Stinkin' Lincoln's bike trail critters.

After work Ruby's rider and I took a spin down the Billy Wolff and Antelope Valley Trail to the old State Fair grounds. On the way back a skunk crossed the trail right in front of us near the 48th St underpass. In three years of biking around this city I've seen tons of wildlife, but this is my first close encounter with a skunk! Fortunately he was calm as we went by and didn't seem as worried about us as we were about him. Otherwise it was a nice evening for a spin and I parked the bike with 22.2 miles for the day.

I'm SO disappointed.

This is the stone picnic shelter at the intersection of the Rock Island and Billy Wolff trails on the North side of the zoo.

Their turning it into a storage unit for the parks department. They'll keep tools and such for the Sunken Gardens and Rose Garden in it. It'll save them trips back to the shop when they need something, but that shelter was always a good meeting place for cyclists to meet for group rides.

I rode my loaner Surly Cross Check from Bike Pedalers to work and back today and got 20.0 miles.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Striped

The striper was out painting the town on the Billy Wolfe Trail this morning on the way to work. Ride your bike instead of driving tomorrow and check it out for yourself.

The First Annual NSFW Lincoln Tour Ride. Wednesday April 21, 2010.

I'm hosting a GPBC ride and hope you'll join us for the first annual NSFW Lincoln tour ride.

Not Sorry (for) Forgetting Work

Put in now to take April 21st (rain date 4/28) off as a vacation day to celebrate spring on a casual ride around Lincoln with like minded friends. Spend the workday riding, while your co-workers toil away.

Meet at 9am ride ends at 2pm all on city trails. 40-50 miles. 12-14 mph average speed.

Ride starts and ends at the intersection of the Rock Island Trail and Billy Wolff Trail on the North Side of the Zoo at 27th & Capital Parkway.

No fee to ride, but bring lunch money, lunch will be at your choice of Havelock restaurants.

Several Lincoln Bike Shops will have free refreshments, giveaways, discounts and prizes for NSFW riders! The route will include stops at these shops giving riders a chance to refuel, visit, shop, register for prizes, and use bathrooms or have mechanics make adjustments.

Bike Pedalers: Free Cultiva Coffee & Espresso, Recovery/Energy drinks, Bike adjustments, drawings for a $50, $30, & $20 Bike Pedalers gift certificate & a drawing for Lunch at Pepe's. All entrants get a coupon via email for 15% off any item or bike.

Cycle Works: Free Tire lever & Patch kits for NSFW riders, light bike adjustments, bathrooms & water plus 20% off nonsale clothing and accessories.

The Bike Rack: Free Water bottles, Energy drinks, bathrooms & water plus discounts on merchandise to NSFW participants.

Joyride: Planet Earth water, Sobe Lifewater, Gatorade G2, Rockstar Energy Drinks plus 20% off coupons.

The NSFW Ride will be a fun chance to meet other cyclist, check out new bikes and biking gear, as well as a great way to get in some miles while everyone else is stuck at work. Ha, ha, ha!!!

Rain stopped so I got the new Felt out!

I rode late this afternoon at Holmes Lake then went South on the 70th St. Trail to the Old Chenney trail then around the South Point trail then North on the Rock Island and East on the Billy Wolff to home.

love my new Felt, it's so light and nimble and seems so much easier to pedal. Breaking in the new Brooks saddle left me in no pain so far, thanks in part to how little weight is put on the seat compared to my Comfort Series Marin.

Today's ride was perfect totaling 18.5 miles.

Staightnin' the curves, Flatnin' the hills...

Nothing like a great fall bike ride in the country to bring back old memories!

I had the day off work, so late this morning I derailed into the little ring and spun into the wind. I took the Billy Wolff to the Rock Island then South to the Jamaica North then down the Homestead about halfway to Cortland before turning back to Lincoln. Then some effortless sailing in the big ring all the way back. Back on the edge of Lincoln, I tried some single track in Wilderness Park before heading home.

Then, tonight our youngest and I took our bikes to church.

One of my most vivid childhood memories was laying on my side with one elbow on the floor and my head in my hand with the Dukes on the RCA and my orange Matchbox General Lee straightnin' the curves and flatnin' the hills of our green shag carpeted living room floor.

Then, riding my orange bike the next morning through autumn leaves as fast as I could at our rural Hall County farm, trying to get them to fly up in the air like Bow and Luke did as they tore through rural Hazard County. Yes, I would yell "Yee-Haa" too!

Today's ride reminded me of those early fall boyhood adventures. And while I denied yelling "Yee-Haa" today, I admit I did look back after plowing through drifts of dry leaves on the trail to see if they would fly up behind me like they did over 25 years ago... Sure enough, they did! "Yee-Haa!" (Oops! Did I say that out loud?)

Sure the weather is a little 'iffy' this time of year, but here's hoping you'll find some time to get outdoors for a little nostalgic fun, just be sure to get home in time to watch 'The Dukes'. Today's rural ride and trip to church = 39.94 miles.

Dush? I think it's spelled "Douche"

This Douche Bag spray painted in at least 5 different spots along the trail on the N.E. Side of the Zoo. This is new in the last couple of days. I saw it on the ride into work this morning.

Nice to have cooler weather. It was an awesome commute. I gained 1 1/2 pounds this week, many thanks Mamasitas.

Scouted out a ride to Bennet from Lincoln.

The wife and I have been talking about taking a ride to Bennet for supper at Mamasitas Resturante, well if the weather is good tonight we're planning on going.

I wanted to scout it out first and see how far it was. I took the day off work to ride and mow the yard and maybe sneak in a nap.

I left this morning across the Holmes Lake Dam Trail then took the Billy Wolff Trail to the back side of Wal-Mart on Hwy 2, then went East down the shoulder of Hwy. 2 to the Bennet exit. I turned South there and continued 2 miles into town, the roads have nice wide shoulders all the way.

On the North side of Bennet you'll find the cemetery with an inviting bench in the shade just 6.85 miles from Wal-Mart. Many of the markers date back over a century, and makes for a good stop to catch your breath.

In Bennet I spotted this charming wood work / clock shop with a regal looking cruiser parked in the shade near a split-rail fence.

I figured it was around 7.25 miles from the Wal-Mart to Mamasitas. But, from home to Bennet and back I rode 29.22 miles this morning and got back to Lincoln just before a heavy rain set in. Guess mowing will have to wait (yes!) time for a nap.

Missed him by a hare.

Fellow star city cyclist Shane is always complaining about near misses with rabbits on Lincoln bike trails on facebook.

Since I don't ride fast and since he's already spooked them all off the trails I guess I've never had to contend with bagging a bunny out of season, until today's ride back from Bennet. I was headed N.W. On the Billy Wolff Trail South of Old Cheney Rd when a rabbit on the left side of the trail decided to run beside me, then dart from left to right in front of me.

I grabbed a couple of handfuls of break and just missed the little demon. I left a couple of skid marks, one on the trail, and the other...

I saw the light.

Wow! What a difference! A shout out to the city workers or whoever takes care of this stuff, for cleaning out the lights in the 27th St. underpass. They were so full of leaves and debris that the lights hardly shown through the mesh covers. It's much better now. Yesterday riding to work and back I logged 20.63 miles.

That Pervert Is Such A Card!

Found 31 of these Las Vegas escort girls business/trading cards scattered on the Billy Wolff Trail. I picked them up and tossed them before some kid got more of a summer education than his parents bargained for.

Birthday boy turns 12 on 2 wheels today.

Born at 7:47pm, we thought it only fitting to go for a evening spin so he could ride out of 11 and into 12. Here he is crossing Holmes Lake Dam rocking his new under saddle bag and new bike lights. It was a calm, quiet evening, perfect for a leisuerly ride. Today's miles = 5.55.

Bike has no wipers, so took the Chevy to work.

Things were pretty wet early this morning. But cleared up later and made for some cool looking clouds this evening. I took a great ride before supper.

I took the Billy Wolff to the Rock Island to the Tierra Williamsburg to the South Point then back.

Talked to a couple I found on the trails about tomorrow's big Nacho ride and found out their going on the Tour De Nebraska too. I'm getting really excited and can't wait. But I feel like I've got to get some serious miles in by then so I don't die out there.

Keep checking my blog, its encouraging to see the hits add up and keeps me motivated.

A couple of miles into tonight's ride I turned 2500 miles on my bike's odometer. That's 2000 miles during 2008 and 500 so far this year. Got in 18.24 miles this evening.

Hope to see you tomorrow on the Nacho Ride!

Ride home - lots to see! A great way to top off a Saturday!

Left 56th & Superior and went South from Havelock through some residential neighborhoods I hadn't been through before. Then continued to the Mopac and got on it North of the mall. I turned West and paused at Peter Pan Park to watch some skateboarders do their thing. Got to see the 27th St. Bike path overpass progress. It's getting close to being done and it'll sure make the trail a lot safer. Then got on the Billy Wolff And took it home. A great day of riding, and sure glad the weather guy was wrong about rain this afternoon. Today's total 28.45 miles.

I found God! & The new Bike Pedalers. (not in that order)

This afternoon I started riding at the South Point Mall and went west to the new bike pedalers location just south east of the corner of 14th & Pine Lake. It's a very cool store, really spacious, clean and modern. I only wanted to stop by and check out the building, but found a hot deal on a 2008 Felt MTB for our 11 yr old. We might have to make another trip out there to test ride it.

After Bike Pedalers I went north on the South Point Trail to the Rock Island Trail. Guess who I found out on the Rock Island Trail? God! Feeling guilty about skipping church to ride? Well, brethren, put your mind at ease. You can now get the good word while outside enjoying our city. Someone was cool enough to bare their soul on the bike trail, and with colored chalk wrote a handful of uplifting spiritual messages from at least behind Shopko on 27th & Hwy 2 to the North end of the Zoo. How cool is that? Then I turned east and cruised back on the Billy Wolff Trail.

Nice ride, felt good to get out one more time before this bad weather is supposed to hit. Today's Score - 10.98 Miles.