Speed Skating

This cold and snowy weather is giving me cabin fever and a bad attitude. I've been taking it out on the snow shovel, but that's getting old. I need relief! For a change of pace I went to the Olympic Speed Skating Oval this past weekend and watched a little of the National Speed Skating Championships. Wow, are those guys fast! And the ice is smooth as glass - seriously. I couldn't believe it. That looks kind of fun.




I hope the weather in St. George breaks soon. Camp Lynda is calling and I'm listening.

Another White Ride

Sunday I rode my single speed in the day light and had just as much fun as last week. Simplicity is nice and so is riding in the hard packed snow. I fell off a few times this ride since several areas weren't hard packed yet, but it was still fun. It reminds me of being a kid again.


This is the road leading to the gate at the top of Red Butte Canyon road.


Snow on the BB had no effect on shifting! It's nice to ride and look at the scenery without the noise of a geared bike. Quite is good...


And it's so nice having my daughter home from Weber State University. Some things never change, and I'm glad they don't. It's really a blast having her home and it reminds me of what is most important in my life. I love you Boogie.

Single Speed Night Ride

I rode my Rig 29er SS for the first time tonight on the Shoreline Trail, in the snow, with my Princeton Tech SB 2 helment light. Wow, what a fun ride. I have to do that more often. There's something special about riding at night. And, it beats the hell out of riding in the basment. It was pretty cold, 26 F, so overheating was not a problem, even though I didn't wear a lot of clothes. And traffic wasn't a problem either.

Regarding the Rig, what amazed me most was how well my tires hooked up, even on the short uphill sections. I never once spun out, even when I stood up. Maybe there is something to the G2 Geometry, or maybe it was the new rubber. I did notice the hardtail and how there isn't a lot of wasted energy when I pushed on the pedals. I wasn't able to test it's downhill character so I can't comment on if it tracks as well and quick as a 26. I'll try that out on a dry trail, in the daylight. I'm really excited to get into this SS thing and see if I can handle it. Standing on the climbs hasn't been my thing, but I can see that that has to change. Ain't no way I can pedal seated. And I'm riding a 20T cog! A 17T or 18T like the big boys and girl (KC) rides seems totally out of the question. Adam says his legs are bigger, so maybe I can put some meat on my sticks. Wouldn't that be sweet. More meat means fewer wrinkles!!! Sign me up.

Winter Wonderland

The second snow storm in a week hit Saturday morning and left 8-10 inches of wet, heavy snow. Shoveling is good for the core, but bad for the back. Guess I won't be riding the streets this weekend.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Last week the temp was in the high 60's when I rode the Flying Dog Trial in Park City with Chris Holley.

Today, the temp was in the upper 30's on the Mormon Trail. Burrrrr.....

What a difference a week makes! Winter is here - time to head south.

It's been a good holiday week with my family coming in from Texas and Michigan. My brother Wille brought his son Little Willie who is a senior in High School and already a world traveler. At 6 foot and 140 pounds, he's a perfect size for a climber. Hopefully we can convince him to get on the saddle and go for it. My sister Robin and her husband Bruno brought my mom with the from Texas and left the bad weather behind. It's always good seeing Robin because she is such a strong person and is just plain nice, like Jane. Maybe that's why I get along with her so well. I think my mom had a good time, but she's getting old and can't communicate very well. Hopefully she'll come back next year and we can repeat the good times again. The only downer was BYU beat Utah 17-10. Damn.....