Hmmm? What have I been up to?

Well I have been very busy lately. Not having time for riding this summer has gotten me down.
I feel like I put allot of effort into the early season and had no motivation left for the bike in the summer.



Early on this year I was training up to be the domestique for my mother-in-law in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Colorado. With such a full plate I had to respite from blogging my brain just couldn't take it. So hopefully I'm back in the saddle again.

So in May we did the Iron Horse (my son edited the video) then not much as far as biking is concerned.
in June I didn't even touch the bike for two weeks. I commuted to work a few times and just couldn't get back in the swing of things. I fear I might be getting a little burned out.....Nah it just the "anti V"! Evil Evil

The cuz sitting in Artist Carola's Booth

So..where was I?... Oh yeah...In late June I did some short rides going to get stuff at the store etc but it seemed like i still didn't have the motivation i was wishing for. So August starts to come around and with ArtistCarola showing work in the Hottern' Hell Hundred consumer show and the someone being needed to keep them I had to skip out on riding the event this year and stepped back and worked logistics for everyone else. While being sort-of bummed out about missing out on the ride there is something rewarding about helping enable others to be inspired about cycling. My son rode with my cousin and they both got inspired to ride more.


    After HHH it was only a few weeks till Fort Davis Cyclefest, so I needed to get both my legs and my bike ready. Artist Carola was showing at cyclefest too so more logistics was needed also. We usually go out to cyclefest as a season ender it is a welcome respite from the heat of the Texas summer. This year was a little more than a respite from the heat. On the way out we were rained on nearly the whole way then when we got there the high for the first day (Thursday) was 58 degrees and the day of the tour (Saturday) it was raining hard and 48 degrees. We were camping, in a tent, in the rain, it would have not been very nice of me to ditch everyone to go ride in the rain and leave them to dry everything back out so... I slept in and waited till the rain stopped. We dried out the campsite and then about 11:30 I left to go for a ride.

This ride was perhaps the best forty miles I have ever ridden. It is kind of ride that plays a soundtrack in your head as you face the demons of gravity exploring your own feeble limits alone in the grandeur of the mountains. it showed me what a summer if being "Too busy to ride" does to you. I was a slow mountain slug. It was a good ride!
    So after that ride the weekend started looking up and i was all jazzed about the next days hill climb ride. My son was excited to ride also; this was his first timed event. when we got back from the dinner gathering saturday night I began to ready the bikes for our morning of "uphill" and noticed that I had broken a spoke right when I returned from my epic. I knew it happened then because I heard it... It sounded like a rock hitting my wheel. Man that stinks. I'd planned for everything but a broken spoke.
Oh well looks like I'm playing photographer for my son as he rides his hill climb.

He did well for his first time going up the highest paved road in Texas. The grade is steep (up to 17%) and it grinds you down to a crawl. He finished and won his finishers cap.
    After the ride was over the only thing left to do was break camp and drive all the way back to Fort Worth (8 1/2 hours). Since curses come in threes:

1. rain on tour day
2. broken spoke
3. Wheel blew off the top of the truck somewhere between Sweetwater and Weatherford.

Losing my wheel kinda bummed me out but stuff happens....

I went on a ride today with so old spinergy rev x wheels that i had in the BigBikeBarn and had a great ride.

Don't let the "Anti-V" get you!....... "Get out and Ride!"