THINGS TO DO ON A SNOWY SUNDAY

Yesterday was our umpteenth snowy grey day here in the mountains of Western North Carolina. It seemed like a good time to take stock of my cycling “to do” list. Here goes:

• Order extra wheel/cassette to use for trainer.
• Recheck recently mounted new tires to see that they are holding pressure.
• Clean bike:
• Read as many cycling related blogs as possible.

ITEM #1: In a prescient move, John (my LBS owner) contacted me via email and said that word had reached him that he was supposed to be ordering a part for me but he couldn’t  remember what it was. So, he logged on, read this blog, and determined that I probably meant a wheel and cassette to use on my trainer. I had to write back and let John know that we had never actually spoken about this matter but that, yes, I had been by the shop to inquire about the possibilities. So, following John’s recommendations, he has or will be ordering for me a 700X20-25 REAR UCP SPOKE HG8/9 ALLOY SILVER ALEX RP15 36H RIM AND KT ALLOY QR HUB pairing.

This will give me an easy on/easy off option for using the trainer in inclement weather. I’ll probably simply use my old set of tires before ordering a special compound tire for the trainer.  I’ll be mating a Shimano 9 speed HG 50 cassette to the wheel. 

ITEM #2 & #3: This was easy enough. After returning from a painting interlude at my mother’s home, I turned on the heat, called over my work crew consisting of Mattie, Orla, and Zeke, and promptly went about cleaning the bike and checking my tire installation for the 200th time.

(Zeke, the dog, can be seen checking for any OSHA violations)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Yep, chain needs a good cleaning…)

After Zeke’s exhaustive search turned up zero workplace violations, he and the rest of the crew retired to their individual beds in front of the fire. I guess they weren’t up to Sunday work. For me, I’m always amazed at how much grime and grit you can find on a bike (Fuji or Harley) when you seriously look for it. A solid hour of cleaning resulted in a much cleaner future ride.

ITEM #4: While no picture exists as proof that this item was accomplished, I can only report that it most of my regular authors must have taken to their own beds as there was very little new material out there. The exception being Jim Artis at Cycling Experiences, who continues on with his prep plans for the Tour of Discovery 2010: Ride for the Republic. I keep writing to the Stanley Tool Company suggesting to them that they become a corporate sponsor of the Tour as Jim is doing some interesting work adapting their products to his travelling needs.

Here’s hoping that we get bypassed for awhile with winter storms and can actually get outside and ride for a change.

Until later,

- Zeke

IT WAS SO HOT IN AUSTRALIA…

So, how hot was it, you ask? Koala’s were begging water due to the extreme heat. The 120 degree caused some unusual behaviors. I don’t know who to credit these images too so I’ll just send out a BIG THANK YOU!

 

A visitor looking for a cool place finds one!

Stay cool! Well, unless you live in the mid-Atlantic and then you may want to warm up! By the way, we are currently up to 1.5” of new snow in the last hour here in Western North Carolina (Friday, February 12th at 15:15).

Until later,

- Zeke

DOWNTIME LEADS TO MIND IMPROVEMENT – MAYBE!

It is certainly no secret that the eastern part of the country has been hammered with winter storm after winter storm this year. For those of us who are single bike owners and that one bike is a skinny tire attired frame, it has meant too many hours inside. I’m currently enjoying that first cup of morning coffee as I await the next round of moisture to enter the area and drop some additional snow. We aren’t predicted to get snow starting before late afternoon but you can tell that Mother Nature is setting the table this morning.

(Flat, heavy clouds are rolling in from the southwest – upper right of image) 

With an apparent break in snowy freezing weather finding us on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend, my ambivalence about mounting my new rear tire was resolved. Rather than keep the old tire mounted for trainer purposes, I went ahead and mounted my Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons rear tire last night. I’m ready to roll on the roads now when the opportunity arises. I went by my LBS the other day to look into purchasing an additional wheel, cassette, and tire for trainer specific use. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to connect with anyone so that little detail will remain to be checked off my list of “to do” things.

I have spent the down time trying to improve my Cycling IQ. In addition to my normal daily readings of my favorite blogs, I’ve finished off all of the current cycling related magazines at by favorite local bookstore, Blue Ridge Books.

(A small grouping of recent reading materials)

Note that, in the center, is the 2005 edition of Bicycling Magazine’s Bicycle Maintenance & Repair, which I received earlier this week. Normally, I don’t respond to telemarketers when they call hawking products but the Rodale rep was just so darn pleasant on the phone I agreed to 3 easy payments and a free 30 day look at the book. Yes, I know the 30 days will come and go and another book will find its way onto my already crowded bookshelves. My “best half” will tell you that I am a book “pack rat” and have difficulty parting with them.

My initial reading of this book though leads me to believe that it will see some significant use as a resource and reference guide. In addition to expanding my general fund of knowledge in the world of maintenance and repair, it has already proved interesting and useful in filling in gaps in my personal cycling database. The book was published in 2005 so is already 5 years old. Still, the information is new and relevant for me so I think it is a Zeke’s Keeper. The book can be purchased in either paperback or hardcover on Amazon. If you are interested in purchasing, please let me suggest that you go to Kent’s Bike Blog, click on the Amazon link, and purchase from there. Kent will use the proceeds from sales originating on his site to fund his fixed gear assault on the the Great Divide Race later this year. Heck, if you buy anything on Amazon, go through Kent’s site and help out a dedicated cyclist and very interesting writer.

If you haven’t done so recently, click on over to Cycling Experiences and check out Jim’s ongoing development for the 2010 Tour of Discovery: Ride for the Republic. Jim’s trailer development is well underway and coming together nicely. If you’ve ever wanted to meld technology and cycling, this is the place to go.

I’ve also used my downtime to try and improve the functionality of this blog. Thanks to Jim Artis for his support and suggestions. To get started, I’m adding a Table of Contents called “My Stories” to make finding past posts easier and to make seeing posts in related categories a single click away. I’m also working on some other concepts but they are quite ready as yet.

Until later,

Zeke

BLINDING LIGHT ILLUMINATES AREA

Local National Weather Service forecasters and other weather buffs are reporting that the blinding light first noted around 10:00 a.m. on February 8, 2010 in the Waynesville, NC general area is a phenomenon known as SUNLIGHT. They further report that SUNLIGHT once occurred in this region on a regular basis. In an apparently related event, scores of local residents were seen standing with their backs against local buildings and their faces raised upward in a southerly direction in an apparent effort to store the energy from this wild weather related event. Interestingly, the local whitescape created by days of lingering snow, seem to exacerbate the illumination factor of SUNLIGHT.  Forecasters were quick to note that the weather phenomenon was not likely to last for than a few hours. Unfortunately, the local mayor was too busy soaking up SUNLIGHT to declare a REGIONAL HOLIDAY releasing workers to enjoy the event.

Over the past few days, I’ve bounced back and forth between going ahead and mounting my new rear tire vs. keeping my old worn out tire on the rim for use on my trainer. My ambivalence has been such that I’ve spent too much time pondering the situation and not enough time making a decision. This “downtime” has been extended further by going to see the movie “Crazy Heart” and watching that football game that was on last night. Both events served to improve my spirits somewhat. After all, in both events I was in a closed, dark environment safely removed from being able to see the cold, gray light of yet another overcast day. I almost forgot about not riding recently. But, like the groundhog, I had to emerge only to discover yet more cold gray overcast skies but this time they were accompanied by a consistent and steady cold wind that was very skilled at changing direction at every corner in order to always be able to blow into my face. 

In a short brief burst of self-exploration today, I determined I would research whether I suffered from S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). According to the DSM-IV-TR and that other paragon of authority, Wikipedia, I’m pleased to report that I do not suffer from S.A.D. It turns out that S.A.D. isn’t a standalone condition. It is only a subset of a much more major mood disorder and, thankfully, I don’t qualify for that.

So, I’m left to ponder the cosmos again and perhaps find the motivation to mount my tire so I can get back on the road once the heaping gray mounds of frozen precipitation once again recede to showcase our roads. I hear that SUNLIGHT may once again make an appearance along about Thursday of this week. By the way, I haven’t seen my shadow in a week now. I wonder what that portends…

In some actual cycling news…

BikingInLA reports of a cyclist hit by an alleged drunken  driver and dragged three quarters of a mile. A good Samaritan helped corral the offending driver, who appeared more upset at being filmed during her arrest than concerned about her alleged victim. Hmmm, maybe she was intoxicated. You can see the 3 videos HERE! Thanks to Tucson Bike Lawyer for the story!

Have you checked out the amazing power work being done over at Cycling Experiences as Jim Artis prepares for his upcoming summer tour on his quad Fargo? If not, take a few moments and review Jim’s use of a Stanley Fat Max toolbox. It is amazing what he has managed to work into this space. His work involving charging systems is very impressive.

I want to recommend to you a most illuminating essay written by Kent Peterson at Kent’s Bike Blog. Kent crafts words into pictures in a way that few writers pull off. I was particularly taken with his February 4th posting “Past the Gate”…

Well, I’m going to go research this SUNLIGHT thing again. If I find it occurring again, I’ll let you know…

Until later,

- Zeke

LOOSE ENDS AND MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS…

When last I posted, I was attempting, in my own way, to “make lemonade out of lemons”. The weather and road conditions were such then that being a roadie didn’t work out so well. At the end of that post, I threw it over to Bro Dave out on the west coast so that at least one member of the clan would get in some riding time. Here is his report:

 

“Well, my ride didn't happen. I got dressed, filled up my water bladder and headed out to top the tires off with air and discovered that my rear tire had developed some nasty blisters. I can only guess that they are a result of the Stan's No Tubes sealant that I have used. I can't imagine anything else causing that. Oh well. I guess I'll be buying some new tires with my REI gift certificate!”

 

Bro Dave went on to later report that he was unable to find some tubeless tires at his local REI so he tried some with tubes. Unfortunately, that didn’t work either so he’s back to making a trip to the Santa Monica REI. In the meantime, his supervisor, BoBo, took the opportunity to do some serious thinking on the issue as shown in the following image submitted by Bro Dave:

(Yep, looks like some serious contemplating going on here!)

 

An Unpleasant Interlude With A Cyclist…

I would be willing to be that, if you read 10 blogs on cycling,  at least 8 of them would feature a comment or story about bad dangerous behavior by motorists when intersecting with cyclists. On a much less frequent occurrence, you’ll also find those same blogs reporting on the negative behavior of cyclists, i.e., BikinginLA Feb 1st post). Clearly, in larger cities like Los Angeles there are simply many more cyclists and much, much more traffic so you get much more frequent negative interactions.

Living here in my area, the instances of negative interaction between cyclists and motorists are not a daily event or even an hourly event as it seems it must be in L.A. and other urban areas. Even Asheville, NC  only 28 miles to my east seems to have a high frequency of negative cyclist/motorists encounters.  Generally speaking, I encounter few hostile and/or dangerous motorists when I ride and find that most motorists are pretty accommodating.  Yes, there are certainly those jerks who want to assault you with verbage and/or liquids in cups and bottles but they are in the minority.

This past Sunday I found myself in somewhat of a role reversal when my “best half” and I were out in our Ford Escape making a run to get some gas and supplies. It was our first trip off the mountain since Friday’s snow storm. The roads were and continue to be packed with piled snow and ice where they have been scraped clear. Shoulders are non-existent.

We were travelling southwest into the mid-afternoon sun when I spotted two cyclists up ahead. My first thought was “I wonder who is out riding in this mess?” As we proceeded on, I realized that the cyclists were not only coming toward us but were travelling in our lane of travel. I noted one vehicle whip out into the oncoming lane of travel to avoid them and then realized that not only were they coming toward us but they were riding pretty much down the center of the lane of travel in my direction. I began braking from what, fortunately, was a pretty slow speed.

The lead rider began waving his arms at me to get over, i.e., move into the wrong lane of travel. He was close enough to me that I could see his face turning red and him mouthing at us. I then realized that the second cyclist was a young girl appearing to be about 7 years old on her bicycle. She was riding without a helmet as was the lead rider, who looked to be at least in his 40’s and maybe older. My deduction was that this father was leading his daughter on a bicycle ride. I came to a complete stop in the lane of travel.

At this point, the lead rider was coming rapidly upon the front of our vehicle, waving wildly, and clearly screaming at us. I just sat there considering my options. My first thought was to get out and “educate” the individual on the proper lane of travel and the need to get a helmet on his kid. (Note: N.C. law requires bicycle helmets on children under the age of 16 when riding.)  I pretty quickly decided that any attempt at conversing with this guy would likely escalate into something more than a conversation and would increase the risk to the child. I let them get by us before we proceeded.

In retrospect, I probably should have called the local police to intervene if, for no other reason, to protect the child. At any rate, it gave me the opportunity to witness irresponsible behavior on the part of a bicyclist from the perspective of a motorist. I’m certainly glad that the majority of cyclists I know don’t behave in this manner. It was an unpleasant eye-opening segment in our day. 

You can bet my eyes will be open for this fellow in the future when I ride that road!

Until later,

- Zeke

ON MY OWN TERMS…

If I’m going to ride a trainer, it is going to be on my own terms instead of the terms of this weekend’s “I-40 Storm”. Bro Dave is out there in sunny California planning his day’s ride under the blue skies and warm temps. He called last night to see how our storm was going while he sat with BoBo, the Weimaraner, underneath starry skies and warm temperatures. I was pleased to report to him that all major roads into Western North Carolina were blocked due to the storm. I-26 was a parking lot in Buncombe County and I-40 was shut down completely at Old Fort Mountain. I-40 from Tennessee continues to be blocked due to a rock slide now several months old plus two new slides since the original.

So, another session in the basement on the trainer was not my idea of fun. My now “cycling-centric” neuronal pathways began to perk with thoughts of riding. The second pot of coffee kicked in. I made some changes…

(Yes, that’s right - SUMMER weight. Take that storm!) 

(Feeling “da luv of nature”!)

(Hmm, they don’t seem to cover this type of spring training!)

(Push through it now.Hey, who changed the flag?)

(Who me? No, I am NOT doping… Oh, I am a dope… Sorry!)

… and finally, with the finish in sight, I pummel the pedals until at last I can raise my arms in simulated victory just like the pros do on those stage finishes.

So, there you have it. Photographic proof that:

a) “I’m a Mountaineer born and a Mountaineer bred and when I die, I’m a Mountaineer dead.”

b) I have WAY too much time on my hands…

c) Bro Dave “can’t touch this!”

d) I have a VERY tolerant spouse, who agreed to document this entire non-event!

 

(Note: Kids: Do not try this at home. All simulated images of a training session were staged and planned by a man who knows not what he does. Had this have been a real training session, surely some sweat would have appeared on my brow. I take my leave now…)

Oh yeah, thus far the storm left us with 8.5” of snow at our humble abode and we’re still getting freezing rain/sleet. But, hey, we have a really, really nice smelling beef stew in the Crockpot! It’s to you Bro Dave!

Until later,

- Zeke

…AND IT STARTS! WINTER STORM ARRIVES ON SCHEDULE

The second major snowfall for Western North Carolina arrived right on schedule and as predicted. What has been billed as “round 2” marched its way across the mid-west and arrived in Haywood County, North Carolina right on time. The first snow showers could be seen rolling over Richland Balsam and through Balsam Gap at 2:00 p.m. The temperature on Main Street in Waynesville dropped from 42 degrees to 36 degrees in the space of 30 minutes and the light snow quickly began to show up on the Courthouse lawn and nearby roads.

A quick inch of snow had fallen within the hour at our home in Bethel. We sit at 2895’ elevation. The birds were obviously anticipating this event as they have been cleaning out the feeders for the last two days. Thus far, the snowfall has not deterred them from their “eating rounds.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve placed my trusty measuring stick in a good spot to capture the snowfall depth and will make some educated guesses at the snowfall rate as we go through the evening hours.

(Time image taken: 3:50 p.m. EST) 

Here are a couple more shots of the beginning of this storm. More to come…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may be asking yourself what this has to do with a cycling blog? Well, that’s an easy one… It means I’ll be riding the trainer for the next two days!

 

Storm update at 18:00 hours 01/29/2010

Snow has continued to fall at a steady pace with only a brief letup approximately 30 minutes ago. We are again receiving heavy snow. The barometric pressure is remaining above 30” but is now beginning to fall. A quick view of the radar map on Weatherunderground shows that the vast majority of the storm is still to our west and headed this way.

(Time stamp of 17:55 hours – 4.5” of snow accumulation) 

Until later,

- Zeke

WINTER’S RETURN CHANGES RIDE EXPERIENCE…

Oh, it was going so well. Our cold winter weather had skedaddled and warmer Gulf Coast air had filled the void. Dreams and plans for an early spring were abundant in my mind even though I knew all along that it wouldn’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t last. I know we need more cold weather. It is wired into my brain that winter is for cold temps. Still, those couple of rides last week in “spring-like” temperatures got me revved up for more.

Friday night and Saturday brought back cooler, not particularly cold temperatures, but they were accompanied by heavy rains and winds making riding less than wise on our narrow two lane, no shoulders roads. I was getting antsy, grumpy, testy, and agitated. I wanted to ride! Finally, I had enough and decided to do something before the Vikings and Saints took to the field on Sunday.

I determined that I would take a nice Oceanside Ride around Hawaii. So, I loaded up and decided to ride with Italian coach, Marzia Cozzolino. We decided to stay close to the coast and avoid significant climbs today. Instead, it seemed like a good day to focus on spinning and intervals. There were a few rollers but really, nothing to challenge the climbing muscles. As Coach Marzia insisted, I focused on my spinning skills and keeping my heart rate in the training zone. She is always so supportive and encouraging on our rides together.

The scenery was beautiful as we circumnavigated the island. Traffic wasn’t heavy in most places. The bike paths certainly lent a more secure feel to the ride. I was impressed with the number of motorcycles out and about although each time I’ve ridden this particular circuit, there seem to be pretty much the same number of motorcyclists on the roads.

I was having a good workout and building up a nice sweat when my “best half” came alongside and started capturing the effort…

 

 

 

(Zeke following Coach Marzia’s directions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Hawaiian circuit on the big screen)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Hawaii “in my mind!”)

Yep, I broke down and got on the trainer for the first time this year. I’d avoided it until now due to having maintained a riding schedule all but one week since late November. I first attempted spinning to a CD given to me by the “Woodman” but it proved not to be compatible with my system so I broke out my Global Ride “Hawaii series” and selected the Oceanside Ride mentioned above. I purchased this series when it was first released at Christmas 2008. I’ve previously reviewed my experiences with this commercially produced boxed DVD set of rides. I did get a good workout and this is probably about as close as I’ll get to really riding in Hawaii. I use my DLP ViewSonic projector to display the image on my screen so I get quite a large presentation of the ride. The sound runs through my sound system and 4 speakers and that certainly adds positively to the effect. I do have trouble following some of the spoken directions of the coaches so I tend to try to match their instruction while increasing/decreasing the workout as I need at the time. In lieu of getting out on the road, it keeps my cardio status up to standard and works on my spinning skills as well. I focus mostly on maintaining my heart rate and cadence count.

At the end of the session, I examined my tires and noted that I could see pockets of purple color beginning to show through the rubber on the rear tire. I’m glad to have observed this in the comfort of my basement rather than finding it out after flatting on the road. The rear tire in particular is shot so before I do get to ride on the road again, I’ll be getting new rubber for front and back.

Continental Ultra Race tires came on my Fuji CCR3 at the time of purchase and I’ve put a little over 1500 miles plus last winter’s trainer sessions on the tires. I’ve settled on going to Continental Grand Prix 4 Season Tires this time around. They get excellent reviews but are somewhat higher in price than the Ultras that I’ve been running. I’m currently awaiting a return call from my LBS to see if they stock them. If not, I’ll be heading to REI this evening to make the purchase. Tomorrow may be clear and in the 40’s! I may need to ride!

Until later,

- Zeke

TOUR OF DISCOVERY 2010 ANNOUNCED

Rafael Giraldo, the south Florida teacher who cycled across America last summer, has announced the 2010 Tour of Discovery: Ride for the Republic. This year’s route will take in the original 13 Colonies and will once again focus on learning about America. Rafael will be joined this year by Jim Artis of Cycling Experiences as they leave Bar Harbor, Maine on their trip to Key West Florida. Jim introduced many of us to last year’s Tour through his extensive coverage of Giraldo’s efforts.


To see the ongoing development of this year’s Tour, visit Jim’s site Cycling Experiences.

Jim has been hard at work developing, enhancing, implementing, and refining the technological tools that will be used on this trip. Additionally, he is having Utah Trikes build him a special Quad Bike already named Fargo. The bike will have a decidedly stagecoach influence. Jim has been kind enough to let us go along on the journey of this build on his site and in the BROL forums.

CONGRATS JIM AND RAFAEL! We’ll look forward to another exciting and educational effort this year!

A BREATH OF SPRING WAS IN THE AIR…

Yesterday was one of those great “gifts” that we get from time to time in the middle of the winter. We enjoyed temperatures hovering at 60 degrees and great blue skies. I was able to reduce a full layer of clothing when making the ride home yesterday. My 18 mile run to the house was quite enjoyable as I bathed in the late afternoon sun hitting my back on the segment from Waynesville to Canton, once again via Lee Road. We’re not far from seeing some of the earliest spring flowers begin to make their appearances.

While on the busiest section of the ride home between Clyde and Canton, I was riding “as far to the right as practical”, which is still a little further into the lane than usual because of leftover debris and some ice chunks that are resisting the warming temps. I was buffeted by a passing vehicle and then somewhat surprised to see that it was a Drivers Education vehicle from the local school. Your first thought might be that a student just learning to drive needed some instruction on sharing the road. After all, this road is a split 4 lane highway and there were no other vehicles in the inside lane that would have prevented the student from moving into that lane of travel to pass me. Imagine my surprise when I realized the car wasn’t being piloted by a student at all but rather by the instructor. I pondered for a moment the irony of being knocked from my bike at speed by a Driver’s Education Instructor. Ah well, the pass wasn’t close enough to cause me to flinch but was certainly not observant of the requested 3’ clearance. It did seem to merit a head shake in wonderment.

The rest of the trip home was simply enjoyable. I noted more people out walking around the local recreation park although I was the only cyclist that I encountered after leaving Waynesville. I did see one motorcyclist but that was the sum of the 2 wheeled transportation variety I encountered. I was treated to a very pretty sunset as I rode up river to Bethel. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera with me yesterday to document it so the image will just have to live on in my mind.

As I watch the rain move in today, I’m particularly thankful for having the chance to ride yesterday. If the forecasts are correct, we’re in for a return to some slightly cooler weather with rain for the next couple of days.

Before signing off, let me encourage you again to check out Cycling Experiences and follow the preparations for this year’s Tour of Discovery!

Until later,

- Zeke

I WAS GONNA RIDE – REALLY I WAS…

I promise. I had every intention of riding today. I planned it. I looked forward to it. I was eager to do it. I knew the weather prediction was for rain in the late afternoon and lasting through Sunday so my plan was to get a start on a ride by mid-day.

Funny thing about plans – it doesn’t take much to change them. I spent the morning doing my book keeping and attendance charting for my Rotary Club. I’m the club’s Executive Secretary so my duties need to be done promptly following our Friday meetings. I sucked down my 3, maybe 4 cups of coffee doing the work. My “best half” had departed to spend time with her Dad today. It was quiet and I was absorbed in the computer. I finally realized my coffee cup was empty (again) and looked at the clock. Oops, mid-day is here!

My next realization was that I had not eaten any food and I was beginning to vibrate from the caffeinated coffee. I knew that riding with coffee as my sole sustenance wasn’t a good plan so I prepared to run to my favorite cafe for some protein to fuel my ride. As I was stepping off the deck at our house, Mattie Anne, my father-in-law’s Golden Retriever greeted me with her big brown eyes. She has come to live with us now and is still adjusting to not having the full ability to roam where she wants. In this particular moment, she reminded me that I still had to fix the fence that the recent snow storm had made escapable. So, it seemed that a quick run to Lowe’s for some lumber was in order after lunch and before I could ride.

Once up town at the cafe, I remembered I had some brochures about a local mountain bike trail that just opened that needed to go to the local Mast General Store on Main St. So, I headed up Main Street, one pedestrian among many, many tourists in town today. Upon entering Mast, I realized that they had a really good sale in progress. The store was packed!

I finally got a chance to deliver the brochures and decided to check to see if my favorite new socks – SmartWool – were on sale. Yep, they were. Buy 3 get one more pair free! So, with great care in selecting the proper color and style to match just right with riding gear, I bought 2 pair for me and another pair for my beauty back home. Oh yeah, she got the 4th pair that was free. (You’re probably saying “What a guy!” about right now. This may rank up there with arranging that 14” heavy snowfall that kept us homebound for our recent wedding anniversary…)

O.K., back to the excuses… uh explanations…. I made a quick trip in to Lowes knowing exactly what I wanted and where it was located. In and out! Headed home and ready to ride. Well, knowing it was probably going to rain later, I determined that it was in everyone’s best interest if I went ahead and repaired the fencing for the dogs containment area. This shouldn’t take long I reflected to myself.

I managed to tear down the remaining destroyed fence and get the new materials up all while Zeke, Orla, and Mattie Anne graciously helped me by sitting under me, bringing me a ball to throw, and generally sniffing around the work area to make sure there were no OSHA violations going on.

Done, I’m through – I’m gonna ride! But, then I noticed the load of clothes in the washer that needed hanging up. Next, I skipped through the kitchen but I spied the dishes I had promised my wife I would wash and, of course, I hadn’t. Oh well, this won’t take long and then I’m gonna ride.

Finally, all is done and I glance up at Cold Mountain.

(49 degrees and rain moving in across Cold Mountain) 

---and what do I see? Rain! Not pretty white snow but RAIN! My motivation to ride in 49 degree weather in the rain just wasn’t there today. A warm shower followed by a nice steaming cup of coffee seemed like a much better idea.

I promise… I was gonna ride… No, really, I mean it….

(Note: In this post, I offer up a number of plausible excuses for not riding. Should you find yourself someday on the edge of being motivated to ride and in need of a somewhat reasonable excuse to AVOID riding, I hereby grant full access to use any or all of my excuses. I would point out that “my dog ate my homework” has limited application to this situation and would suggest that you not rely on it as a proper excuse in cycling matters.)

(P.S. On a more serious note, I just received a link to some images taken of our Main Street during the December 18, 2009 snowstorm. I’ll post the link for all to enjoy. Nothing to do with cycling – just some beautiful work done by one of our local craftsman, Ed Kelly. To see the images, CLICK HERE!

Until later,

- Zeke