The difference is like day and night...

Picked up a L&M Stella 600 a week or so ago for a really decent price thanks to Nathan but hadn't had an opportunity to try them out until last night. I really love what L&M is putting out lately for lights, usually use an Urban 500 but I had a need for a second set of lights.




I was not disappointed by the light that the Stella was throwing out, the sharp focused beam pattern really helps to make them seem brighter than they are.


The only real dig I had on the lights really isn't that huge of a deal but on the Conquest with the dual lights that sit really low on the bars the cables and brake hoods caused shadows. On a mountain bike bar this wouldn't even be an issue, it really isn't on the cross bike either as it still throws more than enough light onto the trail but it was something I noticed.

Went for an early morning ride this morning, crazy Husker fans were tailgating already at 9:30, not sure if I could dedicate that much time to football.

Sun was out, temps were down and just a slight breeze, hoping it stays like this for at least a good month or two. A little less rain would be nice, haven't hit the dirt in a week or so. 

The more things change, the more they look nothing like they did before

Haven't really been riding a lot lately, haven't really felt like riding a lot lately either, so I decided to do just that to see if I could break out of this funk. Decided to take a ride down around the downtown area, lots of new things popping up in that area lately.


Like this guy, not to stir up anything but unless Bob was a pigmy he sorta got screwed in the statue department, the one on the other side of the stadium of Tom is much, much bigger... I think they put him on that pedestal so that the eight year old fans wouldn't tower over him.


Had to sneak a peak of Bob's game plan, see what he had in mind for the game. As it turns out his game plan was nada, pretty much the same one the Huskers had in the second half, guess somethings never change.


Ah, now that's a game plan I understand.


The Haymarket is really changing, thanks in part to the new arena, everywhere you look there are new roads and new buildings, whole blocks that were just dirt and railroad tracks a few years ago.

New Pinnacle Bank Arena from the back side, pretty swanky.


Looking down the ramp and onto Canopy St.

The infamous pedestrian bridge, looks like it's going to be awhile before it's usable.


The new part of the Haymarket is starting to look a lot like the area in Omaha around TD AmeriTrade Park and CenturyLink Arena but I suppose they probably used some of the same contractors. You can almost see the hordes of people descending on the Haymarket looking to spend thousands of dollars on beer and food before heading into the new arena, suppose it should do wonders for the local economy if you can look past the traffic and the crowds.

After I got done playing tourist I decided to head out to Pioneers Park, it was just what I needed, the legs weren't quite what they should be but it was nice to get out and get in a decent ride. Bonus that it wasn't 90+ degrees out and I fixed the shifting problem on the Conquest, hopefully it will be a beautiful fall with lots of miles of riding left in the year. 

Things must be looking up...

 

First time I have seen water in this fountain in a few years, been a rough couple of summers but with all the moisture we've had this year we must either be officially out of the drought or very close. 

 

Another sign that times are getting better is all the new construction going on downtown, I know that the construction has been planned for years but if the economy were that horrible I still believe there would be a lot fewer structures popping up nothing stops progress faster than lack of money. I am glad to see the original canopy from the train station going back up, it's about the only recognizable feature in this part of the Haymarket. 

And then there's this thing, lots of talk and anticipation about the opening and all the concerts coming into town... if you as me it sorta looks like a giant bedpan from the backside. I guess that's only fitting since we already have the "Penis of the Plains" we might as well have the "Bedpan of the Prairie" to go along with it. 

Spring is just around the corner

It's almost beginning to look like spring might actually be around the corner, it's amazing how warm 24 degrees and sunny feels after months of much colder temps. With another storm possible tomorrow figured today was a good day to get out and do a little riding.
 
Lots of cranes popping all over the place in downtown Lincoln recently.


The arena and out buildings are starting to come along... can almost see what the final product will look like now.




This one looks better bigger but like it or hate it the face of the Haymarket is drastically changing.


Despite the warming temps the trails are still mostly deserted... and brown... and desolate looking but green is just around the corner.

The sun doesn't always shine

Tried to get a ride in this morning, got up looked at the forecast and promptly went back to bed. Temps were good but 23+ mph winds and 50-60% chance of rain wasn't quite what I had in mind. So I ended up with plan B, a ride at night.

Didn't really have anywhere in particular to go so I decided to check out the new Lincoln Amtrak station... not too shabby.

Arena is coming along as well, might be open by 2014. 

Bridge over 27th is finally open though so there's that, only took them the majority of the summer to get er done, thank god nobody uses it in the summer time or it would have been really inconvenient. Temps in the mid 60's and just a gentle breeze made for a heck of a night to ride. 

All aboard

We had a train, truth be told she wasn't much to look at from a historical stand point, the colors were wrong, the marking inaccurate... hell it never even moved... but it was our train and she stood her ground for the last two plus decades. Despite all of this or perhaps because of it she became much more than a hulk of rusting steel, she was a play ground for children, a backdrop for amateur and professional photographers alike, a seat for romantic couples to sit, eat their ice cream fresh from Ivana Cone and talk of the past, the present and the possibilities of the future. Ages of people came, saw and spent some time with her before moving on and taking the memory with them.







Then a community decided a shiny new arena is what it needed... and out with the old and in with the new became the motto for the day. Gone is the hulking, rusting metal, gone is the backdrop, gone is the colorfully inaccurate train and with it generations worth of memories. Unceremoniously carried away to the scrap heap, sold by the pound for the current market value of the steel alone because memories hold no value in the world of commerce where priceless doesn't exist.




I suppose progress is inevitable, time marches on... here today, gone tomorrow. Get 'em while there hot!

Just another Saturday...

Temps are starting to warm up again after a few weeks of colder temps, unfortunately the mornings are still as chilly as they have been but it won't be long now and warmer day will be here to stay.





Work on the new Pinnacle Arena is coming along, it's almost starting to look like something more than a pile of dirt.





Here's what it looked like back in July, tracks moved and dirt groomed.





Here it is in September, not much progress still just a pile of dirt pretty much.





Lots of work was done by December, it's almost distinguishable as what it will be. It's come along way in the last 8 months, aside from the insane traffic that it's going to create it will be nice to not have to go all the way to Omaha to see a decent concert. The arena isn't the new construction going on in the Haymarket, a new motel is going up as well but at a much faster rate. Lots of construction cranes in the downtown area for sure, the face of Lincoln's skyline is changing.





After breezing through the Haymarket I decided because of the wind to stay on the north side of town, heading east/west to try to avoid heading due north into the teeth of the beast. I have to say I remember them closing Holdrege rd. bridge in 2008 shortly after the massive bridge collapse in Minneapolis but I didn't remember seeing anything else on the bridge... apparently they decided to tear it down in 2009 and build a pedestrian bridge in 2010. I guess that shows how long it's been since I traveled the bike routes on the north side. The fairly new Holdrege rd. pedestrian bridge in all it's rusted glory.









I decided to take the John Dietrich Bikeway, which winds through northern Lincoln following the train tracks along Cornhusker Hwy for the most part.









It's a nice trail, almost as nice as any of the trails in town even those on the south side of town but one thing I have always noticed about the Dietrich is how devoid of traffic it seems to be every time I am on it. On the bright side it does mean less people dodging and nothing but the blissful hiss of tires on pavement, leaving you alone to clear your mind and hit the proverbial reset button.

On a side note, I picked up some new winter shoes and some Woolie Boolie socks from Adventure Monkey when they were practically giving them away. Between the shoes and the socks my cold feet problems are a thing of the past, I have to say cold weather riding is a lot more enjoyable when you can feel your feet.





Great pair of shoes for keeping your feet warm on the colder days.





Feed your Monkey!

It's a 60/30 split

60s today and 30s tomorrow, I guess while that might not make mathematical sense it does fit with the fact that winter has only been 90% involved this year. I am pretty sure the missing 10% was used up a couple of winters ago when it was giving us at least a 110% effort. But in the tradition of living in the present, tonight was a great night!




Riding on the fringe.



Clear skies and artificial amber waves of grain.



ZOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!! The Haymarket was a little crazy tonight.