Invite to Bonkfest 100

Daylight savings starts on Bonkfest Sunday. Mark your clocks!!


Start time will be 8:00 a.m.
Start point will be 548 S. Peace rd.
Sycamore, IL. 60178 U.S.A.
Post on the Comments if you are coming so we can photocopy cue sheets for everyone. Bring your Illinois map or GPS if you have one in case you get lost. There is no sag, no friendly check points.

Roster:

Ari
Eric S.
Jay B.
Mike B. Huntley
Mark B.
Lee

The Slender Fungus Cycling Association
cordially invites you to participate in the Bonkfest 100.
Route will include Pavement, Dirt, Gravel and desolation.
Stay tuned for updates on Start time. The ride will be un-supported and there will be some gas stations to refill. Cue sheets will be provided and you will be responsible for yourself.

Good Times,

Slender Fungus Cycling Association

Special Thanks to B.B. for the awesome Artwork!!


Update on 3/7/2011
Recon was done on the Route. Gravel was firm due to freezing temps. Some loose stuff. Saw some doggies out there so be prepared to deal with them. Cue sheets should be done soon so I need to start getting a head count. Ride will leave from my house and will come back to my house. There is parking and I will have some drink and food for the end of ride. Bring water, food and whatever supply needed since there will be no chance of Supplies for at least 50 miles.

thanks,
Ari

Some more Frostbike photos, some announcements

Peacock Groove

Staying warm up north

Flanders Brothers

Handmade in Minneapolis.

No explanation

I would like to announce that the Slender Fungus Cycling Association has made the top 10 list on Charlie Farrow's Website. This is very exciting and we hope to continue on this path for the 2011 year. Most of our riding takes place at night and we have discovered a whole new riding experience that is both relaxing and fruitful. Our busy schedules with work and family do not allow us to ride during normal "business" hours so we have adapted to off hours, when everyone else is sleeping or plugged into their Big Screens.

The Slender Fungus will be having an important ride
in the month of March. Please stay tuned as we announce the date
time, location and distance of said event.
In the meantime dust off that bike and get some saddle time in.
thanks,
S.F.C.A.


best,


Ari

Frostbike 2011 @ Minneapolis Minnesota

Surly awesomeness. Troll and Short trailer. Mindblowing

Surly greats: Johnny (L) and Adam (R)

Eric Sovern one of the tall guys from Surly

(L to R) Jason Boucher from Salsa Cycle, Guitar Ted (master 29er) and Me.
Three very passionate and dedicated Bicycle people

Joe Meiser (Great Divide finisher, Trans Iowa winner) and me talking and sharing ideas for future things. I am really paying attention

The drive up to Minneapolis became shorter since we had already done the route a couple of times already. We had all been looking foward to get away and enjoy some good company, see new things and meet up with some great friends. Believe me that frostbike did not dissapoint. My heart is in that kind of industry and I attended another convention last year and I felt lonely and nobody gave me the time of the day. Almost the whole NCC crew drove up in Moby Dick. Frank, Tobie, Jeff, Chad,Eric, Jay and meself. The drive up was smooth. Stopped for coffee, got to the hotel, got food, got drink, lots of drink, hot tubs, Sauna, Pool, T.V. and a whole lot of joking around. We basically went nuts.
At the expo I met up with great friends Guitar Ted, Marty Larson from Prairie Peddler, Also met good friend from Surly Dave Gray, Man behind the Pugsley, the most incredible bike of all time. I cannot believe how much I like being there in that invironment. I live and breath that crap. Hanging out with the crew was great. We visited shops: Angry Catfish, The Alt, Penn Cycle, Cars r Coffins, Flanders. Drank lots of coffee and even more whiskey.
We saw awesomeness from Surly, Salsa Cycles, All City, Ridley, Civia, Tires from Challenge, WTB, Panaracer, Michelin, Hutchinson. Saw great stuff from Cateye The hive, and I just kept going back to Surly and Salsa. Michelin hosted a great Get together as did Peacock Groove, Handsome Cycles at this warehouse. Maybe slept a total of 9 hours in 5 days. Now we are back, full of crazy ideas and ready to rock this 2011 season. Come visit us and put that car away and start riding.!!

I will upload a flickr set soon so you can slideshow all the images.

Thanks to NCC, Surly, QBP, My wife, Giugi and to all the great friends out there for such a great experience!!!

best,

Ari
Slender Fungus Cycling Assoc.

Who's Who

Left: Ross Shafer, founder of the amazing brand Salsa

Middle: Mike Varley, bicyce designer and Owner of Black Moutain Cycles

Sean Malling: Great handmade bikes: Soulcraft


American Craft and ingenuity. Come get some!

Ari

Ira Ryan

Ira Ryan, (with beard), two time Trans Iowa winner and Framebuilder Extraordinaire

It's always good to see my framebuilder on the cover of the Rapha Website.
ari

Weekend riding a la hurt

Riding home with frozen hands

The Slender Fungus in daytime action. Weird

Saturday Group ride. Mike, Brian and Hellmut on the 29er.

This one is for Guitar Ted. Nothing fits in the chainstay besides a Wrench Force 4 way spoke wrench to torque the tap to clean out the threads on frame ready for fenders.



Hellmut and I have come to the realization that we never have an enjoyable ride together. Whenever we ride it is cold, dark, damp, snowing, windy and just plain miserable. Today we hooked up for an afternoon ride and left around 330 p.m. We rode crossbike all the way to Waterman and back. Temps were mildish (low 30's) and we dressed accordingly. We forgot lights and our hand situation turned bad. On the way back the temps dropped like crazy and the humidity was way high. We both got really stingy fingers despite me throwing on "all I had", which meant fleece liners, Wool thinsulate gloves and OR mittens. My hands were gone when I got home and had to ring the door to be let in. We were able to clock in 42 miles in what was just another boring Superbowl Sunday. Road were light and all the blue boxes were a'Blazing in the houses we passed.

Don't let your meat loaf,

Ari

Charlie Farrow and Jason Buffington

Congrats to these men for a great performance at Arrowhead 135.


Ari

Snake and Dr. Giggles vintage

Pugsleys better than cars????????

Last night , Courthouse in Sycamore

The Slender Fungus ride was shortened to 10 miles

View from Inside my Garage. My gracious Neighbors dug us out.

Riding Home during the Blizzard

Riding home with Hellmut during the Blizzard. Note emergency Snow Shoes strapped to bag.

Well equipped rider: snow Boots, snow gloves, goggles, and a backpack with food and supplies.

T.J. came to visit during the storm .

My commute to work the day of the blizzard

It seems that a lot of drivers got stranded in their cars, suvs and pickup trucks. Hellmut and I rode home during the brunt of the storm in what will go down as one of my most epic rides. The wind was blasting out of the east (direction we were travelling) and visibility was zero. We both rode the Pusgleys in the granny gear and we pushed, rode, carried and then pushed and then rode. It was a huge effort to make it home. I felt panicky at times since we pedaled eastbound and because of the whiteout we thought we were in a void. The bikes never let us down. Most drivers were ill prepared with inadequate clothing, no food, no water and no gas in their tanks!! I arrived home, and thanked my bike for bringing me home. Would have never left me in the ditch to freeze!!!
I have learned how indispensable it is to own a snowbike where I live. We were going to leave the bikes at the shop and snowshoe the whole thing but that would of been weird to wake up and not find the Pugsley in the garage.
Last nights ride was very cold mainly because of the wind. At 7 degrees with a stiff wind I started to get cold around the 10 mile mark and I returned home. I for sure will get my miles in for the month.

best,

Ari

Results for Arrowhead Ultra 135

http://www.arrowheadultra.com/index.php/results/2011-results


Congratualtions to Jason Buffington for a fine second place. Congrats out to Charlie Farrow, Lance Andre!!!!!!!!!!!!

best,

Ari