after it

I've been out of town visiting family and friends up round Eau Claire. Now I'm back for a bit before I jump around some more. Going to EC reminded me to check back on the NO10 blog where I was greeted with this little edit from a new Ramp Local and Andreas.  Dude's shred.  Get out and ride before the snow flies.

lights

Lately there's been a big stink about putting in street lights along a stretch of the southwest commuter path to help make the path a little safer.  I commute on this path every day and completely understand both sides of the argument.  Some nights a nice dark quiet ride home is perfect, other nights I almost get hit by half a dozen bikes. But while I find the anti-light faction in this argument profoundly annoying and self righteous (Seriously you guys, tone it down. You're really starting to make me want to go out and cut those damn owls out of their homes myself.)  The whole idea of spending $250,000 to install some lights that don't really need to be there just seems like a total waste. You could give the first 2000 people on the trail at dusk $125 voucher for lights at a local bike shop and not only would it improve safety on the path, it would improve safety everywhere, invest in the local economy, and the idiots who whine and put up signs about light pollution while living IN THE MIDDLE OF A CITY stay happy.  My beef isn't about encroachment on the environment (again you live in a city, kind of hard to turn the clock back on that one) or about any of the other stupid arguments made that just upset and alienate people like myself that are pro-cycling and pro-environment, it's just about the fact that it is a very poorly thought out solution to a relatively simple problem.  When it come's down to do nothing and have people be pissy and get into a few accidents and not spend anything vs. spend a ton of cash, piss off a ton of people, and still not nessearily cut down on accidents the choice seems pretty clear.

 

aside

 After being incapacitated by a stupid head cold all week I finally felt good enough to emerge from total seclusion this week and actually get out of the house. I've done nothing all week except bike to and from work, so by the time Friday night rolled around and I felt good enough to actually enjoy riding I milked every trip and after catching a show I took my time on the long route home.  Then after sleeping in absurdly late on Saturday I headed out to the New Glarus Tunnel.

 While I don't generally like trail riding because I think it's usually super flat and boring the trail out to NG is actually a lot of fun, especially yesterday with the majority of the ride being wet gravel.

Got to the tunnel, ate a granola bar, chilled for a minute and then a gaggle of loud teenagers smoking cigarettes and drinking cheap beer that they probably stole from their parents fridges showed up and kind of harshed my mellow so I headed back home with the sun at my back and a tailwind the whole way.  

I love riding my bike.

illmatic

I had a lot of fun this weekend. Then what started out as a little lingering sickness turned itself into a full blown 1100lb turd sandwich of a cold so I don't have the energy or capacity to talk about bike stuff.

So look at how talented these cats are instead.

 



 And with that I'm out for the count.

 Edit: Blogger switched up a bunch of doo hickeys and rewired a bunch of switchy wammers so posting videos and stuff has been really hit or miss. That cat video is up now though. You can breathe a sigh of relief and finally see what I'm talking about. Now excuse me, I've got some phlegm to cough up.

homes

Last weekend when I headed to Ghettocross I went up to my dads house and spent the first night I've spent there in years.  I walked around with the camera and took a few photos of stuff.  Wisco country living at its finest.  

Rev

 There is no shortage of bike shops in Madison.  At this point I've been to a fair share of them, but Revolution stands alone.  This is the kind of shop that I've long had a dream of running some day.  Check out this cool little short to find out why.  Keep up the awesome work dudes.

fly right

Last weekend last minute I decided to pack my bags and head Eau Claire way for Ghettocross. This is the second event that I used to have a hand in that I've been back to check out as a participant since I moved and it was awesome.  I guess that makes me a bit of a helicopter event parent but it's refreshing to go back to stuff you used to have your fingers in and be able to jut sit back and enjoy for a while.  Ghettocross started 4 years ago as an idea for a fun sloppy cross race that was cheap and welcoming. Last year it grew to a 3 race series, and this year is 3 races again.  $1-3 buy in, cash purse, winner take all, beer for everybody. 25 people showed up to race with another 25 spectators in the crowd to watch the action.

The race itself wrapped up in around 20 minutes then the socializing, snacking, beers, and fire jumps started.

Ramps were totally incinerated and winners earned their keep.  After a pizza break the sun went down and we headed out to rest for an hour or so before the rest of the night's festivities. From that point on the night flew by, and unfotunatley I was much to lazy to do much documenting of it.  But suffice it to say I hung out with awesome people including some I haven't seen in some time, watched a show in a very risque very improvised costume, sat around another camp fire, and didn't hit the hay until early in the morning

Sunday after a big greasy breakfast I watched the Packers and headed back home with a big ol' grin on my face.  If you are in the area and you ever get the chance I highly recommend checking out the Ghettocross races. There are 2 left the next couple weekends and I guarantee they will be a treat and a welcome change from your standard race.

Oh yea, and I randomly met Danny Devito.

Small world.

rebound

I'm still recovering from Ghettocross this weekend, so for now watch this and wish you were out on your bike in a t-shirt and shorts.

the kids the kids the kids

There was a recent article on Slate about cyclists riding with headphones in and why it's completely idiotic, and I couldn't agree more.  I can come off as sort of a burned up old crank when it comes to a lot of things, key among them is "the kids" and what kind of antics they are up too. Living in a college town and working in very close proximity to a college campus I see these whippersnappers with oversized headphones bobbing their heads to Pumped up kicks" or whatever dribble they listen to these days on their fixed wheelie bikes and their roller boots as they careen through groups of pedestrians across a busy street on their way to the quad to play hacky sack or whatever on a daily basis.  Now don't get me wrong, I love music.  And I love bikes.  But I also think when you put in your ear buds and crank up your skrillex and you are begging for trouble.  The article touches upon most of my major gripes so I'm not going to sit here and reiterate a bunch of stuff that someone got paid to say much more eloquently than I ever could so read it and weep.  Then take those stupid ear buds out and pay attention.