Bar Trek

A good friend and former Decorah resident Dusty Bennet is currently a Trek Employee. He rode with us in Colorado this March and told us we would have to come out and try the Trek trails this summer. O'Gara, Fuhrmann, Jim Tripp and I headed out early Saturday morning enroute to Waterloo, WI. We were a little worried that the trails might be wet as we were driving in the rain and it was heading the same way we were, but a quick call to Dusty and the Trail Boss confirmed conditions were ok to ride.

Dusty has collected quite the stable of bikes. One so big it envokes a sinister laughing spree.

This tree has it's own Trek Head Badge.

Pre Ride Beverages. Dusty's wife Victoria is a Chemist, and a Home Brew Wizard.

The Features at Jim's Trails are a lot of fun, and luckily for us, well marked.

Ever had your tube jump out of your tire and attack your fork like a Boa Constrictor? Me either, and I wasn't about to let my tube get away with it. So I let the air out, un wrapped it, Shoved it back inside the tire, and pumped it up. She held for the rest of the ride.
I like my Fuhrmann on the rocks.

Trail Work Time

It's time to earn your keep.

One of the best things about the Decorah trail system is that we've been able to build over 17 miles of mt. bike/hiking specific trails in Palisades, Ice Cave, Dunning's Spring, and Van Peenen Park. One of the downsides however is that we must voluntarily maintain the trails during the prime riding season. A few years ago, the parks were un-rideable do to over grown weeds. Now we help from everyone in the group to keep them rideable. That's why we're trying the Adopt-a-Trail system. DHPT has been buying trail building and maintenance equipment for about 2 years that any member can use to help keep our trails ridable. Contact either bike shop to use the DR trimmer, Weed Eaters, Nippers, rakes, shovels, etc.

The Trail Adoptees so far:

River Trail - Jesse Reyerson
Pines - Wes Gregg
Palisades - Doug & Diane Osborn and friends
Death Valley - Gunnar Rush
Ice Cave - Luther Cross Country Team (Steve and Yarrow Pasche)
Dunning's Loop - Luther Cross Country Team
Dust Bowl - Kirk Johnson
Gunnar & Julia - Need Volunteer
Mother's Day - Need Volunteer
Little Big Horn - Need Volunteer
Boa - Need Volunteer

As for the condition of the trails after the Time Trials - A few minor repairs and everything is in great shape. We heard some concern from some out of towners about how our trails would hold up to the rain and the riders. Well, fortunately our stuff holds up pretty good. About 4 hours of trail work and Mother's Day is in rockin' shape. That's the beauty of Off Camber.

This is an after Picture of the work on Mother's Day.

This is a before pic of Mother's Day.

Here's Diggy - Guarding the stakes.

The New watershed where Mother's Day meets Boa

The usual suspects: Deke, Vral, Doug and Diane.

Bike to Work week

Hope you are getting out and pushing pedals on your commute to work this week.
As you can tell, I take the gravel route to the office.
God Bless Iowa.

Side Note: The May Time Trials will be this Thursday in Van Peenen, starting at the Fire Pit. Be there no earlier than 6:30. You can ride the course anytime after that. Bring meat to grill something tasty to drink.

When you drink, ride, don't drive.

I am one who once found out the hard way that when you're too drunk to drive, it's safer to ride. That and it's a lot easier to escape and hide a bicycle than a truck. This guy should follow suit. This is the faster Breathalizer Fail I've ever seen, and I've seen some doosies.