Marco Pantani

Amongst all the festivities I also took time to remember all my gone family members and some of my heroes that are also gone. Pantani, Jimenez and the recent passing of Frank Vandebroucke have been a real sad occasion.

best,

Ari

Commuting and dealing with weather

Ice covered roads this morning

First of all I would like to wish EVERYONE a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! To all my family in Germany, Greece, Argentina and Italy I really miss all of you and I wish I would win a million dollars to have the most incredible family reunion. To all my friends Old and new I alway think of you and wish you the best. A huge hug to my dear wife that puts up with my insane schedule and my crazy training through the night and at weird hours. To all my 5 kids that keep me going and that make me do what I do.

2009 has been a great year at the shop and I have become more and more comfortable. I work with some great people and I think that shop is going to boom for 2010. We are so well organized and we love people. We receive so many positive comments that we are encouraged on a daily basis. We will sell Gunnar , and the incredible Project one bikes and best of all the snow will melt and we will ride our butts off!! I literally cannot wait for all this to happen.

Trans Iowa is just weeks away and I get goosebumps just thinking of it. I am so psyched about it. I really hope to finish. I really hope so.

As for the weather I think the middle of the country is getting pounded with some crazy storm. Some are getting buried in snow while we are covered in heavy ice. Riding to work today was an adventure and I only made it because of my stupidity and my Nokian Tires. They Rock!!

So with a million more things to say but without much more time I send a warm wish that everyone is healthy and that your dreams come true.

thank you for reading and commenting,

yours truly,

Ari

David Pramann

Winner of Tuscobia 2009.

DBD session #3

The chunks of ice that formed between my sweater and the inside of my jacket. Not good.

A delirious Slender Fungus Member

Geneva train station warmup
Triailhead GWT

Hellmut, on the road to inferno

Sunday was a long day with trips to the Zoo and hanging out with the Fam. The typical activities for the month of December. The only bracket left was to leave the house at 10:00 p.m. and ride into the night. On a Sunday night with snow falling and the temps in the low 20's we did not encounter much traffic. We mounted the studded tires and headed out. The trail had a new layer of snow and wherever the sled-mobiles had tracked made for good riding. Once we arrived in Wasco the sled-mobile tracks were gone and it was all full of footprints. My rigid bike with overinflated tires made for a very painful ride. It was a bad choice to wear the rain jackets since they were not breathing enough and offering little to none insulation. We stopped at the Geneva train station and changed gloves, socks and undershirts and attempted to make it home. The return home became more and more difficult and colder and colder. My inside of the jacket became encrusted in ice and I was losing body temperature. Once arrived at Richardsons we turned and took Rte 64 to make it home. I became colder and colder and at some points I just wanted to bag it. Making the last turn and seeing the Sycamore City limit sign gave us a bit of warm blood. We nodded good bye and went home.

I peeled off the frozen clothing and slipped into a sleeping bag. I was also wearing a down jacket in hopes of bringing body temps up.

For the next ride we will dress better. Also will bring other items that will make the ride easier.

55 miles covered on snow and road,

6 hours 30 minutes riding time

Most painful DBD so far. Some mind trickery going on as well.

Some sleep, water, coffee, hot shower, Lemon Ricotta pancakes, and I am planning the next ride already.

out,

Ari

Recovery Ride

Enough Said

Slender Fungus secret food for Training

Fog and a very light drizzle. Temps in low 30´s . Great riding weather!!!!!

Headed out today on an easy ride to loosen up legs and spin a bit more freely than the other night. Rode out to Genoa via Pleasant hill rd and Genoa rd. Came back the same way. Stopped for coffee at Kelley´s Market, the cleanest gas station in the world.
Total for today 30 miles

ari

Slender Fungus Association attempts DBD #2

Only 3 miles from home

Meeting our goal, new day beginning

Returning home, losing concentration a couple of time

Officer David, a friendly officer in St. Charles

Hellmut, cruising rte 63 at 3 a.m.

Studded tires and a rough, sledmobile trail

Old school Nike jacket doing its job

the beginning

Slender Fungus secret meeting place

Time I left the house

We planned on doing a massive ride again to get in shape and get used to time changes and different hours. We rode sat morning from the shop at 730 am and then worked all day. I arrived home at 430 pm and readied myself for the restaurant. We were very busy and I ran around like crazy. Arrived home at 10 pm and then got ready for our 12 midnight ride. It was cold, drizzly and there was black ice all over the place. We changed our original plan and opted to use our mtbs withthe studded tires. We were so right in our choice. We fought the snow and ice all the way to St. Charles and then stopped for hot chocolate and junk food at the gas station. The return home was even harder since we were so tired from sleep and achey all over from yanking on the bars. The I.C trail road was a sheet of ice and it was very nerve wrecking. We alternated, riding, walking and taking a couple of tumbles on my part. We arrived home around 7 am. with a very sore set of legs. A quick nap and now the day resumes and we already have our riding done.

Total ride time

6 hrs 30 minutes 23 seconds

Miles travelled

52

Av speed

8.2 mph.

I hope this qualifies for a DBD ride. We will await aproval from the DBD headquarters in the northern lands.

Out,

Ari

Winter Storm Warning, Dopplar, Winter weather Watch, Catastrophe,

The storm crippled De Kalb county last night and brought vehicles to a crawl. Suvs lined the ditches texting tow trucks for a pull. Miracously the Slender Fungus association was able to escape for a hard winter ride via studded tires provided by Innova and Nokian. After an incredible headwind with skin tearing snow we drank some green tea from a thermos and returned home to thaw. Some members were believed to be eating mass amounts of italian deli meats while others hid under maternal skirts in the footy pijamas. One other member was believed to be handicapped due to extensive texting of the phrase "I love you ".

good times, good times indeed.

Ari

total riding time 2 hours +

Ari