Pics from the Sabo Bike Bridge

Toward downtown...

There's always some industry...and it always looks rundown...
Going west across the bridge toward the Greenway...
Looking up across the bridge toward the east...

2425 total miles...

8.89 miles - ride with Thatcher - 9/20/08

8.89 miles
avg 9.1
max 20.8
cal 135.9
0.58.31
Greenpeace

21.85 miles - Greenway/Rainbow errand - 9/19/08

21.85 miles
avg 17.3
max 26.6
cal 729.3
1.15.31
Vintage Trek 330 single speed

21.40 miles - Commute/ Ride with Liam to CRC - 9/18/08

8.21 miles
avg 16.4
max 32.2
cal 274.0
0.30.00
Trek commuter

13.19 miles
avg 14.1
max 23.3
cal 335.4
0.55.53
Greenpeace w/ ride-a-long

Love those rides with Liam...we stopped at the park across from CRC (Cars-R-Coffins) on Lyndale...great time!!!
Picked up the new copy of Momentum Magazine ( www.momentumplanet.com ).

6.99 miles - Lunch with my wife/groceries - 9/18/08

6.99 miles
avg 9.2
max 18.4
cal 109.0
0.45.00
Trek commuter

Nice ride with my wife...she rode her sweeeeet Trek 7.6fx...

36.49 miles - Chain of Lakes (all 4) - Evening errands - 9/16/08

23.15 miles
avg 19.0
28.6 max
cal 849.8
1.13.00
Poprad

13.34 miles
avg 17.2
36.4 max
cal 485.0
0.46.23
Poprad

24.64 miles - Cedar Lake trail/Downtown/U of MN/West River Parkway/Greenway - 9/15/08

24.64 miles
avg 17.8
max 30.4
cal 904.3
1.22.58
Poprad

Wheeeeew a great ride....cruising across the Hennepin Bridge at over 30mph...as soon as I climbed on the Poprad, I realized how much I missed riding it in the past week - its gonna be a long winter....

8.05 miles - rainy Commute - 9/13/08

8.05 miles
avg 16.7
max 33.2
cal 280.7
0.28.50
Vintage Trek 330 single speed

12.94 miles - Commute Errands - 9/13/08

12.94 miles
avg 16.3
max 30.0
435.5
0.47.23
Vintage Trek 330 single speed

U of M threatens $80 fines for biking on restricted Washington Ave. bridge - The Minnesota Independent

http://www.minnesotaindependent.com/8640/draftu-of-m-threatens-80-fines-for-biking-on-restricted-washington-ave-bridge

21.25 miles - Home Depot/Office Max/Commute/Byerly's - 9/12/08

21.25 miles
avg 16.0
max 33.4
cal 693.1
1.19.27
Greenpeace

A lot of errand today...also, I changed my flat handlebar to a Bontrager Crowbar...too much money for what it is, but it is wider than the flat bar, which handles much better and is more comfortable...old bar - 56cm...new bar 60cm with a 5 degree rise....

Liam catchin' some air...not bad for a 5 year old!!!

18.61 miles - Greenway to River and back - 9/11/08

18.61 miles
avg 18.4
max 23.5
cal 648.4
1.00.32
Vintage Trek 330 single speed

Interestingly, it took exactly, almost to the second, 30 minutes, to get to the river and 30 minutes to get back...everyone should have a sweet single speed in their collection...they totally rock...

My first attempt at a BMX (I'm 36)

8.01 miles - Commute - 9/10/09

8.01 miles
avg 16.9
max 32.8
cal 277.9
0.28.21
Vintage Trek 330 single speed

13.42 miles - Errands/Vote in primary/Punch Pizza - 9/9/08

13.42 miles
12.9 avg
max 26.6
cal 373.7
1.02.00
Greenpeace

It was nice not having to pull a little dude around...but then again he is great company and he likes being pulled...I came to the conmclusion while riding around today that I am going to utilize my '84 Trek 500 for an Extracycle, so...the project begins!!!

www.xtracycle.com

20.09 miles - Greenway/CRC/RiverGreenway - 9/9/08

20.09 miles
17.7 avg
25.2 max
695.9 cal
1.07.49
Vintage Trek 330 single speed

26.91 miles - Edina is NOT bike friendly - Errand in Edina/Lake Hariet via Penn Ave/CRC for coffee/Lake Calhoun/SW Corridor

26.91 miles
avg 17.9
max 32.2
cal 970.8
1.30.03
Poprad

I had to ride to Circuit City, which is right off France just before you hit 494. It was hell getting to Circuit City on the west side of France Ave....I took Blake Rd to Vernon to Wooddale Ave to Valley View Rd and that is where the hell started....after I crossed under HW62 I had to zigzag in a weird parallel to France Ave....Edina needs to take a serious look at their biking routes!!!!

13.37 miles - Lake Calhoun/Dunn Bros on Hennepin - 8/7/08

13.37 miles
avg 15.9
max 23.6
cal 393.1
0.50.24
Greenpeace with ride-a-long

Wells Fargo drive thru on my bike - NOT!!!

Image from www.blog.wellsfargo.com/.../Drive-UpWindow.jpg

Is it OK for Wells Fargo to restrict bikes from going through the drive-up window?

I was a bit purturbed when the Wells Fargo on Exelsior in St. Louis Park, made me go inside and refused to service me when I pulled up...even though the week before I had done it without an issue. They told me I was allowed to take my bike inside because - as usual - there were no bike racks. So I went in and rode my bike inside over to the teller and parked my bike and then rode across the bank on my way out...

I forgot about it until this week when I pulled up - in my car - beside one of those big ugly stupid and rediculously loud Harley's and he got served just fine...then I thought - why can't I on my bike????

Would they let their wago pull up??

Any help???

14.33 miles - Commute/Cedar Lake Extension - 8/5/08

14.33 miles
avg 19.0
max 36.3
cal 580.4
0.45.12
Poprad

8.48 miles - Commute - 8/4/08

8.48 miles
avg 18.4
max 33.0
cal 336.7
0.27.39
Poprad

18.73 miles - Greenway to River and back - 8/03/08

18.73 miles
avg 17.6
max 29.1
cal 650.2
1.03.50
Poprad

Starting to get chilly, considering it was 90 degrees yesterday...70 today.

17.76 miles - SW Corridor/Lake Calhoun/Hutchinson Spur - 9/1/08

17.76 miles
avg 17.8
max 27.5
cal 607.9
0.59.41
Poprad

Quick ride before putting the kids to bed...beautiful night for a ride...unfortunately, there are too many people who ride at dusk without the proper lighting...riding at dusk can be very dangerous...especially on the trails.

30.16 miles - Greenway/Stop at Penn Cycle Uptown/Freewheel/River Trail/Minnehaha Parkway/Sw Corridor - 8/31/08

30.16 miles
avg 13.2
max 29.0
cal 745.2
2.16.07
Greenpeace with Ride-a-long

I adore my sons, Liam and Thatcher, so anytime I get to do something we all enjoy is great. Liam and I took a nice long ride today...the weather was gorgeous...we stopped for a treat at Freewheel and to pick up a part at Penn Cycle...we also stopped for a rest along the creek. I let Liam walk around in the water and play for awhile...good times!!

26.23 miles - Errands/Commute - 8/30/08

26.23 miles
avg 16.5
max 26.7
cal 872.5
1.34.53
Lemond Poprad

Nearly car free couple of days.....great August weather. I am not looking forward to winter...

9.74 miles - ride with Liam to Hopkins and around the 'hood - 8/28/08

9.74 miles
avg 7.6
max 23.3
cal 143.7
1.16.05
Greenpeace

32.72 miles - Pleasure ride and commute - 8/28 - 8/29/08

19.50 mile fitness/pleasure ride
13.22 mile commute
32.72 total miles
avg 17.1
max33.2
cal 1130.3
1.54.17
Lemond Poprad

Bike-Free (due to sickness) vacation to bike-friendly Grand Marais, Minnesota

As you can see there is a bike lane where Liam is running across the road from our parked car...unfortunately, due to a cold, I was unable to take advantage of our vacation in Minnesota's mountain bike and road excursion mecca of the North Shore...but there was some canoeing and short hikes involved...most appreciated was the beauty of this unmolested-by-Corporate-America place.

8.85 miles - Commute - 8/22/08

8.85 miles
avg 14.6
max 32.0
cal 298.1
0.36.11
Trek Commuter

21.96 miles - Kids/Commute-Shady Oak Extension - 8/21/08

10 miles riding with kids
12 mile commute
21.96 total miles
avg 10.8
max 29.7
cal 535.4
2.01.52
Trek Commuter

8.43 miles - Commute - 8/18/08

8.43 miles
avg 16.1
max 32.5
cal 279.6
0.31.23

Trek Commuter

WHOOOOO!!!! 2000 MILES this year so far!!!!!

23.54 miles - Kids/Skate Park/Errands - Lake Calhoun/Lake of the Isles/Byerly's - 8/17/08

6 miles with the boys

17.5 miles on Lakes Tour

23.54 total miles
avg 12.4
max 24.1
cal 626.8
1.52.53

Trek Commuter - Me
Haro BMX - Liam
Trek 7.2fx - Thatcher

I had a fun ride with the kids...Liam was rockin' at the skatepark on his BMX...later on I took my commuter on a ride around the lakes and then to get some things to make smors at Byerly's...when I got home I built a fire and the kids and LeeAnn had smores...

13.91 miles - Commute/Errands - 8/15/08

13.91 miles
avg 16.1
max 27.4
cal 467.3
0.51.42

Trek Commuter

Still recovering from whatever has been bothering my hip...but not as bad as yesterday...I was denied access to the Wells Fargo drive-in teller today, which was quite annoying. What bothers me is that we are supposed to be on par with vehicles/cars when it comes to following laws, but we are second-class citizens when it comes to either enforcement of those laws, or when it is inconvenient. My guess is that some jackass driver complained to Wells Fargo about bikes pulling up to the window, so the bank changed policy.

8.44 miles - Commute - 8/14/08

8.44 miles
avg 15.0
max 29.9
cal 256.4
0.33.30

Trek Commuter

Major pain in my hip and back today....probably should've drove my car...I think I may have injured myself swimming at the YMCA with my kids a couple of days ago....

8 miles - Commute - 8/13/08

8 miles

Vintage Trek 330 SS

14 miles - YMCA - 8/12/08

14 miles

Vintage Trek 330 SS

Didn't want to ride this one in the rain, but I have two other flats on two other bikes....but the nice thing was that on this ride I decided what to do with my 1984 Trek 500 frame - make it a rainy day bike so that I don't have to ride my others in the bad weather...

15 miles - Trader Joes wine run/ Minnetonka Blvd/Minnetaonka Mills/Hopkins/Exelsior/Louisianna Ave - 8/11/08

15 miles

night ride on the vintage Trek 330 SS

The other great thing about the single speed is that it forces me out of the saddle when I, a) have to climb a hill and, b) when I have to make a quick start - in traffic for example. I used to be an anti-out-of-the-saddle rider. Now I feel the opposite. It can really be a benefit to crank up the power.

20 miles - Cedar lake/Theo Wirth/Cedar lake/ SW Corridor - 8/10/08

20 miles

Vintage Trek 330 SS

Great ride on the single speed...don't have a computer on the single speed yet and don't know if I am going to so I don't ever know my true miles...I checked another post that has that route at 25 miles...but it didn't feel like 25 miles....I think my fitness level has shot up with my rides and my loss of 16-18 pounds this year...t has been great to see the scale below 200 for the first time in about 10 years...

I want to start taking a fanny pack and taking my camera because I miss many many great shots of places on my rides...I don't like fanny packs because they look geeky and they never quite fit right...but I may worth the hassle for some great pics!!!

8.54 miles - Commute - 8/8/08

8.54 miles
avg 16.5
max 34.1
cal 305.3
0.31.00
Poprad

13.49 miles - Commute/Shady Oak Extension- 8/7/08

13.49 miles
avg 16.7
max 35.8
cal 487.3
0.48.24
Poprad

13.04 miles - Commute/Shady Oak Extension - 8/6/08

13.04 miles
avg 16.9
max 33.9
cal 459.6
0.46.06
Trek Commuter

$ - 16.18 miles - Commute/Errands - 7/4/08

9.31 miles
avg 15.9
max 25.1
cal 320.2
0.35.08
Vintage Trek 610

Nice ride to work...flatted when at work....Guze trued my rear wheel for me...had a great ride to Trader Joe's to pick up dinner food and flatted while in Trader Joe's....my wife LeeAnn was going nearby on her way home from violin lessons with the kids and picked me up although I was prepared to easily fix it...oh well....probably have something sharp lodged into my tire...

6.87 miles
avg 10.1
max 17.6
cal 124.6
0.40.25
Greenpeace with ride-a-long
Thatcher on his Trek 7.2 fx KDS

Took the kids to Wells Fargo, then the coffee shop and then the new park equipment at Wolf Park....took the SW Corridor home

12.28 miles - Commute/Shady Oak Extension - 8/3/08

12.28 miles
avg 17.6
max 29.3
cal 446.0
0.41.52

Poprad

$ - 33.16 miles - Minnehaha Parkway/East River Parkway via Ford Bridge/Lake St Bridge/Greenway - 8/1/08

33.16 miles
avg 18.1
max 29.7
cal 1185.2
1.49.52
Poprad

Felt good to be on the Poprad again...got a pre-work ride in so I can take the moped to work - go carless today - and the Vespa to work tomorrow....

1805 total miles (approximate) 550 commuting miles (approximate)

Random picture off the internet....hopefully those boxes are empty...

14.92 miles - Liam's soccer game/Lake Calhoun - 7/31/08

14.92 miles
avg 17.5
max 27.3
cal 509.6
0.51.02

Trek Commuter

Liam almost scored a goal 4 or 5 times...he did great....then I took a stroll down around Cedar Lake and the Lake Calhoun....beautiful evening for a ride, but still quite hot...still love riding my old Trek 400...

11.69 miles - Cedar Lake Quick Route - 7/31/08

11.69 miles
avg 17.1
max 25.0
cal 379.2
0.40.57
Vintage Trek 610

34.58 miles CRC/Greenway/East River Parkway via Stone Arch Bridge/Minnehaha Parkway - 7/29/08

34.58 miles
avg 16.0
max 27.1
cal 1059.4
2.09.32

Trek 610

First decent ride on my 610...it was pretty lovely I must say...beautiful day but hot-as-hell!! Its amazing how the 35W bridge has come along - just in time for the RNC in St. Paul - coincidence? Probably not....

8 miles - Commute - 7/28/08

8 miles
Trek Commuter

12 miles - Cedar Lake Quick Route - 7/27/08

12 miles
35 minutes

Trek 330 Single Speed

Gotta ride when you can...

8.03 - Errands - 7/26/08

8.03 miles
avg 11.4
max.4
cal 174.7
Greenpeace with ride-a-long

Thatcher, Mitch and Liam to the Jones' house and ten a stop at Target on the way home....

12 miles - Cedar Lake Quick Route - 7/25/08

12 miles
Trek 330 Single Speed

I friend wants to buy my 330 frame because he likes and because he believes that it is too big for me...I happen to disagree about the size, but it is a really difficult decision since I picked up a 1984 58cm Trek 500 frame and fork....I would want to get the 500 custom painted, which would mean that I would be out a single speed for a while...????

26.34 miles - Greenway/Minnehaha Parkway/SW Corridor - 7/24/08

26.34 miles
avg 17.8
max 26.8
cal 931.9
1.28.25
Trek Commuter

Nice ride on my old commuter...started out feeling sluggish....but really reached a zen on the way back west...it was one of those moments when you truly can say "there is nothing else I would rather be doing right now."

9.36 miles - Ben & Jerry's Trip/part of Lake Calhoun - 7/23/08

9.36 miles
avg 13.8
max 19.8
cal 232.5
0.40.33
Greenpeace with ride-a-long

Liam enjoyed his cone but was very squiggly on the way home...he was yelling and singing and throwing the bike all over the place....its called tired kid syndrome...!!!

19 miles - Greenway to Mississipi River and back - 8/22/08

19 miles
Trek 330 Single Speed

What is the great thing about a well setup single speed? One word....quiet. I love the smooth quiet ride on my 330...the gear ratio seems to be about just right and it is dialed in for comfort....

15.73 miles - Dinner @ Punch with Liam/ Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun - 7/21/08

15.73 miles
avg 14.8
max 21.1
cal 428.8
1.03.38
Greenpeace with ride-a-long

Had pizza and a beer with Liam and went around a couple of the lakes...it was an absolutely beautiful evening. Liam called the clouds "his mountains," which was a surprising quote from a kid who tends not to notice (or at least not vocalize) these certain aesthetic pleasures in life. It was an awesome ride with my great little guy....

14 miles - Commute/Cedar Lake Extension - 8/20/08

14 miles
Vintage 610

Greenpeace with ride-a-long attached

I bought this Gary Fisher Tassahara mountain bike new in 2000.

It has been a great bike.

I installed the XT rear derailluer last year after the original LX failed.

It has Continental high pressure (85psi) road tires on a cheapie rear wheel that I replaced because the freehub died. On the front I have a Deore.

Right now I have the cheapie Wellgo pedals with SPD's on one side and standard pedal on the other.

The crappie Manitou fork will probably last awhile because I don't want it to...this bike is on my "no sale" list because it has simply been too good to me!!!

It is decked out with the seat post rack and Trek Interchange bag...you got to be prepared with the kids in tow!!!

The Adams trail-a-bike that we call a "ride-a-long" has a nice handy rear rack.

I took off the dangerous original handlebar and attached a vintage bar that Liam appreciates much beter than the clunky BMX style bar that came on the thing...he also gets a bottle holder and an Incredibell...

14.42 miles - Lake Calhoun/Bass Lake Loop - 8/18/08

14.42 miles
avg 14.4
max 20.7
cal 380.5
0.59.50
Greenpeace with Liam on the ride-a-long

Its a bird, its a plane, no its bicycle repairman!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eCdIe0wdvU&feature=related

8 miles - Commute - 7/17/08

8 miles
Trek 610

21.71 miles - Errands - 7/16/08

21.71 miles
avg 13.3
max 28.3
cal 562.2
1.37.44
Greenpeace with ride-a-long

Picked Liam up from his class at the Edina Art Center and rode back into Uptown and had lunch at Jimmy Johns. Rode to Cal-Surf in Uptown and then home...

1984 Trek 610 to add to the collection - pics now, details later

13.24 miles - Freewheel quick route - 7/15/08

13.24 miles
avg 17.4
max 23.4
cal 459.1
0.45.37
Poprad

Had just enough time to go to Freewheel on the Greenway and back...

7.04 miles - Bass Lake Quick route - 7/14/08

7.04 miles
Greenpeace w/ride-a-long

Had a few minutes with Liam and pulled him down and around bass Lake via the SW Corridor....haven't had much time to ride with my boy lately...so it was great to get out with him again...

8.03 miles - Commute - 7/12/08

8.03 miles
avg15.7
max 32.4
cal 256.8
0.30.39
Trek Commuter

27.43 miles - Commute/Errands - 7/12/08

27.43 miles
avg 16.5
max 30.0
cal 910.9
1.39.04
Trek Commuter

Gave my panniers a workout today....holding all sorts of stuff from work clothes to wine bottles to 300 sheets of paper...its amazing how many miles you can get by running errands on your bike....

11.40 miles - Commute - 7/12/08

11.40 miles
avg 14.0
max 29.0
cal 384.6
0.48.43
Trek Commuter

14 miles - Commute/Shady Oak Extension - 7/11/08

14 miles
Trek Single Speed

I love this bike!!!

17.27 miles - Ridgedale YMCA via Shady oak Rd/ home by Minnetonka Blvd - 7/9/08

17.27 miles
avg 16.5
max 30.7
cal 587.6
1.02.26
Poprad

A "little" pre-ride slows ya down....recovery with a cup of coffee ad a cookie and a nice exhilarating ride home....

11.57 miles - Commute - 7/8/09

11.57 miles
avg 15.6
max 26.1
cal 361.1
0.44.28
Trek Commuter

New addition to the bike family - vintage Trek road bike 1981-83?

This bike did not originally come with flat bars, but normal road bars and downtube shifters...someone also replaced the saddle and seat post...I am not sure if I want to restore this bike or alter it and use it for myself. I may replace the wheel set with something of a new vintage (9 or 10 speed freehub) and replace the bars, saddle seat post tires, shifters and rear derailuers...all of this is speculation.
This was a great find...I'll keep the blog posted....

23.78 miles - Greenway/Minnehaha Parkway - 7/7/08

23.78 miles
avg 16.6
max 25.2
cal 752.2
1.25.35
Poprad

Nice relaxing ride after being laid up for 5 days with a nasty sinus infection....

8 miles - Commute - 7/3/08

8 miles
Trek Commuter

Vintage Trek 330 Single Speed

Its almost done...decided on some "new" single speed wheels....now all I have to do is put on some SPD's and likely a new handlebar, tape. cables and housing someday and I will have myself a finished SS...this one is a keeper and will NOT be going up for sale.....

$ - 26.16 miles - Winnetka Ave/ New Hope /Robbinsdale / Theo Wirth/ Lyndale Ave/ Lake of the Isles/ SW Corridor - 7/1/08

26.16 miles
avg 16.8
max 31.4
cal 885.8
1.33.13
Poprad

New addition to the bike family - Trek mountain bike

I am not sure what I am going to do with this bike...I was thinking about equipping it for transporting goods - maybe a grocery setup, or an Extracycle, or maybe I will simply resell it if something else comes along....

I like the idea of having a rigid fork mountain bike, but what I am really looking for is a 1985 or older vintage Trek mountain bike - the kind with "USA" on the seat post tube and the cool old head badge....I found one last week and drive to St. Paul to check it out. It was mechanically sound, but cosmetically in very bad shape...so I turned it down.

26.37 miles - Greenway/Minnehaha Parkway Loop - 6/30/08

26.37 miles
avg 16.7
max 27.9
cal 865
1.34.24
Poprad

It was raining friggin' gnats tonight...I should've know when I inhaled a mosquito before I even left my neighborhood that it was going to be a buggy ride...

I have to say I like the Uptown Hipster crowd, however, if they are going to go stealth at night, they should either pay attention or invest in a small handlebar light. I got ran off the road by two lightless hipsters on Minnehaha Parkway....there were many hipsters on that trail tonight. Probably around 15 or so, without any kind of lighting....

It was a beautiful summer night and the ride was fantastic!!!

12.14 miles - SW Corridor/Cedar Lake Loop - 6/29/08

12.14 miles
avg 17.8
25.1 max
437.0 cal
0.40.51
Poprad

Again...trying to fit a ride in within 45 minutes....

18.79 miles - Greenway to Mississippi River - 6/28/08

18.79 miles
avg 18.3
max 28.1
cal 695.4
1.01.38
Poprad

Since the wife is in Vegas, I have NOT been able to ride my bikes due to having the kids 24/7....however, yesterday I got a small reprieve and was able to spend an hour on my Poprad....the cool thing is that I met a guy who was riding a vintage Trek 8500 - light blue and yellow - that was quite a hot ride and in great shape....I offered the guy 125 bucks for it and he is going to get back to me....exciting....but I will have to sell Greenpeace to make room for the new ride, if it happens....

Liam's "new" Pixie...Aaaahhhh, remember what it was like to be a kid!!!

We picked up this bike for free off of craigslist in Golden Valley this evening...I put a temporary adult saddle on until we find and originalish one for kids. The only other issue with the bike is the missing original Chicago Schwinn headbadge, which I will easily be able to replace very soon...

I asked Liam if he liked the "new" Pixie better than his BMX - he said he liked the Pixie. It is a cool bike....

33.63 miles - Greenway/UofMN/Ford Bridge/Minnehaha Parkway/SW Corridor - 6/23/08

33.63 miles
avg 17.8
max 31.6
cal 1183.9
1.53.14
Poprad
(My house to the end of the Greenway at the river is 9.5 miles, its 6.5 miles to Freewheel and 3 miles to Lake Calhoun)
Great evening ride into MPLS/St. Paul...I don't know if there was a Mexican Convention today, but I had to dodge little Mexican kids on Magna's on the Greenway for the 3 miles past Freewheel....The weather was great and going on the Minnehaha Parkway trail, starting at the Mississippi, in the off hours of the evening or early morning is a treat - you can really fly on all of the great speedy turns and curves....its truly a blast....

14.29 miles - Commute/Cedar Lake Extension - 6/22/08

14.29 miles
avg 17.9
max 26.1
cal 513.6
0.47.40
Poprad

8.10 miles - Commute - 6/21/08

8.10 miles
avg 17.2
max 33.3
cal 301.9
0.28.13
Poprad

1285 total miles (approximate) 440 commuter miles (approximate)

8 miles - commute - 6/20/08

8 miles
Trek single speed

I am extremely glad that I sold my Bianchi SS. The Trek 330 fits me better and rides much much better than the Bianchi. I took it for a midnight stealth ride last night (and some groceries) and had a great ride....

$ - 17.91 miles - Commute/Errands - 6/19/08

12.11 miles
avg 16.4
max 26.8
cal 405.8
0.44.18
Trek Commuter

Great commute to work...went to Trader Joe's for dinner stuff on the way home...also I figured out what to do about butt heads who pass you and slow down...I am going to ride past them far enough ahead so that they have a harder time catching up....that's kinda what I do in a car on the highway. No sooner did I pull out of work on Cedar Lake Road some guy came up behind me - his road bike was squeaking so loud it startled me. His bike was also way too small for him, but like usual he passed me and slowed down...so I simply dusted him far enough that he didn't catch up....

5.80 miles
avg 9.5
max 19.8
cal 102.4
0.35.24
Greenpeace w/ ride-a-long

We rode, with Thatcher on his 7.2. to Liam soccer game at Carpenter Park...went and had coffee at Harvest Moon Coffeehouse and rode home....

20.65 miles - SW Corridor/HW101/Grays Bay/Minnetonka Blvd - 6/18/08

20.65 miles
avg 15.8
max 29.7
cal 679.9
1.18.22
Trek Commuter

My son Thatcher forgot his shoes at Grays Bay yesterday when we were fishing, so I thought it would make a great ride out to get them today. I was a bit weary because I am still fighting a recent cold....but I plopped some Alka-Seltzer and off to the races....
The western burbs can be a really great place to ride....mostly nice people....wide shoulders and some nice sight-seeing/views.
I enjoyed myself...

New Ride: 1990 Trek 330

The brochure picture is what it looked like when I purchased it for 100 bucks in pretty darn good shape....however, my plans are to turn this one into a single speed...I am halfway there...

I installed new Origin 8 track cranks, 46 teeth, 175mm, chain, seat post and saddle. Currently I have the original freewheel installed with the chain installed on the 16 tooth cog to see how the ratio works out. Next I want to get a Surly flip flop hub and rebuild the rear wheel with the original rims. As you can see the original rims are concave - very interesting. Why change them, they are light and seem strong? I also want to upgrade the handlebar to a 44cm and install some new brake levers....

I'll keep the blog abreast!!!

27.59 miles - Donovan Boys' Tour De Minneapolis - 6/16/08

27.59 miles

avg 8.6

max 27.5

cal 414.1

3.12.19

Thatcher rode: Trek 7.2FX

Dad & Liam rode: Greenpeace with ride-a-long

We travelled down the Greenway, stopped at Freewheel Bike Shop for some java and snacks. Then to the River Parkway south to the Ford bridge. We then went across the Ford to the Parkway on the St. Paul side of the Mississippi and north to the Lake Street bridge and back across to Minneapolis. We had lunch at Birchwood Cafe. Then we took the Greenway back home.

I was quite proud of Thatcher for being a trooper and listening to my safety rules the whole way and for keeping up the pace, even when we hit the last stretch past of the SW Corridor past Lake Calhoun. Liam was great also for spending 3 hours on the ride-a-long.....

Couldn't ask for a better Fathers' Day!!!!!!

$ - 11.77 miles - Errands/Parktacular/Skateboard Competition - 6/14/08

11.77 miles
avg 10.2
22.4 max
cal 233.1
1.09.00
Greenpeace w/ ride-a-long

26.92 miles - Commute/Shady Oak Extension - Errand/Pleasure Ride with Liam - 6/14/08

13.23 miles

avg 16.3

max 30.3

cal 468.0

0.48.42

Trek Commuter

Very windy (westerly) ride to work, but going home on Excelsior was a blast....

13.69 miles

avg 13.7

max 22.7

cal 346.0

0.59.38

Greenpeace w/ ride-a-long

Took out movies back to Redbox in Byerly's. Went down to Cal Surf to check out mini skateboards for Liam - they didn't come in yet. Then we went around Lake Calhoun and back to Ben and Jerry's for a, way-overpriced but very good, couple of cones of ice cream...then home.

14.33 miles - Commute/Shady Oak Extension - 6/12/08

14.33 miles
avg 16.0
max 33.1
cal 487.7
0.53.44
Trek Commuter

Nice ride...had an issue with my hokey chain guard, but fixed it at work....yesterday I picked up a 1990 Trek 330 steel framed bike in my size....had to drive to Wisconsin to get it....picked up a Origin 8 single speed 42t crank set at work that I installed tonight...I'll get some pics up soon!

LESSON LEARNED...

...NEVER WEEDWACK IN SANDALS

22.74 - Visit to Freewheel Bikes on Greenway with Liam - 6/10/08

22.74 miles
avg 12.8
max 26.8
cal 578.1
1.45.51
Greenpeace with NEW ride-a-long (pics coming soon)

Thank you Craigslist again!!! We woke up this morning groggy and I checked my e-mail right away because I am trying to sell my vintage Trek 310 (which turned out great by the way - someone from NYC is buying it and I have to ship it out)...anyway, of course I check the bike listing before I check my e-mail....and lo-and-behold some rich dude from Edina is giving away a like-new Adams trail-a-bike. Its a deluxe model, yellow in color, with a lightweight fender and a very cool rack (for Liam's skateboard). Liam was crying because his leg was cramping up and we grudgingly made it to the car and off to Edina thinking it was a lost cause and there it was, laying in the grass. So we took it home (after a stop at Sunnyside Up in Uptown for breakfast) and adjusted it, hooked it up and christened it with a nice 20 mile ride. Although Liam kept saying "can we go home," I told him that we were going to go to a new and cool place that he would like...and loved it. We had Cliff bars and coffee and Liam took 16 free Nature Valley granola bars and shoved them in my pack. We watched the bikes go past while Liam chided them with silly remarks in his natural smartass way.....

...the coolest thing was that I saw a guy pass with a bike that he bought from me...it was "Luce Lined" bike that I saved from a guy in Chaska. The bike was a very tall and bombproof vintage Raleigh hybrid bike. This bike I picked up for 15 bucks as a leftover from a yardsale....spent some time cleaning and adjusting, and it turned out fantastic...I sols it to some twenty-something in Uptown for 125 bucks. He got a great deal...it was a great bike....and it made me feel good to see some guy commuting with a bike that I sunk some love into!!!!

34.94 miles - Greenway/U of MN/St. Paul River Parkway/Greenway - 6/10/08

34.94 miles
avg 16.8
max 28.7
cal 1174.7
2.04.16
Poprad

First, the view of the Mississippi River looking north from the Ford bridge is spectacular...you wouldn't even know that you were in the midst of two large cities if someone plopped you there blindfolded and had you open your eyes...it was great!! I never stood on that bridge before. The river parkway on the east side is very nice - its a totally different atmosphere than the west. That seems to be the way Minneapolis and St. Paul are - they both have a certain element all their own, even as close as across a bridge. I must say I like them both, but the Minneapolis side seems more familiar...more like home. The St Paul side gives me the feeling of myself as a tourist or visitor. It always has...maybe I am an Uptown hipster emotionally, but certainly not physically....great ride today...I just wish I didn't always have to be home and had a whole day to ride the Twin Cities....

17.31 miles - Commute/Cedar Lake Extemsion - 6/8/08

17.31 miles
avg 18.6
max 33.2
cal 652.3
0.55.41
Poprad

Nice day for a ride...stopped by Trader Joes to get a work lunch, which I will be doing more often because I got ripped off by my co-workers for 6 bucks and went without lunch on Saturday...so that sucks!!! Otherwise, I had a great ride despite getting passed by some mofo on a Quintana Roo tri bike and having him slow down after he passed me....worse than that typical action, was the fact that his cycling form was really pathetic for a guy in a tri bike - the old wobbly legs....the cool thing was that I passed by a house on Minnetonka Blvd and the was an antique Lambretta motor scooter idling in the driveway with its cowl off. It was a powder blue beauty....

8.05 miles - Commute - 6/7/08

8.05 miles
avg 18.1
max 31.9
cal 319.8
0.26.48
Poprad

SOLD: Vintage 1985 Trek Elance 310 (Serial Number is 208968)

I happened upon this bike last week...it came with an Adams trail-a-bike attachment on the seat post and with a riser bar setup...luckily I had my Bianchi setup with new brake levers, cables, housing and bar tape in the same size (1") quill....so I simply lifted out the riser bar and placed the setup from my Bianchi into the headset...crazily enough I am actually happy to setup my Bianchi with a straight bar....I may just list it on craigslist and see how much I can pull for it....unfortunately the "new" vintage Trek is way small for me (19") frame with a stand over of around 29"....so some lucky sap will end up with a cool old vintage Trek in excellent shape for a good price....

25.53 miles - SW Corridor/Cedar Lake/Theo Wirth/ Cedar Lake/SW Corridor - 6/2/08

25.53 miles
avg 17.6
max 31.8
cal 884.1
1.27.07
Poprad

I basically did the Theo Wirth route backwards for a change...the weather was just right, but I am not feeling up to par lately...probably from not enough time on the bike....

7.90 miles - Subday morning quick ride/FLAT = frustration = go home - 6/1/08

7.90 miles
avg 16.7
max 28.9
cal 265.5
0.28.24
Poprad

Like I said I flatted on the Hutch/Spur Trail and cut through St. Louis Park to get home with my ultra-lite/ultra-stupid spare tube....day after crazy hail storm...I thought I flatted from all the wood and leaf debris on the roads, but as it turns out I had a piece of glass about 5 mm across stuck in my tire!!!