Blue Moon Diner Pancakes

the latest in pancakes that Ike ordered. from the Blue Moon.
More to follow...

Found this

This is what I found when I jetted to the back of a gas station building having to pee. Very startling.

.Kyle.

God Damn...

...this blog

Dust like Us

This project has been in the planning stages for almost 2 years. i'm just getting around to is this winter. we assume that there was a coat closet right by the front door that the previous owner had taken to door off of, tiled the floor and made it a "nook." to Meg and i it just seemed like pest of a wall. 

This dust is killing us from the inside. 

Although i forgot to take "before" photos, this is a "during" photo of where the wall was. the concrete floor had tile on it. i'll be continuing the wood floor there now.
the outside spigot was a mystery for a while. it was leaking only when the water was on. and just inside the house. none outside. i replaced it. not leaking now.

this is the "before" of the half wall. i took it down 14 inches. you can see if you look at the first photo of this post. Bruce is cutting a slab of Blue Stone to cap it.  

Come into form

while changing tires today i was reminded of my anticipation for joining the IF Racing Team in 2009. i hope i never have to see the yellow during a race, but the green will do just fine.

Race Day Follies

I've been catching up on some late season race news. i noticed that JB's been using the Simple Strap a bunch. he mentioned something about a custom "Rocktown" run of the straps. i'll look into it. thanks to friends who are using the Simple Strap, it means a lot. 

JB wins Iceman. and way to go with UCI cross points!

JB JB JB ICEMAN

Watch this

To Death

Wow. this blog has been burning a hole in my computer for a while now. just like the I9 29er wheels i bought two days ago. it's that dumbest game i play with myself, i buy one piece of equipment, know that in the FUTURE i'll have a bike that will require it. but, what really happens is that i end up giving in all to soon and i build a bike around whatever it was i bought first.

fall riding:: can't wait
29er:: can't wait
Blue ridge cup final:: can't wait
Paranormal:: just about here

looks like Cville holds the right to host the Blue Ridge Cup final. lots of talk about how the first Cville race was more of a MTB race. now's our chance to beat em at their own game and pull together a proper cross course. Foof in your Face!

carry me to the...

ahhhh....pegs!!

who could resist asking for a ride when one of your friends has a ride like this? i know that everyone has (recently) seriously considered riding on your firend's handlebars or that "i'll sit on the seat, and you stand up and pedal" thing. But when you know folk who hook it up with a sweet set of pegs, you can piggy back in style and comfort!

and check out that rockin' basket up front!

-kyle

Circ for real

the "official" RTF circumnavigation ride happened this past weekend. after some trail work, and a little getting lost, we made it.

we found ourselves off the bike quite a bit. whatever... there were about 15 of us. it was so awesome to look back behind you and see a (what seemed to be) never ending line of riders behind you. sure it made for slow creek crossings, and a lot of stopping, but the RIDE is what is all about.

seeming to become just as much a tradition is...the stop at Bodos. this year Bodos was a bit closer to the end of the ride. but it's the perfect egg stop. hanging out under the trees wishing we had a tub full of Tecnu, it was amazing.
countless hikers, dogs, runners, down trees, and one bum on a drunk bike with a disassembled derailleur who was "going to get me a cold one."

perfect ride.

post ride BBQ hosted by James and Johanna, hit the spot. so did the cold one.

IF make

headed up to Boston to see me brother to college orientation. i stopped in at the IF shop to meet some folk and see where the pieces parts get put together.

Joe shows a Ti frame welding jig that pumps argon gas in to the frame to push out all the oxygen, to prevent ti welds from failing. somewhere behind the jig was a HUGE container of liquid argon gas that looked like something out of Die Hard. well...you could say that about most of the things around that shop.

...like this ream machine

we wandered our way through many sections of hanging frames. many with SS couplers and Phil Wood eccentric BBs. there was a good mix of Ti and Steel, and some of the new 953 steel. which was super high demand. Joe says that all the 953 they have in stock is already spoken for and other 953 frames are on "back order"

this is Tyler (i think) and his super light lugged fork made from chain stays. for yet another bike he is building for himself. the fork is awesome! he was super excited about how light it was..he was trying to hand it to me as it was still hot. i was really light.

i can't remember whos project this was but...the trike is amazing! Ti frame with a chopped up brooks, and Phil hubs. Joe was saying something about the handlebars not working correctly. i think he said that the problem was user induced.

my favorite bike in the place was this 10th anniversary commuter. sweet paint job, nice rack, nice seat and bars. this is the IF coffee bike, and i'm so jealous.

thank you Joe, for showing me around and being so hospitable. everyone i met at IF was super cool, no ego, no awkward "this is the first time i'm meeting you and i know more about bikes then you" attitudes. i'll hangout longer next time. guaranteed.

-kyle

Circ

i live near an entrance trail to the Rivanna Trail. i was feeling kinda ho hum the other day and decided to hop on the trail and bail when i felt like it. i got around the trail and back to my place without realizing that i thought i would bail before that.
storms made the ride a bit hard. lots of down trees, washed out ruts. the overgrowth is a little overwhelming in a few areas, but manageable. i love this trail because where ever you are, you're always a few steps away from town, or a friends house.

i discovered, what seems to be, cyclocross heaven. just off the Monticello trail there are "farm trails" which is land that has been donated by a couple. and it's basically several open fields connected by either mowed "trails", gravel roads, or mulch layed road. it's a big cross riding/training mecca.

oh...and the secret decent is amazing.