Golf Yes, Mountain Bike No!

No, I am not giving up mountain biking for golf. But where the county golf courses are all open from this week, the mountain bike trails are not. And that means big money for our Department of Natural Resources. Volunteers at the John Muir trails in the Southern Kettles reported seeing an out of state vehicle pull up and unload their bikes. They received fines of over $500 for not having a pass for their vehicle, not having a trail pass and riding closed trails; clearly posted.  And the trails are closed for good reason. Riding on soft muddy trails destroys them. Locally you can volunteer to work on the Minooka trails this Sunday from 8am to 11am for all you pagans who don’t go to church (or Catholics who go Saturday). Don’t forget the Social Ride. Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park is still open.

For you road bikers let us not forget the Kenosha Velodrome lest the gods unleash their fury upon the masses for your lack of priestly devotions; racing starts May 14th. Repent for your Winter sloth and prepare. In June is the Tour of America’s Dairy Land. What better way to promote the event at the Bike Expo than with an automobile. Don’t forget the La Crosse Omnium; coming soon.

The Bike Expo was not talked about at the latest Metro Mountain Biker’s meeting other than club product sales. The emphasis at the Expo seems to have shifted in the direction of advocacy and bicycling group promotions, including tours and races, but the sales were still the draw and major focus. The area for bicycle inventory was a bit smaller, a reflection of our economy, but Trek had a trailer devoted to custom bike design. So there are still plenty of rich people but the rest of us… Emery’s sale is on through this weekend.

Bern is a company I have not noticed before. They design and manufacture helmets with a touch of style in an attractive composite design. I need a helmet and a few other accessories, if only I had the money. Our visit to the Expo was short lived. My wife always reminds us that one of our dogs was at the vet dying of poisoning one year we went to the Expo. She was a good dog, only six years old.

The price of electric bikes has both dropped, slightly, and risen. There is quite a variety. Something I will research more for you, my readers. But in the meantime Our team, ‘The Front Four’ is bowling for the trophy next week. No, bowling isn’t a way one rides a mountain bike, we are bowling.

The $55 question, see Charity Jackpot page in sidebar, remains the same but I will repeat it here. What are the names of the two public funded schools I have attended? If the question is missing it is the same as the last post that had a question and the amount still rises per post. Of course the real money is in the multipliers, which are questions from the books I have written (on Jackpot page). One, “Chuck Hammer and the Invisible Squadron; A Vendetta’s Wage” is on sale now as an e-book for $0.99.

Summer, It Has To Come Sometime

And when it does one need be ready. I’m not just talking for grilling but for all the other opportunities in partaking of God’s wondrous creation. Many would say it was all created intentionally for us to enjoy. Others that all things would be better off without us; humankind. To the latter I say lead the way.

For the rest of us, begin your Summer preparations at the Wheel and Sprocket Bike Expo going on now, this weekend only, in the exhibition center at State Fair Park. The colorful Gary Fischer himself will be there. I have more often than not seen my Alderman looking for some deals too. Or Emery’s is having a competing Trek sale through next weekend.

Metro Mountain Bikers will be holding down a booth as well as other organizations with various purposes from advocacy to bike tourism; everything from A to T. The next Metro meeting is Tuesday, where out of the nearly 1700 hours of volunteer time 23 members devoted more than 20 hours individually. They will be highly honored with the bestowing of t-shirts.

Life must be good. I am steadily achieving a small goal of having fashionable head coverings for every occasion. Nothing like a good hat. Not sure why they fell out of style. Of course they would be quite troublesome in these days of declining values as generally few remove their hats when they enter a building and say sit down for a lecture. I am in desperate need of a new bike helmet for when I am hitting the trails. Of course I never had a helmet when I was a child and endeavored in far more reckless acts than these days and I turned out fine, …depending on who you ask.

Summer! Here are some cycling activities to add to your calendar. Or smart phone as you can download WORS’ entire racer handbook. The only place to begin competitive mountain biking not matter what the age. Here’s the WEMS schedule for you hard core endurance types; you have three weeks to prepare for their first event. Some stand alone events that are popular these days are ‘The Ore to Shore’ August 9th, and the infamous ‘Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival’ which is already full, but they have a blog.

For the road bike, the La Crosse Omnium is coming, and they are on you/tube.

My wife and I are hoping to get to The Bike Expo tomorrow after church. I am interested in seeing the latest in electric drives and the costs and features of the latest bikes. Then we will be watching the ACM Awards. I not only need to lose 40lbs to compete again, I need a new bike. My old Trek 6700 has been demoted to a utility bike.

The South Shore

It’s been over six weeks since the groundhog saw his shadow warning us of a long Winter. The below freezing nights and warm days are ideal for Maple Syrup gathering. I appreciate such weather in the larger scope of things, and hardly desire to belittle a wonderful Winter. We certainly don’t want a quick thaw and the flooding it can cause. But if we stay below freezing throughout the day once more this Spring I am going groundhog hunting and I don’t care what his name is.

This months Metro Mountain Bikers meeting was on the South Shore. The North Shore is known for its wealthy neighborhoods and lake shore homes. The South Shore is South of Milwaukee proper and home to the World Famous South Shore Cyclery, home to used and vintage bikes including a museum. I saw at least four models of electric drive bicycles for sale in their showroom. One was a mere $1,000 though the other three models topped $2,000 all the way to $3,000, which was the price at the Bike Expo for one of the first electric drive bikes on the market a few years ago.

Yes the Bike Expo is coming April 4-6; the unofficial start of the Bicycle season. It’s free and parking isn’t too expensive if you don’t want to walk. The Metro Spring Social Ride is later in April and a good time especially if you like beer. I stay away from drinking oriented activities myself. For those of an International nature of adventure there is the MTB Himalaya Shimla Edition 2014 before the Social Ride. For those of an athletic nature who have yet to make plans for the riding season there is always the Trans-Iowa.

The WORS Handbook is out (though they didn’t send me one). But I wont be racing till my weight gets back down to 250lbs. Yes, my wife bought Paczki (if you don’t know how to pronounce it you can’t, trust me) for Fat Tuesday, an indulgence before Lent. Does that mean we didn’t eat them during Lent. No, that would make me a pig or wasteful as I could never eat all that in one day. The prune is far too underutilized in modern baked goods.

I have consistently gained ten-pounds during the Winter and lost only five the following Summer for nearly a decade. I am now forty-pounds heavier than I was when I bought my mountain bike. BUT this Spring I find myself five-pounds lighter than before this last Winter began. There is hope. I have not been on the trainer as much as I would have liked this Winter. My exercise consisted of keeping the curb in front of our house clear for the benefit of those who park on the street. Something I do most Winters. When I first started the neighbors would compete with me and clean off their own curbs, no longer. The Spring exercise routine consists of bailing water from lake back yard.

Not the most attractive of pictures but what is a blog without pictures? But I know it is neither the quality of the photos that concerns you, my reader, nor the lack of posts, something that I am attempting to make up for now. The question that fills all your thoughts is, “But Phillip, how is your bowling?”

Since you asked, I had one of my best games ever in a pre-bowl. Yes, I made a split in the tenth. And yes, the meetings can change to Thursday, I can just pre-bowl and I can always pick up a WORS Handbook somewhere.

It was part of a 545 series, which may be my very best series ever. Being a handicap league and my average being 130 I was quite certain I gave my team a complete victory. …They lost one game. The first game. My 213 game. Can’t win for losing, as they say. In a few weeks we will be bowling for the trophy. There can be only one.

$53 question: Same as my last post. See Charity Jackpot page in sidebar.

Fat Tuesday, …Again

Will man never learn. My fondest memories of Fat Tuesday are from New Orleans where I was working on a Fat Tuesday. When midnight came, and they started playing “When the Saint Come Marching In” law enforcement officers of every type, including the Shore Patrol, made a line across the streets with squad, horse and boot and came marching down. Everyone who didn’t vacate the streets were beaten senseless.

I don’t believe that will be the end of Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park’s Fat Tuesday promotion. Yes, if you ride a fat bike you ride for free today at Ray’s (on your fat bike).

Of course Fat Tuesday ushers in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sport Show. After you go to church of course. Yes, plenty of things to do indoors in this most wondrous of Winter seasons. Many complain but I blame the television. People don’t engage nature and their environment as they should. Life lessons are lost as people don’t learn to dress for the cold, but more importantly the seriousness of each persons personal responsibility to be knowledgeable and capable in every environment and condition so one doesn’t …DIE! At times it looks like our entire culture is dying.

I enjoyed the Winter Olympics. The funny European names entertained, and entertained again when I tried to pronounce them myself. Misao says Winter Olympians are more attractive than Summer Olympians. I had to agree. It used to be that far more people skied and did other Winter activities before that evil all our grandparents warned us of; the television.

With my explosive speed, powerful upper frame and impressive mass, perhaps I should try out for some of the sledding events for the 2016 games. I’d like to visit Korea again. I was the quickest out of the blocks in High School and certainly qualify as dead weight for those bob sleds.

The fat tire bike is becoming quite a movement. I don’t like to ride in the Winter but these bikes work on Winter trails. Roads are just too icy in any circumstance for me in the Winter. Here is an article of fat tire riding in Cudahy (hay). I believe Minooka in Waukesha, a growing vibrant system of trails, also is running fat tires. Cyclesmith is the place to go to find out all one wants to know about Waukesha MTB trails.

Yes, we went to see our most favorite band again, not on a Tuesday but a Thursday in Green Bay. A great show, different than the last, and a great crowd. My wife says they didn’t write all the songs on their albums but they have the best lyrics in country music. Neil sang exceptionally well. He was a bit off in Madison. Sorry.

The $52 question; What are the two publicly funded schools I attended? See charity jackpot page in sidebar.

Happy Winter

It is 9 degree.



She said.

           

  I wear my sweater ,so I feel like HEAVEN.

 

 

                            

The Ideal Winter and Goodreads

This is near perfect a Winter one can imagine. What is Winter without the conditions and time to enjoy it, to become immersed in the artic culture? Early snow with cold brings us the stage and the time to perform. Working through the frigid artic temperatures gives us dominion over harsh surroundings and bragging rights. Warm ups allow us to enjoy the season in all its traditional activities. And it gives one long evenings in which to enjoy a good book.

Yes, another one of my books is available for free. Click on image to purchase for $0.00; offer good until January 20th. I hope it doesn’t cause you to throw your electronic device across the room. I am not responsible for any damage. If you enjoy reading, Goodreads is a good social media to join. You can login via Facebook so you don’t need to create another user account with it’s usernames and passwords.

But there are other things to do this weekend. This weekend at Ray’s MTB Indoor Park is the IMBA Weekend. Come on in and learn about IMBA and buy an entry on Saturday and get in on Sunday for free! They are also having a Freestyle Rookie of the Year Contest on February 1st.

The IMBA World Summit will be in Steamboat Springs, CO August 20-24. A new craft brewery seems to be the major interest of those contemplating attending. I myself am wondering if the convention industry itself will collapse in Colorado. Yes, I am talking legalized marijuana. If half a conventions attendees are going off and getting high in Mile High or elsewhere, what would any convention be able to accomplish. I almost suggested that if Metro paid for members to attend the IMBA World Summit that it is only on the condition that they will not waste their time getting wasted on pot.

Congratulations and gratitude to those 22 Metro Mountain Bike members who contributed more than 20hrs of volunteer time to building and maintaining MTB trails. Nearly 1,700 total hours were invested by the club.

The $51 question: What are the titles of the three books I am currently working on? See Charity Jackpot page for details.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Yes, it is still Christmas for us in the know. I’ve gotten back strongly to my writing as Winter settles in. Now with the New Year I need to get back to the cycle trainer and the gym. My weight is up slightly.

The gifts just piled up under the tree. Though we live a quiet life I guess we are appreciated. I actually saw someone that looked exactly like Katy Perry at Mayfair before Christmas.

Ike loves the snow as his people profile suggests. He’s not stupid. He knows when it’s too cold and wont stay out too long without his sweater.

Metro Mountain Bikers will be having a snow tubing event at The Rock this Winter again.

Thanks for reading in 2013.