10 speed

Rebuilt

2011-04-25T10:24:00.003-06:00

8mm bore with 100mm of tissue from a donor and I will be tap dancing by christmas. Hard to imagine. I couldn't tap dance before but I had a really good surgeon. Today,I sure am sore.

New Bike.

2011-02-01T08:49:00.001-07:00

Finally i had chance to ride the new bike. Gary Fisher (trek) Sawyer. Here is quick list of impressions.
1-Steel. I don't know what tubing this has. I think that the quality of steel has been improving like other frame materials, but since it is out of the spotlight it is not really part of the conversation.
2- Steel ride. This bike has no 'spension. Between the steel and the unique bar it is a very smooth ride.
3- Gears are advantageous when the fitness is not.
4- Why do motorcycle riders insist on riding the trails that have several signs that say no motor vehicles?
5- Winter can make a trail that I won't touch in the summer seem like a good alternative. The trail was mostly dry within 24 hours of snow.
6- Swoopy-- really cool styling.

This bike may be with me a while. Steel 29er. I regreted when I parted with my ferrous.

The Acme of Cycling

2010-11-07T17:50:00.006-07:00

I have wondered, what about the bicycle industry has kept me in the business for so many years? The answers vary from happenstance to deliberate. It certainly has no correlation to riding a bike a lot. It is not the pursuit of great wealth. Inertia is one reason. I headed down the path and didn't have anything that diverted my course. The most rewarding reason is being a part of changing lives. I have seen people benefit from bicycles. I am a facilitator. I help them get the right bicycle.

I have seen people lose weight, strengthen marriages, bond with children and become liberated by outdoor experiences. This last year I have seen one of the better examples of how a simple tool like the bicycle has changed people's lives for the better.

Bart (right) is a former pilot who now has Parkinson's disease. Because of the disease he is not able to fly, or drive a car. Because of balance issues he can't ride a standard bicycle either. Bart came into our store last year and bought an adult trike. There is nothing nifty about the trike. This is plain and simple a utilitarian vehicle... until Bart bought one. This year Bart has ridden this trike several thousand miles. He has done several benefit rides (diabetes, MS, Parkinson). He has ridden this trike more miles and for more good than the designers of the bike had ever imagined.

Bart met Devereux (left) and learned that he had not been out of his apartment alone in years. Devereux is a former school teacher that has suffered a stroke. He lives independently but needed assistance to get out and go anywhere. Bart suggested that he too get a trike so that he can run errands and get out of the apartment for a while. Devereux has found a new freedom. He is still learning the nuances of the trike but he is helped and inspired by Bart.

Some think that the highlight of cycling is to be the world's greatest cat 5 racer. Others think that it is one that can hop from one obstacle to another on their rear wheel. Some think that it is to ride across a great distance. Regardless, how a bike is ridden is not as important as how it benefits the rider. I am pleased to be a part of something that is benefitted for using a bicycle.

2010-05-27T20:51:00.002-06:00

Wouldn't it be good if I could keep all of my blogs straight in my feeble mind. The last post was supposed to be on the the bicycle stores site. Well the gallery event was excellent. We had great artists, great food, great music and lots of people.

2010-05-27T20:31:00.006-06:00

Gallery Roll was a Great time.

Here is and segment from Park City Television.

Very amazing group Oh! Wild Birds played that evening.

Unexpected Sunday Visitors

2010-05-02T19:05:00.003-06:00

I woke up early today and hoped to get out on my mountain bike for a couple of minutes. I looked out the window only to see what looked more like February than May. So later this afternoon I decided to get out. The weather was much nicer and I know that Bonneville Shoreline trail near my house dries very quickly with any sun and any wind. So the ride was just ordinary. In fact I was a bit miserable. Maybe too much lunch and too much dessert. I had ridden about 9 miles and then less than a mile from my house I was riding near this rock slide and I heard some rock tumbling down. I stopped to see what was happening (I should have picked up the pace. My wife saw a freshly killed deer close to here a few years ago that was killed by a cougar; not the BYU nor the middle aged desperate type; all three common in this region) I was surprised to see two big horn sheep right above me about 50 feet. I thought that this was cool so I stayed to watch them for a minute. They saw me but didn't seem to mind me being there so they continued to descend this steep drop area. They are very agile and balanced. At the bottom of the slope they just kept walking toward me. I had this brief moment that I thought we were in a petting zoo and I had 25cent handful of Purina to give them. They came within 15 feet of me and I stood there amazed then remembered that my phone has a lame camera on it. So I dug the phone out of my pocket and got this shot. I have seen plenty of deer and birds up in this area but this is the most amazing wildlife I have seen this close to home. Thanks for the visit fellers.

Every Day is Tuesday at SLCB

2010-04-22T13:58:00.004-06:00

SLCB is in the heart of the city and it is like all cities, there are people that are homeless, transient etc. We refer to them as "Toothless Tuesdays" or just "Tuesdays" (based on a Tuesday shortly after we opened the store when everyone that came in for the first 3 hours didn't have teeth.)

We have tried to accomodate them where we can. Many of them have bikes that are either junk or recently stolen and hacked to be non-identified. We set up a stand and tools outside our store that they can work on their own bikes. (you don't have to be homeless to use) We have an air hose outside that they can fill tires for free (7-eleven charges) The frustrating thing is that they are amazing at manipulating people. Their technique is this.

TT: can you fix my brakes?

SLCB Employee: sure...I could tighten this and move this but you really need........it will cost about $10

TT: I don't have no money until the 1st of the month, could you just do it?

Emp: I will just make it safe and better today, for free, but you need to replace......

TT: While you have it there, could you check my pedals, handle bars, and on and on.

My boy Xander pointed it out first that they like to get you to do something that any compasionate, normal person would feel compelled to do. Then they will push and push until you just have to say no. Xander's solution was to say " sure that will be $5". They stop asking because they know that you will turn around and say "everything that this bike needs will be approximately $325

Last week I had a guy come to the store about an hour after we closed. He saw me working at the computer but he was persistent on knocking on the window. Now I know that I have no life but the reason why I stay late after work is because i need to get things done. So after he gave me his filthy puppy dog with no teeth look which melted my icy resolve, I went to the door to see what he needed. He had busted his pedal and really bikes work best with pedals. I told him that the cheapest pedal that we have was $10 and I would install it for free. He immediately told me of the hardship of....(what i heard is how horrible it has been to suck on a bottle when you don't have teeth.) I then went back into the shop and found a beat up old pedal that would work marginally better than nothing (yes we save junk for them) Then I went back out and put it on the bike. I then said: "that should work for you for a while, have a good evening." I turned around and started back inside to finish up so I could go home. Tuesday says "hey could you fix my brake?" My first thought was; would this guy just keep asking until I put his life back together, built him a house, got him cosmetic reconstructive surgery, bought him a sports car and arranged for a trophy wife. My response was: "No, we open at 10 am and I want to get my work done now."

Now I to belong to a christian organization we are taught to do good, but somehow Christ himself would have to say "ok, thats all the miracles for today...run along." (visualize Ferris Bueller at the very end of the movie).

That will be five bucks.

Time Flies

2010-04-22T13:35:00.004-06:00

Usually that is followed with "when you are having fun"

Ok owning the bike shop is fun...but boy is it work. every day things seem a bit better and for various reasons.

sales are good (better than expected)
staff is excellent (much better than expected)
bikes are good. (not too many things you can say that about)

Needless to say i have thought about this blog and how much I enjoy writing something and trying to make sense of the chaos of my brain so I want to start up again.

Fast SOB remix

about a month ago I went for a little ride. It was pretty cold out but really just a wonderful day to be riding. Since I think that all good rides go through Leland, this ride went down River Road in southern Utah County. A dog that I blogged about years ago came after me. This time the fast sob had another two dogs along, all 3 chasing me. The fast SOB was black lab type, the 2nd dog was a pitbull like mix and the 3rd dog was a austrailian shephard type. As the 3 came after me I picked up the pace to stay ahead of them but I wanted to keep an eye on them because i have heard stories of mayhem that seldom is dogs biting but just getting tangled with you and the bike and then you are trying to figure out how to stop the bleeding. This day was different. The 3 dogs were all about the same speed but then the the hearding dog sped up enough to get ahead of the other two and thenjust hearded the other two dogs back into the yard. It was beautiful. The other two dogs were back behind their fence frustrated that they couldn't chase me down the road and maybe a bit confused what had happened. I laughed. What a kill-joy that 3rd dog is.

The Bro

2009-10-08T08:03:00.007-06:00

My new bike that seems to be picking up the name "the bro" is fabulous.
John Russell has out done everything that I could imagine. The workmanship is amazing the style is spot on. It rides great.

Top Ten things that I love about this bike

I know the guy who built it, with love and passion for bicycles, like no other.
Swoopy line on top tube. Style but not a wannabe Swinn (yes i know how to spell Schwinn but that company got updated to the "marts")
Front rack that makes you want to order pizzas for pick-up
Nifty chain-guard.
Fork crown. Unique simple and really cool. Unfortunately it is not seen for the rack and fenders, it is a great little surprise when you look closely.
Lugs
Sabrosa built stem.
Drum brakes and internal gearing. very clean
Matching fenders
Periwinkle

"there is no place for optimism in engineering"

2009-02-08T11:48:00.002-07:00

Friday evening, just after we closed the store I heard a knock on the window. When I looked up I saw Keith Bontrager standing out side. I had heard rumor that he would be coming through town but I didn't think that he would stop by the store. A great surprise.
He is working on tires. He asked me what tires we sell and what tires we use. When he heard that we sold mainly his tires and we rode his tires he quickly discounted us as useless as what he was looking for. He wanted us to challenge what he has already made so that he can make a better tread. We talked about regional riding and how every region needs a different tread design and how treads are trendy. We discussed bicycle trends, mutual friends, and the future of cycling.
For hour and half of one of the best minds in bicycles was standing in my store. I was just amazed
Strong - Light - Cheap (pick two)

Wait ,Wait, that's different.

2008-09-08T08:35:00.003-06:00

Things are starting to come a little bit back to normal. Normal that my personal life is starting to signs of life. I closed the store on Labor Day and took the day off. I rode my bike. worked around the house. ( by the way...want to by a house? Car worshippers not invited.) I went to a movie with one son played card games, rode mountain bikes with my wife and had a some dinner with freinds and family. Since then, I got back into the pool once, I rode some of my favorite trails with my wife, went to the famous fish luau and had dinner with other friends. 255/1000

Tight Pant Militia

2008-09-06T21:24:00.004-06:00

Down at our new Salt Lake City Bicycle Co. we have seen a lot of the kids that wear tight pants rolled up to capri length and riding various old bikes. There have been some of them that are just plain chumps and others that are downright inspiring for their enthusiasm for life. I always am rejuvinated to see people having a good time doing something good.
Last week I was invited to join them in an alley cat race.
It has been nearly a year since I have raced anything. But i was excited to do this. It was just a little awkward to do this because: one-my pants weren't tight, and two- my age was about double that of the other participants.
I did finish, winded and cross -eyed. Usually I have strong feelings about obeying traffic laws. That got put aside for about 45 minutes.
Long live the young, punk rock and alley cat racing.

How I spent my Summer Vacation

2008-08-20T22:36:00.006-06:00

Top Ten things I did with the time that was my summer vacation
1 Rode bikes with my wife on our anniversary. It has been a while.
2 Hiked with my family and friends in Capitol Reef.
3 Spent some long overdue time with my oldest son that is leaving for college in 4 days.

4 Swam two times.
5 Opened a really cool bike store.
6 Saw a parade.
7 Enjoyed and benefited from friends. Thanks to everyone that has supported and helped this year. I hope to never forget the warmth and appreciation I have felt.
8 Spent more money that I have ever spent in one summer.
9 Rode in a boat and had a good time being dragged.
10 Made some memories that will last a lifetime.

I missed alot this year. I hope to do some more riding in the near future. I hope to do the big swims with SO next summer, Hope to do a tri again. I hope never to start a business. The store is open and seems to be doing well. This summer is the begining of the biggest adventure yet.
220/1000

Effective weight loss program

2008-07-13T09:59:00.002-06:00

Diet and exercise.

Or open your own business. There has been very little organized exercise in my life. I am quite ready to get back into the pool. I long to do the big open water swim with SteveO next month but I am intimidated because I have been out of water for 2 months. I have only ridden my bike for errands that I can. I realize that the office store or the bank are easy but Home Depot usually requires more hauling capacity than my messenger bag.
The fringe benefit of opening the store is that I have worked so many endless hours and get so wrapped up in the work that I have eaten considerably less, I have lost about 12 pounds.
The interesting thing that I have learned is; in a world that energy is bought in small blue and silver cans. One can maintain sound even levels of energy with simple meals and water. I have worked several weeks with consecutive nights of 4-5 hours sleep and up to 18 hours in the store with out the aid of stimulants.
I mention this only as a one time science major where case studies are good springboard for theories to be tested. I would be that case study. I don't think that people need the stimulants as much as many think that they do. It is working for me.
by the way. Coffee smells really good.
188/1000

The Season of Work

2008-06-29T17:23:00.003-06:00

So this year will be remembered because of the absolute lack of great trips. I realized today that I have not done anything that is not work for several months now. I sneak in little rides and such but I haven't had the trip where you reconnect with all that is good with the world. I have been trying to live vicariously through some of my friends and looking for some substitutions. This morning I took off on the scooter and went an knocked one of the classic road rides in the area. It was the one man scooter rally with the only participant being me.

I did ride last weekend to try to crash a party,only to arrive late: completely missing the festivities. I was reminded that all rides are not blissful. I struggled for 45 of 50 miles. I even stopped and sat under a tree to escape the heat. I arrived home without the satisfaction that I wanted. I was happy to take the chamois off and hop into a cool shower. That may have been the highlight of the ride.

The real positive thing in my world right now is on the new venture. I can't get over how fortunate that I have been there. I have been putting huge hours into the store and I have received some amazing help. I hope that I will be able to express to everyone that has been so helpful how much I appreciate their help. Things are nearly complete and we should be open soon.

I forgot the miles before, so now I am at 178/1000. I hope that trend changes soon.

Balance

2008-06-16T21:33:00.002-06:00

After a long day and arrangements to get home included a train and a lot of pedaling I was perplexed by the state of being a second class citizen. these are the rules from the Utah Transit Authority.

For your convenience, bicycle racks are located at each TRAX station. You must provide your own lock. Downtown stations have bicycle racks located in close proximity to the station. TRAX passengers are allowed to bring bicycles on board the train providing the following guidelines are followed:

Bicycles must board through the front and rear doors only of each car in the train. No bicycles are allowed on the access ramp.
Bicycles must not block doors or stairways to the train.
Cyclist must stand with bicycle at all times.
A maximum of two bicycles are allowed in the front and rear of each car.
The bicycle must be free and clear of most dirt and grease.
Cyclist must walk bicycle while on the station platform or when crossing the tracks.
Cyclist must wait for the next train if the train is too full to allow the cyclist to board.
No fuel-powered vehicles are allowed on trains.

Violations of any bicycle rule may result in a citation being issued by Transit Public Safety Officers.
UTA Ordinance 98-01

Someof these make sense. But after a long day I realized that I really wanted to sit down. if you can only put your bike on the front or rear of each car and the front and rear consist of doors and stairs you really can't stay out of the way. Last time I had a bike on a train was in Portland and they had some of the same rules. They also had a bike hook that allowed you to hang your bike vertically to the side of the door where it was out of the way of everyone and the cyclist could sit down instead of doing the doh -see - doh with other passengers. Needless to say I was inspired by Rosa Parks and I took a seat in the front of the train and kept my bike out of the way.

The good news was that the ride from the last train station to home was everything that you would look for in ride. there was even a few magical moments.

Appologies to anyone and everyone that has ever been discriminated against. I don't want to make light of the real and ugly side of discrimnation. This is just about as much as an average white guy gets and it is a reminder of how bad it has been and is for others.

Deja Vu

2008-05-31T21:41:00.005-06:00

John brought me my bike last weekend. I was so excited to see it. The color reminds me of a rivendell that I had a dozen years ago and unfortunately for that bike the only thing that I liked about it was the color. With the giddy excitement of a new bike I put all the parts on it. My son (a recent high school graduate) was with me when I did this and he was suprised by how quickly it went together. It was like putting on a broken-in pair of shoes and your toes just go into the assigned spots. Well I got it together late on Sunday and woke up early on memorial day to see it pouring rain. I was upset because I was way overdue for a real ride. I thought that I could wait it out. Well at 4 pm after a full day of rain I thought that I couldn't wait. I pulled out the rain coat and a fender and went out for 30miles.

This is my bike.I have owned it for years. No new parts, nothing changed other than the paint and a couple of superfluous bits. Somehow it felt better than I had remembered. I loved it. I really want to ride that bike.

Mark me down for another48 miles since my last post. I am embarassed that it is so few. but that is one road ride, one mountain bike ride, and zipping around the city. Riding around the city and riding on trails is not a good way to accumulate miles but the certainly are as good for the soul. 63/1000

15 down 985 to go

2008-05-21T07:33:00.003-06:00

So this is sort of what I expected to happen. I spent about 15 miles in and around Salt lake City on Thursday, Friday and Tuesday. Downtown SLC is actually quite a nice place to ride a bike. There are plenty of cars but none of them go too fast. There are big trucks and meter maids placed about. The roads are wide and there is almost always room for a pizza cutter sized wheel. It is refreshing to see so many other cyclists. I anticipate doing all errands in the future by bike. I need to update the 18 year old burley trailer to haul cargo now, so that I can do even more.

Thousand Miles.

2008-05-14T08:16:00.004-06:00

Muchos gracias a Juan de Sabrosa.

Different times in my life I have had more or less time to ride my bike. I have found that the busier I get with work and kid's the less time that I have to get on the bike. Now I look for small windows of time to pedal and sneak it in where I can. Also about once a week I will get in what could be considered a real ride. Even that gets duped if there are too many kid's activities on Saturdays. I was reading something about 1000 miles by bike and I decided to see how long it is going to take me to ride a cool grand. At other points in my life it could be about 1 month. This year it may take me all summer. I am counting all townie rides. mountain bike rides and road rides. anything that I pedal counts. I am starting today; not because I have in my plans to do a century or something, but because today is a Wednesday, I am busy and I will have my bike with me down town to run errands. feel free to play along. By the way there is no contest here. There are few cyclo-computers and a bit o guessing.

Larry Fishman

2008-04-22T22:08:00.003-06:00

I once carved a pumpkin that resembled Gary Fisher.

I have liked his bikes more than any other, for years. I like how they fit. I like the innovations. I am comfortable when I ride them.

Last weekend I did one of the last tasks I will do as a Sales Rep for Trek; a demo. After all the public left and there was a bit of time for me and the demo drivers to go for a ride I had opportunity to get on any number of really cool bikes. I was tired and felt like a piece of leather having been dried in the sun with a persistent wind to remove any semblance of moisture from my being. I was asked which bike I wanted my pedals put on; I chose the Paragon. A 29er hardtail. I eye-balled the saddle height and slid the saddle back on the rails and presto, it fit like a glove. The best part is that there was no compromise between me and the bike I didn't have to adjust myself to the bike. We were old friends.
Gary Fisher the person is a good person. I wouldn't consider us friends per se. He has known me for 12 years and doesn't seem to know my name. Thats fine, he is quasi-celebrity. On the other hand his bikes will long be considered my good friends.

I had to ride Grandma's bike

2008-03-29T14:40:00.003-06:00

Recently it was suggested that I go through my personal archives to try to document where the current passion for bicycles began. Plenty of memories pop into my brain. Some of my favorite were when my father would put me on his shoulders and ride a unicycle. I think that we have some of that on film but I can't find it. Others were jumping bikes in the empty lots around the neighborhood. And walking for hours to make it over a summit on my first century. This is one of the few photos of me with a bike, as a kid. I think that my sister took the picture and she forced me to ride my grandma's bike while she rode the 10 speed. All I wanted was to be cool. I think that it was working.

Tri Mommies

2008-03-01T20:14:00.003-07:00

Great ride today with the mommies of triathlon. I know them from the pool. I have to give kudos for the motivation to get out on a winter day. They have races coming up and they are driven. Glad to have been along for the ride. My knee however, thinks that today's ride was too long this early in the season. long slow distance. build the base. all will be well.

7463 Days

2008-02-21T18:42:00.003-07:00

The past 7463 days of my life I have worked in the bicycle industry. I have driven 515,000 miles as a sales rep in the bike industry and now I am opening my own bicycle store in Salt Lake City. Guessing from comments on the last post everyone knows this already. So lets see if I have any clue of what I am doing and lets see what it is really like to jump from the frying pan into the fire.

I am starting a new blog that will be eventually tied in to the new store and hopefully interesting. This blog will get posts as well; tying in everything else in my life. So for now here is the new site. SLCB

It is time for change.

2008-02-14T20:44:00.002-07:00

Not the coins in your pocket.
Not a new monkey in the white house.
change. For me it is around the corner and I am quite excited.

The first good ride of the year.

2008-02-10T13:50:00.003-07:00

It has been a notable winter for various reasons. The most obvious has been the amount of snow that we have received. Usually here in this part of Utah it will snow at the higher elevations and then here in the valley the snow will come stay for a couple of days then go away. Well this year I have had continuous snow covered lawn since the second week of December. Cycling has been seldom since November. I have been able to ride a couple of times, but generally not enough to make me feel like I was satiated. So then I got fed up waiting for enough dryness to get out and turned my attention to other activities that aren't so weather dependent.
Yesterday, I went out on a road ride with swimming friend Jeanette ( feel free to hum a few bars of the English Beat song with the same title.) We cruised through several of the little bergs that line the valley we live in. We climbed and descended and talked about her big plans of triathlons and after 3 hours of sunshine and dry roads I came home feeling like I was a cyclist again. That real nice kind of tired that makes you happy you have a bike.

2008-01-25T17:12:00.001-07:00

Too bad the world is tipping over. I caught it digitally on Lake Powell.

20

2008-01-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

New Year.

2008-01-04T21:29:00.001-07:00

The new year appears to be yet another open road.

Loss

2007-11-13T21:20:00.001-07:00

This last week I lost a good friend. Judy Burdick Pedersen

It has been many years since I had opportunity to sit and talk with her. I am now angry that I missed the chance. I will always remember her. I will always appreciate what she taught me and how she changed my life. Judy taught me about literature. Judy introduced me to a world of beauty and goodness through great writers and artists. She taught me to love all the really good things about this world. She taught me to love learning. Possibly the best thing I ever learned.

I went to her funeral yesterday. I guess that there were about 500 people there.
It occurred to me that many of them had feelings similar to what I had. Judy was an enormous force of goodness that we may never witness again. I know many great people but, not any that have had such a positive effect on so many. If 500 people were there paying respects at the funeral, how about the ones that weren't there. I personally got calls from 3 old high school friends that weren't able to make it. ( I haven't talked to them for many years either)There are so many that she taught and influenced.

To my friend Roger. I am so sorry for your loss. I know that the time that you had with Judy is in some way never enough, but at the same time more than you could have ever wished for. You were blessed to have her and she you. Now you will always be part of that legacy. You were an integral part to a masterpiece of a life.

2007-10-24T07:45:00.000-06:00

How does one ride seem to just be a sum of its parts and the next seem to be something beyond? I have been on the bike a bit lately and all the rides have been great.
I didn't mind pulling the loaf of bread sized clumps of mud out of my frame last weekend. I had a great ride with Russell at Jem Trail. I even stood at the trailhead last week with two right shoes. (remind me to not buy, just black and silver shoes). I rode with wife and friends in a 12 hour race and we had a great time. Even did a little time helping a bit with a Breast Cancer Awareness ride. It was just great.
Then last night.
A ride where the sum of the parts was not good. It was cold. it was raining and it was dark. Usually those elements make up for a slog-fest-survival-exercise that ends with cold medicine.
Eleven people gathered in a church parking lot about an hour after dark in a light drizzle. By the time everyone got moving with working lights ( myself included(thanks Jeff)) proper clothing and working bicycles (thanks Dax and Chris) everyone should have been at wits end and about ready to release some wrath. We started riding.
Nothing extraordinary happened on the ride. No life altering events. There was rain, darkness, light sets, great people and more fun than I have had on a ride for quite a while.
be nice.

put your money where you mouth is.

2007-08-23T19:56:00.001-06:00

So as a rule I like my job. From time to time there is a moment that secures the love. Last week there was a moment where I said that Trek bike rules and all other bike companies drool. Here is why.

After several days of typical sales meeting drudgery. We had one meeting with a group of many of the best bicycle retailers in the nation. JB the president of Trek made one of the best anouncements that I have ever heard.
It went like this:
There are a couple of trends in our world. 1- Obesity, 2-Global warming, 3- Urbanization, 4- Congestion of roads.
I have talked about these issues in my little blog with the title of Bikes are the Answer.
JB encouraged everyone in the meeting to get involved with advocacy. Local government. State and Fedral governments, IMBA, Bikes Belong, League of American Bicyclists, Safe Routes to Schools. Then he committed to tax our own product so that Trek will donate to IMBA and Bicycle Friendly Communities about 1.6mil over the next couple of years. Ok, that is huge. These organizations were picked because their goal is to have better places for everyone to ride. Cities and Trails.
Next on the agenda for the evening was an evening of fun, games, food and drink at a local ball park. Typically you would expect to get on big buses to transport you to the venue. Trek opened the doors to 1100 Trek Limes-- A bike perfect for a quick trip around town. Everyone went out and rode to the party.
This company is taking a leadership role in the world of bicycle advocacy. What if Utah and Wisconsin and California or any state was a bicycle friendly place like Portland,Or- Davis,Ca- Europe? JB used a clip from the movie Pay it Forward, that suggests that it is possible to change the world. I nearly wept.

Check out
Bicycle Retailer
Trek Bicycle

Good ol' Summertime

2007-07-21T16:41:00.000-06:00

I was riding the road bike this morning and I heard a 40 year old recording of my father and a trio he was part of sing "in the good ol' summertime" It was an arrangement that they had worked out and it was wonderful so I thought about what a great summer this has been. I decided to list a couple of the highlights of the last couple of weeks.
1 great mountain bike rides in Idaho.
2. Lindon to Lindon group ride.
3. Stadium's on Fire. Annual pilgrimage of pyrotechnics. I rode a cruiser tandem with my daugter Milly. She and I had fun. Nobody got hurt.
4. Raced my mountain bike for the first time in 4 years. No ss class. got schooled eventhough I rode about as fast a I have ever ridden a bike in dirt. Sundance is the best.
5. My firstborn turned 17
6. Went camping with the family and turns out that bear were in our campsite. no mauling.
7. Bunch of friends at Payson lake. played hard until we got kicked out. turns out that the bears were going to get the area to themselves.
8. Vespa. I have never been much of a motor guy but I have always like the concept and style of Vespa. I did climb on the scoot instead of a road ride the other day. I don't think that it will become a habit.
9. Going to a community theater with my lovely wife. Rode the vespa. Had a picnic. Sat on the lawn. It was real good.
10. Fresh produce.

Idaho Riding

2007-07-08T20:30:00.002-06:00

I have thought that the trails in Idaho are some of the best that I ride anywhere in this region. I love this time of year because the sun goes down so late in the evening and I can work a full day work and get in a gorgeous ride before the sun sets. Last week I spent working in Idaho and I had 5 days of consecutive rides. The shortest was 1.5 hr and the longest was 2.5 hr. I put about 60 miles on the trusty bike. I only wish that I would take the time to use the camera to capture the incredible beauty that I was riding in.

This trail was burnt about two years ago. The trees that are standing are black (as soot)(get it) and the new growth has started down below but is mainly grasses and wildflowers. The flowers were thick all along this trail. There were so many interesting colors and even more interesting where the smells. The smells of life and death were intermingled. Brilliant. Kind of like when you see an elderly person hold a newborn baby the contrast is shocking and beautiful. By the way the trail is a complete riot.

Sabbath

2007-07-08T20:21:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you find yourself in a place that is so peaceful and beautiful that you have to stop and thank God for such a moment. This is in the Sawtooth Range in Idaho. I hiked to this location early on a Sabbath morning.

Family Tree

2007-06-16T18:16:00.000-06:00

Early today I went for a excellent ride with Fish, the legal council and my boy X. Beyond the beauty of AF canyon and the perfect trail conditions. ( maybe a perfect trail) I was mostly impressed with the company and the serendipitous meeting of several people that we should have been riding with.
Occasionally I think that I should relocate my family to a new area that would make my job moderately simpler. But then today I was reminded of the incredible, people that I have met and become freinds with that make up the cycling community here. More about the world of bikes that I get to be associated. Thanks Fish.

the Elephant

2007-06-11T21:30:00.000-06:00

7 bikes, hundreds of catalogs, and plenty of other work aids. This is the exact reason I bought the element for my job. This is a storage shed with 4 wheels and gets 26 mpg. Note that the lovely baby blue on the back of the rack is the new personal ride. I converted it to rigid- single over the weekend and here is what I know. "steel is real". too bad for those who need everything quantified.

Hey Boo Boo, hows-about we get a pic-a -nic basket.

2007-05-30T21:18:00.001-06:00

Took the little dove and the rays of sunshine to Jellystone Park. Here is what I liked about our little vacation.
1- Bison own the place.
2- Stinky pots of mud and such.
3- Hiking with the kids.
4- Osprey, eagles. pelicans, cranes, swans.
5- Fabulous architecture. Not all log-hewn (Kute Kountry)
6-Geysers. All the works of vulcan.
7- the retro buses.
8- Bears. cute and deadly.
9- Cabins for rent.
10- Americana. Park was a great melting pot (pardon the pun) of cultures and people.

Facination.

2007-05-24T20:46:00.001-06:00

This spring I have been facinated with Slate Canyon. The mouth of this canyon is about 1 mile from my house. I have lived in my house for 14 years and I have never really explored the canyon. The main reason is that the grade going up this canyon is steep. For miles it is steep. About a month ago, I was on a gear bike that I have been riding, and found myself heading up the canyon. The first time I went up about 2 miles and I was beaten. I road until I was cross-eyed, then walked, then ran out of water. I turned around. Coming down was so steep that I overheated my hydraulic disc brakes to a point that I experienced brake fade. Brake fade is a euphenism for "your hydraulic fluid is boiling and your brakes don't work." What I learned from this first experience is: 1- this is not a great mountain bike trail. 2- this canyon is beautiful. 3- There is a whole lot more up the canyon that I haven't seen. The next week I decided that I would walk up this canyon and see more. This time I took my entire family. My kids were angry with me. Remeber that this is steep and tough going. 3 kids turned back after a mile then my wife and one son kept trudging. They went about 3/4 mile more then I asked permission to keep going. I went a total of 3 miles up and got into snow about 12 inches deep. I lost the trail for the snow.
Two weeks after that I got up one Saturday morning and went for it again. It was a cold and wet day. It was too miserable to ride bikes so I hiked this time I got up about a half mile further and found that there was a fork in the trail that I had not seen the previous trip so I went up the fork only to find that after about 1/4 mile I was in snow again and could not find the trail. So I went back to the fork and and went up the trail that I had tried before. and found my self in the same spot as before and again too much snow.
Each trip I went up the canyon I have had my GPS forerunner and I download the info and overlay it onto google earth only to find that I am within a mile of camelback trail 27 that I have been on once before by bike.
This last weekend I decide to see if I could find the other end of the canyon from the top down. I put the biggest tires I could onto my cyclo-cross bike and took off to do the Camelback loop. This ride from my house to my house was 48 miles with 30 of that on pavement and 18 on dirt. 5900 total feet of climbing. It took me 5 hours. The dirt part was considerably more steep and demanding than I had remebered when I did just the dirt section, on a full suspension mtb. I will say that the Lemond "Poprad" cross bike is a near perfect bike.
So now through Google earth and riding my bike around the top of this canyon I think that I need to plan the complete journey. 198 ww started in march

Name Change.

2007-05-20T20:54:00.000-06:00

I had mentioned that I didn't like the name of my blog. Some people gave me some nice options but I decided on 10 speed.
In the 70's ten speed meant 5 gears in back and 2 in front for a total of 10 combinations. Today ten speed usually refers to the number of gears in the back only. Not that you are twice as fast or twice as strong you just have more options.

I love it when people ask me if I ride a ten speed. If the asker is my age or older and not a cyclist they are refering to any bike with drop bars that would be better if you turned them upside down. And if the are a cyclist they want to know if I am on the cutting edge of bike tech. I never know how to answer.

The bike in the photo is taken about a minute after I was inspired by this bike to call my blog 10 speed. Note the bike is no longer ten and the original name of the blog is tucked into the back ground.

Paper Route

2007-05-20T19:51:00.001-06:00

For the last month I have debated the termination of the blog. I like the blog, but it hasn't turned out to be venue that I had imagined. Nonetheless I have not posted for some time and this is attempt to recapture the spirit of the blog.

Paper Route
When I was a kid back in Mount Pliers. I had a paper route for several years. Most of the year I would ride my bike around the route to deliver the papers. I remember several things about that task. One it solidified my passion for cycling. The main thing that it did was give me the cash to get a better bike than what my family would be willing to pay out for a bicycle. Paper route money bought my first non department store bike. A couple of years later it bought my first road bike. That was in 1979.
My route was about 3 miles long and it took me 45 min to get through it. I have a vivid memory of riding up Canyon Road to the house of a doctor that was on my route. The late afternoon sun was very filtered by the trees that nearly covered the road like a canopy and I had the Stevie Wonder tune "Isn't she Lovely" stuck in my head. That doctor liked nice things. He had a huge Timber-framed log house, arabian horses, a Porsche 924 and the object of my envy--a Centurion Super LeMans road bike. It was pearl white with maroon pinstriping. I later bought the exact same bike in black.

When the weather was too wet or cold someone in my family would drive me around my route. This would cut the time to about half and was a different experience. We would get to one end of a block I would grab enough papers to get one to the door of each of my accounts then I would take off running down the street. I would run fast and hard across lawns and over things. then when I would get to the other end of the block the car would be there. I would either grab a another handful of papers or get in and we would drive for a minute to the next block. There was a very well rehearsed plan to this. When my oldest brother would drive me he had this little game that big brothers seem to come up with. When I got to the car I would reach out my hand to grab the door handle to open the door but just a second before I touched the door he would hit the gas and I would be standing about 3 feet behind the door. I would then hop up to the door and he would gun the gas again. After a couple of times I would be angry and frustrated and he would promise to stop. That promise was code for just a couple more times.

The reason I thought of this is because of how my job feels to me sometimes. Just when you think that you have something done, the target is moved and you have to keep trying. Do you think that my employer is laughing sardonically now, like my brother did?

April is the Cruelest Month.

2007-04-19T22:01:00.000-06:00

The Line is from T.S. Elliot.

APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering	5
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.

I think that it is cruel because I get all amped up for the summer time weather and then it snows.
Things are quite better.
1- sun is setting later in the day.
2-trails are drying out.
3- wild flowers.
4- bike sales are rockin'.
5-kids going to prom.
6- and that little twinkle in your eye.
7- Geese are visiting the Salt Lake Temple.

Celebration and Spring

2007-04-08T21:21:00.000-06:00

What an excellent weekend.
1. Great group dinner at Sundance. Met and conversed with civil rights icon, Was pleasantly suprised by my wife's wit and poetry.
2. Seeing lots of people buy bikes.
3. Riding a bike. Group rides are best with good people. Worse with bad people. Bad people stay home. Good people give me a call.
4. Riding alone after good people finish group ride. ( never under-estimate the moment when you are tooling around just finding new roads in a corner of the world where you haven't riden much)

5. Art Gallery show where you know and enjoy the people who are there.
6. Seeing your kids interact with artists and musicians and others like they belong.
7. Being star-struck by meeting an olympic skier
8. Eating Easter dinner with extended family.
9. Feeling pride for your good freinds that are doing fun and exciting things. I am glad that I can be along for the trip.

Redemption and Resurection

2007-04-08T21:13:00.000-06:00

This week my daughter walked up to me and said " look dad, it's Jesus, and Easter is this Sunday." I got the chuckles so bad I was sobbing. You got to love how kid's minds work.

Fast S.O.B.

2007-03-24T20:52:00.000-06:00

There is a fast son of a bitch on river road near Leland. (note; all good rides seem to go through Leland) I like when they chase. The little fellow that came after me was moving about 24 mph . He got off the pavement to really kick in the speed. It was just me and a black dog drag racing between farms. I get nervous that the a dog will get under my wheel and we both will be in misery. 207

Bikes are the Answer part 2

2007-03-18T20:23:00.000-06:00

Some nice people who owned a bike shop in northern Utah had a campaign in their town that they called "Bikes are the Answer" It started out as an answer to parking issues; it then it was used as a answer for traffic. When I talked with them and thought about it more I realized that Bicycles could really be a partial solution to many of the issues that we see in society. I would quickly vote for any politician that would use this a tenent or value. Here is a quick list of issues that would benefit from increased use of bicycles. I am going to start with just the larger catagories in this post and then future I will dive into more details.
1-Transportation
2-Environment
3-Foreign Relations. (dependency on other nations for fuel) don't want to imply that we are at war with the middle east because fuel. US of A is altruistic, force of good, in the war against terror.
4- Economy
5- Health
I know that this is a bit idealistic and maybe further from realistic than I imagine. I thought that I would revisit this topic because of the benefit that I receive personally from bicycles. I was suprised at how the Saturday group ride that I followed turned around my attitude from increadibly gloomy and dicouraged to hopeful. It was a combination of exercise, sunshine and good people that turned around. As for me bikes are the answer

It's all good

2007-03-12T22:04:00.000-06:00

I haven't seemed to be in the mood to write in the blog. Well plenty of great things have been happening. Skied a week ago with my oldest son in some rather deep crud. It was wonderful except that X man kept calling me old and fat. I went to a local music show with my pal SO; more than anything I just like the energy that is there. Swam until I was contented . Rode my fixed on a day that reminds you that 'you gotta love spring'. I watched bubbles dancing atop of someones soda in the late afternoon light. Well there are plenty of things in the world that are giving me the joy. Its all good.

new title for this blog

2007-03-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

So when I started this blog I wasn't sure what it was. I was new to blogs and I just threw the first title that came to mind and have let it sit. I have been thinking that the title has been tired since the first day. So now I am on a search for a new title. Suggestions?

Rearward View

2007-02-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite like looking into the past when you are going 80 mph into the future. Sometimes the past just looks more attractive.

Riding with Russell

2007-02-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

Met my old pal Russell at the JEM trail for a quick afternoon ride. Jem is just a great ride. Always satisfying. We talked about art. We talked about family and parenting. We talked about books, music, and movies. We talked about the blessing of netflix for a person that wants to see a good movie, but can only get lame blockbusters at the gas station out here in rural Utah. We even talked about an old friend and his sex habits. Great way to knock out the climb. We zipped down the trail like you can and stopped every now and then just to add another piece to the conversation that we may have actually started 18 years ago. Afterward we grabbed some food and hung out in his studio to finish the visit. Brilliant.207

Oh Nadine!

2007-02-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

Nadine is the very kind, overyly excitable, senior citizen that smashed the back of my car on Tuesday; while I was stopped at a red light. Poor gal's husband had been put into the hospital the night before and she was going back to visit him first thing in the morning. I told my kids that I was a hero because it was my car that kept her from flying out into the intersection and getting into a wreck that would have been real bad. I was talking with Nadine; waiting for the Police and a tow truck for her; we both saw a guy ride by on a lovely GF 29er. I was thinking, hey that guy is cool to be riding his bike to work. Then Nadine said, "I wish that young fellow would find a better way of transportation, especially with drivers like me on the road." I was speechless. The next thing that I eventually muttered was, " please look out for cyclists". I hope Nadine has had a better week.

January Joys

2007-01-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

I have been anxious to get up to the South Fork trail for a couple of days. The snow that we have right now is old and well packed and I know that south fork gets a lot of traffic. So I went up Friday afternoon and found pretty much what I wanted. It was gorgeous. Going up was better on the single track than on the double. Lower gears would have been nice for me. I was on the single and I was fine on only the hardest packed and not quite as steep. Descending was plenty of fun. Because the trail has had so much traffic from skis and snowshoes, people and dogs, boy scouts and byu cougs; it was fast and smooth coming down. Some of the turns had snow berms on them so you could rally. Traction was great. I slid less than you would imagine. I was disappointed that I couldn't get the rear wheel to skid too much. I would lock up the rear brake and come to a stop very quickly.
I really needed something to stir my soul a bit and this little ride hit the spot. 208.5

25 in the teens

2007-01-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

Two photos. First is my wife on south fork last May. Second is me last weekend.
Reasons to ride in winter.

Confirms any doubt of lunacy.
Fully appreciate the subtle change from 9 to 17 degrees.
You get to use all of the cycling clothing you have; at the same time.
Shorter rides seem long: especially good, if you are someone that thinks that long rides are best.
Your water stays cold all the way through the ride. ( it is not that tepid, plastic tasting gulp you get in july)
Learn that you computer thinks that it is too cold to be out.
People in large trucks don't feel the need to run you down because even they have compassion for the f-ing weirdo that is riding a pedal-bike out there.
The Clash sounds better on you I-pod when it's cold. This is just a theory but I think it's true.
Great reason to take a bath when you get home.
I dream about riding South Fork in May with my wife.

209

Baby it's Cold Outside.

2007-01-17T17:51:00.001-07:00

I have been thinking about entitelment lately.
A former boss of mine sent out an email that had this line: "Blame no one, expect nothing, do something. The first time I saw that I thought that it was too harsh and cold. Since then I have found it to be a maxim.
So here are my thoughts on the three things listed.

Blame no one. Don't be a victim. Take responsibility for your situation, your happiness and your surroundings.

Expect nothing. There is nothing more disappointing that unrealized expectations. (vizualize beauty queen who thinks that she has things tied up only to chosen as miss congeniality). To quote Stu: " Lower thier expectations" in his response to how to keep a wife, happy. You will not be disappointed if you have no expectations.
Do something. Action is where it is at. Thomas Edison comes to mind with two different quotes: " Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% persperation." and: " There is no substitute for hard work." Well I think that the quotes are genius. Take ownership of the things in life. They're in your control and your responsibility.
Those who know me, know that I spend entirely too much time whining and complaining. Too often I do this openly in the face of what I have listed above. So yes this is sort of my call to arms, to combat this myself.
Just thoughts, that normally run through my mind while riding a bike, but recently it has been colder than I can muster for a real training ride. Swim,
209.5

Veiw from the top

2007-01-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of Air travel is looking at the earth from 33000 feet and thinking of it as a great big map. Obviously its is real: what maps are made of. But I love to identify landmarks as I fly over them. So yes I always want a window seat when I fly.
One of the best flights for this is from Salt Lake to Phoenix. Get your seat on the left side of the plane and either in front of, or behind the wing. Then look at Provo, Sanpete valley, Brian Head, Cedar Breaks, Zion Ntl. Park, and Grand Canyon.
This service is included with the price of the ticket.
The Photo here was takenyesterday while I was flying home from Wisconsin. The blue toward the top of the photo is Bear Lake. If this were truely a map there would be a convienient red line running through the middle of the photo showing the Utah-Idaho border; and just above, about the top of this photo, would be the red line showing where the two states above meet Wyoming. Also not shown here is just out of the photo, to the left, is my home town, Montpelier. A minute later we flew right over the top of Logan. 210

Faux pas

2006-12-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

Don't be that guy.

Apologies to the folks that I rode with Saturday. I realized after, that I was that guy that I have called out for showing no social grace in a group ride. I will be on my best behavior next time.

Happy New _________

2006-12-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

After the last couple of weeks of eating, I have realized the need to turn over a new leaf. I will need to shed a few pounds this winter. Many thoughts have been rattling in my brain for a couple of days and here is what I can conclude.

I like to eat too much.
I can eat about half of what I currently eat.
I am very fuel efficient.
Fruit is good.
Do not drink calories
Eat only really good food.
Feeling hungry is normal.
Lighter weight feels better.
Weight loss is not horribly difficult.
Weight Watcher meetings are full of middle aged women that are looking for magical solutions. That drive me nuts.
I am lucky enough to be someone who loves to exercise. (don't read gym rat)
That BMI thing is depressing

So the plan is to go back to my modified diet based on what I picked up from WW a couple of years ago. Portion control, low fat, high fiber, and cut calories.
Food has a tendancy to develope its own economy. Soon I suspect that when I look at food I will deciede if the taste and the satifaction will out weigh the caloric intake and replacement of other options. For example; When I am staring at a ritz cracker and a can of cheeze food spooge, I may figure out how to find myself some real cheese and a some good toasted bread.
Starting with this post I may be placing a number representing current weight at the very end of the post. This is my guage for direction. The goal now is to reduce my self by 10% before April. 212

The Conspiracy of Deliciousness

2006-12-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Sunrise in my neighborhood is usually a non-event. We are nestled up along side the mountain that is tall enough that to block direct sun to my house until later in the day. Occasionally when there is good cloud cover there is this beautiful blue-grey light that glows here in the shadows. The clouds are being lit from above and they put of a surrealistic light that is wonderful. Also last night it snowed about an inch. So I woke up this morning thinking about how good it was to have a another day to relax and i went out for a bit of a run.
First thing that i noticed on the run is that there was that silence that happens when there is fresh snow and not alot of ambient noise. ( this is usually reserved for the mountains in the winter.) Second thing that I noticed was that the little bit of snow was just enough cushion that it felt like I was running on plush shag carpets. After a bit the snow plow came up the road that I was running and was kind enough to lift the blade for a second as he passed. The snowplow seemed to be concentrating on the streets near by so the silence was broken. I turned on the trusty shuffle and began to listen 40 year old recordings of my fathers trio.
I turned off of the city streets and headed up to the shoreline trail. The trail had plenty of snow and now i needed full concentration to keep my feet moving in the right direction. It took about 5 minutes before I could notice the sky again. Now slivers of pink and purple were shining around the edges of the valley. I am glad that I was there.
Often when I mention running, people moan of misery. I will admit my psyche enjoys the run more than my physique does. This time of the year when days are short and weather is cold and wet I need the run. Why? Because of the conspiracy of deliciousness. For the last month I have been continually prompted to eat some of the tastiest food. So I eat it. I have eaten more food and candy and holiday delights than I should. Every restraint I have every had to caloric overload have been put away for a long winter's nap. Next week when we start the new year I will easily resolve to eat better and reduce the addition pounds that have accumulated from the festivities. I will be inspired by the goodness of the season where we celebrate all that is good with the world.
Happy Holidays.

A Major Award

2006-12-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

There are not too many times in ones life that you recieve a major award. Well my time has arrived.
I now have a major award. When I got home with it, my son came out and asked what it was. I told him it was a major award. He asked if it was a bowling alley. I then pointed out that it was better than that. it was probably Italian.
Later my son Ollie noticed it and started carressing the shape of it. We put an end to that. He is too young.
When my wife arrived home and she thought that it was real funny. Then she asked where I planned on keeping it. and I motioned toward the window where it now sits. Then she said that is great for a day or two but what about after that. And again I motioned to the front window. This is when she got that look on her face. I don't think I can leave her alone to clean in that room.
Needless to say , I love it. I like the life like shape and the gentle glow of the thigh. I am fond of sitting quietly and admiring it. Watching the black fringe dancing when the furnace starts up. Little does the furnace know that this major award is just plain hot.
I would like to Thank Jeff and Kris for presenting me with this award. I would like to thank all of those that have helped me along the way to earn such recognition.

Shoveling Snow With Buddha

2006-12-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

Friday night when I went to bed it had begun to snow in ernest. All that night I was restless and kept waking up an looking out the window to see how much was falling. I was very excited to get out first thing Saturday morning and start shoveling snow. I not sure which chromosome mutated in me to make me like to shovel snow. I like it. I was reminded of one of my favorite poems.

Shoveling Snow With Buddha (Billy Collins)

In the usual iconography of the temple or the local Wok
you would never see him doing such a thing,
tossing the dry snow over a mountain
of his bare, round shoulder,
his hair tied in a knot,
a model of concentration.

Sitting is more his speed, if that is the word
for what he does, or does not do.

Even the season is wrong for him.
In all his manifestations, is it not warm or slightly humid?
Is this not implied by his serene expression,
that smile so wide it wraps itself around the waist of the universe?

But here we are, working our way down the driveway,
one shovelful at a time.
We toss the light powder into the clear air.
We feel the cold mist on our faces.
And with every heave we disappear
and become lost to each other
in these sudden clouds of our own making,
these fountain-bursts of snow.

This is so much better than a sermon in church,
I say out loud, but Buddha keeps on shoveling.
This is the true religion, the religion of snow,
and sunlight and winter geese barking in the sky,
I say, but he is too busy to hear me.

He has thrown himself into shoveling snow
as if it were the purpose of existence,
as if the sign of a perfect life were a clear driveway
you could back the car down easily
and drive off into the vanities of the world
with a broken heater fan and a song on the radio.

All morning long we work side by side,
me with my commentary
and he inside his generous pocket of silence,
until the hour is nearly noon
and the snow is piled high all around us;
then, I hear him speak.

After this, he asks,
can we go inside and play cards?

Certainly, I reply, and I will heat some milk
and bring cups of hot chocolate to the table
while you shuffle the deck.
and our boots stand dripping by the door.

Aaah, says the Buddha, lifting his eyes
and leaning for a moment on his shovel
before he drives the thin blade again
deep into the glittering white snow.

-Billy Collins

Dad's age when I was born.

2006-12-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

My dad is double my age this year.
Swimming is good. especially when you have great freinds. thanks SO.
Being older is not good. Being happy is.
Dinner, swim, work, long overdue haircut, dinner, cake-- all good.
Excellent memorable day is good.

Lanced

2006-12-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

I met Lance last august. Meet is sort of a stretch. I was at a party where he was the guest of honor and I had a breif opportunity to stand awkwardly alongside of him while a snapshot was taken. quite candid. No real conversation or familiarity just one of the 5 billionth photos that Lance has hesitated for. Notice how much better rehearsed he is than I.

Journey not Destination.

2006-12-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

It's the journey not the destination. This thought is the essence of cycling for me. If the destination is what it is all about, the bicycle is not always the best mode of transportation. If you can't understand or appreciate this notion, I don't think that you can really appreciate bicycles.
This morning I made my Idaho commute. 400 miles about 6 hours, through what many consider to be a vast boring landscape. Today it was magical. The journey was the experience.
I had to start early and the first hour through the most urban stretch was mostly making sure that I was fully awake and it included punk rock and ska. Note from the first hour...full moon, cool. I stopped for fuel in north Ogden and got a bite to eat. Now the moon is setting and by perspective seems to be larger. I started flipping through radio stations and I happened accros Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing a selection of Messiah. It's Christmas season, it is a beautiful morning why not. I try to compare the size of the moon to road signs and large trucks. I start scheming to get another Ranch Exit photo starring the moon itself. The big fat moon slipped down below the mountain before my chance.
By now I had been listening to Christmas music for an hour and I decide to pull out the ipod to listen to Duke Ellington's adaptation of the Nutcracker Suite. Excellent. Then it occured to me that the drive that I had been dreading for the entire weekend turned out to be brilliant.

Waiting in the Winter Wonderland.

2006-11-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

I spent the holiday weekend in St.George.
I actually got to ride enough to really get satisfied. It has been a while that I could ride daily and have each day be sufficient. I rode until I was tired, five days in a row.

I had planned on trying the new Trek Fuel EX design, but in the rush to get down the road I left my tool box with my shock pump and such. The Trek was not ready to ride so it sat in the back of the car. I rode with the singlespeed. I rode it with my wife I rode it with my kids and I rode it alone.
Lucky For me I had a chance to stay at a place that was across the road from the Bearclaw Poppy trailhead and that is where we rode. I did stucki springs, green valley and another trail that stayed on the east side of the plateau and followed the ridgeline. Good trails handy... is all good.
I somehow knew that the fall riding season was overdue but point was driven home, on the drive home. Nice storm. About halfway home I ended up stopping and waiting for crews to remove an 18-wheeler from blocking all of Northbound I-15. Cars and mostly trucks were stopped as far as I could see. I sat there with satisfaction that I had legs that felt worked and I knew that it was a great endcap to autumn. Winter is here for real now. There will still be riding but it will be not as readily available. I just like the obvious end of one season and the beginning of the next.

Random Rides

2006-11-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to ride a couple of times this week. That is good. Here are a couple of experiences.

Weather has been lovely for the last couple of days and I needed to clear some sludge out of my brain. While I was riding down mill lane in the wee town of Leland I rode by two 3-4 year old boys sword fighting with their streams of pee. I laughed and waved. They were embarassed that they were caught. I was glad that I caught them for the joy of it. Had I been in a car or other motorized vehicle they would have been warned by the noise of my passing. Bikes allow a more intimate interaction with the world. In my car that I spend way too much time in. I miss most of the smells and sounds. Often I miss the sights because of my speed. By bike there is considerably more to partake.

Today (Saturday) I went out with the ipod on the fixie and felt rather perky. Sky was very grey and chances of storm today are good. I spun out to West Mountain and Went about 40 miles with not a bit of wind or incident. I did see about 8 other cyclist in groups so I waved and smiled. At that point I saw the storm coming my way and ahead of it were dust clouds and smoke from farmers burning brush. I got hit in the face with a wind that was cold and angry. After about 1 mile I turned. (this was the original plan) Then it was 25 miles of storm on your butt tail wind. I was spun-out on the fixie for about an hour. It was fabulous Tooling down the road with the leaves dancing alongside and tumbleweeds that suddenly seemed to have someplace to be. That's what you get for all that clean living.

Swim like you mean it.

2006-11-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of years I have spent a bit of time in the pool. Last week I went to my first meet. It was a learning experience. I swam faster than I had expected. Not as fast as my buddy SteveO. I gave myself a great baseline to work off. So here are the 5 best reasons to swim.
1- Nobody competes for your time that early in the morning.
2- Great excuse to go get donuts.
3- Workout is very satisfying
4- Wonderful swim partners to train with every morning. SO,BJ,TB,JS and Karl
5- Quote of Ilena Lou- from lane next to ours- "it is the best part of the day."

Eye of the Beholder.

2006-11-07T22:23:00.000-07:00

I happened across an old classic movie the other day on the T.V. Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" I think she is lovely. I started thinking about how beauty is talked about and measured in todays society. The thought of a beauty contest even worse a childrens beauty contest. There they are with their perfect hair and their perfect makeup and the most correct of political correct answers to the deep felt questions that some monkey reads to them like the wellbeing of the world awaits their response. Strikes me as not beautiful. Once heard art people talk about how beauty is in the imperfection. Todays society seems to espose the other quote I picked up from artist friend Russell. "If you can't make it good, make it big. If you can't make it big make it shiney." The most beautiful things in life are not perfect.
I don't think that bikes as a catagory would win any beauty contests. Only to a select audience are they considered beautiful or sexy. Rich and famous don't aspire to bikes. Some in society treat them as a nuisance. But they are of the timeless beauty genre that would probably sneek up on someone. Until a person has experienced a bike ride and thought of the fact that a 20 pound tool is a valuable form of transportation, sport, or entertainment. They may not understand this
There are few things that I know that are as beautiful as a bicycle or a bike experience. Otherwise applaude Miss "semi-natural, quasi-augmented."
Find beauty.

Pressure Drop

2006-11-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that the pressure dropped. I woke up this morning and I didn't feel rushed or frentic. Most of the major projects are done. I have been in contact with all the accounts that are close and none are waiting on a visit from me. I caught up. I can't beleive it. So lets celebrate. Regards to Mr. Toots Hubbard for the use of the title. I am not so sure that that am interpreting it correctly but nonetheless it is rattling through my now less stressed head.

Fall Trail Run

2006-10-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

I sure enjoy when I have a moment or two that is magical.
Running sounds like work to most everyone that I know. There are a few exceptions however most of my friends would prefer gallstones. If you don't like running you should have been with me when I went up AF canyon early on Saturday. I had my mountain bike and changed my mind about what my activity would be.
I decided to take the Timpanookee trail to Pine hollow and up to 157. There was a bit on snow. The muddy spots were frozen solid and there was enough bite in the air to let you know that winter is in pursuit. Veiws were outstanding, the solitude was refreshing and the soul was nourished.

DC Halloween party

2006-10-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

In my world a great party is always appreciated. Eventhough I seemed to be held back from full throttle fun I did get a kick out of people that just want to have a good time. Excellent time Thanks to all that brought us the festivities.

Freaky deaky

2006-10-18T22:02:00.000-06:00

A couple of weird things I observed today. These make me wonder if I got enough sleep.

First, somewhere in the Arco desert of Idaho. I was driving and I saw an area where about 50 birds were dead on the highway. A little aviary halocaust. I have no way to explain it. Maybe what ever hit them on the road was moving so fast that they couldn't react fast enough. Maybe they were cold.

Second - a Man with the longest neck I have ever seen. This was in a truck stop and I saw this man standing in line to purchase his pork rhinds and diesel. What I saw was what looked his neck came up out of his collar and crooked way way forward so that there was an area that was almost flat for about 3 inches then it turned back upwards. I felt awkward because I couldn't quit staring. it was either super deformed or he had a neck that was 4-6 inches longer than what you may expect.

in bici e' meglio

2006-10-14T15:22:00.000-06:00

One year ago today I was in Italy for a bike trip. While in Sienna we stopped by Cicli Rossi Sienna, The motto of the store is "in bici e' meglio" Better by bicycle.
That trip to Italy to ride bikes was one of the greatest weeks of my life. Ride bikes and eat great food. I have been nourished by the memory for a full year.
I agree with the local bike shop in Sienna, in bici e' meglio.

Lone Luddite

2006-10-12T19:08:00.000-06:00

There is a line in a book I just read that talks about golf. It said that it is a great sport because it combines friends and competition. That may be true of golf but for sure it is true of cycling. However here are the reasons I think it's good to ride alone.

1. go at your own pace
2. ride single speed or fixed and no one makes comments about it.
3. dont have to wait for someone to get ready.
4. ride the trail that suits you.
5. more time riding less time waiting

Reasons to ride with others.
1. someone there to take your picture, not just your bike.
2. conversation
3. push the pace to make you try harder.
4. try trails that are new to you.
5 ride bikes with up to date technology and quit being such an anti-social luddite.

For the Strength of Youth

2006-10-07T08:58:00.000-06:00

So just when you start thinking that the whole world is going to hell in a handbasket, go see live music with kids that half your age. You feel out of place for a bit, but then when the kids get used to your presence and not think your some sicko, they carry on because the are having some sort of magical moment. Then when you feel the floor bouncing under the heft of several hundred people dancing in unison you realize that joy is really what this is all about. It's hot, stinky and what seems to be a very uncomfortable situation. Somehow the joy superceeds all of that and hundreds of people are all part of a moment.
Thanks to Seve vs. Evan and my kids who got duped. Sorry fellows.

Cow Rides

2006-09-30T22:44:00.000-06:00

Cattle and bikes don't really mix well. They should.
I rode in Eastern Utah on a trail called " Can You Moo?" -- Great ride for a single speed. Infact it was flat enough that I would recommend maybe a cog higher than what you would use on the wasatch front. -- Well the cows met their match there. At least one did. Used parts of it's skeleton to marked the trail.
Also Last week I rode on some of my favorite trails in Payson and found them post-holed to death by the cattle that had been rounded up during the very wet week before. My teeth really ached after the ride.

I know that in this region that BLM and forrest service use lands for summer range for the cattle. I don't want to make any political statement about this mainly because in my youth my family raised cattle and in the summer we put them on forrest service land. hypocrite.

The interesting thing about the little rant here is that most of the trails that I love are stockman trails that are used to take care of the cattle while they are on the range. Go ahead sing with me....Oh give me a home.. where the. -- Did I mention that I saw an antelope. (pronghorn) on the vernal ride. --So there is some reliance that I have on the very cattle that seem to do more to annoy me on a given ride. Because of the cattle we have more trails and the forrest service maintains the trails for their paying customers the Cattlemen. Maybe I am the guest in their little neck of the woods. Close the gates and kiss up to the Cowboys because we are the guests that wouldn't leave.

When I was a kid I entered into the Little Buckaroo Rodeo and I rode a cow. I prefer Bikes.
We can all get along.

Top Ten Reasons to ride in Autumn

2006-09-28T19:16:00.000-06:00

Top ten reasons to ride this time of year.

1. Colors
2. Cooler temperature
3. Fewer people on trails
4. The sound of leaves crunching under your tires
5. Fewer insects
6. Better chance of experiencing weather
7. Sense of urgency to ride before winter happens
8. Usually more fit this late in the season
9. Trails are buffed out
10. The smell of humus

Bikes are the answer part 1

2006-09-26T21:56:00.000-06:00

So I went for a great road ride over the weekend. It was near perfect. Mid 60's and sunny. Bike felt very lively. The roads were realitively uncrowded. So I was pleased to be there. Well along came a lone pick-up with two guys in it who felt like it was their duty to yell something at me as they passed. Several questions come to mind when this happens.
1- what is so threatening about bicycles that people feel like they need to react to someone tooling down the road? 2- Is it just cyclist wearing lycra and a helmet riding skinny tires or is it anything that is not in a pickup? People riding horses along the road--do they get yelled at. 3- Do cyclists make people feel bad about their own lifestyle. 4- Does lycra make people homophobic? (ie: do they get aroused and this scares them so bad that they have to act like an alpha-male to establish their own masculinity. 5- Will this ever end?
After 25 years as an avid cyclist I have become rather numb to the occurance of the events. They happen and usually they don't hurt. I have never been hit by any of the things thrown at me (I know people who have). The only solutions that I have come up with are: 1- Ride in such a manner that would not be annoying to motorists. 2- Ride places that have less traffic. 3- Move to Europe.

So about the image. I really laughed when I got this with a burrito a few months back. If you were a small packet of hot sauce, I would imagine that a bike tire is about guaranteed to squish your insides out. Imagine what a cyclist feels like when you have a redneck in an F350 bearing your way.

Truck tires scare me.

Brent's Bicycle Blog

2006-09-23T18:20:00.000-06:00

I have always loved this image. Not that it is one of the most brilliant men of the last century. I love that look of pure joy that seems to radiate from him. Perhaps someone just told him a joke. I think it is because he is riding a bicycle. So somehow me and bicycles keep running in parralelle paths.
Bicycles are both my vocation and avocation. I am good with that. Bicycles don't define me, I don't consider myself a bike nut. I do however enjoy the association with the machine. Like Albert there, they make me happy.