Reading and Riding...

The view from the top of Tanglewood, looking southwest.

Hi all,
A pleasant Tuesday morning here, and it’s going to be a lovely spring day. Perhaps I’ll make time for a nice bike ride. Today will be just a light spin as I am recovering from hard weight work this past Sunday, and 34 miles yesterday. Not allowing my legs a day of rest after the legwork at the gym was not the best plan, and after 5 years of riding, I knew better!

Speaking of knowing better, I picked up a new book on base conditioning. So far, I get the idea that I bought this book at the wrong time of the year, as the main thrust of the book is winter off-season strength and endurance training. Well, I can take the summer to learn the information, and perhaps apply it this coming fall and winter. I should pass on my thanks to my sister Patsy for the gift card from Barnes and Noble Bookstore.

Gift cards are great! Initially they don’t look like much when you unwrap them, but they turn into a wonderful gift that arrives at any time of the year when one redeems it. And speaking of the bookstore, I am also reading Team of Rivals, the history of the Lincoln cabinet. It is hard work, but insightful and interesting reading of how Mr. Lincoln found his way thorough the maze of politics and war. There are certain politicians that I think need to read this book!

My trusty bike/travel camera...

Lastly, yesterday on my ride out to Antelope Island, (No bugs yet!) I tried to take a photograph with my trusty Nikon Coolpix 4300. Nothing happened! The shutter wouldn’t fire, and there was no “Battery Exhausted” message. This camera has been all over the planet with me for the last 5-6 years. 7,000 images later, and I can't imagine riding my bike without my camera! Right now I am charging the battery, and will see if the camera will behave under a full charge. If not I may have to find a replacement travel/cycling camera. The worst part of replacement is that small travel cameras no longer have viewfinders, and in the bright outdoors I can’t see the LCD screen to compose a shot! As Paul Newman said in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, “Small price to pay for progress….”
See you on the bike.
Jim

A Surly Weekend...

Surly is more than a mood.

A Surly Long Haul Trucker...
Besides being a mood, Surly is a bicycle company! And they make darn nice bikes, too. Last Saturday I had time to stop by Saturday Cycles and convey my condolences to Mark, the proprietor. (That’s fancy talk for chief dog and bottle washer) We all need to wish him a speedy recovery from a broken femur incurred from a crash while commuting to work. He hit some construction gravel, and before he knew it, down he went. The worst of it is the 6 weeks on crutches, and not on his bike! Now, that will make a cyclist surly!

Signs with typos make me surly!
Now, about those Surly Bikes. At Mark’s suggestion, I took a quick test ride on a Surly Long Haul Trucker. The LHT’s a nice upright touring bike, it’s made of steel, and designed for the long distance rider. It has a nice upright geometry, lovely welds, and a nice set of fat tires for smoothing out a rough commute or a long brevet. If you’re in the neighborhood some Saturday, stop by Mark’s shop in Centerville and give one a try. I enjoyed riding mine! If you need directions, just drop me a note…

A lovely stem, beautiful machining....
Now, you may ask what is Jim doing test riding an upright? Well, dear reader, the train is coming, the train is coming! The Frontrunner train starts on April 26th, and I don’t know if I can take the Little Red Bike on the train. I have a dream of train/bike commuting someday before I retire. Also, I was plotting a 300 Km Brevet during a TDY in May in Princeton, NJ. The brevet has 12,000 ft. of climb, and between that harsh fact, and the challenge of shipping a bent, I had been looking at some touring bikes instead. Mark has even graciously offered the use a gently used Rivendell Atlantis for the project. My test ride on that bike was like getting to meet an old friend. A lovely, nice riding bike, with mustache handlebars! Now, as you are well aware, I am not a bike purist. Upright or ‘bent, mountain, touring, or racer, the best bike for you is the one you ride! Am I going to ship a bike to NJ for the ride? Doubtful at his point, but I have enjoyed the research project.

The aforementioned Atlantis...
Speaking of riding, I have been slowly getting my miles. I am behind last year’s pace, but as I am learning, each year is different, and every year brings mental and physical challenges. So, I will get there eventually! But, I do have some more signs to share. One of them is from Sabino Canyon in Tucson, AZ, but I thought you would enjoy the bike graphic anyway.

No Words Needed!
That’s all the news for the day. See you on the road…
Jim

Two Versions of Spring

Desert Wildflowers - Sabino Canyon

In the last post, I noted the signs of spring, and how the last vestiges of winter are fading away. This is true up to a point. Last weekend, Kathy and I returned home from a short trip to Tucson, AZ, where we enjoyed spending time with family, played some golf, tried out new golf clubs. (Taylormade R7 Irons!), enjoyed some baseball, and soaked up the warm sunshine. We were treated to blue skies and 80-85 degree temperatures every day! Wonderful!
Then, Sunday night when we returned home, we got smacked with 4 inches of snow. It was a rough transition back to cold weather and of course, work. Not the best combination.

But, who wants to talk about cold weather! Back to our Arizona trip; one of my outings in Arizona was to Sabino Canyon. The spring wildflowers were lovely, and I enjoyed a nice hour-long hike up the canyon.

The canyon itself is paved, but there are several trails that break off on either side. I kept mainly to the road, as spring is prime season for snakes on the trails. I have attached a few photos of the flowers, apologies that I can’t recall their names.

At the Desert Museum

Kathy and I also enjoyed a fine afternoon at Tucson Electric Park for the last MLB Exhibition season game. TEP is a lovely ballpark, and we had great seats, about 30 feet from first base. During the game we enjoyed a rare event; there were 3 “3-6-3” double plays. For you baseball neophytes, there will be a quiz later, but it means, the ball is fielded by the first baseman, who throws to the shortstop to get the first runner, and then the shortstop pivots and throws back to first to get the hitter. Everything happens very quickly!

This photo is classic...

Here's the Pitch...

A Called Strike...

Back here in Utah, I took my Cannondale mountain bike out for a spin today, only to find that the Bonneville Shoreline trail east of highway 89 still has a lot of snow in the shaded areas. So, I rode, hiked through the snowy parts, and rode the western exposure. I discovered that I am definitely not in mid-season form. Climbing legs? What climbing legs!

Well, I think they meant closed to cars...

They do this around Juneau, but I don't know how!

This is more like it...

This trail and view is 10 minutes from my door...

Hopefully, I will get some miles in this weekend. The forecast of course is…cold!
See you next week.
Jim