Testing out the new rig

We did a mini tour today to Clearwater to hang out at my friend Gladis' house.. good training and testing of the new rig.. no problems after 14 miles and we'll see how tomorrow goes. The week after new years we are planning on riding somewhere and doing a few days hopefully to Myaka or Possibly Ocala NF. The rig looks great though.. after all what is a Long Haul Trucker with out a trailer and cargo? and what precious cargo. :)

the School Bus

Ok so we've been using this for a couple weeks now as a means of getting Caleb to and from school. When he sees me after he gets out of class he asks me "did you bring the bike?" He loves this thing. Over this winter holiday break we will be taking a camping trip and this set up will be fully loaded. This will be the the first of hopefully many trips to come with the two of us. But this is also another step for us in becoming independant of the automobile.

Dirty little naked indian

Every once in a while you meet someone with passions similar to yours and you realize you are not alone in the world. My friend Karlos, the(not so) Naked Indian on my blog links, is an adventure cyclist by true definition. The man is crazy, but crazy in the way that makes everyone want to go crazy with him. He has his Salsa Mamasita rigged for some serious off road touring and it is a sweet set up. check out his posts on his recent tour he dubbed The Dirty Little tour. Do I hear a Great Divide trip coming soon?here is a shot of his bike that I thieved from his blog.. http://www.singletracksamurai.blogspot.com

Canadians ride bicycles in Florida too!

As if unexpectedly seeing a long lost family member I was sparked to life today to see a touring cyclist pull up in front of the shop today. The sheer monotony of pick up tool, turn cranks, adjust, repeat was broken by something other than stabbing into a conversation with another lame joke. Sometimes I wonder myself why I tell those crappy jokes over and over. But back to the story at hand. Like an old friend Aleks rode into my eager awaiting conversation. Aleks is from Canada and is down here in Florida to ride down to Key West. We chatted a little bit about which routes to take through Pinellas and beyond, 5 days in and he has quite a few left to go. I didnt catch where he left from but he told me of a stay in clearwater where a woman allowed him to camp on her mansion lawn by the water on the beach. Nice. It is good to hear that people are accepting to this idea of travelling by bicycle. I still think its crazy... but that is what makes it so intriguing. Well after Aleks and I had finshed talking I made sure he let me take some pictures and we exchanged some contact info. This is a sign... i think to myself. This open road is calling to me. there is so much out there to explore. I cant sit here much longer. DC becons..

here is a pic of Aleks with his fully loaded Peugeot. eh?

wax-poetic

everyonce in a while I post something of a more personal nature here on the old blog. I typically like to keep this for my cycling adventures and other related things, but every once in a while I feel I must wax-poetic and reveal a glimpse of the genius behind the crazy.. or is that the other way around? Anywho.. as I sit here amongst a pile of texts, spiral bound notebooks, my calculator, a couple pencils, my warm lap-top sitting in my.. well.. im giving it purpose to its name. I am slowly, but hopefully surely(fingers crossed) getting all my homework and studying done to wrap up my first semester back to school in a few long and trial filled years. I have learned a lot about myself in the past couple years and I am intent on making this my final comeback as an undergrad student. I am hoping to plan a trip this summer to Washington DC as a means of soul searching, or rather, soul cleansing. I am becoming more and more confident in the man and parent I am and I want to take a gander at what this country is all about. I also want to take Caleb with me.
Reading has become an important part of my life. A little less than 5 years ago I was introduced by a good friend to a good book and a great story. The book itself is of little significance, but that book was the first of many that would follow. The books I have read have turned me into the knowledge hungry man I believe I have become today. No more blissful ignorance, no more wondering what.. just knowledge and access to more and more. In turn I have turned my son into a reader and it is an amazing thing to watch him pick up one of his favorite books and sit down with me while I read. It is these books that have lead to my desire to search for this thing we call America, and this thing I call me.
I am excited about the future. I am excited about Caleb's future. There is so much I want to see and so much I want to say. I am hoping my trip this summer gives me something to write about. Another notch in the belt, but more importantly an adventure shared and a story to tell. we shall see where this adventure called life leads us.

North Shore riding in Florida

With this little set-up in the yard Caleb is training for his text trials competition.. by the end of the week we'll have teeter totters, wheelie drops, and wire spools. :)

The new Home

Ok so the new home away from home arived.. the Big Agnes Seedhouse 2.. this thing is great! or rather small! ha ha.. very small and light and nice for Florida weather.. very open and breezy but has a nice rainfly with adequate ventilation for cooking and not for sweating yourself to sleep durring a night rain storm. Caleb and I should fit quite nicely in this tent but I wouldnt want to share it with an adult. We'll se how she performs real soon.
its a great color for hiding when needs be.

This thing is all mesh!

plenty of room for cooking and stinky shoes.. wait.. better rethink that.