I Love My Brooks Saddle

Nitro Time!

2012-02-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

Yes indeed folks, it's that time of year again, NITRO TIME! Qualifying starts today for the Winternationals in Pomona CA. Check it out this weekend on ESPN2.

Want It Wednesday, Garmin 800 Edge

2012-02-08T09:34:00.006-05:00

I already own a Garmin 605 Edge and absolutely love it. But the idea of having a larger screen with a more accurate altimeter really makes me lust after the 800. Who knows, maybe one of these days I'll get one. Don't forget to check out Jez Andrews Want it Wednesday. http://followingthechainline.blogspot.com/

Jonnycake Rearrow

2012-02-07T16:03:00.000-05:00

This ride turned into a real disaster. I started out rearrowing the short loop of this club ride, when six miles into the ride, I realized I lost my phone. Somehow it fell out of my pocket. I continued on arrowing until I hit RT 138,then I headed back to retrace my ride. I never found the phone, but someone did and called my daughter to tell her. He was kind enough to bring it to her and she dropped it off at my house.I wish he had left his name and number, I would have liked to thank him in person.
Jonnycake Rearrow by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY

2012-02-03T11:07:00.000-05:00

Less than three days to go until the big game. I do feel better than I did for the Ravens game, I think the Patriots will win. All you Pat's fans out there, lets get plenty of good karma flowing the Patriots way. A fourth ring would be so sweet!

Patriots Send off.

2012-01-30T08:03:00.000-05:00

Inside the Pro Shop.

People still coming into the stadium.

The missed field goal by the Ravens.

The ball is right under 4th on the right.

Our minutemen were outside so you could take a picture with them.

Here come our Patriots, being led by Wes and Tom.

25,000 fans, hoping for a fourth ring.

Coach Belichick.

Kevin Faulk.

Dion Branch.

Tom Brady.

Robert Kraft, the best owner in the world.

Sunday morning Barbara and I headed up to Gillette stadium to meet my buddy Dennis and his wife Lorraine, for the Patriots send off celebration. This was my first time going to one of these, but Dennis had been to the last one and said there weren't that many people that showed up to it. I knew we were in trouble when I got off the exit from RT 495 onto RT 1 and the traffic was already backed up. About 45 minutes later we were in the parking lot and headed to the Pro Shop to meet up with Dennis and Lorraine. Barbara bought a few things before we headed to our seats and it's a good thing she did, because after the ceremony the lines were backed up outside the Pro Shop. They estimated 25,000 people showed up to wish the Pat's good luck.

Train Station Ride

2012-01-28T14:05:00.001-05:00

Brand new bridge from the flood.

Return leg on the bikepath.

John and I got a chance to get together today for a ride in South County. We started at 10:00 with the temp at 42 degree's and sunny skies. As the ride progressed the clouds started to roll in and it didn't get as warm as we had hoped. Still, we can't complain with 40 degree temps in January. John is doing well with his new pedals and who knows, maybe some time down the road he'll be able to go back to clipless pedals if his knee gets better.
Train Station Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Want It Wednesday, Surly Pugsley

2012-01-25T07:25:00.001-05:00

The Surly Pugsley, what a great name!

The first time I saw one of these bikes, I thought to myself,what the fuck! It looked so weird with the huge tires and smallish frame. Over the years I've read about how well they ride in the snow and thought to myself, this would make a great winter bike. Who knows, maybe one of these days I may buy one. Don't forget to check out Jez Andrews blog for his Want it Wednesday. http://followingthechainline.blogspot.com/

PAT'S, SUPERBOWL BOUND!

2012-01-23T07:45:00.000-05:00

Yeah baby! It was a close game yesterday and thanks to a last second missed field goal, the Patriots prevailed. Now it's on to the Superbowl in two weeks. It's time to pay back the Giants after they beat us in the last Superbowl we played in against them.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

2012-01-19T15:05:00.000-05:00

I know where I'll be this Sunday at 3:00. My fat ass will be on a couch at my son's house, in front of the TV. I'll have a Sam Adams in one hand and some pizza in the other, hopefully watching the Patriots rout the Ravens. Go Pats!

NBW Cape Caper

2012-01-15T15:08:00.000-05:00

I had to walk down this path to get on the bike path.

This is where the club ride goes over the bike path.

Today's ride was the coldest ride of this Winter for me so far. It was 33 degree's at the start with the sun shinning and windy. The wind wasn't as big a factor as I thought it would be, it was coming from the West so it was a cross wind most of the time during the ride.I got to check out the Shinning Sea bike path on the return loop,one I haven't been on before.It had a lot of walkers, but only a couple of riders on the section I did.After the ride I headed over to my son's house to watch the Patriots game.
NBW Cape Caper by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

NBW Triboro Tour

2012-01-08T13:12:00.000-05:00

I ended up cutting this ride short because I was sore from yesterdays ride/arrowing job. Plus I tweaked my hammy a little yesterday and it's still sore. I'm also not used to riding two days in a row this time of year.
NBW Triboro Tour by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Arrowing The NBW Jonny Cake Ride

2012-01-07T16:01:00.000-05:00

Bags loaded with paint.

John laying down an arrow.

John and I had the perfect day today to arrow a club ride. It was 45 degree's at the start and 58 degree's at the finish. The sun was out and very little wind, so the paint didn't blow all over the place as we sprayed the arrows on the road.We arrowed the short loop on our bikes and then drove the long loop, to finish the arrowing.
Arrowing The NBW Jonny Cake Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

NBW New Years Day Ride

2012-01-01T14:39:00.000-05:00

It was perfect weather for our clubs New Years Day ride today. 47 degree's at the start of the ride and 52 degree's at the finish. I arrived late for the ride and had to wait for the mass exodus to thin out before I could park. It was also my first ride with all the updated components on my bike and they worked flawlessly.
NBW New Years Day Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

My Updated Bicycle

2011-12-30T16:38:00.001-05:00

New bottom bracket.

New Jump Stop.

New crankset.

New front derailleur.

New shifters and bar ends.

New cassette with 36 tooth cog.

New brakes.

I've spent the last few days putting new components on my bike, to make it more user friendly climbing hills. As I get older, I'm finding I need lower gears and easier shifting. I'm holding out for my first test ride New Years day.

Pictures From Christmas.

2011-12-26T14:47:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure when I'll get back to my computer, so I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Train Station Ride With John

2011-12-17T15:57:00.000-05:00

John and I had a chance to get a ride in today, so we decided to start from the train station and head down to the beaches. The temperature was 42 at the start and warmed up a little more until the clouds rolled in, then it felt like it dropped a good 5 degree's. We cut the ride short because we were both toast and ended up with 30 miles.
Train Station Ride With John by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

CHRISTMAS COOKIE TIME

2011-12-14T16:18:00.000-05:00

Tiffany kicks ass using the mixer.

Oatmeal and dark chocolate chips.

Chocolate and peanut butter chips.

White chocolate and coconut iced cookies.

Bella hoping for scraps to fall on the floor.

Sugar cookies.

Every year I look forward to spending time with Tiffany baking Christmas cookies. We spent almost five hours today baking and we still have gingerbread cookies to make yet and maybe a couple of other cookies.Bella behaved for the most part, staying away from our feet as we worked. She has a habit of getting stepped on when we're working in the kitchen.

EARLY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-11T12:18:00.000-05:00

My family is so big, that it gets harder every year for all of us to get together close to Christmas. So this year we are starting a new tradition, by having Christmas earlier in the month, so we can all make it. This year we were at Kat and Brian's house and they also made a big announcement that Kat is pregnant with their first child! We all had a great time and it's always fun to see the young kids tear into their gifts.

Friday Night Ride

2011-12-09T17:14:00.000-05:00

Only got a short one in after work,better than none though.
Friday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

LA SALETTE SHRINE

2011-12-05T07:42:00.001-05:00

We drove over to La Sallette last night for our annual viewing of the Christmas display. I think it was the warmest it's ever been and it was quite comfortable walking around, checking out the lights.

Sunday Ride

2011-12-04T12:22:00.000-05:00

Entrance to the park

Barbara's mothers tree.

I took the bike path back.

I rode down to Slater Park to check out the Christmas decorations this morning. Barbara and I were there last night and it looked great.
Sunday Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Monday Night Ride

2011-11-28T17:07:00.000-05:00

Another warm one today,mid 60's but cloudy, so it got darker quicker. I forgot my night time glasses so I was worried I might get some crap in my eyes,I didn't. I like this time of year,Christmas decorations are going up and it gets me in the festive mood.
Monday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Saturday Afternoon Ride

2011-11-26T14:45:00.000-05:00

Entrance to the bike path.

Some sections were completely covered with leaves.

I can't believe it was 63 degree's when I started this ride today. It felt like early Fall instead of almost Winter time. I decided to take in the Slater Park bike path,I thought there would be few people on it because of all the big Christmas sales this weekend. It was for the most part, but I did see a few people on it.
Saturday Afternoon Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Want It Wednesday

2011-11-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know I'm a day early, but I won't be near my computer tomorrow so I need to post this today. I think I've finished up buying, the last of the items I need to overhaul my bike this Winter. New cables and housings are very important if you want your bike to shift and stop properly. My favorite manufacturer is Jagwire for these items. I'm going with their Ripcord series this time. Don't forget to check out Jez Andrews blog for his Want It Wednesday. http://followingthechainline.blogspot.com/

South Coastal Ride

2011-11-20T17:17:00.000-05:00

Heading southeast on the path.

We hit the head wind on this road big time.

In Galilee near the ferry to Block island.

The wind was behind us riding along the beaches,sweet!

Back on the path heading northwest.

Local artists are allowed to paint murals here.

John and I were able to get a ride in today and the weather was half way decent,except for the wind. We did a nice easy ride along the beaches and took in most of the bike path.
South Coastal Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Friday Night Ride

2011-11-18T17:26:00.000-05:00

I love these sidewalls that glow when light hits them.

This was my first ride this Fall where I needed to use my lights. Each night ride will get darker now as the remainder of the year goes on. It was 41 degree's when I started my ride and I felt it because I didn't dress warm enough. Next time I'll know.
Friday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

NBW Taunton/Sharon Ride

2011-11-13T14:33:00.000-05:00

The biggest hills on this ride are when you go over RT 495.

This is one of my favorite rides,scenic and flat. The wind was pretty brutal today but we had tree cover blocking it most of the day.
NBW Taunton/Sharon Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-11-10T12:37:00.000-05:00

This weekends race is in Pomona CA. It's also the last race of the year. Check it out on ESPN2.

Want It Wednesday

2011-11-09T09:14:00.000-05:00

I've always had great luck with Sram chains and I love their Power Link connector. This new Cross Step chain will be added to my bike this Winter, with all the other new components I'm adding. Don't forget to check out Jez Andrews blog for his Want It Wednesday. http://followingthechainline.blogspot.com/

NBW Fall River Fifty

2011-11-06T13:44:00.000-05:00

I had the chance to ride with a new club prospect today. Ken is the father in law of a coworker of mine. He's only been riding since August and this was his first club ride. Ken did great,I had a tuff time keeping up with him at different times during the ride. Hopefully he'll join the club.

NBW Fall River Fifty by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Thursday Night Ride

2011-11-03T17:37:00.000-04:00

Brand new pavement on Carpenter st.

Got a nice little spin in tonight. More new pavement in the area.
Thursday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Monday Night Ride

2011-10-31T17:14:00.000-04:00

Left over snow from the storm.

New pavement on Rocky Hill rd!

I normally don't ride on Mondays because I'm usually recouping from a big Sunday ride. No ride yesterday because of the storm we got,so I rode tonight. Next week I'll have to have put my lights on my bike because we turn the clocks back this weekend. It will be dark on my return leg of my weekday rides.
Monday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Friday Night Ride

2011-10-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

The sun is a lot lower in the sky now when I start my rides. You can tell by how long my shadow is.

A bit nippy tonight,45 degree's when I started the ride. It wasn't too bad once I warmed up and got going. I'm hoping Sundays ride down the Cape doesn't get rained out.
Friday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-10-28T07:58:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Las Vegas, NV. Check it out on ESPN2.

Want It Wednesday

2011-10-26T12:02:00.000-04:00

The old version on my bike now.

The new and improved version.

With all the new components I'll be putting on my bike this Winter, I decided to update my brakes too. I'll be replacing my old Avid Shorty 6's with their new and improved version.One of the things I'm hoping it will do, is open up wider when I release the straddle cable, so I can remove and install my wheel easier. Right now their on the tight side with my 35mm Schwalbe's.Don't forget to check out Jez Andrews blog, http://followingthechainline.blogspot.com/

Sunday Ride

2011-10-23T14:07:00.000-04:00

Rt 6 intersection,YUCK!

East Bay Bike Path.

The new Warren path.

This is where it would be extended to join up with the EBBP.

It will require a bridge here.

Heading East on the Path.

Back on RT6.

Rest stop.

Santa Claus?

It was a bit on the nippy side this morning when I started my ride,49 degree's. The cloudy skies didn't help either,so the sun never really warmed me up. I wanted to head down to Warren to check out their new bike path. It's not long, maybe a mile, but it's a start and hopefully it won't take too long to get an extension, so it can join up with the East Bay path. I was planning on getting 40 miles in today, but I bailed out and only got 34 in.
Sunday Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Friday Night Ride

2011-10-21T17:19:00.000-04:00

It's always good to see other riders on the road.

This is all new here. This bridge was washed out for over a year from the flood.

Another sign of Fall,pine needles all over the road.

It was typical Fall weather today, cloudy,windy and 62 degree's. Before we know it Winter will be here.
Friday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Tuesday Night Ride

2011-10-18T17:01:00.000-04:00

Pizza,so yummy.

I got a short ride in tonight before the rain comes. Fall is definitely here,cool and cloudy out.
Tuesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Sunday Ride

2011-10-16T14:22:00.000-04:00

The first part of the ride I followed our clubs Plymouth Century arrows.

Here's where I turned right and stopped following the club ride.

22 mile rest stop.

Briggs street was closed and I had to detour around it.

It was a beautiful day for a ride today, although a bit too windy. I actually rode through five towns today on this almost 40 miler. I also saw tons of bike riders out there,which is always nice to see.
Sunday Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-10-14T06:57:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Phoenix,AZ. Check it out on ESPN2.

Want It Wednesday

2011-10-12T11:43:00.000-04:00

Here she is! Isn't she a beauty?

If you have read my previous Want It Wednesday posts, you know I'll be installing a new crankset on my bike. Well my old Ultegra front derailleur won't work with the new smaller chainrings, so I needed to get the correct one for it. I needed a Shimano XT FD-M773 and nobody in the states could come up with one. I ended up finding one in Australia and it came in a few days ago. That was a relief. Don't forget to check Jez Andrews Want It Wednesday post. Heres his link. http://followingthechainline.blogspot.com/

Tuesday Night Ride

2011-10-11T17:06:00.000-04:00

It felt good to get a little ride in today. I did a lot of walking and sitting in DC and it caused my lower legs to swell up quite a bit. I'm hoping a little spin will do them good.
Tuesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

DC Trip,Day Four.

2011-10-11T13:59:00.000-04:00

These three structures signify the steam trails a jet leaves behind in the sky.

Monday morning we visited the Air Force memorial and then headed home. This was my first bus tour and I would do it again in a heart beat. It beats having to do the driving, it's cheaper than flying and our guides were fantastic. I highly recommend it.

DC Trip,Day Three.

2011-10-11T13:33:00.001-04:00

We were left alone to do what we pleased Sunday, so the bus dropped us off at the National Mall and exploring we went. We started at the museum of American History, it was ok,but I wouldn't go back to check it out again. The Holocaust museum was next, another disappointment. Not because of the exhibit, it was great. It was way too crowded and we couldn't move around for the first half of it, missed a lot. The second half was better as the crowd thinned out and we could take our time scanning the exhibits. My recommendation to anyone going to that museum, go at the end of the day, hopefully it will be less crowded. Next we were off to the Smithsonian Air & Space museum, this is what I was waiting for. It was pretty good, we were on a mission to see as much as possible, so we didn't take in any of the films showing. You could easily spend a half day there. Our last stop of the day was the National Archives museum. Another great place to visit.

There were protesters scattered around the city. This was in front of the American History museum.

Tiffany giving her State of the Union address.

Waiting to get into the Holocaust museum.

We caught great views while walking to the different museums.

Sunday night we went back to Alexandria again for dinner and then a night time tour of DC guided by our great guide Tom. One of the places Tom volunteers is the Kennedy Center. He took us on a tour inside and then we took an elevator up to a roof top deck that goes around the perimeter of the building. We had a spectacular night time view of the city. Then we went to the White house and finished at the Lincoln Monument.

DC Trip,Day Two Afternoon

2011-10-11T11:39:00.001-04:00

Iwo Jima memorial.

Vietnam memorial.

A rose for a loved one.

The Wall.

Entrance to the WWII memorial.

FDR loved water,thats why his memorial had a lot of water displays.

Bread line during the Great Depression.

MLK's memorial.

Saturday afternoon had us taking in the Iwo Jima, Vietnam, WWII, FDR's and MLK's memorials too. Then we headed out to Alexandria for a visit and dinner.

DC Trip,Day Two.

2011-10-11T10:49:00.002-04:00

Saturday morning we took our bus over to Arlington National Cemetery, so we could meet our tour guide for the days adventure. His name is Tom, he's a retired school teacher and he volunteers at 3 different museums when he's not guiding tours. Tom was born in India and has lived in the states for the last 25 years, I believe he said. His passion and knowledge for America, American history and the monuments was amazing. There were times, when he was describing or telling a story at the cemetery, when he had me either in tears or laughing. He made the trip for me.

The headstones were in a perfect straight line,no matter which way you looked at them. Because a soldier is marching even in death.

JFK's eternal flame.

Still marching.

They gave their lives for science,not war.

Don't let our national space program die,so their deaths won't be in vain.

Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier

There all hero's in my eyes.

Our guide Tom.

DC Trip,Day One

2011-10-11T09:57:00.000-04:00

Our pimped out bus.

Tim and Lynsie

Tiffany and Barbara.

We started out nice and early Friday morning for the drive down to DC. We had a beautiful bus with all the comforts, for the 8 hour drive. We did hit some traffic near the DC area, but it wasn't too bad. We finished off the evening with a nice dinner in the hotel,then a trip up to the lounge with a rotating seating area for some spectacular views of DC.

Washington DC

2011-10-06T08:21:00.000-04:00

Smithsonian Air & Space Museum

Tomorrow morning we head out to DC for a few days. I've never had the chance to visit there so I'm excited to check it out.

One Thousand Miles

2011-10-04T09:56:00.000-04:00

I finally broke the one thousand mile mark with Sundays ride. There was a point earlier in the year while recovering, that I thought I would never see that mark. This year won't be anything like my normally logged three thousand mile years, but I'll take it.

Tom's Cape Ride

2011-10-03T15:59:00.000-04:00

Here's the link to yesterday's ride.
Tom's Cape Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Tom's Cape Ride

2011-10-03T07:31:00.000-04:00

The roads were still wet in sections from the earlier rain.

We now go through this beautiful development on the ride.

I love walking over this boardwalk on the ride.

If you look close, you can see the names of people that donated money to build it.

Cape Cod Canal Path, Sagamore bridge.

This was the best looking fishing rig I saw.

Coming up on the Bourne bridge.

My son Thomas coming out with the best pizza on the Cape.

This is the NBW's Cape Caper middle loop from my son's house in Mashpee. The rides been updated to eliminate the horrible service road along RT6 with all the climbs. It's a welcome change that added some nice new side roads. The weather was cloudy and threatening most of the day, but I never needed to put my rain gear on. It was a little windy in spots and the sun did peak out for brief moments here and there. This is the longest ride I've done since before I hurt my back, so it felt good to get over the 40 mile mark. I'll upload the ride link tonight when I get to Barbara's house.

Friday Night Ride

2011-09-30T16:57:00.000-04:00

Only had time for another short one. Flatter than I thought it would be.
Friday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-09-30T08:16:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Reading,PA. Check it out on ESPN2.

John's Grandson Joey

2011-09-30T07:06:00.000-04:00

John's daughter Emily with Joey.

Joey's dad.

Joey,sound asleep after doing a century.

As promised, here are some pictures of John's new grandson.

Wednesday Night Ride

2011-09-28T17:47:00.000-04:00

Nice barbecue setup.

I got a little longer ride in tonight than usual. I have a big ride coming up Sunday and I need to be ready for it. If you click on the link, ignore the straight line, I must have had my GPS on the other night when charging it.
Wednesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

John's A Grampa Again!

2011-09-28T13:57:00.000-04:00

John's daughter Emily gave birth this morning to a baby boy. His name is Joey and he weighed 7lb 8oz. That's two grandchildren for John now, Maya and Joey. Pictures soon to follow.

Want It Wednesday

2011-09-28T08:41:00.000-04:00

I've been keeping and eye on these for a while, Shimano SL-M970-A XTR shifters. I knew that once Shimano went to the 10 speed XTR group that these 9 speed shifters would go on sale eventually. Low and behold Colorado Cyclist was kind enough to put them on sale and I bit. They retail for over $300 and had them half off, I couldn't resist! These will be a nice upgrade from my barend shifters. Don't forget to check out Jez Andrews Want It Wednesday at http://followingthechainline.blogspot.com/

Monday Night Ride

2011-09-26T16:56:00.000-04:00

Another new development going in.

I only had time for a short ride tonight, but even a short ride is better than no ride.
Monday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-09-23T08:27:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Dallas TX. Check it out on ESPN2.

Wednesday Night Ride

2011-09-21T17:34:00.000-04:00

Now that's a pumpkin patch.

I think I can make it through.

Almost finished,ready for blacktop.

My ride tonight was a little slower than normal,sore legs. I had perfect weather and changed up my loop a little.
Wednesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Monday Night Ride

2011-09-19T17:43:00.000-04:00

I decided to check out a new housing development being built off of Davis st.

No building going on in this section.

The only house being built. Now really, who needs a house this big?

There's always some asshole that thinks they can dump their junk anywhere.

A mom riding with her daughter and both wearing helmets.

Again it was a little cool out for shorts and my knee's felt it on this ride. I'm going to have to switch over to knickers or at least have them with me for now on. It was cloudy and I felt some sprinkles from the rain that's coming the next couple of days.
Monday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Friday Night Ride

2011-09-16T17:50:00.001-04:00

It was 62 degree's at the start of the ride, knickers and a long sleeve jersey weather,which I didn't have with me. So on went the shorts and short sleeve jersey, which made my ride a little on the cool side. I think Fall weather riding is upon us here.

Friday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-09-16T07:28:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Charlotte, NC. Check it out on ESPN2.

Want It Wednesday

2011-09-14T12:20:00.003-04:00

Shimano FC-M771-K

It's time to change out my Ultegra crankset to an XT treking crankset. This will help my climbing with some lower gears. My Ultegra has 50,39,30 chainrings, compared to 48,36,26 chainrings on the XT. Now all I have to do is scrounge together enough cash to order it. Check out Jez Andrews blog for his Want It Wednesday. http://followingthechainline.blogspot.com/

Tuesday Ride With John

2011-09-13T16:16:00.000-04:00

I was a little concerned about doing this ride today with John. I had a few beers last night at my son's house,watching the Patriots game. I felt ok though and enjoyed the ride John came up with for us. There's so much less traffic during the weekdays around the beaches,a nice change from the weekends.
Tuesday Ride With John by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Friday Night Ride

2011-09-09T17:09:00.000-04:00

After four days the rain finally stopped so I could get a ride in. It's been a week since my last ride so I needed to get back on the bike. It was perfect riding weather.
Friday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Saturday Ride With John

2011-09-04T13:44:00.002-04:00

John and I got another great ride in today. We started at the train station in Kingstown and took the bike path down to the beach. We then headed north and came back on some roads the club uses on their rides. We cut through URI and we were back to our start, 33 miles later.
Saturday Ride With John by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-08-31T08:50:00.000-04:00

Today is opening day of the biggest drag race in the world. The Big Go is one of it's nicknames. It's in Indianapolis.Indiana. Final eliminations are on Labor day. Check it out on ESPN2.

Post Irene Ride

2011-08-30T07:30:00.004-04:00

I went for a spin Monday after work to check out some of the damage from Irene. Even though there had been almost a full day of clean up, I was still able to find plenty of damage around town. It was really strange, I could ride a half mile and not see any damage,then the next half mile would be total disaster. Click on Post Irene Ride to view it in Garmin Connect.

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-26T07:35:00.001-04:00

Latest tracking info,Saturday,4:00pm.

Latest radar,Saturday,4:00pm.

Looks like this Sunday we're going to get slammed by hurricane Irene. There's still time for her to change her track, but right now it doesn't look too good.Living in Rhode Island (the ocean state) there's a lot of land bordered by the ocean and high tide is going be at the same time as Irene hits us. Their expecting the tidal surge to be extremely high. There could be a lot of coastal damage.

Wednesday Night Ride

2011-08-24T17:03:00.000-04:00

I could swear the wind on today's ride, is the leading edge of the hurricane that may hit us this weekend. Every street I turned onto seemed to have a head wind. I got no relief from the wind at all, even with all the tree cover around here. Other than that, it was a nice day to ride, with temps in the mid 70's.
Wednesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Shimano CS-HG-61 Cassette

2011-08-24T07:22:00.003-04:00

http://followingthechainline.blogspot.com/p/bike-bling-wednesday.html

This gets me all warm and excited inside. I know what your thinking, how can a part for a bicycle put me in such a state? Well,as I get older and since I've gone through my back injury,I've been looking for anything that can make my bicycling easier.This new cassette is a good start,it has a whopping 36 tooth cog!This will make my life easier climbing those hills, you know,the ones that seem to get harder every year.It will replace my cassette that has a 34 tooth cog.Yeah baby,I wanted it and I bought it! Click on the link above and check out other cool bike stuff.

Tuesday Night Ride

2011-08-23T17:25:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful day for a ride, 72 degree's and sunny, felt like Fall instead of Summer.I'm always stiff, after I have done a long ride a few days before and today was no different. That first ride after a long one is always a tuff one for me.

Their still repairing bridges around here from the flood last year.

This one too.

Tuesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

India Point/Blackstone Ride

2011-08-20T12:59:00.000-04:00

Blackstone Blvd.

Farmers Market.

Going through Pawtucket.

This is where Barbara works.

Finally on the bike path.

Our first rest stop.

End of bike path in Woonsocket.

India Park bridge over RT195.

This was one of those rare days where John and I were able to get together for a ride. We decided to keep it easy and take in the Blackstone bike path via India Point park.We started in cloudy,humid weather at 8:00 from India Point and headed for the new sharrowed roads on the East Side of Providence. Our biggest obstacle was going to be the construction of the new Pawtucket bridge on RT95. We had to detour around all the construction going both ways. Then it was easy riding the rest of the way on the bike path. The skies opened up with rain,just as we were finishing the ride.
India Point/Blackstone Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Tests Came Back Negative

2011-08-18T10:12:00.000-04:00

Three stages of the black-legged tick,Ixodes scapularis also known as the deer tick. Within the fish hook (the largest specimen) is the female I. scapularis (upper left), below her is a male and directly in front of the female are two nymphal deer ticks. Nymphs are thought to be responsible for most human Lyme cases due to their small size and because they are active in April, May, and June, In the Northeastern US, the male and female are active in the Fall. The largest tick in view (outside the hook) is a female American dog tick, Dermacentor variablis, which is shown for comparison. A ruler (in 16ths of an inch increments) is on the top. The fish hook is a #8 for those familiar with sizes. Ixodes scapularis can transmit Borrelia burgdorferi (the Lyme spirochete), Babesia microti (the causative agent of babesiosis) and the causative agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, HGE. The American dog tick does not play a role in the ecology of Lyme disease. Photo by Jim Occi

I talked to my doctor today and my blood tests came back negative for Lyme and another disease he tested me for. I also finished my Antibiotics today so we'll see if my symptoms come back. A lot of times the Lyme test comes back negative, even when you have it.

Nitro Time!

2011-08-18T08:16:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Brainerd, MI. Check it out on ESPN2.

Wednesday Night Ride

2011-08-17T17:32:00.000-04:00

It was a nice day for a ride,low humidity and sunny. I was a little worried how my knee would feel,it's been giving me trouble lately. It felt ok, so that was a relief,legs were a little weak at the beginning but they came around later.
Wednesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

NBW Tom & Pat's Ride

2011-08-13T15:15:00.001-04:00

Johnson's pond, I've fished a lot of Bass tournaments on this lake.

Our arrowers always do a great job arrowing the club rides.

I always look forward to going by this house with their great sculptures.

The ride took me by my daughter Jennifer's store, it's getting a major renovation.

This was my first ride since I've been sick and I still have another week to go on my antibiotics. My doctor is still waiting on the test results, so I'm in limbo here, waiting to find out what I have. I've done the long version of this ride a bunch of times, but never the 25 miler. It was hilly like the longer version and has some of the great down hills where I hit almost 44 mph today. I felt weak and tired at the end of the ride, but I did it.
NBW Tom & Pat's Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-08-05T11:37:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Seattle,WA. Check it out on ESPN2.

South County Ride

2011-07-31T16:04:00.000-04:00

This road was sand and gravel,but had a good packed base.

There were a lot of bicyclists out today.

Walking path to Moonstone Beach.

There were a few of these on the ride, preventing me from getting close to the water.

Entrance to the newest section of the South County Bike Path.

This section of RT1A in Wakefield was a little busy.

I ended up on Rt 1 more than I wanted to be, because of the dirt roads.

This ride was a scout ride,to check out some roads I haven't been on before. John warned me ahead of time that most of them were dirt roads the last time he checked them out. Guess what, they still are dirt! As my ride progressed, the total mileage for the ride kept dropping, as I bypassed dirt road after dirt road. Most of them were real bad, to the point where a mountain bike would have a hard time traversing them. I ended up with about ten miles less than I would have rode, just as well, I was toast by the time I got back to my car.
South County Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-07-29T08:25:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Sonoma,CA. Check it out on ESPN2.

Thursday Night Ride

2011-07-28T17:07:00.000-04:00

This was my first ride in eight days and my legs felt like it. I didn't start to feel good until about mile eight, hmm,eight days, eight miles. Anyway it felt good to get back on the bike, hope I can get one more in before Sundays ride, I'm planning on raising my mileage to around fifty miles.
Thursday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-07-22T07:28:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Denver,CO. Check it out on ESPN2.

New England Dragway

2011-07-21T07:34:00.004-04:00

NHRA is back with a vengeance!

It’s the debut of the NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional Championship series at New England Dragway.
Some of the nation’s best competitors will converge on Epping’s pristine quarter mile as they chase
the ultimate goal of a championship Wally. Spearheading the event will be what many believe are
the toughest funny car competitors in the nation. In the past few years NHRA Division 1 flopper pilots
have dominated the funny car class with Frank “Ace” Manzo all but etching his name in the NHRA
record books as one of the best drivers to ever transit the quarter mile. Local standout and newcomer
to A Fuel dragster is chassis builder Dan Page who is piloting Art Gallant’s wicked machine.
The event also features intense competition in Comp Eliminator, Stock, Super Stock, Super Gas,
Super Comp and Super Street. Headlining this year’s event is the Town Fair Tire Night of Fire
set for Saturday evening. It will feature the final rounds for the funny cars and dragsters, along with
Top Dragster, Top Sportsman. New England Dragway will cap off the night with jet funny cars,
Danny O’Day’s legendary Superwinch Wheelstander and a fireworks show.

Wednesday Night Ride

2011-07-20T17:34:00.000-04:00

This ride today was my best yet, average speed wise. I really felt good,even with the 90 degree temps. I think the longer Sunday rides are starting to have an affect on improving my weekly rides. I hope it keeps up.
Wednesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Train Station Ride 40

2011-07-17T17:23:00.002-04:00

The long trek on RT2 down to the beaches.

I wiped out on this road after it turned to sand and gravel. Luckily I landed in a pile of sand.

My first rest stop under the shade of a tree.

Newest section of the South County Bike Path.

Now we can go under RT1.

Second rest stop.

Nice day for a ride although a bit on the warm side,93 when I got back. There was a cool sea breeze by the beaches,that felt real nice. I got a chance to check out the latest extension of the South County Bike path in Narragansett. Now we can go under RT1 instead of going up and over.
Train Station Ride 40 by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Friday Night Ride

2011-07-15T17:21:00.000-04:00

On my way to Barbara's after work, I ran into a sun shower on Pine street. There were plenty of nasty black clouds in the sky, but I managed to stay dry during the ride. I did ride on a couple roads that were wet, so I must have just missed some other showers. Legs felt pretty good tonight.
Friday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Tuesday Night Ride

2011-07-12T17:10:00.000-04:00

It was a balmy 92 degree's at the start of my ride tonight,with plenty of sun too. My legs were on the weak side for the first 5 miles,then they started to feel better. I suppose that's to be expected after last Sundays ride.
Tuesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

NBW Myles Standish Ride

2011-07-10T16:11:00.004-04:00

John with his brand new Bruins jersey.

The club peleton caught us at our first rest stop.

This was a closed road we explored.

Second break of the day.

John and I had no interest in doing the long loop of this ride into Plymouth and back. So I came up with a loop to do in the park, that brought our mileage up to the 30 mile range,the 22 mile loop wasn't enough. It turned out to be 32 miles and we were happy to see the parking lot at the end of the ride. John's knee is still giving him problems, but he prevailed on the ride and did great.Please forgive the 3 links needed to view this ride,I had a major brain fart and kept setting the GPS wrong.
NBW Myles Standish Part 1 by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

NBW Myles Standish Part 3
NBW Myles Standish Part 2

Nitro Time!

2011-07-08T07:04:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Chicago,Il. Check it out on ESPN2.

Tuesday Night Ride

2011-07-05T17:31:00.000-04:00

It was a bit on the warm side today,92 degree's, but I managed to get a pretty good ride in. Needless to say, I was soaked when I finished.
Tuesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Friday Night Ride

2011-07-01T18:30:00.000-04:00

I had just enough time to get a quick spin in before we went to dinner. Legs felt pretty good.
Friday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Thursday Morning Beach Ride

2011-07-01T07:52:00.000-04:00

Great Island.

Lobster boats at Galilee.

Block Island ferry.

This line of cars went on for over a mile.

Point Judith light house.

Parking lots were backed up at every beach.

These little guys joined me on my break. That's my shoe on the right.

I decided to take the day off from work and get a nice ride in down along the beaches. The first half of this ride is one of the NBW winter rides,the rest is mine. I thought I would have a tail wind going along the coast but it ended up being a head wind,so that sucked. The rest of the ride was great except for one big hill I had to climb to get back over the other side of RT1.
Thursday Morning Beach Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Tuesday Night Ride

2011-06-28T17:32:00.000-04:00

Boy was I stiff at the beginning of this ride, it took about 5 miles before I felt good. I pushed it the rest of the way and got a pretty good mph average in for me.
Tuesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

NBW Northern Country Fifty

2011-06-26T12:21:00.001-04:00

I knew this was going to be a hard ride for me,lots of hills. I also shouldn't have done all that yard work yesterday,my legs were still sore this morning when I got up.Those two conditions equaled me bailing out after doing the 18 mile loop,I was toast! Oh well,on to the next ride.
NBW Northern Country Fifty by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details

Nitro Time!

2011-06-24T08:53:00.000-04:00

This weekends race is in Norwalk,Ohio. Check it out on ESPN2.

Tuesday Night Ride

2011-06-21T17:18:00.001-04:00

Samuel Viall House,85 Carpenter St. Built in 1800.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Viall_House

Christopher Carpenter House,60 Carpenter St. Built in 1800.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Carpenter_House

This was my recovery ride from Sundays spin in Tiverton. I felt a little stiff at the beginning of the ride, but improved as the ride went on. Overall I'm happy with the stats.
Tuesday Night Ride by paulmnbw at Garmin Connect - Details