Snow Ride at Turtle Speed

Most people don’t start a new “training” regime with a hard workout...I guess I must be one of those exceptions.  

Riding unconsolidated snow is tough on a good day when I was in shape and it was pure pain today in my current form (which is more the form of a blobby jelly fish these days). 

There were a few moments where I could feel the spark of the old me, but for the most part I felt like a turtle floundering along in the snow.  I’m sure I’ll get past this, but in the meantime I think this is fun!?

I’m a Turtle

I’m still at a loss for explaining where time has gone. I know part of it, well a lot of it, was spent putting an addition onto our tiny house. I was the sole contractor, but now it’s finished and my days are no longer threatened with working for income only to come home and work for space. Now we’re living in 800 sqft of luxury a small increase from 480 sqft. 

Now I simply don’t know what to do with myself...except go back to bike adventures. I’ve gotten a bit soft in the legs (we won’t need to mention my pudgy middle) but I feel super fast on my bike every ride! However, looking at numbers I have a very sad reality check once I compare average speed to that of a few years ago...I seem to have morphed into a turtle. 

I have work to do. 

The Short Summer

Not sure where the summer wondered off to or for that matter where the last year went. I’ll certainly let you know if I find out. In the meantime...

Seven Devils Conquered

Last weekend I conquered Seven Devils. This is a full-on climbing ride from the Salmon River outside of Riggins, ID to 8000+ feet elevation. This place is an incredibly beautiful and it is misnamed in my opinion. The general region around Hells Canyon if full of dark names for reasons that I do not know. Oddly across the Salmon River canyon is the Gospel Hump Wilderness. 

There was nothing easy about this ride, but it was fun in an torturously odd sort of way (data stolen from Sean Ellis)...

But the scenery was good and riding with the guys was fun.

The Battle of Midway

Today marks the 76th anniversary of the final day of the Battle of Midway. It occurred a short 6-months after Pearl Harbor and it’s looked upon as the most decisive battle in Pacific war...at a cost of 3000+ casualties for America and I’m sure many more for Japan. A selfless sacrifice by many on both sides as can be seen here after the USS Yorktown took 3-aerial bombs.

The Battle of Midway reminds me of the ferocious battles going on constantly every day in every possible arena...utter chaos. I currently feel that I’m in my own Midway Battle, I know I will win, but the cost is getting heavy. I also know that because of all the warrior’s efforts and sacrifices before me I still have some freedoms this day.

I do sometimes find some calm in my life’s battles...pedaling the weariness away, gaining new strength and ambition to carry on. 

D-Day

Does anyone know about or remember the 9,000+ killed that day? I put my flag out to honor those who selflessly sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Being a veteran myself I don’t forget... it means something to me. 

Sometimes it’s the smallest things that we let pass us by that really mean something (like D-Day). Slowing down a bit, turning off Fakebook, and other unnecessary brain-draining rubbish is a real eye opening experience. We let that crap pollute us too the point of complete addiction which follows with self destructive behavior.  We’ve been mislead to believe all of this as normal. The old saying, “Stop and smell the roses” still applies today and we should practice it once in a while to realize the stupidity we live in today. 

I like taking breaks to look around...I’m alway amazed a what exists in the tiniest world at our feet...like tiny orchids on the forest floor...

Or flowers a small as a blade of grass...

Or maybe an intriguing geometric design...

Then it’s time to ride on...with a smile and some natural education. 

Things I See on a Bike #1

Oh so close....but didn’t make it! Nice stride though!

Seeing weird things like this while on my bike always bring me to a screeching halt...then after scratching my head some, walking around a bit to examine all angles (so I can either scientifically satisfy my curiosity or keep me occupied thinking about it for hours) I ride on. 

When we fail to see the interesting information all around us to get a better understanding we fall into boredom and eventually a society of stupidity where one doomed dumb-ass follows another into the pit of self annihilation. Oh well...

I like stopping for a closer look. 

Forest Cruising

Cruising the forests in North Central Idaho...my favorite kind of ride.

Fatback Skookum

I have an addiction to bikes that is well known and if you take the time to read through some of my past posts here you will see that I have own a lot of bikes (I mean a LOT of bikes). If I had my choice it would be much worse, but there is a limit to funds and riding time (especially since I have to earn money to keep my addiction alive). In the mean time I will continue on my covert mission to buy and ride all bikes possible.

One of my favorite bikes brands is Fatback since they fit me so well and I have a real passion for fatter tires these days. I've used my Fatbacks only seasonally in the winter for snow biking until this year. I built a set of 29+ wheels for my Fatback Corvus put on a set of 3-inch tires. This wheelset changed everything I could do with this bike. Previously is was a winter bike with 5-inch snow tires but with the 3-inch 29+ setup it was a go-anywhere machine. It wasn't long after I did this that I was wishing for a little suspension to smooth some of the rough places I ride at high speed. I contemplated buying a fork for my Corvus, but the Fatback Skookum kept popping up and slowly became a bike I "had to have."

The Skookum is incredibly versatile in that it can take a variety of wheel sizes, like full on fat snow biking 26x4.8, 27.5x4.0(+), and 27.5+. Plus the geometry is a little slacker allowing very confident warp-speed bombing runs downhill. So far I've run my Skookum 29+ and 27.5+. I currently have a 27.5x3.8 tire on which is awesome for trail riding, but not a fast climber. I really like it. Interestingly 3.8 tires just a few years ago were the fattest sized snow tires available. Now they seem rather skinny.

Get out and ride your bike!