August, 2025

 July and August are fast slipping away. I started a new job at 2Bici bike shop in Willow Springs, IL. It's been good there. I'm still getting used to being there and learning where everything is. Also getting used to new customers and such. My commuting to work and back has been almost all I need ride wise. I get out with the fast road group just to socialize and not ride alone all the time. Most of my riding has been on paved and crushed limestone allowing me to think and reflect on things. Don't really have to worry about cars that much and that's a good thing. I hope to continue riding into the next season of fall/autumn. It should be good to see the foliage change and the temps cool off. My commute is a minimum of 12.5 miles and is easily dialed to 15miles one way. I have been rifling thru the many bikes I own and getting to ride all of them on different days. Still love my road bikes the best on the paved trails. Soon enough school will start and things will change. My wife will start teaching and my daughter will start college closer to the city. We have been practicing the route she will take to school since public transportation is feasible but will take a long time to get there. The practice drives have been a good idea specially when we stop at Johnnie's for Beef sandwiches and Italian ice. The best ever. I will be taking some days off maybe, maybe in October. It's been a busy season at the shop and it will be a welcome treat to get out and visit some friends and see something different. Working on some bikes and some small projects and Ideas. I finished building up a 1995 Cannondale m500 ATB and I will make a post about it soon. It came out better than expected. Needs a couple of components still but is fully rideable. On a different note my tomatoes did not do well this year. Too Cold, too hot, way too hot. I'm just dissapointed and I guess will have to go to the farmstand and buy some. Next year I will get some advice and put some more effort into them. Also got my clutch fixed on our antique 2006 CRV. The last year the CRV came in a 5 speed manual. We love that car and is perfect for our gravel adventures in Iowa. Thanks for reading and pardon the long paragraph. We did get out to the Ogle county fair despite heavy rain and getting stuck in the mud with a front wheel drive Chevy. 

Ari 

Almost 300

 Been trying to push myself to get ready for a long ride. This past week I was able to clock in about 293 miles for the week. Saturday I did 100 miles and Sunday a metric century. Legs are sore but some stretching and good nutrition should be enough to get rid of that fatigue. I'm aiming to get this much thought about ride sometime late July or early August. Been playing around with tire selection and will most likely stick to riding 32 mm slicks. There might be some gravel sections and such a tire should be plenty. Heck ,I used to ride 23mm Vittoria tires on gravel back in the day. Gonna keep rolling and see if I get a chance to get another ride in that's a bit longer than 100miles, maybe a 125. Hope everyone is doing well out there. Be safe and stay hydrated. It's been a warm June here in Chicagoland. We'll see what July brings. 

thanks for reading, 

Ari 

dealing with the heat

 I basically work south of the canals and the Des Plaines river. I cross over the bridge on a daily basis and sometimes enjoy the trails that run along these waterways. They offer some relief of this heat wave that's been parked over Chicagoland and most of the midwest. Yeah, riding has not been easy and it shows with lower volume of customers coming to the shop. For a lot of people it is just way to hot for them. 

We tell them to get off the roads and hit the trails. First of all one does not have to deal with cars and short tempers. Secondly the trails offer tons of shade and it is alway cooler in there. Stay hydrated using some electrolytes in your water. Buy an Arundel Looney bin and take a thermos with cold liquid. Avoid dark clothing. These are some tips to be able to get some miles out there before the summer slips away. 

Time Management

As the days approach the longest day of the year I have been pondering this idea of a real long ride. Now is the time to do it since the days are offering a lot of light. A 5 or even 6 am start still offers enough daylight to make this trip to the Mississippi River that I have been planning for quite some time. Work and commitments with family and such have axed my previous attempts. The distance should be about 150 miles. 

Not sure if June is still feasible but maybe it will be a July thing. Doesn't really seem to be getting hot anytime soon. I'll keep you posted when I can nail that date. 

A. 

New Job for the Presidente

 Some of you might be aware that I have moved out of King Keyser in Hinsdale and am working somewhere else. I have taken a position at 2BICI Bike Shop in Willow Springs, IL. The ride to the new shop is about 12.5 miles from my house. Now this bike shop only does bikes and I am fine with that. WE are located in a central spot for several different types of Cycling. Behind the shop we have Palos with and array of Gravel and single track. Many people travel to this area since its primo off-road riding. To the south of us we have the Cal-Sag canal trail. It goes from Rte 83 all the way eastward towards Alsip, IL. 

Across the street from us is the I&M CANAL trail with an aproximate 8 mile loops of freshly paved surface. Its flat and perfect for an easy cruise. North of us is the Centennial trail which starts close to the shop and takes one as far west as the Mississippi River. 

I have been enjoying checking out all these places and a change of pace has been most welcome. The shop is owned by Joe with 30 plus years of experience with a background at Cycle Smithy and Turin in the Chicago area. We do lots of repairs and lots of on spot fixes for people riding the trails mentioned. I'm excited to be part of that shop and I think it will be a fun place to work. Stop by and visit sometime. Everyone is always welcome. We are friendly!!! 

thanks for reading, 

Ari 

2BICI bike shop, Willow Springs, IL. 
corner of Willow Springs rd and Archer

May 13, 2025

 Kinda looks like the weather is starting to warm up finally. I've been leaving a bit earlier in the morning and started to extend my mileage before work. Dressed for work and hauling my backpack I've been trying to hit that 20 mile mark before getting locked in doing tune ups all day. Been riding road bikes since they are the most efficient on the road. I started off with the single speeds but a never ending NE wind got me really tired and I switched to gears. 

I hope to extend my range mileage wise and get into the 50 mile range, then 100km, then the coveted 100 miler. One of my goals this year is to do another 100 miler on my SS. I couple years back I did one on the fixed gear with the help of my friend Bruce. I also clocked in one ride with the local road group and that felt ok. I was still battling a cold that would let go but managed to finish the ride. 

And time does fly nowadays. I blink my eyes and 3 months go by since I last made and published a post. The spring here in Chicago has been a very strange one. Cold and windy for the most part. Cold in the morning, warm in the middle of the day then cold at night. It has been hard to find a rhythm on the bike to be honest. I am still wearing most of my normal winter kit until it decides to warm up for good. 

I am sitting close to 2,000 miles for the year so far. Last year I was able to click in over 10K and this year I really don't have any goals. I will let fate decide how much I will ride. 

I have been circling thru all my bikes and have been enjoying the rattier ones in the stable. Some old Diamond back Fixed gear, an old Trek steel bike, my reliable Giant Contend. Mountain bikes, and other bikes that had been collecting dust for a while. 

About a month ago I had my right eye repaired since a nasty cataract had taken over my vision. I had no sight in my right eye and all I saw was white light. My eye surgeon was able to blast the cataract with the laser, cut eye open, clean it out and install a new lens in there. Now I can see well out of both eyes but will still need a bit of correction with some glasses. With the loss of vision in right eye I had brought my city cruises to a halt. I had no peripheral vision to see cars. 

I'm looking forward to perhaps seeing some friends and family that I have not seen in a long time. Maybe this year will be the one to catch up with people. It really would be nice. 

thanks for reading and hopefully 3 months don't slip by unnoticed. 

Ari