Just can't get enough

One taste of riding dirt last weekend was all it took for my kids to get hooked. Today, the Gnat family hit the south side of the MN River heading east toward the Sibley House in Saint Paul.



They wanted to go further and further. I think they must have read Guitar Ted's post on the 320 mile Trans Iowa 5! We ended up with over 5 miles of dirt trail. My boy wanted to go 8 miles - 4 miles out and 4 miles back.



Today, I changed it up a bit and rode my custom S & S 1x9 El Mariachi. It was a nice change. Man I love my El Mariachi. The Fargo has really cut into my El Mariachi ride time.





As the sun lowered, the shadows got long and we rode out.



Another amazing fall day with the Gnat Family and our bikes.

Friday Photo

Last Saturday was an incredible fall day - blue sky, late season color, sun, and the smell of dry leaves. My wife reminded me that when we were in Utah we had discussed taking the kids on their first official mountain bike ride. We've done countless rides through the neighborhood, but we've never done a family ride on single track. Great idea!

About an hour later the entire Gnat family was rolling out of the Murphy-Hanrehan parking lot to hit the dirt ribbon. Murphy has a .8 mile beginner loop through the rolling prairie. After a little fear followed by encouragement on lap #1, the kids got the hang of it and really had a blast. In the end, we did 5 laps (4 miles) and both kids were so proud of their accomplishment....OK, mom and dad were too. Incredible day and one I'll always remember.



These are pretty good too.





Kids Rule! Get out and ride!

N & N turn 6!

I can't believe my twins turned six today. Amazing. I also can't believe how much fun kids can be. This year's theme was "Apples" and we held it right after the neighborhood bus unloaded. Thankfully, they meant the real apples and not the little ipod thingies that I'm sure they will ask for soon.



Thankfully the weather held out and we got a beautiful fall day. I think the high point for my boy was bobbing for apples. We were pretty certain he was going to drown himself, but he ended up coming up with an apple. Focus and commitment. I like it.



This one was pretty funny too. The kids did an apple relay where they had to roll the apple with their nose.



Birthdays come down to cake and ice cream. My wife crafted this fine apple from home made cup cakes and home made frosting while Culver's supplied the ice cream cake.



In the end, it was a fun time had by all. No one got hurt. No police or child protection showed up. No crying kids. All in all a great neighborhood party. Happy Birthday N & N. Mom and dad love you so much. You are awesome 6 year olds.

Photo Friday

Looking back over the last two weeks, I've got a lot of fun and great memories. Today's photo is taken from a play ground in Estes Park, CO. I was spinning the kids on this fine & potentially dangerous piece of play ground equipment and taking their pictures. I never got the exact shot I was hoping for, but I can't look at this picture without smiling. It's just what I need today.



Enjoy your weekend. Ride your bike. Laugh with your friends, family or kids.

Introverted Tendencies

I'm still coming down after Interbike. I've written about this before, but whenever I have these big weeks with large physical and emotional efforts, I need my space. I'm a strong "I" on the Meyers Briggs preference indicator. Some have told me they think I'm an "E" and don't believe it, but its true. I certainly can be a practicing extrovert, but deep down, I'm still a strong "I". Weeks like the last 2 weeks really bring it out in me.

Thankfully, I rode by myself in the early AM on Tuesday and I took today off to spend time with my family and to think. I got a little time to work on my own bikes too. I've got a lot to think about. Honestly, pretty much since June, I've not had much extra energy to think about things that need to be thought about. So....Over the coming days and weeks, I'm looking forward to getting back on my schedule. I'm looking forward to getting some down time and some stuff done that is long overdue.

Over the coming weeks and months, I'll be laying out my plans for the GnatLikesBikes blog and a little bit about my personal plans. I assure you, it should prove interesting....At least I think it should prove interesting.

Until then, I leave you with this. This is what I'd like to do for the next few days.



Sleep....I guess even a super hero needs sleep.

China Slide Show and a little anniversary

I feel lucky that I had an opportunity to visit China earlier this year. It was too short and too rushed. Yet, I still feel fortunate that I got to see China with my own eyes. I was on a research trip looking at carbon fiber manufacturing. Here are a few of my favorite images.



Also, August 8th is my two year anniversary of breaking my a bone at my elbow. We moved into our new house just days prior and it was my 3rd day in a row riding the sweet single track by our house. Gluttony I guess? It was the first bone I had ever broken.



My boy wanted me to have a black cast. Man, my kids look little while I look not so little. FYI: I've lost 25-30 lbs since that picture!

Have a great weekend. I'm heading out of town again. Back on Monday.

Memories of Maple Lake

This last week was filled with family and with memories, both new and old. Part of this trip included going to my grandparent's old lake cabin on Maple Lake. My grandfather built the "cabin" in the early 1950's. My mom lived here in the summers with her family. At that time, it was a single room. It was my first visit in 15 years and the first for my wife and kids. It was also the first time my mother had slept at the cabin in over 20 years.

I was a bit nervous going back. The "cabin" is the place that I remember and cherish. It represents so much in my mind. It was a place of laughter, great food, peace, silence, fun, games, and family. My memories of the "cabin" are burned into my mind. I always remember Grandpa Wally and Grandma Ruth when I think of the cabin. When I am stressed, it is the place I go to find peace. When I can't sleep, I think of sleeping in the hammock in the shade beneath the trees. When I close my eyes, I can still hear and feel the sound of the wind. It is a place that I only remember great things. It is my safe place.



Thankfully, the "cabin" still felt like the "cabin". My family enjoyed it too. We had great weather. We had fun with Grandma Linda. We ate great food. We capped the trip off with a traditional stop at the Mentor DQ. I don't know when I'll be back, but I will never forget the last couple of days.

Photo Friday

Lately, it's been pretty hot and super humid here in the Midwest. My body isn't the best in the heat. I'm not craving winter, but I am craving cooler riding temps. This picture should cool you off and hopefully make you smile.

Perspective

No bike stuff today. I'm working on some rack stuff, but it's not ready yet so today I thought I'd share a little bit of fun stuff about kids.

You always hear parents talking about how smart their kids are. Kids are smart. However, in some cases, I think one of the reasons that parents, including me, say this is that we aren't so smart.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've learned some things from my kids. Two weeks back my wife took a much deserved vacation and I got to spend a lot more quality time with my kids. As a direct result, I already blogged that I need to laugh more. I also got this gem that week.

Take a look at this picture.



One day when I was at home with my awesome kids, they asked me if we could do something. I don't remember what it was, but that is not important. I gave them the thumbs down, meaning that we couldn't do what they asked. My boy immediately flipped his thumb down and twisted his body looking up at his downward pointed thumb.

"Daddy, when you look at it like this, thumbs down is thumbs up!" After quite a bit of laughter, I confirmed that he was right.

How right you are. I don't know about you, but his perspective made me laugh a lot. Throughout the week, both my kids were doing this. Sort of became our little joke. And you know what, it's true. Thumbs down can easily be viewed as thumbs up. Our interpretations and world views are shaped by many things. One of those things is perspective. Sometimes, I know I see what I want to see. I pick my way to view a given situation. But, you know what? If I change my perspective, I just might see something else.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year folks. I hope each and everyone of you can get outside to ring in the new year. Here's a few snaps of the fam and my winter riding partner. What a great week it has been. Have fun. Be safe.