New!
Randomness—A Photo Essay
Mistress Jade. Smoked Pumpkin Ale. Christmas moose. Candle. Cold, biker Di. IMBA socks. Flowers. Coriander’s Lambchop. Black bear nativity. Quiet Christmas. … Read entire article »
Featured Articles
Is the Lance Armstrong Doping Investigation Really Worth It?
I don’t really care that Lance Armstrong doped. Considering how common … Read more »
The Purposeful Lance Armstrong
Andrea’s blog inspired quite a lengthy comment from me. I even told her that I should be posting it on my blog since I’m experiencing a … Read more »
Dressing for Cold Weather Rides
Cyclists like me are anticipating the warmer weather and are already hopping on our bikes for what we like to call training and commuting; but, the truth … Read more »
Popular Articles
Red, Dotted Lines on the Shoulder: Petechiae
Did you ever think that you could injure yourself simply by putting forth a lot of effort, … Read more »
Top 5 Michigan Trails…
I’ve ridden a lot of trails in Michigan, and I do know one thing is for sure: … Read more »
Bike P0rn: Vassago Bandersnatch Custom Build
With 2010 comes a new decade. Yes, I know that the “true” decade doesn’t start until … Read more »
Recent Articles
Team Tree Farm’s 10th Anniversary Ride
Team Tree Farm celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a cold night ride at Lakeshore Park, also lovingly known as “The Tree Farm,” this past Tuesday. Five original riders attended as well as riders from years past and some of the brave souls who currently keep the ride living on. I lent my Jamis to new Tree Farmer, Vikki. Unfortunately, … Read entire article »
Powerball
You guys all know Sean. Well, okay, maybe you don’t, but some of you are certainly familiar with him. Sean is a mountain biker on the west side of the state. He has tried very hard to care for his family through this difficult economy, and has even resorted to selling off bikes and race entries. … Read entire article »
Biking and Ice Skating—A Photo Essay
Todd Powers and the rest of the Team Sandbag hillbillies hosted the “Leftovers Ride” at Addison Oaks on November 24—the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I had just experienced Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park for the very first time the day before. As Todd said, I had “Ray legs.” Six hours of off-and-on intense indoor riding had done me … Read entire article »
Black Friday at Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park
I wasn’t excited to go to Ray’s. If there was any excitement, it was probably balanced by fear of the unknown. The result was a blank slate: no idea about what to expect; no expectation about what to ride; no idea whether I could really ride anything.I was persuaded to take advantage of Ray’s beginner special—my one-day … Read entire article »
Bell’s Beer Tasting at Casey’s in Walled Lake—A Photo Essay
Last Tuesday, a healthy dose of Tree Farmer’s piled into Casey’s Irish pub and sushi bar for a Bell’s Beer Tasting accompanied by lots of food prepared by the house chef. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the tiramisu (it disappeared before I could get a picture). It was also Frank Bean’s birthday, so the Farmer’s … Read entire article »
Clinton River Park Fall Trail Day—A Photo Essay
On Sunday, November 18, many brave souls ventured into a wood to repair a bridge that was viciously attacked by a tree in a storm, and to build some berms that would ring true the expression, “Happy trails!” …but more about happy trails later. I decided that I had enough of picking away at the earth carefully crafting … Read entire article »
Building a Drop and a Berm at River Bends Park
I kind of wanted to not go to the River Bends Trail Day, but I’m glad I did. It got me out of the house, I got four hours of exercise, my dog got four hours of exercise, and I got to do something new instead of the usual clearing, cutting, raking, and benching. My trusty dog, Corianderus trailbuilderus … Read entire article »
Letter to Governor Snyder: Importance of Volunteers for Michigan Trail Development
In recent years, mountain bikers in Michigan have taken more of a defensive approach to mountain biking advocacy on the state level. As we prepare to elect legislators, I strongly believe that we need to take a proactive stance on advocacy by informing them about our efforts and our value before we discover any threats to our trails. … Read entire article »
Cycling’s Anti-Doping Injustice
It’s not that so many of us support doping—we don’t—but we find various organization’s investigations to be “old” and, well, lacking integrity. If pro cycling really wanted to clean itself up, wouldn’t it have been much more successful than it is now? Wouldn’t there be verifiable proof that Lance Armstrong really did dope? Do WADA, USADA, UCI, … Read entire article »
Apply for a 2013 Suburu/IMBA Trail Care Crew Visit
It’s that time of year again when mountain biking clubs from all over the nation apply to host the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) Trail Care Crew Visit. I’ve had the privilege of attending three of these visits and found them to be incredibly informative. The first one provided hands-on trail building, so we came in as passionate … Read entire article »
