Happy New Year

It's snowy in Lincoln. Happy New Year from the drifts.

Good Ride

Just Rusty and me last night - but we had fun. Found the new section at Corby that Shawn had been talking about. Missed it when I groomed the trails earlier this winter. Will plan to get back there and clear them ASAP. there was a very large tree that fell and blocked two of the sections, but I should be able to get most of it out with a hand saw. The section looks like it will be fast but twisty when groomed and packed... Here's a rough photo ->

I will be either working or out of town most of this weekend, but would like to organize a 2:00 pm ride on Monday. Is anyone in? Maybe we could meet at Corby, do a lap, then ride over to Krug and do a lap. Hmmm, sounds fun.

Thursday Night - Back in the Saddle

Well - it's here again. Thursday night and it's time to rock and roll. Who thinks they can make it into the inky blackness tomorrow night.

Rode this morning and it was warm enough that there was no frost, so things were kind of soft. However, the temperatures were mild today, it should not freeze tonight, and tomorrow night will be in the 40s -- so I'm thinking that the trails might actually be fast again at Corby.

Who's In?

Snuck an Afternoon Ride

Rode a lap at Krug and it was muddy. It was kind of scary in some spots, but pretty much rideable. I was geared with a 36x20, which I can clean the hills with when conditions are good... However, in the mud I did some walking.



Then Wednesday and I cruised over to Sunbridge, which I have never ridden before. It was awesome. I couldn't believe how cool the trails were. Can't wait to get back there with a geared bike, as there were some climbs that I could not do on the ss, but would like to try with some lower gearing. The view was amazing as the sun was setting on the river.

Hoping we can get the Thursday ride going again this week. Is anyone else available? Spencer, isn't it time to get that Pugley out on a night ride?

Couldn't Bike, So We Hiked

Between work and family in town, didn't have much time for biking today... so Wednesday and I went for a quick hike. Corby was sweet. Here's Wednesday agreeing with me. --->

Tonight - I hope

My guess is that Corby will be a little wet. I would still like to ride though. Hook up at the University Parking Lot in front of the Rec. Center if you would like to ride the wood chip trails there.

I have been getting hung up at work more often than not lately, but my hope is that I will be there at 6:30.

LM

new and good stuff

First of all Joe from the news press is working up a story on the new trails. It could be great exposure for what we are doing. I'll keep you posted on when the paper has the article printed. Second I had to buy an RV to do the snow stuff at snow creek. Has any one seen Space Balls? yes it looks like that. So that means spring and summer mobile bike shop and command post for epic rides and adventures. It will be great for 12 and 24 hour races! Speaking of that the Heatland series, Yes the big boy, want us to host an endurence event at Corby this year. They will be up some time next week to ride the trails and plan the event, anyone interested in riding let me know. This will be a big break for the mtb community here and expose KC people to what we are doing.

Sunday Ridin'

Great day for riding. Did 4 laps, one backward. Wednesday was pretty thursty by the end.

I was getting pretty tired too. That bike is not geared for tacky trails on those hills.

It was a little lonesome though - hopefully we can get some folks stirred up for rides after the first of the year.

BTW - Heard that there was a new Pugsley in town. Can't wait to get Spence out there to see how it works. Thought I saw some Pugsley tracks out there today, but couldn't be for sure.

I won't make it out on Tuesday, I'll be travelling to Lincoln for work, then might try to catch the Tuesday nite ride there.

LM

1:00PM Sunday

Heading out for a ride right now. Should be at the Corby Parking Lot at 1:00.

LM

Weekend Rides

Here is a shot of Shawn coming up the trail with his train light. That's right, it is as bright as it looks and I was totally blind for a few seconds after snapping this pic. The trail was kind of muddy. Not real slippery, but the mud was sticking to my tires and was definitely the factor that made the single speed experience rough with a 2:1 gearing. Only did one lap, then walked part of the new trails. It's looking pretty good over there. I bet we will have some new trails by spring!




Here's a shot of my buddy James at Landhl this summer. It was hotter than hell, but we had a great time. Can't wait till things calm down with work so I can enjoy some of the great Missouri riding like this again.

James and wife just had a baby, so he is probably not riding much either. Enjoy the photo.

As far as weekend rides go - Today, I don't know what I can get away with. Tomorrow, I would like to head out for a 1:00pm ride if the weather cooperates. Anyone up for meeting at Corby - 1:00 pm?

LM

Thursday - Sweet!

I'm riding tonight - come hell or high water, I'm riding. They say you never forget how, hope that's true...

See you out there. Rusty, Javier, Jim, Shawn, Russ - I know you guys are free, so you better be there.

LM

Tuesday Night - Sitting This One Out

Well gang, I won't be able to make it out for this Tuesday niter, but I hope the rest of you will. I also hope you will snap a pic or two and post them.



Found this picture at Joe's Crab Shack in Olathe, so I thought I would post it in aticipation of Thursday's ride.

LM

results

We cleared somemore of the front sections. Rusty running the saw with Jim and I clearing and cleaning up. Steve Williams and son showed up right as I was leaving to give a hand. He is new to the area and is excited about the new trails. One more work day like this and we will have the entire front section cut. I spoke with Randy Tracy yesterday and he said he should be back in town by the end of the month. Randy is one of the pioneers of Mt. biking in the area, it will be good to have him back to modivate us. Feel free to go out on your own and clear, it won't hurt my feelings one bit.

Trail Work

Well, I'm stuck here at work while you lucky dogs are out there enjoying the weather and trails.

Have fun. Post something on progress so far!

LM

Sporatic Riding This Week

Well, we rode on Tuesday. Here are the left overs -

I'm missing the Thursday night ride right now, although it wasn't sounding like many were going to show.

I had to work late tonight, will be working later tomorrow, Sat, and Sun. Seems like the next week will be kind of ugly too. I expect to be back in the swing of things next Thursday, but until then I will be working on putting on weight and being stressed.

Anyway, this means I won't be at the trail work day... Sorry Shawn.

The good news is that Wednesday got her stitches out tonight and she's looking good.

More good news, I think I have most of the Corby Trails mapped. Check out the picture... Yellow is the established trails - Red is the Corby Expansion Loop, or part of it.

See you guys soon - Enjoy the trails.

next trail day

Anyone up to somemore torture? Lets have a trail day this Sat. morning from 8-12, it looks a little cool in the morning but it will be a good warmup for riding in the afternoon. We got alot done last time and it looks like someone has done more chainsaw work since then. We were thinking the prisoners would be working on the 18th but they thought the 1st would be a better start time. All the chain saw work that can be done before then the better. Something about prisoners in the woods with saws that makes them nervous.

Tuesday Night is coming!

LOOK!

It's almost time for the Tuesday Night Ride!

Okay, this isn't a picture of the Tuesday Night Ride - Yet....

Well, we all survived Monday. Reward yourself, you deserve it. Charge up your light, saddle up, and ride the Corby winter wonderland.

See you all at the Corby Stretching Station at 6:30.

(The group picture is of the 2005 Laramie Enduro, that's me in like 20th place. Later in the race i moved up to about 15th, then I missed a turn, got lost, and came in something like 85th. Thought I was going to die that day. Best and worst day of my life. Anyone in for next year?)

New Trails

Had a pretty successful trail work day. Not sure how far we got, but I am guessing maybe half a mile of brand new trail. It doesn't sound like much, but we were fighting for every inch in some places. Shawn is right, the trails are going to be fast once groomed and packed. I am looking forward to it.

Unfortunately, I see work getting kind of hectic for me over the next few weeks - so my ride updates and appearances might fade abit. However, I will do what I can.

After the craziness calms down though, I am all about the bike.

Shawn is going to try for another trail work day in the next couple weeks. Sounds like with a little help from the bikers, the city might be willing to throw in some resources. That is something new to me... In Lincoln the cithy would put more energy into keeping us off trails than anything else.

Corby is still in good shape, and I might try to ride it tomorrow morning... Depending. Been trying to shake off a cold or something since the cold wet ride on Tuesday. Maybe not one of my smarter moves.

Ouch

This is the picture of one of the bikes after the Thanksgiving Day wreck in Lincoln that I witnessed. All damage was incurred from the force of two riders hitting eachother head on. Note that the top and down tubes are both damaged. Imagine getting hit with a steel tube hard enough to damage the tube that bad... Ouch!

Congrats Jamos

My good buddies James and Racheal just had a new baby girl (Leah). Congratulations and best of luck. Can't wait to see some pictures!

LM

Beautiful weather!

Yes, according to The Weather Channel, tonight will entail "snow flurries and snow showers early with a chance of lingering snow showers later."

I will be riding the MWSU trails and ya'll welcome! Meet at the front entrance to Exercise Building at say 7 PM.

You'll definitely want to budle up as the low temp will be 12 degrees with winds from NNW at 20 to 30 mph. Ahhh... the holiday season has officially begun!

TRAIL WORK DAY !!! 8:00AM SAT

If you love your trails, meet at the Corby Stretching Station at 8:00AM on Saturday. Bring your bike and we can ride afterward. The Frankenstein dog might even make an appearance. Rusty will whip out his chain saw... but don't let that deter you. Javier will whip out his blower... but don't let that entice you. Shawn will be wandering around the woods... so look out.

With a few of these folks hitting it hard, we should be able to knock out a couple miles of trails out pretty quick. The more the merrier. Bring your favorite tool. Here is a list of what we need -

• Chain Saw (we really need people with these)
• Weed Whacker
• Leaf Blower
• Hoe or Shovel
• Hand Saw
• Rake

Weather and a Quote

Well, the weather is a big turd. My guess is most of us are off the bike for a few days. If things clear up a little bit maybe we can ride tomorrow. Guess we will have to wait and see...

Here is a quote:

>Thought for the Day:>
>Some people are like Slinkies
>Not really good for anything,
>But they still bring a smile to
>your face when you push
>them down a flight of stairs.

Tuesday Night - 6:30 PM

Lets hit it at 6:30 PM - Corby Pond Stretching station. If it is wet, then we can cruise the bike paths. If it is not too wet we can hit the trails.

See you then!

Rough Weekend

The dog and I hit Corby this morning. On the second lap Wednesday took off after a rabbit. Somewhere in the brush she got hung up on something sharp. Finally came limping back with a 6-8" laceration that made it into the chest muscle. I wasn't sure what was the problem at first, until I saw the red badge of honor. Had to coax her out of the woods for nearly a mile to get to the car. The fine doctors at East Hills Animal Clinic cleaned her up and got her back in my hands within a couple hours. She is a little goofy tonight, but seems to be resting comfortably.

On top of that, my phone won't forward pictures and I can't even share the gorey details.

The good news is that Shawn hooked me up with the new Cannodale today. It is sweet and I can't wait to ride it. The bad news is that I can't post a picture of it either, so here is a picture of an equivalent set up.

Now imagine this bike with a yellow Headshok instead of a Lefty. On my last frame, I allowed the rear shock to run most of its specified travel. I think this might have been part of the problem with the chain stay breakage. The frame has no pivot point, and it is only a matter of time before that "carpet fiber" chain stay gives up the fight. This time I am going to run it tight. I don't care if I get the crap knocked out of me - it's going to be a stiff rear end.

no snakes in winter

It a good thing that there are no snakes and poison oak out in winter! I have the rest of the section marked accross from corby. Let me say that it will be screaming fast because I followed the contor lines as close as I could. The down side is about following contor lines instead of swinging around obsticals is all the down timber. There are logs everywhere across the marked trail. Everything is marked clearly so it would be very helpful if those of you with chainsaws could start cuting what you could out of the way. Those without chainsaws could start cuting small brush out with clipers. Those without clipers could use a rake to clear path of leaves and sticks. If you don't have any of those just get creative. The more we can get done before or during the time the prisoners on the work crew are clearing the trails the more we will get done. There is even talk of getting them longer to do more if we have enough support. That would allow us to get the old girl scout camp done too adding at least 5-7 more trails to the 4-5 we are going to finnish in a few weeks. That is the posibility of 12 miles of new trails done before spring adding to the 4.5 miles at corby. 16 to 20 miles of trail just think about that, that doesn't even count krug! The city needs to see we are serious about this. Lets have a work day and get everyone together say next Sat. and put a big dent in it. Call me at the shop 816-279-1500 lets make arrangements.

Thanksgiving Day Massacre

Sorry about no posts or rides for the last couple days. Went to Lincoln and rode with a buddy through Wilderness Park. In the last year there have been a couple head on collisions out there with broken bones and broken frames. This was one of the worst for bikes. It was some carnage and I really hope they make that park into a loop before someone gets killed. It is bound to happen. I took photos of the bike damage, but there is something wrong with my phone and I lost them. Here is the link to one of the wreck participant's blogs.

http://www.sydspinnin.blogspot.com/

I heard she is still racing in the Jingle Cross race today. Good luck Syd. Dave is out of a frame again, but has one on hand as a warranty replacement after breaking a Gary Fissure at Krug. Hey JSpell, haven't you broken a G.F. or two at Krug? Anyway, in the collission Dave's frame was destroyed. The down tube and top tube ripped nearly in half. I couldn't believe no one was killed.

Stay safe folks.

Planning to ride both Sunday and Saturday, but at odd times. Jazzercise is opening up a new center in STJ and my wife is the boss. Trying to help clean up the place before folks start sweating on the floor.

Post a time if you are going and I will try to catch up - although I won't promise anything.

Tuesday Night Blast

Fast loops last night. Felt like I worked pretty hard. I think all had a good time. Rusty, Javier, Jim, the dog, and me. Here are some very blurry pictures:

Rusty Come'n at you like a nightmare.

Blurry Rusty - not that this picture is proof, but he really does exist.

Tuesday Night Ride

Hey Gang -

I'll be at Corby on Tuesday night at 6:00 pm. Weather will be clear and cold at about 36 F with light winds at 5-10 mph. Trail condition was great this morning.

My knees are a little stiff, so I might only get one or two laps in.

Word is that Rusty will be back in the saddle, and Javier is talking about an appearance. Come one, come all.

For your viewing entertainment: here are some photos of some of my old riding buddies in Lincoln fighting their way up "Holligan Hill" - http://photos.mombok.com/gallery/2146901

For more entertainment: here is a commentary on the evils of corporate america followed by more pictures of the Nebraska Championship Cyclocross Race from the perspective of "Holligan Hill". http://www.jedionabike.blogspot.com

Enjoy.....

Time Trials at Corby & MWSU

Okay, for those of you whom want to gauge your outdoor riding to something... as another form of training for next season and/or just for fun... I'm going to kinda of keep track of the time it takes to do the 2 3/4 mile loop that is still pretty cleared at Corby and also the wood chip trail at MWSU which I forget right now how long that one is... I'll mention it next time I make comment to this post. Others can post your times as a comments also, so we can keep track of them in the same place.
Today Lansen and I did the Corby loop in just or shy of 20 minutes. My best time at MWSU is 9 min & 49 seconds... love going fast on that course!

Krug after Corby...

After Lansen & Jim left, I headed over there and ran into Brian (don't know last name) and his son in law, whom just finished riding Krug. Told him about this website/blog and Brian will try to hook up on T or W nite rides after he gets a light.

Did the entire outside perimeter loop at Krug and I'd say only 10-20% of trail was leaf covered... it was so obvious where Lansen had gone in and blow leaves off trail. Thank you very much. Overall the trail was very sticky and and it's so nice to zoom (my definition of zoom) through the cleared sections, which again was majority. Still no trees or new obstacles to worry about.

Oh, forgot to mention that a horse dropped a very large bomb on the trail... near where the Lamas live... I'm so happy that I put on my mud guards! It was disgusting!! I thought horses aren't allowed back there? I didn't see any traces of hoof prints so it really took me by surprice when I came up on it.

Another cool thing about having the trails cleared of leaves is that you can come across a lot more wild life... can't tell you how many birds I scared off... way cool!

Sunday Afternoon @ Corby

Javier says "Are we riding or are we farting around?"


Javier says "I am the man!" Jim says "If you say so..."

Javier and I did 3 laps at Corby this afternoon. Trail conditions were good, weather was in the mid-40s. Ran into Jim on the last lap and finished it out with him. Good times. Only one wreck, and guess who it was... That's right, it was me. Ran out of steam on the rocky uphill, and lucky there was some sharp rocks there to stop my knee from falling any further. Almost shed a tear, damn!


After lap 3 I went home to support the wife's Jazzercise effort. Those ladies are animals!


Also, checked out some of the Corby Extension trail markings before Javier arrived. Looks like it is going to be cool. Shawn is definately the savant when picking out new trails, it all just looks like trees to me. Can't wait to start breaking them in!

Early Sunday at Krug

It was a beautiful morning at Krug. Trails are in decent condition, although leaves are still an issue in some places. After leaf blowing some of the trails yesterday afternoon, I am not sure it was worth it. Pictures are of trails that were not groomed. Groomed sections are cleaner, but not all connected. Some of the chutes and rutted climbs were so clogged with leaves they could not be removed with the leaf blower, and attempts at grooming may have made them worse. Might try to clear them with a rake today. not sure yet.

Some corners and climbs were covered with frosty leaves, which was especially hazardous. No wrecks though.

Was geared too high (2x1) for the trail, so ended up walking some of the climbs - the above picture being one of the walker hills.

Meeting Javier at Corby for a ride at 1:30 - anyone is welcome to join us.

Dogs love single track too!

Wanna ride at Krug early Sunday morning Wednesday? Wednesday says yes... It's on. Trying for 7:00AM. 2-laps.

Trail Work this Weekend

Corby Extention Saturday - Shawn will be flagging new trails as mentioned in the earlier post - probably starting at 7:30 AM. I'm sure he would love company if folks are interested. He is a trail building fool, and has a real knack for laying out trails that limit erosion and maximize available real estate. Sounds like the new stuff is going to be pretty sweet.

Krug Maintenance Saturday- Planning to visit Krug in the afternoon to blow some of the leaves off existing trails. May not get through the whole loop, but am looking forward to clearing a fair part of it. Will be joined by the dog, who is more than obliged to sniff your butt if you'd like to pay a visit. Not sure what time, but I'm thinking around 2:00 PM. Planning to get some before and after shots of some trail sections to show how nice the trails are after being groomed.

(if you would like to join in on either activity, leave a comment and I will respond with contact information and/or meeting times)

Saturday Ride - 7:30 AM

Looking to ride at Krug tomorrow in the AM - shooting for 7:30. Thinking about two laps, but will have to see if the legs hold out. The ss is geared pretty high, and it is a push getting up most of the hills at Corby, let alone the straight-up, rooty, leafy, lung busters at Krug. However, after watching those pros from the Cannondale Demo Days do the entire loop in their big rings, I believe anything is possible. I had never considered doing those hills in the big ring.... psychos.

Will post with trail conditions after the ride.

Thursday Night - Cold and Cool

Here is a crappy picture of my new ride. The frame feels a little small, and the seat post is extended way too far. Need to order a really long post I guess.

First Thursday Night ride was a success. There were 4 of us and we had a good time. Took a lap. Chatted in the parking lot for a bit over a beer, then dropped back in for another one. The dog joined us and didn't cause any wrecks as far as I could tell. I got some pooh on my tire, which then somehow made it onto my glove, which then of course wiped some snot off my nose. I wouldn't say the rest of the ride stunk, but I sure did. I want to believe that it was not my dog that crapped on the trail, but not many would accuse her of being very smart. Anyway, it was dark and guilt can't be proven.

Plan for another ride on Tuesday night at 6:30. Hopefully we will get some regulars for both rides.

Shawn is planning some trail work on Saturday AM. He some how wrangled some help from an unlikely source. I'll let him comment on that.... Anyone that can make it out to build some trails should join in the fun. I'm thinking I would like to get to Krug to do some much need trail work this weekend. Let me know if there are any interested parties.

Ride Tonight!!!

Plan on it ride tonight at Corby!!!! 6:30pm.

You can see my new single speed - she's sweet.

Wednesdat 5:30 AM - Corby

Trail Conditions Fast and Clear. Slight wind in the trees. Some leaves had blown down hills onto trail in spots, but not bad. No down trees yet, but wind will pick up today.

Heard some wierd noises in the dark this morning, but had the dog with me - so I wasn't scared.

Helmet Lamp Suggestions

Somehow my NR TrailRat wasn't working. Thankfully, my Blackburn System X3 was worked like a champ. Still, one light on the handlebar isn't as effective as two or three.
I'm open for recommendations on a helmet lamp that doesn't require a cord dangling down to my backpack... for local night rides when not going out too long & so don't like to carry a backpack/hydration pack. More specifically looking for something bright that can simply clamp to helmet... right now my Blackburn system does come with helmet mount but because the strap goes around & inside helmet, the helmet no longer fits as well.

Krug @ 7 PM

After doing one loop at the nicely groomed Corby, I rode on the sidewalk to Krug. Started out on Krug trail the same way as the race course this summer. There first section was fairly clear of leaves... must get a lot of activity. Still have to BE CAREFULl of roots... I almost biffed on a very small root that crossed trail right before a turn... yes, the tortoise was going too fast!

Regardless, Krug is still very rideable, even with leaves on the trai... I think mostly due to fact that all the hard work trimming the foilage for the race this summer didn't get a chance to grow back... so even though majority of trail is leave covered, one can clearly tell where the trails are.

By the way, thanks to whomever placed that bridge over primary creek somwhere in middle of trails... only one more bridge needed and I won't have to get my bike dirty! ;0)

new trail construction

A rep. from the city and I walked and marked the new trail section across from corby. This new section will be very fast with gradual climbs and long flowing decents. Some sections will be an eighth of a mile of wide open flow, as fast as you can pedal! We discovered a bridge in the middle to cross a creek that was cool. I estimate there is anothe five miles worth of trails back there. I'll post work times when I know when we will be working out there.

Corby Pond 5:30 Am

Corby Pond at 5:30 AM, Tuesday 14Nov2006. Trail Conditions fast and tacky, weather was cool and pleasant. The dog had a great time running behind.

Thursday Ride

How about a nite ride on Thursday?

-6:30 pm
-meet at Corby Stretching Station
-bring a lite, it will be dark
-bring your favorite drink for a break at the fire pit!

Weather should be clear, but cold - bundle up.
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxdetail/64506?dayNum=4

Corby Pond Trail

Spent most of the morning clearing sticks and leaves with a leaf blower on something like 4 miles of the loop at Corby Pond Saturday Morning. Last week I cleared down trees and larger debris with a rake and saw. End result - trail is in great shape. Conditions are fast, dry, and safe. Even new sections are in good shape, and are very rideable.

Went back in the afternoon and did 3 laps with the dog (see above). Ran into a couple guys out riding the trails for the first time. I heard their voices through the trees a number of times commenting on how awesome the trails are. We are lucky to have this area - Thanks to the bike shop guy for carving all the new sections this summer!

Still didn't stop me from doing an endo on one of the log crossings. Usually run it with the cross bike, but thought I would ride it this time. Pretty much ate dirt.

Going to start putting together a Tuesday Nite Ride for all interested parties. I think I might even bring some beers for a break at the Fire Pit for all interested parties.

Welcome to St Joe Mountain Biking

No kidding, St. Joe has some of the best mt. biking around. Technical, fun, fast hilly. There are a number of trails right in town and each has a very distinct flavor. Would really like to get a weekly night ride going - and hope to grow that group to some weekend rides, a pub crawl or two, and regularly scheduled beer rides. I also believe there could be some great local, good-time races on the local courses. Finally, I want to organize a trail maintenance group - with over 15 miles of single track right in the city limits, we need help to keep/make these trails sweet.

Get ready for some good times - here we go!