Heigh-Ho, It's Off To Ride We Go

Few things will get me out of bed before the roosters crow these days, not to say that I am a slacker but I used to get up at 4 am on the regular so now when I don't have to I chose not to. Gravel might be that exception, it is almost like the 7 Dwafs but instead of Heigh-ho a fellow rider will bellow out Grav-el, Grav-el, it's off to ride I go... and the rest of us fall in line rounding out the chorus.


Due to the Frosty Bike Ride happening at the shop later in the day, there wasn't an official Saturday morning ride but since we still wanted to get in a few miles an unofficial ride was created. So at Oh Dark Thirty in the morning I found myself making the trek to Cycle Works to meet up with the rest of the crazies.


We outnumbered the dwarfs by 3, even if you counted Sarah as Snow White we were still top heavy in the dwarf department; so no harmonious mining songs were sung on our way out of town. Probably to the benefit of any delicate ears that might have been out and about at that time in the morning, a barbershop quartet we are not.


Since we were up before the sun, there weren't too many photo opportunities. Even when the light was sufficient to allow the shutter to capture images that weren't totally blown out, there just isn't much to see in a world of darkness. Fortunately it wasn't too long before the first light started to appear on the eastern horizon.

There was a bit of a time restraint on the ride as we had to get back around 9-9:30 if possible to help out with things before the Frosty Bike Ride kicked off at 11 am. It was decided that we'd scoot out to Randy's Corner, sit a spell and then head back to town. I was also curious to see if the RG stickers on the stop sign and junction box were still there or if someone had vandalized our previous vandalism; as luck would have it both stickers were still intact and it good shape. I still have a few of them that I probably won't let go of and come back periodically, probably once summer is over for sure, and check on the fading and condition of the current sticker.

After a bit of a break it was time to high tail it home, the wind was a bit more brisk and in our faces on the way out than expected so we might have been a tad behind schedule... and we hadn't even stopped at Doug's Dude Ranch for breakfast yet.



Thankfully we had a bit of a tailwind after the breakfast stop so we made good time on the return trip, the MMRs were even smooth and dry.

This is Richard, we met him on the N Street Cycle Track coming back into town. Richard likes to ride bikes, Richard is not however a law abiding cyclist. Richard also likes to run red lights on his bike wearing his bright reflective jacket so as to make sure people notice him. Richard is why people use the phrase "ALL cyclists (insert negative connotation here)", people remember the Richards in the world and seldom remember the rest of us who were sitting at that same light waiting for it to change. If you know Richard please tell him to stop riding a bike or start obeying traffic laws because the rest of us don't need his negative, unwanted PR... also just to show we are friendly, tell him "How's it going... Dick!" for me.


Back safely and legally at Cycle Works, it was time to change over and get ready for the Frosty Bike Ride.

Really good turn out for the FBR, I had heard over 200 for the total number of cyclists participating.


Does this mean that you have to stand on your head to use the restroom?

Standing on your head to use the bathroom especially become problematic when your bright green testicles threaten to hit you in the back of the head if you do so. Nobody likes testicles on the back of their head, or at least nobody I know.



Since some of us weren't officially part of the FBR and because we were doing our own modified route, we delayed our departure until after the crowds had cleared out not wanting some unsuspecting participant thinking we knew where we were going.


For example, hot chocolate out at Holmes Lake... official stop.


Barley pops at Moran's... not an official stop.

Sips and Subs, also not an official stop but barley pops and bike rides will work up an appetite for you. Maybe not official but it is one of the best, perhaps least known, sandwich shop in Lincoln; on the corner of 33rd and B streets.


If my convincing isn't enough for you, how about this picture? I'd never had one of their burgers before as I tend to stick with the Cajun Turkey most of the time but the burger was really good, really, really good. We got snowed on yesterday, with promises of more again later this afternoon/evening and snow in the forecast again on Friday and Saturday that smelly marmot might have known what he was talking about this year but on the bright side it should be good fat biking weather. 

A Boy Named Leslie

Had a great turn out for the Saturday ride this week, the fact that Nathan was back in town helped bump the numbers up. At the start there were 20 of us on this warm January Saturday.




The plan was to ride out to Malcolm taking the normal route backwards, unfortunately nobody told that to Rick's tire and he flatted before we even made it 3/10ths of a mile. So our first regroup was held within a stones throw of the shop.


Rick, Nathan and Joel went back to the shop to get Rick fixed up and the plan was to meet out at the Reinkordt farm and then all ride into Malcolm.


We made it another 10th of a mile before David got the second flat of the day, it wasn't a great day to be a tube.



The second flat allowed the group from the first flat to catch up with us before we even made N Street and as a whole we proceeded onward toward Malcolm.

Little know fact, besides having some of the best BBQ in Nebraska; Malcolm is also the birthplace of Leslie Nunamaker or Les as he liked to be called... I'm taking that last bit at face value since I didn't know Les personally. Who the heck is Les Nunamaker you might ask, well Les is a two time World Series Champion; once in 1912 (beating the then New York Giants, now SF Giants) with the Red Sox and then again in 1920 with the Indians. Les died in 1938 in Hastings NE and is buried just outside of Aurora Nebraska in the Aurora Cemetery... which was formed with the help of General Delevan Bates, a medal of honor recipient from the Siege of Petersburg during the Civil War. The troops that fought for the Union Army in the siege were led by none other than Hiram Ulysses Grant, better known as General Ulysses S. Grant and our 18th president. Grant is also the 7th generation descendant of Thomas Miner and Elizabeth Booth... what is the significance of that? Well I happen to be the 12th generation descendant of the very same Thomas Miner and Elizabeth Booth, which makes Ulysses S. Grant nothing to me really nor I to him but it does make us loosely related and brings the whole story full circle. I know this has nothing at all to do with Fat Bikes or the ride but sometimes it amazes me how much history can be found right around you if you just have a desire to learn a little something and how this seemingly large world isn't all that big after all.



So, back to the actual ride... gravel was in pretty good shape, not as good as last week but still mostly dry and solid.




Just a tad past Conestoga Lake was our third regroup, the first one more than a mile away from the shop and the traditional ditch beer stop.




Once the refreshing Hamm's was properly disposed of it was on to Malcolm, the cows looked a little accusatory as we rode past but they couldn't possibly know we were stopping for brisket, could they?



Due to cow protests, and basketball tournament; I did not partake in BBQ while in Malcolm as the line was longer than I wanted to wait in. Most of the crew opted to wait it out and had their fill of BBQ while I and a few others decided to just grab some items for the Malcolm General Store before returning to meet the BBQ portion of the group. A birdy told me that Lippy's might be in their new location as soon as early February, if this is true another ride out that way will be in order once they are in their new digs.




Fueled by smoked meats, it was onward back towards Lincoln and our next mechanical issue, Larry had a brake pad that kept rubbing and slowing him down. Gary, our ride mechanic, quickly fixed the issue and we were once again off; thankfully it was a beautiful day with the sun shine and warm temps.




A few miles later and we were back in the friendly confines of the Capitol City, which brought to an end the Official SMNDFBR.




A few of us continued the unofficial ride down to White Elm to partake in their Barreled Aged Champurrado release, I thought it was fantastic and that also seemed to be the consensus of the group. If you're a Stout fan, get some before it's all gone; you won't regret it.


Good beer, great company and 60 minutes later, the unofficial SMNDFBR came to an end as we all headed back to the shop or to parts we call home.

No ride next week as it's the Frosty Bike Ride but there is still time to get registered for that ride and a chance to win a bicycle. Click the link for more information and to get signed up, hope to see you there.