ghetto fenders!

I didn't make them, but someone sure did. Check out the link and see what I mean. I started laughing when I saw these. But hey, its free I guess.

http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/chuck-norris-approved-816110.html

Taco Ride Alternative #3 - Ben Folds Five

I need to think of a better name for this ride. But it sure is nice to get out and ride on the tail end of a hectic week. While the taco ride is fun, the more we discuss it, the more I realize it is for amateurs that just want to drink and ride with no bike lights. And the tacos? Yeah, you know how they really are! Wow, I must be getting old if I think I like that!

The son of Mukluk being watched by Mukluk senior.

I think I had my camera in my hand at least 70% of the ride. I was expecting to eat pavement at any second.

It was an awesome sky and sunset.

Desert Dome!

This was my third TRA ride and we managed to get a total of six riders this time! Paul, Brian, Cody, Nick, Elroy, and myself ventured out to Stir concert cove and beyond this past Thursday. We started behind Greenstreet and made our way to Stir, where we then continued on towards Manawa. Once again, I wore the wrong shoes for this 24 mile ride (Sanuks with no support or cleats made for some sore feet the next day). Once there, we had a quick drink of beverage and then headed back to Stir to listen to Ben Folds Five. He played a ton of his new stuff for nearly an hour. After not recognizing any songs, we packed up and left. And then he started playing his old stuff! Arrgggh! Oh well. It was a beautiful night to be out and I'm very glad that we got the ride in.

At Manawa

Octoberfest!

It was neat to see the bikes lined up. Except my creative juices to frame a good picture had run out.

Stir

As much wildlife as we saw, I was expecting either Ted Nugent to jump out with a hunting bow or Jack Hanna to be hosting a kids wildlife show. Racoons, deer, turkey galore on the ride!

One of my favorite parts of the ride back. Crossing that bridge at night with downtown Omaha in the background is quite a sight to see.

Bam! Like a flashlight explosion in your face!

Fatty Fenders

Some fat bike fenders might come in handy when the roads turn to slush this winter! Or maybe I'll just modify my current ones for a regular 26 wheel?

http://www.ridepdw.com/goods/fenders

A stroll around the neighborhood

A buddy of mine from Lincoln came into town today, we had lunch, and I missed all of the riding action at Calvin Crest and at Swanson. Thanks to all of the folks from THOR for working on that bridge at Calvin Crest, awesome job guys (link below).

http://stratomatica.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-trail-bridge-too-far.html

The weather was too nice so I decided to hop on the bike at 5pm and see how to safely make my way over to Standing Bear. Instead, I headed west and hopped from neighborhood to neighborhood just checking out the beautiful big houses. Very impressive is all that I can say. Although, I don't see the reason for living on a golf course. There was one street, where the block only consisted of one row of houses. So behind the backyard, was another street with houses facing their backyards. Basically you look out the back window of your house and see right into the front door of the house behind you. I've never seen anything like that.

Got in 15 miles of neighborhood street riding. I biked from my place, all through the neighborhoods, past Greg's place, out to Sherwin Williams on Maple, and then made my way back. There are some pretty steep hills out there.

I was almost back home, looked across a field and saw this house in a regular expensive neighborhood. Really looked out of place!

I started off my morning with Halloween Cap'n Crunch, I bought it ONLY because it turns your milk green.

Thanks TruSnow!

While shopping for snowboarding equipment back in the day, I came across Sierrasnowboard.com, which is now Trusnow.com. Anyway, they do a daily giveaway of a snowboard (or bindings) each day. If over 500 people logged in that day, then they give out more. If over 1000, then two snowboards will be given out. Pretty awesome huh?

The giveaway is at 5pm (CST) and I just log in right before leaving work. Well finally after logging in for almost 2-3 yrs, I finally won something. Unfortunately it is just a snowboard bag, but hey, I'm not one to complain! You also get points for logging in daily, doing reviews, buying stuff, and participating in the forums. After X number of points, you get a discount, a shirt, then goggles, bindings, and finally a snowboard! Good stuff! By next month, I'll have a free pair of goggles valued up to $100. Awesome!

buffalo in a convertible???

Okay, now I have seen it all! A pet buffalo riding in the back of a convertible!


http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=0f596523-cd0e-44ad-96be-37fc551e5c9a&from=sharepermalink&src=v5:share:sharepermalink:&from=dest_en-us

Love me some Deftones!

Just saw a post on FB where you can get then newest song by Deftones for free for a limited time. Its legit, put out by them. Here is the link

http://www.deftones.com/main/

hmm, i guess i never posted pictures to the concert that i went to. I'll post them one if these days.

Sent from my HTC smartphone on the Now Network from Sprint!

My first Rodeo

Yee haw! Well not that kind of rodeo. But the kind where kids ride around on bikes, crashing into each other, and leave skid marks as long as your sidewalk (you all know that you did it on your Huffys when you were younger). In other words, a bike rodeo!

It wasn't really this dark yet, but you can trick the camera into believing so and get some trick sunset photography.

The kiddos were getting their licenses for completing the course

Paul invited me to help volunteer at a bike rodeo with Dan from Bike Masters up at Heritage Elementary school (in Bennington), literally up the street from me. I had no clue that a school was even up there. Built and finished this year. Crazy stuff. Anyway, it sounded like fun so I said why not? We were there to help with bike adjustments, inflate tires, and properly fit helmets. I think Dan also helped a kid who had fallen and scraped themselves up.

If you set the camera to a longer exposure mode, then hold the camera still, you can get some cool ghosting effects with movement. Like the girl on the scooter in the foreground. Click on the photo for the bigger example.

Kids were on razor scooters, bikes, trikes, and even a powered scooter (cheating!). And kids were flying in the circle, running into each other, tipping over on training wheels, you name it. It was pandemonium! But they had fun and I had fun helping out. The sunset was gorgeous that evening and I tried to take what I could with my little Canon.

Bike I saw in Lincoln

So can you even consider these bikes?

I'm freefalling!!!

Tom Petty describes this video the best. So watch as some plane jumpers do their thing, then the Go Pro falls out of the housing from the guy's helmet and freefalls. What happens at the end??? I had to watch to find out. Pretty amazing stuff.

Transportation with style!

AC Cobra being transported by an equally cool vehicle!

 

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/jochen-mass-citroen-ds-transporter-ac-cobra-goodwood-revival-2012-09-13 

No wonder why American companies are failing?

Just came across this article regarding the Chevy Volt. Cool looking vehicle with lithium polymer batteries coupled to a gasoline engine. Go green, right? But the problem is that the car costs $89,000 to produce. The cars are for sale for $39,995 and with cheap lease programs, people are driving around in them for as little as $5050 for two years according to the article. Does this make any sense to you? At this rate, GM is going to need another bailout. Interesting article, check it out.

http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/10/13780299-gm-losing-as-much-as-49000-per-volt-sold

Remembering 9/11

This post is to remember and honor those who tragically died that one day that we'll forever remember as 9/11. So I don't usually post stuff like this, but it still gives you that weird feeling inside when people talk about 9/11, especially what had happened and where they were at that day. I now know a few folk that were either in the towers or below in the subway when it had happened. Still amazes me as to what had happened and seeing the news footage of what had happened that sad day.

I recently remembered that I still had this ticket from going up to see the observation deck of the Twin Towers. For some reason, I had kept my ticket after being there with friends in 1999/2000 for NYE. It was crammed in a wallet or a pocket or something and I had found it shortly after my trip. Brings back memories of going up the elevator at a super fast speed, where you can actually feel your ears pop as you go up to the higher floors. And the views were spectacular. You could see a lot of the bridges and landmarks of NY and surrounding areas. The weird thing is that I kept this, knowing that somehow it would mean something to me. I guess I didn't know just how much it would end up meaning to me!

The pics were taken on 35mm, I'll have to scan the photos sometime and share them with you guys.

Those crunchy ribs at MNR

 

Ahhh it felt good to get out and ride dirt. Nearly three weeks for me I think! Finally life is back to normal, minus the beginning of Husker season which consumes my Saturdays. But that's okay. Trail is still dry, looks like most vegetation is done growing so now its time to just enjoy the ride. I watched as Chris cleared the new section over and over. I couldn't bring myself to try it, knowing in the back of my mind that I might flip backwards and land on my head. Just a matter of finding the right line I guess.

After a lap, the sun is already beginning to set. Almost time to charge up those lights and bring true meaning to the name Monday NIGHT ride

We had a fairly good sized group, including rider Bethany who brought up her blue Mukluk from Auburn. Hoping that she had fun on her first time at Tranquility. Thanks to Dale for taking the time to ride with her. I got out of work late and got to the trail late, but still managed to get some riding in with the gang.

Group gets bigger and bigger

Who knew that crunchy ribs would make you act drunk. Haha. Or at least this seemed the case after last night's ride. Paul #2 was heard crunching down on some ribs by most of the folk on the lower half of the driveway. We all laughed because at first we thought he was eating chips. But nope! He was eating ribs that Steve had brought over. And he was drinking Pepsi, but man those crunchy ribs sure made him act and ask funny questions. Anyway, good times last night. To another great Monday Night Ride!

Sister Mukluk was out tonight

Trail Day at Tranquility

Since I had missed the trailday at Manawa, I decided that I would make it out to the one at Tranquility today. Well after an interesting morning of being stranded out in Lincoln (car battery was dead after fog lights were accidentally turned on), I finally made it back to Omaha and to the trail shortly after 3pm.

Get some speed, and then...

Yeah, can you make it up that???

What I came out to find were tools of all sorts being used, people of all ages working on the trail, and people helping out in every which way they could. It was time to finish digging in some new trail that Paul, Chris, and possibly others had started.

Bill and Dave working hard on the turn around section

Lots of people out today to help

A little less steep would be great!

This is like a real worksite. Supervisors everywhere! Just kidding guys.

The new section is at the far northwest section of the swamp/wetlands at Tranquility. While it may seem tame as you first enter it, there is a fast swoopy section near the end with a "good luck getting over that climb" at the end. Many have tried, only one has succeeded (Karl made it over on about his 10th try). Thanks to THOR and Paul/Chris and others for adding on to our already awesome trail we call Tranquility.

Now that Dave's daughter is married, he needs to practice his babysitting skills. 

After seeing this, I don't think I'm going to try it on the next MNR. Not yet. I'll let you guys pack it down first!


The first victim from Misterlime on Vimeo.