MTB Time!

This weekend I got to ride some trails with Pat and Jason over at Veteran's Park. It was 80 degrees and, whoa, was that steamy! First ride of the year that had me sweating profusely and gasping for cool air. It was, of course, insanely awesome.

Three guys, one rigid 26er, one suspended 29er and one 29er+. Yet we rode together peacefully and we rode together. I will say that that Krampus is hard to keep up with on the downhills. Those tires just grab hold of the trail and allow him to just hit speeds that I can't hang with on the Troll. It's pretty awesome to watch.

But we rode hard and fast and panted our way through. Hopefully, I'll condition my lungs for this heat and be well adapted soon. In the meantime, I'll just get that pukey feeling every time I ride.

Get out there.

Fam Time!

We made a fun run to Lowes with the kiddos. Always a good time!

Get out there!

LHT is Back!

Well, I'm happy to say that the Long Haul Trucker is back in action! New build looks quite different but is gonna be lovely.

• swept back On-One Mary bars wrapped up with some cotton bar tap for grippage.
• front basket (of course)
• front low-rider rack (to be installed soon!)
• Brooks Cambium seat (I wanted to keep a Brooks but this is gonna be a rain bike. Solution? Cambium!)
• SRAM i9 internally geared hub (perfect for all weather commuting)
• a set of crappy, brown cruiser tires that were free (because why not?)

I'm going to use this bike as a loaner MTB and foul weather commuter. I'm super excited about it!

Get out there.

Recluse

I've recently been spending a lot of time in meetings and surrounded by people. I love being a pastor and I love meeting with people. But every once in a while the introvert in me begins to die a little bit if I don't fight for some alone time.

So I walked out of a meeting yesterday, hopped on the bike and pedaled into the nearby wilderness for some solitude. It was only for about 20 minutes. But I shut my eyes, pulled my cap down over my face and just listened to the sounds of the birds chirping and wind blowing.

And, with batteries recharged, I headed back into the office for more meetings. But that little break was everything I needed. It made me appreciate my bike. It was a simple time and easy to get to with a bike. The bike lures me outside more than I know. I'm thankful for that.

Get out there.

Day Off!

I'm working this Easter weekend so I got to take the day off today. That means I get to get in some family riding! (Anyone see anything new on that Troll? More to come on that.)

The little fella and myself headed to the library in this nice, 60 degree weather! We soaked up the air conditioning for a bit and read a few books together.

Then headed back out for a lap around Nicholasville. Not a bad workout! It's also a great way to spend a day off!

Get out there.

Lunchtime

Now that the weather is a bit more pleasant, it's easy to throw on shorts and t-shirt and do a lunchtime ride. At least, that was the case yesterday. Jason and I headed out of my office parking lot and did a little new-road exploration in Woodford County.

We saw, for the first time in a long while, some green grass to grab our attention.

Jason pedaled the do-anything Troll. This is such a different bike than my Troll. I love the versatility of this frame. Our Trolls certainly show how you can build them up in such different ways.

And we got to see Lil Sebastian.

Get out there.

Explore Kentucky

At the risk of stealing a hashtag from some Kentucky folks, I'd like to celebrate the value of wandering through our bluegrass state. Exploring Kentucky is, by far, one of my favorite things to do.

Yesterday I set out on a route that I've ridden a few times before. But as I pedaled towards my destination, I decided I'd bypass my usual point of interest and just keep going straight onto some new roads. Aimlessly exploring Jessamine County has led me to some really great places. So any time I have an opportunity, I figure I should take it.

And of course, yesterday's ride was no different. I found some great sights along Little Hickman Creek. The photo above, for instance, was some cool architecture. Anyone know what it is? It's built into the side of the creek bank and has irrigation that runs through the building. My wife's theory was that it was some type of cold-storage. Everything is cooler when it's underground and surrounded by flowing water. Any other ideas?

Get out there.