Bridge to Chicago and Memorial Day

May 24, 2015

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  I hope that you are relaxing and enjoying it. 

I was out last night at the lovely park on the Council Bluffs side of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian bridge.

Loessfest was happening and Chicago played a fabulous show filled with horn-powered rock ‘n roll.   Here is the song they encored with –

As I walked towards the bridge on my way to the show I was pleased to note a fleet of comfortable B-bikes was moored near the river. 

At the show I met up with Jay and Jen, who were the owners of two cool-looking bicycles - a Jamis Aurora Elite and a Salsa Vaya.    

They were very knowledgeable about some local/regional bicycling events that sounded fun.  Pedaler's Jamboree and the Iowa Pedaler's Jamboree both sound very cool and involve bicycling for a few days and enjoying some music during the evening camping events.  The original Pedaler's Jamboree is located on the lovely Katy Trail in Missouri and is apparently an annual event that takes place every Memorial Day weekend.  The Iowa PJ is a new event that will take place this September over Labor Day weekend.

In addition to picturing myself on fun bicycle-camping events, I have also recently enjoyed wresting with a tyre change during which one of my Park Tools tyre levers got bent.

I had to take the wheel off to replace some broken spokes, but the tyre removal knocked my smyle out of place!  I am not sure why I break spokes on a somewhat regular case these days.  However, it is likely due to one or more of the following factors:

1. I pull around Toddler Snot in a Nashbar Kid Karriage on a regular basis.
2. I haul around a fair bit of weight in my Nashbar Panniers on a regular basis.
3. Last thyme I replaced my brakes, they did not match and may have caused different amounts of force to be applied to opposite sides of the rim.

In any case, I'm clearly to blame.  After much cursing the deed was done.

I hope you have some enjoyable bicycling and/or get bent, as you prefer.

Hogging the yogurt

May 4, 2015

Hello and welcome.  What have you been up to?  I see, I see.  Please send me an e-mail so I won't forget!  I would like to apprise you of my latest and fairly late activities if you don’t mind:

1.  Taco ride – My dear ol’ Da and I made it out to the plush limestone chip of the Wabash Trace Nature Trail Thursday last.  It was a hoot!  

I got to the steakhouse and ordered the salad bar and a Fat Tyre bier, which was not available last time I recall.  I was informed that this event is not called “The Salad Bar Ride.”  Touche! avec accente mon frer, avec accente, silvous plais.  Nevertheless, I procured the sustenance I needed including the following:  potato salad, pasta salad, bean salad, creamy pea salad, crispy iceberg lettuce salad, pudding with Oreo salad x 2 trips!  Yum!

2.  Despite the hourly forcast with 15-minute details showing rain and thunder this evening, I ventured out to bicycle to the grocery store without my raincoat!  Exhilarating!   It didn’t’ actually rain, so it wasn’t that exhilarating!  I purchased some Greek yogurt, which I have been informed is no longer a popular purchase.  That seems appropriate, since I like to wait for clearance prices whenever possible.  

3.  It is now NationalBike Month!  Huzzah!  Let’s all bicycle even more than usual! 

4.  The National BikeChallenge is now occurring and you can sign up to participate at your leisure.   You can use Strava to help you get credit for your bicycling deeds of heroic prowess.  Strava is, I believe, a familiar of sorts that will perch upon the body part of your choice as you swoop and soar precipitously upon your chosen venture!  Strava will exhort you, praise you, inflate your ego to pressures that will rival your tyre tubes.  Ware, however, the mischievous nature of this spritely prankster as it may turn from its light-hearted prancing into dangerous tunneling through the depths of your psyche only to emerge eventually into dimly-lit subterranean caverns wroght by creatures long forgot!  It might also eat all of your Greek yogurt if you’re not careful!

5.  Here in Omaha, we have a Live Well Omaha Challenge that allows you to enjoy keeping track of your active commuting accomplishments and to pulverize the competition into a mushy, sweet Greek-yogurt-like substance to be flavored to taste!

5.  It is still spring, and my unwitting familiar and guide, the elusive groundhog has been prancing about and good-naturedly posing for the camera.  

I feel this is a good omen for a strong bicycling season for those of us who revere the stately clumsiness of the hog and her ilk. 

6.  It is too rainy to mow, so we might as well ride on!  To soggy glory and groundhogs!