2010 was a great year spent outdoors!

2010 was another great year to spend time outdoors! The NOA blog had 362 posts. Now has 27 followers and 13,785 unique hits during 2010. And I have 771 facebook friends. I've had a great time sharing my adventures with you and hope you've made an effort to spend more time outdoors.

You've seen our family have a ton of fun outside and watched me mature as a cyclist. I started riding in 2008 and put on 2,000 miles that year. During 2009 I racked up an additional 4,681.78 miles on the bike. This year brought 6,270.43 more miles giving me a total of 12,952.21 for my first 3 years as a cyclist. During 2010 blog readers have followed me on the following outdoor adventures:

129 round trip commutes to work and back (aprox 20 miles)

18 one way work commutes (aprox 10 miles)

We attended the Big Buck Classic in Omaha.

I rode in 6 of Lincoln's Critical Mass rides.

Tried my luck at the KC Sprints.

16 Hustle alley cat style races.

You saw me try and fail at riding an indoor trainer.

Couch sledding with our oldest.

Participated in the following GPBC events: Holiday Dinner, Easter Candy Ride, Spring Fling Ride, Full Moon Ride, Just Do It Ride, Lied Bridge Ride, Ride Of Silence, Wabash Trace Ride, and the Heatstroke 100 Ride.

Riding to Pepe's for the Sunday 'Biker Special'.

The purchase of Trusty Rusty.

Riding gravel with the Adventure Racers to Branched Oak and Beatrice.

Riding gravel in Kansas.

The opening of the Antelope Valley Trail.

18 Tuesday Night Nacho Rides.

Biking to church 7 times.

You saw me Demo the Bike Pedalers Marin Mount Vision 5.9 and Pivot Mach 4 mountain bikes.

I put together and hosted the 1st annual NSFW ride.

Attended the LPD bike auction.

The Cycle Works Tomac open house event.

I was a spectator at the following races: ACA 12 hour MTB race at Wagontrain. Xterra Bolt Branched Oak race. Flatwater cyclocross races at Van Dorn Park. Lincoln Cyclocross races at Pioneers park. And the Capital City Criterium.

You saw me get road rash in the shape of a heart from a tight turn on a downhill section of bike trail during a wet work commute.

We attended the Joyride Specialized demo event.

Spring and fall turkey hunting with our youngest.

Camping, air boating, and catching monster catfish on the Loup River.

I spent 9 nights in a tent and 5 nights in campers during 2010.

I rode single track at: Wagon Train, Branched Oak, Wilderness Park and Bike Pedalers' secret MTB area.

I rode with the BP crew on the Bread & Cup ride and the Yia Yias ride.

Two Fox Hole 100 rides.

Did my 2nd Tour De Nebraska 5-day bike tour.

We did the Taco Ride in Iowa.

Took Gravel to Parkers Smokehouse in Ashland.

Rode day-1 of RAGBRAI and attended the Expo the day before.

Canoed at Holmes Lake a couple of times with the family.

Met Tom Snyders the bicycling comedian on RAGBRAI, saw his show in Omaha and rode to Pepe's with him in Lincoln.

Checked out the Cycle Works Giant ladies bike demo.

Rode in the 2010 GLGA Gravel World Championship.

Bought the wife a Specialized Ruby.

You saw the Felt Z70 frame become fatigued and separated.

I rode a loaner Surly Cross Check from Bike Pedalers.

Then got a new Felt ZA frameset from Felt free on warrantee.

Attended the Monkey Wrench Cycles grand opening.

Found the Austro-Daimler & a cruiser for $30 at the Bicycle Swap Meet.

Rode the Flint Hills Nature Trail in Kansas.

Rode a century going to Nebraska City and back.

I had 6 flat tires during 2010.

We attended the 2010 Ducks Unlimited banquet and the 2010 Quail Forever Banquet.

And, we deer hunted again on the Loup this year.

I'm not bragging, just wanted to see a tally, but it's not about the numbers, it's about the fun I've had. And I'm so thankful for all the great people I've met and spent time and miles with again in 2010.

I'm healthier, happier, greener, more responsible, fun and social than I've ever been. I'm looking forward to building on the time we've spent outdoors and making 2011 another unforgettable year of outdoor adventures.

My big cycling/blog goals for this year were:

10,000 unique hits on the NOA blog during 2010. *CHECK*

25 NOA followers and 500 facebook friends by the end of 2010. *CHECK, CHECK*

Another year with no serious wrecks. *CHECK*

6,000 miles on the bike during 2010. *CHECK*

5 Centuries during 2010. *NOPE, JUST 2*

125 round trip work commutes during 2010. *CHECK*

And another tour during 2010. *CHECK*

I'm not setting any specific goals for 2011 other than to finish Gravel Worlds and maybe get a MTB. Otherwise I just hope to keep doing what I have been.

Hope to see you spending time with friends and family outdoors in the year to come!!!

Have a Happy New Year!!!

Images from the Taco Ride.

Tonight a group of us Lincoln cyclist made our way to Council Bluffs Ia. For the weekly Taco Ride 10 miles down the Wabash Trace Trail to Mineola Ia. They had a street dance, food and drinks for riders who came out. The crowd was huge. The Taco Ride was 20.5 miles for a total today of 42.3 miles today.

Mineloa Ia. Taco Ride street dance on July 1st.

The crowd is unreal! This is the most crazy thing I've ever seen from the saddle of a bike! Surely this is good training for RAGBRAI.

Live from Margaritaville!

We made it to Margaritaville on the Taco ride in Iowa. If your not here, you should be! It's nuts!!!

2009 Wrap-up and 2010 Goals & Aspirations.

Pic lifted from My Kind of Country

What a great year to spend time outdoors! The NOA blog had 500 posts in just over 9 months! And 7,095 unique hits since the end of March. I've had a great time sharing my adventures with you and hope you've made an effort to spend more time outdoors.

You've seen our family have a ton of fun outside and watched me mature as a cyclist. I started riding in 2008 and put on 2,000 miles. During 2009 I racked up an additional 4,681.78 miles on the bike and blog readers have followed me on the following outdoor adventures:

91 round trip commutes to work and back (aprox 20 miles)

10 one way work commutes (aprox 10 miles)

Our 11 yr olds purchase of a new Felt MTB from Bike Pedalers

My first endo at Wilderness Park

Shooting at Lincoln's Izzak Walton

Bike riding on York's trail

Phil Keoghan's Coast to Coast book signing

4-wheeler riding with our 17 yr old at Halsey Forest

My Hunter Education Class

Bike riding on Columbus' trail system

The Ride of Silence

Fishing trips

Airboating on the Loup River

Camping

Biking to Southpoint's Friday Nights Live Concert

Biketacular & the return of the Capital City Criterium cycling races

Riding to Beatrice

The Haymarket Farmers Market

The GPBC Slow & Go ride

The 5-day Tour De Nebraska

Seward's Firecracker Ride

Larry the Cable Guy's 4th of July Show at Memorial Stadium

Riding to the Uncle Sam Jam fireworks show

Riding the Prairie Spirit Trail in KS once from Ottawa to Richmond and once Garnett to Iola

Two rides to Bennet

My first fixie ride

The Cairo Cornstalk Festival

Many canoe rides at Holmes Lake

The Cornhusker State Games Century Tour and Opening Ceremonies

The Wilbur Czech Festival ride

The BBC Rollin' To The River ride

3 Taco Rides in Iowa

The GPTN Discovery Ride

The Heatstroke 100 ride

My first century followed by two more later in the summer

Bass Fishing in North Central KS

The State Fair

The Bike Swap

CROPS walk bike ride

LPD bike auction

Several bike rides to Cortland

23 Tuesday night Nacho Rides

Our 11 yr old's 2 turkeys in one shot

Biking to my first Husker football game and 1st Stars hockey game

The purchase of my new Felt Z-70 road bike from Bike Pedalers

Bike Pedalers grand-opening party and Race Across the Sky after party

Loup Valley's annual Ducks Unlimited Banquet

The 350.org ride

3 Critical Mass rides

A ride to Raymond

2 rides to Ceresco

Riding to church

Riding on Grand Island's trails

Our 11 yr olds first buck and my buck during this year's rifle season

2 of Pepe's Free Bike Commuter Breakfasts

2 Tuesday night rides with the hipsters to Pepe's

3 alley cat races

Snowmobiling and sledding on Christmas-eve.

I'm not bragging, just wanted to see a tally, but it's not about the numbers, it's about the fun I've had. And I'm so thankful for all the great people I've met and spent time and miles with during 2009.

I'm healthier, happier, greener, more responsible, fun and social than I've ever been. I'm looking forward to building on the time we've spent outdoors and making 2010 the best year yet.

My big cycling/blog goals for next year:

10,000 unique hits on the NOA blog during 2010.

25 NOA followers and 500 facebook friends by the end of 2010.

Another year with no serious wrecks.

6,000 miles on the bike during 2010.

5 Centuries during 2010.

125 round trip work commutes during 2010.

And another tour during 2010.

Hope to see you spending time with friends and family outdoors in the year to come!!!

Have a Happy New Year!!!

Scenes from the Iowa Taco Ride.

Views of the trail.

Riders get a chance to talk while headed to Mineola.

Margaritaville!

Now I've seen it all. A blue matching Mag Lite Duct tapped to the top tube. And a big styrofoam cooler tied on with bailing twine! (is that red-neck or what?)

Never too young to Taco Ride. Here a toddler is helped out for a break and chance to stretch at Margaritaville.

This sign is overrun with bike team stickers.

Riders take a breather and have a drink at Margaritaville.

Old ford tractor for sale on the side of the trail in Mineola.

The Mineola Steakhouse! It's taco time!

I'll bet this good ol' boy didn't bike to Mineola.

'Watch my wife' sign posted above the bar.

Another 5 minute rain storm has Taco Riders using their menus to stay dry in the beer garden.

The Taco Ride is every Thursday from Council Bluffs to Mineola Ia. It's 10 miles each way and a ton of fun. Check out http://www.tacoride.com/ to find out more.

Today's miles riding Omaha's river front, the Bob Kerrey bridge & the Taco Ride = 30.29

A great night for the Taco Ride.

This family prepares at the trailhead to ride.

Most of the 10 miles from Council Bluffs to Mineola has the trail covered in a canape of trees, it's like riding in a tunnel. The strong winds were barley noticeable and the trail seemed cool even though it wasn't out in the sun.

A rider brings out the big cooler of drinks to Margaritaville. Margaritaville is a spot on the trail just over 1/2 way where riders will stop to visit, take a break, and drink a beverage they brought in their bag/backpack/rolling cooler/etc.

A sweet Surley Pugsley found at Margaritaville. Those shoes are fat! I love it.

Pay attention as you ride through Margaritaville, the crowd sometimes spills onto the trail.

That's one way to park your whip out of the way.

It's hard to tell in the picture, but this bobtrailer has a car battery and a stereo.

Riders going through Margaritaville.

These young entrepreneurs were hawking lemonade on the side of the trail in Mineola.

Traffic laws are very lax in Iowa. I tried to get a speeding ticket, but my legs got tired when I tried to pedal over 249 miles per hour. I wish I was in better shape.

Scenes from the Mineola Steakhouse and their beer garden. The tacos were great! And the crowd was fun.

Incase your spending too much time Taco Riding instead of with the wife. Someone was prepared to help you out, they were selling dog houses on main street of Mineola. Might as well buy one, you know you'll need it.

Bikes EVERYWHERE in Mineola! Anything that would hold still for a minute was liable to have a bike leaned against it, so keep moving.

To find out more about the Taco Ride go to http://www.tacoride.com/

Today's miles = 19.72

Nacho'ers to do the Thursday night Taco Ride

Photo lifted off CITA site.

The Nacho Ride site is encouraging Lincolnites to head to Council Bluffs on Thursday the 13th for the Taco Ride.

I did it a couple of weeks ago for the first time. I loved it!

I'll drive and have room for a few others. If you'd like a lift email me at nebraskaoutdooraddict@yahoo.com . I'll leave Lincoln at 4:00 and be back between 9:00 & 10:00 Thursday night.

NOA's 1st Taco Ride Council Bluffs - Mineola Ia.

Today I had a meeting in Omaha I had to drive to, so when it was over, I headed over to Council Bluffs to check out the Taco Ride. I'd read about the Taco Ride on their site and other blogs, and knew Lincoln's Nacho Ride was fashioned after it and wanted to see if it lived up to all the hype.

I wasn't disappointed! There were hundreds and hundreds of riders. A trail pass is $1 for a day or $10 for a annual pass, you can pay at the trail head just south of Hwy 275 & Hwy 92 or there was someone on the trail taking money too.

County Sheriffs were on bikes and a utility vehicle, the only contact I had with them were big smiles and friendly waves.

Here is the infamous "Margaritaville". A place to stop and visit and have a drink a little over 1/2 way to Mineola.

The trail has a canopy of trees over most of it keeping the trail cool and shady and stopping the wind, when there is a break in the trees your often greeted with scenic valleys and agland.

Signs, reminding riders of upcoming events on the trail.

There was single track beside the trail, in case anyone on a MTB wanted to get off the beaten path and tear it up a bit.

Some bikes had music for everyone to enjoy, but this one took the cake!

Some scenes from downtown Mineola Ia.

Bikes are EVERYWHERE! I love it!

The Mineola Steakhouse is 10 miles down the trail from the trailhead. The tacos were great, I was happy to see they had both hard & soft shell. Everyone was so friendly. I sat with a couple of guys who ride every week. They said today's crowd was typical, and told about a Thursday night around the 4th of July when the crowd was estimated to be near 2,000 riders!

We sat out in the beer garden and enjoyed the great weather, by the time I was ready to leave the seats in the beer garden were all taken and it was standing room only, here you see one of the Mineola Steakhouse staff announcing over the speakers that all seating inside is taken and they were taking names on a list for those who wanted to wait for inside (air-conditioned) seats. This was about 7 pm.

I took some time to ride on a paved trail on the outskirts of C.B. toward Lake Manawa before Taco Riding.

I started the Taco Ride at 5:00, rode an hour there, ate and visited for an hour, then an hour back. The trail had a lot of bikes, but was by no means crowded, intimidating or dangerous.

The trailhead parking was full when I got back at 8:00. It was a fun, easy ride. And it really is all that and a bag of chips! I encourage you to try the Taco Ride some Thursday evening. I know I'll be back.

With riding around a little before starting, and the Taco Ride, I racked up 24.81 miles today.