spring cleaning......Finally!

Well, this weekend was one of those "on-call" weekends for Pam. She hasn't had to go in too many times so that gave us all a little family time outside. All the girls were able to clean out one of the flower gardens. Madee and Ella were able to work the ground in the sandbox and I was able get some Blue Bird houses hung. I even groomed my backyard singletrack a bit.

Gotta love this weather. I plan to get in some gravel road miles Monday night. Planning to leave the house around 8pm. I need at least an hour ride in. The plan is to get some good intervals in. There are a few hills on my loop that I plan to attack. I have trouble pushing myself on solo rides so I plan to change that. Some might even call that "training behind the barn." Maybe I will start doing that.

Get out and ride.

gravel goodness......

Went out with Chris C, Mike J and Pete. Got in close to 30 miles. Left CF and headed north to the camp. Rode through camp and then over by Janesville and then back to CF. Good effort put out and nice time with the guys. Here is a more detailed report.

Captain.

Ella in Chinese handcuffs sure does make her a lot easier to manage. During a park/rec meeting this weekend we were searching through old stuff in the supply room for the upcoming city wide garage sales and stumbled across a bag of these babies. I remember the first time I used them. What a good time we had and my girls enjoyed them as much as I thought they would. Good times.....
My little buddy Nate is sporting a new ride. He has squish on both ends of that rig. Hopefully, I can get him and his older brother to the camp sometime this summer. We really need the sun to work really hard at drying the trails. Maybe I need to do a sun dance....

Captain

seeing things......

Ever get the feeling that you're seeing things? Things that don't seem true? I did during my last ride. Sometimes I feel like I am just flying down the path and yet the computer tells me that I am slow. Sometimes I feel slow but the computer tells me I am clipping along pretty fast. I am pretty sure it's not the computer that is off though. It's just me. I suppose there are a few factors that play into it. Mostly my fitness and how I feel that particular day. I also think I feel slower when riding on a 29er versus a 26er even though I am actually riding faster. It must have something to do with being more stable. Oh well. Either way you look at it sometimes it messes with my mind. Almost like the computer is giving you a dirty look. A look that makes you think you are going crazy. But you're not. Maybe I shouldn't have taken cold medicine before writing this blog entry. Just maybe.

No matter what the speed you are riding at just make sure to have fun doing it.

Captain.

a little peace.....

Took a nice ride around Sweets Marsh today. A little Dyke riding. The water was covered with geese and duck of all ages. Very nice sight indeed. I met a couple of geese who were not so happy to see me. Oh well. I think they'll get over it.

I have been feeling pretty good on the bike this past week. Took a little break today and just enjoyed the ride. Not too much effort until is started raining.

Bike Tech had a good showing at the race. Nice work guys.

Captain.

Gravel ride to Finchford

Made it out for a nice ride over the Finchford tonight with Kat, Mike Johnson and Chris Congdon. Temps were nice and the wind wasn't too bad. I think Mike said we got in around 25 or so miles. We headed North out of Cedar Falls on our way to Finchford. We needed to put fliers in the mailboxes of the residents of Finchford and the homes on the race course. This was in preparation for next weekends Finchford Roubioux.

It was good to ride with old friends again. Chris and Mike have always been so committed to the weekly rides. I don't know Kat very well but she sure does seem swell. She is fast too! The best part about the ride for me, besides hanging out with great folks, was the workout. I ride by myself so often that it is really difficult to gauge you fitness. I felt pretty strong throughout the ride. I mean we weren't racing or anything. I am wishing I was in better condition but I guess I can't expect too much. I need to make it to the weekly rides more often. I come away feeling revived and humbled. You know, just when you think you're getting faster someone comes along and shows you that you're not fast enough. That's good to have on so many levels. So, tonight was a wake up call for me. The surgery is past. The pain is gone. Now, get working harder. Eat better. Get more sleep. But, still keep my priorities in check.

Well, I have rambled on for too long. Later.

Captain.

Feeling burley......

Took a little wind ride last night before picking up the girls from school. That Burley sure does catch the wind. I felt like I was pulling a camper. Tailwind was nice coming home though. I think the little ones must total at least 15 pounds more in total weight than they did the last time we rode in this thing. On top of that we had two backpacks full of books and papers from school. the oldest one even brought home something made out of wood. It was painted all sorts of colors. We are still unsure what it even is. She can't even remember.

I plan to ride with the Bike Tech crew tonight. Wonder what they will have in store for me....

Captain.

For Sale

I have a Cannondale H300 for sale. It is a size large. Works greats. Looks and works like new. 700c wheels. Very good touring bike. Great for gravel grinding too. You can even use it for cyclocross if you want. Tires are 40mm wide. I get to keep the Ergon grips though, sorry.

I will also give it a nice bath. Pics were taken just after a ride last weekend.

Send me an email if interested. captainbobinc@gmail.com or call me 319-415-6302.

Captain Bob (rob)

Free Ride

Remember the days when you rode double on a not so double bike? I sure do. I even did it last summer. Pam and I were spending the weekend away from home celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary.

Can you guess where this is at? The lucky winner gets a new Bontrager handlebar.

Captain.

Cedar Bend goodness......

Finally made it out to Cedar Bend to get in some singletrack dirt goodness. Man, are my trail skills lacking this spring. I wasn't sure what to expect of the trail conditions but was not surprised to see a mix of things. There was sections that still had snow drifts. There were some trails that were just so soggy that you almost had to stand up and pedal just to power through them. This was on the flat sections too. The strange part was that your tire would sink into the goo but the tires never really did get much mud on them. There is a nice leave cover which helped there for sure. the sections that did not have leaf and snow cover were drying up nicely. there were some sections where the trail was completely dry. Not hardpack yet, but wet for sure. I liked those sections. Conditions would have been great if we didn't just get that last load of snow. Now, with this weeks rain it will surely be wet but that should help get rid of the last bit of snow and pull out that frost that is still hiding beneath the trail. I bet in a week or two it will be perfect. You may not know if but out at Cedar Bend you can get a ton of rain in the morning and by the time 5pm rolls around the trails are usable. They are just right. Dry enough to be fast but yet tacky enough for gobs of traction. Gotta love that. The fun part is all of the strairs you can ride down. Or up. Not feeling the need to ride them.....no problem.....you can just ride beside the stairs as there is almost always a smooth singletrack section next to the stairs. They are a little slick once in a while. Just decomposing deck boards I guess.

That's all for now folks. Get out and ride. Even if you get a little dirty.

Captain.

big ring

Finally mounted up the newly anodized crankset. The arms are a little off in color but the chainring is exactly what I was looking for. This 38t front chainring should be just right. I have a few more things in mind for anodizing on this bike. I might stick with the green color for all parts. We'll see what happens though.

I have about three more bikes ready to sell so if any of you are interested email me and I can tell you what I have. I will be posting some pictures of them soon.

Sure can't wait for it to dry up. I was going to head over to Cedar Bend park north of Waverly on Saturday but with this crappy snow/rain we had today I know it won't be ready. More gravel riding I suppose.

Captain.

No, I am not Michael Nite!

Finally broke down and bought a light. This is the Nite Rider Trinewt. Having a good light should really open up a lot more cycling time slots for me. After I commute home and feed the family there is not much light for riding. Oh yeah, have to put the kids to bed before I ride most of the nights. So, having this little beauty should work out nicely.

Also, you will see a nice fruit basket for G-Ted and myself. More on that later as those dark green cranks will grace the Salsa Mamasita.

SNOW! This is a bunch of crap!

Captain.

Back in the saddle too....

As my buddy G-Ted says, "Back in the Saddle." A little different story for him. He is back from Texas. Wow! How those temps would feel right now. That would be great.

For me though being back in the saddle means that my recovefry from the Mr. H surgery is coming along nicely. Not pics today because I forgot my usb cord. I can post them tonight. I was able to get out Saturday for a nice gravel grinder. The first two miles had me thinking it was maybe a little too soon to be biking again. Cause it's only been a week and 2 days since the operation. After I settled in and relaxed all was well. Two miles into the ride the mild discomfort went away. The gravel roads are in REALLY good shape in my area. For those that don't know I am about 30 miles North and East of Waterloo Iowa. I rode a little pavement but mostly gravel. I was able to keep my speed up and still had some of that strength left that I was building before the break. In all ended up getting 25 miles of riding in. Nothing done in record speed though. Not disapointing time though.

Spent some nice quality time with the Lord and my family on Sunday. After a couple hours at the church we headed for Reinbeck to visit grandma and grandpa. A special appearence was made by great grandma too. Great time was had and some great food was eaten. The Easter egg hunt was indoors and fun for all of us. I will have to post a short video soon too. It will make ya'll laugh a little.

I was also lucky enough to get out again Sunday afterall for another ride. Just a short 18 miles though but it was a little higher tempo. I did some sprinting and some out of the saddle climbing with little aggressive bursts to wake up the knees.

All in all I am a very luck fella to have such a great Lord, family, friends and the ability to enjoy a bike as much as I do. Nothing else needed to complete my life.

Enjoy your bikes and love your family.

Captain

Wahoo! Feeling good enough for a ride.

Got in about three miles last night just riding to the corner and back. Wife was working last night and while the kids were outside playing I decided to try riding again. No pain while pedaling. It actually felt more like coasting. I don't want to rush things either. I was taken off my 10 pound lift restriction as of Thursday but popping a wheelie is still to much to try. Oh well, in due time.

I slapped a new chain on the Salsa El Mariachi last night . It's a Wipperman and it is pretty beefy. Not the fattest one they make but still pretty big. I actually had the put the quick link thingie facing on the inside as it was catching on the chain guard. I will be putting a thin washer between the guard and the crank arms hopefully this weekend. That should help.

I will probably be riding this old Raleigh quite a bit on the gravel until things dry up. I just can't stomach the rotten coating that the soggy gravel puts on my El Mariachi and Mamasita. Especially when I don't have any extra time lately to give them a proper cleaning. I will hopefully be able to get in a good ride on Saturday. It will be gravel and will be the first real ride since the surgery. I will get at least 20 miles in. I would love to get in 30 miles but that may be pushing it. I guess it all depends on how slow the gravel is and how much effort I have to put out to keep the bike rolling. If the gravel is fast, I shouldn't have to work quite as hard. If it slow and I have to grunt up climbs then I may not be out as long as I hope. We will see though. With snow in the forecast I guess anything can happen.

Take care.....

Captain Bob

Feeling better........

Well, last Thursday marks my day of recovery. Had the big H surgery finally and I sure hope it works. Been dealing with pain for years and just finally got tired of it. It has been a lazy five days though. I can feel the weight gain in my mid section. It's driving me nuts too. I have worked so hard to get thinner this past 6 months and to have have it all come back would just suck! I am pretty sure I can start riding again this coming weekend but it will just be "light" spinning according to the doctor. Hopefully, the pain I have had will be gone. I am feeling pretty good now. I was going to go back to work today but decided to take the extra day off. Glad I did too. That nap was well needed. Tomorrow I will be ready to get back into the swing of things. I have a lot of work to do so I can be somewhat ready for the Wednesday night TT's. I am pretty much sure that I will stink the place up bad during the spring series. Oh well. If I do at least I have a good excuse this time.

All for now folks. Sorry for the lack of posting. That spammers have been causing me troubles lately too. Had to delete my last post completely.

Take care.

Captain.

What's new?

Not much here. Just doing a little bit of riding. Getting ready for the big day. That would be this Thursday. Going under the knife. Hernia's getting the best of me so I will let the Doc get the best of Mr. H. Should be back on the bike in one week. Can't wait.

Picked up a few toys to play with during my recovery. Should have them built up in a week or two. Might make a fixie road bike and a single speed monster cross. Should be fun.

I should be posting a bit more often but something always seems to steer me away from the computer lately. Seems to be my little lady hogging the computer most of the time. She has discovered craigslist.org and I just can't seem to get her off the junk. Oh well, whatever makes her happy.

Captain.

busy times......

Wow! How a week can go so fast. Been busy building bikes, taking care of family stuff, traveling and getting the remodel rolling again. Oh, and don't forget getting fit. Even took time to help with the Omlet Brunch brought to you by the Tripoli Park & Rec Board. Somehow I found myself filling the VP position. Good turn out. About 170 fine folks showed up for some great brunch.I was manning the cooker on the right. Good times.

I was able to be get in on a great fit session with the famous Clay Bertam. He made another stop to Bike Tech for a much needed fitting session. Wow! What a difference it made already in my pedaling. I always have my seat back too far. I rode today and have a much better form. Less leg fatigue and that is on soggy gravel roads too. It's too bad there isn't a fit person in the area. Hmmm.... Maybe that will be my next project. Just maybe. I think they had somewhere around 20 people that were being fit and about two to three times that many if you count all of the bikes. Thanks Clay and Brent. It's a good thing.

Captain Bob

For Sale = $120.

Here we have a single speed mountain bike. Size is between medium and large.

$120.

Call me or email me. 319-415-6302 or captainbobinc@gmail.com

Captain.

Finally back outside!

Was able to sneak in a ride Friday. Some of the time was spent test riding a couple of bikes I recently built up that are for sale. More on that in a day or so. Good deals for someone too.
The best part of yesterday was being able to get adjusted a little on the new Large Salsa Mamasita. The large is a great fit. Had a few gearing issues but those worked themselves out after a few miles. No crashes either so that is a plus. Can't wait for the "fit man" to get me set up on Feb 29. Clay will help me out a lot. That will be good to get done. Thanks Bike Tech for getting this set up for everyone.
Check out this vintage sled I picked up the other day. Never seen one like this before. Works great this year will all of the ice. I love the handlebar thing it has going on instead of the rope and stick steering. I bet if this sled were a bike it would be a 29er for sure.......

Get out and ride folks. Just be watching out for the cars sliding through intersections........

Captain

For Sale: get your fix now!

Up for sale is this nice Nishiki fixie. Good as new. Only a few scratches. New bar tape and Dura-ace track cog and Continential tires. It's for a bigger person. Nice butted steel frame.

$80. Free delivery if you live in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area.

Size. top tube is 24 inces long. The seat tube is 25 inches tall from the bottom bracket bolt to the seat binder bolt.

Call me 319-415-6302 or email me at captainbobinc@gmail.com

the winter blues

I don't know about you all but I sure have had enough snow. This is getting a little old. The girls are tired of it. My wife is tired of it. I am tired of it. ENOUGH ALREADY!

The worse part of it all is this weekend was Pam's weekend for call. Of course she went in Saturday night to do an x-ray and won't be home until Monday night. With the bad roads she is not able to be at home since the drive would take her longer than 30 minutes. So, she is spending it at the hospital. AGAIN! That's right. three weeks ago was her call weekend and there was another storm that weekend. Only then she was gone from Friday night thru Sunday evening.

So, if you are reading this Pam, hope to see you soon. We love you and miss you!!!!

Here is a video of the girls burning off some energy in the Captain Bob Garage Velodrome.

Captain.