Return of the Giant Hogweed

I'm back. The giant hogweed lives.

This is not hogweed by the way. Just partridgeberry bushes or squaw vine. Either way it is a pretty site in Fall when everything around is dying.

The sunsets in Fall are often the best. The low light angles seem to enrich the sky colors.

As fall is winding down, so goes my riding. I was able to find one shiny cold day in November to ride the gravel once more. It is the last time I have seen it in over a month now.

It was a beautiful day to be out in nature, riding the single speed along beautiful quiet roads.
I am hoping to get out there again soon, but for now it is buried under snow and brutal cold.

The second to last cyclocross race of the season was at Manhattan Park. The day featured sunshine but no mud (yet) in sight. The course was fast and fun and featured some good climbs. I finished mid-pack as usual, slower than I would have liked.

The sandbox section slowed me down though I did pass this guy! That is actual a friend of mine who is a pretty good triathlete and a recent convert to cross.

Next up was the 'A's and the field was fast. This in Danielle Musto's significant other Scott finishing up an early lap.

The Bissell Boys stayed neck and neck with each other even in the sand, but they were no match for the front runners this day.

This shot was taken on the last lap of the 'A' race and features the eventual winner, Tom Burke, giving his best impression of the Lance Armstrong "look" as he rides away to victory. Notice the hanger-ons on his right shoulder! I picked up a couple of those during my race too. Tom won over Brad White (the 2nd rider back in the photo) who is a pro riding for the Ouch Cycling Team. Pretty impressive win!

Next up, the Holland Mud-Fest! Last year it snowed during this race; this year it rained. The mud was exceptionally sticky and deep but the course was much improved over last years.

I started the race in the rain, chasing my buddy Eric (red and white kit) and stayed with him for a change (he usually finishes in the top ten). I actually got passed him on the bell lap and held him off to the finish. Of course, his bike had an additional 10 pounds of mud to drag around too! Paid to be riding a cross bike this day.

Me nearing the end of the spiral section on the final lap. Notice I am trying to stay high and dry using the outside line!

This is what all the fans came to see that day. The Death Spiral! It really was a fun addition to the course, but a major pain in the ass to ride. By the end, it was pretty darn soupy.

Some old familiar faces showed up for the final race including Nate here who had been absent for 2 or three races. He rode a mountain bike with cross tires to a respectable 5th place despite the absence of brakes (notice the levers have no cables!)

In the end, it was Tom Burke finishing 1st ahead of the field by a good margin. He made his break mid-way through the first lap and stayed out front the rest of the way. It was a great final day in the saddle and tough to see the season come to an end.

The following weekend, winter arrived and that dashed any hope of extending the riding season any longer. The first snowfall was significant and we finished with well over 8 inches that weekend.

Along with the snow came quite the cold snap and temps have been in the single figures already. Pretty unusual for this time of year and as a result, ice is already forming on the river.

My biggest objection to winter is driving and those first few days were hairy to say the least. For some reason, a number of folks forgot how to operate a car on slippery roads since last winter. That seems to be settling down now as we have had a number of sketchy days to practice.
I have resigned myself to pull out the rollers and become a subterranean bike rider once again. But you do have to do something to avoid going stir crazy this time of year.

The Holidays will be a nice reprieve from a busy work schedule of late. We once again are being given the honor of a week off between Christmas and New Years without pay. That is like a bonus, right?

Spring seems like a long way off right now.

The Sun Doesn't Like You

Mr. Sun has not been kind to us in the Midwest during the month of October. And that coupled with the limited daylight hours available, riding is sporadic at best.

I was able to get in one last week night gravel grind on the single-speed just before Halloween weekend; in between the rainy days of course. It was a cold ride requiring toe covers, ear covers and insulated base layers. But the road was dry and fast, so quit yer bitching and get out there! I made a stop to see the mystery train along the way. Still have no clue why these are here?

But with November has come a warm up. And I for one am enjoying it. The mornings often feature foggy sunrises thanks to the cool night air and still warm river water.



The big warm ball in the sky returned this weekend and with it, I hit the road for a CX bike gravel grind. I found all the local roads to be dry, packed and great for riding. The final tally was just under 30 miles and it turned out to be one of the best rides of the year. Just love those Big Green Machines. I want to drive that behemoth!

It was so nice this past weekend, I was able to ride both days with shorts and short sleeves. A rare occurrence here in November. Saturday was an MTB ride at the Ski Hill trail. I had the place to myself all afternoon, which I incorrectly assumed was due to the 4,000+ racers up in Traverse City enjoying one of the warmest Iceman’s on record. I assumed wrong. Actually, the Ski Hill trail is closed to riding for the rest of the year and I was pouching! Had I known that fact, I would not have ridden there. I did not see a sign indicating this and no one came running out of the lodge to stop me, so, let’s just call it a misdemeanor. A first offense if you will!

This coming weekend is round #5 of the Kisscross series; Manhattan Park. The last event was Halloween weekend at Richmond Park and the course was a beauty. It had a little of everything and that combined with sunshine and a chili potluck, made for a great day.

The Bissell boys were fully in charge during the ‘A’ race and finished one-two.

Steve Kunnath, the manager at Ada Bike was all smiles here. He later crashed the barriers (which I recorded for posterity!) and mangled a shifter/brake lever. But he trooped on and finished in the top 10.

There were a lot of mountain bikes in attendance at this race and the course suited them. The guy on the sweet blue Niner above actually rode over the logs and up the run up, so that had to be an advantage!

Jeff Jacobi from the Founder’s team always seems to be enjoying himself. As he was riding by, he asked me if I got his good side. I said "what good side?" and he almost feel off the bike!

Then came Bronson (me). I had my best race of the season, moving up 8 or 9 positions from the previous week. Part of it was due to the new Vittoria tires but a bigger part was not hanging back at the start for a change. I eventually caught Kirk (who beat me last week) on the final lap and just barely beat him to the line! That was fun but we were both feeling like death warmed over afterwards.

It will be a long week due to a project deadline on Friday and that coupled with the sun setting at 5-ish probably means no riding until the weekend. Guess its time to pull out the wind trainer and head for the basement!

Champagne from a Paper Cup

I guess the title could have said "make hay while the sun shines" but I thought that might sound too colloquial. My point is the weather, my work-load and the world in general have been pretty hectic of late. But despite that, I need to focus on the positive.

So, here are the "highlights". Fall has been beautiful here this year. Even with the gloom and rain, the forests and fields have been amazing. All month it has been a joy to walk the trails as it has been in a constant state of flux.

The boyz really enjoy running around in the leaves but often get lost sometimes as the trail disappears from sight.

The sunsets have been beautiful and often enhanced by the cloudy overcast skies. Rene and I have sat down by the river a number of times in the past couple weeks to take in the light show.

Between rainstorms I have been able to get out and ride and it is a treat for the eyes too. Every tree lined road is a canopy of color and you just have to stop once and awhile to take it in.

And then, there is cross season. It really has been fun regardless of my finishes and I am looking forward to this weeks event at Richmond Park despite the possible rain in the forecast. The last race was a great course with a mix of true cross challenges like a never ending series of s-bends and some MTB style, rooted trails. It was fast and the weather was great. I could not muster up the skill or ability to beat Kirk (pictured below in the red jersey and blue helmet) to the finish line but we were neck and neck the whole race! The loaner Challenge Grifos from Ted at Ada Bike were awesome and as a result, I made a purchase the next week for a similar treaded tire by Vittoria. We will see how they compare at this weeks event.

So, life goes on and the dance continues. I guess you either have to join in and find a way to enjoy it or become a bitter, grumpy old man. Well, lets just try to avoid being grumpy then!

Moon, Turn the Tides . . . Gently, Gently

Unfortunately, despite my constant whining the weather here has continued to be cold and rainy and November-like in October. After a September of 85% sunshine and abnormally warm temps, we are enjoying 3% sunshine and temps 10 degrees below normal. Sounds like Cross season to me!

Speaking of which, I entered race #2 at Highland Park two weeks ago and enjoyed a big move towards the podium, leaping from 34th to 32nd place in the standings with my stellar performance. And all while mugging for the cameras!

Since then we have had little good weather for riding but when I do get out, the fall scenery can be spectacular. Harvest time is in full swing too, so this is a constant sight along most of my gravel road routes.

The mornings can be frosty and foggy, but once and awhile we are treated to a light show spectacular.




Last weekend, we stopped procrastinating and spent Saturday downtown enjoying the final day of ArtPrize. This was a artistic competition brought to Grand Rapids by one of the Amway co-founders son's (I won't hold that against him!) and it appears to have been a success. From all accounts, the revenue brought to our local economy by visitors and residents alike was substantial (and a welcome boost!) Plans are in the works for a 2010 version as we speak.

I was able to get out once this week (between rain and darkness) to ride the famed Luton trail. The park is in its peak of fall beauty, so I just had to stop periodically to capture some of it. However, that cuts down on riding time. I was only able to get in two laps before dark.

This weekend is Round #3 of Kisscross; Caledonia Park. I have not entered this race before so I am looking forward to a new venue. Weather outlook is favorable now (hopefully this doesn't jinx it!) with sun and mid-50's temps. I am trying out some new tires this week thanks to my friendly Ada Bike wrench Ted. Challenge Griffo skinwall clinchers! Real cyclocross tires. Should be the difference between 31st and 32nd place for sure!

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Hindsight

Looking back over the past couple week, I just realized how quickly the time has gone by. Much of it lately has been filled with clean and discarding and giving away and relocating many of our too many cherished possessions. Why you ask? Because we officially have put the Green Box on the market. Yes, our home of almost 10 years is up for sale.

The time has finally arrived to start making our next move(s). Rene is looking at a new position with an old company or another upstart she has been working with on the side. Either way, we will have to move. And we want to. Not because we hate it here or even MI for that matter. We just need to "shake things up" as Rene says so often now. And we do. Try something different. There are so many things yet to be done and most of them are not here. We have been here and done this. 

Speaking of trying things that are new, I have officially decided to run the full season of cross this fall. First up was the Kisscross night race, held at Cannonsburg Ski Area, home of one of the best mountain bike trails in the local area. It was warm and wet and very un-cross like that night, but it was fun too. And painful. The course was very sandy and slow going and the legs were dead tired at the end. I finished 5th, from last. Not my best outing but no where to go but up, right? 

Since the night race, we have been lucky enough to have a long streak of very nice, warm fall weather. Plenty of time to hit the trails if you hurried out after work. And so I did. Luton Park has been my regular ride most days. The photo above does not do justice to the fun, twisty trails that lay just beyond the cornfields.

Even the old barn where I park looks rather shabby and in need of repair. But the trails are n great shape. The newest route, the black loop is still sporting marker flags.

On nights I did not have time to drive out to the trails, the gravel roads were happy to provide me a nice workout. Most are slick and fast now with the cool nights and some recent rains. Hilly and in many areas, tree covered, there is an endless number to pick from. You can usually ride a good 20 mile route with only limited stretches of pavement between the gravel.

Along the way, there are many great sights including this line of parked grain cars. This is the line being removed to build the new Rail Trail but for some reason, this section has remained intact all summer. My original theory that they were temporarily parked there until the wheat harvest did not seem to hold true. I am going to have to ask around and find out what the story is. Stay tuned.

The biggest deterrent to riding this time of year is the lack of light. The sun is setting earlier and earlier now and one has to hustle to get miles in. But the low light makes for some great shadows too!

Along with fall comes cooler temps now. Mornings have been foggy and grey most days, but eventually burning off to allow a little sunshine.

So, when the sun is shining and I have more time, I am still out there on the road too. I have been able to get a couple 40-milers in the past couple weekends and as the colors change it is a great time to tour the area by bike.

But most of my on-bike time has been on-trails. Mainly riding Luton on the single-speed thanks to a stupid move on my part. I dropped my mountain bike. Not while riding it. Rather, I actually dropped it. From over my head while taking it off the rack. And it landed, on the fork dropouts. Which then proceeded to break. Ouch. And since you can't safely ride a bike with broken drop-outs, the Inbred became my main trail-squeeze. I had to send the fork out to Fox for a replacement lower assembly (which beats the hell out of buying a new fork!) and it just came back this past Friday. A costly lesson in roof rack removal techniques!

The nice thing about having the geared bike back is not having to pedal the roads with only one gear all the time. And the bumps are a little easier on the arms too.

This weekend I ventured back to the Ski Hill trail with the reborn Sinister and enjoyed riding the very fall-like trails. Many are covered already and the season has just begun. The trail was fast and fun and I virtually had the place to myself that day.

On Sunday Rene and I and the Boyz ventured out to the Fallasburg Fall Festival in the park. An arts and crafts fair, it comes to town each year and we typically trek over to take a look. Last year Rene and I purchase some new "wedding rings" so you never know what you might find. This year, it was more crafts than art and after a short tour of the booths, we decided to go to the park trail and enjoy the fall colors instead.  Spots of fall are showing through here and there but it is still pretty green. With the cooler temps this week and rain, that will soon change.

I am home today with a cold or something that has thrown me for a loop. Not sure where it came from but it started coming on last night and hit me full force at work. I decided to cut my losses and head home for some R and R and hopefully, the other R; recovery. Can't afford another day of this. And not riding. The next Cross race is this Saturday at Highland Park and I am really looking forward to getting out there and mixing it up. Or tagging along behind. One or the other! 

Rene is in Minneapolis today until Thursday, making an appearance with the powers that be to remind them she still works there. The final plans for her job are still up in the air and we are on hold because of it. But regardless, there is no looking back now. The wheels are in motion. They are rolling slow almost imperceptibly sometimes, but change is coming.  

chaos/control

Summer is coming to an end. Hate to admit it but the signs are all there. Cooler temps, color in the trees. Apples ready to be picked. Yup. Fall is here.

Straw has been cut and stored, ready for pickup.

So, with one last batch of nice weather and an extra day off, we headed to Chicago to visit friends and see the sites.




Found some interesting bikes. Not sure I would want to pedal this one in city traffic!





But with Fall comes cross season and I am really looking forward to it this year. Especially the first race this Friday. A night race under the lights! Hopefully, the bike will not look this bad for at least a couple races!






I do need to work on my barrier style. Not really sure it is a style. More like a leap! Probably should do that tonight. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.






I hate to see summer end, but I do love fall and cyclocross. So, bring it on!

Rain Down

It has been a little wet here of late. Okay, a lot wet. Like, 7 straight days "with" rain wet.

It finally stopped on Saturday but the sky still looked gloomy even on Sunday.

So, with the trails still damp and recovering, I spent my ride time heading downtown to the Gaslight Criterium (the State championship event) to watch the youngsters tear it up.

The road was dry and the riding fast. I can't imagine hitting this corner in the wet at the speeds these guys were riding!

Found a nice xtra-cycle hanging out along the course. I don't know who the owner is but they had better invest in a lock!

Danielle Musto, endurance racer extraordinaire was hanging out having coffee and watching her sister tear it up. Seems pretty engrossed in the race! I was actually worried that plant would fall on her, but it never happened. The guy with the white glasses behind her is Ben Renkema, the eventual Men's pro 123 winner and State champ. He used to race MTB with my son during the Youth Cycling Team days but has gone on to fame and fortune as a road racer with the Kenda Inferno team. Good kid.

I have been riding this thing a lot thanks to the rain. Trying to stay off the trails and wet gravel, the road bike is the go-to ride lately.

This is what I want to be riding. And in the dirt. On trails. Hope to be out there tonight or tomorrow. Rene is out of town the next 3 days scoping apartments for her potential move to MN in October. Not thrilled at the prospect of her being away for an extended period of time, but in this economy you do what you have to do. And if all goes well, I might just join her next May. But that is a long time from now.

Saving up airline miles and vacation time for future rendezvous here and there. We were laughing the other night at the idea of both ordering a movie on HBO, turning on the phone to speaker and watching it "together" on a Saturday night! Might just have to give that a try.

Until then, we are enjoying the end of summer and hoping to take a trip to Chicago in a couple weeks for a day or two. One last get away before fall. And Cross season!!