One Speed Only

Took out the All City single speed. I wanted to mix it up a little. 35's are kind of fat for this time of year, but... Spun out at about 20mph, no problems on the hills, but I rode a pretty flat route.
For steel and a single speed this bike can do what needs to be done on a flat route. Pretty nice! 21/16.4

Ice out on the city lakes yesterday.
Isles

Total Pro

It's all about how you look, when you're out on the bike: pink shorts, black tall socks, white shoes and, of course, the unshorn legs. GO! 22/16.6

Pretty Damn Good

Got out for a nice easy 50 miles with Amy, Gabrielle, Vero and Frank. Just enjoying the scenery and delightful weather. Three gorgeous days in a row. I may be back on speaking terms with Minnesota after its April weather issues.
My daughter Gabrielle participated in her first road race yesterday. She took 3rd place! I'm pretty proud!

Frank Williams took this picture of Gabrielle climbing the last hill to the finish.

Elijah and I did some exploring along the Mississippi this afternoon.

As Good As It Gets

Amy put it best on Facebook: "Every Saturday we go out, hoping to have that perfect ride, the one you remember all winter and on every rainy day and on every bad day. Today we got it."
I was on the fast good lookin' bike, first time this year and easily the first time since November. I've got really good bikes, but my Orca is...the hum of the tires is perfect, it's light, confident in corners, descends and climbs with ease, it communicates the road surface to me. Can you tell I've missed my Orbea?
Perfect weather with light winds and solid blue sky. First time this year for globbing on the sunscreen.
Rode with great friends; Amy, Greg, Steven and John. Dan, Denise and Boyd joined us for a while too.
Upon pulling into Belle Plaine Amy said, "we're in Belle Plaine already?" It was that kind of ride. Minnesota is not out of trouble yet, because of the shitty April Weather, but after today we may be on speaking terms again. 85/19.6

If you remember last weeks ride pics, the fields were covered with snow.

No Rest For The Wicked

Just couldn't do it. Too beautiful, and it's been too long since I've ridden in 70 degree weather. Waiting for tomorrow wasn't working.
I bought a new single speed for Christmas, an All City Nature Boy. Took it out on its maiden voyage this afternoon. Ohh Man! 14/14.4



Ice is finally losing and on the retreat

Hairy legs even made an appearance

All City Nature Boy is a single speed, steel cx. Smooth as silk. Lake Harriet

Simple: A boy and his bike

Cedar Lake

Gettin' Nice

Nice day for a ride and the weekend looks to be even better. Might even be slopping on the sunscreen. 21/16.0

Been Awhile

Felt pretty good out there tonight, even dodged riding in the rain. 21/16.2
Haven't been out with the big boy camera for quite awhile. A little rusty, but let's hope this trends towards a little more consistent as the spring and summer evolve.

180

Sun, warm, and riding with my daughter. Soooooo much better than yesterday. 22/15.5

Still Doin' It

Little harsh out there tonight, for a recovery ride, but what do you do? Gotta ride. I got cold tonight. The gloves I chose were soaked through in less than a half hour. These were specifically waterproof gloves too. Heavy, wet, sloppy snow was coming down at more than an inch an hour. Hard to stay dry in that. Started raining around 2 or so, and turned over to snow about 5 when I went out for my ride. Still snowing now at 11:30. I think this may be our third winter storm warning for the month of April...I'm losing track. I'm sure you've picked up on the general tenor of my posts lately, and may have noticed a slight disappointment, on  my part, regarding April's weather. I'm still riding in it though. 20/14.9

Minnehaha Creek Is Running Full

Plenty Of Helmet Accumulations

Good Day Good Weekend

A nice day for me. Rode with Gabrielle this morning. She told me once that she was going to beat me, and that I better watch out. No, it didn't happen today, and being the good dad that I am, when it didn't happen, I rubbed it in some by reminding her that I rode 80 miles yesterday. I'm pretty sure that will come back and bite me one of these days. 46/15.6
All my kids and grand kids went over to my brothers place this evening to celebrate his 62 birthday. Family get togethers are great. I'm really lucky to have mine so close. Penny and I had a very nice time.

Just What I Needed

A couple of good friends, weather on the cool side, (other than that it was perfect), long miles, bright sun, no wind...recipe for a good ride.
Haven't been down to East Union for many months and it felt great to get there today. "There" may actually be kind of a strong word...not a whole lot around, which was just what I was looking for. A couple of climbs, one that was long rising about 700 feet over a couple of miles plus. Amy and Steven were definitely up to the climbs. Rollers followed. Mother Nature still acting like it's winter, I figure I can still ride like it's winter, so I didn't beat myself up, but 80 miles is 80 miles.
Very nice ride today. Even though April has been the $&*!s for weather I'm still getting in some good rides. Thanks a lot Amy and Steven. 77/18.2

East Union

Options

On a day off there is always a little wondering about what I ought to do. I blame it on all the options I have, but, because of all the options, it always takes some time to figure out what I'm going to do. Spent most of the evening figuring out what I was going to do. Sitting on the couch always helps, and I've found that having the TV on is also very helpful. It worked! I thought of a lot of things to do. I did do a little bike maintenance, but it was minor. Removed a fender from the Beast and cleaned up Evil a little (he hates baths).
I'm riding long tomorrow. I don't care what the weather is like.

Suck It Up

Thought the Beast had already seen its last ride of the season. It wasn't me, but somebody really pissed Mother Nature off this winter. She ain't happy. I called work quits a little early today when the slush and snow started piling up on the highways. The highways get clogged up in bad weather, but the bike trails...they're pretty much abandoned. A few hearty commuters riding like this was everyday weather, and while the highways were parking lots, we were comparatively moving at the speed of light.
It was a hard slog, no doubt, and I didn't last for too many miles, but, Mother Nature's tantrum didn't keep me from my ride. 10/??

Gray Rain

Me, Evil and fenders...at least it was just rain. 20/ 13.9
We are a week past the average ice-out for the city lakes....we got a way to go still.

Lake Harriet

Up and Down

Sun is out, layers are fewer, miles went faster; that's what a real spring will do for you. Almost 50 degrees today. Winter storm warning for tomorrow and Thursday. 21/16.1

Recovery Monday

Back on the road bike, which felt good. Just took it easy. 20/15.4

Good Sunday

I'll ride in anything, I guess. Pretty worn out from yesterday. A couple of windy wet days in row. You'd think with the wind out of the west Saturday and out of the east today it could add up to a windless day, but no such luck. More snow, rain, sleet, ice....what are you gonna do? Yep! Ride in it.
46/13.3
Starting Out

St Paul With The Cathedral, Capitol and Downtown Along The Mississippi

Wet Pavement Reflection

Kids and Grandlumps Came Over For Gabrielle's Birthday Celebration.
Very Nice. I Really Got It Good!

Aubrey

Elijah and Bryson

Makenna Helping Gabrielle Open Her Cards

Britney Doing Kelsey's Hair

Penny and Aubrey

Rather Not

Just Amy and me for 80 miles.
I was pretty frustrated. Everything was hard. I just wasn't getting on top of the gears, and rode the first 45 miles in the small ring. Wet, sloppy, even snow, ice build up on both derailleurs, and my toes were cold. This would have been heaven in January, but it's mid April.
The roads did start to dry out and the hard got much easier once we weren't heading into the 15 mile an hour headwind. Let me tell you, tailwind is the only way to go.
Riding with Amy is always great, but today's ride was just plain unpleasant, nevertheless, I was out, on a road bike, and I got in 80 miles, with Amy. 78/17.0

No Spring No Stop

Last three weeks have been 200+ miles each. Day off feels good today. Except for Fridays off, I still haven't missed an outside ride for 15 months.

Cold and Wet

Snow and ice this morning, but as with all spring snow storms the temps were too much for the fallen flakes. Wind and wet flakes for my ride this evening. Could we get a little spring, please? Nothin' in the legs. Evil is so easy to call on. Such a good all around bike. 20/14.1

Harriet

When Will It End?

Must be the increase in miles and the decrease in calories over the last two weeks. Not much in the tank again today. Heard a little snap, crackle, pop while riding....sleet on the plastic rain cape. Evil was called on. Looks like I might be on Beast tomorrow...storm's coming. 20/14.6

Need Some Easy

Lacking the needed umpf in the old hairy legs tonight. Shut her down and just took what the ride would give. No good excuse, the quads were just running on fumes. 20/14.8

Lake ice is getting dark. Ice out will be soon, for the city lakes.

Lake Nokomis

Monday

Some recovery time today. An easy 20 for me. 20/15.6

Promise

Saying good riddance to winter, and getting back to the rides of spring, summer and fall. An eighty miler yesterday and 50 today, with respectable speeds, on a fender-less road bike is a very good sign. 50/16.0

The snow is gone and the lakes, creeks and rivers are losing their ice. It's nice to see earth, dirt, brush, and leaves. Snow has quit clinging to branches and boughs, and the smell of dampness, thawing and farm fields has been released from the frozen death of winter back into the breathable life of spring air.
It's been a reluctant transition. I'm not sure which is at fault, winter for not giving in to the inevitable, or spring for not really trying, but wherever the blame lies reason, time, and seasonal tradition has brought about the hope that spring is. The delight of long rides, late sunsets, barbeques, evening walks, rose garden blooms, picnics on the shore, and concerts at the Lake Harriet band shell all await.

Very Nice Ride With Amy

Like It Wrong

Another Saturday where the weather folks got it wrong in the right way. Sun was out, but the prediction was rain. I took my chances and didn't even put a fender on the "B" bike. I over dressed, just in case, and wound up shedding extra layers about half way into the 80 miles.
Got our favorite route in, but there was a wrong in the wrong prediction: the wind. It was suppose to be out of the NW but stayed out of the south for the entire ride....caused some hard work from Hanover to Watertown.
It's that time of year where I'm getting in the longest and fastest of the year, since we're just coming out of winter. It felt good to get a 78/18.7 ride in.
Good group of 6 or 7.

April Snow

It snowed today. Any thought of spending some time outside, on or off a bike, was easily dismissed. A successful day off the bike.

Good

You got it good when your daughter texts you and wants to go on a ride with you. Twenty miles with Gabrielle. She did 50 and taught a Spinning class today too. 20/15.8

Feelin' It

Apparently I really do need a day off, feelin' tired today. I'm blamin' it on the 20pmh wind I was riding against. 20/15.5

Gentle

Another road bike weekday. The Cannondale comes home a little sandy and salty, but, once dried out, a light, quick stroke of a soft brush and all is forgotten. 24/15.8

Deeper Into Spring

On the road bike for the first time, during the week, since December. Figured it wouldn't be to sloppy with temps only nudging freezing. Kind of cold out there for April, but I was on a road bike. Roads are a little dicey because there are so many pot holes. They could take out a wheel real easy. 23/15.2

Minnehaha Falls