This is SPRING?

Skeeter Park in Burlington "Oh I'm a Lumberjack and I'm OK, I sleep all night and I work all day" Nice and cold this weekend, had to ride in the morning while it was still frozen cause when it warmed up we had GOO for trails. Speaking of trails, Dehn's is lookin really good after team ATLAS and I did massive trail maintenance on Sunday. We were able to remove the last of the deadfall trees, clean the ENTIRE 5+ miles, and we even got to ride our handy work afterwords. Needless to say that without Tracy, Amanda and Nick it would have been a long trail to rake, MANY thanks Kids!!! I will post pics when I figure out my "new" camera, The old one quit working after I drop...oops I mean it just quit working, trying to take a picture of a proverbial flock of seagulls eating turds from the gambling boat, thanks to the walton family heirs for replacing it for me! The Sylvan Island Stampede is this Sunday Hope to see all the usual suspects from IOWA and ILLINOIS.

Goods and bads...

Good = nice new single track to connect the bypass from last year Good = First rappel! the first step is always the hardest. Good = Climbing the Tower at Horn feild campus in Macomb Bad = Trees are still coming down in Dehn's Bad = I just finished trail maintenance a day earlier, soft soil, old trees.

Heavy stuff

I'm starting to hate the news, more so now than ever. Rather than go into a long rant about the crap that passes as important "need to know" news items, I thought I'd let TOOL sum up my feelings about it. Watch about 15 minutes of CNN and this song makes complete sense. Vicarious (10000 days- TOOL) eye on the TV 'cause tragedy thrills me. Whatever flavour it happens to be like; Killed by the husband, drowned by the ocean, shot by his own son, she used the poison in his tea and kissed him goodbye. thats my kinda story. Its no fun 'til someone dies. Don't look at me like I am a monster. Frown out your one face but with the other. Stare like a junkie into the TV. Stare like a zombie. While the mother holds her child' watches him die. Hands to the sky crying why oh why? 'Cause I need to watch things die ...from a distance Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies. You all need it too, don't lie. Why can't we just admit it? We won't give pause until blood is flowing. Neither the brave nor bold, writers of stories sold. We won't give pause until blood is flowing. I need to watch things die. ...from a good safe distance. Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies. You all feel the same so why don't you just admit it? Blood like rain come down Drawn on grave and ground. Part vampire, part warrior. Carnivore and voyeur. Stare at the transmittal. Sing to the death rattle. Credulous at best your desire to believe in angels in the hearts of men. Pull your head on out, your head believes it give a listen. Shouldn't have to say it all again. The universe is hostile, so impersonal. Devour to survive, so it is. So its always been. we all feed on tragedy, its like blood to a vampire. Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies. Much better you than I.

Water & Rock

It only rained two inches in 70 miles, never carry electronic equipment in a thunderstorm... CUJO takes a pull! Until the lightning started, then he bailed I know you can't read it, is says "impassable during high water" hell it wasn't even up to my hubs... When you come to a fork in the road, take it...yeah thanks for nothin YOGI "DUUUUDE, is that KERKOVE?" "No way Holmes, Kerkove's in GREEN this year".

Dirt First

No not "EARTH first" but close, nice to be on the trails last night, just a little spongy but NO MUD. Makes you work for the miles! The bypass, this will be a roller coaster ride when its hardpack!!! Still have some work to do, but its 95% A-OK First blood! Too many sticks to avoid...

CODY Race 1

We need MORE DICE guys!!! (photos stolen from Bryan Moritz)www.bryanmoritzcycling.com I've done this race three years in a row now, the first two years I finished with the exact same numbers 1:08 @ 18.5 MPH, this year I was able to knock it down to 1:03 @ 19.5 MPH. Not stunning by any means but better than the previous two...

Whats that sound?...

All over the midwest, on any given Tuesday, hundreds of cabin fever cyclists took to the streets. In every city and town, on paved roads or gravel, the sounds of freewheels buzzing and folks clipping into their pedals. The return of the "TUESDAY NIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS", (where ever your respective world is) signals the coming season. Of course the motorists love to see everyone riding again, and judging by the amount of honking horns, half rolled down window screaming, and pedal--to-the-metal drive byes, they to welcome this annual parade of lycra as well!! Now I gotta wait for the trails to dry out and begin a major clean up after the ice. Scott County Park on Sunday! Viva le bike!

Changes

If anyone has ever seen the movie "Little Big Man" with Dustin Hoffman you'll know where I'm coming from. In one of my former lives I was a Hunter, Ducks, Geese, Turkey, anything and everything. I enjoyed it then as much as I enjoy Biking today. But things change, what I once thought I couldn't live without, I now have only fond memories of; great times afield with family and friends. I still search the sky when I hear Geese off in the distance, I can still identify ducks on the wing just by their flight patterns. The adventure of navigating the river during pitch black frosty mornings when the constellations in the sky provide you your only directions STILL haunt my dreams. Today I said goodbye to one of the last remaining partners I had on those long ago hunts. My Chesapeake Bay Retriever Moses, going on 13 years he was graying like a distinguished gentleman, a little less bounce in his step and few more pounds on his rump, but always ready to go with tail swooshing. Although his spirit never left him, his health did, and I had to take him on his last boat ride this morning. G'bye Old man. Odessa's Mighty Moses 1995 - 2007

EYE SEVENTY FOUR...BINGO!!!!

Super cool series hosted by the Midwest's best!

Racing Returns in March

Coming up March 18th, DICE presents the first of two (road) races, named for the famous Buffalo Bill Cody. (although I'm not sure of the connection to skinning Bison in the old west and racing bikes now-a-days) but whatever! This is normally THE first race of the season for me and gets that initial ass-kickin out of the way early! Kinda looking forward to it, just hope the weather cooperates. You may have noticed my distinctly negative tone above. FEAR NOT, I got a line on some new coaching techniques by the Zen Master of human powered vehicles. Forget intervals, hill repeats, spinervals, all that is OLD SCHOOL. I highly recommend grabbing that hot little mastercard and spend that money where it counts! This is the BEST DAMN coaching program I've ever seen. You could be as good as me someday :) Mattonne

TIT's (trans iowa trainin-sucka)

Sunday was another fight to get some gravel miles in, the weather here has been a pain in the ass as of late. I don't know if I'll be ready for T.I.3 or not but its coming up quickly. Sundays ride was 60+ miles, I'm still trying to determine just exactly what I should be wearing on the "race", cause once again I got REALLY cold during a pit stop along the way, maybe my pace was too high (time/speed being relative to the observer) I know that I'm nobody's endurance racer, still, after Trans Iowa is done I'm going to try the 24hr event at seven oaks this year, just for the fun of it. All that aside I'm gonna continue to focus on "regular" XC events, 30 miles and OUT. Sounds like a new MTV program. Mattonne Some picturesque Iowa farmland,(sigh) accessible only by MILES OF FRIGGIN GRAVEL! Now I gotta clean it up AGAIN...

Spoke too soon...

Dehn's trails are not as bad as I thought they would be...They are a thousand times worse. I tried a night ride last night, and after I had logged 3.2 miles in an hour and a half, and somewhere along the way ripped my cycle computer wire in two, destroyed my neoprene shoe covers, hopped on and off the bike more times than a cyclocrosser in a season, I gave up. I'm thinking saturday I'll hike the entire trail toting a chain saw...yaaaah!

Ice Storm...Film at 11:00

Its nice to be back in the age of electricity again, funny that no matter how long the power is out you STILL hit the light switch out of reflex. THANK GOD I bought a camping coffee perculator this summer. I gotta have my JAVA!! Its depressing that almost every tree in our neighborhood is jacked up. I went for a walk during the storm, between the ice and the wind the sound of the trees snapping under the stress was spooky, when MOTHER NATURE is in control you get a sense of how powerless people really are. Theres also still thousands without power so I'm considering myself lucky. Stay warm everybody!!! Heres what we grabbed at Hy-Vee before they closed the doors! OOOH we're survivalists! (we already had the cat, Missus Brakeville rescued this animal during a training ride, he is aptly named; "Roadie") Having lots of camping gear is a plus, mac-n-cheese, tuna, peas, by lamplight. by the way, its now 50 degrees inside...and falling. Almost every tree in Burlington is FUBAR, Dehns is no exception, after my home was warmed up I did a little trail maintenance. A whole lot more in the next few days..

Approaching "Normal" again

Rode the road last night, first time back on any bike in a week, did 20 miles of Dominic's route. My kiddo was able to go home last night to his own bed, and is doing great considering his injuries, never is the sun so bright or the sky so blue than after being stuck in a hospital bed for awhile. During my ride I ran into one of Burlingtons (newest) finest, Police Officer Blake Cameron, I wonder if he'll get the bike patrol this summer. He better not bust me for going the wrong way up Snake Alley! If your planning on a trip to Burlington, ya better not mess around cause theres a new Sheriff in town ya hear? "Yer tail lights busted"

Seat Belts, Air Bags, and Miracles

I didn't ride a bike over the weekend. my Son and his Girlfriend were headed home from school Friday night right into a small blizzard, ice and schulers corner on HWY 99, two cars, twisted metal, cold, fire, "jaws of life", shattered bones, orthopedic surgeons, hospital food, titanium rods, staples, morphine, pain, two young kids, way too young for this...lets just say I'm more gray than I was. Both Kids are doing as well as can be expected. They are both ALIVE. Thank GOD...

I forgot my camera

If I would have remembered, you would have seen STUNNING shots of this weeks computranier race, where I about lost my Hardee's breakfast bisquit. Then I went to the log rollers, these things really ARE the devil. You would have seen how these logs can shake loose your fillings, not to mention your knees, ribs, shoulders etc. I would have snapped a few photo's of the sunday group ride, where Dennis WOW'ed em in Denmark with his HPV streamliner (AKA the flying Banana) FARMERS are too cool! I tried to explain that underneath all the body work Denny actually has a motor, and although its not good, farting inside the Banana is rarely fatal. It was way warmer (at least 40 degrees warmer) and we put in a good 40+ miles. Blogs are much more entertaining with pics so next time I won't forget the gravy. Its supposed to snow 4-8 more inches tonight...anything to keep me off the gravel...crap.

Running with the DEVIL

According to the keepers of the faith this is the face of the DEVIL I've already put in a living room century on this torture device for February, so the devil made me do this last night. 11 degrees, solid ice base covered in 3 inches of new powder, 7 miles in 1 1/2 hours. Don't forget Saturday at Donnies The second DICE roller race, computrainer race, LOG rollers all at a comfy 72 degrees!

All Apologies...

The three or four people who actually visit this site may remember my off the cuff rant about Greg Lemond, circumstances what they were at the time, (Landis in trouble) I just couldn't help it. I'm not even gettin into a doping debate here but just to show how Greg and I have reached common ground. I purchased one of his bikes. Its the "poprad Disc" cyclocross-er. Yeah I know, the seasons already over and its about 9 months till it starts again, HOWEVER, if one were to ride say, across (around) 320 miles of gravel in the coming months this could be your weapon of choice. Since I'm in the repenting mood, Missus Brakeville would like me to retract another statement I made recently concerning her four legged companions. According to the information I received yesterday evening, these three beautiful canine specimens are of the HIGHEST pedigree, and have some sort of registration papers to prove their bloodline back 10 generations. I will not refer to these fine animals as "mutts" in the future, nor will I refer to these three Aussies as the bitch and two bastards, dumbasses, hairballs, morons, STOOPIDS (my favorite), or ANY other derogitory name. My sincere and freely given apology.

Butt wrenchin COLD!!

What do you do when its REALLY cold?? Go Hiking of course! So at +1 degree and -25 wind chills the Missus and I along with the PACK, "hiked" (more like slid) up Flint Creek from Starrs cave to Highway 61. Apparently the Beavers thought that tree was yummy, Mutt #3 TRANGO there for scale, I'm not sure how the Beavers intend to move this onto the dam they've built here but hey, whats better than a refreshing swim in your own private lake?? We didn't run into ANYBODY on our hike, not even the Tiawanese...

MIDWEST MOUNTAIN BIKE FESTIVAL

This year, The PREMIER event in Mountain Biking will be held at Farmdale (Peoria) Reservoir.

Check out the link for dates and event times. The trails at Farmdale are awesome to ride and race anyway. The Peoria Area Mountain Bikers have created and MAINTAIN at least three sweet trail systems in this region and play host to a number of the "I-74" series events including gettin your DOWNHILL and FOURCROSS on, as well as some of the most technical XC racing around, in fact, I ended my "bar-end" phase at Farmdale after one too many hook-ems on schrolls trail!! Follow the links kiddo's for some early spring action in the Land Of Lincoln

Snow...in JANUARY?

Rico Suave' on wheels...blah

Jill in Alaska rides like this EVERY day...

Attacked by the wolf pack...

WOW, check out the speed. Riding in 5" of snow, one handed, while

shootin pics

Roller Racing

Tater Enjoys this.

Or if your REALLY frisky , try the log rollers!!!

Donnies Indoor Cycling Experience

Owwwwieeeee...

Wrong Kinda Miles...

Some Folks get to go to VEGAS for work...not me. Can you guess where I am, hint "its a TWISTER"!!!

"kerkove" shot

The TRANS IOWA crew was talking about virgin goats, well them's goats but I'm not sure of their sexual status. They looked relatively untouched...also for your viewing pleasure the climb up Stoney Hollow road.

Mattonne

I'm not a Carpenter

Its been three years since we moved into our house and aside from some painting and minor repairs I've had to do very little in the way of any serious changes. One of the main reasons we picked this house in the first place was the previous owners had done everything before they moved, the one place that wasn't finished was the attic. A full third story, completely open, one BIG room with high ceilings that slope down to the floor. The Missus and I envisioned a climbing wall built into the larger ceiling panels, a cool place to literally "hang out" with the family. Well if the weather ever gets crappy enough I'm going to start this project, and add a "spinervals" section as well. ALL our outdoor stuff will eventually make it up there, a place for everything and everything in its place. I hope it rains alot or this project will never get done...

Sometimes...you gotta!

The Mrs. has always been understanding of my cycling addiction, if this were a 12 step program she might even be referred to as, an "en-abler". Going to watch a mountain bike race is like watchin paint dry, but she's been to more than a few, even gets her RACE ON once in awhile. So when your best friend and lady asks you to participate in one of HER activities its hard to say no. So i found myself in front of the TV doing a workout from the "FIRM", yeah... Needless to say my rhythm and dance skills are pathetic at best, and if any trained emergency responders had been around they would have assumed I was having some sort of seizure. I will say the "abs" workout was actually killer and I was sweatin like hell. My kids could only stare in that wide-eyed teenager sort of way that says "GOD, I hope my friends don't see this". Now do I really want that new 'Cross bike or a two stage fanny lifter step and a set of velvet covered weights???

New Year

Since I'm a technophobe we didn't have a DVD player until 2006, I figured for 2007 I'd finally break down and get a digital camera. Some shots of a new years eve hike around Geode and Bike Burlingtons New Years day ride. My Father in law testing out his brand new TREK pilot, full carbon with SPA. Good on ya Bubba!!!

Gearing Up...

Had to get some needed gear this winter, although I did NOT get the Cateye Triple shot Pro that I wanted, (been waiting for 3 months now) I ended up getting a Nite Rider light. For those of you old enough, The Night Rider was the "Toe Cutter's" right hand man in MAD MAX, not to be confused with David Hasselhoff as Michael Night and "Kitt". If I have to associate that name with anything I'd prefer "mid-NIGHT Rider" from the Allman brothers. Names aside its the same light that I borrowed earlier this fall from Tater and it kicks ass! More than I wanted to spend but its awesome when cars actually wait before turning directly in front of you, and its almost overkill in the woods . Mr. 24 also recommended a bar map holder for TRANS IOWA, jeesh its only 8 bucks so I got one of those as well. Now all I have to do to win T.I.V3 is pay someone jacked on testosterone to impersonate me during the race and all is well. Needless to say I'll be outside instead of inside, sweating on the trainer. Might have to talk the Mrs. into a gravel road ride for 1/1/07. HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!!

I'd rather be riding...

...But I'm at work STILL, this whole "work thing" is starting to effect my riding.

320 to 330 miles...

TRANS IOWA V.3 Oh boy here we go. I didn't wait in front of the tube staurday for the roster to be posted. I figured me an the Milkman were in so I decided to put the rubber on the gravel. Two things became apparent during that ride, 1. Its gonna be a LONG way, even though I only did 50 miles of gravel, I was going TOO fast, yeah I know I'm talkin about Me but keeping a 14 mph average heading back to town on the "bottoms" nearly killed me as the south wind was gusting to 25. I finally completed a route to Oakville that is gravel all the way there and back. Also found out that the climb up stony hollow road is indeed an honest two miles, into the wind its too easy to sweat it up then freeze the rest of the way, lesson learned? PACE is going to be critical. Got done saturday, went out ot eat (the generals chicken estas caliente) watched football, slept, ate breakfast in my jammies, suited up and hit the road again. Only to realize that if I were actually riding in the race, I would have been out there ALL THAT TIME. uh-oh. Mrs. Brakeville and I did the first part of the same route at a 10 mph average and that is going to be KEY in finishing this thing. 2. WEATHER, it was a nice 50 degrees on saturday but windy as hell, sunday a little cooler but almost dead calm, come april it could be 70 or it could be 20 outside, snow, rain, windy, sunny, warm, dry. The weather will be the deciding factor in this. Gotta figure out what works for the conditions and follow the boy scout motto...I also found myself mooing at the cows alot, i wonder if they know their fate and are even now laying plans to attack the hapless riders in the wee hours of the morning. eat beef today- pork tomorrow!!

Oh CRAP I'm "it"...

I got "tagged" so I must disclose six interesting things about me, then tag six more blog authors with the same task. Its kinda tuff to find 6 INTERESTING things about me but here go's; 1. I know what all 3 major bones in my right leg look like (painful but true) 2. I want to go sailing (preferably in a boat) 3. In my spare time I study quantum theory, and the theory of everything (no shit. why?) 4. I can request a cigarette and lighter in Italian 5. I got scolded by the guards in the Sistine Chapel. (sorry Jesus) 6. I'm learning how to play the guitar I'll tag http://bassoblog.blogspot.com/ http://mikehoward.blogspot.com/ http://midz76.blogspot.com/ http://sweetjaneesq.blogspot.com/ http://cyclinglyfestyle.blogspot.com/ http://theorphanageandyou.blogspot.com/

Weekends We Like

Its been awhile since I've had as busy a weekend as this. If you are interested in "indoor" racing at all you need to go HERE. 8 Up racing on a computer controlled trainer, your own bike, the big screen in front of you displays your position, speed, average speed, distance from the lead, and power in watts. What a blast! The computer even has "drafting" programmed in that you can feel at the pedals, it does NOT however, let you coast on the downhills. SAWEET! Donnie has an excellent place set-up, and roller racing here will be THE best spot on the calender. Clean changing rooms and a hot shower after. I may never race outside again! I will say that I have NEVER pushed myself that hard on a trainer before, I've always had a high heart rate but DAMN, during this race it never dropped below 195 bpm's. WOW! After I got back from the Quads, I drove the Family BACK to Andulusia for a evening of Snowboarding and Skiing. I don't quite have my 360 down yet and my right shoulder is still hurting this morning. I did find out that 8 days in Alaska Heli-skiing with the CHUGACH POWDER GUIDES only costs $6,500!!!! I'll be taking donations for that trip, Why do I watch WARREN MILLER movies????? Cause I like EM! Now its gonna get warm and sloppy, rode in the woods sunday and I think that was even tougher than saturdays racing, We need MORE cold so they can make MORE fake snow!!!