Napa Road Riding

So I got a little 30 miler in the other day, saturday to be exact. Did my normal route-Dry Creek to Mt. Veeder and home---an awesome ride in which I have about 2000' of climbing and practically no cars. The view from the top is incredible (not quite South Fork, but I gotta take what I can) and the descent is fast as you want (although a rider did die there last summer, really blew the wrong corner).

I was on my way out, it was cold for Napa, say mid 50's and I has a huffin' an a puffin' when I saw some rather ominous signs:

Hmmmm....

Should I ?....

Is somebody trying to tell me something?....

Well I said no sweat, I 've done this a ton of times before and never paid attention to the signs, so up I went. I must mention that the climb (for me ) is a bit of a bitch at first. My computer showed 14% @ 4.3mph for a few minutes and the groaning continued for about 10 minutes before leveling off a bit.

I took advantage of the break to try and snap some photos of the road:

Inspiration on Dry Creek. I always look back over my shoulder at this point and pretend I am really far out there (actually I am about 10 miles from home)


The road uphill....


The view from the top. No Mt. Lassen, but I did see Mt. Diablo in the distance and most of the valley...

So anyway, like I said, I normally never see more than 3 cars on the ride. Well today thse three were something different. When I was in Reddin', the cars consisted mainly of bitchen' cameros and trucks, total value per vehicle (not counting the meth in the trunk) was about $3000.

Napa is a little different, especially today. I was finishing up a little extended climb when I head a low rumble. Brushing past me first was a Mercedes McLaren SLR. Right behind it was a new Ford GT40 and not to be outdone, bringing up the rear was a Ferrari F430 Spyder, combined total of all vehicles...probably close to $750-800K!

McLaren SLR, ohh about $400,000 and very rare

Ford actually does make a car I would own-The GT40.


Pure beauty,the F430 Spyder, I think it's ONLY like $150-200K

So there I am drooling and panting and trying to catch up to snap some pics, but too bad, all I get to hear is the low rumble of their combined engines ans they motor away...

Napa. Funny...

Inventory

So all this writing about bikes and reading my buddies blogs about their rides had me going down memory lane to where the obsession began and all the steeds I have thrown my leg over during my time on this here planet. I'll try to start from the beginning...

1.
1978 or 79
Kent Bike
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
My "first" bike. I don't remember much about it except it had a banana set (something I would beg, remind and pester my dad to NEVER get on my new bike). Most telling memory of this bike: I would take it down the street to a hill and ride down it. Only problem, the "hill was an intersection of a 4 way stop. well the good times cam eto an end one day when I slammed into the side of my neighbor's car as Ihe drove through the intersection. went through the windsheild and landed on his (surprised) lap. Best part-no broken bones and very little damage to me. Bike was folded in half and car had a large dent in the side and no windshield. Scariest part-when the fire trucks, ambulance showed up, I was afraid I would get in trouble from my mom!

2.
1980 (ish)
Kent BMX Bike
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
My "first" BMX bike. I drooled over my friend getting a Redline Mach III, my parents weren't paying $200+ for no bike, so I was given a Toys R Us bike. One word: Yellow. Yellow vinyl pads (gooseneck, top bar, handle bar), yellow tires. I rode this thing all over our new housing division in Napa. Tons of jumps I would never do now and plenty of busted "nards".

3.
1989
Schwinn Cross Track
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
Not technically "my" bike. This was my friend's dads bike. a 27" hybrid of sorts. I took it on a ton of singletrack exploration, wrecking the rims and parts along the way. Not a highlight in my world, but I had no cash and no bike...gotta do what you gotta do.

4.
1990-92
Skykomish Mountian Bike
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
My first "real" mountain bike. Got it from my little brother who somehow had more money and better bikes than I (He had just upgraded to a neon orange GT Pantera with never before seen shocks-Tange Shock blades). A Costco bike (sorry IBDs) that was justified with Shimano LX group, Tange steel frame and a sorry name. To say I pimped this bike out is an understatement. The money poureed into my ride like Niagra Falls. Where to start? Ok here goes:
• Answer ATAC stec
• Manitou Sport fork (the one after the original Manitou and before the Manitou II)
• Flite saddle
• Ritchey Rims and LX hubs
**BIG addition:(thanks to my girlfriend at the time)** PURPLE anodized Grafton cranks and a set of wheels with, you guessed it, PURPLE anodized Ringlé hubs laced to Campy Mirox hoops. Damn I was FLY!
• Stem upgraded to...PURPLE Ringle Zooka!
• Zoom Brama Bars with integrated bar ends
• Purple Ringle skewers
• Clip in pedals finally! Shimano M737, took apart and painted yellow with some Scott shoes (quickly replaced with the sweet purple, blue Garne shoes)

5.
1992-1995
Cannondale M500
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
Holy Crap, I finally made it "big time" a Cannondale (or Crack and Fail or Cannonwhale if you were a hater). My buddy sold me a stripped and polished frameset for a couple hundred bucks, origins questionable (sorry). Damn, I was cooler than a polar bear. I swapped most of the parts from the Skykomish (which had been Jasco'd and repainted a deep blue) and began the upgrade path as usual. Hmm where to begin:
• Purple is heading out, swap the Purple Zooka stem for a Blue anodized one
• Cranks stay purple (for now)
• Add XT rear derailluer
• Smoke and Dart tires upgraded to Smoke and Dart II's
• Continued to polish frame, add black Cannondale frame decals
• First Mail order item-Dean Seatpost (aluminum)
• First loan-purchase Manitou III
• Blue Kevlar Serfas saddle added
• Scott LF bars with integrated bar ends
• My first King product a Red, White and Blue headset

6.
1996-1998 Cannondale
M900
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
I took advantage of the Cannondale frame trade-in policy at Art's SLO Cyclery and got a sweet yellow M900 frame. Sell the M500 for parts money and begin again with the upgrades...
• Redy Judy SL (custom color as they were yellow)
• Black King Hubset
• Specialized Thermoplastic handlebars
• Yellow ONZA CWA bar ends
• Took the purple anodize off the Graftons with Oven Cleaner, had my brother sand blast them and anodize them black, looked pretty cool all matte finish and totally custom
• Yeti grips
• Red Kevlar SDG saddle
• Red Ritchey clipless pedals
• Red Anodized Kooka Cranks
• Can you say XTR? Got some V-Brakes, rear derailleur, cassette

7.
1996-97
Cannondale R400 Road Bike
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
My first "real" road bike from, you guessed it, Cannondale. Got it from my teammate on the Cal Poly Wheelman Cycling Team.
Highlights:
• Scott Crit Bars (never did know how to use the lower parts)
• Shimbango 105 downtube shifters
• Mavic MA4 hoops

8.
1997-2001
Santa Cruz Heckler
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
Welcome the the world of full suspension! Thanks to my keen ability to utilize a student loan for something other than books, I was able to purchase through my industry connected brother, a sweet white Santa Cruz Heckler. I rode this bike for many moons and came to appreciate the joys of squishy bikes. Upgrade, are you kidding?
• Judy SL goes away, turns into Marzocchi Z1, blue with custom painted crown
• Got another set of King hubs, red with Mavic 517 hoops
• Marzocchi Z1 goes away becomes Marzocchi Jr. T
• Junior T goes away (foolishly) to Cannondale Moto fork (the upside down one from the ridiculously expensive DH bike). The 20mm thru axle was a pain and the Sachs disc brake was a joke (even a Sachs engineer I met said they were not powerful enough to stop)
• Cannondale fork is gone (our shipper had the brains to ship to "Cannondale" a residential address in San Diego with no receipt confirm and no insurance. At least he didn't say sorry or offer to pay). I switch back to red Marzocchi Z1.
• Get sweet Ti Syncros post

9.
2000—Present
Cannondale XS800 Cross Bike
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
At the instigation of my boss at King, I get on the cyclocross bandwagon with an eBay purchase of a red Cannondale XS800 cross bike. Love the Headshock! Has basic 105 integrated shifters and a 150mm stem. I begin the build and it looks like this over the years:
• Add wheelset from boss-a Set of Real Hubs laced to Bontrager rims
• Swap stem to 110mm for better fit (I am not an Ape, the 150mm was a joke)
• Add Cook Brothers E Cranks to bike
• Upgrade wheelset to ultra custom Chris King, rose gold anodized hubs laced to CXP30 rims with aero bladed spoke (24/28)
• Do the tire thing, green Michelins, Black Ritcheys
• Add wider Salsa bars (46cm)
• Swap V-Brakes for Avid shortys
• Add gel Ti flite saddley saddle
• Add Specialized Ti Body Geometry saddle
• Rasta bar wrap
• ATAC pedals
• Add wife's rear panniers, Campy Chorus triple, Conti Ultrasport 2000 touring tires for a trip down California coast

10.
2000
Giant Cadex Carbon Bike
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
Spur of the momemt purchase from buddy Rich on trip home to Napa. Has the usual 105 down tube shifters, white bar tape, conti's and Mavic rims. Great riding bike, but on a King group ride, there I was JRA and when I went off a curb, made a really weird popping sound...uh oh...time to call Giant

11.
2000—2002
Giant CFR
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
Giant was kind enough to warranty the Cadex for a newer version, the CFR. Damn this thing is bright! Yellow frame, aero carbon fork. Love the ride of carbon! Upgrades...
• Swap downtube 105's for a mix of 8speed DuraAce rear shifter, and derailleur, Ultegra Front shifter, Cranks and front derailleur
• Thompson seatpost
• Flite saddle
• Salsa bars (44cm)
• Michelin Pro tires (love em, especially in the green sidewall they started with)

12.
2000—2001
Ibis Mojo
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
Now I really have made it, I am the owner of a custom Ibis Mojo. Sure it has a few scratches a dent in the seat tube, but I own an Ibis! Got it from my industry buddy, it was one of the team bikes, orange base coat with hand painted blue jegged squiggles. A better bike or single track I have not found, steel is fo' real! Upgrades? Uhhhhh, yeah-
• Gets Black king wheelset
• SID fork
• Kore Stem (the good one, made in USA)
• Carbon specialized bars
• XTR bits
• Cook Brothers F Series cranks in Black

13.
2001—2004
Ventana El Fuego
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
This was a bike I labored over for a long time. I wanted a new full suspension, 3" travel bike and I wanted a boutique brand. I looked at Yeti, Foes, Intense and finally realized that the Marble Peak I had ridden was the best and went in feet first on custom ordering a Ventana. Not cheap! I had to sell the santa Cruz, the Ibis and give a lot of blood, but I got it. Custom painted baby blue (I wanted Pink, but was foolish enough to be talked out of it by Matt & Chris). All Ti pvots, all 12 weeks to get. F'ing SWEET! I plopped the SID on their and with the XTR bits and King stuff had a 24lb ride. The upgrades began...
• SID goes away, get a Marzocchi X Fly 80
• Add Easton Carbon Riser bars
• Add Syncros Carbon post
• Add discs-Hayes hydraulic
• New King wheelset-ISO disc, navy blue
• Navy Blue King Headset
• Race Face Next LP carbon cranks
• FOX Float 80 RLC Fork

14.
2001
Schwinn Panther Cruiser
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
Sweet ride I got from a buddy at Schwinn. All black all cool. Used it on some of our cruiser rides in Redding.

15.
2000—Present
Ventana El Toro Single Speed
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
Jumped in to the SS world in 2000 with the purchase of my boss's super custom Ventana El Toro frame. Still in the box, it had an alien green/yellow paint job and all custom tubing making it a lot lighter than the stock El Toro. I began the build with King SS hubs & Headset (black), Thompson Stem & post, TruVativ 180mm cranks (SS) Avid Speed lever levers (the ultra custom, fully rebuild-able ones) and Avid Arch Supreme brakes (ultra custom, totally sealed bearings and totally rebuildable). Added Answer Pro taper bar. Upgrades have been few, the bike is flawless and keeps running to this day:
• Easton Mg Stem
• Easton Carbon riser bars
• WTB saddle
• ATAC pedals

16.
2002—Present
Kestrel 200Sci Road Bike
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
I had drooled over Kestrels since seeing them in the mid-eighties. The lines on the frameset, the curves, I never thought I would get one. Well my good buddy Kirby had a white 200Sci and helped me decide I needed one too, so I ordered a black one and waited for it to arrive. what a dream! This bike is flawless and keeps me going to this day! Some upgrades:
• Mavic Ksyrium wheelest (teh all black ones)
• Mavic Ksyrium SL wheelset (the black ones with the machined rim
• Added DuraAce 9 Speed cassetee, shifters, chain
• Carbon Easton Bars
• Deda Newton Stem
• Carbon FSA SL cranks
• TUFO tires
• Michelin Pro Race tires
• Fizik Arionne Saddle

17.
2001—Present
Hawthorne Cruiser Bike
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
After the Panther I decided I needed another beater for our Redding cruiser rides. I found it in a sweet Hawthorne that I think is late 50's to 60's vintage. It has the gas tank, rear rack, front headlight (non-working) and is pretty straight and rust free. Original color looked to be red, but it was rattle canned and scratched. Still ccould see the orignial frame graphics and I used them as the base when I re-painted with bronze rattle can. I did the pin-striping and painting to insure it didn't rust. Sadly it just sits in a shed right now...

18.
2003
AMP B-4
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
Got this bike in a trade for design work. Perfect condition, save the blown rear shock. Had all original AMP bits-fork, disc brakes and hubs. Thompson seatpost, XT triggers. sadly, I was never able to even ride it as I had to sell it for money when my son was born.

19.
2004—Present
Intense Spider XVP
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
My good friend and shop owner John convinced me I needed this bike and so I set about getting it. Sold (sadly) the Ventana to a friend (who later had it stolen off her roof racks while in her driveway for "10 minutes), sold some more bike parts and did some trade out design work to acquire it. The BEST full suspension I have ridden to date. It has a slightly (too ) moto sticker kit and a bright red frame. Swapped a lot of the El Fuego bits to it (King ISO hubs, Hayes Brakes, Race Face Next LP cranks) and bought the rest. Very little upgrading as I have not had a lot of time or need to. Some items:
• Easton Stem and Seatpost
• New Race Face BB
• ODI lock on grips
• Same XTR shifters I have had for 10 years (8 speed all the way)
• ATAC pedals
• Numerous tires
• Fizik Gobi saddle

20.
2003-present
Kestrel MXZ Frame
Relevant Highlights/Features etc:
My buddy gave me this frame. Could be considered a wreck, seatpost is frozen in frame, BB is frozen in frame and has a ton of knicks. But pass up a bike? Much less a classic carbon, elevated chainstay bike? No way. I'll get around to getting it fixed one way or another, maybe add a 1" rigid fork and single speed it, who knows...

I think that brings the total to;
20 bikes
10-12 Forks
Tons of tires
a couple XTR drivetrains
A lot of Flite saddles
and tons of fun!

I guarantee there will be more bikes on the way. Check out my website (www.babageik.com) as I will try to add pics there of the current stable...

32:16

32:16---Is the gearing on my Ventana Singlespeed bike, the one I have been happily re-discovering the past 2 weekends. I know I have an audience of like 3 people, but I know two of them are really into their bikes and riding and can appreciate the little ditty I am about to lay forth...

I am married. With child. With large house payment. With job in city that keeps me away from home 13 hours a day.
I haven't even been able to ride my "city bike" (2004 Specialized Allez Comp with Foco tubing, magic motorcycle cranks-set up as a singlespeed (32:16 here too) and moustache bars) for a month because somehow I was able to effectively crack the driveside crank arm in half. BUM-MER. They were sweet cranks, the ones I drooled over in like 1988. The ones my good buddy gave me. And yes the ones that were beyond custom in that they were black anodized with red ring. Damn. I really went on and on. They are gone now...

My "City Bike"--2004 Specialized Allez Comp, moustache bars, Magic Motorcycle cranks, rear rack and the very important and necessary CycleSak cover---ferry rides DESTROY bikes, especially steel ones.


... Back to the story at hand.

No boo hoos, no what if's. I used to get a good ride in almost everyday during my internment at King Cycle World and Cog Works. Singletrack, road, cross, beer. They all flowed seemlessly together. Now, I get 2 hours a weekend to slip away (thanks Cari) and ride on of my bikes. And lately, that bike has been the old El Toro.

Did I mention I am a bit of a tech dork? Oh, not so bad that it consumes my conversations or anything like that. More like, I see something that looks cool and actually works (well most of the time) and I have to get it. Being like this I have re-shuffled bikes every few years, always moving up to the perceived "better one". Steel, to aluminum, to carbon fiber to single pivot, to faux four bar to VPP. You name the acronym, I've probably owned it. Liked them all too for their own characteristics. But where the hell am I going with this? Sorry. Back to the El Toro.

So there I am getting across town (20 minutes to single track just for reference Kirby) to ride. I'm bigger than before and the gut weighs heavily, but I keep the pedals turning. Climb, climb some more, climb a bit more, wheeze and voila! I am at "the Lake" (Skyline park's lake). No time to rest, it's up around the lake and a bit more climbing before the FUN begins. * Sorry, I have not had a chance to actually "embrace" the "fun" of climbing.

This is where it gets good and where I finally get to the point of my rambling. The climb all leads me to a glorious little 10" wide sliver of perfect (right now) single track. Twisting, turning, undulating up and down, the roller coaster lets me open it up full throttle, and damn I love it! Mostly smooth with just the right mix of rocks and technical bits thrown in for good measure (it's no Rockville though). I grunt up (OK walk part of) the last climb and before me is Lower Skyline Trail---the final fun part. I bomb it and only run into some hikers near the bottom, what a joy!

So what am I getting at with this freakin' story? Bikes, fat, technology...it's just this: I really like riding and I firmly believe that in this technolgy driven world, bikes especially, you gotta get back to the basics more often. My El Toro has one gear, 80mm of travel and gives me an ear to ear grin pretty much the whole time. You have to be fully AWARE of evrything-cadence, upcoming obstacles, breathing, braking--the works. Some of things I notice I begin to take for granted when I have the opportunity my full-suspension offers-namely gears, 4" of travel at both ends and disc brakes. Taking it back to the basics is the best way to elevate your game on all fronts and helps me realize what a joy just being on a bike can be.

Of course this doesn't mean I am giving up the geared world. Couldn't do it. The Intense is down with a busted BB (I was lucky enough that the ol' TruVativ lasted as long as it did), and when the new one comes in and I install it, we'll be back into the rotation, but for now, I can't wait to get back onto the SS, look down at the handlebars and see only grips and brakes and head back out on my next weekend ride.

Yep.

Oh yeah?!! Well me too...

So there I was this past weekend, lounging on the couch after another 1/2 day spent working on my new house. The third HoHo wrapper drifted softly to floor as I shifted my weight around while searching for the remote control somewhere near my ass. "Dammit, I have to find it, there is no way I am getting up to change the channel by hand". I just HAD to see another episode of Punk'd before hitting up the local Jack in a Crack for 6—99¢ Tacos. Then I saw it a commercial showing a guy riding a bike! I remember the bike, don't I? 2 wheels, fun to ride DOWN hill. I used to spend the gross national product of some third world countries on mine. Oh yeah, mine! I have a garage (and shed) full of those things.

To add insult to injury, my dear wife not only suggested that I go for a ride, but that my two good friends—Kirby and Steve—had been continually posting to their Blogs about the riding they had been doing, even so far as going out in the RAIN! IN THE RAIN!! Now please bear in mind, I was never of the caliber of these two. Kirby has the "aw-shucks" ability to crush any climb and the patience to at least hang with me as I weeze up the Blue Ridge parkway on a 40 mile road ride. This is the same guy who easily mastered the hardest climb I know of—Oakville Grade— without losing breath. Steve has calves the size of basketballs and has been routinely entering PRO class cross races and winning. Both are good enough humans to let me tag along in the back as bear-fodder and to that I am proud.

So what the hell am I supposed to do? My bikes are clean (aren't they always). My cycling gear is somewhere in the unpacked phase of our new garage. And hell-the little lady did say I could go for a ride. After brushing off the Pringles from my 1995 Collegiate National MTB championships shirt (yes I actually did ride in this event and yes-I did come in second to last), I stumbled to the kitchen and began the preparation for the ride.

Step One:
Mix up water bottle with PowerBar "Endurance" Drink mix
Find clean bib shorts
Check weather-judge from slight chill that a long sleeve jersey is in order
Find socks
Assemble trail repair kit consisting of: CO2 inflator and 2 extra cartridges, patch kit, assorted tools, cell phone, money and old Clif bar (even if it expired in 1998, they still taste pretty good-coming up AND going down)

Step Two:
Slip uneasily into spandex that didn't use to stretch SO far
Stare at new larger belly in bathroom mirror and vow to not eat so much fast food-damn, I'm HUGE!
Make sure this really is OK with wife (my last out)

Step Three:
Choose bike (I'll use the Spider, I need gears today)
Check tire pressure, shock pressure, fork pressure, drivetrain (is my bottom bracket jacked up?)
Put on shoes and begin ride

Unlike Kirby-my singletrack is NOT right out of my back door, unless I poach Westwood Hills (another trip altogether), so I must brave the Escalades with Spinners, Excursions, Explorers with "Keep Tahoe Blue" bumper stickers (freakin' clueless idiots) and the Fast and the Furious crowd all racing 102hp Civics with wings built for Howard Hughes' sea plane on a cross town trip to Skyline.

I won't whine too much, I am trying to come to grips with this as a "new singletrack"-similar to our old days of late night "urban riding". So I'm ducking and dodging cars and traffic and nearing the actual dirt---The dirt! Did I mention we just went through 2 weekends of slight showers, the trails are PER-FECT!

I climbed. I cleaned technical sections. I noticed side to side play in my BB (what the hell-thing never did feel right) , and my lungs burned. Sorry I have no pictures of the trail, I have to use this as training for my next mountain bike ride next month, no time to stop and smell the flowers (plus I have to get home to play Thomas Trains with Jake). I ran into my old riding partner from Cal Poly-Ryan in the exact same spot I saw him last weekend, at exactly the same time! This time I took him up on his offer to head back up and do another loop. What the hell was I thinking!?

We race around the lake and back down to Lower Skyline trail. Both pushing each other in the old friendly way. It was a blast! I think I'll do this again in a few months!

Heading home I remembered my buddies Blogs and called my wife--I need proof that I rode!
"Take some shots of me riding home honey" I pant into the phone.
Cari obliges and as you can see below I am HELLA HARDCORE and ready for the next ride!

Hella Hardore NorCal Style

Thanks Kirby and Steve for the inspiration, I miss riding near you guys!

To Halloween and Beyond!

This, Jake's third Halloween found our young trooper forgoing the "robot" costume he requested for almost a year in favor of his favorite character, the fearless space ranger-Buzz Lightyear™.

A Boy and his movie.


Slipping into the vinyl costume brought out the space ranger in the normally calm 3 year old as he was repeatedly heard requesting to hang onto the back of the car instead of sit inside while we drive as well as jumping off of any and every surface available while uttering the call of the Space Ranger-"To Infinity and BEYOND!"

No sleep til' I 've watched this movie 150 times...

To make a long story short, the little guy loved the costume we got him-even wearing it while watching the sacred movie-and had a great Halloween...

Oh yeah, check out the pumpkins---Jake originally picked out and art-directed the small white pumpkin, but later switched to choose the menacing multi-toothed version on the right. This left Cari with "ownership" of the little white one, which, when placed between the two scary pumpkins showed its true emotion!

Strike the pose. Jake and the original punkins®.

Oh no! Help the poor middle punkin®.

Punkin is a registered trademark of me (got it Cari!). It goes well with bajamas and "Where's my keys at?"

Haunted child captured by mother's photography

Having fun in his room...or is he????


Bats or Moths?


After getting let go from Sears™ Portrait Studio, Cari "Smile for the Camera" R. showcases her uncanny ability to capture a young child's fears and lack of expression in her 2 portrait series entitled, "Yes, there are Moths in Your closet".

Home Owning

Hello to all 3 of you that read this post, if you don't already know by now, Cari and I have taken yet another big step and purchased a house in Napa. Saving up the $1.3 Million to purchase our 1941, 2 bedroom, 1 bath house was no small chore. Working dilligently and tirelessly, we sold girl scout cookies (fraudulenty of course, but I must admit wearing the girl scout outfit just felt "right"), David Hasslehoff calendars, mistletoe in July, blood and whatever wasn't bolted down, we were able to come up with .001% of the down payment. As Cari's dad in Michigan commented-"It's not so much that you are buying a house, it is more like you are buying a payment". Oh well, do what you must and it is done.

We moved out of our rental (a whole story unto itself-suffice it to say a bad one and a bummer for friendships lost) in between working 50+ hours a week and going through an accelerated 15 day escrow in order to close early to appease the owner. Did I ever mention how much fun moving is? Thank god I have a Zen-like control over my attitude or things could have gotten ugly.

Anyway, we have been working non-stop for pretty much the past month with move-out and move-in. Move in includes re-painting every room and ceiling in the house (even though they were just recently done by the previous owner-we jumped at the opportunity to FINALLY add color to the walls and our environment), installing ceiling fans in all rooms, re-tiling the bathroom floor (again, it was just recently done, but we wanted our "own" look, organizing (step 1 of 10) the garage, landscape maintenance in the large backyard (our house is like 800 square feet, the lot is 5500 square feet), and tearing down and building a new aluminum shed. So much thanks has to go to our family members, especially my Dad and my brother and his wife—without whom practically NONE of this would have been able to happen. It truly shows community and family and we can not say thank you enough.

I will post pics in a few days, both before and after, so hang tight.

Armstrong's Battle continues...

This is just too great, sent to me by my good friend Debra...

PARIS , France -- Lance Armstrong's record setting seventh Tour de France victory, along with his entire Tour de France legacy, may be tarnished by what could turn out to be one of the greatest sports scandals of all time. Armstrong is being quizzed by French police after three banned substances were found in his South France hotel room while on vacation after winning the 2005 Tour de France.

The three substances found were toothpaste, deodorant, and soap which have been banned by French authorities for over 75 years.

Armstrong's girlfriend, American rocker Sheryl Crow, is quoted as saying "We use them every day in America, so we naturally thought they'd be ok throughout Europe."

Along with these three banned substances, French authorities also physically searched Armstrong and found several other interesting items that they had never seen before, including a backbone and a testicle.

CORRECTION: Frogs hate Lance

Never known to accept loss easily or with dignity (or field a TDF winner in who knows how long), the French have reversed their previous "loving" stance on Mr. lance Armstrong...

``For the first time -- and these are no longer rumors, or insinuations, these are proven scientific facts -- someone has shown me that in 1999, Armstrong had a banned substance called EPO in his body,'' Leblanc told L'Equipe.

`The ball is now in his court. Why, how, by whom? He owes explanations to us and to everyone who follows the tour. Today, what L'Equipe revealed shows me that I was fooled. We were all fooled.''

Guess we have to wait and see what comes out of this most recent doping allegation...

This just in...Husband & Wife Actually Ride Together...

BREAKING NEWS...
This just in...after several months of half-hearted training rides of less than 30 miles and seemingly years of not actually riding together, this husband and wife team actually arranged their schedule and actually rode their bikes together!

As you can see from the image below, they seem to be having fun and, yes-it is clearly shown- they ARE riding together!



How do they do it you ask? How can a family in this day and age get together to do a physical activity of this magnitude (the husband riding 100miles and the wife doing 65)?

Well, it is no simple task dear reader. Months (years?) of pre-planning and logistics went into this gamble. Who would watch their sweet, dear, angelic child? Would they be qualified to complete such an endeavour? What bikes would they ride? Do they have the proper gear— powerbars, gel and chamois creme? Those questions and literally hundreds more were put to the test and answered when the husband left no other option and paid for their slots over 3 months in advance!

The days crept closer and the ride loomed large in the horizon. The husband had never done a ride of more than 84 miles in one day. And this one was 100 miles and featured 5000' of climbing. Could he hoist his new, larger belly over the top tube and carry him this far?

Hell yes he could and did!

Leaving 2 hours earlier than his wife, he rode with all his heart and soul, trying to breach the 35+ mile gap between his group, the 100 milers, and his wife's 65 mile mates. Feeling good, he skipped the first two rest stops all in an effort to reach his dear wife before the lunch stop and 4 mile climb that lay right after it.

Evidently, he did too well, as he arrived at the lunch stop almost 20 minutes before his wife. To her credit, she had diligently waited at the earlier rest stop looking for him.

After consuming a lunch of PB&J sandwiches, Clif shots, fruit, Gatorade and cheese, they set off in the 90 degree heat to climb Ink Grade. The climb was too punishing for our dear wife as she was forced to get off her trusty titanium steed (see pic below of her and the bike in better days) and walk a large portion of the climb. Patiently, husband circled and waited,repeatedly offering words of encouragement and love for his soul mate.


Wife during happier days

Once at the top, they were able to refill their water and Gatorade and enjoy a 40mph descent into the Valley and begin the trip back to the start.

Next, our daring duo had to begin fighting deadly headwinds, drunken-wine tasting traffic and a pair of arguing friends on the always un-fun ride on Silverado Trail. With the end in sight, they swept past the cameras (which, by the way were almost unable to capture the pair's image due to their high speed) and had the moment captured for eternity (or 24 hours according to the website)...

A great feast was had by all as the day wound down and further rides were planned by the husband and wife team...Of course we will keep you posted as details emerge...

Now, back to the previously regularly scheduled program...

Commercial Break...

We interrupt this story for a quick commercial break...

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We now return you to the previously scheduled story...

Part One: The Idea

So I spoke earlier in my posts about a bike ride my good friend Grady and I did from SF (actually Half Moon Bay) to Santa Barbara last May. I am going to try to remember and write about our little adventure, how we planned for it and how it all went down.
This will be the first installment in the series...

The Idea:
It all went down on my birthday last year at a sushi place near Grady's apartment off Divisidero street in SF. Somewhere between the shots of sake, the sushi and the relative inability to hear each other speak over the blaring techo beats, we both decided we were going to do a long(er) bike ride. You must understand one thing though, getting Grady to commit to ANYTHING is one of the largest challenges I have ever faced in my short existence on this planet. Being tied down to a date, an obligation is just not part of G-Money's existence. However, with the help of the sake and a desire to actually follow thru, we both drunkenly agreed we would do it. A 300-400 mile bike ride from Grady's house in SF, to our old stomping ground, Santa Barbara. Our route would be right down Highway One, with nothing but (hopefully) the wind to our backs and the open road to explore.

How were we going to follow up?
When would be the best time to go?
Could we do multiple long days in the saddle?
What gear would I get to buy/sneak by my wife?

So many questions to answer. As far as timing, we initially thought late March would be a great time to head out. It was over 6 months away and would give us plenty of time to get the gear to together, plan our stops—hell, maybe even train a few days! The more we thought about it though, March could be questionable, especially concerning the possibility of bad weather. Further discussion led to our date, sometime in late May/early June. Summer would be right around the corner, the weather should be warming up and we'd have longer days to cover any time in the saddle.

We had now crossed our two greatest hurdles, getting the decision and choosing a date! I couldn't help thinking, "Damn, this might actually happen". Actually, I KNEW it was going to happen and just that gave me a great feeling of anticipation and happiness of a great journey to look forward to.

Next up, the planning...

I mean 2.54cm

LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed Tuesday not to "give one inch" on British policies in Iraq or the Middle East, and said his government is determined to toughen laws against terrorists and their supporters in the wake of attacks on London's transit system.

I thought they used the metric system.

Frogs love Lance

PARIS (AFP) - Lance Armstrong overwhelmingly topped a poll amongst French people asked to nominate the greatest cyclist ever in the history of the Tour de France.

I'm board...

After an incredibly challenging week at work—where I battled timelines, deadlines, low hanging fruit and 11 hour days at work—I am happy to report I didn't have it as bad as this chick.

Another reason why boards are for building-not diving.

I'm going to try to ramp this thing up and actually get my bike trip cataloged here for my audience of one (hey there Cari) read about the trip (even after I already told her about it).

New Directions

Ok, so the whole blog thing has hit the proverbial "fork in the road". After reviewing Cari's needs- (volumes of links to other blogs, a desire to have her own "look and feel" and just because we can)-we will be featuring 2 seperate blogs. His and Hers if you will.
Cari is in the process of trying to name her blog, so this could take some time, as these kind of decisions do not come easy to her. We're bringing in a branding expert of sorts (me) to help her identify her key strengths in an effort to help define her blog. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated from our audience of 3 (anybody, anybody there? ANYBODY???)

What will my online journal look like? Not too sure. Definitely not going to be some mindless (ok, after these posts), self important, attempt to be "different". Most likely just a place to document my days, any trips or adventures I may have taken (like my recent bike ride on Hwy 1 from SF to Santa Barbara), maybe some music I have been listening to, bikes I am riding and general venting.

Nuff said...

More content on the way!

I am working in my free time to figure out and fine tune this blog page. Don't be surprised to see the content/look change often as I become more familiar with how to tweak it.

Cari will be posting soon too, just have to give her the keys (password) and she will start her writing in earnest.

Welcome to Babageik News!

In an effort to allow my wife to easily update and add content, we have signed up to test this blog....
enjoy