This is a tribute to the best blog I have ever wrote.  It was great when I was done.  I thought that I should just delete it and write a tribute to it.  It was funny and witty and epic.  It flowed like a fast single track and bombed like a downhill.  I made references to family and friends and told all what we did this weekend.  I really wish everybody could have enjoyed it but it really needed a blog about it instead.  Thanks for tunin in this week and come back soon.

 

"that's not skill, that's ignorance"

Brad

After much research and deliberation, we have decided not to start a mountain gear retail business.  We love the outdoors and bikes but have decided that retail is not for us.  We do not want to be in the business of being open 7 days a week, 254 days a year (we could close for Christmas and Thanksgiving), and not a chance to get away for at least the forseeable future.  We like to work hard and play hard, not work all of the time.  There were other factors, of course, but all work and no play was a major one. 

 

So with that decision made, we have been having a blast riding our bikes.  We have been thinking about trying more 12 hour and 24 hour mountain bike events next summer--- especially if we like 24 Hours of Moab later this fall.  We have watching the Tour de France and cheering on the riders.  We are going on a road bike group ride over La Veta Pass and riding the train back next weekend.  We went on a really nice mountain bike ride this weekend with a cool guy we have gotten to know at the Thursday night mountain bike group rides.  We almost have all of the lights we need to start riding at night-- a must for the Moab event-- but something we think will be fun anyways-- I am sure we will have stories to tell about those rides. 

 

I guess we are who we thought we are-- we value our play time.  We work to play and I hope that never changes.  Now if I can jus figure out how to make cleaning house and doing laundry fun.

 

Life is too short to not play and have fun--

 

Billi

You know some of those items that you always look into but never purchase?  I don't have many of those, but I do have some.  Everytime I listen to the White Stripes, I enjoy it and think to myself, why havent I bought or downloaded some of these tunes?  Still though, I do not own them after several years.  Another thing has to be a tortilla press.  I have looked at them, resarched them and even watched several shows on them, but still no tortilla press.  I always have to laugh also because I really need a pair of snow boots.  I have recently bought different types of shoes, some I probably don't even wear anymore but for some reason no snow boots.  If you remember this year, we had record snowfall and my feet would get wet and cold with my hiking boots but for some reason no snow boots.  This blog could probably go on forever with things I have bought. so let's continue with some of those.

Today I picked me up a new 203mm front rotor for my 575.  I also found (in our bike shop) a brand new light system for my bike.  The night riding is going to start soon so blogin for that will be fun.  I would like to post some more pics and blog about things we are up to, and I should, considering we should have a lot more time.

 

"29 & single"- Brad

"26 & single"- Billi

 

Brad

 

 

 

Brad has been going on the Thursday evening mountain bike group rides for several weeks now.  He always has had a good time and comes home with stories to share.  So this past week since the ride was between Del Norte and Monte Vista, at Lime Kiln area, I decided to go.  After work, I rode to the highway turn-off where I met Brad with our mountain bikes.  I decided to ride my SS because I knew the terrain fairly well and all of the previous group rides had been at a moderate pace that I thought I could up with on Louisa.  Three guys and a cool Springer Spaniel showed up for the ride and after a few introductions and a tube change, we were off.  In didn't take long to figure out, the testosterone was flowing and these guys decided it was hammer night-- so much for a moderate pace.  Maybe I should have brought my StumpyP, but it was too late for those thoughts.  Instead I chanted to myself-- come on legs and come on Louisa.   A few times while climbing, I thought my heart was stuck in my throat, but I was able to swallow it back down and stay in the middle of the small pack.  The guys continued to hammer the entire ride but not without their own gasping for air.  At one technical rock slab climb, two of the riders went up first and then stood looking down, making their bets on Brad making the climb on his SS.  He made it up without a problem--- I think Brad's legs were made for SS.  We got back to the vehicles around twilight and everyone seemed to be in good spirits and satisfied from a good ride.

 

I had a good time and was pretty proud to have kept up.  Maybe by next year, after I have worked to become a faster and better rider, I will go to the Thursday evening mountain bike group ride with my SS, Louisa, and this time wear my skirt-- let the hammering begin!

 

Billi

Sneaky, sneaky. Yeah I am talkin of laughin Billi.  We did ride La Veta pass this weekend.  During the ride we had to do a lot of time sharin the lead.  The wind was screamin in our ears and keepin the pedal strokes up.  Then finally we got to the top and did a nice descent towards the town of La Veta.  Makin it in one piece to the town, we stopped at a convenience store and picked up 2 liters of water and a Mothers peanut butter cookie.  We did our climb out of the bottom to the top and then back headed down the other side.  Our top speed was around 35 mph coming down while the guys in the Tour are pulling off around 50-55.  Yeah I know.  So we are ridin along towards our waitin and probably really hot pickup.  Then on the last climb going down- or up, you know what I mean,  I hear this laughter comin out from behind me.  Billi was laughin, why?, she was  standin and sprintin up the climb.  Could I react?  No, by the time she passed me and was going, I was in the wrong gear and tried but never got the sneaky Billi.  In our little world, she would have won the climbers challenge of the day.  All went well and we did not get too tired.  Sunday we went ridin with a lady we met, Heather.  She was great to ride with, and we enjoyed the mountain bike ride.  I did happen to fall into a bush.  I cut open my armpit.  Sounds kinda weird but it did hurt.  The SS is goin good and it has made a better rider out of me. 

"Oh say it ain't so Joe."  The Tour had a doper this year, and he got arrested.  I just hope for one year that the tour gets no bad press.  Our main fav climber had to leave but a new fav, Cavendish, stepped up.  He is a sprinter and has to be the fastest man.  The other night we were standin cheerin for him as he sprinted towards the finish.  The mountains have started, and it is really is getting exciting.

 

While ridin a Single Speed and thinkin I had a problem, one responded in fun "havin shiftin problems?"

Brad

We are half-way through our 32 weeks.  We may have been a little too ambitous, but we will go down trying.  We have been riding our bikes alot-- in the mountains, in town, on highways, to work, anywhere we can-- and we have been having a good time.  Trying new organic coffees has been relatively easy as well as not eating at fast-food restaurants and not drinking soda water.  Now that we have made it a part of our daily schedule, walking Tucker does maybe more good for us than Tucker.  Tucker actually walks beside us without pulling our arm off, most of the time.  I have started reading my book-- Brad bought him a book but has not started reading it yet.  We have been using our GPS-- Garmin's software lets us look at our tracked routes on Google Earth- pretty cool stuff.  We should start some backpacking and the 14er's maybe by the end of this month now that the snow is getting closer to being mostly melted.  Buying items from Colorado companies has made us more aware of the fact there really our quite a few products out there made by Colorado companies.  We have been looking at art but haven't found anything yet we liked and within our price range-- we are trying to find pieces from Colorado artists.

 

So the things that haven't been so easy.  Stretching seems hard to remember and we usually end up stretching right before bed time.  Learning sign language and the rubics cube doesn't seem as interesting anymore, and we haven't seen any cool wildlife photo opportunities up-close.  We have continued the organic food pursuit and while we have definitely formed our opinions as to what organic foods are worth paying for we have found it increasingly more difficult to buy organic.  One of the grocery stores, Safeway, no longer carries much organic produce, which we were buying before.  We have switched to locally grown and processed "natural" meats (beef, chicken, sausages) since we can't  buy organic locally and have found them to be much better tasting, plus supporting the local economy is a good thing.

 

So we may be sending out some goft certificates to some of our family members but we are experiencing and learning a lot of things we otherwise may have not.

 

For a Tour de France update on my part-- Team Columbia's Mark Cavendish has now won 2 stages.  He is a sprinter and is not a yellow jersey contender, but I am rooting for him on the stages he has a chance.  I am also going for the other American team, Garmin-Chipotle.  We still have two more weeks to go-- lots of action left.

 

Billi

 

 

If you missed it, you may miss out on on of the best sporting events of the year.  The Tour de France began on Saturday with a stage win for Alejandro Valverde and then Sunday had a fun breakaway with Thor Hushovd coming out of the peleton to take stage two.  One of our favorite riders, Mauricio Soler, was in a wreck in stage one and seems to be really banged up so you will see him in the back of the peleton.  Hopefully he will be able to get a stage win in the mountains.  The mountains have to be the best racing, it seems to seperate everybody out.  The hill climbers move to the front and stand up and climb straight up those Alps.  If you remember back a little while ago there seems to have been no better climber then the legendary Lance Armstrong.  In one article we read, he mentioned that a lot of his hill climbing power came from riding after his cancer and having to hold a higher cadence instead of mashing the gears.  Big Tom Boonen did not get to race this year due to his cocaine problem.  The two other riders not in the race thisear are Contador and Levi.  Team Discovery broke up last year and they both joined Astana afterwards, who has been banned from this year's tour.  Maybe during the tour we will blog about how we feel about the different teams and riders. 

 

Brad

We celebrated our freedom this weekend by riding our mountain bikes.  We rode out on Friday at Lilm Kiln area on our singlespeeds.  It was a nice day and Brad and I could tell my skills were improving, much to his satisfaction---- and mine of course.  Brad did swerve into an edge of a rut in the trail and wrecked-- I had to hit the brakes hard to avoid ramming smack square into the backside of his black shorts but I avoided him and his shorts.  It was a good day.

 

So on Sunday we headed out to ride a new trail-- Burro Creek trail off of Pinos Creeek Road.  I decided to ride my Stumpy P and Brad stuck with his singlespeed, Thelma.  We started out on a downhill with some switchbacks, down to the creek, where we encountered our first creek crossing.  We found a way across the creek and continued maybe 200 yards to the next creek crossing.  At that point, we were still optimistic-- the trail had been maintained and was in good shape.  So after two more creek crossings, plenty of slippery mud and more than enough horseflies and mosquitos-- the fifth creek crossing within the past mile, with no relief in sight, was enough for both of us.  We turned around and made the trek back.

 

So we tried another trail.  This one was nice-- no mud, no creek crossings and not alot of biting bugs, but we couldn't figure out where the trail went.  We gave it a good try but only found ourselves at the powerline trail.  It was getting later in the day so he loaded up the bikes and dri\ove up to the top of the powerline trail.  Brad unloaded his singlespeed and wished he had brought his Yeti.  I offered my Stumpy P but it is a bit small.  Brad headed down the trail with Thelma instead.  I drove the pick-up down the gravel road and checked on him at the trail/road crossings.  He got to check out the trail but had to do it alone-- not near as much fun with company.

 

So, we hope to do a little better planning for next weekend but sometimes in order to explore new territory,  you have to take the good with the bad.  It was fun to ride some new trails and cross a few creeks.  With that said, I think we are planning on a road bike ride next weekend.

 

By the way, the whole naked picture--porn star saying was Brad's.  Pretty creative.

 

Billi