The first of the team bikes has been built. Hopefully the parts for the rest of the bikes will be shipped in the next few days. Pretty exciting time as the team kits are due to be shipped next week as well. It's a bit of a bummer having snow in the forecast for tonight but the extended forecast looks pretty good. It would be nice to get some stable temps instead of working the extremes. Oh well..... that's Kansas!

This week more scout stuff and then the kids school had their open house. Went up to school and chatted with the kids teachers while checking out some of their work. Jonas and the Forth grade class did the cotton eyed joe for the parents. Tonight and tomorrow the Cub Scouts are selling tickets to the Pancake Feed next week. So if you are going to the grocery stores around 103rd & Metcalf beware of kids selling tickets. Of course they are outside, so you can feel sorry for them as they freeze their butts off. Tomorrow should be interesting in the snow.

Have you been here yet? I've ridden past the Moon Marble Company in Bonner Springs a million times (ok, a few dozen or so) but never noticed it before this spring. The kids went there for a birthday party and said it was really cool. I read in the paper that it's now considered one of the 8 wonders of Kansas.

So I tried to get out this afternoon on the MTB at SMP. No luck there. Dry sections laced with sections where there was slimy mud on top. Bailed pretty quick so I didn't put ruts in the trail and called it a day. Oh well, maybe tomorrow I'll get out for a snow ride, hopefully the last one of the year!

Tour of California Hangover

So the Tour is over and now I'm really tired. I tried in vain to check out the coverage during the day on Versus but something all ways got in the way. I'd see just enough to get me all fired up for the 10-11pm showing. Problem is.......somewhere around 10:30 I start to fade, by 10:45 pretty much out. I would guess that less than 50% of the time I saw the end of the stage. Being smarter than the average bear I did tape it(I know I'm old school), and some day I may actually watch it.














Last weekend while all of you hardy souls were out racing your bikes I was out participating in a real sport, Bowling! Grandpa was in town so we decided to get out of the house and do something. Pretty amusing taking the boys bowling and as you can see Jonas must be stunned by by expertise, either that or he's yawning, it could go either way.














So here's my latest hangout. The kids are in swim lessons right after school on Tue/Thur. so I've been here quite a bit. Eli is spooked of the water for some reason so we've been up practicing on top of the lessons. Sweet pool and that slide is pretty fun!

I did get a few rides in last weekend and actually got my new Fisher Superfly out on the trails. Light and quick are the key words here, I loved last years Paragon but this is even better. Sunday did a ride with the crew from the shop at Rivertrails on the MTB and then hopped on the road bike and rode back home. Got to say thanks to Scott for hauling my Superfly back to shop and for driving.

All I need now is some sleep..................................

Hy-Vee Triathlon DesMoines Prize List



















I wish I could swim, I wish I could swim........or run for that matter! Saw this on Syd's blog. That's some big money out there for the run, bike ,swim crowd.

Last night was the wife's nite to host her BUNKO group. Do you know what BUNKO is? I don't! All I know is that it involves cards, bells, junk food, and booze. Gather up a good sized group of women and you have a pretty noisy crowd. The boys and I end up doing movie night up in our bedroom before bed.

By time the party ends the boys are out and it's time to go downstairs to check out the Tour of California coverage. Today's stage was cool to watch, no rain and lot's of climbing. Versus has had more than it's share of problems but I guess any TV coverage is better than none.

Sill on the fence about the Froze Toes Road Race this weekend, Eli was sick today and spent the day at work with me. I'm a little worried about what comes next......

Superfly's and rides

The new Fisher Superfly is all built up and ready to go! Now all I need is some dry ground. The way the extended forecast looks I may not ride it before the Bone Bender 3HR Race in a few weeks.













Here's our collection of Superfly's. Two single speeds and one geared.












Got out with the PV Starbucks ride today. I think it was 25 degrees when we got started and ended up a balmy 35 degrees by time we were done. Nice ride as we headed up north to Parkville and around the lake. Even got home early for Valentines day!













Got out last week and rode up to Wyandotte Co Lake. Hilly route and then did a lap around the lake where the road is really hilly and winding. It would be a great road course if you could keep everybody on the road and out of the trees.












What goes down must go up! You can see off in the distance where the road goes back up to the top. Steep stuff!

Tomorrow more of the same, cold but I can't complain. The boys in Lincoln are riding in 5 inches of snow and it's going to be a long time before they hit the trails. Tomorrows ride; Prairie Village Starbucks 10am, don't be late!

70's and Snow

Yesterday it was in the 70's, today, rain and then snow! The weather this week has been pretty crazy but we need the rain. At least the some of the salt on the streets got washed away. Too bad there is snow in the forecast for Friday.
Hmmmmm, what will it be this weekend.......road, dirt, or trainer? Only time will tell.

Superfly SS

Scott and Sean waisted no time in getting their Superfly SS 29'ers built up. I heard something about 22 lbs thrown around . I think I'll try and get my geared Superfly built up tomorrow just in case it gets cold enough to hit the trails this weekend. I just heard thunder outside so it's gonna have to get real cold!

It's Derby time

Busy time lately with the kids, Thursday was Eli's Musical program at school. It was the first time that we sat in the front row to watch one of the kids programs and Eli made sure it was spectacular. Of the thirty or so kids he was the one clown in the group. Every parents nightmare, he did just about everything imaginable on stage except grab himself before it was over. I can't tell you how many people came up to us after the program and told us how cute he was. I sure they walked away glad it wasn't there kid! Oh well, kids will be kids and he sure had a great time.













Then came Friday night, the big night, the Pinewood Derby Races. I finally finished sticking the wheels on the cars by 5pm and then the races started at 7pm. We got there and had to spend a few minutes making them weight the official 5oz., no more, no less on the digital scale. To make a long story short we did pretty well, Eli was 1st in his group and Jonas was 3rd in his. Not too bad for as little time that we put into the cars.













Stickers really speed up the painting process!

The Line up, Bruce the Shark is still my favorite.

Saturday I went on a solo ride. Started early a little bundled up but by the end of the ride I was down to shorts and a short sleeve jersey. Got home in time to wash cars, bikes, and dogs. Nice day, even managed to get the family out on the bike path for a ride before it got dark.

Today, Brrrrrr, it felt cold after yesterday. Went on the PV Starbucks Ride 8 or 9 others. Small group, I don't know what the deal was but I never could get warm so it was a pretty mellow ride and I was glad to get home.

Looks like rain/snow is in the forecast for the week, bummer, I've got a new MTB to try out. By the way, I've got a 19 inch Fisher Paragon, brand new RaceX Lite 29'er wheels, and a 55cm Lemond Filmore SS for sale. I'll have prices and details up in a day or so.

New Toys

Today a few super cool toys arrived in the shop. Two Fisher Superfly Single Speed frames and a geared Superfly for me! Sorry, I know what you're thinking, but the frames are spoken for and they are no longer available. If you want a Superfly with gears, we can do that. I got some Race x Lite wheels in black to go with my bike. Maybe I'll actually ride it before the first race this year.

Worked on a TREK 800 from the early 80's that came from Cycle Works in Lincoln, NE. Funny thing is I probably built the bike back in the day when I worked there. I should start a photo collection of all the shop stickers that I see.

65 degrees tomorrow and even warmer in the next few days. It's gonna be windy!

Kids do the darndest things!

Ted posted a school assignment that his son had done on his blog a while ago that made me laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes. My wife forwarded this one to me that's just about as good!

A first grade girl handed in the drawing below for a homework assignment.
After it was graded and the child brought it home, she returned to school the next day with the following note:
















Dear Ms. Davis,
I want to be very clear on my child's illustration. It is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint. I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This photo is of me selling a shovel.
Mrs. Harrington

Someday I'm sure my kids will get me with one, either that or all ready have and the teachers are too embarrassed to tell us.

Weekend review

Saturday was nice, well, the warm temps were nice, the wind, not so much. But, as Tilford would say, you must embrace the wind! As we all know going into the wind is a pain but the tailwind makes it up and then some. Anyway, the ride was long and painful just as I predicted thanks to these two knucklehead's. Just what I wanted so thanks guys!

Stopped at a quick shop along the way and as I was standing at the counter Bill overheard this punk as he pointed at me and said, "check out that dude" to his sister. Only then did I realize that dressed from head to toe in my blue Lincoln Industries clothes I must of looked like a giant smurf. (just google it)

Sundays ride was a "I can't get dropped I don't know my way home" ride. We went northwest through KC and we weren't even out of town and I was lost and had no idea which direction we were going. To top it off my legs were dead from the ride the day before. Another long ride but this time we had a group of 20 or so strong riders. It was a great ride, looking at a map now I still have no idea where we went. I think if I mention Sugar creek and Amoco hill people will know what I'm talking about.

I all most forgot about the TREK KC holiday party. Some good chow with the crew from the shop and then off to do a little bowling. Above I present the "ball yard", yes it's a yard of beer served through a bowling ball. I've got to say that bike racers generally suck at bowling from what I could see. Overall it was pretty amusing to see the whole crew away from the shop.Good times I tell ya.