10 songs

I listen to a fair amount of music. Some of it's new, some old, lots of different genres.  I've come to realize that good music can be from any genre, any era.  What lasts for me are good lyrics, good melody, maybe a good beat, and sometimes (now) a really memorable video.
My road trip mix tapes will have everything from Taylor Swift and Shakira to Bob Wills and the Stones, so here's a sampling of songs that have rolled into my iPod over the past few weeks.
1. Darrell Scott - Out among the stars - gospel chorus and great lyric. He's a great writer of Americana
2. Sometimes - Sound of Guns - alt rock from Liverpool.
3. Merry Go Round - Kasey Musgraves. If you haven't heard her, make a point to do so, and *listen* to the lyrics!
4. The Gael - Albannach.  Outlawed tunes on outlawed pipes. Pipe and drum, but very different from the staid regimental music.
5. Stripes - Brandy Clark - exciting young country singer, not exactly formula
6. Some nights - Fun. - these guys remind me a lot of a alt rock OCMS.  Good energy.
7. Demons - Imagine Dragons - just really good, solid rock
8. Uncle John's Band - Grateful Dead.  Some things don't need to improve with age.
9. Mountain Sound - Of Monsters and Men.  There's just something compelling about them.
10. Waltz of the 13 Moons - Playing on the Planet. OK, unabashed plug - this is my friend Lisa's band. Right now all the tracks on their new album are available for free. Hopefully a few of you will circle back around later and buy some stuff.  Listen to this and "13 Moons"- much more uptempo feel.

Miesville Grinder Update #4

Wow.  Registration is officially CLOSED!!!  However, if you've spoken to me about registering (there are a couple of you), we can still accommodate a few random stragglers.
The melt today and tomorrow, plus forecasted rain could help either fix or completely flood the two problem spots.  I'm not worried about lingering snow that's on the course today. That'll either be gone or just a minor nuisance - but I draw the line at flooded roads, and will make decisions appropriately.

Not much more to say today.  It was a fantabulous day to be on a bike, and that's where I was!

~marsh

Miesville Grinder Update #3

Well, some good news and some updates.

First, the good news.  King's Place in Miesville will be running a burger special after the race, so let's meet there for highlights, lowlights, war stories and replenishing electrolytes and proteins.
We're still working on restrooms, we may get the ones at the ball field opened up.

And the real update:
I did a recon on the course this morning, and *most* of it is in great shape.  There are two significant issues on the course, either or both may be resolved before we get to race day.
Both issues are a result of spring runoff, so a lot will depend on having warm temps over the next week to melt out the creeks so they can actually carry the water that's melting in the fields above them.  Also, the 'B'-road section is still covered with about a foot of snow!  This 1/2 mile would not be a show stopper if the water at the bottom of the course becomes safely passable.

Bottom line, keep your eyes on the web page and this blog for updates.  I'll also post to TC Gravel on Facebook, and email to the registered riders who gave me an email address.

Thought:
Someone asked me the other day if there was a beneficiary for this ride - under the idea that every event should (at least in their mind) have a charitable side.  While it's a nice idea, I don't know that it's an essential element.  BUT.  Because someone asked, I will put a bucket out for contributions. The non-profit recipient for this will be the Rice Creek Boat Club (a youth canoe and kayak racing program that gets kids off their backsides and into something they might not otherwise even know exists).  RCBC is a 501(c)3 organization, and I can tell you that 100% of any contributions will go directly to offset expenses of travelling to away races.  Right now, I'd like to raise $1000 to take a group to US Team Trials the end of April.  If you can help, look for the bucket.  If your turning 13 year old kid wants to try paddling this summer, look me up!

~marsh

Miesville Grinder Update #2

Maps, gps files and a raw, unformatted turn list are up on the Miesville Grinder page

If someone has the time or motivation to beautify the turn list, I'll buy them a beverage after the ride!

Reports are coming in that most of the course is in really good shape (to wit - still frozen), but it'll probably soften up a bit over the next 2 weeks.  In fact, I'd count on it.

Recommended minimum tire width - 28 for some, 35 for many.

There are reports of a large dog that chases bikes at one point of the course.  I've never encountered the beast, but be forewarned.

One thing to note when you look at the map -- at no point does the course actually cross itself, but we do return to the same intersection(s) at times.  It's possible you might find yourself looking at another rider approaching a corner from the opposite direction.  Just sayin - it's OK.  Make sure where *you* are!

Please let me know if you have any issues, problems or concerns about the course.  This is an enjoyable loop, and we should have a fun day!

~marsh

Miesville Grinder 2014 - Map up

It's a bit of a teaser, and the Dan Henrys on the map are a bit confusing, but here's a sneak preview of the course.  The arrows denote the *direction* of the turn, not necessarily the direction on the course. GPX, TCX, KML and cue sheet files will be up later in the week. They are still being reviewed by our highly paid team of editors.

Miesville Grinder update

All, sorry for the radio silence.  I was out of town coaching kayak racing for the past week and haven't had a chance to do an update.

A couple of quick notes, and I'll publish full turn lists and GPX files before next week!

The Miesville Grinder is coming up fast!

- WOW! Registration is nearly full.  Only 10 more slots available!
- The course appears to be in pretty good shape. I drove all but the B road and it looks great.
- Anyone who would like to do photography on race day would be welcome.


RULES

You are expected to follow traffic rules just like on any public road.  Dakota County WILL TICKET you if you blow stop signs, impede traffic riding 3+ abreast, etc.  This is not a race, it's an fun even on public roads! USE YOUR HEAD FOR SOMETHING BESIDE A HELMET HOLDER!

You are 100% on your own.  There is no support for this ride.
We would appreciate it if you would REGISTER with us.
This ride is unsupported.  Bring EVERYTHING with you that you will need.
Wear a helmet.
Do not litter.
Obey traffic laws.
If you must urinate, please do not do it in front of the locals or other competitors.
Please don't change clothes in public.
Ride safely and use good judgement.
Have fun.
You are responsible for you.                      
These are the rules.  We think they are reasonable.  We try to keep it simple, so if you require more detail, please CONTACT US.

(mostly borrowed from The Filthy 50 - a great event!)
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Spring Break road trip recap PT 1

The last week has been a blur.  In one part of my life, I coach a group of young athletes in the sport of flatwater sprint canoe and kayak racing.  During the local school break window, I took several of these athletes to visit another club in Georgia - Lanier Canoe Kayak Club.  LCKC has epitomized a lot of what I like about this sport for young athletes.  Lots of young people doing something outdoors and as a group, without having to have a specific talent/skill/strength level to enjoy the sport.
We drove 20 hours pretty much straight through, trading drivers often and stopping as needed for food, gas (lots of gas) and nature.  The last time I did this, the athletes were a year older on average, and seemed to be more 'seasoned' as travelers.  We'd stop for gas, they'd pile out, check straps on the trailer, hit the bathroom, grab food, and be curled up asleep again before the tank filled.  Not this time.  I'd be tanked, straps checked myself, and have been to the bathroom by the time they got out of the truck.  OK, maybe not really, but it seemed like it.
The week started out with a clear blue day, a bit of paddling, and dinner with our incredible host families.  And went straight downhill from there.  Rain, rain, cool, wind, and cold water set the stage for the first couple of days.  We did paddle every single day, did strength training, and even a little mall ratting (the kids, not me!).  But it was pretty miserable being out in 45 degree mist and light rain - especially in a low stability boat.  We did get some good, even hard workouts, and started seeing personalities and abilities emerge.  Over the course of 5 days, I got to see a lot of good things about each athlete, and especially got to see a lot of improvement on some.  One of the athletes had never really sat in any kind of ICF kayak before this week, and over 7 days made incredible jumps in stability and power.
The last couple of days were great. The weather was beautiful, and while we had some hard sessions, we also had some unexpected things.  Low point - they managed to flip the 'unflippable' C4, much to the delight of the LCKC athletes, and the embarrassment of the two great sports who agreed to teach them high kneel in the C4.  Great fun, cool water, and a lot of laughter *after* the fact.
On Friday, I felt like they'd done a *lot* of really good work, overcome some trials, and needed a really positive last full day. So when they got back from lunch, they met the K4 for the first time.  For those  not familiar, a K4 is 35 feet long, about 20" wide, and with an elite team can pull a water skier!  In short, fast and sleek.  They managed to all get in without swimming, so off they went.  8K later, and they were singing, chattering, and generally enjoying being out there.  And then just for pure fun, we went out on SUPs for the first time as well.  All in all, a good end to the week. Except...
There was this race that they were supposed to do, and nobody was really thrilled about paddling 10K in a K1 (on their first week all season).  So we talked about it, and they agreed that the K4 might be possible.  It was.  They finished ahead of all the experienced K2s, and had a ball.  Medals, pictures, lots of smiles and a 20 hour ride home.  Great week.

My eternal thanks to the staff, coaches and especially parents and hosts who put us up down in Gainesville. You made a good trip into a memory!

Five people I'd like to meet for pizza and beer

It's the age old question - if you could have dinner with anybody in the world, who would it be?  And the answers are always philosophers, Nobel Laureates, world leaders and top pro athletes. And for the most part, yes, it would be interesting to sit down with some of these folks, but it would also be slightly/very nerve wracking.  And you'd never put your elbows on the table with them.
I'm going to twist the list a bit, and drop it down to a more human level.  Who are five people that I've never met, but with whom I'd like to sit down for pizza and a beer?  I've got pretty simple criteria really - I have to like what they are doing/did, think they'd be interesting to talk to,and have a KB number no higher than 3.  It's by no means a finite list, and I'll probably come back and add to it later.

Jennifer Lawrence.  OK, she's just about the hottest celebrity in Hollywood right now, but she also comes across as being pretty down to earth.  I really do enjoy her acting.  The first time I saw her was in "Winter's Bone", which is just about the bleakest, most hopeless movie I've seen (which I normally do not go for).  She made the character believable, and made you care for the characters.  Mainly though, she comes across like the celebrity is 'no big deal', indeed stopping to talk to kids with disabilities without looking like a photo op.

Aliy Zirkle.  Second place in the Iditarod. Again. I honestly don't know that much about her, but I've watched her work with her dogs, talk to reporters, be *nice* to people when the situation probably permitted being standoffish or even a bit grumpy. AND she showed uncommonly good sense to stop and hole up at Safety this year after battling the wind along the coast from White Mountain.

Tom Boonen.  Turbo Tom has won most of the one day classic pro bike races at least once, and done pretty well as a sprinter.  Definitely one of the 'hard men' of the spring, he has always seemed like a likable guy and one heck of a rider.

Mike Krzyzewski.  Of the people on this list, Coach K is the closest I come to reverence.  He's nearing retirement age, and it will be interesting how much longer he's active.  I can't think of many other men who have shown themselves to be leaders, teachers and mentors on and off the court.  I think I'd want to bring a notebook if I sat down with him.

Emmylou Harris.  She's made music since I was in high school, moved easily and legitimately from folk/rock to country and everywhere in between. Anyone who volunteers at an animal shelter when they're home is pretty OK.  It would be interesting to learn about life on the road and what music has meant to her.

Maps

I love maps.  There's something finite and logical about a map, whether it's a sketch on a napkin, a USGS topo map of the back country, Google Maps street maps, or a GIS interface to plumb the mysteries of the municipal world.

And for cycling, maps open a way to plan routes of your own instead of relying on a rides book or website.
These are great starting points, and are still the best way to start out - especially if you are visiting a new area and don't have a guide.  A good ride book can give you not only the map itself, but will also tell you about that diner tucked in the back of the gas station on the corner of Cty 182 and SR 46  that's escaped all the hipster postings and TV shows.  In the present, there are a number of sites like "Map My Ride", Strava, "Ride with GPS" and others that allow you to post or download rides that others have done, plan your own, and even compete against other riders.  Some are free, and some are not.  The problem with most of these is that you can't readily tell the difference between a paved road with traffic, no traffic, shoulders, dropoffs, pavement quality or road surface in general. You are at the mercy of whomever decided that this was a good route for bicycles.  There are signed bike routes almost everywhere that defy explanation - crappy pavement, high traffic or abundant stop signs, when two streets or two miles over is an alternate route that has none of the problems listed.  So the trick in ride planning is to identify and avoid these 'features' in an area with which you may have only a passive knowledge.

I do a lot of ride planning for a group of friends on our Sunday rides.  Most of them are less enamored with maps than I am, and are happy to have someone else pick the route.  If it's scenic and low traffic, everyone's happy.  I live in the Minneapolis area, but due to traffic we do most of our weekend riding over in the River Falls, Wisconsin area.  With a little work, we can do 30-100 mile rides that are low/no traffic, decent pavement, a few climbs, and great pastoral scenery.  Pavement is generally pretty good due to Wisconsin's farm to market road laws that were intended to insure dairy farmers could get their milk picked up easily.
Another big help is that Wisconsin has a county-by-county map collection of road conditions, and their suitability for biking.  I don't always agree with them, but it's a darn good starting place.  Knowing what roads are probably paved is a big help when putting together a road ride - or finding likely suspects for a gravel ride.  I also use Google Maps, both map and Satellite view to drill in and verify likely road surfaces on roads that I don't know.  With a little practice, you can usually tell if a road is paved or gravel, and sometimes the pavement condition - but not always!  Sometimes you get surprised by road construction and just have to gut it out.
My route mapping tool of choice is a website called "Bike Route Toaster".  I've found it pretty easy to use, generates good turn lists, and with the latest update allows you to pick from Open Street Maps or Mapquest. It used to directly use Google Maps, but a change to the Google Maps interface apparently made them drop that option.

The process I use for designing a new route is pretty straightforward. A lot of it is based on experience, who is likely to be riding, and even anticipated weather - it's no fun to be 40 miles from the car when the bottom falls out of the sky.
I'll generally start with an idea like "I want to map 60 miles with a 40mi cutoff".  Then pick a starting location, and maybe a general direction depending on the factors above.  At this point, I'll typically pull up Google Maps(GMaps), and get a sense of major highways to avoid, available secondary roads, and maybe form a mental sketch of a route. At that point, it's over to BikeRouteToaster (BRT) to lay down a sketch.  I'll normally do this without really looking too closely at the actual roads - more relying on it to keep me out of dead ends, dirt roads and highways. Once I have an idea about the mileage, I'll go back and look at each segment of the route, comparing roads with the county map for traffic and surface, and back to GMaps satellite view for a final look at any suspect roads.  I'll also check the turn list to make sure we haven't accidentally done a left turn by making 3 rights, or overshot an intersection and doubled back.
It usually takes 3 or 4 iterations with BRT before I have the route I want.  When I do, I'll generate the turn list and GPX file for download to GPS units.
In the next couple of weeks, I'll start sharing some of these rides here under the 'Rides' page (on the right).  Feel free to use them, comment on them or suggest additions.

Enjoy!

Bike riding as cross training (for seasoned Nordic skiers)

(Note:  While most of my how-to type articles are pretty much geography generic, this is directed toward a specific group in the Twin Cities.  But if the shoe fits - come ride with us!)

Cycling as summer cross training for skiers (or how to BARF better)

What to do in the summertime if you aren't totally addicted to rollerskiing (and you shouldn't be).   Many of us are riding more in the summertime, and a number of people have made a pretty sizable investment in upgrading bikes in the past year or so.  This is good. This is fun.  HOWEVER – I have seen several faces that look like the fun button stays pushed down just a little too hard, and that’s no fun, and definitely not a good thing.

So you got a new bike, a snazzy helmet, new shorts, and hopefully new shoes.  You've heard the hard core riders wax philosophically about chamois butter, electrolyte supplements and whether Cliff bars are better than bananas, until you really just don’t want to know more.  So now go ride your bike. 

But first! Make sure your helmet fits, is comfortable, and that your cleats are set correctly.  If your knees hurt, they most likely aren't!  Spend a little time at your LBS (local bike store) and get them set correctly.  In fact,  have them check saddle height, seat width (ladies, especially), and seat position – especially in relationship to your handlebars.  And DO NOT get a stem that’s shorter than 90cm unless it's just morphologically impossible to fit you otherwise.  OK, maybe if you are on an XS frame size, but it still should be 70-80, no shorter.  Short stems make the bike twitchy, and very high stems affect your balance.  Whether road or mountain your stem needs to be around the same height as your seat, and far enough out that flat part of your handlebars  hides the front axle when you are in normal riding position.  This may need to be modified if you have serious neck or back problems, but I’m not prepared to address those in a general discussion.  Note that I’m talking about serious problems, not discomfort caused by insufficient exercise of the right muscles.

Once your bike is set up, you've got it down to a manageable weight, and ditched the ulock, extra change of clothes, 5lb of tools, and gourmet selection of food (none of which you’ll eat or use in 50 miles of summer riding), here’s what you need:

ID

Cell phone

Navigation device or maps/turn lists

$20 bill

Flashy tail light (if you want)

Spare tube

Inflation system (pump or CO2)

Patch kit

Tire irons

Multi-tool

Quick link for your chain

Rain jacket (IF it’s likely to rain)

Arm/leg warmers (IF you need them starting out)

You can fit everything on this list in a Banjo Brothers small bag

In your jersey or cages

2 water bottles with some additive like Gatorade, xceed, or similar.

500 calories worth of food

Gel pack or shot blocks

                                                                        

Food should not be an major issue up to 50 miles.  A bar or two, a banana and drink will be enough for most people.

Eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty.  Don’t eat too much, or sip.  Take a good couple of pulls on the bottle, but eat in smaller chunks (like half a bar at a time).

And let’s ride. 

One of the keys to riding well is to ride loose.  Elbows bent and ‘soft’, hands on the bars but not in a death grip. And probably the hardest – sit light on your saddle.  This allows the bike to soak up road shock instead of sending it straight to your hands, elbows, neck and back. 

Pedal circles.  Think about scraping gum off your shoe at the bottom of each stroke, and pulling up on the back side of the stroke.  If you push and pull at the same time, you’ll be amazed how much more power you deliver.  And the bike won’t rock back and forth as much.  Pedaling by pushing down only is like classic skiing without using your arms.

Faster cadence, less power per stroke.  Racing cyclists typically train at around 100rpm – and race at 90-95.  Once you learn to ‘float’ the gears, pedaling becomes much more effortless, and the extra rpm helps smooth out the little dips and rises without you really thinking about it. 

Get comfortable drafting.  Drafting saves between 15 and 30% of the energy required to be at the front of the line.  You don’t have to be 6” off the back wheel of the person in front – 2 feet will do fine.  Watch their butt, other bikes around them, and the road out in front of them, NOT their back wheel. If you need to slow down, keep pedaling and apply slight pressure on the rear brake to adjust your distance.  Again, soft elbows and hands are a big help.

When climbing, anticipate changes.  Don’t wait until you are redlined to downshift.  Drop your pace to that sustainable level and work it on through.  You don’t jam the uphills at full speed until you have to stop on the ski trail (unless there’s a conga line), so why do it on your bike?  Alternate between sitting and standing when it gets really steep, and keep pedaling circles!  And if the grade gets easier, think about shifting back up a gear – even if you are going slow.

And the real key for riding something like Cty N on BARF – use the rollers.  Just like on the Birkie, Silver trail at Giants Ride, or any other roller, go down as fast as you are able, be a little aggressive on the climb, and you’ll be at the top of the next climb before you know it.  Use your brakes on the descent, start the roller climb slowly, and you’ll climb slowly and painfully!  When you start the descent – before you even start to pick up speed, shift up 3 clicks in back, then go to the big chainring, and continue to shift up until you run out of gears or are going as fast as you feel safe.  As you start up the other side, pedal fairly hard, and start to downshift (maybe 4 or 5 gears) to maintain the same feeling. Then shift to the small ring, shift back up one gear, and then continue to shift down until you get to the top.  Sounds like a lot of work, but with a bit of practice this can be automatic –and very efficient.  On a 5 mile stretch of N, this may save you 5-10 minutes, not to mention lots of energy!

Other areas to think about are corners and pavement surface.  I'll talk about corners in another article, but pavement is easy - find the smoothest bit of pavement you can.  Listen to it. Feel it.  Sometimes the fastest bit may actually be a frost cracked section instead of the smooth looking center of the lane.  Ride light and keep your hands soft - let your body tell you where to ride.  

Bottom line - there's no reason for a reasonably competent skier not to be a reasonably competent rider as well.  Doing one well will improve the other and vice versa.  It's mostly a matter of mind.

Enjoy the ride!

Spring Break!

I am so ready for winter to be over!  I'm so ready for winter to be over that I'll do a spring break trip to Georgia with a bunch of teenagers.  I am so ready for winter to be over that I'll even drive to Georgia with a bunch of teenagers...

Why Georgia? Why with teenagers (when mine are thankfully past that)?  Easy - there's open water, and a great host club.  We're going to spring break paddling camp!  

It's a great thing when a group of high school kids pick going kayaking and canoeing for a week, doing 3/day workouts, sleeping on someone's floor that they've never met, and driving 20 hours each way wedged in the back of a Suburban named Kermit.   

This group of athletes may, or may not win medals at Nationals and may never make a national team.  But then again they might just do it all.  In the big picture, it's more important to provide the opportunity and see where the spark catches fire than to worry about things that may not be controllable.  One thing is for sure - everyone who makes this trip, coach, parent chaperons, host families and athletes will take away memories and friendships.  These friendships turn into reunions at every major event, reciprocal visits, families becoming friends with people half a continent away who would otherwise never met.  And the common bond is a kid who decided to paddle.  

Plus one

Riding a bike is pretty simple for most people. We learned how to ride as a kid, and some of us just never grew up.  Riding a bike well - now that's a different subject.  For some, riding is something that they do occasionally - renting a bike at the lake or the beach, pumping up the tires and hooking up the trailer to take the kids to the park, or maybe doing a Sunday afternoon trail ride on one of the paved trails around the region.
Or maybe it's doing rides with friends on the weekends. Going for a breakfast ride or to ride for coffee along the greenway.  Or maybe do part of the Grand Rounds and wind up at a cafe for lunch.
At some point, some part of some people make the slow (or fast) slide into 'bikers' (or riders, depending on your upbringing).  This is accompanied by the inevitable acquisition of a helmet, actual bike shorts, and maybe even a jersey. Which is generally followed by the sad realization that the bike you've been riding since high school isn't really up to the task of riding from here to wherever in the company of whomever it was that you wanted to ride with in the first place, and they aren't really in a mood to wait for you at every single intersection. So down to your local bike shop you go, and the salesperson says "you would be really happy with this year's Hornsucker Zipflash".  It's right there with the Makoozie, and we've got a special discount package on it.  And since it feels *so* much better than the cast iron pig with octagonal wheels that you've been riding, you buy it.  And you feel pretty good about it - at least until you go for a ride with your friends, and now they only have to wait at every other turn.  And as they talk over coffee about tires and chains and things, you listen - and decide that maybe if you get better tires, and maybe a new jersey, you'll be able to keep up better.  And you know what comes next.  Plus one.
You are standing in the bike shop and the owner walks by and sees you eyeballing the Velociraptor 7000 that's a replica of the bike that won some big race you've never heard of, and he says "looks like it's your size, take it for a ride..." and you do. And now you have 3 bikes in the garage, not just two.  And you are trying to explain to your significant other what a great deal this was, and why it is going to help you achieve your fitness goal which will make you a better performer at work,  And. And. Plus One.
And then comes the fall, and you actually can keep up with the guys.  And occasionally be the first one to the top of that hill, and your buddies are all congratulating you on how much you've improved (and they really do mean it).  So now when you sit around drinking coffee on Saturday morning after your 80 mile base ride, and the subject of tomorrow's ride comes up, 'the boys' are talking about going on a little ride that's on gravel roads - just about 50 miles, but it's epic countryside, and you don't want to miss it, but... Your Velociraptor only takes 23mm tires, and it's stiff as a board.  And one of the guys says "I've got a spare cyclocross bike you can ride".  And so you do.  And it's pretty fun feeling dirt on your face, sand in your crotch, and damn that was a cool picture with all of you after the ride, all covered with mud.  And Joe casually mentions that he thinks your friendly local bike shop has the Mudpuppy like his (only black) that's about your size, and clearance priced.  Plus one.
Somewhere along this progression, your sainted wife, who has turned a blind eye to all this adult male pirate-looks-at-50 foolishness, watched you buy new toys, and really hasn't made a big deal about it decides that perhaps she'd like to ride more with you.  Since she is actually pretty fit and active, and you being the smart partner who knows that buying her a cheap bike is not going to make her a better rider, you take her down to your friendly LBS (who by this time is rolling out the red carpet and firing up the cappuccino machine when they see you approach).  And they get her set up with a nice woman specific Terraplaner 3000, helmet, jersey and matching shorts, and all the trimmings as you calmly watch her lay down her platinum card.  Plus one.
Pretty soon, she's riding with you, riding with a group of women on Sundays and Tuesdays, and mentions that a grocery bike would be really good to have so that *you* can go to the store by bike instead of in the car.  Plus one.
And now in December, those same friends are calling you to go ride down along the river on something called a 'fat bike', and since you are both bored to tears riding the trainer, you make another trip to your LBS to get her a fatbike so she can go for rides with the girls all winter long.  Plus one.
And then you realize that she's having a lot more fun than you are, and you know what happens next...
Plus one.

Best lines - a country music ramble

There are so many really, really bad songs out there. You know them. Probably can even sing some of them.  Might even own a few on your iPod, and occasionally go "what the hell was I thinking?".  And for every really good song, there are probably ten really awful, forgettable ones.
I was listening to cowboy and country tonight, and the common threads emerge - rodeo, alcohol, unrequited love.  But the older stuff is generally a little more subtle than the current flavors of what passes for country (trucks, beer, babes). (I mean seriously - a whole song about drinking beer on a pontoon boat?)  Country music, and cowboy music generally tell a whole story - of a moment, a day, a lifetime - the good ones invite us in to listen as if it were a personal tale told by your next door neighbor.
"Years are gambled and lost like summer wages".  Ian Tyson wrote several of my favorite songs, all about the West and Northwest.  If you know the country, you can see the pictures painted in his music.  Lives of pain and promise, chasing the dream of being a cowboy or logger, facing the reality of unfulfilled love.  "All our good times are all gone, and I'm bound for moving on. I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way". And the one made famous by Judy Collins (although Suzy Bogguss does the definitive cover) "Someday Soon" - "And when he comes to call, my pa ain't got a good word to say. Guess it's 'cause he's just as wild, in his younger days".  You can picture the young cowboy driving an old 54 Ford pickup on a dirt road heading toward the ranch house to court this young girl.
Booze plays a key role in a lot of great country songs.  Brad Paisley scored a 'double' in my list with "Whiskey Lullaby".  "She put him out - like the burning end of a midnight cigarette", and "He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger".  Again, the imagery painted by the lyrics is painful and heart rending.  Just what a good country ballad should be.  It doesn't hurt to have Ms Alison Krauss singing with you either, definitely a song to stand the test of time.
It takes a particular voice to sing about whiskey and despair.  Patty Loveless does it well.  "Smell of Cheap Whiskey" and "Here I am" (Honey I'm right there waiting for you at the bottom of your glass) have that quality of guilt, desperation and misery that makes for a compelling song.
A more current track is Holly Williams' "Drinkin".  "Why are you drinkin' like the night is young?" Not so much a single line as the whole story.  Cheating husband, angry words, she's left with the kids... Another classic country tale.
Speaking of angry woman tales, I've seen people stand up and wave flags for Martina McBride's "Independence Day".  Do these folks *listen* to the words?  "She seemed alright by dawn's early light, but Daddy left the proof on her cheek" Probably the most powerful song I know about battered women, but it sure as heck isn't a patriotic song.  There ought to be some men hanging their heads when this one's played.
There's a whole separate genre of 'place songs' that speak to how hard life can be, or how different life is from the ideal we're taught to wistfully look back upon.
I'm a big fan of Kasey Musgraves, and was pleased to hear her get the Grammy for "Merry Go Round" this year.  This is so much a picture of so many small towns.  Not an unpleasant place, but not the idealized burg that they are often made out to be in song. "We get bored, so we get married. Just like dust we settle in this town."
One of my favorites is the chorus of Darrell Scott's "You'll never leave Harlan alive" -

And you fill your cup...

With whatever bitter brew you're drinking...

And you spend your life, digging coal...

From the bottom of your grave...

Enough already.  Today is Fat Tuesday, and I go now to listen to the music of Clifton Chenier, Michael Doucet, and Dr John.  Laissez les bon temps rouler!

A little harder (rock) set list

I suspect I scared off a lot of people talking about Americana as a musical genre.  So for those who need their music loud and electric, here you go.  A good soundtrack for a hard workout.

Again, these are songs I like, often for obscure reasons.


Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses

Sometimes - Sound of Guns

Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix

Aqualung - Jethro Tull

Bad Reputation - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Radioactive - Imagine Dragons

Wake Up - Rage Against the Machine

Barracuda - Heart

Layla - Derek and the Dominos

Baba O'Reilly - The Who

Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones

Time for the hard men

When most riders start talking about their 'wanna do' rides, typically something like les Alpe d'Huez, Galabier, or one of the other great alpine climbs comes to mind. Riding your dream bike, weighing a touch over 7kilos, on silken tubulars, carefully selected to minimize rolling weight and maximize climbing/descending efficiency. Traveling  the beautiful roads of southern France, climbing for hours in the sunshine and crystal clear blue skies to gain the insight and wisdom that come from attaining one of the legendary summits of Le Tour.  The warm summer breezes, good French wine and cheeses that await you at your pension upon your return to the valleys.

On the other hand, there are those (like me) who yearn for the cold, grey mornings of March as the wind comes off the North Sea in Belgium and Flanders. Straddling a slightly workmanlike steed shod with distinctly plump tires, low profile rims, and lots of tire clearance. Wearing a rain cape in the damp morning, with the distinct smell of embrocation providing a wakeup call.  No spidery lads from Columbia and the Basque country.  These are the days for the hard men.  Names like Boonen, Cancellara, Flecha, O’Grady, and Voight.  Men who revel in the knowledge that only the strong will survive the day and only the bravest will win...  Today was a day of that sort. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is the opening race of a series of one-day 'classic' rides in the north country.  Ian Stannard beat Greg Van Avermaet in a sprint.  In the end, only 33 riders could be considered 'in contention' at 10km, and only the two at the finish.  Hard men.  The dominant features of most of these are long, windy flats, secteurs of cobbles, and short, narrow, steep and often greasy climbs.  The legendary Kapelmuur - Muur van Geraardsbergen has pitches approaching 20%, cobbles, moss and mud - on the dry days!  Hard men win bike races here.  Cancellara launched an insane attack on Boonen here in the 2010 Ronde van Vlanderen (Tour of Flanders) that had people talking about a motor in the seatpost (honest!).  

I love the Classics and the hard men who race them at the front.  It’s a particular kind of misery that isn’t for everyone, but God help me, I love it.  Watching a rider court that thin line between speed and disaster as they attempt to thread between the fans on one side, bowler hat cobbles on the other while tapdancing down a little stripe of gravel, grass or hammering a big gear in order to skip across the tops of the cobbles, all while battling dust, grit, rain, mud…It’s poetry of the soul. But it's the long sections of flat and windy roads that send the sunshine riders out the back.  One hundred and eighty or so kilometers of wind, rain soaking through your cape, wet gloves, dripping glasses, and leg numbing cold are sure to make the sunny boys look to the warmth of the team car, and another 'training ride' come to an end. 

There's a special reverence in the pits and garages for the mechanics who carefully select the wheels, tires and frames, all customized to meet the individual needs of their riders.  The perfect saddle, just the right combination of bar tape. That extra O-ring or zip tie to hold the computer in place, or a bit of friction tape on bottle cages to ensure they stay put.  Top tube charts noting the cobbles, feed zones, sprint spots.  The legion of 'team staff' recruited for the day to carry spare wheels to remote locations on the course.  Team cars or neutral support may be many minutes behind the leaders in the special sections. Having a wheel at the end of a cobble section may be the difference between winning and not even being in the group.  And by the end of April, all of this gear will be carefully disassembled, inspected, lubricated and stored for next season.

Tires and bikes play a huge part in the Classics.  Building a bike for the roads of Belgium and the North is very different from a ‘climber’s bike built for the mountains. In the first place, it needs some shock absorbing characteristics.  Longer forks, chainstays and more relaxed angles help, as do double wrapping the bars, and maybe a slightly more padded seat.  Probably even more important are wheels and tires. 

If you look across the pro tour team pits, you’ll see a wide array of sponsored equipment, some of which may even carry the actual manufacturer’s logos.  And some that carries the branding of the team’s sponsors, but doesn’t look quite ‘right’.  Wheels are often a bit suspect.  It’s amazing how many different logos you see on the old standby Mavic SSC tubular rims.  It’s basically unchanged in 30 years, but still a benchmark for ride quality and reliability.  And glued to those?  Well, *anybody* can make tires, but as often as not what you actually see are Dugast or FMB tubulars in ‘drag’ – with someone else’s label carefully applied.  There are a few real brands (like Challenge), but mostly, it's a rebranding game.  In the end, it's really about feel - supple casings resist punctures, soak up shock better, and provide better road feel.  Better contact means better power transmission.  It's hard to be powerful if your tires are off the ground part of the time. 

OK, what the hell does L'enfer du Nord and the other spring classics have to do with riding gravel roads in Minnesota?  Quite a lot, actually.  We don’t really have cobbles here – or at least not enough, but we’ve got an abundance of crappy pavement, gravel roads and crushed limestone trails, a few B roads to explore, and maybe even a ski trail or two.  I’m at a point that criterium setups don’t do much for me.  They’re fun for a quick blast around the lake, after which you make reassuring comments to the kid that let you ride his/her pride and joy, and then give it back.  After riding such an awesome bike, my general thought is “glad I don’t ride *that* all the time!”.    And honestly, the older I get, the more I want something that’s got a bit more ‘give’ vertically than you get from a traditional road race bike.  (I have a very nice Ridley Noah for sale if you are interested).  There are so many good bikes out there now. Custom designs from people like Steve Hampsten, Linskey, Moots, Peacock Groove and a whole host of others (NB - Steve is an old friend from Seattle days).  And lots of production bikes from Foundry, Trek, BMC and many others all targeting the current 'gravel' market.  If I were to guess, I'd bet gravel is the 2nd fastest growing segment of the cycling industry behind fat bikes.  And this is good for bike shops -- and consumers.  Getting people out the door and onto bikes is a good thing.  Having people believe that they are onto something new is a great thing.

Our spring gravel races have a lot in common with the Classics.  Weather is often marginal, the roads are sure to be pitted, gritty and often littered with 'poodles'.  It's that great chance to have an adventure, and finish the day with a beer (now if we could only get good frites!  

And it's a chance to reflect on the hard men.