My Friday ride was off due to rain and ice. Looking at the forecast, I thought I might be able to squeeze some saddle time in on Saturday. There was a small chance of precipitation, but it looked like it may be clear most of the day. I was wanting to get a long ride in and I mapped out a 90+ mile ride.

About five miles into the great ride I planned, little ice pellets began falling from the sky. Nothing to worry about I thought. It will probably end soon. But it got worse. And then it got worse than that. I started thinking about shortening the ride just a tad. Then I looked down at myself and noticed I was covered in snow and road grime. Dang it. The road was getting pretty messy. The snow was falling so heavily now, it was difficult to see. I was about 12.5 miles into the ride and I finally gave up, cold and wet and getting pelted in the face with ice and snow. So much for a small chance of precipitation! I figured I should take a few pictures for you. I really wish one of you was there to take a picture of me. It would have been a sweet shot – the Fargo and I riding through a blizzard on an endless Kansas road. Too bad Gnat didn’t come along!

The snow started coming down a little heavier

Maybe I should give in and turn around for home...

I give up

I decided to ride back into town and stop by the bike shop and bother Matt and Stephanie. I was thinking of getting the Salsa Woddchipper for the Fargo and thought I’d ask about it. I am having a tough time getting comfortable on the drop bars that came with the Fargo Complete. I am having some wrist pain I haven’t experienced before. I rolled into the shop dripping with water, snow and mud. They probably won’t like that in the new shop with beautiful wood floors. Seems like the Woodchipper is a bit expensive, but I need something comfortable for the Dirty Kanza. There is no way I will last with the kind of wrist pain I am experiencing with the drop bars. New handlebars, tires, camera bag, and figuring out these new disc brakes and I think I will be ready for the DK 200. Well, the bike will be.

The bike shop is always a good time. I met a guy named Paul that doesn’t own a car any more and rides his bike everywhere! A real live bike commuter in Emporia, KS – Sweet! I would love to do that. I pet the cat too. I have never seen a cat quite this friendly.

The Shop Cat

I came home and rinsed off the bike, put it on the stand and cleaned it up some more. That’s when I noticed the brakes rubbing again. I just can’t seem to get the brakes where I want them. The are Avid Disc Brakes. If you don’t know, disc brakes have a lot of stopping power compared to old school brakes. Finger tip pressure is enough to stop you. Mine aren’t there. I noticed the rotor hitting each pad as if it is bent a little. Definitely need to visit Matt again and get the brakes where they should be. Messing with them took awhile and was frustrating since this is my new bike.

After that, I put in 24 solo I borrowed from Seagato and rode the rollers. That movie was intense and I rode hard for the enire movie. I thought I was getting really tired cause I couldn’t keep my speed up until I looked down and noticed I was losing air in the front tire. I ride in the Flint Hills all the time, hours away from home on low maintenace roads. I have had only one flat out there. Today I got a flat riding the rollers. They are evil. Riding inside is just going against everything that’s right in the world. I was payed back by somehow getting a flat riding on smooth cylindrical rollers. What?! When I checked the tire out, a tiny pebble with sharp edges had worked it’s way into the tire and into the tube until it hit paydirt and started letting air out of my tube. Maybe it’s a good thing I had to turn back on the 90+ mile ride I had planned. Man I can’t wait to put some real tread on and hit the gravel again. Spring why must you be so coy?

As for the magazine. Things are still going well. I have a few changes to make, a story to lay out and I am waiting on two others. It is looking great and I plan to have it done to roll out next week! It is a beautiful magazine that’s for sure! I am already contacting people for issue two. The magazine is now called, Adventure Monkey – the magazine. That means I can showcase stories of adventure of any kind! If you have an adventure or know someone that should be featured, please contact me.

Oh, and you may have noticed the logo has changed a bit. That has happened because I came up with a new logo to fit the magazine and the direction of Adventure Monkey. I am now in the process of obtaining the trademark for Adventure Monkey. Soon the magazine, t-shirts, and artwork will be released to the world, exciting huh?

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I received an email from a real cyclist that visits the blog (you know who you are number 41) and felt sorry for me. It was a great email. It calmed me down. He basically said to get in the miles and don’t stress the training, just get in the miles. If I get to the point where I no longer enjoyed cycling, things have gotten out of hand. I took it to heart and knew how to get a great ride and great training at the same time. The Flint Hills. I headed to the hills made of flint for my Sunday ride. Hill after hill, there’s no way to slack off riding out there. Add a bit of snow and freezing temperatures and I was in for a great ride. Enjoy! Let me know if you are in the area on Sundays. I ride every Sunday.

Kansas is like a wasteland in the winter. Everything had a layer of frost on it when I set out. Almost all the pictures today where taken by a blind eye. My glasses fogged up when I stopped, so I could only see shapes when I was shooting. It was cold and I could only stop for a short time for each shot. It's all about shapes.

The hill leading into the Flint Hills. It's been on the blog before. She's a tough B*tch and I was slowed to 5mph at the top. She put me in my place.

Thorny tree with ice

Sticking to those ruts was tough. It was icy underneath the snow and I was slipping and sliding down the road. Great workout!

I got back from taking the last shot and found the Fargo trying to make snow angels.

Looking back at the hill

T in the road and hills ahead

Here we go on the snowy hills. You should have been there. It was a blast!

The drops.

Old tree

I would have ridden all day, but it was Mikey’s day today! Watch your fingers, he’s into that cupcake! Time flies.

After the ride we had a skating party at Rollers for Mikey. Happy 4th Birthday!

Feed Your Monkey!

-Eric

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ESU campus in the snow

I put on my gear and rode through the unshoveled driveway and looked at my front stoop covered by a snowdrift. “Better get Alex on that”, I thought. I didn’t want to take away his opportunity to shine.

So it was a cold ride. I am sick of them. I muscled out 17 miles in the snow and didn’t fall once. I bet cycling in Arizona is nice about now. At least I got outside and rode.

The Fargo in the snow

Feed Your Monkey!

-Eric

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I got home from riding in negative temperatures, the Kansas wind, and the slippery snow to be greeted at home by this grinning cyclist on the cover of this month’s magazine. Yeah, I know a lot of bike snobs diss this magazine, but I am a newbie and like reading it. (Must be like Popular Photography to me, which I despise). Anyway, I took offense to this cyclist having such a great time in the Winter. What’s he doing wearing shorts, a short sleeve jersey, completely ripped and smiling this time of year?

If I designed the cover, it would go more like this:

My new friend, Bobby would be on the cover. He’s a good looking kid with chiseled features and doesn’t have the money to match his gear quite as well as the cheesy cyclist. We would make him ride about 70 miles, hard. Then I would shoot this cover shot while the sun was descending in the western sky. He’d be climbing a snow covered hill in Kansas. I guarantee you there would be no blue skies or smiling. The bike would be covered in frozen grit and grime and although Bobby is ripped it would be hiding under layers of muddy and sweaty clothing. I’d add some hard light from the side for contrast. This intense image would be in black and white. That’s right, a black and white cover shot with a colored flag (Bicycling text). No way would it say “Spring Training Issue.” It’s still winter for most of us in North America. Cyclists around here are going through withdrawals. Some have even resorted to going to spin class. Seeing that Spring statement at this time of year in Kansas is likely to put a cyclist over the edge.

Two more things would have to be changed. “Party at Lance’s place” needs to go. You might as well spit in my face. Here’s another reason you suck. You will never go to Lance’s place.  How about something like, “Hanging with Matt at the bike shop to avoid cold weather” or “Just hang on, Spring will be here soon.” The other change would have to be the “Get” line. Seems like this particular magazine uses it quite a bit. “Get Fit and Fast,” “Get Power Abs,” “Get Lean Now,” and last Summer “Get Fit Fast.” It doesn’t always say Get, but it is always something great I as an aspiring cyclist need to have – “Legs of Steel,” “The best Shape of Your LIfe,” Make Your Bike Faster,” Beat Stress,” you get the picture. This time of year, get real, it should say, “Get Off The Couch,” or maybe “Get Warm With Cycling,” something a little more realistic to people in this hemisphere in the Winter.

The rest is pretty good and something exciting, Emporia, Kansas and the Dirty Kanza 200 indirectly made the cover. The “10 Amazing Rides” Headline. Check it out. On page 71 there is a list of ten rides to try around the country. The Dirty Kanza is listed – Nice!

Hey Bobby, maybe we should shoot that cover idea? Anyone want to see Kansas Bicycling Magazine?

Get outside. Feed Your Monkey!

-Eric

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What a day I had today, One of the best I have had in awhile. I think I turned the corner mentally while I was riding today and it made a huge difference. Let me explain.

Looks like I have gained quite a few new followers, so for you newbies to Adventure Monkey, I have Fridays off from the cube, and that means Fridays are for riding. I look forward to my Friday ride all week. I had a lot to do today, so I wanted to get an early start on the ride. I took Melissa and her friend to school and then it was daddy’s time. I checked the Adventure Monkey Facebook page to see if anyone had told me where I should ride the night before. I thought it would be fun to ask where I should ride and if it looked possible, I would go where my fans wanted me to go. I am going to do this again. It was a fun way to create a route.

I took the advice from Mr. Story, another photographer that made suggestions on the FB page. I would ride to Saffordville and the to Bazaar and back, about 60 miles. The gravel roads were still mushy, so I was going to ride pavement. I checked out the window and it looked a little foggy, but not too bad. The temperature was supposed to get into the 50′s. My thin but very warm outer layer stayed at home along with the thick gloves.

My glasses became wet and hard to see out of within 2 miles. I put the cover on my beloved Brooks leather saddle since I was riding in a thick cloud. It has been like Portland without the hip bicycle culture this past week with all the fog. I turned on my rear blinking light and my blinking headlamp too. I would be riding on Kansas highways and I wanted to make sure people could see me before they ran me over. Midwestern people are pretty nice and respectful, but not always towards cyclists. Seems a lot of Midwesterners don’t like to see somebody not using gasoline.

Riding in the cloud layer made the cold breeze feel colder than usual. I went riding in the snow when we were in negative temperatures and I felt colder on this ride because of the dampness. FYI – Please don’t ride on the highways when it’s foggy. This is not a smart thing to do. My Adventure Monkey didn’t want any advice from the Logical Monkey, so away I rode.

Weatherwise, it was a miserable morning. It was 35ºF with a blowing SE wind, strong wet fog and thick clouds overhead. I was cold and damp. My Adventure Monkey loved it. I was warmed up and pedaling strong.

I made it to Saffordville without any problem. It’s only about 12 miles away. Well I made it to the sign anyway. I wasn’t about to turn down the gravel road and cover my bike with mud. I didn’t want to clean my bike or ride in mud. I took this picture and called Saffordville done. On to Strong City.

Saffordville done

I don't have a lens for wildlife, but these are two bald eagles. They were tearing apart some kind of carcass when I rode by, then they flew into the tree.

Tree in the fog

I made it to Strong City, stopped in the gas station to use the bathroom and headed towards Cottonwood Falls. I was now pedaling south and into a headwind that was supposed to get stronger as the day progressed. I rode the mile long bicycle path to Cottonwood Falls, saw some geese and rode over the old bridge. I was having a good time. I stopped a little too long calling to the geese and taking pictures of the bridge. I was wet and cold, a bad combination. I needed to start pedaling again to build up some heat.

This cornfield was covered in geese. I tried to yell to get them to fly for a picture but I guess I wasn't annoying enough. I was getting cold and had to go.

Cottonwood Falls bridge; what worried me was the flag was flying and the wind was picking up.

Cottonwood Falls. I love the old hotel in the background. I'll have to check that out someday.

The city of Cottonwood Falls. It looks like a movie set to me and I can't resist taking a picture every time I pass through.

Another history lesson for those that are interested - click on the picture to make it bigger

Here's a history lesson for those that are interested - click on the picture to make it bigger

After passing through Cottonwood Falls I was on the Scenic Byway 177. It is a very scenic route, but it was so foggy, that you couldn’t see far into the hills. I didn’t even take any pictures off the scenic overlook. I would have just shot a picture of gray fog. This part of the ride was when things became a bit harder. Riding into a headwind and being cold can turn anyone’s spirits low. As I was riding my brain was in active mode. I was thinking about my attitude and how I am negative quite a bit. On long rides and really in any endurance event, if one lets negative thoughts invade the mind, it’s over. I began to practice being positive. Not just on the surface like saying, “hey I’m on my bike and not at work, so this is great!” I needed to go deeper. I had some experience with biofeedback in college, basically trying to control the body (heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, etc) to deal with stress. I visualized while I rode. I’ll try to explain.

I was visualizing a bright positive white light within me, coming from deep within my bones where the blood and immune system components are made. This energy from within was activating my stem cells to go to work and create what my body needed and flowed to the surface and out of me cleansing me of negativity. It was the light, the life, the power that God put in me. I know it sounds weird and new agey, but I have used visualization to help me on tests in college and even get rid of a wart. The mind is a powerful thing if we put it to use.

With this visual of a strong body, I also reminded myself that my body is very capable, it’s my mind that I have to get on board. I saw my body as a well oiled machine. Even though it was miserable outside, I saw the beauty in every breath I took. I was basically doing everything I could to be positive from my bones to my brain. I was trying to make the mind-body-spirit connection on my ride. Did it work?

The road into the wind on Scenic Byway 177

I made it. This area had so many gravel roads I wanted to ride, but too muddy.

That just sounds weird to me

Something happened that’s for sure. Even on the way back riding into the wind, I was pushing harder than I have in a long time. I felt great, mentally and physically. Any negative thought was captured and removed before I let it fester in my mind. It was a dreary morning with a strong headwind, and it felt great to be alive. Part of this was because I was on a bike. Bicycles are magical and have the power to let you experience the world first hand in a way that can only be felt while powering yourself on a bike. When I had made it home and completed my ride, I felt incredible, invincible. My adventure Monkey was curled up in a ball, sucking his thumb, asleep with a full belly. Oh don’t get me wrong, there were a few moments of negativity, but working at being positive in this deep way was very empowering. I am going to need this if I am going to complete the DK 200.

Hopefully I will recover well because I will be riding with the High Gear cyclists again this Sunday. That last ride was so good, it was also posted HERE and HERE.

Boots on the fence posts

The Fargo

The road towards Cottonwood Falls

The Fargo taking a break

Check out THIS blog. Why? He talks about the Adventure Monkey that’s why. He’s my 41st real fan. I have 280 fans on the AM FB page, but I can’t get much response from them. All true fans post comments at the bottom of the blog post (hint, hint). That’s how cyber discussions start. Thanks to those that have. I got linked from HERE too! Wow, I am going to have to start practicing my autograph again (used to do that as a kid, like you didn’t). You’d think companies would start giving me free cameras, lenses and bike parts with at least 41 people reading this. That’s quite a market share.

Any finally, (if you are still reading this you ARE a true Adventure Monkey fan) I need something other than Cliff Bars. Putting a Cliff bar into my system is like a chemistry experiment. First I have to ingest it. If I broke off a few teeth, I probably wouldn’t even realize it. Second and more importantly, something in those Cliff bars creates the most foul smelling gas inside of me. If my gas makes ME disgusted, then it’s pretty bad. It’s almost instantaneous. Cliff bar in, gas up. Wow. Then I feel bloated. I need to maintain my energy levels with some kind of nutrition for long rides. What do you use? I need to try something new. I am looking into nuun tabs and hammer gel, but what works for you?

Feed your Monkey! –Eric

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Me

I have gotten into great cycling shape and I don’t want to do what I do every year in the winter. Normally I hang my bike up at the first sign of frost and wait for warm weather to ride it again. This summer, already contemplating the cold weather, I started asking people about riding in the winter and I also found a few websites that discuss winter cycling like here and here and here. Seems like it IS possible.

I bought a pair of Pearl Izumi leg warmers for the cool fall weather and liked them so much I got on their website to look at their selection of winter tights. I was a bit confused at the selection and just wanted something really warm. Instead of ordering something in this confused state I emailed the company and wondered if I would get any response to a newbie asking, “What are your very warmest tights?”

To my surprise they emailed me back within a few hours. I love good customer service. Not only was my question answered, they let me know what their warmest tights, tight bibs and jackets were. Once again I was impressed by Pearl Izumi.

I ordered the Pearl Izumi AmFIB Bib tights and the Pearl Izumi Kodiak long sleeve jersey. I never thought that I would get so excited for some tights to come in the mail, but that’s what has happened to me this year.

Thanksgiving morning was going to be the perfect day to test these out. It was 27ºF outside, the grass had a layer of frost on it and the puddles had ice in them. I have never been excited for cold weather before, never. Here is what I had on from the feet up:

non-appropriate, worn out jogging shoes

wicking sport ankle socks covered by thick wool (maybe synthetic blend) socks

biking shorts

Pearl Izumi AmFIB Bib tights

wicking long sleeve shirt from Winterguard (like underarmor)

Pearl Izumi Kodiak long sleeve jersey

Cheap Performance cycling jacket w/ fleece interior and wind stopping exterior

Ear warming headband (fleece)

Pearl Izumi cyclone gloves

Ummm, should've stopped at the first shot, but I was feeling good after my first ride ever in the cold.

I was excited to ride, until I opened the garage door. The rear of the AmFIB Bib tights is a warm breathable material like other tights, while the front is a waterproof material much like a wet suit. This is supposed to guard the front of the legs from wind as you pedal and allow heat to dissipate out the back. There is a spot of the waterproof material in the lower back region too (see pictures). There was a breeze (it is Kansas) and as soon as I got outside the back of my legs were shocked by the cold air. Yikes. I wasn’t going to give up. The tights were $100, so I was in.

The ankles are tight and have a rubbery material to keep them in place. It works. There are zippers in the ankles to help get in and out of the bibtights. To my satisfaction the zippers feel sturdy. The front of the tights are pretty thick and they feel warm. I used their fit chart and ordered a small and they fit perfect. I felt like I had something pretty substantial on with these bib tights.

The Kodiak jersey was also new. It is a long sleeve jersey with fleece interior and a thicker polyester exterior. It is not wind proof and not supposed to be, but I wanted a nice long sleeve jersey to add as another layer in the cold. The main zipper down the front is another sturdy zipper. There is a pocket on the chest with a typical little zipper, hard to pull with gloves. On the back there are three pockets, one with another sturdy zipper.

Both Pearl Izumi garments have the feel of the higher end variety. Sturdy seams, zippers and material. The jersey seems to run a bit small, I got a medium and it just fits, but fits perfect. Sorry about the crappy pictures. I laid the garments on the living room floor to shoot real quick:

sturdy ankle zippers

full frontal of the bib tights

Rear

Pearl Izumi Kodiak front

more sturdy zippers

sturdy zipper on the middle rear pocket

soft fleece on the inside

I rode a little over 16 miles. It started at 27ºF and warmed into the low 30′s on the way home and there was a constant breeze.

As I started riding, I was nothing but cold. As I got into the wind, riding up the hill leading out of my neighborhood and my face froze, my hands were cold and my eyes began to water. Not a great start, but my legs were not cold – cool but not cold. I knew I just needed to warm up, but my tearing up eyes were a little concerning. Sight is usually pretty valuable while riding.

I stopped at the stop sign about one mile out and that warmed me a little. About two to three miles in, I began to warm up substantially. My eyes quit watering, my face was OK, although my chin was a bit numb and my fingers were a bit cold. About five to six miles in, I had to stop. I was too hot. I couldn’t believe it. I took off the cycling jacket and lowered the zipper on my jersey. I was not the least bit cold. Once my body temperature was up and I took off the outer jacket, I was able to ride comfortably in the freezing temperatures. On a side wind, I could feel the cold air through the rear of my tights, but it was OK. My hands were fine too, although the cyclone gloves are more cool weather than cold weather gloves and you might want to check out THIS review of them before purchasing. My feet were fine too. In colder weather in the teens I will need thicker gloves, warmer shoes or covers and something to cover my face, but my legs and upper body could take it in what I had on. In cold, wet winter weather, it may be nice to have the entire tight to be waterproof not just the front. Overall, I was quite impressed with the AmFIB bib tights and the Kodiak jersey.

So the verdict is, cycling in the winter IS possible. It is important to dress so that you don’t sweat too much. If you are all sweaty, and you stop to fix a flat or take a picture or moo at the cows, you will freeze. Wicking fabrics are important and layers that can be removed if you get too hot are important as well. I began to sweat with the cycling jacket on, so even though it felt unnatural, I took it off to maintain that warm but not too hot feeling as I rode. A face cover, thicker gloves and better shoes and I am good to go all winter. It does get sloppy and dangerous to ride with the ice and slush here in Kansas and that may stop me, but not the cold temperatures.

I am planning on going to High Gear today to plan the photoshoot of my new bike coming to life. I am pretty excited about it! Hopefully I will be able to do that Friday and have a first ride report by Monday. We’ll see how the week plays out.

Thanks for reading! Now get outside and Feed Your Monkey!

Eric

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Last Friday morning it was in the 40′s and the wind was blowing from the north. I stayed pretty warm on that ride, only my legs were a bit cold, but not too bad. We had a lot of rain and the roads were pretty muddy. The mud has a lot of clay in it and it is pretty sticky. It was a pain to ride in. That mixed with the cold weather was a little depressing. I found this paved road and stuck to it. I would have gone farther, but I didn’t want to fight the mud anymore, so I stayed on the pavement. Stopping to shoot these pictures cooled me down a little and I would have to ride to warm up again. The Northern wind was pretty chilly.

Paved road to Kahola

Tree in the field

The Giant ATX 760

Bontrager Rebel Super X's after shedding some mud

Sunlit bike parts

natural color contrast

moss on the branches

blue moss

Giant of the Road

hearts on a shed

Today was going to be a bit different. Riding creates a constant wind chill, so it would be about 30ºF the whole ride. I don’t have all the proper cycling clothes, but I figured I would just see how it felt with what I had. I had never ridden in the cold before so this could be a quick ride since I don’t like being cold. Here’s what I put on:

Feet:   thin sport socks (to wick away the sweat) with thick winter socks (some kind of wool blend) over them. Tennis shoes not made for cycling (new shoes are on my list)
Legs:  skin tight long underwear (cotton synthetic blend) Pearl Izumi skin tight, fleece lined leg warmers, cycling shorts (I have thick winter cycling tights on my list)
Upper body:   winterguard baselayer longsleeve to wick away sweat, summer cycling jersey, fleece lined arm warmers, performancebike.com fleece lined wind jacket
Head:   ear warmer headband under my helmet
Hands:   Summer cycling gloves with some neoprene hunting gloves on top (winter cycling gloves are on my list)

The roads were dry and I didn’t have to fight the mud. My sister’s birthday was today, so I couldn’t ride too long, but I was comfortable enough to take a nice long ride. At times, I could feel the wind through my tights, but my legs never got cold. I know that you want to keep the moisture away from your skin in the cold. That is the good thing about cycling or hiking clothes made of synthetic materials like fleece. It wicks away the sweat. The jacket I was wearing didn’t have any pit vents which would be nice to let some air through. I actually got a little too warm and sweaty although I stayed comfortable the entire ride. It did start out a little unbearable, but less than 1-2 miles into the ride, my body had produced enough heat to warm me up. I was not even cold. My face started out cold, but after my body started producing heat, I was comfortable. I could have ridden even if it was a little colder. I can do it! I thought riding in the cold would be impossible, but actually it’s pretty nice if your are dressed for it.

In the cold, the air is crisp and it has a different feeling to it. It feels nice when you are dressed right – that’s the important part. When I was a kid, I used to walk out into the country for miles with my dog in the cold weather. I would lie on my back in a bed of thick weeds that grew up in a circular shape and watch the clouds pass overhead. My dog would lay next to me. It’s another one of my happy places – so peaceful. I had that same feeling riding in the cold. It was a nice ride. Riding in the cold seems harder than in the warm weather, but it is good to be riding and off the couch, feeding my Adventure Monkey.

Here’s a few images of the ride. The Fall colors are not completely out yet, they are just starting to show. I passed a house with some dogs. One big mother dog and two puppies. The mother barked and growled at me, but I could tell they were happy dogs. A mile or two down the road I was surprised to see the puppies were still running with me. I stopped to introduce myself and take a picture. They ran with me for about six miles, tongues hanging out, smiles on their faces. I had to pick up the pace, so I could lose them before I got to a road that was a bad place for animals. I am not sure about riding in the snow and ice, but now I know the cold won’t stop me.

a field of milo

my new friends

Now go and Feed Your Monkey!

–EB

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