FYI - New Years Day Ride

I'm passing this along:
"Lets meet at Heritage pond for our new years day ride this year. We'll do a mix of trail and gravel riding so bring your fat tires. Looks like a good chance of snow. We're going to wait until 2pm so the Hawks game will hopefully be over. See you then, Happy New Year!! Brian Walsh, Free Flight Bikes, 563-582-4500"

Gearing up for Triple D (prelim trail report)

Things are coming along, all my local home boys have been scoping the route and possible bridge out bypasses, riding some new sections that may be included to mix things up a bit. Will be a great event this year... and they're forecasting temps ranging from 31d to -18d (now that’s good weather forecasting)...

Trail reports are actually pretty good considering all the rain and warm weather that Dubuque had last week. Heritage Trail is still 100% snow and ice covered from Dubuque to Farley. Farley to Dyersville has exposed sections of rock, just like last year. But there's multiple days of snow forecasted prior to the race and no warm days so this section may be usable by the skiers this year.

I've been reading blogs from last year’s racers and others from the area, what a disease winter biking and running has become... check out http://bikedecorah.blogspot.com/ for some great winter ride photos.

Race weekend is also ICEFEST Weekend in Dubuque again this year: http://www.rivermuseum.com/index.cfm#images/icefest_sculptor.jpg

Must watch video

Click on the Title then scroll down partway, video is on the left...

Winter Training - How is it possible?

Ok, I’m attempting to get back into shape for winter biking (I know how strange that sounds, but hear me out)... the problem with this is, I feel like my biking endurance is improving but there's this one problem: Today there was a 95 degree temperature delta and a 115 degree “feels like” delta... as I’m sitting out by the pool tonight (currently 75) I’m trying to comprehend what 115 degrees colder would feel like... I really don’t remember being cold at -20 when racing Arrowhead last year, but now when its 60 I’m putting on my coat for a morning ride...

Surly Swag

The crew at Surly Bikes will be bringing some cool swag for the Triple D Winter Race. They have also forcibly required one of their own to attempt the race. Thanks Guys!

Hotel Sharing

Please drop me a line if you are interested in sharing accomadations at the Grand Harbor Resort for the Triple D Winter Race. I already have a couple who is looking at sharing a room...

For Sale (winter items, updated

• $100, Hopey Steering Damper (#23-900) - http://www.merchantmanager.com/timhopey/ worked great for controlling the squirm that my standard MtnBike experienced in the snow (not an easy installation, but once installed works great).
• $100 Manatu R7 fork (uncut steer’r tube), used maybe for a month or two - like new condition
• SOLD DaveyGie - Two Nokkian Extremes 26" Studded Tires $30 each
• SOLD ZZZ - Pugsley Offset Fork, and Complete Wheel (build with the light weight drilled rim) $250
• SOLD Rear snow wheel (drilled rim 34 mm rim, Star drive DT Swiss 240 freewheel with ceramic bearings) $100 (about 800 miles)
  
  See: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttjcWk7fXqcJVZaMSKXTVHGHlXqmo576MUjzwinxxuMnAqsh0cuNkJE-oCqWpQknfbEuhcOIXQ_Ct-nRgG9c9wLBP_ZA33sQunrQJL4pF2ckZAMLhpkMbTs5EVMWMiSCl4I6hSwfWeRiB/s1600-h/Image1.jpg for a picture of the Offset fork and rear wheel.

Triple D 2009 - Get your hotel booked...

Well, here we are one month out from the 2nd Annual Triple D Winter Race (Bike or Run or Ski)!!!

The most urgent of the announcement is for hotel reservations… as you may be aware of we are at the same location as last year and we have even better group rates than last year (rooms are only $119, and this includes water park passes). BUT this rate is only good for the next two weeks, after which it will be going up to $199! Make sure you get in on our group rate by saying you are with the “Triple D Winter Race”.

You owe it to the family to treat them to a indoor water park and you owe it to yourself to torture yourself at the Triple D winter race. I promise it will be easier this year! (last year this weekend was in the 30’s) …Really… we’ve shorted the bike route by about 8 miles… so how difficult could a 52 mile bike, run or ski race be??? If that’s too much there are 22 mile run and ski versions just like last year.

GU Energy has committed to help sponsor Triple D this year! We have a couple of additional sponsors that are still unconfirmed, but needless to say this will be a good time for all. What other race supplies a free bar tab at the finish line?

Heritage Trail Blog

Here's a link to one of Dubuque’s newer winter riders. Check out his blog for pictures of heritage trail. There are also some good pic's back in November but be forewarned: "there’s blood in his Nov. posts."
http://mrdaveygie.blogspot.com/
Also, I added a "Follow" this blog link on the right side. Click and be known.

Triple D 2009 - First Trail Report

With all the good weather up in Dubuque, I called back to see if there were any rides going on... and sure enough, even at 5d F a hearty group of three (Bill, Karl & Traci) ventured out on the Triple D course to do a little recon for a bridge detour that will need to be incorporated in to this year's route. Also, they found the GATOR that I brought back with me the last time I visited DBQ. But it doesn't look like he's doing to good where I let him loose... so sad. Photos by Karl (Karl's always the only one who remembers to bring the camera, but we rarely see any pictures of him... but looks like someone got his camera and snapped one of him laying down on the job).
Trail report: Snow machines are already out packing it down... good riding (about a 4" base).