from the dude. My instincts said it was time to roll!

I was half watching the cars in front of me, and half watching Weirdo McRappypants on the sidewalk. The cars took off, and I just followed their lead. What I didn't notice is they were making a right turn on a red light! I was inches away of riding into the intersection, but Ryan called out to me and stopped me in the nick of time.

I'm not sure what would've happened if I had continued on, but it kind of creeped me out the rest of the day.

"Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the moment." Meditate on this I will...

Todd Goes on Sabbatical

2007-10-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we sent Todd off on sabbatical with a killer lunch ride (Todd is on the far left in this picture). We chose the longest, highest route, and spent some extra time up in the mountains riding and laughing. Todd scored a new job south of town, and won't be riding with us in the near future. I was thinking of doing a farewell post, but I have a good feeling Todd will be back before we know it. He'll be working in a building that is in the line of the new freeway, so the building will be demolished before too long. After that, I imagine he'll be back in active duty when they move his office closer to town.

Todd is one of the founding members of the Facility Bike Club, and was one of the only ones left that worked there. Ryan is the only remaining active rider from the Facility. He's keeping the torch lit for us...our last remaining connection to that place where it all started.

Riding with Todd for six years has generated many adventurous tales. There are way too many to list here, but I'll just throw out a couple. There was the time his bottom bracket seized on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride right in the middle of a swarm of mosquitoes. Todd, Sarge, and I sat there getting eaten alive as we tried to figure out what the hell had happened. Then there was the time when Todd and I tied Bill's legs together with inner tubes after he hyper extended his leg, and then dragged poor bill down the ravine to safety. You can't help but feel a little closer to a couple of dudes after climbing down a ravine in a sweaty, spandex clad group hug.

Todd has survived many a crash, and has put up with trash talk that would make most grown men cry. We'll also miss Todd's expressive trail riding. Primal grunts and groans. Mild swearing when he failed to clear an obstacle, or extreme profanity when he went down hard. After a few years, you got used to all the noise behind you, and didn't worry about him unless you heard the really bad words. Here's a great video of Todd expressing himself on the Tahoe Rim Trail...

Good luck with the new job, Todd! We hope you stay in good enough shape to rejoin us in a few months.

Feel free to wish Todd well or post a funny Todd story in the comments!

The Patriot

2007-10-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

I saw this over at Pinch Flat News.

In an age of declining oil reserves, endless war, billionaire oil tycoons, crooked politicians, congested streets, road rage, etc., there's never been a better time to opt out and ride your bike!

Feel free to put a different beer in your basket though...

Rusted Chain Gang - Poker Run

2007-10-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

The Rusted Chain Gang, which I've had the fine privilege of riding with, is putting on their 1st Annual Poker Run. 5 bike giveaway! We're still 2 weeks out on this one, but you need to start clearing your schedule for Saturday November 3rd. Details over at Cycling Carson City!

Cycling Fashion Faux Pas # 23

2007-10-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

Cycling Fashion Faux Pas # 23. Wearing tights underneath your baggy shorts. I don't know about you, but at the beginning of the cold season, I have a hard time getting back into tights. I wouldn't mind so much if I was riding directly from home or meeting at the trailhead with a bunch of other cyclists, but most of my rides begin at the office. This means I need to change in the restroom, and then walk through the office in what appears to the untrained eye to be black leotards. Luckily I work in a basement, but still I slink through the office and abscond through the basement door to avoid both detection and ridicule.

Today was the first day that was cold enough for tights. I was feeling self conscious about the whole thing, so I thought I'd wear my baggy shorts over the top so I didn't look weird. I basically traded the "night at the Nutcracker Suite" look for the "cookie baking Keebler Elf" look. At least my co-workers wouldn't be able to identify my religion while walking through the office...

It took some planning to get this ensemble to work. The tights aren't padded, so I wore some cycling shorts as the base layer. Next came the tights, followed by the baggy shorts which have a inner liner complete with a chamois. My undercarriage had more layers than a Taco Bell burrito!

The moral of this story? Baggies over tights isn't fooling anyone. The people who think your tights look silly, also think you look silly in your baggies over tights. Just suck it up and wear those tights proudly!

Falling Down-Its under rated

2007-10-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

So, Todd wiped out on Jack Rabbit the other day. I saw the whole thing. A couple months ago, I saw Jeff M. full on "Oaf" on the Jackrabbit jump.
Micky from the Bike Smith was launching himself off the rock drop off on the creek trail several times, just to barely miss a tree, and eventually he landed on the trail.

My most memorable and positive experiences have included a spill here and there. Whether I am going over the bars into the " Look, now I'm a Jogger" mode, or I see my close friend wipe out as he tries to pass and a less than perfect location. Think of Sandie, and how she broke her ankle and kept riding.

Falling is really the great equalizer. And if we get off the hook with minor scratches or even major wounds, as long as we survived, it has made us stronger. Over time its just another story that makes us all smile or laugh.

About a year after I lost my spleen after hitting a tree on a mt. bike ride, one of the guys who was there, who saved my life (twice in the same day! ) was bagging on me. He was imitating the the sound I made after hitting the tree. ooooh! Oooooooooh! Nooooooo! Go Ahead! I'm gonna walk back to the car ooooooooooh! Really, it was the funniest thing in the world. It turned the whole thing around. Like Kathy's husband. ( sorry I forgot your name) but I remember the story. Big head plant fall at the Leadville 100 and being so out of your head you were giving the "sailors language" version of the accident to a bunch of little kids.

Or Jeff M. explaining how the wind blew his tire over when he fell off the jump with a big smile and dirt in his teeth. Falls are good. They make us better. They teach us. As long as no one dies or gets permanently disabled, they make the best rides ever. In fact they are the most inspirational rides. I ride my lunch break so I can carry that message to my relationships and my workplace.

I dedicate this post to you Todd. We are going to miss you now that you are transferring to a job south of town. Your wipe out was a great memory! Nice leg-eggbeater action. I will always refer to the top of Jackrabbit as "The place where Todd wiped out" in your honor.

My First Dates With Mary

2007-10-16T19:38:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, I told you of how I traded various armaments for some cool On One Mary Bars. I think this worked out well for Brian too, since I don't believe Mary Bars are legal in Michigan. This particular bend violates some aesthetics law from what I understand. Everything but marijuana is legal in Nevada, so I decided to mount them on Kristy's 29er.

We've been meaning to cut down her tractor sized, 28 inch wide, On One Fleegle bars, but just haven't gotten around to it. At 25 inches across, the Mary Bars seemed like a good choice to demo on her bike. The effective width seemed to be a bit wider though because of the dramatic back sweep...more tubing, less width.

Ok, the real reason is that I just wanted to steal her 29er for the week (29ers are fun!). I threw on some Kona foam grips I had in the parts bin and called it done.

Time to ride. Visions of Miss Gulch entered my mind, and became my very first impression of the bars as I pedaled across town to the trails (please sing aloud the music that goes with this picture for full effect). It didn't even feel like a mountain bike anymore! Not to say it wasn't very comfortable though. Casual riding, commuting, and long distance riding would be great with this bend, as they naturally fit the bend of your wrist as you extend your arm.

We picked a hard hill climb that is pretty tough on any single speed no matter what bars you are running. I noticed right away that there was a different muscle group involved in pulling myself up the hill. I'm not sure if this is the wrong muscle group, or one that I just don't have developed. It seemed a bit more difficult though. Wide bars are best for climbing on a single speed in my opinion.

Descending was perhaps the strangest part of this bar test. Monday's descent wasn't that great; it felt like I was holding two ski poles! Today's descent was much better though. I used the bend to get my weight back a bit, and bend my arms like I do on my road bike. It is certainly a less aggressive stance on the bike...not the wide "Larry Craig" stance I'm used to with my 27 inch bars. I was having a blast today though. It felt like I was bombing the hill on a beach cruiser! I didn't have much courage on the final jump though, as it just didn't feel right to get airborne with these bars. Just a little bit o' air today...

Another thing you might consider with these bars, is to make sure you have an ironclad sense of humor. You will definitely get weird looks or comments from folks used to their humdrum, quotidian styled handlebars. On the "bad" side of the spectrum of comments I've received, "heinous", "retarded", "gay". On the "good" side was the comment, "They look great! But no, I would not like to try them, because uhhhh....I don't have the right shoes on."

I'll throw them on my 26er single speed for further testing. Stay tuned!

Good Bye

2007-10-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Beer,

By the time you read this, I will be gone.
We had a wonderful summer together, but as we head into fall, I feel our relationship is changing.
It's not you. It's me. I'll always love and cherish the memories of your sweet malty goodness and creamy head. But even still, I just can't keep up with your high caloric content.
Damn you, maltose. Damn you!
I feel that a little time apart is what we both need. Just to see what happens.
Who knows? Maybe we'll be back together in again a couple days.

Always yours,

Jeff

More Bears and a Lion Too

2007-10-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

According to this Reno Gazette Journal article, The Nevada Department of Wildlife has so far this year trapped 80 bears in an area stretching from Reno to south Douglas County and west to Lake Tahoe. Of those, eight were euthanized. Just recently, according to the article, a mother bear and two cubs were euthanized after breaking into homes in a subdivision south of Gardnerville. I had no idea this area supported so many bears!

Also, there is an alert over at News Carson City that there has been a Mountain Lion spotted on the west side of town (Ormsby and King). Great I say. Just great!

Return of the Front Wheel

2007-10-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

The fliers worked! Kristy got a call today that the wheel had been placed on my mom's front porch. I went and picked it up, and it was in perfect shape. A good ending! $160 stays in the checking account...

Friday Fun

2007-10-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

I'm home today, so I thought I'd help entertain you. I just added a survey on the side bar. Have at it!

For further excitement, go over to Twitter, sign-up, and tell me what you're doing! Oh come on, it'll be fun! You can find my account in the sidebar...

Something About Mary

2007-10-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

There's just no accounting for some people's tastes! These Mary Bars, first seen HERE over at my brother from another mother's blog, BG Phone Home, have made their way to my house in Nevada.

Brian didn't care for the bars, and neither did some of his readers. Chris from Texas had this to say about the Mary's, "They should call those bars, 'Pee Wee Herman Bars'. I don't know how they steer, but they look like shit."

So naturally, I thought I had to have them!

I almost bought some On One Mary's a while back, but the local bike shop had sold them already. I've read some favorable reviews from owners of the Mary's, and this was my chance to snatch them up and see for myself. I'll get them mounted up, and have a full review soon. Brian included the stock grips, but I know why he didn't like those...they are prophylactic thin! The On One stem was included in the deal too. I like four bolt stems, and I'm sure I'll find a use for it.

The lady bug bug bell was wampum for the mojo bag. I was delighted to receive it, but Kristy quickly snatched it up before I could get attached.

So what did I trade for the bars you ask? A couple Kalashnikov rifles, a Howitzer, and an RPG launcher (sorry Brian, couldn't get my hands on the BFG you wanted...) Good trade I think. Brian has a score to settle apparently. I don't know all the details...not my place to ask, and I probably don't want to know!

Good Weather, Bad Luck

2007-10-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

The weather has been pretty enjoyable here in Carson City, with 50-60 degree temperatures during ride time. We got some rain this morning that gave the trails that "I just can't lose!" feeling.

Or so it would seem. There have been a few losses in the past week. Sandie started off the streak of bad luck last Friday when she got some air off the jump at the terminus of the Jackrabbit trail, and blew out her rear shock. Coincidentally, this is the same jump that Marcus broke his swing arm on. These two are hardcore!

Last night Kristy loaded her bike on the top of the car and drove off without the front wheel....something some of us have done, or have certainly almost done. We realized the mistake when she picked me up from work, and drove back to where she left the wheel. Someone picked it up after only 15 minutes! Wheel, tire, and skewer...gone.

Today Todd came into a corner pretty hot, utilizing that "I just can't lose!" traction I mentioned above. Unfortunately he did lose traction, and he went over the bars and rang his bell. He also ripped the brake lever out of the master cylinder, damage he has done in the past which cost him $60 to repair. He was none to happy about this to say the least. I have the same brake levers, the carbon Hayes HFX9's. Great feel, but don't hold up too well in a crash evidentially.

Maybe it's time to make more Mojo...

Movin' Blues

2007-10-09T21:32:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. We've been busy sorting and packing the Gardnerville house in preparations for moving to Carson City. It's fun, and even a little bit funny, to go through all the stuff you've been holding onto for years... or even decades!

Unfortunately this is just a small sampling of all the "fun" stuff I've been going through. It's overwhelming! We finally got a house picked out in Carson, but there is still much to do before we move early next month.

I can't wait till it's over!

More Mojo

2007-10-09T20:55:00.001-07:00

Not all Mojo ends up on a bicycle. Here's Amy's Mojo. It's on the front door of her house that is on the market. Her hopes is that the good luck will expedite the sale!

Here's some traveling Mojo. Jeff P took his Mojo riding in Morro Bay, CA on the back of his Spot 29er.

New Trail Update

2007-10-06T22:16:00.001-07:00

Go check out Jeff P's trail update over at Cycling Carson City. Exiting Stuff!

First Snow Ride of the Season!

2007-10-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

Temperatures dropped, and guess who showed up? Old Man Winter visited the Carson City area today! It wasn't overly cold. It was sprinkling rain in town, but turned to snow as we got into the mountains. The trail conditions were sweet!

I'm not sure what such an early snow storm indicates for this coming winter. Anyone have any gut feelings? My gut isn't saying much other than I probably ate too much for dinner. It would be nice to have a wet winter, but really wet winters can be bad for cycling. I have mixed feelings...

Biking Circle

2007-10-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

At the time of this post, the FBC blog is listed in the top 15 Recommended Blogs over at Biking Circle, under the heading "Sorted by Fastest Gain in Social Rank. These blogs had the biggest increase in attention today."

Thanks for reading and linking!

Gopher Snake

2007-10-04T20:39:00.001-07:00

Gopher Snake
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

We saw this Gopher Snake on today's ride. I think Jon accidentally ran over it...the tracks seem to go where the poor guy's neck is. He appeared to be ok though.

I couldn't figure out if it was a Gopher Snake or a Bull Snake. But after researching this particular conundrum, I found that these two species are one in the same. So pick your favorite name!

Gopher snakes have a great defense. They look a lot like rattlesnakes at first glance. It takes a few seconds to examine the head and tail before you're confident that you're not in any danger. And by that time, the snake has usually crawled off into the bushes.

Second Annual Tahoe Blogger's Ride

2007-10-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

After the very successful Ride With Smudgemo, we decided it would be a good idea to do it again, but with more of us. Brent has been doing some brainstorming, and Smudgemo has some good ideas over on his blog. So start thinking about next June people!

We figured June would be a good month, since the kids will be out of school, Lake Tahoe trails will be thawed out, and it's a little less crowded. We'll probably do a mountain bike ride and a road ride. June is also the month of the Slow Rollers Poker Run.

Post your thoughts and ideas in the comments!

UPDATE! I've added a link on the top of the side bar to the new Tahoe Blogger's Ride Blog, a bulletin board of sorts created by Smudgemo. Check the TBR for the latest updates!

Gonads -N- Strife Poker Run 2007

2007-10-01T22:00:00.001-07:00

Yay for Porter!
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

On Sunday, Kristy, Brent, Sandie, and I loaded up the kids and headed to Sparks, NV for the Gonads -N- Strife Poker Run. The full report is up over at Cycling Carson City! Go read about bikes and beer HERE!

Mojo Sightings

2007-10-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

Here's an update on some of the final Mojo Bags that were sent out.

The first picture is from MinusCar. The Mojo is riding on his messenger bag in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I traded MinusCar some Mojo for a cool MinusCar sticker that will be going on my single speed.

The next picture is from Lauren in the California Bay Area. I don't believe Mojo has been outlawed in professional racing yet, but Lauren hid this one under her saddle for good luck. TDF racers take note!

International Mojo! This last picture is from Jerome in Rockyford, Alberta (that's Canada for you geographically challenged Americans). This Mojo will keep him safe on his long haul commutes. This one took a couple weeks to make it through customs!

Ride With Smudgemo Report

2007-09-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Now that I've had a day to rest, I'm ready to share the Ride with Smudgemo Report. The day started pretty early. But not too early. It's already down in the 30's in the mountains in the early morning. I loaded up the car and headed for the Tahoe Rim Trail. I had planned to erect a 20 foot tall sign, complete with Christmas lights, that read, "Welcome to Nevada, Smudgemo!"; however, I had difficulty acquiring the materials, and couldn't figure out a way to harness it to my car. Plan B was to bring some hand crafted beer, something that Smudgemo might appreciate far more than a Las Vegas style welcome.

We all met at the Tahoe Rim Trail trailhead located in the Mount Rose Meadows. It was 10:00, and just starting to warm up. The first order of business was to figure out Smudgemo's real name. As it turns out, Smudgemo is the son of immigrants, spleen merchants from northern Romania. His full name is Smudgemore Fidatov Vladimirescu, or just Smudgemo for short. There was no way in hell I was going to be saying that the whole day, so I asked if I could just call him Ryan. He reluctantly, but thankfully agreed. This ended up working out just fine, because coincidentally, the other two riders were also named Jeff and Ryan.

The other Jeff and Ryan were a bit faster than us, so we would see them from time to time throughout the day. We'd finally arrive at an intersection, and they'd be relaxing in the shade talking shop with other riders. We all agreed to have lunch atop Marlette Peak, quite possibly one of the most beautiful locations on planet earth. We had worked pretty hard to get to this spot, but miles of fast, smooth, downhill singletrack lay ahead of us. The decomposed granite was slightly damp from last week's rain, and provided insane traction. My tires didn't break loose once all day! Taking the many bermed corners at high speed kept me grinning to the end.

Lunch Time on Marlette Peak

At Marlette Lake we met a guy name Joe. He talked kind of funny, so I suspected he wasn't from around here. To me the dialect sounded North Reno or maybe even Sparks, but I was way off...Joe was from England. The guys all traded stories of trails in far away lands. I just sat back and enjoyed the tales. It's cool how mountain biking seems to make instant friends out of people. Too bad the beer was 16 miles away in a locked car!

We decided it was time to ride again, and the five of us headed down to the Flume Trail. It was good to ride some flat trail for a while and just enjoy the scenery. But then tragedy struck. The old wooden flume has been gone for decades, but somehow there happened to be an original square nail sitting in the middle of the trail. Thousands of riders a year, and I'm the one who gets it in my tire! The bike started riding really funny, and I thought for sure my derailleur was busted. I had found a crack in the pulley wheel before the ride, and just figured it had finally fallen apart. I was pretty shocked to see this huge nail sticking out of my tire! Remarkably, the hole in the tube was quite small, and will be easily repaired with a simple patch. The tire seemed to close itself up pretty well too. I swapped the tube, gave the new one 2,000 pumps with the mini-pump, and off we rode.

View From The Flume Trail

Once we got to Tunnel Creek, it was just over 9.5 miles of rolling uphill singletrack back to the cars (The trail profile can be viewed HERE). Since the riding was more slow going from here on out, Smudgemo and I got to talking about blogging. We talked about a lot of you that are probably reading this, and how it'd be cool to get more bloggers together for a ride. We also discussed how some outsiders may think it's a bit strange talking about all this stuff on the internet, but what they don't understand, is that most of would probably hang out together if not for the fact that we're spread out all around the country (or even world). It's an online tribe of sorts. We also traded stories of simplifying our lifestyles, eating great food, bicycle commuting, and many other things that are common in our daily writings.

Saying Good-Bye to Lake Tahoe

The other Jeff and Ryan were long gone by this point. From what I understand, they left the parking lot about 15 minutes before we returned. They didn't even get any beer! Smudgemo and I made the final climb to the car, and tore into the ice chest. I had one of the Chocolate Stouts from the Bison Brewing Company in Berkeley, and Ryan had a Sierra Nevada 2007 Anniversary Ale...beers we had brought for each other. Smudgemo carefully hand-picked his beer from his hometown in Berkeley. I got lucky and found my beer at an emergency stop at the Chevron convenience store in Incline Village. The beer distributor was unloading the Sierra Nevada as I was paying for my gas. In the end, the results were the same. Great beer!

We enjoyed our brews, but then it was time to go. Smudgemo headed back to his cabin at Donner Lake, and I headed back to the Carson Valley. Hopefully we'll get to hook up again sometime soon!

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading my tale! If you still need more, the complete photoset of this fantastic journey can be viewed HERE.

Bear Update

2007-09-26T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a follow up on the bear that was in my yard. It looks like they caught him later in the day not far from my house.

Here's the article from the Record Courier, a Carson Valley newspaper.

The good news is that it was a 300 lb bear. Good news for me at least. I thought it looked pretty big when it ran across my yard, but so do most large carnivorous animals running around in your yard at 5:00 in the morning viewed with a flashlight in your pajamas. I was afraid to estimate too high, because if it turned out to be 100 lbs, I'd feel like a sissy. This poor bear had two bullet wounds in it it too!

The bear was tranquilized at returned to the mountains. Still I will sleep with my windows closed for the rest of the year!

Mexican Fighting Dog

2007-09-24T19:11:00.001-07:00

This here is a Mexican Fighting Dog. This is the dog to have if you have bears in your yard. This is the same dog that treed the bear the other night. I don't know you people sleep at night without one of these guarding the house.

This summer I bought a head sweat. I was skeptical...could putting something extra on my head be cooler than my naked bald head? As it turns out it works out pretty well for us bald guys. It may be a little warmer getting started, but it works absolutely fabulous at keeping the sweat out of my eyes and glasses. It does a pretty good job at cooling once it gets wet too.

As it turns out, the head sweat also acts as a barrier against creepy things. Today I was leading the charge along the V&T Rail Road Grade, laying down a pretty good pace. A big juicy dragonfly flew into my vision and hit my helmet. I wasn't sure if it bounced off or entered the helmet vents. I rode for a bit more and then felt something crawling and flapping between my skull and the helmet. If it wasn't for the head sweat barrier, I almost certainly would have had a psychotic episode, causing erratic swerving, possibly sending myself and others off a cliff. Thanks to the head sweat, I was able to intrepidly come to a controlled stop, remove my helmet, and release the large insect back into the environment unharmed.

The Ride With Smudgemo is on for Wednesday. So far it's just me and Smudgemo. Everyone else had bulletproof excuses. I'm going to Canada, I'm getting two crowns on my teeth, I just started a new job, I have a meeting, etc.

This is the planned ride:

We'll start and finish at the Tahoe Rim Trail trailhead near the summit on the Mt. Rose HWY (SR431). We'll ride the TRT to Marlette Lake, ride around the south end of Marlette Lake, take the Flume Trail to Tunnel Creek, and finish on the TRT back to the cars. About 32 miles. If anyone reconsiders, this is where we'll be!

Cops Riding Bicycles 'Too Risky'

2007-09-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

I found this article this morning via Drew Curtis' FARK. Here is an excerpt:

Its latest health-and-safety ruling was yesterday branded “loony” by MPs. Three hundred cops and police community support officers (PCSOs) have been banned by Greater Manchester Police from patrolling on their mountain bikes.

They have had huge success chasing criminals. And police bikes have acted as a deterrent across Britain for decades. But GMP fears officers are not trained enough — following the tragic death of Christopher Maclure, 21.

The rookie PCSO was on a bicycle when he was hit by a truck in an accident in Wigan earlier this month.

You can read the full article here at the Sun.

Clearly the bike was the problem with the officer who was struck by a truck.

Ride With Smudgemo

2007-09-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sometime this week I'll be taking a day off to go ride with Smudgemo, author of You Just Don't Want To and resident of Berkeley, CA. The trail will include The Flume Trail and the Tahoe Rim Trail, but I'm not sure of the start and end points yet. More details as they develop...

If anyone would like to go with us, just let me know!

Cycling Carson City

2007-09-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

I’ve been writing for the Facility Bike Club blog for a few years now, but I feel that it has started to overfill its rim. The subject matter focuses on our lunch time riding group, and doesn’t give enough attention to all that is going on in Carson City. It also excludes many writing riders that may want to contribute.

From what I’ve seen, there are many cyclists in the area, but no real sense of a cycling community. I wanted to create a place to share local bicycling news, information, pictures, stories, art, and whatever else we can think of down the road.

My idea was to create a new blog, Cycling Carson City. The timing on this seems to be perfect, since I should be moving to Carson City within a month. I've always felt like an impostor of sorts, writing about all this stuff about Carson City, but not actually living there. I'll have a sense of legitimacy now!

As for the FBC blog, I think I'll keep it going. It's a bit less formal and silly than I expect this new blog to be. There will most likely be material cross linked and duplicated though. We'll see how it goes, and how much energy/creativity I have. This blog may become that blog...don't know yet!

If you are interested in contributing to Cycling Carson City, or just have some news or ideas you’d like to share, please send me an email. This new blog is just getting started, so expect some changes and growing pains as it finds its rhythm and style!

TRAILS UPDATE

2007-09-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

I thought I would let everyone know about the progress we are making on getting trails built(with permission)on the west side of Carson City. For anyone who isn't familiar with C.C.'s Unified Pathways Master Plan (UPMP)you can download the pdf file here. The trail we will be focusing on is the middle trail, which connects Kings Canyon Road to Ash Canyon Road.
After talking with Parks and Recreation director Roger Moellendorf and Open Space manager Juan Guzman, I'm confident a trail network will be constructed on the west side in the near future. Both gentlemen were positive and enthusiastic that someone was willing to step up to the plate and build the proposed trails.
This past week I also met with the board of directors of Muscle Powered, a Carson City organization that has been on the scene for ten years and is dedicated to creating a walkable and bicycle friendly community. You can find some of their accomplishments here. After giving my nervous sales pitch, the board voted unanimously in support of the construction of trails on the west side of C.C. President Ann Maqueary has graciously offered to do the environmental assessment report that will be required by the Forest Service before we're allowed to break ground(the proposed trail crosses through C.C. & F.S. land). Thank you Ann, and thank you board of directors of Muscle Powered. If you are not already a member of Muscle Powered, please consider it. I don't believe this project would succeed, or at least it would be more difficult, without their help. And to leave you with an even more positive note, Max Jones will be designing the sweet singletrack.
HAPPY TRAILS!

Bears in the Backyard

2007-09-21T06:11:00.001-07:00

Bear
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

We got a call at 5:00 AM from Kristy's mom telling us that there were was a bear in her yard. She lives over on the next street, so we thought we'd have time to let the dogs go the bathroom before we shut up the house. This wasn't the case though! The 4lb Chihuahua ran to the corner of the yard, and then our apple tree started shaking violently! Sugar just treed her first bear! We got the big dog in, but I couldn't catch the little one. I was running laps around the picnic table trying to scoop her up.

I got the camera and wanted to see what I could see. I figured it had to be pretty small to be in our tree. I got the flashlight and the camera and went to the tree. A huge head was peering out of the leaves looking at me! I got my picture and ran back in the house. Not a cub!

Pretty soon the cops arrived and wanted to see the bear. He asked me if I had any food in the house. Uh....is this a trick question? At first I thought he might have been fish and game because of his gun. I thought he was getting ready to shoot the bear out of the tree. He was just using the flashlight though. Good thing. It wasn't a tranq gun...it was a shotgun.

After about a 45 minute standoff, the bear jumped out of the tree, and ran across the yard. Man...it was pretty big! I couldn't get a good picture, because opening the door would let the dogs out. I finally jumped out and got a blurry picture of him hopping the fence to the neighbor's yard.

What a rush! More pictures by following the picture link...

Hooray for Fall!

2007-09-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

As I was going to bed last night the wind started picking up, and a little bit later it started to rain. It pretty much rained all night. My first thought upon waking was that the trails were going to be in prime shape today. Ok scratch that. My first thought was probably, "I have to pee". And then perhaps, "Where's my coffee?". But after that, I was totally thinking about packed, wet sand. On the way into work we were shocked to see SNOW in the mountains! Getting started early this year!

I got Kristy's Stumpjumper prepped this morning, actually lowering the tire pressure. I knew Jeff P was working today, but he has ways of finding out how much air is in those tires. I took the Weirwolf 2.5 down to 28, and the Rear Specialized Resolution 2.1 down to 30. Pretty much the setup I've been running this week. Kristy seemed to like the lower pressure, commenting that she bounced around a bit less. For myself, I might boost the rear up a couple PSI to 32, and take the front down to 25 PSI. I hit a rock with the rear tire that gave me some concern, but the front tire was fine to go even lower.

Scott and I left our subterranean lair and hooked up with Kristy and Amy on the other side of Main Street. As we approached the girls from a block away I actually saw Jeff P squeezing my wife's tires! We ride through Jeff P's "office" everyday, and I was glad that I had lowered the pressure in Kristy's tires. I'm still not sure if he approved though. I couldn't read the look on his face.

A bit later we hooked up with Kathy and Jon and headed for the dirt. The wet, packed sand was as expected...awesome. We easily climbed up a trail that was too sandy just yesterday! When we got to the top, the girls went and played on the creek trail, and the boys headed back to work.

Hooray for Fall!

Shiver Me Timbers

2007-09-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Apparently today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Well shiver me timbers! And speaking of shivering, today was the first cold day going in to Fall. You know, the day when it's in the 60's, but you think it's really cold because you're used to the 90's from only a week ago? Scott had on a long sleeve, Marcus was donning his arm warmers, and I had on my wind vest. And of course we stopped before we even started climbing to strip all those clothes off.

While we were disrobing, I spotted a varicolored neon yellow character approaching through the bushes. And fast. I thought for sure we had pissed off a crossing guard somewhere back in town, and we were on the fast track to the Principal's Office. I was already coming up with a story about how it was all Marcus's idea to ride wheelies through the cross walk, and how I didn't even see her stop sign, when I realized it was only Jeff P!

It's always a pleasure and honor to ride with the Grand Panjandrum of Ash Canyon. We certainly appreciate his craft; sweet singletrack is his métier.

At the top of the climb, Jeff P revealed that he is in discussions with the city for building a new trail network on Carson's west side. This is exciting news for cyclists and hikers alike. We'll keep you posted as this develops...

We finished the ride by flying down the Creek Trail with no care of bears. There has been so much talk of bears in the local media, that they're not even scary anymore!

So there you have today's potboiler. Good night!

Open Letter to the A-hole in the Red Subaru

2007-09-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Today on our regular lunch ride (which commences every single day at about the same time) we had a run in with a car at an intersection that had a 4 ways stop. They were turning right and we were going straight. The car could not have been behind us for more than one block and I have to say this is the first time a car has been behind us on this residential street in MONTHS. Did I mention we ride this street every day at the same time?

The nice lady in the passenger seat yelled at us as we were riding through the intersection and she was turning "why don't you ride single file like you are supposed to!"

Well my dear short tempered Subaru passenger, I do apologize for making you have to stop one millisecond before your right hand turn but Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 484.509 (2) states:

NRS 484.509 Operating bicycle on roadway.
2. Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two [emphasis added] abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

Be-yatch!

Reno Mojo

2007-09-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

PIC-0056
Originally uploaded by i am indisposed.

FBC Mojo Bag on Mike's Raleigh Technium Townie.

Clouds

2007-09-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

"Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way"

...sang Judy Collins as I rode under the clouds today. Thirty years later and I can still hear that song playing on my parents' turntable.

I had predicted that September would be long and hot, but to my surprise, Fall is already in the air. We're close enough to October now that I think the real hot stuff is behind us. For about a month now, we'll have some of the most perfect weather of the year! Temperatures this week will peak in the 60's and 70's.

We could still use some rain though. The sand is deep and choppy. Coming down off Lakeview was perilous to say the least.

To satisfy Jeff P's pinching fingers, I ran my Weirwolf 2.5 at 28 psi up front. Handling the rear tire duty was the Specialized Resolution 2.1 at 30 psi. So far so good. I shall play the tire pressure limbo this week. How low can I go? La la laa, laa la laa, la la, laa la laa la laa...

Live Free or Drive

2007-09-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

I was over reading The MinusCar Project tonight, and saw the following quote:

"Live free or drive."

MinusCar has been an inspiration to many people for driving their cars less, including me. Here I am back in 2006 sporting my MinusCar Project t-shirt.

Snakebite, another Sioux Falls, South Dakota cyclist has went as far as selling his car! This means he no longer owns a car, but will still use public transportation, and even rent a car for longer trips such as vacations. This is going to be a great experiment!

Snakebite is going to keep track of the money he would have spent on a car payment, insurance, maintenance, and gas costs. To compare, he'll keep track of how much he spends on bus fares, taxi fares, and car rentals as they occur. He also plans to do a monthly post of the results.

Keep track of his progress over at Life Bikin'.

There are certainly many more blogger/cyclists worth mentioning, but I don't want to overwhelm this post. Instead I think I'll do a "spotlight" post every once in a while for our inspiration.

Since I like posts with pictures, I'll finish today's post with a picture from this week. This is Scott J. (also a bicycle commuter) shreddin' down the bunny trail. This is a newer trail named Jackrabbit. When riding Ash Canyon, it's the last section of single track we hit before returning to civilization on our lunch time rides. It's fast and skinny, and takes some skill to take the turns at speed. It's a great way to end the ride!

Mojo Shots

2007-09-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

I found these cool Mojo shots while browsing the blue colnago. The pictures are from the gravel back roads of Iowa.

Apparently Mojo attracts flutterbies.

I'm Moving!

2007-09-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

If everything goes according to plan, I should be moving to Carson City soon. Right now I live in Gardnerville, which is a 16 mile drive from work (32 mile round trip). Due to changing weather conditions, safety, and time with the family, this route is not practical for bicycle commuting...especially year round. A house in Carson City will allow me to ride to work year round no matter what the weather, as I'll be living within one mile of work. Shoot, I could X-Country ski to work if I needed to if the snow gets real deep!

As you can see from the picture, Carson City is very close to all sorts of recreational potential. And if the Sierras were to split apart, I'd be swimming in enough water to cover the entire state of California. Yeah, Lake Tahoe is that deep!

It will be a dream come true to use a bicycle for most of my transportation, and ridicule those who choose not to! True bicycle snobbery awaits me...

Thanks, Jerome for the video tip!

My Current Monthly Commute Statistics:
Miles Driven: 600
Hours in the car: 20 (almost one full day!)
Fuel Costs: $54
Probability of Death Commuting at 70 mph next to people with NASCAR numbers in their windows: High
My Sanity: Priceless

Note: I borrowed this picture from the Carson City Nevada Convention and Visitors Bureau website.

Missing Pump

2007-09-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

Looking for something to do? Go for a ride and look for a bicycle pump!

Muscle Powered president, Anne Macquarie, lost her pump in the vicinity of the Ash Canyon creek trail. Let me know if anyone finds it so we can return it to her!

Carson Pass

2007-09-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend my family met up with fellow blogsmith Mike and his wife Danielle. I got to know Mike through blogging before I had a chance to meet him in person. When I finally got to meet him, I felt like I already knew him a bit. It was kind of like meeting a character from a book you've been reading. Mike likes to write a lot, so there was lots of material to base my preconceived character on!

We met at the top of Carson Pass and hiked into the Mokelumne Wilderness, south of Lake Tahoe. It's up pretty high, and you get the feeling like you're walking on top of the world. Part of the trail is shared with the Pacific Crest Trail, but then heads off towards Winnemucca Lake shortly after leaving Frog Lake. The first picture is looking across Frog Lake to the South (you need to click on that picture and view it big!).

Along the hike we spoke of bicycles, endurance racing, potted meats, back country skiing, microwavable spotted dick, and extra large nipples. Our dogs were having a good time too. Even our dogs seemed to act as if they'd met previously.

Early into the hike my dog took an enormous dump right next the trail. I was a little embarrassed at the copious amount he left right in front of our new friends. Danielle started reaching for her pack and said, "Here...I have some plastic dog bags you can use." Now there's a fine line between being environmentally conscious and simply carrying around a colossal bag of poo. Quickly I grabbed two large slabs of bark and carried the freshly laid steamers to their final resting spot behind a downed tree. We hiked on.

I know some of you are looking at that singletrack thinking it'd be sweet to ride. You'd be right. If they allowed mechanized travel in these parts. Since it's the PCT and a wilderness area to boot, you'll only see foot traffic on this trail. Which is fine by me. Some places are meant to be seen at a slower pace.

This was also a very special trip for me, because I just got my camera back from the shop. You may have noticed a lack of original pictures here lately. I borrowed Kristy's camera while mine was in the shop, but that camera and I just don't get along. I couldn't seem to get good pictures out of it, and ended up not taking too many. But I'm back in action now, tormenting everyone with my camera! Hey it's worth it though, right?

We had a great time hanging out with Mike and Danielle. We parted ways at Winnemucca Lake. They headed on to 4th of July Lake to spend the night, and Kristy and I took the boy (who never complained once over the course of 4 miles) and tired dogs back to the car. We hope to have another adventure with them soon!

More pictures of the trip can be found HERE and also HERE!

Air Mail

2007-09-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Mokelumne Wilderness Mojo 2

2007-09-09T21:08:00.001-07:00

Carson Pass Hike
Originally uploaded by i am indisposed.

On Saturday we hand delivered two mojo bags to Mike and Danielle in the Mokelumne Wilderness.

Complete writeup and photos coming soon!

Mokelumne Wilderness Mojo

2007-09-09T20:53:00.001-07:00

Carson Pass Hike
Originally uploaded by i am indisposed.

On Saturday we hand delivered two mojo bags to Mike and Danielle in the Mokelumne Wilderness.

Complete writeup and photos coming soon!

FBC Market Place

2007-09-09T18:01:00.001-07:00

Haro for Sale
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

Attention Local Readers! For Sale: 15.5 inch Haro Mountain Bike for $75!

Although this bike is from 1993-1994, it only has about 50 miles on it! It has been garaged at my mom's house the rest of the time.

This steel framed bicycle would be great for a first time rider (light trail use) or someone looking for cheap transportation around town. I just washed and tuned it up today. It shifts flawlessly! Feels like a new bike.

It also has mounts for a rear rack. Great for commuters!

The 15.5 inch frame would fit a person on the plus or minus side of 5'6" tall.

Send me an email if you're interested.

Mojo in Maryland

2007-09-09T08:22:00.001-07:00

Moto Mojo
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

The Sarge sent this mojo picture from Maryland. He says, "I think i might have broken a rule here...but i suppose if there is anyplace
i need good mojo its on the motorcycle...". I'd have to agree with him!

Two more mojo bags were delivered yesterday. They spent the night with two backpackers up in the Sierras. Pictures soon...

Facility Bike Club

2007-09-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

One day last week, we had six riders on the lunch time ride. There was Kristy, Kathy, and the usual cast of characters too...myself, Sandie, Jon, and Scott. I was looking around during the ride, and it occurred to me that none of the riders were from "The Facility"...the place where this blog was born. It also got me thinking that most people that visit this blog have no idea what the heck "The Facility" refers to.

Me on my Haro Escape - January 2002

It started back in 2001 when I worked at a place known as "The Computer Facility". I found myself getting a bit unhealthy, and was at my heaviest weight ever. There was a water club and a coffee club, so I thought I'd start a walking club. After a few weeks of doing that, I was getting bored and thought riding bicycles would be way more fun. Could we ride at lunch, and still make it back in time to start work again? Todd, Robert, and I brought in our neglected bicycles in an attempt to answer this question. And so it began on our rusty 10 speeds, Huffy's, and old hard tails. We were having a bunch of fun. Others soon joined...Bill, Dennis, Casey, and Patrick. A few others joined periodically, but never stuck with it.

Todd - January 2002 (This is where the bike path now runs)

Watching the carnage on "Hamburger Hill" - January 2002

There were a lot of injuries when we were first getting started. Our courage and testosterone were out of balance with our skill level and equipment. Slowly, we all started updating our bikes with updated models. Many of us have bought several bikes since then.

Patrick, Todd, Scott (aka The Sarge) - April 2002

We started off doing some easy road loops with a hint of dirt. The "top" back then is what we consider the beginning of the trails now. We were pretty proud just to get to this point though. That all changed when The Sarge showed up. He pushed us up into the hills further and faster then we've ever been. In fact, we are at the same limits of our domain as when he left several years ago. You just can't ride much further in the lunch hour. I believe Scott was the first non-facility rider we had.

Patrick and Scott(Sarge) on the Creek Trail - May 2002

In 2002, we started getting together for some group rides up at Tahoe on the weekends.

Robert, Casey, Me, Scott, Amy - November 2002

Casey, Robert, Scott - November 2002

Scott (The Sarge), Todd, Me, Bill - May 2003

Bill and Todd @ Hole in the Ground - September 2003

Bill is known for his crazy stories.

Dennis, Robert, Me, Todd - December 2003

Robert, Todd, Me - December 2003

Standing next to this tree (above) is a popular place for a photo shoot!)

Scott (The Sarge) - June 2004

The Sarge left us in the summer of 2004 for the East Coast. This is one of the last rides we did with him, an after work ride. It rained on the climb, but it felt good in the summer heat.

We hope that he may be back someday. He's an awesome rider and an even better friend.

Waterfall Fire - July 2004

Todd - Waterfall Fire 2004

In the spring of 2004, many of us were getting bored of the trails. In July the Waterfall Fire struck, and we were closed out of trails for a long time while the restoration of the mountains was underway. We had taken the trails for granted, and were taught a lesson in appreciation. We slowly crept back into the mountain before it was legal to do so though. We couldn't take it anymore! Casey even made the front page of the paper. It showed him riding one of the trails with the caption, "Keep Out!". I started writing this blog in the Fall of 2004.

Patrick, Todd, Ryan - December 2004

Ryan joined us in November of 2004. His racer skills humbled us quickly. We always enjoy his stories of adventure racing and X-Terra events. Most of us think he's nuts.

The Bike Path - January 2005

The winter of 2004-2005 was rough. It snowed a ton and stayed cold, entombing the trails for a couple months. We had very little to ride. Mostly asphalt loops.

Ash Canyon - May 2005

Spring of 2005 was like a re-birth. A new appreciation was found for the great trails we had. Beauty was coming back to the mountains after the fire.

In June of 2005 we acquired our first female rider, Barbara...also a non Facility worker. I remember everyone being skeptical when she showed up. Could she hang with the guys? She quickly showed us she could, and us guys made sure we were in good shape so we didn't get "beaten by a girl". Barbara is known for her climbing skills.

Patrick and Barbara - November 2005

Sandie joined us in the Fall of 2005. She was a beginning mountain biker, but quickly gained her fitness and skills. It wasn't too long before she was riding all the same trails we were.

Sandie - January 2006

2006 was definitely the year of the girl rider. On any given day in the summer, there'd be more girls than guys on the ride. Sandie joined us full time, while Kristy and Kathy joined as their schedules allowed. The original Facility guys were starting to disappear. People found new jobs, quit riding, or retired.

Dennis, Sandie, and Todd - June 2006

Barbara and Kristy - August 2006

Kristy, my wife, started riding with us periodically beginning in 2006. Our son's new school schedule, and her updated equipment enabled her to get into town to ride with us more often. Her full suspension Stump Jumper opened up a whole new world of riding for her. Kristy has skills and courage from years of riding dirt bikes. It's been my dream come true to start doing some serious cycling with her too.

Sandie met Kathy through soccer, and invited her to join us at lunch. Kathy has been riding for years and has racer fitness and skills. She'll put you into max heart rate on the climbs if you let her. She's also a very skilled downhill and technical rider.

Barbara and Kathy - December 2006

Kristy, Ryan, Sandie, Barbara - January 2007

Sandie broke her ankle at the end of 2006, and rejoined us in January of 07 after a brief hiatus. The picture above is from her first ride back.

Amy and Jeff P, Barbara, Sandie - January 2007

We met the Potter's in the Fall of 2006. We ride with them primarily on the weekends, but they join us at lunch when they can. The Potters are responsible for exposing us to all sorts of new trails and places to ride. They also make the best cup of coffee in Carson City.

In the Fall of 2006, I quit working at the Facility and left for a different agency. Todd, Patrick, and Ryan remained.

Kristy and Kathy - February 2007

By the beginning of 2007 many of us were starting to buy road bikes. We've been adding road rides to the weekly schedule on occasion.

Sandie, Kristy, Barbara, Todd - February 2007

The winter of 2007 was cold, but mild in the amount of snow that we got. We were able to ride almost every day of the winter. When it comes to the cold weather, the girls are just as tough as the guys.

Marcus - May 2007

Marcus found us in the Spring of 2007. He was doing a google search for trails in the Ash Canyon area and found our blog. Since then, Marcus has helped out with lots of cool blog pictures and posts.

Jon - June 2007

We met Jon while riding at lunch this summer. He was a runner that was just getting into cycling. This guy has some natural talent, and was immediately riding our trails with no prior single track skills. He also came with fitness too, thanks to his running.

Scott J. - June 2007

In early 2007 I recruited my new co-worker Scott J. to join us. Scott has been riding for years, and adapted quickly to our trails.

Facility Bike Club - Present Day. Only Todd and Ryan remain as riders from the place where it all started. The Facility doesn't even allow bikes on the property anymore! It's almost silly to even call ourselves by this name, but the history is there, and nobody has really thought about changing the name.

I hope you have enjoyed this trip through FBC history!

If You Don't Like It - Ride a Bike

2007-09-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

I found this little clip over at Bike Hugger. It's a perfect example of why we can't rely on politicians for our energy problems.

This guy says that riding a bike is a preposterous solution to our energy problems. If you're reading this blog, you've most likely seen firsthand how a bicycle can cut your energy costs. Many of you are bicycle commuters. Some of you have even given up your cars.

My favorite part is near the end when he's trying to be sarcastic. "If you don't like it, ride a bike. If you don't like the price at the pump, ride a bike." To this Congressman Patrick McHenry, I say, "Hell Yeah!"

More Mojo Action Shots

2007-09-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Cool Mojo Shot from Iowa. Read more HERE over at The Blue Colnago. It's great to see that the Mojo is around so many cool bikes, good beer, and some rowdy racers!

Welcome to Bear Country

2007-08-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

The planning of today's ride began in the early morning when Jon alerted us to this Nevada Appeal article about three bears that were captured in Carson City. We figured that these must be the three bears we've been hearing about that have been spotted on the Ash Creek trail, a mother and her two cubs.

Here's a video of the bear capture in Carson City:

So we figured the coast was clear, and time to hit the Creek Trail today. Which we did...with no megafauna encounters. I didn't see any animal tracks along the way, and I whistled periodically to alert the canyon dwellers of our arrival. (Later, Scott and I would discuss the merits of bear whistling. Does this summon the bear or send them running?)

This is where the story gets interesting. I got a call from Brent on my cell phone. Since I work in a basement, I had to go outside to take the call. Our conversation was garbled, and I ended up calling him back. When we had a clear connection, Brent asked me how to get to the Ash Creek trail head. It's somewhat secret, and the location is only given to those who are worthy. Brent had a good idea of where I was telling him to go and hung up.

About 40 minutes later I received another garbled cell phone transmission from Brent, "static static static BEARS! static static static". I ran for the door to the outside again to take this call. It sounded somewhat urgent. I figured if Brent was being mauled by a bear, he probably wouldn't be calling me to tell me about it. Still I was a bit concerned.

When I had a clear connection, Brent told me that he and Chili Dog had just dropped into the canyon and scared a momma bear and her two cubs. The two cubs went running, and momma was looking for them. In the end, Brent decided to back track instead of agitating the bears further. So while he didn't get to ride the creek trail, at least he got to see some wild nature pretty close up.

It is said that the bears were released in the Carson Range, so it's possible these are same bears that were captured just the day before. Who knows?

I'm sure Brent will add some details to this account...

The Spreading of the Mojo

2007-08-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

The first batch of Mojo Bags were shipped out to their various destinations around the country. Let's check in with some of them now...

Here we see a Mojo Bag on Snakebite's Surly Commuter. This Surly isn't even a year old yet, and will need some mojo as it braves the streets of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Next up is Brian's Slingshot Ripper, outfitted with a Mojo Bag under the seat. Brian claims the mojo brought him good luck in last weekend's XTERRA event site in Muskegon, Michigan!

The final visual that I have today is from Bluecolnago in Waterloo, Iowa. The Bluecolnago hopes to use the luck of the mojo for "Team Stoopid" as they compete in an upcoming 12 hour MTB race in Boone, Iowa. Team Stoopid has some very nice looking Surly 1x1's. Go check them out!

Thanks again guys for reading this blog and making it fun to write! If the rest of you mojo recipients would like your picture posted here, just point me to the picture!

The next batch of Mojo Bags should be ready to mail out or be delivered by the end of the week...

14 Years!

2007-08-28T21:19:00.001-07:00

14 Years!
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

Kristy and I celebrated 14 years of marriage today! Tonight we challenged each other to a Sushi eating contest at one of our favorite local restaurants, Wasabi's. We split a bottle of sake during the course of the trials. In the end I think I may have beat her by one or two pieces. Although she took advantage when I was talking to the chef and ate a couple pieces. We may have to look at the video footage to call a clear winner...

Ok, it wasn't really a contest. Just an all you can eat thing at the bar. Which is exactly what we did. We didn't know exactly what we wanted, so the chef kept bringing us a plethora of wonderful creations. It was truly a wonderful night out. It's a beautiful thing when your wife is your best friend, and also your best riding buddy!

Tomorrow we will ride off the extra calories...

Kona Scab

2007-08-28T06:25:00.001-07:00

Kona Scab
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

Here's a bike you won't see too much of here. A few years ago I had to have a dirt jumper just because they looked so cool. I found the frame on sale at wheelworld.com for under $200, so I snatched it up. The frame is the "Scab" from Kona. It's an overbuilt steel frame, made to withstand bomb blasts and heavy artillery fire. I had enough parts laying around to mostly build it up. Some friends donated some parts too. Over the years, I replaced stuff that wasn't scab worthy.

This bike has seen a couple lunch time rides, but is horrible on the trail with it's BMX geometry. The bike is mostly used as an urban assault vehicle for around the neighborhood. It's great fun at the skate park, and I'll probably even take it to the BMX track and give it try there. It has a 3-5 inch travel Psylo on the front, but works best in 3 inch travel mode. You stand up to pedal this thing, and longer travel settings make the front end bob too much. It'd probably even be pretty cool with a rigid fork.

It's also currently setup as a single speed with 32-18 gearing. I think I'm going to add a 9 speed cassette to the rear, and it already has two chain rings up front. It needs a better range of gears, as it feels too trials-like at the moment. It's hard to get enough speed for some jumps in the current configuration.

So...just another bike in the collection. Not really needed, but fun to have!

FBC Scratch Pad

2007-08-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed by now that there is something new going on in the sidebar. A few weeks ago while strolling through the upscale blogosphere, I came across an entry for Tumblr. I love new internet toys, and I wanted to use it. But for what? So I thought about it for a while.

And then it finally came to me. I have a lot to say, but don't necessarily want to make a big production out of it. Blog entries can be time consuming. You want to make sure they are just right. Sort of like your own magazine.

So now I present to you, the FBC Scratch Pad, a Tumblelog. A blog-ette of sorts. If blogger was an orchestral composition, Tumblr is a jazz Scat singer. You may or may not find something interesting here, but at least it's short and you won't waste much time!

Next, to find a use for Twitter...

Gear News

2007-08-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

If any of you follow my family blog you would have seen the Fatcyclist Pink Lemonade jersey premiered at the Death Ride by Brent and myself as seen here
and then here on Fatty's blog. If you have not read any of his blog you are missing something big.

So we go to our mailbox last night and get our Bicycling magazine and to our surprise the lady on the COVER is wearing the Pink jersey!

Run out and get your jersey today before EVERYONE takes them all!

The Dog Days of Summer - Part 2

2007-08-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

This is a follow-up post to my previous post on this subject.

The heat has definitely been a source of my de-motivation, but didn't explain my lack of "oomph" or occasional bonking on easy rides. After talking to my brother (currently attending medical school), and doing some reading I've concluded that I was slightly anemic!

"Most commonly, people with anemia report a feeling of weakness or fatigue, general malaise and sometimes poor concentration." That summed me up pretty good.

My family has gone vegetarian this year. We'll have the occasional fish, shellfish or chicken when eating out (like at the Chinese food buffet), but for the most part eat a somewhat vegan diet. Very little dairy or eggs.

Vegetarians and Vegans, take note!

Man evolved as omnivore not simply because of the wide variety of pleasurable foods available, but because of the nutritional requirements. While many vital nutrients can only be found in species from the plant kingdom, there are some that are only readily available from our animal friends. "Vitamin B12 is naturally found in foods of animal origin including meat, shellfish, and milk products."

"Vitamin B12 is important for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system and for the formation of blood. It is involved in the metabolism of every cell of the body, especially affecting the DNA synthesis and regulation but also fatty acid synthesis and energy production."

"While lacto-ovo vegetarians usually get enough B12 through dairy products, it may be found lacking in those practicing vegan diets who do not use multivitamin supplements or eat B12 fortified foods, such as fortified breakfast cereals, fortified soy-based products, and fortified energy bars. The Vegan Society and Vegan Outreach, among others, recommend that vegans either consistently eat foods fortified with B12 or take a daily or weekly B12 supplement."

My brother said that B12 deficiency is common among vegetarians and vegans, and also explains why you see some of these people carrying around some extra weight regardless of their healthy diet.

My brother sent me a bottle of B complex supplements which I've been taking all week. The results this far have been really good. In fact I felt stronger yesterday than I've felt in quite a while! I've also lost a little fat off my midsection, but I'm not certain if this a result of the vitamins or the fact that I've been out of beer for most of the week. Time will tell...

The Mojo Is In The Mail

2007-08-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Kristy packaged up the 1st batch of mojo bags in a special wrapping that prevents mojo leakage, and took them to the post office. They are on their way to both coasts, and a few places in between! Everyone should have some mojo by the end of the week.

Kristy's Birthday

2007-08-21T21:40:00.001-07:00

Electra Daisy
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

Today is Kristy's birthday!

Yesterday I went to the Bicycle Authority in Carson City and bought this bike for her. She was surprised with it today.

I love impulse shopping.

Tonight we cruised down to the farmers market for some awesome produce. The heat of the day was gone, and the stars were shining bright on the way home.

Another great summer evening!

Puncture Vine

2007-08-20T21:05:00.001-07:00

Puncture Vine
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

Anyone who rides a bike in these parts is familiar with the dreaded goathead thorn. Bike shops probably see hundreds of tube repairs because of these nasty things. Lots of people take drastic measures to combat the thorns, installing slimed tubes, thorn resistant tubes, Mr. Tuffy Liner, etc. Unfortunately all these solutions add quite a bit of rotating mass. This may be ok for the kid whose parents are sick of fixing flats, but to the discriminating cyclist it may be undesirable. Especially if you are a weight weenie.

One solution is to install the Stan's No Tube system. I may do this myself some day. Not necessarily for the no hassles from punctures...just to keep Jeff P. and Marcus off my back. Jeff P. makes me feel like Mr. Whipple! I'm always shooing his pinching fingers away from my "overinflated" tires. But I digress...

The easiest way to avoid goathead thorns is to know what Puncture Vine looks like, and where it likes to grow. The vine grows low to the ground, and often has yellow flowers. The vines can be 1-3 feet long. The thorns are hard to see in the tangled mess of vines.

Puncture Vine likes lots of water, so be on the watch near irrigation. A classic example is a yard that has an area of bare dirt between the front lawn and the road. Many times this type of landscape can look like an appealing shortcut, and lure the unwary cyclist in. I once saw a buddy take a shortcut like this, and his tires were just riddled with thorns. The tubes weren't even worth patching, and it took some work to get all the thorn pieces out of the tire. It's always best to keep to the street or path when riding near sprinklers, rivers, or irrigation ditches.

The good news is that in the Carson City area, you seldom have to worry about goatheads once you are out in the natural terrain away from the houses or natural water sources.

The goathead thorn is the leading cause of flat tires around here. What's the biggest threat to your tubes/tires where you live?

FBC Mojo Bag Update

2007-08-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

The first run of Mojo Bags are complete and are ready to mail out. We collected the ingredients during the week, and assembled the bags today. So far we have seven orders, and one has already been delivered locally in Minden. This week some will be mailed out to California, Michigan, Iowa, and Maryland. Locally they will be delivered to Carson City and Reno.

The ingredients seen here are:

Sagebrush
Bitter Brush
Manzanita
Choke Cherry
Squaw Tea
Ponderosa Pine (Needles, Wood, and Duff)
Copper Ore
Granite
Thunder Eggs

Kristy sewing the bag liners

The botanicals are sewed into the bag liner. The liner and rocks are then placed into the Mojo Bag.

Finished Mojo Bag in Use

We cruised the back streets of Minden and Gardnerville tonight and gave the Mojo a try. So far so good. We even hooked up With Mike of the Rusted Chain Gang and delivered him his Mojo Bag.

Bike Lanes

2007-08-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

Bike Lane
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

Here's a picture of the bike lanes in use up at South Lake Tahoe. The bike lanes on both sides of this road have become the Tahoe Keys Marina overflow parking lot. And from I'm told, since these people bring in a lot of money, nobody cares.

We ended up riding in the road, slowing down traffic. And when I say slowing down traffic, I mean of course that they were exceeding the speed limit and not paying attention to the fact that we were riding with a 6 year old.

Miserable Cars....

FBC Mojo Bags

2007-08-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

Are you lookin' for some Hoodoo to protect you from the Voodoo? These hand crafted, one of a kind FBC Mojo Bags are just what you need!

The Mojo Bag seen here is the first one off the line, hand made by Kristy. The next step will be to collect botanicals, artifacts, and other items from the Ash Canyon/Carson City area. We'll be experimenting with the right mixture to see what combination of items provides the best luck and protection from evil.

If you are in need of one of these supernatural items, send me an email with your shipping address, and we'll get one out to you (while supplies last or until we just don't feel like doing it anymore...).

There is just one catch though. You'll have to email me a picture of the Mojo Bag in use so I can put in on the Blog. Testimonies are also welcome.

Don't delay. Act today.

Sand and Suds Report

2007-08-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the Sand and Suds Bike Ride and Treasure Hunt hosted by the Slow Rollers. This was our first Treasure Hunt themed ride, so we didn't know what to expect. We all met at noon at "The Y" up in South Tahoe. We were given a map and two pages of riddles and questions. The answers were found by following the map and looking for signs and landmarks. Since many of the answers were found by reading historical points of interest type of signs, we ended up learning a lot about the area.

We rode around The Tahoe Keys Marina, Pope Beach, Baldwin Beach, the Tallac Historical Site, and various other places on the southeastern shore of Lake Tahoe. We were out on the bikes for about five hours total, and had only stopped to eat once. One of the answers was found at the the ice cream shop in Camp Richardson. The question was, "How many flavors of ice cream?". We ate about a pint of ice cream each getting to the bottom of the mystery, and that lasted us until the end of the ride.

Since there were so many places to explore, and some of the questions tough, we ended up trading answers with some of our friends. In the end, none of us won anyway. We gathered on the beach for the post ride ceremonies. The winner was announced, beer was drank, and we took turns riding the pedal pontoon boat.

For an event named "Sand and Suds", there wasn't much beer around. At least not compared to the other events we've attended. We were really too busy to stop anywhere for drinks, since there was so much ground to cover. The only beer we had during the ride was at the very end. There was an ice chest full of Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can. Wow. I don't remember my last canned beer, and certainly not my last PBR. Nonetheless, it was pretty refreshing after riding in the hot sun all day.

We ended the day with a trip to the Tahoe Pizza Company for some real food and real beer. It turned out to be a fun day. I think we definitely prefer the group ride feel of the other events though. We barely saw anybody else all day as we zipped around stealth-like, looking for clues!

There are a few other pictures HERE.

Let's Get (meta)Physical

2007-08-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

Why do we as mountain bikers yearn for epic rides in the mountains? Exposure to the elements, dehydration, suffering, risk of bodily harm, and exhaustion may seem crazy to some, unappealing to most.

So why do we do it? Is it a weekly pilgrimage?

For Tibetans, a pilgrimage refers to the journey from ignorance to enlightenment, from self-centeredness and materialistic preoccupations to a deep sense of the relativity and interconnectedness of all life.

Difficulty is considered a part of the pilgrimage and for some a form of purification. For some, the more difficult the pilgrimage, the more enlightenment one achieves.

The goal of a pilgrimage has less to do with a particular destination than the journey itself. Through mountain biking there is focus. By circumambulating mountains, we temporarily transcend our daily lives. We shed our habits and materialistic attachments of inattention that restrict awareness of a larger reality.

These are some things to think about (or not think about) on your next ride.

Author's Note: These are some thoughts I had after watching Seven Years in Tibet last night.

Safety Lights

2007-08-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

Safety LIghts
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

Last week I had some great suggestions on what to get for night time cruising. We ended up going with these $9 Safety Lights, partly based on price, and partly on recommendation of the LBS owner. He said he's used them, and they seemed bullet proof. Since we were buying three, I really liked the price tag.

The plastic lens color is different on all three, but the flashing light is red on all. There is a button on the back to turn them on or off, and allows you to cycle through a variety of different steady or flashing patterns. You can go from a steady, consistent glow, all the way to "Night on Disco Mountain". Of course we chose the Disco pattern for last night's cruise.

Lat night, my friend Mike let me try out his old Schwinn that had a 2 speed rear hub. I'd never heard of such a thing. To shift you back pedaled slightly. You could alternate rapidly between the two gears this way. Back pedaling all the way activated the coaster brake. Seemed like a pretty cool design to me. I wonder why it disappeared? I'm guessing the faster 10 speed road bike killed it.

The Dog Days of Summer

2007-08-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

Back in the spring time I remember feeling like I was superman. I couldn't ride enough, and was doing 130 mile weeks. I'm probably doing 40-50 mile weeks now and I'm exhausted! Some days I wonder if something is wrong with me, but I'm hoping it's just the heat.

Most nights I drive home from work, and have just enough strength to eat some dinner and drink a beer.

Anyone else feeling this way?

I'm hoping it's just the dog days of summer.

Tahoe Rim Trail - Tahoe City

2007-08-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot of details on this ride. I was a passenger in the truck to the trailhead, and I just followed during the ride. The ride was mostly in the woods, so there wasn't a lot of landmarks to describe. I will tell you this though...it was a lot of fun!

I think we started near a Nordic Ski center, just to the east of Tahoe City. There is a whole network of trails here. This lower section would be a great place to bring kids or beginning mountain bikers. Jeff F. was our guide, and we made frequent turns at the intersections. Eventually we made our way up to the Tahoe Rim Trail, somewhere between Tahoe City and Brockway Summit.

As it turned out, it was an excellent loop for single speeds. The hills were never too steep, and the terrain was pretty smooth. Kristy also let me borrow her 29er, so this was a great trail test of the bike. I was looking for rocks and other obstacles to test the bigger wheels on. It definitely did excel on clearing the challenges. I did however feel like it was slower in the turns compared to my 26er single speed. But like I said, the trail was so smooth that I think a 26er or 29er would be equally fun.

The Girls flanked by Jeff's. Jeff F. was manning the camera.

The best part of this loop is the descent down to the Truckee River. It's very twisty and full of switch backs as you descend down the mountain. Fast enough for a thrill, slow enough to be safe. Much of your speed is dictated by how good you are at turns.

We ended the dirt portion of this ride near Squaw Valley, and rode the Truckee River Bike Path back to Tahoe City. This may be the most crowded spot up at Lake Tahoe. Most likely because of its proximity to interstate 80.

As we got closer to Tahoe City the river was log jammed with rafters, and the bike path was packed with riders of all sorts. You know that dream you have where everyone rides a bike? I rethought this dream after riding this section. Some people just don't belong on bikes! I think Darwin was close to selecting a few of the helmetless riders for extinction.

Sorry for the lack of details on the trailhead, but I think you could probably find some better descriptions elsewhere on the internet. Not to worry though, as you can't really go wrong just exploring this area.

Sand and Suds

2007-08-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sand and Suds
When: 08.11.07 12 noon
Where: South Lake Tahoe, CA

Another cruiser event is coming up this Saturday, hosted by The Slow Rollers. The Sand and Suds Bike Ride and Treasure Hunt will start from Miller's Outpost, located at the "Y" in South Tahoe. Tickets are $5.

That's about all I know. But with Beer, Bikes, and Treasure, I figure you can't go wrong. Hope to see you there at the crack of noon!

Tips For Cyclists

2007-08-06T17:30:00.000-07:00

Tips For Cyclists - The best bloopers are a click away

I saw this over at SNAKEBITE'S blog a few weeks ago, and it made me laugh. I think about it a lot, because this stuff happens almost every day! Had to repost...

Some Quick Notes From Today

2007-08-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Temperatures in the 70's are absolutely wonderful. I actually enjoyed cool water through the entire ride.

Big dead rattlesnakes in the gutter are just as scary as live rattlesnakes. For a short period of time anyway.

Jon got his first taste of dirt today. Literally! Luckily he has showers back at work. He went over the bars on a steep sandy downhill. It's like riding on the beach. Thankfully it's also a good place to crash if you're going to crash. (Lakeview Hill for you other people that have crashed there...)

Evening Cruise

2007-08-04T15:05:00.001-07:00

Evening Cruise
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

This week we hooked up with Mike Garcia's Rusted Chain Gang for an evening cruise around Minden and Gardnerville. During the summer, the Gang rides nightly after the sun starts going down. It's a very nice change from the scorching heat of the day! They start in Minden, and we start in Gardnerville, meeting half way. From there we cruise with them back into Gardnerville. It's a great way to spend the evening!

We learned that we're going to have to invest in some commuter style lighting for these types of rides. Especially since I've removed every single reflector off every bike we own. The blinky red lights seemed to be the most important, and probably cheapest too. Opinions in this area would be appreciated!

The Rusted Chain Gang may have a blog up and running soon. They also are planning a Poker Run for the Fall with bikes to win for different categories. I'll keep you posted.

Ode to Jeff P.

2007-08-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hey Jeff! I shall bow in your general directions 6 times daily and advise all other trail users to do the same!

We had a great ride on the Ash Creek trail and it is thanks to your hard work.

Here is a pic of Todd and Jeff at the top of the trail

Todd is flyin' by... The trail is getting better and better. The initial downhill is cut in a little better and the first sharp left turn is totally doable.

Fabulous erosion control work next to the big rock drop off. What a trail! The trail has a little bit of everything. Bridge crossings, log crossings, drop offs. Lots of ups and downs. Nice technical climbs.

It is especially nice to hear the creek flowing by as we rip down the trail. Cant think of a better way to spend my lunch break.

Top it off with the bottom half of SGP and the Jack Rabbit trail and check out Mr. Styley at the bottom of Jack Rabbit. Jeff Moser bustin out for the photo op.

2007 Tour de Fat

2007-07-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we attended the Tour de Fat. Pictures and words don't do this event justice...you had to be there! I'll do my best to give you some highlights though. I arrived to this event "on time". Anyone who knows me, will find this to be out of the ordinary. This just goes to show you where my priorities are at. I did NOT want to miss the bike parade! We loaded up the bikes and headed up into the mountains for Truckee, CA.

Soon after I arrived I had the fine pleasure of meeting Mr. Wolfy of Team Bacon Strip. We had good talk of blogs and bikes, and he hooked me up with a few TBS stickers. I also learned that he and some others had ridden to Truckee the night before and camped. I thought that was pretty cool. Quite an accomplishment with all that camping gear if you ask me. This sort of thing went perfect with the whole event though. The main theme of the Tour de Fat was a move away over consumption, wastefulness, and heavy reliance on petroleum. I had planned to talk with Wolfy later in the day, but never saw him again. I take that back. I did see him once in the freak bike arena, but using every ounce of concentration to ride, I was not able to speak to him. Go check out The Bacon Strip. It's good reading!

The event kicked off with a bicycle parade through Truckee. Any type of bicycle you can imagine was there. Many bikes looked like Dr. Seuss had been the chief designer. We got behind a bike towing a music trailer, and enjoyed the tunes for a while. Vegan Charlie mistook the event for a race though, so we had to catch up to him, leaving the tunes behind.

Music Trailer

The parade route took us through downtown Truckee. Traffic was not blocked off, and most if not all the bystanders seemed a bit stunned to see so many bicycles coming by, not to mention the costumes and freak bikes. For a short time, bikes ruled the streets, and cars were made to wait. One cyclist in an Indian head dress positioned himself in front of a Hummer and then just stopped. He sat there for a good while and allowed the cyclists safe passage. I praised him for his fine work when we got back to the park.

After the parade was over, it was time to enjoy the beer, sights, and sounds. And believe me, there was plenty of everything. New Belgium was there with most of there beers on tap. I had most of them, and all were delicious. I think the mood and theme made them taste even better. Now some might think that with all the beer that was flowing, things would get out of hand. This was not the case though. It wasn't even rowdy. People just seemed to be having a good time and laughing a lot. Nobody that I saw appeared to be intoxicated. Plenty of people, including me, were there with their kids. The kids were having just as much fun as the adults. I think this says a lot about cycling and the cycling culture. It's largely a happy, peaceful, and fun loving bunch!

In addition to the new friends we met, we ran into familiar faces...Brent, Sandie, and Robin, guys from the local shops, riders I've met out on the trail, and the riders from the local cruiser scene. The Slow Rollers, Gonads and Strife, and The Rusted Chain Gang were all represented by their fearless leaders. All three groups mentioned have rides coming up soon...stay tuned!

As you could probably surmise from all the pictures here, something out of the ordinary was going on at the Tour de Fat. All day long there was music and entertainment. Everything had a quasi-carnival-circus-vaudeville feel to it. And when I say carnival, I don't mean meth addict, 80's Aerosmith Tour Jersey, Tilt-a-Whirl, missing teeth carnival. Old time carnival. Traveling performers and musicians. To be laying in the grass, sipping a Mothership Wit, listening to live accordion music, while three girls in pink poodle costumes prance by you, is to be totally disconnected from your usual life. It was very surreal. I had thoughts of joining the circus and living the life of a gypsy.

I have one simple request, and that's, "Fire jugglers riding frickin' flame shooting pogo sticks!"

Halfway through the event, my camera started flipping out. It would only take images like this! Fortunately, Brent and Sandie took a bunch of pictures too, and even let me snap a few with their camera. The camera that broke was responsible for almost all the pictures you see on this blog! It will be missed. Kristy investigated, and it looks like we bought the extended warranty. A replacement camera may be in the near future! With any luck, it will be upgraded. For you, the reader, this means more megapixels packed into the same amount of viewing time. It will be quite a value that I will be pleased to pass onto you at no additional charge.

Throughout the day we enjoyed a variety of vegan victuals. The vegetarian food went well with the theme of the day. Less energy. Bicycle Power. There were no trash cans. They had a compost station setup. Beer cups and forks were made from corn starch and were compostable as well as were the paper plates. The shows were powered mostly (if not 100%) by solar power. Tour buses run on bio diesel. Many people went to a tent and made written pledges to drive their cars less. As one guy said, oil is not a bad thing, it is our overuse of it. As Americans, we tend to take more than our fair share of the world's remaining non-renewable energy sources. The Tour de Fat proved how much fun you can still have at a "powered down" event. I believe this is something everyone will take home and incorporate into their daily lives.

And another thing...Yay for Beer!

The complete photoset is HERE.

The Limo

2007-07-27T21:20:00.001-07:00

The Limo
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

We just picked this up today! Room in the garage is a little tight, but it fit nonetheless. We took it for a spin around the neighborhood tonight and got a feel for it. I tried hard, but couldn't wheelie it. Going off the curbs feels weird too. You expect the rear wheel to drop, but it's late getting there.

We need to do a little customization for the rear cockpit area to fit our six year old, and then we'll be set. I think it's going to be a lot of fun!

New Bicycle Racks

2007-07-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

According to the Nevada Appeal newspaper, Carson City has received two new Muscle Powered bicycle racks like the one pictured here in front of Comma Coffee. One is located at Sunset Park, the other at Fuji park. Both are a welcome additions to the community, and are the result of people's generosity of both time and money.

I decided to read the article's comments, hoping to see some thankfulness and other gracious remarks. Here are a few of the heart warmers that really stood out:

"I wish people who ride bikes would stay off the damn road!"
"Lycra-wearing limp-wrists expect others to pay for their fun. Why do taxpayers have to pay for others' hobbies?"
"Just because your vehicle is bigger and gas-powered doesn't give you rights above theirs - But that is a tough argument to win when you are being dragged under a Humvee!"
"Lycra-covered bithyclithts should pay for their hobby. Bike lanes are a good thing. Now get off your lycra-coveredand start building them with your money."
"Roads are built for motor vehicles using gas tax dollars. You and your limp-wristed, lycra-wearing bithyclithts expect someone else to pay. Why can't you pay for your hobby, like the rest of us do? Oh, that's right... YOU ARE A SCUM-SUCKING, PANTY-WAISTED, LIMP-WRISTED LIBERAL."
"Nice bike racks - now move them to San Fransicko"
"'Muscle Powered bicycle rack' That is an oxymoron. Bicyclists have no muscles... Now, if it was a 'lycra-powered bithycle rack', that would be understandable..."
"I love bicyclists. They make lovely hood ornaments."
"More bikes=more targets=more fun"

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. The citizens are appreciative as you can see.

It appears even the newspaper thinks these comments are in good taste and are conducive to the discussion. Their disclaimer, "We reserve the right to delete any comments which are in bad taste or not conducive to the discussion."

Do you all have this same problem in your part of the country, or did all the morons just settle here?

Le Tour de Fat

2007-07-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this, there is a very good chance that you will never ride in a Tour de France. This is nothing to be ashamed of or even sad about. That's just the way it is.

Wouldn't it be cool if there was a tour you could participate in? One where nobody cared if you showed up without your bike and just drank beer all day? If by now you are saying, "That's crazy talk, Jeff!", you'd be absolutely wrong.

New Belgium Brewing Company's Tour de Fat rolls into Truckee, CA this Saturday, July 28th. The event kicks off with a quick bike ride through town, and then spends the rest of the day at the park. New Belgium will have a wide assortment of beers available on tap while you listen to music, watch side shows, or ride one of the many freak bikes.

If you can stand viewing a MY SPACE page, there is one for the Tour de Fat HERE.

If you are unable to attend, or are looking to see if the Tour comes closer to you, check HERE.

Here's a movie we took from the 2005 event.

Hope to see you there!

Tahoe Rim Trail

2007-07-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we got to ride a section of the Tahoe Rim Trail that I've been wanting to do for several years now. The trailhead is a longer drive from my house, and the trail is only open to mountain bikers on even days. So as you can imagine, planning to ride this trail around a busy schedule can be tough.

We parked the truck at Spooner Lake State Park, and took the shuttle service to Mount Rose Meadows. The Tahoe Rim Trail crosses here, and there is an excellent trailhead. There is parking, bathrooms, and a beautiful meadow that would make a great day trip for a hiking family. A short ride across the meadow and a creek, and we were into the woods on the TRT.

This section of the TRT is very popular with hikers, but it is an amazing mountain bike trail too. It has a nice rolling feel, and the grade is never too steep. There are fun little challenges everywhere, but there is almost always an easy line around them too. The trail seemed to be a nice single speed trail too. Jeff P. was on his 29er single speed, and he was polite enough to wait for me once in a while. I chose to ride my big fat full suspension bike. I think either bike would be a good choice for this trail.

The trail swaps back and forth on the east and west sides of the Carson Range. You get to enjoy views of both Lake Tahoe on the west side, and Washoe Valley to the east.

We came to the Tunnel Creek intersection, and there were mountain bikers everywhere! Kristy and Amy chose the Flume Trail route to Marlette Lake, while Jeff and I continued on the TRT. Both routes offered unique views and fun singletrack. The TRT made a ascent up to the top of Marlette Peak, which in my opinion, is one of the most spectacular views in the area. I could've stayed at the Marlette Peak overlook for hours, but we had to keep moving.

From Marlette Peak, we dropped back down into the woods, and headed towards Marlette Lake. As we got closer to the lake and streams, the wildflowers became abundant. I couldn't really capture the true beauty with the camera, but I gave it my best shot. I was crawling around in the flowers trying to find a good angle, when Jeff P. cried out, "Hey! Do you want to get a picture of a big snake?!?". Not wanting to miss a wildlife shot, I sprang out of the grass to see this fine specimen, only to find Jeff P. taking a leak on the side of the road. You know...I really should know better by now! I declined on the photo opportunity and went back to the flowers.

We met up with Kristy and Amy on the south side of Marlette Lake. We had a snack and then climbed the final hill to the saddle above North Canyon. From here it was a 4 mile descent on a fire road back to the parking lot. The bike shop at Spooner Lake has some post ride refreshments including Haagen Dazs ice cream bars which Kristy and I both enjoyed while we examined our "tan lines". Upon returning home, we treated ourselves to a dinner of sushi and Pad Thai at one of the Carson Valley restaurants. The end to a spectacular day.

I highly recommend this trail/route. Add it to your list of things to do this summer!

More photos of this ride can be found on our Flickr page.

Friday Night Races

2007-07-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

The BMX races are Friday nights and Sunday mornings. We've found that at this time of year, Friday nights are a bit more comfortable. We had some strong winds into the evening, but they made the track very fast on the north bound straightaways. It also helped cool us down in our long pants and long sleeved jerseys.

Charlie had a very small class to race with. It was just him and a 6 year old girl. This girl has been his main competition since he's started racing. They're almost even on the first straightaway, but she pulls away in the corners and the table top section. The good thing is that she's close enough to keep him motivated. She's a good rabbit to chase. They did two heat races and a main together, and Charlie was stoked about taking home a 2nd place medal. He tried hard, he got a medal. He likes the reward at the end, and I like to see him try hard. It works out for both of us!

I raced three other guys that I don't think I've raced yet. They all had nice bikes, and looked pretty sharp. I didn't know what to expect. I ended up taking 2nd in the first heat, and 1st in the second heat. In the interest of daylight, only 2 heat races are run on Friday nights. It was a good thing too! It was almost dark when we got to the main. I switched to my yellow lenses and they helped light up the track.

I got the hole shot on the main event! For a very brief moment I thought to myself, "I'm winning!" Then the guy who won the first heat passed me going into the first turn, and I ended up chasing his rear wheel all the way to the end for a 2nd place. It was a great bunch of guys to race with. We all shook hands at the end of each race and had a good laugh. There were no egos!

I used the stock platform pedals for my last race, and found that my feet were bouncing all around. I put on some Shimano SPD clipless pedals for this race, and it made a big difference. My feet were always where I wanted them, and I could just concentrate on pedaling. It took a bit more concentrating at the gate though, making sure I could stay clipped in and balanced.

Next week I'm going to work on finding a line that will allow me more speed through the first berm. The track is the hardest packed dirt you'll ever ride. Taking the first turn too tight makes it hard to keep pedaling for fear of sliding out. This is a big contrast to the rest off the week when I'm riding my mountain bike through loose sandy single track!

To sum it up, it was a fun night! Charlie and I took home a couple 2nd place medals to put on the trophy shelf. Kristy was a big help too. I was moto 4 and Charlie was moto 6. I had just enough time to catch my breath and put my bike down when Charlie would hit the track. It takes a whole team!

Lost and Found

2007-07-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

I found this on the Ash Canyon road today. It looks to be some kind of high end billet aluminum barrel adjuster, although it seems quite large for a bicycle.

Is it yours? If no one claims it, I'll just put it back on the road.

2007 Death Ride

2007-07-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the infamous Death Ride, or "Tour of the California Alps" if you're having problems getting your mother's permission to ride it. Did I do it? Heavens no! I spent the day napping, frolicking in the garden, supping a 2003 Zinfandel from Winery By The Creek (El Dorado County), and eating a delicious supper prepared from a fructuous visit to the farmer's market.

I know two guys who did though. Our very own Marcus and Brent! Brent has a very good story with pictures over on his blog. Go check it out!

Marcus, do you have any Death Ride lore you'd like to share? Other than "I forgot my camera?"

Good job you two!

Race Day

2007-07-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

This was our first Sunday race. We thought it'd be cooler on Sunday morning, but it was about the same or hotter! It was hard not to get dizzy out in all that sun.

Kristy had planned to race today, but upon arrival we found that no other girls were racing the cruiser class. Kristy told me I needed to race. I didn't have long pants or a long sleeve jersey though, so I didn't see how I could. As it turns out, Kristy had worn a pair of my pants so they'd be a little baggier for riding. She also had on a size large long sleeved t-shirt! We jumped in the car and swapped clothes. I was ready to race! Kristy went and signed me up for 36 - 40 year old cruiser class. The cruiser class allows 24 inch wheels and larger.

My son and I ran some practice laps together, trying not to get burned out in the summer sun. I'd run a few laps on Wednesday, and was starting to get the hang of the turns and jumps. I've found that it's best for me to try my hardest to keep the wheels on the ground. Not only can I keep pedaling this way, I don't get hurt either (sorry Chris, no throwing down 80's style...).

They posted the moto sheets. I would be racing 4 other guys and had no idea what to expect. They called my moto, so I lined up at the gate. One guy had a hard tail mountain bike, so I thought I might be able to take him. It's just not the right tool for the job on the BMX track.

My strategy for the first moto was to let the guys sort out the first turn, and then I'd catch them on the next straightaway. This didn't work out too well. While I missed the aggressive battle for the hole shot, I never caught the three guys in front of me. I'd have to get more aggressive for the next moto.

The winner of the first moto transferred to the main. He got to sit out the next two motos. It was down to four of us. I got a much better start this time around, and my energy bar was kicking in. I think I surprised the guys that beat me in the first moto. I caught the leader in the whoop section, and got along side him through the berm. We raced side by side to the finish line, and it was so close that I didn't even know which one of us won! I found out later that he beat me by an inch or two. I'd have to race moto three since they only transferred one rider to the main in this moto.

Moto Three. Down to three of us. The faster of the two guys I beat in the last moto got a jump on me. I followed him close all the way to turn two. I knew I'd have to step it up. But then the leader's front tire washed out in the berm, and I got around him! I was glad to back off a little and enjoy my first win of the day. The guy on the mountain bike and I transferred to the main, as they took two from the 3rd moto.

I was getting pretty tired by this time. So was Charlie. He had a great performance in his 1st moto, and tied for third place. The heat was getting to him for motos two and three though. He was running much slower than his initial performance. We took a break and prepared for the main event.

I was balancing up on the gate, looking down at my front tire. I lifted my head up to look down the track and got dizzy. Man, it was getting hot. I imagine the other guys were feeling it too. They had misters going in the tent above the moto line, but that refreshment had already worn off. The gate dropped, and I got a pretty good start. I just couldn't hang with the two guys in front of me though. I wasn't too far off, so that was good for encouragement. You have to keep on it in case someone screws up. In the end I got 3rd place, and I felt pretty good about that. Not knowing what to expect, it was cool to take home a trophy. When we got home, we put the trophy up in Charlie's room with his other trophies. I think it boosted Charlie's spirits some too. I think if we can keep it a family team, it takes some of the pressure off him. It's also good for me to know what racing feels like. I know how tired I was out there, and know what my son is going through. We can talk about each section of the track as equals.

So as expected, I had a few thoughts on things I'd like to change on the bike. Some lighter tires for sure. Many of the guys run clipless pedals, and today I saw why. Just like in mountain biking, it keeps your feet just where you want them. I found that if my foot wasn't perfect on the platform pedal, there wasn't much time to fix it. To fix it, you had to stop pedaling. Stop pedaling, and you lose! We're going to put some Shimano clipless pedals on for Wednesday night practice. Kristy and I both have the shoes for them, so it will be a good experiment.

There is also a lot of upper body fitness involved in BMX riding. From the sore parts on my upper body following the race, I now have a good idea which muscle groups I need to work on!

Wednesday Night Practice

2007-07-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Kristy and I joined Charlie for BMX practice. What surprised me the most was how much one little lap kicked my butt! This worked out good for Kristy, because she got more time on the bike. She was having a blast and would just keep doing laps while I rested. One kid even challenged her to a race. She plans to race for real on Sunday too! I'll be the pit dad. They run the motos pretty quickly, so Charlie may need assistance while Kristy is racing.

My favorite part of the track was the whoop section. You didn't even have to pedal, and you picked up speed! Push down on the bike as the front wheel goes down the whoop, pull up on the bike as it goes up the face. You get going pretty fast and have to remember to set up the berm. I forgot once and came close to going over the top of it.

Our friends had some kid gear that was too small for their son, so they passed it down to Charlie. He looks pro now.

Shop Rides

2007-07-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

Looking for an after work ride in Carson City?

"Shop Rides" leaving from The Bike Smith parking lot are now happening every Tuesday at 6:00 PM. Jeff P. has led the gang on the last two rides.

The Bike Smith is located at 900 N Carson St, phone number(775) 883-3210.

Blue Lakes

2007-07-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

The heat continues on here in Northern Nevada. To add to it, there are multiple fires burning that have made for smoky skies. It was a perfect day to get out of town.

We headed up into the mountains for a morning in the Alpine area of Blue Lakes. It was still a bit smoky and hot, but within the tolerable range. The wild flowers were outstanding today. I could've spent a lot more time checking out all the different varieties, but kid sitters are $5/hr...

We passed many a spot that looked good for breeding mosquitoes, but I think the heat may have kept them at bay. I bet they are fierce when the sun goes down!

After a meandering forest road, We rejoined the Blue Lakes road which has recently been paved. This made for a nice fast downhill into the Blue Lakes basin. The camp grounds looked pretty full, and there were many anglers out on the lake shore. It was pretty peaceful with the exception of the occasional OHV.

Upper Blue Lake

After peacefully riding the shore of Blue Lakes, we pointed the bikes uphill and began the granny gear grinder to reach the heights above timberline. Near the top, we crossed the no-bikes-allowed Pacific Crest Trail. The road was nasty, but at the slow speeds we were going, keeping the bikes under control was not a problem. We finally finished the climb and took a break at the very scenic Forestdale Divide overlook at around 8,800 feet above sea level.

The view from Forestdale Divide - still a bit of snow!

We finished the ride with a ride along Forestdale Creek. The somewhat obscure trail appears to be used mostly by horses. It used to be a double track, but has shrunk down to a single track. The trail is barely visible through some of the meadows. A stark contrast to the overused Blue Lakes road!

I highly recommend exploring this area during the summer months. It's a bit different than the Lake Tahoe area, and less crowded.

Also, thanks to the Potters for showing us the way!

As usual, more pictures can be found on our Flickr page.

Give Me A Sign

2007-07-06T21:06:00.001-07:00

Neighborhood Watch
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

Some people wait their whole life for a sign.

Some proof.

I received mine today.

Much like Moses received his instructions from the Burning Bush, I received my spiritual guidance from the Burnt Tree. This tree burned to death in the fire of 2004, but still stands as a monument to the once proud conifer it was. It was nearly hot enough today on this sere mountainside for this tree to spontaneously burst into flames, but I think the signs are pretty obvious without the fire.

I believe in you Oh Burnt Tree.

Many spiritual messages are not direct instructions.

They are up for contemplation and interpretation. I am still pondering and meditating on my newly acquired promulgation. What do I do with this new information?

But isn't it a little ironic that somebody stole a Neighborhood Watch Sign. Maybe that program isn't working out...

H.O.T. !!!

2007-07-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

The weather has been ahead of schedule pretty much all year. We've already hit temperatures in the triple digits, something that doesn't usually happen until the end of July. Today's lunch time ride was baking with almost no wind. Breathing felt like sucking on a hair dryer! I would've gone through both water bottles, but the water was air temperature by the end of the ride.

The best times to ride right now are early morning, and the evening. Last night we went to a party at the Simpson's house up in the Timberline area. There were enough riders to make a good group ride, so we took off from the house, got a good ride in, and finished just in time for a good BBQ and fireworks.

Kristy also tackled the Ash Creek trail on her single speed. The trail is in beautiful shape, but is still quite challenging. The challenges are made even more visually challenging by adding the steep drop offs for most of the trail. Nevertheless, Kristy did a great job of surviving her first run on the trail!

Surly Stainless Steel

2007-07-05T20:11:00.001-07:00

Surly Stainless Steel
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

I just replaced the freewheel, chain, and chain ring on my single speed.

I went with an ACS freewheel. It's a bit loud, but has quick engagement. The bike is so quiet that a little bit of freewheel sound is kind of cool.

I went from the stock BMX chain to a SRAM PC68 8 speed chain. Not only is the chain quite a bit lighter, it feels more efficient. And I love the power link too...great for taking the chain off for cleaning.

While replacing the chain, I noticed the teeth on the chain ring were pretty worn down. I ended up going with a Surly Stainless Steel 32 teeth chain ring. It's a bit heavier than the aluminum ring, but is supposed to last much longer. And since the bolt mounts aren't recessed, you can flip it around and get even more use out of it.

The new drivetrain feels great! So great in fact, that I've had a hard time riding any other bike in the last couple weeks.

Grand Opening

2007-07-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, I was running some blog ideas past Marcus. He said that my ideas didn't belong on the FBC blog. After some ~~pouting~~ careful consideration, I agreed. The FBC blog should be kept to the topics of riding bikes. Duh.

But I still want to write about a lot of different things. There are always random thoughts spinning around in my head that need to find their way out. So with that in mind, I started a new blog to do just that. A place where any subject is permissible.

The new blog is still in its infancy stage. I'll be adding more links and other stuff as the blog matures and finds its direction. Which may be here or there or possibly nowhere but always somewhere. You dig? A phantasmagoria of ideas if you will...

So without further ado, I present to you Alternate Realities. Stop by and leave some comments or ideas!