All The Feels

This week has gotten away from me, it's already Friday and I'm technically two blog posts behind so I'm just going to make them one post. They are similarly related so I'll allow it. Saturday was the Wear Yellow Nebraska Ride to raise awareness and money to help fight cancer. Wednesday was the annual Ride of Silence to raise awareness and as a memorial to those killed while riding their bicycle. The older I get the more aware I am of death and how unfair and uncaring it can be. When I was a kid I didn't think about cancer or people getting killed by motor vehicles while riding their bicycle but I know people affected by both now. The feelings were in full effect this week for sure. Probably not a lot for words on this post, what do you say about cancer and vehicular homicide that would explain why they happen and why there is seemingly nothing that can be done about either to stop it.





The last few years the skies always seem to be overcast and on the verge of raining and maybe that is fitting for this type of ride and all the misery that cancer has and continues to cause. Saturday Nebraska was putting on a spectacular cloud show, thankfully no rain fell on us.





Despite the threat of rain the days leading up to the ride, the roads were in great shape. I am fortunate to have such a great group of friends to ride with, they make even the difficult rides a bit easier.





Wednesday was the Ride of Silence, a ride that didn't mean much to me a few years ago but has become personal in the last few years. It was good to see so many RG shirts and to see how many folks Randy has touched and who came out to ride for him and all of those killed while riding.








After the official ride some of us headed over for some ice cream, it was good to be able to socialize with people after and to be able to talk to them. I love the concept behind the Ride of Silence but ice cream is a universal bonding agent and talking doesn't hurt either.

Tour Of Dirt Roads XI: 42 Miles And No Rain

It's been a minute since the Fargo has seen any gravel, part of that is due to a warranty issue on the rear wheel, part of it is due to the amazing Salsa Journeyman that I am currently demoing and part of it is due to the fact that maybe, just maybe I have too many damn bikes. Right, like that's a real thing. Anyway, last week the wheel came in so I quickly cleaned her up, put on the new Teravail Coronado Tan wall tires and made her ready to set sail on the 11th annual Tour of Dirt Roads on Saturday. She was lookin hawt!





The ToDR (Tour of Dirt Roads) is always a good time and always attracts a fair amount of gravel loving folks. I decided to roll the SMNDFBR into the ToDR and make two rides into one ride, well for those of us on the SMNDFBR because not everyone that showed up probably even know about the usual Saturday ride.


The ToDR is put on by the Pirate Cycling League, the usual Saturday crew has been doing them since 2016 but they've been going on a little bit longer than that, and probably still longer than even the 11 years if you count the years before they had an official name. Right about 9 am, Corey gave the last minute updates and news and them we were off.



Given that Palmyra isn't exactly a metropolis, it wasn't long before we were rolling gravel and ticking off the miles.




An odd fog rolled in just before the start and that helped to keep the temperatures down at the start of the ride, a planned group photo at the crest of the hill on the first dirt section kept the pace down as well. It was kind of cool riding in a bigger group before the horses got cut loose to gallop away.


MG was so excited he was channeling his inner DiCaprio.



With some tough miles in early races already under my bibs and a full month more of rides ahead of me, I decided to make a short course for the SMNDFBR crew or at least those who also didn't have the time or desire for the full 84 miles of the full course. Most of the crew opted for the short course so we would all stick together for the 42 miles or mini ToDR. New to the ride this week was Luke, rider on the right, top picture, who is a strong rider of the fat tire. Luke used to be a North Platte-ian who recently moved to the Lincoln area, hopefully we will be seeing more of Luke on future rides now that he is local.


The first dirt hill successfully crested, we all began to gather for the group photo and to allow riders to catch up and get in the picture.


No official count is ever tallied at the ToDR but I feel like this was one of the good years for turn out, not surprising with the great weather that was in the forecast for Saturday. Some of that would change as the ride went on but for the most part the weather was perfect.



With the cheesin for the camera officially over for the group at large, it was time to get back to riding. As anticipated, the group started to spread out pretty good once the dogs were released to run free.














For the most part the dirt roads were in really great shape, there were one or two roads that had a little mud to them but they are in much better shape this week than they will be next weekend with all the rain in the forecast for the upcoming week.



42 miles was perfect for Saturday, it was a great ride, we rode some great dirt roads and we were back in Palmyra at the Palmyra Pub eating and drinking a cold one while the longer ride group were getting hammered by rain down in the Adams area. Next week is the Wear Yellow Ride and the crew is slated to give the 58 mile gravel route a go, hopefully it won't be too wet but only time will tell.