My First Time

Photo courtesy Big Worm

On a road ride, and I liked it. We rolled from Zone 5 in Tallahassee Fl. on a clear Saturday, temps were in the mid 60s, perfect. Big Worm was to be my teacher in the ways of the roadie. I have to admit I was nervous. Stories of being yelled at for the slightest error by a bunch of testosterone fueled cyclists had me gripping the bars like it was a race. I did get yelled at but they let me go awhile before they started the corrections.





"Mr. Norman! Get on that wheel!" Was the first thing I heard as we tooled along two abreast while cars impatiently zipped past. The white line was to my right and BW was off my left handlebar, about 4 inches off. It seemed like I was already too close to the rider in front of me, what, you want me to get closer? "You have to trust the guy in front of you." I don't even know the guy in front of me, if he sneezes I'll be on him. Just relax I told myself, you'll never make the end of the ride like this.





Speaking of the "end of the ride". No one but Mr. Silk knew how long we were going to ride. It was a surprise to everybody when we headed for Monticello, which would end up being about 70 miles and 4 hours round trip. Steve A. and Lil Ball both stated that they wouldn't have signed on if they'd known. Sissies! I thought to myself early in the ride. I could go like this for days! Of course that ended up being soooo wrong.





They told me I didn't have to "pull" on this ride. In roadie talk this just means be in the front. Well Silk and I were discussing some up coming rides and before I knew it we were "pulling". I could immediately feel the difference, especially with the head wind. So I got down in the drops (isn't my use of roadie talk impressive?) and pedaled harder. Silk and I continued our discussion unaware of the turmoil my blistering pace was causing behind me. I heard BW holler "Norman, move over!" I assumed I was going too fast for them, but that wasn't it.





Seems I was weaving all over my side of the road. Truth is I was so glad not the be hemmed in on both sides, I was like a dog off the leash. Unfortunately that made if difficult for the rider behind me to stay in the draft. I asked Silk what was wrong to which he replied "Just some roadie sh#*." Indeed.

About that time I started to get tired, my butt hurt, and my arms were getting a little numb. Then the Shankanator got on the front. I quickly learned why I needed to stay on the wheel of the guy in front of me. Man it was like I couldn't get close enough! Finally he pulled off into his neighborhood and the pace dropped back to almost bearable.

We got split up near the end of the ride with people doing their own little sprints. Lil Ball herded me close to Zone 5 and then went his own way home. I still managed to get turned around but ended up seeing Mo Mo's Pizza so I knew where I was.

After the ride my lovely wife T and I ended up at Oscars in beautiful downtown Havana. Sitting outside in front of the fireplace. A cold Peroni beer, a plate of chicken Parmesan with hot bread, under the stars, what a great way to end the day.

I'm ready for the next one!

Tour Time Again

March 3rd is the date this year for the second annual Tour of Amsterdam Mountain Bike Poker Run. I'm planning on a full 30 mile route this year with some different stuff and some stuff run in the opposite direction from last year.

The ride is held on 14,000 acres of privately owned land just outside of Attapulgus Ga.We will have 50 entries that will include the Dancing Chickens for lunch, if we get more than that we'll cook burgers and dogs if folks want them. Unfortunately we are limited on the Dancing Chickens due to the fact that Mr. Boatright can only cook so many. He donates his time, expertise, and food. So we can have as many bikes as we want but first 50 will get the Chickens. I hope we get more than 50, if we do please understand about the lunch. Your money is going to a good cause.

All the proceeds go to benefit the Children's Miracle Network at Shands Hospital in Gainesville Fl.

I spend a lot of time on this property but it's still a treat for me to be able to ride it. There's nothing technical and no real single track but it's a different place to ride.

I'll arrow it better this year so Carol won't get lost again.

I will also go 5 deep on the poker run prizes instead of 3 like I did last year.


I think everybody who entered last year had a good time. Some got lost, some took a while to do the route, but I didn't hear any major complaints.

Please help me spread the word. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

The address for entering is: shandsgiving.org

The Hammock

Yea, I wimped out on the 62 mile option at the San Felasco mountain bike ride last weekend. The split was at the top of a power line climb at mile 45, I had been working hard, and just caught Lil Ball (LB) and Big Tony (BT). I just couldn't make myself do it, but I have a story as to why.

My plan earlier that day had been to conserve my legs (and butt) by stopping at every sag to eat a little and stretch. At the sag after lunch at about mile 38, but before the 50/62 split, I stopped for another half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, as I took my first bite I noticed Big Worm (BW) and the rest of the crew had kept on rolling. The chase was on.

I caught Wrecking Ball first then Derwood (pushing his bike, cramps). I could see Big Worm and Lil Wrecking Ball (LWB) across a field as they started into the woods. I had left B on the dusty trail after lunch and was just wondering how he was doing when my cell phone rang. As a parent you never stop worrying about your kid, I heard it go to voice mail. I wondered if I should stop, then I looked up just in time to see the life flight helicopter go by. Aw crap. It was about this time I passed BW and LWB. As I came out on the power line I ran into LB and BT. We climbed up to the 50/62 split sag together. It was there I yanked out my phone and listened to the voice mail. BW rolled right on by and onto the split that headed for the 50 mile finish.

Well B was just calling me because he had gotten confused at the last sag about which way to go but he figured it out. At that time I was tired, my elbows were sore, and BW was just ahead. I let BT and LB go on the 62 mile split and took off after BW. I told myself to remember how I felt at that moment so later after a couple of beers I wouldn't beat myself up for bailing.

I caught BW and we rolled back to the finish together (well almost). Everybody else made it in in one piece. The Magnificent Big Jim rolled most of the 62 mile ride at a blistering pace and therefore did not have any bearing on my story. If he keeps this up I'll stop mentioning him all together. LWB did a great job on his first 50, dropping back at 42 miles out but still finishing not long after BW and I. When you look around you don't see too many 14-19 year olds riding this event. I'm proud of both of our juniors.

Anyhoo 50 miles wasn't bad for an old man and I still had a little in the tank for a road ride the next day. This years San Felasco seemed so much easier and much more fun than last years.

It's hard to imagine but both the juniors could drive down by themselves next year. Wow, and it was just last year I felt I had to follow B in from the lunch sag when it was his first 50. Time flies, but it's these kind of days that make the flight worth it.

I'm Excited!

Good rides this past week. Rolling through Weems Plantation with Big Worm, Wrecking Ball, and Lil Ball.

Wrecking Ball looks way too happy about the flat. He wasn't as happy at the end of the ride.

After I stopped and lent him a tube he complained about my bike smelling like dog crap. Bad Karma.

This is him around the 2 hour mark. I wish I had video. The grunting sounds he was making were interesting. There wasn't any dog crap on his bike, I think he just felt like crap.

Big Worm rolls up his sleeves in preparation for the butt whipping he would soon apply to us. Not really, it was a light effort for the most part.

Big Jim is noticeably absent from these rides. What's up with that?

We ate lunch at Monks. The hardest part about the day was finding a place to park when we got there. I was probably the oldest person in the place.

The new trainer is up and running in my garage. I haven't used a light on the bike so far this year. I have a TV and an old DVD player hooked up so I can watch cycling movies while I pedal in one spot for what seems like hours. Not what I'd call fun but it beats driving an hour round trip to Tallahassee to ride in sketchy weather. Ask me how much I like it in a month.

I pulled the trigger on a new Felt F55X CX bike. It's in town but hasn't been built up yet. I feel like a kid at Christmas. Isn't new bike day fun? I'm planning all kinds of long paved and graded road rides. Maybe something across the Apalachicola National Forest before it gets too hot? 100 miles on graded roads? Pretty big plans for an old an who's never ridden more than 50 miles huh?

The Tour of San Felasco is this weekend. 50 or 62 miles of great trails just North of Gainesville. I hope to do the 62 mile option but I fear I'm mentally weak and when presented with the option at mile 45 I will head for the beer and pizza at the finish. That's the finish at mile 50. We'll see.

The TOUR OF AMSTERDAM 30 mile mountain bike poker run is scheduled for March 3, 2012. The course will be slightly different than last year and I'll spread the prizes out to the top 5 poker hands. The first 50 entries for the MTBs will get a lunch ticket, if we get any over that you'll just have to hope someone will share. That sounds kind of harsh but we can only feed a limited number. We had 32 riders last year so I'm optimistic we will fill up quick.

I gotta go. My phone's ringing, maybe it's Higher Ground calling to tell me my bike's ready.

Back At It

2012, sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. But it's here, like it or not. My mind's still back in 2004 or there abouts. I keep thinking 1986 was just 10 years ago. I know; it makes no sense to me either.

I was fortunate enough to be able to take the last two weeks of 2011 off. When you've worked at one place for 25 years you should get some perks. Anyhoo, except for a rest day, T's birthday, and a couple of days for Christmas, I pedaled my bikes every day.

It started with a ride from Piney Z to Munson using an old paved driveway that at one time led to the Piney Z plantation owner's house. For the next day my journal just says "off- bourbon and sugar cookies". The day after that was a single speed ride on clay roads where I learned how hard it was to outrun dogs on a single speed, that night I did the Higher Ground ride. Then it was on to the sewage and trailer park ride, again with BJS and others. That had me and my precious Felt hanging from a chain link fence over Munson Slough (which carries the treated waste water from the city of Tallahassee) and wondering how I would tell T where to come pick me up after I popped. We capped that day off with pizza and beer at Zone 5.

The week after Christmas was much of the same, sleep late, make waffles, and ride. I did borrow a CX bike from Higher Ground and convinced BJS to go with me on a road ride to Quincy. I was hooked and after buying him a very expensive beer at Joanie's in beautiful downtown Havana he rode home, while I made plans to buy another bike.

The last weekend of 2011, and it was time for something special. I have no idea where we went. I know I carried my bike along the edge of a ravine, climbed through two fences, climbed over one fence, trespassed, and went under I-10 using a concrete culvert. Good times!

The first day of 2012 was spent at Forest Meadows on our bikes, trying to run each other off the trail, throw moss, and just generally acting like children. My side hurt from laughing.

I have no idea what BW is doing to Lil Ball in this picture, but it looks like he likes it.

I'm begining the route lay out for the Amsterdam Tour. The event date is March 3, 2012. I need to limit it to 50 entries due to the food deal. I think the 32 riders we had last year enjoyed the ride. I know BW liked the food. I have the option of making it 50 miles this year; what do you think? Did 30 seem like enough? Do you think there's enough interest in doing the event again? I plan to arrow it better since it seems some folks have a hard time following ribbon. I can even make it a race if there's enough interest.

Ain't life grand?