NCC-HAC Gravel Metric Invitational

Just a reminder that tomorrow morning The NCC-Hac 100km GRavel invitational will take place.
The ride will start at 9:00 a.m at the Bike Shop in Dekalb, IL. North Central Cyclery on 534 Lincoln Highway.
Bring a Crossbike or a roadbike with Meaty tires. Bring water, food, and sunscreen if you happen to burn.
There will be some Pitstops with water.

Hope everyone has a great ride.

Ari

I will be heading towards the driftless zone to meet up with an old friend and will also be spending some time with the wife and daughter.

Local Recon

This is how deep of a blue the sky was tonight.

A beautiful sunset.

Old barn with good lighting

Giugi wanted this photo to look at the lamb

Our coffee plants are in bloom

Nuclear reactors in the setting sun. The steam is colored by the sunset.

Went to problem solve a route the Giggles and I had done a couple years ago. You see Giggles had made a cheat sheet with his fancy ink pen and by the time we went to use it it had disintegrated with the sweat of the 90 degree weather. So needless to say we lost ourselves for a while til we found our way. Those sure were the good old days when we did those assault rides. So I headed out tonight with the little one and did some solitary gravel driving. There wasn't a soul out there and I did see some interesting sights. Took all photos handheld with my canon G11

best,
ari

Summer Riding

The Wife and I celebrating 8 years of wonderful matrimony on a great gravel ride.

Marlboro Man spotted in Kirkland riding a Magna Pony

The wifey and I on our 35 miler gravel ride

Secret Slender Fungus ride

B Road training grounds right in Sycamore, IL.
Pugsley blending in with weeds and grass.

It has been a great week so far. On Sunday we were on the gravel recon out in the Mt. CArroll area. We rode the Slender Fungus ride on Tuesday night and had some adventures with Mr. Skunky. Wednesday was more weedwacking on the trail I am opening to be able to ride to work almost all off road. Thursday was day off an celebrating our 8th anniversary. Went for a 35 mile gravel grinder with the wife and then went out for lunch. Tonight I went to the trail to cut some more weeds and burn off the 2 bacon strips that were laying on my cheeseburger I had for lunch.

best,
Ari

We welcome our new neighbors

Our new neighbors

Another great day of Gravel Recon and Family Time

My Co-pilot giving me directions from the map

We found some incredible roads yesterday.

Le-Aqua-na State park is exactly 90 from our house

Giugi with lots of sand to play with

The Pantani-mobile took us on another adventure in the northwest corner of Il. We headed out to check out Le Aqua Na state park in Lena,Il. A great park with a 40 acre lake with excellent fishing, a beach, trails, and a road that goes all around the lake for running or cycling. The surrounding roads outside the park are rolling hills, gravel, and some really steep hills are to be found also. Upon leaving the park we took Stagecoach rd and ended up in Warren, Il. We then proceeded south on Rte 78 and found some great roads that intersect 78 heading west and also east. This area has huge potential for a gravel ride since the terrain is absolutely amazing. I am working on a video to showcase the area. After an exhausting session of driving we ended up in Lanark, IL and stopped for dinner at a Diner. All in all a very exciting day with the discovery of some great roads. I will be working the maps all week, that's for sure.

best,

Ari

Gravel Recon 5/23/2010 from Slender Fungus on Vimeo.

The Great Midwest

There is still a lot of thoughts going on in my head as to riding on gravel. Yesterday after we had experienced Giugi ride solo for the first time we took a drive in the Pantani-mobile. We discovered some new roads that we had not been on. We were driving in second gear and truly just enjoying the solitude of the roads and the wonderful countryside. There were a ton of birds, deer and animals getting their feed before dark. We parked over a bridge and the Swallows were just fying all over us as if they were hanging out with us. The midwest is a great place to discover. We love to study the Gazzeeeter maps and discover parks and great gravel roads. Those road trips then get tweeked on the google maps and become routes. I have combed the major part of where I live but there is a lot more to do. I have still to go south, southwest, and Northwest. It is never-ending. I hope to come up with a long, difficult, tiring route for the Flandria 100 so I can show-case our area. I cannot wait to get another chance to also run across the big river and do some gravel in Iowa. What an outstanding place for a bike ride.

best,

Ari

A Glorious Day for Giugi

Giugi Riding and the wife running

After almost two years of trying our little daughter finally found that magical balance point and was able to ride her two wheeler. We had just had dinner and my wife donned her running shoes to be able to keep up. She let go and there in front of my eyes the magic happened. She was on her own riding unassisted. I couldn't run with her as I tried to snap the photo with all the zoom I had. 7 years 3 months and 1 day from the day she was born until today. We were all very happy.
We later took her out for ice cream and a drive on some cool gravel roads around our area.
Best,
Ari