My return to the glove.

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I apologize for the lack of posts recently. My trip back to Iowa I wasn't able to get my digital camera to work with my parents computer and well... if you're like me you only 'read' when there are pictures.

So where to begin. On Friday, Bottke and I got together for a bit of a ride because he was going to have to work on Saturday for the Slap in the Face gravel ride. We made our way for a pretty good ride. Around 14.5 miles.

Bottke got the Xtracycle up and running without any of bags. A fine set-up until one encounters ice.



We met up from Evil Empire and headed west, which took us through UNI campus, of course getting strange looks from a few pedestrians which is pretty typical when the temperature is 11 degrees out when you leave.

The majority of the ride was on pavement but we did hit up some gravel for about 3 miles, if you're looking at the map, it's around miles 9-12. The gravel was in great shape, certain sections where there was tree covering there was more ice but ride able.


Bottke did have a little bit of a mechanical issue during the ride. On the Xtracycle he is running it 1x8 right now but has a triple chain ring on the front with the intention of running it 3x8 very soon. Needless to say, when on a longer ride certain gearing causes the chain to jump. The picture to the left was actually taken during one of our stops on the gravel when the chain hoped.

What I did just realize though, is if you look closely you can see trees on the right side of the road. This is place where the ride got interesting. When we came to those trees the sunlight wasn't able to get through the road so there was a good amount of glassy ice built up.

Brian went down pretty quickly, not any fault to him. With the longer wheel base and nothing in the back for weight controling the bike is pretty much out of the question. The funny thing about Brian falling was I was leading in that section and looked over my shoulder and as I said 'Are you...' I was down too. Fortunately, we were both ok although Brian got a cramp but was able to stretch it out, like a champ, pretty quickly.

It was a great ride though. Talking things over with Brian about TransIowa, shop talk and then just picking each others brains about whatever odd topic it might be has always made for good time with a great friend.

That leads us to Saturday. The Slap in the Face gravel ride. It was very uncertain if it was even going to happen given that it looked like it was going to rain. Mark went out earlier in the week to check out the gravel on the proposed route and wasn't sure if it was going to be fully rideable.



After lots of back and forth, Saturday morning happened. And it was great. There was a good turn out of people [which never hurts for a good ride]. Bidwell, Super Saul, J. Fry, Carlos the Jackal, Blue, David Pals co-leader of TI.V made it up, and Craig from Europa all made it out.

Mark wasn't able to make due to his wife getting sick. Family first and totally understandable. Selfishly, I did hope he could have made it.

Needless to say, there has already been a few post already about the ride from a few of the guys. I actually stole the pictures from a few of them because I have yet to fully master the art of picture taking while still maintaining fully control the bike. And with all the ice, I was already doomed.

Around 24.5 miles of goodness. There is just something to be said about rides in the winter. I have yet to find the words to fully express how much fun and how much joy I get out of doing them. I did learn a few things on the ride though:

_ Never say you're going to fall. Although didn't have bad falls, I lead the pack... 3 falls. 2 that I saw coming and in all honesty were more my fault than the condition, given that I didn't keep momentum. The final fall came with no one around and was totally unexpected. It through me to ground fast and hard. Leaving one of my bar end plugs some where on a gravel road.

_ Want an ab work out? Ride on ice with drop bars. HOLY COW! My abs still hurt from controling the bike through the ice and then the falls probably didn't help.

_ There is cold and there is Iowa cold. I'm sorry but 2 years away from Iowa winters and there is no way to prepare for them. Windchill and humity make for a nasty beast. Especially when you're going against it. VIVA LA FROZEN BEARD!

All in all, the trip to Iowa was great. There is a cycling scene and passion in the midwest and especially in Iowa that is so often overlooked but has been and is a great influence on the greater cycling community. I can't say that I'm an Iowan any more, but I'm sure glad that I have a great friends there and have been blessed to have grown up there.




MANIFESTO T-SHIRT UPDATE: Fortunately from some, unfortunately for others. But the first generation Manifesto t-shirts have all been claimed. Have no fear. I will be doing one more run of the Manifesto T's on Kerkove Nation Black with white writing. Once again, with every No Drive shirt, there are limited runs on these. Contact me with questions or orders.

New Years Resolution: The Track Stand.

It's 2009 already, and with the previous year having slipped away so quickly, I think maybe it's time that we start out the year right...and learn something new. For 2009, we're going to learn an easy Track Stand for your fixie in these simple steps:

1. When stopped, make sure that the cranks are parallel to the ground. This means that your feet are level with each other. Generally its easier down the line if your dominant foot is forward.

2. Turn the handlebars towards your front foot. This means that if your right foot is in front on the pedals, turn the handlebars to the right.

3. Lean the bike a little bit to the side you turned the handlebars (if you turned them right, lean the bike right), and the top tube should rest against your front leg. It helps stabilize you.

4. Balance. Keep trying. Look good.

You most likely won't get it the first time, and once you do get it...you will still fall once or twice. Just ask Alo when I fell at a light in Grand Rapids...

Saturday Ride Details

Just a short post today.

FINALLY, RIDE DETAILS.

Meet Saturday at 9am in front of Cup of Joe in Cedar Falls. Then using Marks suggestion go up to the entrance of Black Hawk Park and pick up Ford Rd. Do that up a few miles and head East. Go to Leversee, head north to the Camp, Go north on Hilton and reprise some of the T.I.V3 route over towards Denver. We could refuel in Denver, and then head West on Marquis to Leversee again and back into CF. That should get us an easy 30 miles with some decent hills in the middle.

30 mile gravel grinder of New Years goodness. Feel free to call me 616-460-4333 or email with questions.

1.1.09 UPDATED: Mark went out onto some of these gravel roads yesterday and says that some of the tentative route aren't really rideable. New route is a great possibility and might have more pavement than gravel. I'll post more tonight or tomorrow morning.

1.2.09 UPDATED: if it starts in raining before or right at 9am, NO RIDE. Water on ice is a recipe for disaster. Hopefully it works out though.

1.3.09 UPDATED: Radar looks good until noonish, if you're from around the Cedar Valley hopefully you can make it but be safe and consider the drive home if you have to drive to ride. Hope to see you at Cup of Joe.

Limited Edition NDJR Manifesto T's Now Available!

That's right folks, you read right. No Drive now has the first of what we hope to be many shirts. Each will be limited edition, meaning small runs of original designs and styles. For our first shirt it is called the 'Manifesto'. It was conceived over a conversation and written as a late night rant [with run on sentences and all] of what we are about and what we believe in, even if we screw up from time to time. The shirts are printed on American Apparel shirts, which are 100% sweatshop free and MADE IN THE USA.

The manifesto is located on the back right shoulder of the shirt, allowing it to be visible even with a messenger bag on and the No Drive logo under the left arm.

These first shirts like I said are extremely limited and I am selling for $15.00 plus $5.00 if needed to be shipped anywhere in the US. Please feel free to email me at adamlorenz@gmail.com with questions or for ordering.



























The manifesto reads as follows:

'This is my manifesto. I will not claim that any of it is original, most is likely rewritten or reworded language of our past. The world in which we live is changing. We are surrounded by pain, war, doubt, hate and a multitude of problems often with no solution in sight. Those who choose to take the high road and ignore these problems drive by in their SUV, driving their venti-decaf-double mocha-half calf-with a twist, while talking on their cell phones about how to solve this global problem, yet miss the local reality that is happening on their very own street. I want change. I want to break free of this cycle. I want hope, yet I do very little to enact a real movement. Simply put, I just want a revolution. A revolution that is no longer lost in lengthy talks, but seen in real action to bring about the world I desire so badly to see here and now. Slowly growing, slowly moving, gaining momentum in the subtle actions of the masses. These are the things that bring hope, that usher in real change... the person choosing not to drive but to ride; the person giving instead of taking; the person letting go instead of keeping. There are great deal of simple solutions to the complex problems facing us today, and it may not look like much now and may seem trapped on a t-shirt; but I am not alone. We are bringing about this revolution.'

*A special thanks to Joe for being my stand in model

Sunday Thoughts.

Stage One, complete. Sorry only teaser pictures right now on Red's transformation. Call me selfish, but I really want to make the final unveiling some thing special. What I will say though is sitting in front of the devil box today watching House [which if you didn't know is the new Law and Order thus being on ALL the time] I won't lie, it's beautiful but I was amazed by the amount of times I saw some sort of ad for the next fitness gimmick... oh the New Year resolution season.

I also received another frame for the stable... an old Fuji track frame, circa 19-something, 70's-ish. I got the frame, fork, headset, seatpost, bars, and stem. Guess who just so happen to have some other parts floating around... this guy! I'm going to run it brakeless with toe cages, I'm pretty much done working on it until spring comes around.

Looks like the ride details for next Saturday are starting to work themselves out via the great G-Ted. The more the merrier, final details will be posted soon.

Mark Your Calendars! January 3rd. 2009

Here's what I'm thinking...

January 3rd.

9am.

20-30 mile Gravel grinder... and this is where I need help. Since it's been awhile, I need someone else to take the lead on a route and the best possible meeting place.

Any volunteers?

Clear details I hope to have by Wednesday the 31st.

Email me at adamlorenz@gmail.com if you have questions or thoughts. Or head over to Facebook and let me know you're coming.

So it begins...

Just a quick post before I head into work... with all the snow that Michigan got the last few days, Sunday really didn't amount to much of anything productive unfortunately. BUT! I was able to begin Reds transformation...




Just a teaser for now, with no explanation.