Long Sunday on the Saddle

Oak tree off Pearl st.

Werewolf's secret hideout

Heading North on rte 23.

New man in the Service Dept. Specializes in anything you throw at him. Makes mean Tea, Coffee and brings great music to work. B.B. and I are really happy to have him.

Saturday morning ride with T-bone and old friend Dave.
Cold and damp as you can notice by photo.

Sunday was a very very windy day. B.B. and I got out on the Fixies, since we are such f@@@cking hipsters. We rode north to a secret route that we have and ended up somehow behind Walmart in Belvedere. We then rode 30 miles south into a headwind. I dropped B.B off at home after a Metric since he had to attend a Hott birthday party again. I then rode due east to my sister in laws house for a family gathering all the way out to westmont. So I remounted the steamroller and kept riding. My Mileage for the day was 111 miles and around 8 hours of saddle time. My legs were sore, I was sunburned and the chamois-loob had dried up down under so I was kinda raw. Great day on the bike. Today I freewheeled to work and back to loosen up the legs. Trans Iowa is on April 23rd.
best,
Ari

No title

Just in case you are interested this will be my bike that I will ride Trans Iowa on . I am awaiting a thomson Setback Seatpost in Silver and have already obtained the White Rolls. Will be running new xtr wheels outfitted with Schwalbe Marathon Extremes in 700x35c with Challenge Latex tubes. Cranks will have 26x36x48 chainwheels and cassette will be 11x34. Shimano pedals, Revelate Designs Tangle bag, Revelate designs Gas tank, Dinotte and Princeton Tec lights. Carborocket and Honeystinger nutrition and also Platypus softbottles for backup. Luxy bars will get Cinelli gel pads for added comfort. Clothing will be mostly wool as in wool knickers by Ibex, wool undershirt, wool jersey. Craft windwest, cannodale rain jacket and wool socks. Pedals and shoes probabley Shimano. Chain lube will be dry lube if dry and wet lube if miserable.

The Great Western Trail is fully open and possible on a fixed gear outfitted with 700x23 tires at 110 p.s.i.

Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver have been busy while you snooze your alarm in the morning. They are constructing the hugest Dam known to mankind and are planning on flooding and regaining Dekalb County to the wilderness once more. Move to higher grounds while you can.

My smarty 8 year old told me that her Pucci Purse was warmer than any of my fancy Mountaineering hats. Much to my disbelief she was proven right and the Slender Fungus will be riding these as hats next year.

On my day off I had the goal of finishing a bottle of Jack Daniel's. I had the luck to watch the highly sofisticated and intelligent movie Talladega Nights and while watching the movie Jack hit me square on and I was out. I awoke to the cold drink dripping on my t-shirt. This is what I havc to do to calm my pre-t.I. jitters. Now if I could only not get sick and if the conditions would remain dry and it wouldn't be windy, or too hilly and not get a bad boil I think I would be able to finish. If I don't finish the wife told me not to come back home as I will enter old age and become intolerable. I hate bikes, I hate riding, and commuting by bike is totally gay. If I don't finish I am trading the Pantani-mobile in for a Camaro and I swear I will riddle this town with donuts and burnouts,

Out,

Ari

Day off riding

55 miles on fixed. Just dreaming of riding with my buds in Iowa. I can't wait.

Ari

Slender Fungus searching for Gumby

The back of the famous Jacket.

One of our brigade commanders spotted this suspicious Quilt van down in Kentucky. Is Gumby behind the wheel???

Then we headed south and again no cigar.

Where the heck is Gumby??

This is the man the Slender Fungus is looking for.

B.B. and I got out late tonight in search of Gumby. Last time we rode with him he had taken off fast almost breaking our legs. He then turned around and rode into the darkness. We have not seen him since. According to our Slender Fungus Intelligence brigade he has been spotted in some remote Quilt Shows in the areas of Illinois and possibly Iowa. We believe he is doing recon work for the Slender Fungus and is in search of more Gravel goodness. Whatever the case is if you see a rider dressed completely in black with a Gum Trucking jacket, Black Gary Fisher Presidio Cyclo-cross bike be advised to let us know. We need to have a word with him.
If you have any info on his whereabouts please contact the Slender Fungus Cycling Association Headquarters or just call the Bike shop. In any case you will be compensated with a finger of whiskey or a strong cup of coffee.

thanks,

Ari

oooooooooooooooovvvvvvvve

The more I read about Erik Noren, the more I am liking this dude. I really dig his philosophy on stuff Made in the U.S.A.

Ari

Marco Pantani Vive

With Trans Iowa approaching I am thinking about some lost heroes, friends and family. It gives me time to reflect on them and the impact they have had on me. Marco Pantani will forever be my cyling hero. I still watch his videos and always find new images of Il Pirata.

Ari

It's a comin'

On Saturday April 23 @ 4:00 a.m. we will be rolling in our quest to finish what I think is the hardest race in America. We have been training for a really long time and riding in cold, nasty weather has lost it's fun. It is time to dust off the summer stuff and not get cold toes anymore. I feel prepared, the bike is almost ready, some nutrition stuff to still get and a couple more rides to get in. This year I will be riding a different bike than pictured and will be even more conscious of what I carry. Just hoping for some decent weather.

Ari