I'm really proud of myself. I've never done anything more than change a flat. So yesterday I switched out the handlebars from (drop bars to moustache bars), replaced the brake cables, adjusted all the derailleurs (it wasn't shifting properly), generally cleaned up my "new" mess around with the kiddos/ride to the store bike. The H helped out a little, instructing me but I wouldn't let him touch anything, just point and talk :lol:

Still need to replace the saddle. I'll put different tape on once I choose a saddle. I just wrapped it with the cheapest stuff they had for now. Also, I'll probably take the rack off for now as this bike will become one with the tag-a-long for awhile.

BEFORE



AFTER








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In other news....I didn't ride at all this weekend! I got in a good run on Sat and Sun and then Monday it was rainy, windy and cold. ah well.....

Last Weekend's Rides

On Saturday I moved up a notch, riding 55 miles at a steady 15mph. I was pretty tired when I got home but somehow mustered up the energy to go to Costco...on a Saturday afternoon.....with two kids in tow. I'm pretty sure I deserve some sort of award for that!

Saturday night I was simply exhausted and fell into bed. About an hour after falling asleep, which took all of about 2 minutes, Bella hurled all over the bed and me. I was literally up all night tending to her as she continued to get sick.

Sunday, in a fit of pure madness, I went on another ride. This one short - 26 miles - however for some reason I had the power in my legs. Power like lightenin'. Like gawud Himself was pushin' me along. Can I hear an "amen"! I sprinted from Quebec and the Cherry Creek Trail all the way to REI at a pace which stayed above 20mph and mostly around 22mph. I don't think I've ever ridden like this. It was amazing!

When I got home, again possessed by some sort of energy demon, I went to work in in the yard and garden - amending soil, planting, generally shaping things up.

I'm still not sure what came over me.

Last night I planned to attend a bike maintenance for women class, which ended up being a bust. Firstly, it wasn't hands-on. The announcement wasn't specific but one would assume a class on detailed bike maintenance would include actually DOING something. Nextly, and lastly, the instructor didn't show. I was more than peeved, having skipped my run for this.

I'm worried about the rolling hills. I've still not done much in the way of hill climbing and really really need to. Maybe this weekend?

Flex time

I've arranged for some flex time between now and the ride. This will allow for an extra whole day, every week to two weeks, to get a decent ride in. This weekend I'm planning on 60 miles. We'll see how that goes! I could make it 65 - a metric century - and just call it a metric century instead of a 65 mile ride 'cause that sound way cooler!

Driver Needed

Need a couple weeks away? Does the idea of spending that time away driving support for 3 or 4 bikers and hanging out with 20,000 more bikers sound like just what the doctor ordered? Well, then do I have a job for you! G is our registered support driver for RAGBRAI. He doesn't really want to go so we're officially on the search for a support person.

What the job entails:
*Packing up tents and all other baggage each morning
*Meeting bikers on the route if necessary. Usually the only time we ask for our driver to meet us in a pass-through town is if the weather changes drastically and we need to don or doff clothes. *Locating the overnight host home, setting up camp (tents, air matresses, etc.)
*Keep plenty of fresh fruits, fig newtons and cold drinks on hand. The beer flows like water on this ride.
*Laundry as needed.

We'll leave Colorado on Friday and return a week later on Sunday or Monday. You could bring your bike along two and ride for a day or two if you'd like!
http://www.ragbrai.org

You know you want to!

My RAGBRAI Story

A little corny, but cool in that crazy-how-life-happens way.

I did several RAGBARI’s in the late 80’s and early 90’s. On one of those rides I met a group of folks from Colorado. My life-long best friend fell in love with one of those Colorado boys and moved from Iowa to Denver to be with him. Soon after I graduated from college and needed a place to go. So, having this group of friends in Colorado, I chose Denver.

That circle of friends was very much my family away from family. They introduced me to more people and ultimately really helped me feel at home in Colorado. When I was in need of a part-time job to supplement the pennies I was earning as a social worker, one RAGBRAIer’s sister helped get me a part-time job at the Museum of Natural History (the name at the time).

Today, 13+ years after getting that first part-time job, I am still at the Museum as the director of human resources. My life-long best friend married that RAGBRAI guy and we each had two kids – within months and days of each other. The RAGBRAIer’s sister mentioned above left the Museum but is coming back next month herself in a director role. And that RAGBRAIer will be riding along with me this summer for our first ride since the early 90’s.

Three Days of Riding

I was able to slip out of the office around 4:30 on Friday and get home in time to get in a quick 20 miles. It was a lovely afternoon but I forgot my gloves. Whodathunk those things actually provide so much comfort. My hands were tingling throughout the ride....not comfortable.

Saturday I was scheduled to go on a 65 mile ride with some other Colorado RAGBRAI'ers. I woke to rain, albeit clearing, and the start of some chilly winds. I bailed. Feeling guilty I hooked up the tag-a-long. B and I did a short, cold very very windy ride. It wasn't much fun frankly - the gusts were unbelievable and nearly knocked us over several times.

Today I overslept so missed another ride with RAGBRAI'ers. I hit the road about 9:30 and got in a good 45 miles - to Chatfield, up the damn, and back. It didn't knock me out nearly as much as it did last week. By the time I got to REI, 5 miles from home, I felt like I could do another 20. I called G and he needed me to get home for kid duty while he had band practice.

I've been considering upgrading my shifters and gears before the ride. I go back and forth... When I bought this bike I did so fully because of the fit, intending to replace the base-level components. Well, now I have 500-ish miles on them and they are still doing fine. The rear deraileur is slipping just a tad but I think I got it adjusted right today. I've been asking around and getting very mixed feedback on this group. Some say they are crap and I should upgrade, others say they have thousands of miles on theirs. We'll see.....

The Old meets the New

This is Ragbrai...



Lance Armstrong meets the Pork Chop guy. I hear he retired, PCG not Lance. If its true, I sure hope somone has taken his place. I can't fathom a RAGBRAI without poooooooorrrrrrrrkkkkkk cccchhhoooooopppppssssss!

21,000 Feet of Climbing!

Here's Geobike's detail of this year's ride. It's a very similar starting route to 1994, a ride I was on. I did sag one day that year when faced with a day of headwinds that were beyond comprehension. I. hate. wind.

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Welcome back fellow RAGBRAI riders!! Even though the ground is still white with snow as I write this, I'm chuckling to myself because I know Ol' Man Winter has just about run its course. The days of ice, snow and arctic winds will soon be giving way to warmer climes and we can saddle up for another season of two-wheel fun. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to hit the roads and trails. There's nothing like racking up some big miles on a hot day! Besides, I need the summer months to repair all of the shovels and ice chippers I broke this winter. The staff of RAGBRAI have cooked up what looks to be a great ride across central Iowa this year.

As you already know, we launch at Missouri Valley, overnight in Harlan, Jefferson, Ames, Tama, North Liberty, and Tipton, and greet the Mississippi at Le Claire! All total, the route clocks in at about 460 miles and we'll be doing a little over 21000 feet of climb. As far as the ride is concerned, it doesn't make any of the all-time ride top-ten lists. Make no mistake though, we'll be doing about 8000 more feet of climb this year than we did last year and proper training will be important. On a daily basis though, there are a couple of days that should get your attention.

Day 1 is from Missouri Valley to Harlan. The route takes us through Beebeetown, Underwood, Neola, Minden, Shelby, and Tennant. During the day, you'll spend about 20 miles crossing the Loess Hills. For those of you new to RAGBRAI, these hills are along the western side of Iowa. There will be plenty of hill hopping along the way and you should enjoy some great views of terraced farms. From Underwood to Neola, we'll get to enjoy some fairly flat cruising as we head up the Mosquito Creek valley. All total, the day clocks in around 55 miles will have a little over 3700 feet of climb.

Day 2 is from Harlan to Jefferson. The route takes us through Kimballton, Elk Horn, Exira, Larland, Coon Rapids, and Scranton. This will be "the" day of the ride; it clocks in at about 82 miles and will dish out almost 5300 feet of climb. As such, this day rates as the 8th most climb and the 7th hardest day. Again, for those of you new to RAGBRAI, on this day you'll learn a new word that you'll either love or hate: "Rollers." We'll do about 90% of this climb during the first 55 miles of the day after which things should settle down. Get going on those training mile! Also, the Karras Loop is this day. So for those of you gunning for a century, you'll be looking at about another 1000 feet of climb. The best way to handle this kind of day is to strike up a great conversation with a fellow RAGBRAI rider, find a comfortable pace and click off the miles. Elk Horn is a wonderful Danish community. Coon Rapids offers up quite a bit of history with the Garst Seed Company. After Scranton, the route flattens out and is a wonderful ride into Jefferson.

Day 3 is from Jefferson to Ames. The route takes us through Grand Junction, Dana, Ogden, and Boone, and the words that you'll learn today are, "cream puff." Our mileage will be around 56 miles and our climb will be a little over 1300 feet. In short, this will nice day to recover. A neat feature you'll experience on this day is traversing the Des Moines River valley between Ogden and Boone. The views are great and the climb isn't that bad. Take a little break on the bridge and check out the river turtles. I've heard rumors that Ames might be offering up some great entertainment. Speaking of Ames, its where I live and I'm interested in hosting some riders. Please be advised that we do have cats so try and keep your team stickers at bay.

Day 4 is from Ames to Tama/Toledo. The route takes us through Nevada, Colo, State Center, Albion, Green Mountain, Le Grand and Montour. It's going be a 76 mile day and the climb picks back up. We'll do a little over 2800 feet of climb. The first 25 miles are along the old Lincoln Highway and are relatively flat. Another favorite portion of this days ride is from Le Grand to Tama. We'll be hopping watersheds which means some hills but the views are great. Also, the last 5 miles into Tama cross the Iowa River valley and are flat miles.

Day 5 is from Tama to North Liberty. The route takes us through Toledo, Vining, Chelsea, Belle Plain, Luzerne, Blairstown, West Amana, South Amana, and Homestead. Even though the day comes in around 74 miles and ~3100 feet of climb, the ride should be a lot of fun. Be sure and check out the historic gas station as we come into Belle Plain. Also, the Amana Colony area should satisfy any food cravings you might have!

Day 6 is from North Liberty to Tipton. We'll take a ~65 mile horse shoe shaped route through Solon, Lisbon, Mt. Vernon, Martelle, Morley, and Mechanicsville. Todays climb will be almost 3100 feet. Coming out of North Liberty, we'll encounter the Iowa River again. The area is really beautiful and a fun ride. Mt. Vernon is always a fun stop.

Day 7 is from Tipton to Le Claire. The route takes us through Bennett, New Liberty, Maysville, and Eldridge. At 54 miles, it's going to be a short day. We'll have about 1800 feet of climb. Keep in mind that the fraction of a mile is a nice drop into Le Claire. This is Le Claire's first time hosting RAGBRAI - welcome to the family! For those of you who haven't been to Le Claire - the view of the Mississippi seems to go forever. Find a spot in the shade and watch the river drift by.This is going to be a fun year to do RAGBRAI.

This years route offers up a lot of what makes Iowa a fun place to bike: hills, rollers, valleys, cyclist from around the world, fun host cities, plentiful pass-thru towns, gobs of sweet corn and tons of pie! If I could figure out a way to chip my BBQ out of the ice and snow, I'd be out grilling a rack of mile high chops as we speak.As usual, enjoy the GeoBike site and keep logging those training miles. See everyone in the pancake lines!

The Sunday Ride

Let the training begin. I set off on a Sunday ride, fully intending to do about 30 miles. I mapped out a route and headed towards downtown to hit the Platte Trail. I stopped in at REI to check out handlebar bags. Finding the perfect handlebar bag is getting tough....why'd I sell that one?!? I spent a little time drooling over a wildly overpriced brown and hot pink coordinated poser jersey and short set then decided it was time to hit the road in earnest.

There were occasional headwinds but for the most part it was a smooth ride. I kept my speed between 15 and 17mph, which is exactly where I like to be. I fully intended to take the Platte to the Bear Creek trail then circle around somewhere in Lakewood and heading home, thus completing the 30-ish miles. Well, I missed my turn because before I knew it, I passed a sign that read, "You are now entering Chatfield State Park." Woops! Well, while I'm here, might as well climb this monster hill. This years RAGBRAI is a roller fest with an estimated 21,000 feet of climb!! ACK!

I stopped at the overlook, had a snack then called G to let him know I'd overshot my intended distance and may need to call for backup.

Heading back I had some nice winds at my back. I stopped at the Hudson Gardens Cafe, a great little spot on the trail, for water, restrooms and a sugar-packed strawberry smoothie. It was just what I needed to boost me towards home. About Hampden I started to wonder if I'd make it. At Alameda my thighs were on FIRE. At REI I stopped, stretched for a good 10m, ate the other half of my granola bar and headed home. It was slow going those last 4 miles....really slow, but I made it.

We got B a trail-a-bike tonight and I'm really hoping he can do part of day three of RAGBRAI with me. We'll start riding together this weekend.