TBR Tuesday Nighter 10/29

Wheels hot @ 6:15 from The Bike Route. Expect 1.5-1.75 hours. Front and rear light required. Good attitude optional. Pace, steady tempo with regroup on major climbs.

If a motorist can't see this coming, they shouldn't be driving in the first place.

Oktober

We jumped in with the Fayetteville Trisport Clubs annual Van Buren train ride this weekend for about 25 miles. The club rides 65 miles to Van Buren and takes the scenic Arkansas Missouri Railroad back to town. The bike racing crowd usually rides to Mountainburg and turns around. This ride is spirited when you have the right mix of folks. I like spirit.

The weather was perfect for photoging. 

All is calm before the Greenland city limit sign 

Great mix of folks.

October.

Ozarkia.

From the front.

Leaves are starting to pop.

Looks like it could rain at any moment.

Into the fog.

Mt. Gaylor, 5 miles with 600 feet gain. Not particularly hard until Steve started giving it the stick.

Solid tempo for the first 25 miles, folks were happy to chill for a bit.

Old observation tower.

Still fun to descend.

Friendly chitchat, like an old married couple.

 Boys will be boys. Good times.

Foliage stuff. 

Random observations from the weekend.

I suffer from stupidity on occasion.

Chillin' with Miyoko. Toothbrush in hand.

Great dinner at the Flowers household. Made a new friend at the end of the table, Knox.

Smaller giant soccer ball within a larger giant soccer ball. Art. 

Almost fell asleep on these zero gravity benches. Dusty I need you to build me one of these.

Winner Winner...Chicken Dinner

Congrats to Wes B! You have won the first (of many) product giveaways. Thanks to all those who participated. A special thanks to CLIF BAR. Stay tuned folks more exciting giveaways are coming!

die Nachtfahrt

There is something very cool about riding at night. I haven't totally figured it out yet. Perhaps it is the heightened sense of togetherness in the bunch. Maybe it's that ominous feeling created by the dark. In turn creating a unique dependency on light. It could be that the very same roads we ride all the time during the day feel totally different. Not sure but I recommend you ride with a group for safety. Also make sure your not using dinky lights. Spend the extra coin.

The Bike Route Tuesday Nighter. Wheels Hot @ 6:15 from TBR. Front and rear light required.

It was nice to start at sunset.

Keith rocking high vis orange. Smart. Makes me think of 'the darr woods.'

I love this rolling section of road. 

Losing the light.

Ozarkia.

We kind of look like a jet taxiing down the runway at night. 

Diving into corners has a totally different feel.

The last bit of light.

The bunch. Good folks. Good times.

The Big Chill

Summer is long gone and fall chill is settling in for the long haul. It is time to breakout the cold weather gear. The key to cycling in cooler temps is options, lot's of options. It is about making the right call before your first turn of the pedal.

Here's an example of a conversation with my teammates (grown men) before a cool weather race. "You going with knee warmers or leg warmers?""Base layer or no base layer?""Shoe covers?"Long sleeve kit?"Short sleeve with base or no base?""Knickers?""Man, I over dressed." You would think a bunch of professionals (not cyclists) would have this dialed in. The decisions you make before a 3+ hour ride can make the difference between being comfortable or being miserable.

This morning when we started it was in the 30's and by the end of the ride upper 40's. It always takes a couple cold weather rides to get the right apparel choices down. I over compensated this morning and was a little toasty which leads to sweating, which leads to getting cold.

Three pair of gloves can get you through most of an Arkansas winter.

Tom + Cobbles + DeFeet Durogloves = PRO.

Made with Merino Wool the low bulk Duraglove keeps hands warm even when you sweat. I like to run two pair. On colder days I'll throw another pair over the first pair. Providing the same warmth as bulky gloves without the bulk. On super cold days I'll throw the heavy duty Cannondale gloves on over the two pair of Duragloves keeping the Merino Wool close to the skin.

Layers are the key to cool weather riding. As temps go up and down you want to be able to peel or put on. It doesn't get more PRO than DeFeet Durogloves. As a bonus, they are made right here in the USA. They are also great for all sorts of other activities. In stock at The Bike Route.

Ooooooooh Snap! Win a box of Pecan Pie CLIF BARS. Whaaa..whaaat?

In the comment section below. Name your favorite cool weather accessory/apparel. If it is the same as mine you win! Only one accessory per person.

One of the best times to be outside. Get out folks!

Luis is a DeFeet man. Check out those shoe covers.

October. Ozarks. Oh man.

A chance to warm up a little.

Finally, tailwind.

Ozarkia.

The bunch.

Wind Tree tunnel.

The Saturday Ride 10/12

Riding a bicycle in California is a real treat. Riding a bicycle with the CLIF BAR family is a fantastic bonus. Riding in the wheels of World and US Champions is…“Is this really happening?” cool.

I had the good fortune of participating in the CLIF BAR annual company ride again this year. The last couple of years the 132 turned me into a walker err um biker zombie err um really tired person. I opted for the 50 hoping to fully enjoy the party this time around. Big thanks to PCG and the good people at Clif for putting on a stellar event. Still pinching myself.

Trips to SFCA usually start with Shah. He's the best pick up from the airport man in town.

Thursday night we headed to Lunafest.

Nob Hill Masonic Center is a super cool venue.

Great people, great food and music of course!

Insightful evening celebrating women film directors.

If you are in Oakland stop by the Brown Sugar Kitchen for breakfast. You will not be disappointed.

Let's Eat! That IS the best waffle I've ever had. PCG and I agreed that all fried chicken should be cooked this way...and we are from the south.

Poached eggs over cheese grits. Killa good and I don't even like grits.

After breakfast we headed up to Napa Valley. We always stop at Velo Vino the Clif Family Winery tasting room. Yup, that's a mountain bike in a tasting room in Napa Valley. Not just any old bike either.

Greg Lemond on the TV in the background. I'm not sure it gets any better.

Is wine good without cheese? Is cheese good without wine? If a branch falls off in the woods and no ones around to hear it...

Bottle cage.

If you enjoy cycling and wine then Velo Vino is a must. The staff is knowledgeable and chill. We easily burned a couple hours hanging out chatting and tasting.

Folks this will be my backyard someday. Velo Vino back porch.

We settled in for the night in Calistoga. Let's Eat!

What a night. Stayed up late 9:30  my version of, getting to know some new peeps.

Pre-ride chow a classic PCG dish. Spinach omelette, prosciutto, manchego cheese over an english muffin.

Brad owner of Calistoga Bike Shop put me on a Volagi with disc brakes.

It’s fun to use these opportunities to try new equipment. Built in suspension. Interesting design. 

If you need to rent a bike call or email the Calistoga Bike Shop. They will take good care of you. I sent them my measurements and they had it dialed. 

The fully loaded saddle bag was a nice touch.

Folks of all levels heading out to enjoy the day.

Enjoyed chatting with Paul. 

Golden fields.

Rest stop.

It's not lost on me when I see rainbow stripes on jersey sleeves. For the non cycling WHF followers out there the rainbow stripe means world champ. 

Pretty solid crosswind. 

Napa Valley has a ride single file law. It makes sense to observe it on the main roads. 

Ink Grade Road. 2 mile kicker at the end.

Feeling PRO.

Actual PRO.

Reward.

A great scene all the way around.

Cali beers, wines and super tasty margs were being poured. 

More folks starting to come in.

Appetizers, the guacamole and goat cheese was excellent.

The spread is always amazing and interesting.

Let's Eat! I promise folks, I don't just ride bikes and eat food. It's just what I write about on this blog!