Timmy Tracks » RIDES

Biking Hazards

tim — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:44:18 +0000

There are many types of cycling road hazards, like glass, debris and other items on the roadway. Or like in this photo, the loose gravel the road crew puts down for resurfacing can be dangerous. The wildlife can also be hazardous and dangerous as well.

My friend Mike (Jedi Web Master) was once taken out be a deer. Good thing it wasn’t a 12 point buck. Or was it? I can not remember the details. I have been startled and almost knocked off my bike by flying turkeys. A few times I have just barely missed a squirrel darting from one side of the road to the other. Worse yet are the stupid rabbits that can’t seem to make up their minds about which way to go. There is always the issue of people’s pets. My friend Stewart had a cat jump into his front wheel.

Lately it has been the birds. Those dive bombing red wing black birds. I have had them chase me, but never have they actually physically nailed my helmet. Coming home from a ride on Saturday I had one attack me and made contact with my helmet seven times. After talking to others I have found out that this bird is a repeat offender. It is all kind of creepy if you have ever seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds”.

Hope you are enjoying your biking so far this summer. Keep you eye on the road and in the sky.

Yes I have ridden a bike, I just didn’t inhale.

tim — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:13:02 +0000

Tis the season of riding. Excluding the rain the temps have been nice. I find that when I ride in the evening it seems to be the bug hour. I feel like a big bug catcher. I get those gnat things down my jersey, in my helmet, and don’t go with out glasses because they sting like hell when you get one in the eye. AND don’t inhale. It seems when ever I am at my most gasping moment I suck one of those bugs in. Oh Gad is that terrible. I couldn’t breath on the climb as it was and now I am trying to exhale everything I have in me to get rid of the damn bug I just inhaled. And they always get caught at the half way point. Not far enough to swallow but to far to hack back up. So you try to get up the remainder of the hill trying to hack a bug up or swallow some water to wash him down. My solution to all this in just don’t inhale. Exhale all you want, just don’t inhale.

Riding the flood.

tim — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:59:58 +0000

This last Sunday I went for a ride up to Mineral Point on the Cheese County Trail. This trail follows an old rail way bed. It is flat and is actually a good work out as there are no hills to coast down. On my way up the trail I ran into several sections of trail that were flooded. The first section was maybe two or three inches. Then as I got farther down the trail I ran into the next section that was about an 1/8 of a mile long and up to my hubs. At first going along I was half pedaling along trying not to get my feet wet. It took all of 5 minutes before my feet were soaked and i said the heck with it and just forged ahead like a motor boat. After another 4 miles down trail, somewhere between Calamine and Mineral Point, I ran into snapping turtle trying to get up to high ground. I was amazed at how big he was, about twelve inches in diameter. He was all wrinkly and cute.

Farther down the trail past Mr Turtle I came to my last big section of flooding. At first the water was lightly running down the trail and as I pedaled on up the trail It seemed it was getting deeper and the flow stronger. Sure it was, it just so happened that at that moment the stream was just flowing over its banks and flowing down the trail. Water was way up past my bottom bracket. It was quite the effort to pedal up stream, I feel for all those spawning salmon now.

Pastor of Disaster

tim — Fri, 11 May 2007 14:21:47 +0000

Pastor of Disaster:

That’s right, Pastor Dan is coming! Lock up your liquor and hide the ladies. Dan will be showing up on Friday morning and staying for four to five days. He has 29 days off and is spending some time with us. How lucky are we?

If you are up for long mind numbing and conversationless rides, give us a call to find out when Dan is going for a ride.

There will be some grilling going on and I heard something about ginger martinis. Mmmmm Yummy!

What about Bob?

tim — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 03:46:32 +0000

What about Bob?

I just realized if we have a Saturday morning coffee ride that leaves at 8am, Bob (aka The Roasta Maan) will not be able to make it. So I have pumped up the time to 8:30 am. It’s a Saturday morning take the extra thirty and sleep in or have another cup o Badger Bros Café.

Sorry for any confusion, and if you had your heart set on getting up that early then show up and go to the farmers market and buy us all muffins. I like the ones with fruit in them, thanks.

Did I mention the rides will leave from behind Momentum? There is parking in the back lot, we have water, bathroom and if we are lucky someone will bring muffins.

Timothy

tim — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 03:44:38 +0000

Wednesday Rides

tim — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 03:42:05 +0000

Wednesday Night Rides, Have already started, sorry, if you didn’t hear & missed the first one.

The UWP cycling club will be leading these rides. They are a much faster paced ride, for some of us. Ok, for me.

So I was the one who had to be pushed home. Hey! I have my excuses. I’m no student who has nothing to do all day long. I didn’t get to go on spring break and ride 100 miles a day, no; I was working in the shop. And, honestly, I could have just coasted home, but they felt I had to keep up, so they pushed me. My two piston motor couldn’t go anymore; I think they just wanted to touch my butt.

Seth Eckert or Ryan ‘Porn Star’ Staabs will be here on Wednesday to lead the way. I ask you show and be ready to ride at 5pm. What? Why is Ryan’s nickname Porn Star? How do you think he paid for his high dollar college education??? Wasn’t from bike racing. There is a reason we make him wear Two pairs of bike shorts when he rides.

Anyway, be ready to leave by 5pm, there is always water here at the shop and you can change here as well.

If you do not know the area, we can provide you with a map so we can map out the route in case you get dropped or lost. Yes, it’s one of those kinda rides.

And these guys ride in the rain.

tim — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 03:18:04 +0000

Saturday Morning, if you don’t sleep in.

tim — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 03:15:40 +0000

Rides With the warmer weather, the Rides Will Begin.

Saturday morning rides will begin this Saturday (not Sunday, duh) at 8am. I guess I have to be there now that I have said that they are starting. Rides are dependent on weather of course. If it is raining and cold, and you want to ride, by all means come on down, wait for no one to show up and go out for a fridged and/or wet jaunt. I will be in bed, dreaming of riding at a much warmer moment. After, we ride or don’t ride; we can go to Badger Brothers for coffee. The farmers market will be opening sometime soon, so you can go there after as well. The Saturday morning ride will be a casually paced ride, of an hour to hour and a half. Do you feel like riding faster, or harder? You may find yourself riding on your own. And, if you like it that way, that is fine. We will see you later at Badger Brothers for coffee. Hope to see you on the Saturday morning ride.