tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64882427861060231702024-03-06T00:01:37.745-06:00Butler's Beer & BikesKevin Butler - Perpetual Category 4 bike racer, traveler, sometimes writer, and lover of beer.Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-6446528411594155602011-04-21T10:48:00.000-05:002011-04-21T10:48:42.876-05:00Flatlandia Kermesse 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6iH0P7hNtw-6pcQKoIit8YiKng_EgiiUPXkHwX6bQuAEvO2k2AvSDmo_bTa2qPoh5BBsYSErrfoqdr1ZXRaDiziWasLmfR5wCUqN-mpQVaQ6s7FbNAZjAkUyUlzX1IzzS3PkMPAdHwQ/s1600/IMG_0602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6iH0P7hNtw-6pcQKoIit8YiKng_EgiiUPXkHwX6bQuAEvO2k2AvSDmo_bTa2qPoh5BBsYSErrfoqdr1ZXRaDiziWasLmfR5wCUqN-mpQVaQ6s7FbNAZjAkUyUlzX1IzzS3PkMPAdHwQ/s1600/IMG_0602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6iH0P7hNtw-6pcQKoIit8YiKng_EgiiUPXkHwX6bQuAEvO2k2AvSDmo_bTa2qPoh5BBsYSErrfoqdr1ZXRaDiziWasLmfR5wCUqN-mpQVaQ6s7FbNAZjAkUyUlzX1IzzS3PkMPAdHwQ/s1600/IMG_0602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6iH0P7hNtw-6pcQKoIit8YiKng_EgiiUPXkHwX6bQuAEvO2k2AvSDmo_bTa2qPoh5BBsYSErrfoqdr1ZXRaDiziWasLmfR5wCUqN-mpQVaQ6s7FbNAZjAkUyUlzX1IzzS3PkMPAdHwQ/s320/IMG_0602.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1Vki26F3nLIUVRbXn-tKoePQJakM-jwKjcfntjEEL4wc0z7tQcSyCsb6Ol_tPDWPAruJyQmeWBxPzMadtqpt4Ph-f8UgssFKXCEJciRHCQjtL7Skkyek-rSiX1Rhe-UXrkf_ijGTKQU/s1600/IMG_0599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1Vki26F3nLIUVRbXn-tKoePQJakM-jwKjcfntjEEL4wc0z7tQcSyCsb6Ol_tPDWPAruJyQmeWBxPzMadtqpt4Ph-f8UgssFKXCEJciRHCQjtL7Skkyek-rSiX1Rhe-UXrkf_ijGTKQU/s320/IMG_0599.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6iH0P7hNtw-6pcQKoIit8YiKng_EgiiUPXkHwX6bQuAEvO2k2AvSDmo_bTa2qPoh5BBsYSErrfoqdr1ZXRaDiziWasLmfR5wCUqN-mpQVaQ6s7FbNAZjAkUyUlzX1IzzS3PkMPAdHwQ/s1600/IMG_0602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">It was cold and damp when we began and I was very appreciative that I was not a 1/2/3 on Saturday as the day just got worse. We had a good sized field - 40ish?? with Jason and I representing WFR in the race and Derek helping out. After instructions, we rolled out at a rather easy pace - what I didn't realize was that this was due to a headwind that would crush most of my remaining spirit on Lap 2. Jason and I sat on the back, chatting and just staying out of trouble. We rounded a few turns and Jason let me know that the gravel was fast approaching. As we neared the first sector of gravel the pace picked up and at this point I realized I couldn't hang. Ugh.<br />
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Alone I hit the first sector of gravel - a seemingly 3 mile long winding stretch of slick crushed limestone. Staying in the truck and tractor prints was like riding in snow - the bike slipping around. Make no sudden movements here! At this point, my 20 year old Vetta 1000 computer lost its feed from the wheel and I was suddenly seeing no speed or distance - just the 174 to indicate my heart was still beating - quickly. I settled in to slogging through it and hoped that it would end. After an interminable distance, I was back out on road. Briefly. My computer sprang back to life. Yeah! The 2nd sector was more of the same, but I think just a straight 2 mile-ish jaunt. I ignored the crust of cement on my water bottles - sucking down Cytomax to keep the legs turning. I must confess at this point that I did something very un-roadie. Under my longsleeve jersey and vest rode my camelback. It was a great decision. I could tuck the nozzle into the jersey and keep it clean. Ah fresh water! I exited the 2nd sector after being passed by the Cat 5 leaders who were battling for a frameset, tapped the brakes to clear the crud from the rims and powered with a bit of tailwind. Hitting the 3rd sector was the worst stretch we'd face. It was muddier and cruddier, but thankfully shorter. Coming out of sector 3 we turned the corner and Lap 1 was complete. <br />
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Hitting the headwind - solo - with nobody to hide behind was dreadful. My legs were tired and the excitement I'd had for this epic race was quickly waning. I'd barely kept it up in the gravel on Lap 1. However, as the wind drove me backwards, I began to long for that sweet gravel. At least I wouldn't be fighting so hard. Derek gave some encouragement. I wondered how Jason was faring. Entering the gravel on Lap 2 was just easier - maybe I knew it this time and could better judge the best line. Maybe I'd finally warmed up a little. Though I did find myself stabbing for a 39x25 that my 9 speed cluster lacked - I managed to slip through ok. My legs were beginning to tire and I chugged some Cyto and hoped to ward off the fatigue. I found a rhythm, settled in, and just rode my bike. I was cold, though. Rain spit from the sky. I decided that 4 hours of this brutality was asking too much, and so I made the decision to abandon after 50km. Coming off the 3rd sector, which was growing worse from the battle that was taking place on it, I turned left and headed back to the start. I let the official know that Rider 107 was done. <br />
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I'd hoped for a better day. I need more miles in the legs for certain. Flatlandia did a great job putting on a great race in crappy conditions. It lived up to its promise of being epic. <br />
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First, though I need to get the mild version, Mad Alchemy is just the thing for these Spring races. Embrocating before the race made a huge difference - overall I was warm. I've had some issues with the Russian Tea version leaving me basically with a mild burn, but i was very very gentle in my application and came through ok.<br />
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For the equipment I chose my 9-speed Campy Chorus equipped Bianchi. Largely because I didn't have 25's for tires I rode Bontrager Dual-compound 23's that have proven reliable under crappy conditions. They still looked new after the race. I should have gone with a 13-26 instead of a 12-23 cassette, though. Alone on the gravel I stabbed at the Ergo lever a few times for the 26. I guess I've been on 10 speed long enough to appreciate the bail-out 25 it provides. After an hour's clean-up and re-lube, the Bianchi is ridable again. I'll post pictures of the cement encrusted drive-train. I'm surprised it kept shifting. Probably another advantage to the 9 vs. the 10 speed. <br />
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Anyway, I stopped in Hinckley at the Dairy Joy for a chocolate malt. Always a good stop. <br />
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That's the scoop.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Kevin</span>Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-86302767385445845112010-10-03T17:59:00.003-05:002010-10-03T20:28:01.772-05:00Tyranena Brewing Oktoberfest Bike RideYesterday, October 2nd, was the <a href="http://tyranena.com/">Tyranena Brewing Company</a>'s Oktoberfest bike ride around Lake Mills, Wisconsin. With Autumn in full swing, I expected a pleasant ramble through the changing leaves of Southern Wisconsin, between Madison & Milwaukee. It was breezy, veritably blustery save blue skies, with winds around 20 mph. We set out amongst the clumps of 1750 riders, Jeff, Ed and I together, leaving Jan, Nancy and Kim to ride their own ride.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtaqSTWMEuSOoB6-ysqw19tLR6Ifeb7NSuvCqSjnIK6uDvKPd-7Rt8RGJLpUV-vGyRVoHeP0kk5-6LkBph_kAYf4towdvF9CFqlqSgL887u99fv8qmjnNxhp5r4gQtC_GZY8iUtJLVnc/s200/IMG_0014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trek Factory - Waterloo WI</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It was pleasant enough to be begin. Some rolling hills greeted us, but the legs were still fresh. I'd applied <a href="http://madalchemy.com/index.html">Mad Alchemy</a>'s embrocation before the ride hoping for a pleasant warmth on my legs, feet and lower back as the temperature was just north of 50 degrees. I'd grabbed my favorite bike, my custom <a href="http://cherry.dcwi.com/">John Cherry steel frame</a> wearing Campy Chorus, Easton EA70 wheels and Continental GP4000S tires. It seemed the perfect mate for a long day in the saddle. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslozO3GIirbBR-2rh8UYI9AChnrCRlDGAgGxps0LOimzCg9WME5teobqlhuFk4fCeY-orvt7nANC-xjKdLq0rWvWZnE28mkMkObtM0KJ7gT80aR0qxtPIc37dj5VeQPLFbLiSnfGhQF4/s1600/IMG_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslozO3GIirbBR-2rh8UYI9AChnrCRlDGAgGxps0LOimzCg9WME5teobqlhuFk4fCeY-orvt7nANC-xjKdLq0rWvWZnE28mkMkObtM0KJ7gT80aR0qxtPIc37dj5VeQPLFbLiSnfGhQF4/s200/IMG_0018.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>The first 12 miles took us to the Trek Bicycle headquarters where we stopped to re-fill the bottles, grab a cookie and banana, and take a quick tour of the shrine constructed with Lance Armstrong's Tour de France Bikes. It was fun seeing his 2001 bike again <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomstring/sets/72157602660190137/">from the year Bryn and I were there</a>. <br />
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After 20 miles, we buzzed through the rest stop, feeling ok. The wind and hills were beginning to take their toll, but Ed and I were ok, and Jeff was following wheels fine - so far so good. By the Mile 30 rest stop fatigue was setting in. The clouds were heavier and the wind brisk. I began to wonder how I'd do with over half the ride to go. But, knowing I'd survived some epic rides in the past, I was confident in my ability to survive. Such misplaced confidence.<br />
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Around Mile 40, Jeff made the decision to just do the 45 mile route and turned off. I debated it in my head strongly. Ed was clearly the strongest, even though he'd not ridden the road since breaking his collarbone in an August crash. Could I hang? Surely I could. Surely.<br />
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Several miles later I saw the folly of this bravado. I stood on a climb and realized that I was cooked. I literally had nothing left to give my legs. I could feel the beginnings of cramps as I plunked back down on the saddle. Oh crap. I had 23 miles to go and I was blown. At the next rest stop I downed Gatorade and a banana along with a few cookies. I was hoping that the influx of electrolytes and calories could stop the inevitable. As we rolled out to face the last 15 miles, Ed found he'd punctured. I was happy to have more time to try and recover. We fixed his flat quickly and then set out. The suffering began in earnest.<br />
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I was literally counting down miles, alternating my gaze between Ed's rear wheel and my cyclocomputer that fed me the bad news - 14 miles to go, 13 miles .... I was hurting at a level that would place this ride in my Top 5 of suffering on a bicycle. Last year's Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival had set a high bar, but this "ride" was literally tapping every ounce of strength and courage I could muster. I wanted to sit down in the ditch, maybe have a cry. My cell phone battery had died as I tried to map the route and so if I lost Ed I'd have no way to call Kim to bail me out. I dug deeper into what Paul Sherwen famously calls my "suitcase of courage". I was feeling muscles in my legs starting to cramp that I didn't know existed. Ed's wheel grew a bit more distant. He'd sense my growing gap and ease off a little. We passed a slower group and I fantasized not about the riding behind the pretty girls, but rather just riding at their slightly slower survival pace. The riders we passed were suffering as I was. The last 10 miles saw shattered riders, hollow eyes, grunts of acknowledgment. It was hell.<br />
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Finally I could see the Lake Mills water tower and hope was restored. I saw 2 miles remaining on my computer, Ed's wheel was still ahead. We rolled through town, a blur. Tyranena Brewing appeared. We pulled in and found Ed's wife Nancy, who had survived the 30 mile route. We got food/beer coupons and then ran into Jeff, Kim and Jan. I asked Kim if she'd brought the XTerra rather than walk the mile from the motel. She looked at me if I was crazy. She didn't understand at the time that I didn't think myself capable of riding one more solitary mile. Thankfully, Ed & Nancy gave me a lift back to the motel where a shower restored my flagging spirits.<br />
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We enjoyed the beer garden and great <a href="http://tyranena.com/">Tyranena</a> beers - their staff and volunteers did an exceptional job of taking care of the large number of riders. They really put on a great party. Eventually we ended up back at the Pyramid Motel (and Liquor Store) and got a 20" pizza from the neighboring Pizza Pit (that shares a building with a car wash, but admonishes you not to ask for change for the wash at the pizza pit). The pizza took 15 minutes to bake and 7 minutes to completely consume. Even after food at the brewery we were famished. It was an epic day in the saddle. Definitely a Top 5 which puts it in league with a ride in the Alps, Chequamegon, and the 1994 Swedish Day's Metric Century where I ran over my brother Stephen. But, you know what, for all of the agony, suffering, and pain, I'd do it all again.<br />
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I'd posted this, thought about it for awhile, then realized that I'd not said anything about the <i>beer</i> and the title of this column is indeed Kevin Butler's <i>Beer</i> & Bikes. It had been a lot of bikes, and little beer save mentioning the great folks at Tyranena. I have to give a very big thumbs-up to their Painted Ladies Pumpkin beer - it may be the best pumpkin beer I've had. As a lover of pumpkin, I've tried quite a few and had just had a Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin the night before the ride. Tyranena's Pumpkin is like liquid pumpkin pie - it is fabulous. I also managed to taste their Oktoberfest which was good, Rocky's Revenge with 40% aged in bourbon barrels - yummy, and the Chief BlackHawk Porter quite good, too. Overall, if you find yourself near Madison, Lake Mills and Tyranena is worth the 20 minute or so drive! <br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-79384286466071675722010-09-05T01:07:00.000-05:002010-09-05T01:07:34.273-05:00Sctloand - Days 13 & 14At the Ibis Amsterdam Airport about to catch the shuttle, but wanted to get up the last of the Scotland Pictures. Great trip. Can't believe we're flying home today. At least tomorrow is Labor Day!<br />
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Thanks for following along - I really hope everybody enjoyed the pictures!<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay1314?feat=directlink">Scotland Days 13 & 14 Pictures</a><br />
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KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-73673440219547337192010-09-03T02:33:00.000-05:002010-09-03T02:33:35.319-05:00Scotland - Days 9 - 12Sorry it has been a few days. We've been without wifi. I apologize that these are not captioned yet so that you know where we were, but for the quick summary, Loch Ness, Uqurhart Castle, Isle of Skye, and finally Oban, Isles of Mull and Iona with Saint Columba's Abbey. <br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay910?feat=directlink">Scotland Day 9 & 10</a><br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay1112?feat=directlink">Scotland Day 11 & 12</a><br />
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I'll caption as soon as I can, but for now just enjoy the beauty of Scotland. Today we are going to Glencoe, Stirling Castle and finally back to Edinburgh to start the journey home. Hard to believe the trip is nearly over!<br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-60349528136685105842010-08-29T11:57:00.001-05:002010-08-29T12:04:09.335-05:00Scotland - Day 8 - More Great Glen Way<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay8?feat=directlink"></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom6csrhN413KWf-GG0IBAkTkdd66fQVgE9eVFLwyRYMW-diinYSnXGkIRtpBbkXx2WZUYQOlTUWJbvnb5WMXpBaxcfzsToSfPZzwgcxb_IX-mWEtMTAcRfwkF6q2icU7ojb3COcfSlF8/s1600/_IGP2729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom6csrhN413KWf-GG0IBAkTkdd66fQVgE9eVFLwyRYMW-diinYSnXGkIRtpBbkXx2WZUYQOlTUWJbvnb5WMXpBaxcfzsToSfPZzwgcxb_IX-mWEtMTAcRfwkF6q2icU7ojb3COcfSlF8/s320/_IGP2729.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Did probably 16 miles of hiking with 2000 vertical gain today and we are both feeling it! It was a beautiful hike, though the best view was shrouded in rain and fog. Thank heavens for waterproofs. We definitely had a well earned pint at the Loch Ness Inn at the conclusion of the hike. Most of the photos are not captioned today as they just took place along the hike. They are all from between Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit along Loch Ness.<br />
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<span id="goog_1443368009"></span><span id="goog_1443368010"></span><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay8?feat=directlink">Scotland - Day 8 - Great Glen Way Photos</a>Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-84473534419837946852010-08-28T11:39:00.000-05:002010-08-28T11:39:57.648-05:00Scotland - Day 7 - Loch Ness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCD4abSJ2j5ZTK2jn1o0CbaC4klhT530kwoQwrpFVzZ4PgBcKlwM20XZnKCgTn7N1P6SLt4F2cpBDs7nH1OmKFfUapPGG_h2hs-LRmogQ3DHk2FK4b-N_eHg8Pl-YwUXorxKQIXDuVuy0/s1600/_IGP2580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCD4abSJ2j5ZTK2jn1o0CbaC4klhT530kwoQwrpFVzZ4PgBcKlwM20XZnKCgTn7N1P6SLt4F2cpBDs7nH1OmKFfUapPGG_h2hs-LRmogQ3DHk2FK4b-N_eHg8Pl-YwUXorxKQIXDuVuy0/s320/_IGP2580.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Hiked along the Great Glen Way today from Fort Augustus to Invermoriston. The route followed Loch Ness, but as of yet, we've not spotted the monster. I hold out hope, though. Tomorrow is a 16 mile hike! <br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay7?feat=directlink">Day 7 Photos</a><br />
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Tonight's dinner is in a CAMRA Pub of the Year which means one thing: Real Ale!<br />
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Thanks for following along!<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-42661840217037276342010-08-27T14:38:00.002-05:002010-08-27T16:52:35.217-05:00Scotland Day 6 - Happy Birthday Kim!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofUT2nLdfXYxqQoqt5tdsPEY29BxqhXtSbDj6Q0LPAZbVUiyvvcYc0eeE7c27WiMutlow1fllKH4O-GQxJGDxSRPWoHk7HubCEHLRB9REflc1nhVdlsNlJQqucobkf4Xz2b1eD4D9MR0/s1600/_IGP2428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofUT2nLdfXYxqQoqt5tdsPEY29BxqhXtSbDj6Q0LPAZbVUiyvvcYc0eeE7c27WiMutlow1fllKH4O-GQxJGDxSRPWoHk7HubCEHLRB9REflc1nhVdlsNlJQqucobkf4Xz2b1eD4D9MR0/s320/_IGP2428.JPG" /></a></div>Happy Birthday, Kim! Today is Day 6 and we went to Culloden Battlefield. The Highlanders and the Jacobite Rebellion were crushed in 1746. The weather was perfect and the lighting really dramatic with the sun and clouds!<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay6?feat=directlink">Day 6 Photos of Culloden</a><br />
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We also visited Clava Cairns, an ancient stone circle and cemetery from 2000-1000BC!<br />
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Dinner was tapas and now a bottle of wine and books. Hope everybody has a great weekend!<br />
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Thanks for following along!<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-68857694574834351612010-08-26T15:46:00.000-05:002010-08-26T15:46:13.419-05:00Scotland 345Well sorry for the delay! We arrived in the Highlands this afternoon. Did a 3 mile hike r/t to a small distillery, Edradour outside of Pitlochry. Our B&B tonight faces out onto Inverness Castle with a beautiful view of the Highlands which is veritably relaxing. Tomorrow we're going to the Colluden Battlefield which ended the Jabobite Revolution over 350 years ago. Had fish & chips and real ale for dinner. Getting spoiled having real ale everywhere for certain. I haven't found the Scottish ales as memorable as the English ales, but we've still plenty of time. <br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay45BotanticalGardens?feat=directlink">Botanic Gardens</a><br />
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay45NationalMuseumHighlands?feat=directlink">National Museum of Scotland & Highlands</a><br />
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Thanks for following along!<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-51061702723559350442010-08-23T17:25:00.000-05:002010-08-23T17:25:35.100-05:00Scotland - Day 2Well today was another packed day of adventure. A lovely breakfast that included a Scottish pancake left us fueled to take on the day. We first took the bus to the Brittania, Queen Elizabeth II's yacht for many years. It was really spectacular in both its beauty and in how it was operated to provide her luxury at sea. Holyrood Palace saw drama with Mary Queen of Scots and was a lovely palace to tour whilst it rained. The attached abbey ruins were perfect on a gloomy day. After stopping for a pint we toured the Museum of Edinburgh and St Gyles Cathedral. We ended the evening with a literary pub tour that was quite entertaining. Two of the girls on the tour were NWU theater grads acting in a show at the Fringe. We spent awhile after chatting with them which was quite fun as they probably enjoyed hearing midwestern accents for a pleasant change. A stop for a pepper steak meat pie ended a good day. <br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay2?feat=directlink">Pictures Day 2</a><br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-16402646377558962882010-08-23T03:16:00.000-05:002010-08-23T03:16:19.173-05:00Scotland - Day 1Departed Amsterdam on a 10:30 flight for Edinburgh. Got a bus downtown and then a taxi to the B&B. After unpacking, we set out, found pies for lunch, and then wandered a bit of the Royal Mile. With a beautiful day, we set out to Holyrood Palace Park with the intention of hiking to Arthur's Seat, but took the route with a bit less climbing, but still had lovely views of the city. We quickly went through the People's Museum. Several pints and fish & chips were well earned after all of the walking. We returned to the B&B, donned warmer clothing, and headed back out to wander the streets, watching all of the street performers in for the Fringe, and finally took a walking tour, Murder & Mystery, that was quite campy, yet quite entertaining. A quick pint followed and a blissful 8 hours of sleep. I think I'm over the jetlag and ready to go! This morning, Monday, I had a lovely Scottish breakfast with a potato scone, which was an interesting addition.<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ScotlandDay1">Pictures from Scotland Day 1</a><br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-73814057529154720592010-08-21T14:21:00.000-05:002010-08-21T14:21:23.474-05:00Haarlem, Holland<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CSzjdh5K8pzpGr6BJgegKiH9Vy9NMZjXm3jjN8Xqviaq-8gac89x1ZvMWoOxFnEwo8F7Wne4aIrNKvopgj2rkPIk9UytZhCde1OTEtBU6Axpj-U_IYnw8yov4Ebaqntda2HoMzAk0Lo/s1600/_IGP1770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CSzjdh5K8pzpGr6BJgegKiH9Vy9NMZjXm3jjN8Xqviaq-8gac89x1ZvMWoOxFnEwo8F7Wne4aIrNKvopgj2rkPIk9UytZhCde1OTEtBU6Axpj-U_IYnw8yov4Ebaqntda2HoMzAk0Lo/s200/_IGP1770.JPG" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Landed in Amsterdam and caught a bus to Haarlem. Haarlem is a great Dutch town with lots of small shops, a lovely church, and plenty to see. The center-point of the church is the organ that Mozart once played when he was about 10 if I recall the signs. It has been a long day after getting just a few hours of sleep on the flight. We found a great little cafe to sit out and watch the people go by! </span><br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/Haarlem?feat=directlink"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pictures from Day 1</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tomorrow morning we fly on to Edinburgh and so begins the real vacation!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks for reading,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kevin </span>Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-5507182339302745842010-07-20T22:09:00.000-05:002010-07-20T22:09:04.091-05:00Hueco Tanks - El Paso Texas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6UpUC0iiDS0TTHwtREE-woP5IgjKzJBjUgWxNaYiH26BB-QyYUu9AEXdSkiHyvbcpTr_DV1Z3s47_cPTco8WbkM44_8D0AqmRJdxNYCNDxyVbfV7_L_chgVxUO73TyPNd4VIWBw5wag/s1600/IMG_0089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6UpUC0iiDS0TTHwtREE-woP5IgjKzJBjUgWxNaYiH26BB-QyYUu9AEXdSkiHyvbcpTr_DV1Z3s47_cPTco8WbkM44_8D0AqmRJdxNYCNDxyVbfV7_L_chgVxUO73TyPNd4VIWBw5wag/s320/IMG_0089.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Got done with work and wanted to see something new in El Paso, TX. A glance through the guide made <a href="http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/parkguide/rgn_bb_006.phtml">Hueco Tanks State Park</a> seem interesting, and the 45 minute drive to the mountains was appealing. So off I went. The drive was beautiful and once I got off of 180, I never saw another car. I took advantage of it and stopped frequently for pictures. Once I entered the park, I asked about what I could see in the less than two hours I had before closing and Buck volunteered to take me around. We had a great afternoon and he showed me so much more than I'd ever have seen on my own. I never would have ventured into the crevices to find the pictographs! I was kicking myself I didn't have my Canon travel camera that usually floats around with me and so I had to make due with my phone camera, but the results were good and <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/ElPaso2010?feat=directlink">you can find them here.</a></span>Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-43154119083494276892010-07-20T21:57:00.002-05:002010-07-20T21:57:42.493-05:00Superweek 2010 - Geneva Crit<span style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Well gang, it was a really tough hot race in Geneva. As the lone WFR rider I knew I was going to have to be smart, but at Superweek you can't cheat on good fitness. About 50ish guys rolled up for the Masters 4/5 35+ crit in downtown Geneva. It featured a final turn with some nice smooth brick, unnoticeable in the heat of the moment. The 6 turn course saw tricky turns 3 and 4 where the road narrowed dramatically in the turn causing speeds to drop with the caution and then a hasty acceleration up a slight hill out of 4. It would prove my downfall. I chose to race my Cherry as I needed every advantage I could get - my favorite bike with light fast wheels that would hug corners like a mom saying goodbye to her kid on the first day of kindergarten. Temps were 94F at the start with a slight breeze.<br />
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At the start a guy from Freeport Bicycle Co. lined up just ahead. As I grew up out there, I tapped him on the shoulder and introduced himself. Turns out I worked summers lifeguarding with two of his kids. His son raced 4's last year and is now a 3. When I kept seeing the name in the results I just didn't put it all together! After instructions we set out and immediately the tempo was fast. We nailed the turns safely and charged the stretch between 4 & 5. I felt ok. Definitely it was hot and fast. We kept the speed up the next few laps and I just stayed on wheels as my heart rate climbed and my tongue started to hang out. I stayed in the field and hoped that I'd just be able to hang. <br />
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Finally, coming out of 4 the rubberband snapped and I was done. I couldn't handle the acceleration and I was going backwards. I tried to ride as hard as I could, but the field left me behind. Another rider caught me and we started working together. I can't even tell you what team. We traded pulls and soldiered on. A Beverly rider caught us, recovered, and then rather help us with the work, dropped us. Typical. A Spin Doctor rider got to us as well. Exhorting us to "work together" failed. The Beverly rider came back, but there was no coordination. Just me and the guy I'd been with trying to take even pulls and not get pulled. It didn't work. With probably 12 to go, we were prompted by the moto to withdraw. Crud. I knew I wasn't really race-fast, but was hoping that if we stayed safe we'd finish. No luck on the technical course.<br />
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As it turns out, Bill from Freeport's daughter that I last saw in 1993 was at the race with her kids to cheer on grandpa. It was actually really nice to catch up as we watched the race continue to evolve. A break with two guys got away - one a Bicycle Heaven rider Andy Swims was in the break with a Bellum rider, Dan Cleveland. The field trailed well behind. With 3 to go, Jenny's kids exclaim that "Grandpa is at the front". Sure enough, rather than finish at the back of the pack, Bill Liebman turned it on and led the field through the line to give the crowd some excitement. Bicycle Heaven took the race which was practically home for them so that was nice to see. Chatted with Ed Ekstrom from Tower post-race who took 10th. Bill scored 28th. For me, all I can do is commentate. <br />
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I can't make excuses. My fitness just isn't there right now. Wednesday nights are helping, but I need to be more consistent. Due to a mishap trying to fish my computer pick-up out of my spokes that was merely irritating, I pushed it further into the spokes and watched it disintegrate against the curb so I can't even give averages and confirm my agony. I opted not to race the Homewood crit. Wish I'd have seen Ed from Tower take 2nd, though!<br />
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Kevin</span>Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-15227186958889982152010-06-14T07:50:00.000-05:002010-06-14T07:50:40.149-05:00Sherman Park CriteriumI know it has been awhile since I've posted any racing updates. It isn't that I haven't raced, though Saturday marked only my 4th race of the season, it is just that the races have not been terribly exciting. Though I often tell my tales from the back of the peloton, the tales of me fighting alone after being dropped are just rather dull. It has been good to race with <a href="http://stephenjbutler.blogspot.com/">Stephen </a>and Chris, and see that Jason is coming close to joining us in the 4's. This past Saturday at Sherman Park was better.<br />
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It is great to get to race at the 105 year old Sherman Park. <a href="http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/9ab1c658-d2c2-4e2b-b680-d70574ed5ecf.cfm">Designed by the Olmsted brothers and Daniel Burnham, the 10 new parks created in 190</a>5 would serve Chicago's burgeoning immigrant population and Sherman Park with its water, bridge and beautiful field house and pool is lovely. The road was also designed for bicycle racing, a very popular sport in the days before the automobile. One of the magical things about racing bikes in Chicago is the opportunity for us to race on courses like the Midway, Sherman Park, and Grant Park. <br />
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According the results, 53 riders showed up to contest the 30 minute criterium. We'd hit the field limit of 75, but 24 riders did not start. On our warm-up lap, it started to drizzle and as we reached Turn 3 I looked to Stephen as the black sky came into view and muttered that it didn't look good. By the time we'd reached the line, the skies opened and the rain fell and the thunder boomed. We all scrambled for some cover. After 10 minutes, we lined up in the rain, received our instructions, being told not to worry so much about wrecking in the rain as we'll slide and shouldn't get as ripped up, and then we set out. As I said last year when writing about Leland, this just confirms the difference between bike racers and our other adult sports cousins. We don't have rain-outs, we suck it up, pull on our big-boy-spandex-shorts, and ride - fast.<br />
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I opted to race my steel <a href="http://cherry.dcwi.com/">Cherry</a> on Saturday. Had I really thought it would pour I'd have probably raced the Bianchi, but of all my bikes, my Cherry is indeed my favorite. I did have the forethought to run my <a href="http://www.bontrager.com/">Bontrager Race Lite wheels</a> with Bontrager Race Lite Dual-Compound tires. While I really love my <a href="http://www.eastonbike.com/">Easton EA70</a>'s with the <a href="http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/general/home/index_en.html">Conti 4000S tires</a> and think this may be the smoothest setup I have ridden, I've raced the Bontrager setup in rain and I know I can count on sure-footed traction in the turns.<br />
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We quickly jumped up to racing speed and the 53 rain sodden riders sped through the left hand turns with nary a brake tapped. The nature of this course is that all of the turns are wide and curved so that we don't have a traditional crit course's 90 degree turns. The result is that this race was really consistent in speed and there were not a lot of hard accelerations beyond the prime laps of which we had 5. This suited me perfectly. Though we were often riding 25+ mph the lack of braking was gentle on me and my overall lack of race-fitness. <br />
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The grit and spray from the wheels ahead made for a grind, and I got in the drops and just followed wheels, trying not to be too far back. Stephen was ahead usually fairly near the front. I was able to check in with him a few times. I don't quite recall all of the primes, I know Clif and probably Get a Grip had provided some, but the others I just don't recall. There was a breakaway midway through and I do remember a $50 prime offered to the first rider if we caught the solo rider. At one point I realized that I could feel metal under my fingers and I glanced down to discover my handlebar tape unwinding. Now I've never been great at wrapping bars, but this was pretty embarrassing. I dropped back so as not to be erratic and tried winding it up as best I could. I'd fight with it the rest of the race. It made me look like I was riding a kid's bike with a streamer from my bar-end. <br />
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With 2 to go we got another prime and I noticed Stephen towards the back with me. Hmmm. He was unhappy with his position. I should have fought with everything to get up to the front and drag him up. I got caught up in the euphoria of knowing that I'd finish with the field, my goal, and I didn't realize till the cool down lap I'd never gone hard once - never crossed threshold, never been remotely near max. Without a lot of racing this year and questionable fitness, it just didn't click the way it needed to. We got the bell and hammered around the course. Till now we'd been safe and so I hoped that we wouldn't turn in a last lap wreck. We did not. We flew through T4 and sprinted to the line. Being so far back I rolled through for 44th and Stephen ended in 38th. I found out after, that with it being such a short race that Stephen just lost track of the laps and didn't realize that we were in the closing moments. He, too, had gas in the tank. <br />
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<a href="http://www.xxxracing.org/index.php?/pages/shermanparkcriterium/">XXX Racing</a> put on a great race in the conditions. I'm hoping that with some home-time I'll be able to get my fitness back on track with Superweek looming large on the horizon. I'd like to do a long ride on Saturday if anybody has interest.<br />
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I did attend Wheel Fast Racing Sponsor <a href="http://www.twobrothersbrew.com/">Two Brothers Brewery's <b>For the Love of Hops</b> festival</a> after the race. It was a blast with plenty of great beer and music. <br />
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Thanks as always for reading,<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-19222340050449732652009-11-26T15:40:00.000-06:002009-11-26T15:40:28.305-06:00Aylesbury - Chasing the Griswolds through BuckinghamshireSpent a lovely day trying to locate the Griswold family and came up quite successful. After pouring over microfilm from the early 19th century - where vicars carefully recorded the births, marriages and deaths, we were able to piece together things to about 1793 which was pretty incredible. The 1851 and 1841 census was quite helpful. Tomorrow we'll head to Little Horwood to see the church where they baptized the kids, several who will eventually end up in Ogle County Illinois. We ended the day in Oxford and had dinner at The Bear pub near the university. Some pints of Fullers and fish & chips for our Thanksgiving Day dinner. I will post pictures along with yesterday's trip to the Tower of London and St Paul's as soon as I can. Sorry for the delay on that.<br />
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As ever,<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-24220490457033094262009-11-25T03:10:00.001-06:002009-11-25T03:11:53.622-06:00London Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVpZlgRO8yDOj-isc9kwvJ9nquhOVl7ho2Se6Usi2_Jxr67XuU6u15YmhFk1XlX66C0RE-hPnO11HTZS85JXjounDLF_6ffYuSm3qcjtXHLea3NgYv9f3UrHLbHbPBNcJouV2K-9pEJM/s1600/_IGP8765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVpZlgRO8yDOj-isc9kwvJ9nquhOVl7ho2Se6Usi2_Jxr67XuU6u15YmhFk1XlX66C0RE-hPnO11HTZS85JXjounDLF_6ffYuSm3qcjtXHLea3NgYv9f3UrHLbHbPBNcJouV2K-9pEJM/s320/_IGP8765.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>The overnight flight to London was quite unremarkable. I slept for a large part of the flight and woke for breakfast. After clearing customs, we waited for my parents to arrive on the AA flight. We had arranged several fall-back plans in the case we could not find one another, but soon they emerged from customs and we took a cab to Cartref House. Jack the dog greeted us warmly and we settled in. Our only plan of the day was heading to Westminster Abbey for Evensong. This is one of my favorite things to do. Hearing the choir sing the service just steps from where nearly every monarch in English history has been crowned is just amazing. After service, we headed to the Jugged Hare for dinner - appropriately, Hare Pie, chunks of juicy rabbit in puff pastry. Finally, quite tired, we dropped Mom & Dad at the B&B then headed to the St. George for a final pint before bed. Today will bring the Tower of London, St. Paul's, and at least a pub walk along the Thames.<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.andrew.butler/LondonDay1?feat=directlink">Pictures are here</a><br />
As ever,<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-44460778750551243432009-09-24T22:27:00.003-05:002009-09-24T22:31:22.969-05:00Fat Tire Recap<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">A few days have passed since my last update. Time to suck it up and write up Saturday's <a href="http://www.cheqfattire.com/">Fat Tire Festival</a>. I woke at 5:50 AM with the alarm, nervous, but excited. I had readied my gear so that I wouldn't have to think ahead of our 7AM departure for Hayward. I ate a small breakfast, some Golden Grahams, a bit of coffee, some Cytomax, and a Clif Bar. I paced around, double checked my gear, my Camelback – my water supply and backpack that would hold my tube, tools, patches, and my nutrition: 5 Hammer Gels, a Clif Bar, some Gu Chomps for electrolytes and a packet of Gu drink powder in case things really went awry. My <a href="http://www.jamisbikes.com/">Jamis</a> Dakota hard-tail was already tweaked and ready.</span><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Lee, John and I headed over to the cabin that Steve, Bob, Jim and Chris Hammer were sharing. They were readying their bikes and I snuck a piece of bacon off the pan, hoping nobody noticed. Bob loaded up with us as the others were grabbing road bikes for their warm-up. I'd planned on doing a road ride with them, packed the Cherry on the back of Chris' SUV, but after my pre-ride I realized that time on the road would only hurt me. My position is different on the road and I was worried enough about my hamstrings that the thought of switching from 170 to 175 mm cranks had me thinking one scary word: cramp. </span> <br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Lee took us over to Hayward where we parked and set up our bicycles. The Fat Tire Festival has the riders put their bicycles in a staging area hours well ahead of the 10AM start. We flipped our bikes over leaving the saddles and bars on the ground with the wheels rolling slowly in the air. Lee and John both warned me of the difficulty in finding the bikes even with care given to finding points of reference. Once flipped, I could see their point, and when 1700 bicycles were all in a mass of black tires, it would be chaos. </span> <br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">With that done, we walked to the Norse Nook for breakfast where a waitress named Heidi waited patiently on us. Worried about my stomach I passed the cranberry-stuffed french toast for scrambled eggs and wheat toast. As we told stories and I tried to keep my nerves in check, I realized something in my pocket was wet. I reached my hand into my pocket to find the gift Lee had given me earlier: a banana, now squashed from sitting on it. Ugh. The waitresses did get me a washcloth and I commented to a girl from Saris that I hoped that it would be the worst thing that would happen that day. She laughed. I hoped I was right.</span><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">After breakfast we had enough time to change into our clothes, make a final stop at the restroom, and head to the bikes. Amazingly we found them right away, and better still, we found Kim and John Mahr! The tandem had a new fork and they were ready to roll. We flipped up the bikes and stood for the national anthem that was sung live. After that, we mounted up, wished one another good luck, and John gave a few last tips of advice. The sun was shining and it was anticipated to near 80 – warm for this time of year.</span><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">I have raced at least 150 races over the last 15 years, with probably a ratio of 147 road : 3 mtb. Mass start racing is not something I'm a rookie at, but I can't describe and hopefully will be able to link a few photos what it is like when 1700 mountain bikes leave for the 4 mile roll-out to Rosie's Field. At least 12 wide we negotiated the turns as riders looked for small gaps to move forward in the absolute mass that was hurtling forward with one goal: Telemark. 40 miles separated us. The knobby tires hummed on the pavement as we sped down the road at over 20 mph. Gaps formed and were closed. Riders were moving up and going backward. I stayed with Lee as John showed that he hasn't lost a thing not doing as much road racing – he picked his way forward – setting off on what would earn him top spot in our team finishes. I felt pretty good on this stretch. Got the legs going, stuck with Lee, and remembered “don't take the first turn, but stay to the left”.</span><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">I don't know how to describe the first few minutes. If one word could describe the hoard hurtling across the field, it would be terrifying. Scattered in the field were myriad water bottles, just waiting for an unsuspecting wheel. The first casualties were already strewn through the field, the wounded trying to repair their bikes and continue. It was a sight that would continue until nearly the finish. Man and machine, broken, at the side of the trail. </span> <br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">As the trail narrowed, Lee passed and I yelled some encouragement. I knew that it was the last I'd see of him until the finish and that was ok. I was racing my race. I had one lofty goal: finish. If I happened to finish in under 4 hours, so much the better. As we shot through the woods, I took one glance at my heart rate: 190 beats per minute. This is not a sustainable number for me and I hoped for mercy. Then we came to a complete halt. A long sandy section of trail caused a complete shut down and we ground to a halt. My heart dropped to normal racing speed (about 160 bpm) and for the remainder of the day, I'd go nowhere close to max. The legs were going to be the limit – not the fitness of the heart.</span><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">At this point, my memory of the race grows a bit dim I must say. We blasted a section of the <a href="http://www.birkie.com/">Birkie</a> trail and I tried to follow John's advice of taking every possible risk going down to make it easier going up. I picked my way down a rocky descent a bit to slowly, coming to a halt and having a girl yell at me. It was deserved, but I was just proving I was not a skilled mountain bike rider. Everybody had told me that I should make County Rd. OO in about an hour. I didn't believe this, and it was well that I didn't because it took me 1 hour 25 minutes to arrive. However, my bike was still running smoothly and I was more importantly, still atop it. That said, if you asked me at that moment in time, I hated cycling. I hated everything about bicycles. I was getting passed and passed and passed. Look, I've never been a great bike racer. I've won one training race and a couple of citizen-race Top 5's are my only palmares. Even for me, however, this was humbling. I wished I'd never seen the Tour de France and Paris Roubaix on TV in the 80's. I wished I'd never heard of Greg LeMond. </span> <br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">I was in a fog of pain. At two hours, I knew that this day had pushed Luz Ardiden and the 95 degree heat of the French Pyrenees into a pleasant memory of rotisserie chicken and fun with my friend Bryn. It made the rain, flat tire, false flat and misery of the 2001 stage to <span style="font-weight: normal;">Pla d'adet</span><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">seem like a childhood ride. </span> I was certain this day had surely eclipsed the first day of RAGBRAI 1998 when the temp on the pavement was 125 degrees in Iowa and Gatorade was measured in gallons consumed. The course is a blur to me now as I reminisce. Only fragments survive, my mind at the time consumed not with remembering the details of the course or the beauty of the gorgeous Wisconsin North Woods. </span> <br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Around Mile 20 I recall pirates – it was International Talk Like a Pirate Day – Arrrh – and they were passing in shots of rum. Had I not seen them at breakfast I would now believe I had hallucinated this memory. Somewhere around the same place a sign indicated “Flying Monkeys Ahead” - I heard their theme music from the Wizard of Oz in my head and barrelled toward them – only to never find Flying Monkeys. I was profoundly disappointed. Perhaps they had already carted off the lead riders to the Wicked Witch of the West. </span> <br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Mile 17 (to go) was my turning point. I knew that the climb to the Fire Tower was long and so I subtracted a mile off the distances from this point, knowing that if only I reached the Fire Tower I would finish this race. I also knew at some point there was a 2 hour 45 minute cut-off. Only I had no idea where that occurred on the course, but I only hoped I would make it. I began mentally riding mile to mile. Ticking them off to my magic number of 11 that would symbolize the base of the Tower climb that I knew I would walk. I had 6 miles to go. If I could just go 10 miles per hour I would have less than 40 minutes of suffering now before I <i>knew the course. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">I relaxed and rode my bike. I rode the gravel sections under control, pacing my efforts, guaging my legs for cramps, sucking at Gu packets. At about Mile 13 I saw Jim at the feed station. I took some water, more Gu, and probably crammed a banana in my mouth. Jim and Heather ran the <a href="http://www.lakeowenresort.com/">Lake Owen Resort</a>, our home base, and he asked how I was doing. I replied that I'd much rather be at his place. I wasn't really joking, but now I was starting to get in a rhythm. 27 miles of racing and I was finally coming around. </span></span> <br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The base of the Fire Tower began the death march. My back ached, but I knew when I reached that top I </span><i>knew</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> the way down. At each step a sign announced, “Thank you sir, may I have another?” 4 signs stood by, insulting us as we pushed pulled and prodded our bikes and bodies up trying to stay out of the way of the brave few who attempted the assault riding the climb. Minutes passed and finally I reached the summit. I stood for a moment, taking it all in. There was a group at the top, PBR's in hand, cheering the brave riders, and having a party. I believe beer was offered to the riders. I enjoyed the party, waited for a break in the riders and commenced my descent. I flew down the next two miles, trying to not be afraid of the rocks and let the bike do its job. </span></span> <br />
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<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">At Mile 8 I grabbed some additional water and hit the last two miles of the Birkie, heeding again John's advice to bomb the descents and fly up the hills. It worked as best it could and though I bailed out occasion and crawled, I never walked this stretch. Riders were beginning to come unglued around me and I offered encouragement, knowing this brutality so late in the race would only last 2 miles. A rider asked how I </span><i>knew, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">I just told him, “I </span><i>know</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, man. Nearly home.” </span></span> <br />
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</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">A feed right out of the Birkie saw me top off my bottle of Cyto was Gu's drink. I was offered donut holes, and I gladly took the sweet sugar, a bit worried about my stomach, but I could smell the barn. I hit the final gravel road and pushed as best as I could push. An earlier twitch to my right quad near my knee had me a bit worried, but the body held on. Finally we entered the woods again at about Mile 2 or so. I knew that I'd walk at least one hill back here. The ascent was just a bit rocky for me to keep planted and I didn't mind. I ended up pushing up the final two hills, but I was going to do it. A quick glance at the HRM told me I was going to make it in under 4 hours. I came out onto the grass, could see the barriers, hear the cheering fans, and could see Telemark. I cruised in for 3 hours 50 miles and 42 seconds. Under 4 hours, with several stops. Sweet. </span> <br />
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<br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">I looked around for my friends. A minute later I head Bob Meinig's name announced. We'd been within a minute of eachother on the course. Wow. Lee and Trevor appeared and I drank water and munched on more donut holes. Eventually the rest of the group appeared and I was able to get back to Steve Pippen's car and change out of my sweaty race clothes. Some beers were drunk. Stories told. Chris pipped Lee literally in a photo finish. Our oldest WFR rider, John Wrycza turned in the fastest time, arriving 1 hour 10 minutes ahead of me. Wow. I ate corn-nuts, drank gatorade. John and Kim on their repaired tandem came in shortly after me, amazing that they were able to get the bike fixed and not have too much trouble on the course.</span><br />
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<br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Eventually it was time to send guys to fetch the trucks from Hayward, rather than wait, John W and I rode back to Lake Owen. My hands ached, my butt, sore. It was misery, but beat waiting. After we arrived, John headed for the lake, I headed for a shower to clean off the grime. We told more stories, ate cheese and sausage. We were in Wisconsin after all and John and I are both natives. My nativity may be tenous after 36 years of forced relocation in Illinois, but I still like cheese, sausage, curds, and friday night fish fry, and John helped me expand my fish repetoir to walleye! Lee arrived; more stories told. </span> <br />
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</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Dinner on Saturday was a cookout at John Mahr & Trevor's. Burgers were grilled, beers were consumed, and we relaxed, mostly staying seated, our legs tired. A campfire ended a beautiful night under Wisconsin stars, as shooting stars fell from the black sky. For all of the pain and misery, it ended amongst friends and cool wood-smoked air.</span><br />
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<br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">I began these posts recalling fondly my March 1986 Bicycling magazine, wanting to “ride with death”. After 40 miles of racing at the hugest event I've ever done on American soil, I feel I accomplished that goal. I have never suffered so profoundly mentally and physically on a bicycle, so hated my life's passion. As I rolled down that final hill and heard the announcer shout, “From Downers Grove Illinois, Kevin Butler!” I knew that no matter what success or failure awaits me in this crazy sport I love, I will still line up and try again. Somewhere down the line this day in September will get pushed down the list as another day in the saddle brings more horror. If you asked me on Saturday afternoon if I'd do it again. I was noncommital at best, but as the memory brightens, of time with friends doing what we love, I will now say, yes, I will probably go back to Chequamegon and do it all over again.</span><br />
</div>Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-76246214210246829552009-09-19T09:40:00.001-05:002009-09-19T09:40:49.502-05:00Wow<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2eLMfWnjO6eJ41zK_rSdLLZU2wpuIdeNxMG-pxIg_z23lhFVn4Kyw4AkTA-2dvs2nD_FLjOTOTT-3Z_7DSW6VRyhbN87yMIUq8ej9wGfDpKZV450oqk3-mtHPICHr-b2E1liU6wgip8/s1600-h/photo-749503.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2eLMfWnjO6eJ41zK_rSdLLZU2wpuIdeNxMG-pxIg_z23lhFVn4Kyw4AkTA-2dvs2nD_FLjOTOTT-3Z_7DSW6VRyhbN87yMIUq8ej9wGfDpKZV450oqk3-mtHPICHr-b2E1liU6wgip8/s320/photo-749503.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383188526673213218" /></a></p>I can't even begin to describe this. John and Kim got the tandem fixed <br>and we saw bob and Kristina and the half acre gang. Wow.Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-11447160107094038522009-09-19T08:47:00.000-05:002009-09-19T08:46:56.629-05:00BananaI never liked bananas but will eat them racing for the potassium. Just <br>sat on it. Wondered what was wet in my cargo shorts pocket. Oops. It <br>is good. I am ready to get this baby rolling.<p>+++<br>Kevin ButlerKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-49087320571524535822009-09-19T07:54:00.000-05:002009-09-19T07:55:07.638-05:00Holy cow<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9dj_a76eC3lW-6Lq5BBCOBm0x5T5ZLhzEPZ_pM3hXiDnZ7NMaURnoo3IxYmxRkDG4aSeaPFJDmetute2Kn6DM4rg9qtjXnnxcKeWAol4bIO7DNLGCyLTalw42nRoOXZObXQExLSjAZs/s1600-h/photo-707639.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9dj_a76eC3lW-6Lq5BBCOBm0x5T5ZLhzEPZ_pM3hXiDnZ7NMaURnoo3IxYmxRkDG4aSeaPFJDmetute2Kn6DM4rg9qtjXnnxcKeWAol4bIO7DNLGCyLTalw42nRoOXZObXQExLSjAZs/s320/photo-707639.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383161289796925170" /></a></p>Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-17352808300865872862009-09-19T06:55:00.000-05:002009-09-19T06:54:48.420-05:00Ready to goHad a nervous breakfast and now we are loading bikes. I know I will <br>settle on once we get going but right now I feel the stomach flopping <br>on some bacon.<p>+++<br>Kevin ButlerKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-29722771071940491312009-09-18T18:06:00.001-05:002009-09-18T18:06:02.609-05:00I am scared<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitefKv7UIb72fq2oriLU6b2moS-MVR3odN3WbGEyfkCimrPe2dDgp2sGCI10xLfMYF5rWHqp9hekHNDt84oLBxC_wFkts6AAnDMj5LoPafTq3Cu0ixEDvwTOXLHpuVVPw0VEwzSsEEcpc/s1600-h/photo-762610.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitefKv7UIb72fq2oriLU6b2moS-MVR3odN3WbGEyfkCimrPe2dDgp2sGCI10xLfMYF5rWHqp9hekHNDt84oLBxC_wFkts6AAnDMj5LoPafTq3Cu0ixEDvwTOXLHpuVVPw0VEwzSsEEcpc/s320/photo-762610.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382947635857914114" /></a></p>Rode 20 miles. The last 10 miles of the course. It is going to be <br>hard. Very very hard.Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-18702482277874016532009-09-18T10:01:00.002-05:002009-09-18T10:52:43.131-05:00Lazy morning on Lake Owen<div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVJzBqdWutd8ky_eLEEc8u0VOdYB7mElcOh2shTp04YNQa2pnEjiIHU7gPYtQvGI9W5lLjR3-TNsfA16b2t8CLn99ph3eigH-vwsVOGNhpFtUtTylAcnXtClg41J9b4x_luxflngDxqw/s1600-h/Indian-729876.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382831102329572578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVJzBqdWutd8ky_eLEEc8u0VOdYB7mElcOh2shTp04YNQa2pnEjiIHU7gPYtQvGI9W5lLjR3-TNsfA16b2t8CLn99ph3eigH-vwsVOGNhpFtUtTylAcnXtClg41J9b4x_luxflngDxqw/s320/Indian-729876.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Hi Gang,<br />
What a perfectly lazy morning in Lake Owen. I woke about 8 AM after a wonderful 8.5 hours of sleep, comforted by the fresh air of the North Woods. Breakfast was yogurt, Golden Grahams and cinnamon donuts! Lee was up and so we just hung out enjoying a very lazy Friday morning, with no ability to receive calls and so "work". Not having cell coverage is a pretty wonderful thing. Today's plan is a 10:30ish ride, hopefully taking in the last 8 miles of the race course. It will be nice to preview the suffering that tomorrow will bring me. At least I'll know how bad it is going to hurt on a fresh legs!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUnHBEshyNkBjDddlYmzAistkUzaoISpRDOd0JDRDgeT5lZa33Q18JSnJQ8eTVC5eBv3Qy_jkJPVIF4r-8038tU0S4to-apdGYpYdFjOCfjn7My1eXEgz0D670x5YvbrSxXFa_qN1iWg/s1600-h/Chequamegon+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUnHBEshyNkBjDddlYmzAistkUzaoISpRDOd0JDRDgeT5lZa33Q18JSnJQ8eTVC5eBv3Qy_jkJPVIF4r-8038tU0S4to-apdGYpYdFjOCfjn7My1eXEgz0D670x5YvbrSxXFa_qN1iWg/s320/Chequamegon+005.jpg" /></a><br />
The sun is out here at Lake Owen. I'd say temps in the low 70's with a pleasant breeze. The air smells of wood and water and the thing is, save the breeze and the birds, there is no sound of modern urban life. <br />
It is fabulous. Last night outside is was utterly dark save a million stars I can't see at home. After 3 days hopefully Chris will be able to get me back in the truck to head home. <br />
<br />
KevinKevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-61310934621304652072009-09-17T21:44:00.001-05:002009-09-17T21:44:23.118-05:00Lake Owen<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFRrf9ch1NT28WDrKy4fTU6G8eGDMtBwJIVbVEWVJ4qMnGtD3aL6NXBnx70mtKpdDT8O5ySnzRVXU_g_KLj8x8h0jOMIYQ3kMNQrIK6ycD2a_HYhSugpnp8994WGqBgvsxBc66YQsorU/s1600-h/photo-763119.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFRrf9ch1NT28WDrKy4fTU6G8eGDMtBwJIVbVEWVJ4qMnGtD3aL6NXBnx70mtKpdDT8O5ySnzRVXU_g_KLj8x8h0jOMIYQ3kMNQrIK6ycD2a_HYhSugpnp8994WGqBgvsxBc66YQsorU/s320/photo-763119.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382632819486084098" /></a></p>> We made it to Lake Owen. Now we're hanging out tearing bikes apart <br>> with beers and Chris' electronica. There's an air compressor running <br>> of all things. Pretty good night. We have no cell coverage but some <br>> wifi so life is pretty good. Saw Mahr's tandem. Never seen the <br>> front wheel tabs ground off a fork before. 70 mph off a roof rack <br>> just isn't good. He's hoping for a new fork tomorrow and Chris is <br>> going to try and true up the wheel. Hopefully this will come <br>> together. Otherwise dinner was some pizza and Leinenkugels in <br>> Hayward.<br>>Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488242786106023170.post-92155265550698107662009-09-17T21:42:00.001-05:002009-09-17T21:42:23.511-05:00Lake Owen<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdeV_MweF-dIyD-39_z7kNxytXWVwQZOqWyTVkD1TBqCmb1TDVSodPxXmJ2p07uQUVmGQsu2ZDYnHP7jbnND3g8zmv8LRdzJBhdDp6gFyXh3Ttx9Kuh1rClFuxeqdtGsHscR2DwKjYF8/s1600-h/photo-743512.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdeV_MweF-dIyD-39_z7kNxytXWVwQZOqWyTVkD1TBqCmb1TDVSodPxXmJ2p07uQUVmGQsu2ZDYnHP7jbnND3g8zmv8LRdzJBhdDp6gFyXh3Ttx9Kuh1rClFuxeqdtGsHscR2DwKjYF8/s320/photo-743512.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382632300628916242" /></a></p>Kevin Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16043123338782853276noreply@blogger.com0