Bike to work week starts Sunday!

Give it a shot. Click here to find out more. Or read through my old posts on commuting.

Great Plains Bicycling Club

My application is going out in today's mail. Please join me in joining Lincoln's Bike Club the Great Plains Bicycling Club. $10 individual, $15 family annually.

They have some great rides coming up - check out the list on their site.

Including the Full Moon Ride this Saturday night at 8:45 leaving the zoo and riding 12 miles.

And a Leisurely Sunday Ride on the 17th at 1:00 pm at Oak Lake for a 26 mile cruse.

Also, the Ride of Silence at 7:00 pm on the 20th, it'll be 8 miles leaving from 1st & South St.

And many others for riders of all abilities.

Columbus' Bob Lake & Two Lakes Trails

Had a meeting yesterday in Columbus Ne. Afterword I took a few minutes to explore some of their trails.

Check out the C.A.R.T. site for a map and info.

It was a very quiet and peaceful trail around some lakes. With nice parks and campgrounds managed by Loup Power.

I rode 9.35 miles. And plan to explore more of Columbus' trails next chance I get.

One cool thing - they had a 'prayer walk' on the trail yesterday in recognition of National Day of Prayer.

But yesterday I was pretty miserable. My face continued to swell and I looked like Quasimodo. Every hole, bump, rock, stick, etc. I ran over would make my toothache reverberate through my whole body.

Once I got back to Lincoln I walked into the Oral Surgeon and he almost squeezed me in to get it pulled. But scheduled me for an extraction on Monday.

I'm worried now that I won't recover fast enough to Nacho Ride next week. Is it bad when the first thing you think of when you have a medical emergency is the impact it'll have on your riding regimen?

I went to bed at 5:00 last night and didn't get up till 5:00 this morning.

They've been putting their name on bikes a long time, they should try adding a motor. Who knows? People might like that.

What? They allready do? Well, I'll be darned.

I'm half smiling, think I need 1 pannier filled with rocks.

I've got a bad cavity that started hurting like the devil on my starboard side. Then this morning, I woke to look in the mirror to find that cheek swollen. From the side I look like I'm happy as can be, but I'm a hurting unit.

I could go get it fixed, but I don't much go for that medical stuff, so maybe to help keep me upright on my bike I'll just get one pannier for the left side and fill it with rocks. That should do the trick.

Since today's the National Day of Prayer I'll pray for my tooth to heal... Do teeth 'heal'?

Happy Prayer Day & Odd Day.

Today is national day of prayer. Prayer is something poorly coordinated cyclists like me are very familiar with.

And as far as I'm concerned, if your not praying, your odd. Well, your in luck too. Only 6 times a century is there a day like today (5/7/09) with 3 consecutive odd numbers as the date.

So, if your not praying at least you can celebrate along with the rest of the world this odd day.

Hope you make the best of it and spend some time outside!

Ride or Cry

My sentiments exactly. Rode to work and back then on to the kids school for 21.65 miles. It was damp this morning and warm and breezy coming back.

Where are your Morals young man?

It's time again to go Moral Mushroom hunting. My parents were showing off a handful that they found and dried, once you put them into soup, etc. they come right back.

Take a look here or here to find out more. Don't eat mushrooms? You can always sell them. Be sure to hunt on public ground or ask the landowners permission first. Good luck.

May 16th is Free Park Entry and Fishing Day.

Free Fishing & Park Entry DayDate: 5/16/2009

Time: All Day

Location: State Wide

Cost: Free Free Fishing and Park Entry Day.

No park entry permit or fishing license is required.

Buffalo Bill Recreation Area will be hosting a free fishing clinic from 10 am - 3 pm.

Alexandria State Recreation Area will be hosting a free kids fishing clinic from 9:30 am - 3 pm. Door prizes will be drawn at 3 pm and Zebco Rod and Reel will be awarded for Largest Fish, Largest Bluegill, and Largest Crappie (Youth Sixteen and Under). Fishing poles, bait and tackle will be provided to those without fishing equipment. A free hotdog cookout will be provided for participants.

Fort Robinson is offering free jeep rides, hayrack tours, and museum admission from 9 am - 4 pm. A fishing derby for children 12 and younger will be held from 9 am - 12 pm and prizes will be awarded to anyone who enters. A BBQ will be held on the lawn of Fort Rob from 12 pm - 1:30 pm.

Fremont SRA will be hosting a Kid's Fishing Day from 9 am - 12 pm at Lake #3. Food, Fun and Prizes. Bait and Tackle will be provided while supplies last. Platte River is hosting a Fishing Clinic from 9 am - 12 pm. Raffle drawings around 11 am and all kids win a prize.

Chadron State Park will be hosting a fishing clinic from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm.

Lake Minatare will be hosting a fishing clinic from 9 am - 1 pm.

Louisville State Recreation Area will be hosting a fishing clinic at Lake #1 from 9 am - 12 pm.

Eugene T Mahoney SP will be hosting a fishing clinic at the Owen Marina from 9 am - 11 am.

Ponca State Park will be hosting a fishing clinic from 9 am - 8 pm.

Two Rivers State Recreation Area will be hosting a fishing clinic at Lake #1 from 9 am - 12 pm.

Victoria Springs State Recreation Area will be hosting a fishing clinic from 9 am - 6 pm.Contact:

Also:

Nebraska Outdoor Expo - Public Day - May 16, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Fort Kearny SRA. The Expo’s Public Day, May 16 will offer over 30 hands-on skill activities and demonstrations that will make the Outdoor Expo a memorable experience. Family members of all ages, are invited to participate in the FREE fun interactive event. Novice or experience, you are invited to help celebrate Nebraska’s outdoor heritage. Join us at the new location, Fort Kearny Recreation Area (SRA), (located on Highway L50A south of Kearney) for the event of the season.Public Day Activity options include:Enjoy a free day at one of Nebraska’s State Recreation Areas Safety training and shooting 20 gauge shotguns or air guns Archery shooting at bullseye or full-sized animal 3D targets Compete in the 3D trail challenge Instruction and kayaking Visiting a trapper's camp to learn about trapping history and equipment Exploring various campsites Tasting outdoor cooking Hiking and bird watching along park trails Observing hunting dog training techniques Learn turkey hunting techniques from Nebraska’s professions Visiting with conservation officers, viewing law enforcement equipment Attending educational workshops on animal and bird behavior View Nebraska raptors and snakes Learn fish cleaning and cooking techniques Compete in the Nebraska Outdoors Challenge Explore the Kids Outdoors Discovery Dome Kick-off event for Nebraska’s 2009 Great Park Pursuit Outdoor Adventure Program.

See the Nebraska Game and Parks site for more info.

1st Aniv. Nacho Ride on Cinco De Mayo - FUN!

Today's Nacho Ride was so fun! What a awesome crowd! Everyone was light hearted and very friendly.

It was a relaxing, leisurely ride to the One Eye'd Dog Saloon and the food and service was great.

Met some new friends from the authority on Lincoln cycling, guys from the Folks From Lincoln blog. (I was too shy to ask for a autograph.) And visited with some fans of this blog too. I swapped stories and advise with other bike commuters on the ride there and back.

And saw Roger for the first time, his Nebraska Trails blog is a great resource, check it out.

I also visited with some that I'll get to ride with in June on the Tour De Nebraska.

For those of you that couldn't make it out tonight, I hope you can join us in the weeks to come. It's so fun!

The people on tonight's ride were so positive and encouraging, in my mind, this is what cycling is all about.

I took the downtown route to work today then took the 84th St. Trail to the Mopac trail head for the Nacho Ride.

Going South into the wind was tough. But the Nacho Ride was a lot easier. Afterward I continued on the 84th St. Trail back home.

Got home before 9:00. I put on more miles today than I have in a single day so far this year.

Hope you'll make some time this week for a ride and make plans to Nacho Ride on an upcoming Tuesday.

It's a great way to blow off steam for a few hours and get recharged for the rest of the week. Today's miles 41.52.