Moots!

MootoX 29'er

YBB...I think Tilford has sported one of these before.

Compact. Very racy, and nice looking with those deep dish wheels, don't you agree?

We were pretty happy today when we talked to the fine people at Moots cycles and worked out a plan to become a dealer. Lots of companies make titanium bikes, but this one has a place in my heart because during all the years I've been a mountian biker, they've remained true to form: fine, fine bikes, without the hype.

These days, they are still fairly hype-free, and they offer a bike for every type of riding, including custom versions of most everything as well. And, they still offer stems and seatposts, too.

Cheap, they are not. But if you have to have something that everyone else certainly doesn't have, Moots makes a fine machine.

Zipp cranks

These came to the store yesterday. I'm a crank fan. I like cool cranks. I'm always looking out for the newest cool crank, or checking out other people's bikes to see what they have.

My all time faves are:
8 speed Dura-Ace. Such beautiful sculpting, low-profile at it's best
First generation XTR. Again, beautiful sculpting.
CODA Tarantula cranks. I know, they rarely lasted, but mine did and I loved them in black 2x9.
Race Face Turbine, square taper or ISIS. I still have a pair of each.

These Zipp's are pretty close to making the list. Cost be damned, they are super light, low profile, have gorgeous chainrings, and come with an ultra-smooth Zipp ISIS bb. There aren't many cranks lighter. (egads, my weight weenie side is showing again!!)

what's the windchill?

after again showing my middle finger to my trainer, i took my show outside. yes, i rode this morning. not very long.

i put on the warmest stuff i had, and grabbed the homegrown for a ride. the Sharp outside temp gauge said 19 degrees. with 20mph winds, that's a decently ugly windchill. a windchill my face felt, a LOT. i could only bear it for 45 minutes. i wanted to ride longer, as my legs and body were not cold. but, my fingers were starting to get numb, my toes were cold, and the stinging in my cheeks told me to get home.

i'm off-roading thursday morning, and i may take the chubb challenge.

Post Your Rides!

group or individual, if you want company, post it

HERE

also, tell us about rides you've done, your favorite rides, rides you want to do, challenges you'd like others to take up, etc.

thanks! i'm just hoping to give people more ideas on where to go and what to do with their pedaling time.

poops at grandma's

my father-in-law sent us some pics of the little guy. here he is inspecting a rather small christmas tree with some glee.

here, grandpa catches poops under the table ripping paper, a favorite pass time he has. ain't he just the cutest thing?

the big 7

this is a pic of my gorgeous little girl at birthday party at her house. she turns 7 tomorrow. seems like just yesterday she was having her 3rd birthday party at the magic house. how time flies when you're having fun. happy birthday, banana!

Blurry Challenger

The Dodge Challenger concept is about as close to a production car as you can get from a concept. My guess is in less than 18 months, you'll be able to get yourself one of these. Actually, I don't think I could pull the trigger on any Mustang knowing one of these was down at the Dodge store.

Sorry about the blurry pics, all of my AutoShow pics came out like this. Probably just the camera man's fault...

the auto show

We asked poops to help us check out the Ford Freestyle at the AutoShow. He was giddy with excitement.

Oooooh, Mom, check out these leather seats! Comfy, too!

Oh, yes, lot's of foot room down here. Great carpet, too!

Ok, Dad, let's take 'er home! Who's ridin' shotgun??

Not many days like this

in january. i'm sure it will change by nightfall, though.

Lincoln

i have a soft spot for lincolns. like this early capri.

and definately this mark II.

another mark II.

it's hard not to like a continental with suicide doors.

it's easy to love a continental convertible.

the continental coupe is beautiful.

i love the mark III's.

another mark III.

hind view of a mark III. is there really a tire in that hump on the rump? i don't know, but i should. 460 v8, solid as rock.

'american style' is pretty elusive in today's automobiles. you can find it if you try. you didn't have to try with early lincoln's.

not a great ride

this morning, at least for me. 12 or 13 people showed. it was windy and quite cold, but tolerable in the group.

i don't like to just sit in, ever, so shawn o'neal and i pretty much rode at the front and pushed a bit. we got the stink eye from GC, so we slowed down, only to pick it back up again. i hit the hills hard, but once we started the gravy train on the way back, i was toast. i hung on in the final five until we turned onto centaur and threw in the towel. i hate to just give in like that, but i wasn't feeling good from the get-go.

maybe i hit the hills too hard on tuesday and thrusday. maybe it's just an off day. definately feel like i'm 40 today, 52 days short of my birthday.

warm and happy

poops was so happy yesterday when i buckled him into his car seat that i had to take a picture. he was just so warm and snuggly. i think if i had coveralls kind of like his doggy outfit, i could ride in any and all weather. i would even take one with the doggy ears.

Salmon Lincoln?

I'll take it. Maybe it's my misplaced sense of style, but I love it.

Thursday's ride

I braved another cold morning and gave the trainer a swift kick. I wanted to ride in the same area as Tuesday's ride, but get out a bit farther.

I parked at the Wal-Mart parking lot on the I-44 outer road. Riding west, over Allenton and continuing on Fox Creek. What an awesome morning! I was cold, but not freezing. There was a bit of a headwind that way, but I knew I was going to be into the hills soon. When Fox Creek met Hwy 100, I crossed over (now the road is Old Manchester) and made an almost immediate right turn on Bouquet.

Bouquet is my single favorite road in our area. It is so European...narrow, single lane, sparcely populated, no cars, and HILLY. It T's into Melrose at it's end, and I took a right turn there. Melrose just rolls along until I again have to cross Hwy 100, a quick right turn, then quickly a left back onto Melrose. Past Allenton, then bombing down the undulating road until it meets Glencoe road and Hwy 109. I turned right on 109, which was not busy this time of the day. I really hate that it can be so busy because there are some great hills on 109. I only rode along with it for a mile or so, taking a right turn up Alt road. Alt is an awesome clilmb, exactly 1.1 miles from the base to the entrance to Hidden Valley. I bombed down the backside of Alt, narrowly missing a Ford Freestar that lost it's way into my lane. At the bottom of Alt, there is a quick left onto Forby, then a quick right onto Meramec Blvd, the steepest climb on the route. It's only 4/10's of a mile, but the grade is wicked. Once I topped that, I sped down the backside and back out to the outer road of I-44, and a few minutes later I was back at my car.

I know, it was only 21 miles. But it was a wonderful 21 miles, on some of my favorite roads.

Another view of Tuesday's 'berg ride

As told by my father-in-law:

Reading from the mapping with its 10 foot contours, the main part of Allenton is at elevation 510. The first hill on Wengler rises to 587 that drops to 465 at the intersection with Horneker. Horneker rises slowly to 480 before it starts the steep climb up 580 at the intersection with Sheerin. Highs and lows along Sheerin are 580, 520, 560, 450, and then 430 at the river. The first part of Hunter Ford goes from 430 up to 500 then climbs to 770 before it decends back to 550 in Allenton.

I attached the view from the air.

Dad Zim

Cool! I love this stuff. I love to check out on a map where some of our favorite rides go, the elevations and the positioning of the roads and intersections.