RAGBRAI Day 3 turned out to be one of those days when I wished I didn’t wear prescription glasses. They have some wind in Iowa, that’s for sure! It was 81 miles from Emmetsburg to Forest City. A head wind. Is the cruelest of the winds. However, the side wind is just a jerk! The previous day’s ride ended with an 8 mile pull into a brutal headwind coming out of the South. The next… Read More »
The ride from Okojobi to Emmetsberg was supposed to be a breeze. At only 41 miles and 1,000 feet of elevation gain, it is the type of ride I can handle in my sleep. Well, the ride was indeed a breeze, but not in the way that I expected. Since it was going to be a short day, I got a late start. I was supposed to meet a local, Jon,… Read More »
Flying to Iowa from Washington State is never easy. Not lots of options for direct flights. Go figure. So through Dallas was the plan. Damn thunderstorms. One redeye to Chicago later, I arrived in Iowa with a lot of bags and not enough sleep. But I didn’t care! I was at RAGBRAI for the second time! Of course, I had a booth at the Expo. It was fun, although I… Read More »
My last BEER Run to Lower Case Brewing was months ago. It was not even an intentional BEER Run. I just stumbled across it on my ride home one evening. I was long overdue for a more formal BEER Run (BEER Run IV). My plan was to go from the Tukwila Community Center to Ballard to Peddler Brewing. On my way home, I was planning on stopping at Lower Case Brewing. … Read More »
A few weeks ago, I reviewed the Park Tool Super Patch Kit. At that point, I had been using it for about a year (4-5 tubes) without any problems. They were so easy to use. You just prep the surface and apply them. What could be easier?! I usually have a stack of tubes to repair. I patched them all in preparation for my review. To test my patch job,… Read More »
This weekend was the annual Fremont Solstice Parade. I had really been looking forward to it. If you are not familiar with the Solstice parade, it is truly a one of a kind event. Located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, the solstice parade celebrates the summer solstice. All of the floats are human powered, edgy and very creative. There are all different types of music. The crowning touch of… Read More »
This is a post that will really date me, but it is best to explain my mountain biking experience before I get into the review. When I was in college, I had a rigid Haro Escape mountain bike. I rode that bike everywhere! I commuted to school from my apartment, I rode to the bars for a night on the town and I rode my Haro to the store to… Read More »
I am fond of flipping the bird. I do admit it is crass. It certainly is crude. In terms of expression it is not particularly creative. However, it is a quick, easy and painless method to express my frustration. Usually when said gesture is complete, I feel much better. An extended middle finger is silly when you think about it but it is a very old gesture. Flipping the Bird… Read More »
I have a definite love hate relationship with Cascade’s Flying Wheels Summer Century. Considered a major tune-up for the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic. Cascade claims if you can handle the full century, you are on pace to ride STP in one day. I am not so sure if that is true, but Flying Wheels is a challenging course. I have ridden three Flying Wheels and it has always been… Read More »
Update… I was enamored with the Park Tool Super Patch Kit, but the honeymoon is over. It has been nothing but frustration ever since. Read more at: http://cyclebuttcrack.com/review-park-tool-super-patch-kit-redux/ It wasn’t long ago that a new tube was $3-$4. As with most things, prices have gone up. It is not uncommon to spend $6 for a new tube. If you have deep dish rims, a tube can be well over $10.… Read More »