Happy Halloween!

Hey Fools and Ghouls, have a Happy Halloween! Eat lots of candy then bike it all off. See you guys at tonight's ride!

Go Pro meets Mukluk 2

I went back out to Tranquility today with really only one goal in mind. I had my Go Pro mounted to the Enabler fork and wanted to try out some video. The video doesn't seem quite as choppy or bumpy since the bike is so called full rigid. I guess full suspension really magnifies the bumps on camera. I also used as few Go Pro extensions as possible, seems to have helped. I have the fatties probably running about 15 psi as of right now. Probably let some more air out tomorrow night to see how it affects the ride.


Mukluk2 and pre-Ridgeline from Misterlime on Vimeo.

The first video had the camera mounted as centered as possible on the fork. I thought I would try a little bit of a different angle on the second video. I moved it down the fork a little bit more, was hoping to get the side of the tire. But unfortunately all this did was slant the camera. Maybe next time I'll try it at the same level as the front hub. Gotta figure it all out before the snow hits! Anyway, the videos are kinda cool. In the first one, the tire tread almost looks stationary with the tread staying in the same place. Almost looks like an old movie where they throw in the background with a movie and the actors are stationary in the front of the movie screen. That was the first thing that came to my mind when watching the first movie. The second clip, I was going a little bit faster. Definitely more comfortable riding that hill top area. It's not too bad riders. Just do it.


Take two! from Misterlime on Vimeo.

When I got to the top of the south hill, I met up with two riders who were coming out of the ice rink loop. Turns out that one of the guys knew me by first name, actually checks out this blog! How cool is that? Nice to have met you guys. Hope you guys had a good rest of the ride and thanks for reading!

Hello there!

The temps were dropping and the wind was picking up. Did about two loops on the south hill before heading home. Our warms days are coming to an end. Get out there and ride before the white fluffy hits.

Mineola Browns!!!

Instead of riding Swanson like I had originally planned, Jena and I rode down to good ol' Mineola on a Saturday afternoon. Yes, it was a good healthy 20 mile bike ride. But my meal easily offset the caloric burn. Slick's pork tenderloin with Mineola Browns please!

Where's the party at?

Oh...there's the party!

This party was dead. Glad that I wasn't invited!

It was kinda of eerie riding back at night without the rest of the tacoride ride crowd around. Margaritaville looks like a ghost town. You start hearing things in the bushes and I kept looking behind me to make sure that no mountain lion was chasing after my fat tires. Owls flying over us, cats on the trail. Dead animals hanging from people's trees. I guess that's how I'll tell people that my Halloween went. I had a howling good ride!

Fat bike compatible!

Bloody Mary's for $2.80? Now that's my kinda deal!

Aaron and Paul, you guys see that on my plate?

This bite is for you guys!

Click on the pic to see the owl. I was surprised that i got this shot

more car-razy fat tired vehicles!

Check out how low of air pressure they are running. Can be seen at 2:47.

Wide track...ponti....er...

This thing is crazy. Water, snow. Puts my bike to shame. Looks like it is near impossible to steer though.

Fat bike conquers the fat hill!

I'll take the high road while you take the low road! That phrase was going through my mind tonight as I explored uncharted territory at Tranquility. Since I was riding alone, I took a brave pill and rode the newest steepest section right before the ridgeline. No problem announced my tires as I rode across the peaks and a jogger went by on the lower smooth side. Still a little bit soft in sections, we could definitely use some rain. I felt my back tire slip once but the Endomorphs easily caught the traction and I carried on.

Finally Friday and I slipped out of the office about 15 minutes early, just enough time for me to get my butt and the fatty to Tranquility, run a full lap and get home before the darkness hit. Riding that new section on the fat was actually alot of fun. Probably the highlight of my ride tonight. Everyone have a good weekend, Go Big Red, and get out and bike!

Do it!

The Monday Night Ride

The weather is just about perfect for riding. But it is a shame that it is getting dark so fast. For Greg, it provided a thrill ride through the "whoop dee doos" as he forgot the battery to his helmet mounted light. He soon realized that having only his handlebar mounted light would mean that he had to look only where his light looked. And that included the sky or the ground depending on which end of his bike was facing up or down. I told him to just close his eyes since he knew that he just had to go straight. I don't think he fell for it.

The last two MNRs have provided some awesome skies as a background

Last night's MNR was filled with three new bikes, some deer, cold brews from Greg, and a broken chain leading ultimately to an endo over a log crossing. I had my Mukluk 2 out for the ride, in addition to Paul's new Karate Monkey and Dales XTC 29er. Yeah, Dale riding a geared front suspension carbon bike? What is up with that!

Two deer in their usual spot

The Mukluk 2 is a fun rig to ride. I'm learning that there is a lot more leaning into the turns in order to get those big tires to go where I want them to, especially on the downhill turns and switchbacks. It will just take some time to adjust. As for the get up and go and keeping up? Not a problem. I let some more air out of the tires last night. Need to find that perfect psi. Traction so far is awesome, the Larrys and Endomorphs seem to grab every inch of earth that they come in contact with.

So I brought up the contrasts and saturation a little bit in these photos. Overkill...maybe. 

Two riders sharing a moment in the romantic lighting. Haha!!! I'm not naming names...but we know who you are!

Mike F had a bit of an accident on the trail. Coming back from the new north side, he decided to run the creek side backwards. Right as he was ready to get over a log crossing, his chain broke. Front tire hit the log and he went over the bars and hit a tree. Doesn't help that it was dark out either. Ouch!

Halloween much? This was a scene at a house coming out of Tranquility. This picture was taken in the dark of night, so you can imagine how bright the lights really are!

Just one of those funny things you see while on your bike

Thanks to the MNR gang for making it a fun ride. Thanks to Greg for the drinks and to Paul for letting us hang out. So next Monday happens to fall on Halloween. Costumes anyone???

Rokon All Wheel Drive

While it's still early...already thinking about my next fatbike. All wheel drive baby!!!

Rokon

Cranksgiving 2011

You like to bike? You want to help others and prevent them from going hungry this winter? Then come participate in a fun event called Cranskgiving. I did it last year and had a blast with the gang. It was way too funny watching Chris and Dave strap frozen turkeys to the back of their bikes. Event is November 12, 2011 and takes place at Bike Masters. More details below, along with my post from last year. See everyone there!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=228766157180443

http://cranksgiving-omaha.blogspot.com/

and here is my write-up from last year's event.

http://bikingfools.blogspot.com/2010/11/riding-with-turkeys-cranksgiving-2010.html

Salvation Army needs bell ringers!

Hopefully the temps will be warmer this year and the Salvation Army will make their goal. They missed it last year. Thank you to everybody who donated money, time, items in the past. If you want to sign up, it's easy. Just go to the link below and enter some simple information, find a time and location that works for you. And then you just show up! The bell, apron, stand are already present and ready to go. Doesn't get any easier!

Sign up to ring bells!

Snow Day Winter Ale

Was cruising the Nebraska Beer blog and came across a new New Belgium offering for this winter. It's to replace their 2 deg Below brew and will be called Snow Day Winter Ale. I can't wait to try it! Okay, now I definitely need to pick up a rear rack for the Muk so that I can transport some beverage goodness to the rides.

http://nebraskabeer.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-winter-seasonal-from-new-belgium-at.html

Salsa Mukluk 2 - My first impression

There is a new monster truck of bikes hitting Tranquility trails and it's called the Salsa Mukluk 2. It's like an object of curiosity, a Frankenstein of a bike frame and huge tires, a beautiful work of art with red accents on a black matte frame. Whatever you want to call it, the bike is a blast to ride!

Picture from Paul. On my first ever fat bike ride

I picked up the new steed on Friday evening. The good guys at Xtreme Wheels called me while I was at work. Hey Mike, we have the bike ready for you. And Salsa was nice enough to send us two mediums and a large, so you can actually take your pick. You get first dibs. I couldn't get out of work fast enough! I had a feeling towards the end of the week that the bikes would be in. You know you want something bad when you are checking your phone a few times a day just for that one missed phone call. I had first read about the Mukluk last year. But supply was short and I wasn't really in the market for a new bike. Just kind of a curiosity. I inquired at the two local Salsa dealers here in town back in March. Hard to get or we carried one but nobody was buying it. Missed my chance. But...there was rumor that they would be updating the line with a lighter, better spec'd model towards the end of the year. So began the wait...

The 26 X 4.0 Endomorph next to the 26 X 2.2 Race King

Bigger is better? Maybe I need to step it up to the 4.7 inch Big Fat Larry?

I didn't realize until tonight that the top tube and the gate angle were so similar. Total coincidence

Why I chose the Mukluk 2 over the Pugsley, Fatback, 9Zero7, Mukluk 3, etc? A lot of it came down to convenience of the test ride. The Bike Way only had Pugsleys in a large frame built up. Rode it around the parking lot and it seemed fine. But I couldn't really tell. I didn't feel super comfortable on it. Almost awkward and the white paint was just kind of plain for me. I've heard that the Pugsley and the Mukluk ride completely different. The Mukluk is more upright, maybe more for touring and long distance rides. But I actually needed to ride a fat tired bike in my size before buying. I wanted to buy from a LBS and not from Alaska or mail order. So the Fatback, Sandman, and 9Zero7 were unfortunately out of the question. Although, after waiting for months, the 9Zero7 frames were starting to look enticing. The top tube has a sweeping bend to it and is very appealing to the eye. Anyway, Xtreme ended up with a Mukluk 3 in my size. It had just arrived in a box when I had inquired. Blaine said he would have it built up for me the next day and I could give it a ride. Once I sat on the Salsa. It's like the planets aligned. It was fun to ride, comfortable, and handled a lot better than I had thought.

New this year is the gusset behind the head tube for added strength. I've heard stories about aluminum fat bikes doing crazy bends and breaks after taking huge air. 

Love that chili pepper on the seat!

I could have been happy just going home with the blue Mukluk 3 that day. I really like that blue color. But one of the first things that I would have changed were the tires and rims. After consulting the forums on MTBR, the upgraded drilled rims, 120tpi tires, brakes, e13 cranks, black anodized aluminum, x9 rear der., and cane creek headset were enough to make up the difference in price. The weight savings would be huge. The Muk 2 weighed in at 32.6 lbs stock. Not too shabby for a fat tired bike with full 3X9 gearing.

Drilled out Handspun Rolling Darryls

Fast forward seven months from my first inquiry and today I found myself rolling through Hillsborough on my way to Standing Bear and then to Tranquility to meet up with Paul on my new bike.  Mother Nature wasn't cooperating yesterday. I had started a ride on Saturday before the Husker game but ended up turning around once the rain had started. I couldn't feed that need. But today, the skies were sunny. My carb heavy pancakes and turkey sausage breakfast filled my stomach. I was ready for my first inaugural ride that consisted of more than a blocks worth of pedaling in circles. Will I like it? Was this a big mistake?

The colors on the bike are sharp! Kudos to Salsa for choosing the color combo. I was afraid that the color would be too similar to my Trek. 

As soon as I was heading down the street in Hillsborough, I knew that I would be a happy camper! How I knew right away? The tires rolling on pavement and even the trail make this sound that I've heard about. Once you get up to a certain speed, there is this intoxicating sound of a low hum, like a woahhhhhh (have to make the sound nasally). Similar to when you hear a semi on the road. That's the sound of the 26 X 3.8 Larry up front and the bigger 26 X 4.0 Endomorph in the rear. And yes, the sound is loud enough to make people turn their heads.

Got to Standing Bear. Avoided the poop all over the trail. Seriously people, clean up after your dog. I would have been angry if I would have rolled over some. I've got a funny/disgusting story to tell sometime. Took a few pics because I knew that this would be the cleanest that the bike will ever be. Riding through, I kept hearing, "Whoa. Look at those tires!"

Finally made it to Tranquility and was heading on the newer north side towards the Fort Street bridge. Jump that first dirt mound like I always do. Almost got bucked off the bike. Wow, I've been riding my full squish way too long. Forgot how to use the body to actually take in the bumps and secure a landing position. This was going to be a fun and interesting ride!

17 degree bend on the Salsa Bend 2 handlebar

I let some air out of the tires. Actually twice today and once yesterday. Max psi is 30. Xtreme had them at 25. I was at 20 when I first started riding at Tranquility. Probably got down to 12-15 by the time I had finished. Going to be some trial and error to find what I like for Tranquility. So how does it ride and handle? Despite having Avid BB7s, it takes longer to stop. Not sure if it is because they are mechanical disc brakes compared to the Juicys that I'm use to? Or also because of the bigger tire/rim combo that makes it harder to stop? That was very apparent today on the trail. Even noticed it on the test rides. Also the ride is bouncy! Almost like a bounce house. Dale and the teens did some trailwork this past week at Tranquility (thanks Dale and teens for your hard work!). It was easy to find those spots because I was bouncing around on those. The turning radius when up to speed is a little bit wider. I almost hit two trees that I've never had problems with before. I guess I'm use to braking a little bit and just turning sharper on the Trek. I guess there is a little bit of an adjustment in riding style to be made. Also, it's been such a long time since I've ridden a full rigid (yeah I know, the tires will act as my suspension) that my arms were getting tired by the end of the ride. I felt like I had just finished blasting the tri's at the gym for two hours straight. Just have to tweak the tire pressure and I should be good to go. That being said, the bike is a blast to ride! Those bumpy sections? I was laughing the whole time. The bike actually gets up to speed fairly quickly and seems to roll pretty easily. Not sure if somehow it picks up and retains momentum easier? Lastly, people definitely notice the bike. If you are one who doesn't like the attention and getting stopped to answer questions about the bike. Then a fatbike is definitely not for you. I've had at least 3 old grandmas with their grandkids stop me and want to poke the tires with their fingers. After a very patient wait, the bike of my dreams (even my sis had a dream that she was riding one) is finally in my hands and ready for winter! Look for lots of winter pics and stories this next coming year.

Tease...

I'm going to be a tease (because we all know that everyone likes a tease)...and just give you a taste of what is new.

Meteor shower tonight

If you're up late tonight, there is a meteor shower happening a few hours before dawn. Sounds like it should be pretty good. Here is the link. It's referring to MI because my dad sent me this link. Pretty sure we should be able to see it here.
 
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/cool_meteor_show_tonight_halle.html

From the guys at 2 Bici Bike shop

Going down...and up stairs??? First video I've seen of a Mukluk 2.

Salvation Army Red Kettle Run/Walk

The Salvation Army is hosting a 5k run/walk at Zorinsky Lake on October 29 at 9:00am. Donation of 10 non perishable foods or $10 is all it takes to get yourself into this event. No pre-entry. Here is the link for more information.
 
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=nfifeldab&v=001oa6YnRfZhAVG9PtjRsxoX_t_DXVUNpf9nQRUKjyqVQWMd6mBQEbkVueELwM8IrJUg4hDjTUNOjneUesih-YKMi1S5jpJevTm9wCQGYz7vaLLg4g5Y4LxzLlxd7rpLCgmhIqwX40n0e_nIwwdlBoIBQ%3D%3D

Fall photography!

I've been busy...and sick. Unfortunately, these have both cut into my biking which has been zilch for the past week and a half. The past two weekends were spent doing photography. Two weekends ago, I tried to make it down to Waubonsie State Park. After hearing that I29 was reopened, I had hope. But nope. Highway 2 was closed and they sent me on some wild goose-chase of a detour. Myself and many others. It's interesting to see the other vehicles just stopped in the middle of a dirt road intersection trying to figure out how to get to their destination. I can't say much. I ended up at Brownville, Plattsmouth, and Indian Cave State Park instead. Which were probably just as nice to go to.

I'm working on the Zombie Walk pictures from this past weekend.

Indian Cave State Park had one of the scenic drives set up with Halloween decorations

Where there was once flooding down by the river

You can see the water line on the near tree