Treadmill Bike??

A treadmill and a bicycle together at last! "b" commented on my previous blog of how this may be an option. Leaving no stone unturned, I investigated this option. I sure hope the guy who designed this thing didn't quit his day job. There's really is no point to this contraption at all! Check out the link below:

http://www.bikeforest.com/tread/treadmill_bike.wmv

My favorite part is "It sure is nice outside, I wish I didn't have to run on this treadmill...". If it's nice outside, go for a freaking run outside!! It looks like this thing actually goes slower when you run on it.

This link is even better:

http://www.bikeforest.com/tread/treadmill_sweet_jumps.php

Yep, I get it, Napoleon Dynamite. Making fun of yourself when your product is cool is funny. Making fun of yourself when your product is actually really dumb makes you even more dumb.

For the $2500 (Canadian) the super treadmill bike costs, you could buy a this sick trike and tow a trailer full of beer.

Ride the Classic or Get a New Full Squish?

I've had this Bontrager Race Bicycle since 1994. I bought it a U-Bikes in Boulder when my friend Choate was working at the shop. It's a killer handbuilt chromoly frame . The best part of the bike is that it's a XXL stretch which fits me like an isotoner glove! Now I'm torn, the Judy XC shock is blown and because of the weird 1" head tube design Keith was building in these bikes I can't get a replacement. I'd like to get it fixed up and riding again, but it's not looking good. No matter what, I'm keeping this bike.

So now the dilema is what mountain bike do I get? I don't think a stock bike at the local shops in Longmont are going to fit me. I have a long torso and I don't want to look like a hunch back on my bike. My buddy Jami (a.k.a. "Snack Size") just picked up a Santa Cruz Blur with every kick ass component you can think of. A lot of the new components I've never heard of since my bike

knowledge is all from pre 1997. I need a crash course in what's happened in Mountain Bikes in the last 10 years. From what I've already gathered, Full Suspension is the way to go. The question is which one. To confuse the issue even more is that there's a relatively new category called "Freeride". WTF? Apparently this is a cross between a downhill specific Mountain Bike and a Cross-Country Mountain Bike. The difference (as I understand it) is that these bikes have a lot more suspension (shock travel) than Cross-Country bikes but not as much as downhill bikes. Eitherway, I've decided that I want (need?) a full suspension bike. Whether or not I hit the "Freeride Parks" with the new steed will be a story for another blog.

I've been in contact with a local bike shop Redstone Cyclery about another bike that might work. The Turner 5.5 spot. This would be a totally custom bike from the frame, to the components and wheels. Super Sweet but also expensive. I think it may be worth it in the long run. This

weekend I'm going to go down and talk to Dave at Redstone Cyclery about building one up. With any luck, I'll have a better idea of what I want. The overall goal of this Mountain Bike project is to get in shape and clear my head of the evils of work. Current weight = 215 lbs. Goal weight = 200 lbs. of lean muscle power!!!

Just the Boys on Saturday

It's Saturday and the boys and I are hanging out. Abby is getting a much needed spa day and I'm getting a much needed "Daddy Day" with Arjen and Sage. I can see why Abby is so wiped out when I get home from work. Initially, one would think that staying at home everyday would be relaxing and easy. The boys don't allow it. They have been competing for my attention all day and it really wears you down. Thank God for nap time!

I took these two pictures after I put the boys down. It's been raining all day and has now changed to snow. Gotta love March weather! Hopefully the moisture keeps coming, our plants and trees could really use it.

Normally at 1:00 on Saturday, I'd be listening to Reggae Bloodlines on KGNU. The past week they have been having the pledge drive (KGNU is a public radio station) and they're not playing much music. I pledged last week during Postman Roger's show and should be receiving my premiums (killer Bob Marley and Peter Tosh Bootlegs from the the late 70's and early 80's) in a few days. Today I thought I'd take a break from the Bloodlines show and listen to some of my Reggae Vinyl.

With it snowing outside, I thought some MASSIVE Dub Reggae was in order. Today's selection was "King Tubby Presents The Roots of Dub". I got this record off of Ernie B's reggae distribution site. It's an orignal 1975 Jamaican pressing and Ernie B listed it as an essential record. It's not available on CD and I really think that the soul of this record would be lost if it

was "digitized". The beautiful thing about Dub reggae in the 70's is that these guys (King Tubby, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Mad Professor to name a few) produced these records without the aid of computers. They layered track over track with analog equipment. The reverb, echoing and other sound effects are astounding. "The Roots of Dub" is no exception. The musicians on this record are known as the "Aggrovators". The most notable member is Robbie Shakespeare who lays down some of the best baselines in all of Reggae music. Any album featuring Robbie is worth listening to. The interesting thing about this record is that it doesn't feature Robbie's drumming partner Sly Dunbar. Sly and Robbie are synonymous with reggae drum and bass. None the less this album is exactly what it advertises. The slight vocals and guitar are dwarfed by the hard hitting bass. My favorite tracks on the record are Loving Dub and Dub Magnificent. Definitely a classic for any Dub Reggae lover.

Well the boys are up from their nap and my attention is needed again. Expect more record reviews coming soon!

The Middle of Nowhere

The first post in this blog. I thought it would be very fitting to post a picture of a motorcycle trip I had with my brother and my dad. This is in the middle of the trip and we were playing it day by day with no real plan of where we were going. This blog doesn't really have a plan. I have grandiose plans of a blog where I show epic motorcycle trips, big ass trout I catch fly fishing and other cool stuff. But I really can't be sure that's going to happen.

Essentially, this blog could go anywhere and is a mega work in process. I can't wait to see where it leads....