Ponderosa Ride II

Another mild winter day gets us out to see some countryside. Brian and Greg were already at the parking lot of the Prairie View Lake when I arrived at 1PM. Dave P. was going to be a little late so we rode the limestone path around the lake. There were hundreds of geese in the water and in the fields along the path. Once back at the parking lot Dave P. was there and ready to go. There was a pretty stiff west wind so we rode out Dutch Hall Rd heading right into it. The hills out there are killer. However, the surface of the gravel was really compact and smooth.

We made a quick stop at the Ponderosa to fuel up for the ride back. The combination of the wind at our backs and the hills in our favor made the ride back fast and fun. Great ride today. And thanks to Dave P. for remembering to bring a camera. Here is the google map for the Ponderosa Ride...

View Ponderosa Ride in a larger map

MNR/MNS

(Monday Night Ride/Monday Night Snowshoe) Some did the ride and some were on snowshoes last night. We got a little bit more snow yesterday on top of the crusty snow we already had. Dave and I didn't want to fall down on our "skinny tire" Mountain Bikes. So we set off packing down the snow for Chris P, Mike W, and Dale. It was a cold night but there was no wind and the fog rolling in added some nice effect. Dave rigged up snowshoe lights...

Dale - Fat Tires, we don't need no stinking Fat Tires!

Chris P and Mike W - Ten pounds of air is too much.

Paul and Dave - Is there snowshoeing in the Winter X Games?
Not a great video but gives you the idea

Marin Bikes - Sold

Well I like Marin bikes so I guess you could say I'm sold. But the fact is they just got sold. I was reading BikeRumor and noticed this article posted about a European based investment firm called Minestone Limited that bought Marin. I've always been interested in Marin because of there location in the heart of "where it all started". I thought it was interesting that their headquarters was once the recording studio of the the band "Greatful Dead". I also like how their bikes are named after trails on "Mount Tam" in Marin County north of San Francisco. Here is the Marin video...

Fat Bikes and Showshoes

The snow hadn't stopped falling when we got out to play over at Tranquility this afternoon. The wet heavy snow packed nicely but there was quite a bit of it to pack.

The long awaited arrival of Chris P's Pugsley is over. It's a beautiful thing and has a custom - one of a kind paint job. The green fading to black is really nice.

I started the afternoon out on my snowshoes. Jena and I helped pack down a loop north of the creek while Chris and Mike rode their fat bikes.

Mike and Jena were searching for sporting goods that will probably get found in the spring.

Mike's hands stay warm with mits that attach to his bars. After a while I couldn't wait any more and had to try riding my SS. It was challenging but fun. Great to get outside.

Chris is making it look easy.

Big Mike has to duck for the log arch.

Mr. Wong has a passenger of the abominable sort.

Chris and Mike packin it down.

Old Guy Yoga - Class Five

With temps close to 60 I decided to ride to Old Guy Yoga yesterday. I took the long way around and rode some Tranquility dirt before riding through Standing Bear Lake to get to the Saddlebrook Community Center. In addition to going through the Sun Salutation a few times, we talked about some ways that yoga can be done at your desk chair. Our homework this week is to practice the "x" poses, and movements for spine articulation: flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation (and drink lots of water).

In the video below Mark Wolgin, MD shows some Lumbar Spine Exercises. Even though he doesn't mention yoga, some of the exercises in the later part of the video are the same as what we are learning in the Wednesday night class.