I'm going nowhere in particular.

I went for an afternoon spin around town and put on 24.4 miles for the day and that ushers July out with a total of 804.0 miles.

July's Critical Mass and Biklops art show closing event.

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Today I had to be in Omaha and couldn't ride to work. But did ride on tonight's Critical Mass. I took Trusty Rusty out for the ride and met up with an intimate group. We cruised downtown and through the Haymarket then ended the ride at Screen Ink for tonight's event.

A good crowd was on hand to pick out bike posters designed by local artist and have custom made shirts printed with some of the same designs used on the posters. The show was a great chance to hang out with other bike lovers and talk about rides we've been on and are planning on doing. Tonight's miles = 13

Just floating through life.

We took the canoe out for a cruise this evening on Holmes Lake. It was peaceful and relaxing. I even got my grandma and Doc out on the water.

It's inseine what you see on the trails.

Riding home from work I spotted this group seining in the Antelope Valley Project next to the bike path. I love biking because you see so much more than you do in a car and really feel like your a part of the city. It's also nice not having to deal with all the streets that are closed for construction. Riding round trip on today's work commute added up to 19.3 miles.

Playing tag on the bike path.

Dush (pronounced "Douche") has been tagging Lincoln at least as long as I've been blogging. He's had his name on this RR bridge at the zoo before. They painted over it, but he hit it again this week. I've seen his name all over town.

It was clever of him to make this one funny, rather than just paint his name, but I wish he'd evolve to something more complex and artistic or just quit. What's the point of painting your name everywhere? If you watch the signs along the trails you'll often find USPS Priority Mail address labels with his name wrote graffiti style stuck on them too.

Anyway, about the ride... It ROCKED! I had tail winds both ways going to work and home today. It was pretty humid, but since it was cooler it was a sweet day to be biking. I hope you made time to go for a ride today too. The work commute was 19.8 miles.

The Nacho Ride is a Lincoln favorite.

There was a steady stream of cyclists throughout the evening riding the Mopac trail from Lincoln to Eagle for the weekly Nacho Ride.

Despite the heat and humidity lots of us rode. The NRD has been working in Walton where the rock is real loose.

I drove to the trail head and left early with our youngest to take him on his first Nacho Ride giving us both 20.2 miles tonight. It was a fun way to spend a little time together outdoors.

Shell we bike to work? Yes!

Yesterday I neglected to blog my commute but it came to 19.7 miles. Then again today the ride to work also was 19.7. Tomorrow their forecasting cooler temps and tail winds both ways. I can't wait!

RAGBRAI day one 2010

Unbelievable! I loved it!!! Tired now, details to come.

Ok, so here is the wrap up:

RAGBRAI must be what heaven is like! It was amazing!!! I absolutely loved it!

After going to bed in our tents around midnight or 1am we got up around 6am. The tents were covered with a heavy layer of dew. Otherwise it was a great morning. We packed up quick, locked everything in Patches car and rode 2 blocks to Burger King for breakfast. Riders were leaving town at a steady pace. It was a constant line of bikers 3 or 4 across for hours and hours.

Depending on who you ask there are anywhere from 10,000 - 20,000 bikers on RAGBRAI. Most do the whole week, but we only signed up for the first day (Sunday) so we wouldn't have to miss any work. There were 5 of us from Lincoln that went together, and none of us had done RAGBRAI before.

After breakfast we took off, Patches and I lost the others pretty much right away, that was fine, we kinda knew that would happen anyway, and to try to stay together would have been too hard.

We had to climb out of the Missouri River valley as soon as we left Sioux City. And we had more tough hills throughout the day. It was the hardest day as far as climbing during this years RAGBRAI. I've never, and I repeat never rode on hills so bad. But, they didn't seem that tough. I think it was because you are so distracted talking to other bikers and gawking at everyone that you don't even notice. If I'd have been riding those same roads alone I would have had time to think about how much I was suffering. Going down one long hill, I didn't pedal ONCE and hit 41.2 mph! That's the fastest I've ever gone on a bike.

It was amazing how great everyone was, the food was unbelievable and there were ample opportunities to stop and refuel and mess around. We didn't try to ride too hard and just enjoyed ourselves. There was lots to see and do. If we're facebook friends check out my pictures to get a better idea what it was like. We ended in Storm Lake where my pick-up was parked at 2:30 and the others rolled in at 3:30. We then drove back to Sioux City for Patches car and returned to Lincoln that evening.

RAGBRAI is the most fun I've ever had on a bike! It's truly something you need to try someday. I rode 67.2 miles.

RAGBRAI expo

A group of us from Lincoln are riding the first day of RAGBRAI tomorrow and we're at the expo now where there is tons of exhibitors, food and Smashmouth in concert. The crowd is unreal! This must be what heaven is like! Thousands and thousands of cyclists, I love it!!! Riding to the expo we logged 4.6 miles.

Fast boys are nothing but trouble.

This mornings commute was the fastest full length ride to work I've ever had. 17.4 average mph, 33:30 total time and 33:15 ride time, that's fast for me on the bike trails across town to work. I even had a 5 mph head wind out of the North. It was 9.6 miles to the office, and a much slower 10.0 miles home, giving me 19.6 miles for the day. Now, to get packed for our trip to RAGBRAI tomorrow, Yeah!

More?

Trek is giving away a bike, built the way you want on their web site. If you don't win they give you a coupon for a Trek waterbottle from a Trek dealer. On the way home from work I stopped to claim my prize and pick up some RAGBRAI provisions. I needed new bottle cages and since I got two the good folks at Cycle Works threw in one of their water bottles also.

Once home I gave my Felt a much needed cleaning, look at all the crap I had on it! But yet I had to stop to get more. Two locks! 5 lights! Rain jacket, 2 bags, saddle cover, mace, and a bike computer! I'm such a geek. I switched back to my road tires, washed it up, and have it looking like new again.

Today's miles on the work commute = 19.4

I got nothin' for ya.

This mornings ride to work started out dry, but quickly changed as heavy rain began. I don't mind riding in a rain like that, and actually kinda enjoyed it. It was warm, winds were light and there was no lightning. I didn't get a picture on the way to work, and hitched a ride home afterward getting in just 1/2 a commute and 9.8 miles for the day.

Tuesdays are for Nacho Riding!

I rode to work, then hit the Nacho Ride on the way home.

Everyone was geared up for a fun ride to Eagle tonight. Under the direction of Patches' watchful eye Council muscled a fallen tree off the trail. And RAGBRAI was the talk of the night, we're getting excited and worked to finalize plans for this weekends adventure.

Today's miles = 38.8

A St. construction sends cyclist on a detour around the zoo.

Trail users are now being directed around the zoo and through Antelope park as they start to tear out and rebuild A St. Get your bike out and take a spin down there to see the work for yourself. Today's miles on the work commute = 19.7

Gravel to Parkers.

This morning 7 of us set out to ride gravel roads from Lincoln to Parker's Smokehouse at Ashland. It was a hoot! The group was a ton of fun, the bbq was awesome, and even though there were a few rain drops early on followed by heat & humidity any day on a bike is well spent. Today's miles = 51.6

Colorful Commutes

This morning gave us another painted sunrise I hope you didn't miss! I hope your making an effort to bike to work and giving yourself a chance to enjoy the outdoors while having some fun on your bike at the same time. Today's miles going to work and back = 19.5

The "Not So Mini Hustle"

Tonight was another Hustle Alley Cat race. It was first billed as a mini-hustle and later changed to a more fitting name.

We began by taking our shoes off and racing on foot to get them, then hop on our bikes. It was $2 to race, plus 4 quarters. We found out later what the quarters were for

The first stop was Antelope Park, once there we found out the quarters were for a temporary tattoo we could buy anywhere we wanted. We also learned that the next checkpoint was Woods Park.

This is where I screwed up. I didn't know where Woods Park is called home to get the wife to look it up. I was at 23rd & Holdrege before she called back telling me it's at 33rd & O st. I was way too far North West. I picked up a tattoo out of the vending machine at Family Dollar then made it to the 2nd checkpoint. There we were told to put it on our face. (the neck was ok too according to judges)

There we were told the next stop was near 17th & Van Dorn. At that stop we had another challenge before being told the finish was at 14th & O st.

The last stop had one last challenge before the clock was stopped. My detour put me 12th out of 13 racers. But it was a fun race. Tim ended up winning on his new bike.

Today's miles on the commute to work and tonight's hustle = 40.6

It all balances out.

The last couple of days have been a sufferfest as far as the biking weather. But, today made up for it with perfect conditions for riding and I even found $2.00 cash just laying on the street on the way to work this morning!!! What luck! Now I just need to find four quarters and I'll have enough for tonight's hustle.

Southern Comfort? Not hardly!

Today was 93' with 73 percent humidity making it feel like 121'!!! The ride to work was hot & steamy, but the ride home was downright brutal.

One the way to work I passed this guy on an electric scooter with his dog's leash strung across the trail.

Then coming home I found these empty glass bottles of Southern Comfort beside the trail waiting for some knothead to break them into a zillion tire popping pieces on the trail. I stopped to grab them and put them in a dumpster.

After that I caught up to this guy an a e-bike, and I'm not knocking e-bikes, whatever gets people out riding bikes is cool in my book, but his backpack said "BUM" in big letters on the back. Maybe it was just out of jealousy, since I was working so hard to fight the wind and heat, but I couldn't help wanting to laugh at the irony.

Today's miles on the work commute = 19.8

Nacho Riders pedal through the heat for eats and cold drinks.

Tonight's Nacho Ride had a surprisingly high number of cyclist making the trip from Lincoln to Eagle despite a triple digit heat index. Many ate inside to cool off.

Lincoln bikers are a tough but fun loving bunch! Today's miles from the commute and Nacho Ride = 47.8