Domestic Trail Cut

Amongst other pastoral related duties that I accomplished this past weekend I finished cutting 3 separate short trails through the yard woods connected by 3 lawn transfers to make a roughly 1/20th of a mile mountain bike short track course out the back door here in Dooleyville. It took a few hours of cutting smaller useless undergrowth, hacking away at the trail line, getting rid of the debris in the natural forest compost area(NFCA), constructing one right hand turn dirt berm in the woods and building three small jumps in each of the grass transition sections. The 3 little jump ramps are made of 2 x 6 left over scrap boards from a project long past nailed to oak logs and supported by dirt from deep under my leaf compost pile. Somehow during last night's photo shoot I missed the jumps, even without the pictorial evidence they are there and fun for the kids to hit. This little trail system is enjoyed by Ms. Arcen and her little neighbor friends on their Single Speed BMX rigs. Even I have had fun on this little trail addition to the estate by taking out the big wheel bike and crushing the souls of multiple elementary school aged kids on their inferior 20" wheeled machines.

Ms. Arcen on Swamp Bike coming out of the right hand woods trail section into the first grass traverse and little jump in a clockwise direction.
This is the reverse angle of the picture above.

Still in a clockwise direction the left hand woods trail about to hit a short section of grass and the 2nd little jump before going into the back woods trail and J turn.

In the same section her speed and my pan for the feel of movement.

Dirt and log berm headed into the right woods trail off of the 3rd grass section.

Into that berm.

The kid coming out of the right woods trail in a counter clockwise direction being dwarfed by the rest of my manual pastoral efforts over the weekend.

Zoo Zoo the Tiny Warrior in Training(TWIT) approves of this trail system and enjoys running through it chasing those on bikes!!

Uptoon Courier Drama

Swazey crouched and ready to pounce on the smaller TD when he shows up to unlock is bike. Swazey heard through the grapevine(apparently he and Dicky are neighbors who have the same loose lipped UPS Driver) that Team Dicky had recently received a package from Yurgen Kirby via SFO and the Toon. Yurgen has been selling off all of his(and some of his friends') possessions which have been stored in various nooks and crannies around his parents' estate in the Toon. Apparently when Dicky hit 40 years old in June he purchased a guitar and has been taking lessons to back up his endurance mountain biking career. At the end of last month Dicky was searching eBay for a guitar tuner when he came across a nice one being sold by seller YCUR-B(Yurgen's eBay alias). He bought now for an unbelievable price considering the seller was willing to include a VeloCity T-Shirt with the deal. Swazey who has been scanning eBay for special deals on Guitar tuners and VeloCity T-shirts saw this transaction go down and realized that both the guitar tuner the and the T-Shirt were possibly his. Swazey has been following an unsuspecting Dicky around waiting for the right moment to jump on top of him and empty the contents of his bag which is where Swazey hopes to find his guitar tuner and T-Shirt.

to be continued......

Montana MS 150 hits home

Once upon a time, long ago in a land called the Jar there was a college going rookie named Seamus who merrily rode his pink Mostowy for the Maillot Jaune during his summer breaks from Appalachian State. Seamus was a witty fellow with a large athletic form and the face of a British claymation character who simply enjoyed just riding around for his livity. One day in front of the Bank of Literally America while I was cutting my tomato on the sidewalk Seamus sat down beside me and asked if I had any regrets about my time in the Marine Corps. I answered honestly and Seamus told me that he was thinking about going to Marine Corps OCS in Quantico Virginia between his Junior and Senior years and when he graduates he will receive his commission as a 2nd Lt at which time he will begin an officer's career in the Corps. So, Seamus went to OCS the summer as planned, then after he graduated he started his active duty as an officer in the Marines. When all the O level schooling was over Seamus went to the fleet where his first assignment was platoon Commander of Echo Company in Infantry Battalion 2/4 which was the Battalion that I made 3 deployments with between 87 and 91. Interestingly enough as synchro would have it Seamus moved up in rank from 2nd Lieutenant in Echo, to 1st LT as XO of Weapons Co., then upon being promoted to Captain he became CO of Golf Company which was my Alma Mata and home for almost 4 years. Weird, from 2/4 to the streets of the Jar and from the streets of the Jar to 2/4.
Captain Seamus Sir and Laura. unknown photographer
Capt. Seamus reached deep into his Sea Bag of Courage to go an extra 13 miles out and back with an additional 1,500ft of elevation gain on Day 1. photographer unknown

Recently Seamus who is now back in the States on a duty assignment in the big sky country of Montana contacted me to let me know that he and his wife Laura were riding in their first ever Montana MS 150.

The Courier Hot Line Rings

Billy: Nova Courier, this is Bill may I help you?

Seamus: Fehr, Captain Seamus here, alive and well in the great State of Montana.

Billy: No way, Seamus glad to hear your voice! I have thought about you often with the whole War thing and all.

Seamus: Fehr, you're going to have to call me Sir, Okay?

Billy: Seriously Seamus, I mean Sir?

Seamus: Yes, seriously.

Billy: Well Sir you sound good, have you fared well thus far in your USMC Transfer?

Seamus: Yes Fehr I am doing good and enjoy life out here with a Reserve Unit in Billings. My wife Laura and I are riding in the Montana MS 150 could you help us get one step closer to our goal with a donation?

Billy: Sure thing Sir, Saint Lissa will do it from her work and the BOA will match her contribution doubling the In God We Trust Units immediately.

Seamus: Thanks Fehr. God, Country and the MS Society thanks you as well. It should be a good ride even though it will be the longest one I have been on in a while.

Billy: Ahhh Sir, 150 miles is nothing, especially in 2 days with toon food and beverages every 12 miles. You and Laura should make it a real challenge and ride straight through the 150 on day one. Camp out, have a few beers and start cheering on the rest of the riders as they finish what you guys accomplished the day before.

Seamus: Fehr, are you getting belligerent with me?

Billy: No Sir, no way.

Seamus: Well then Fehr at ease, thank you for your time and support. I will send a ride report and some pictures when this thing is in the bag.

Billy: Aye Aye Sir, you and the wifey have a good ride.

I received their ride report yesterday and it sounds like they had a motivating ride. Good Job Sir and Laura!

Sober Guy gets Drunk Guy's Bike-Plus Major Synchro goes back 22 Years!

Not very long ago on yet another inbound Stay Alive I ran into this fellow sitting on a bench enjoying a grit and his morning coffee. I rolled by and out of the corner of my mind's eye I thought I saw a large and small wheel on his rig. Curiosity got the best of me which was aided in full Synchro by the red light at Eastway. So, I cut a circle and introduced myself as the self appointed President of the CMA which I made up myself. I sat on the ground and asked this anonymous human who we will call LFW(little front wheel) to tell me about his bicycle. LFW spun a fascinating story that started a few nights earlier when he crossed paths with an inebriated man pushing the bike with a flat and an extremely bent front wheel down the sidewalk not far from where we sat. Apparently the drunk guy had slammed into something destroying the front revolution and he became so disgusted by the resistance that the bike was giving him on the push that he just gave up, let the bike fall over and abandoned any hope of salvaging the machine. At that point LFW decided he would drop the broken wheel out and look for a replacement. He found one that was at least true and round albeit flat and the wrong size not far up the road on another abandoned bike. We talked for a bit and I encouraged him to go by the 'Bike Co-op' and see if they would trade for the right sized wheel, tire and tube. The last thing I heard LFW say as I rolled away was, "I am just glad I have a bike."

Cloudscape shot by me while I was experimenting with a piece of polarized glass on the roof of my house.
Now the Synchro in a very short version of all the little things that happened to me Wednesday that put me in front of Megan who I had known for 4 years while in High School(SBHS 87) some 26-22 years ago and 750 miles from here in the Nutmeg State.



1. Stay Alive in.

2. At work meet a 283 with blue feet who told me that she noticed something change with the appearance of sunsets about a month ago. I told her about my northern position theory which gave her a C.O. Then I assigned her some homework which involves paying attention to the position of the sun in the sky during sunrise and sunset.

3. More Courier work till about 1445hrs when I decided to take advantage of the Salvation Army's half off clothing sale. I was able to purchase 3 pants, 2 shorts and three shirts including a Perry Ellis and a Van Heusen for $20.

4. Came out to a flat and realize that I only had 2 tubes in my bag and one in the barn. I needed to fix this one then ride out to Ultimate in Mathews to replenish my barn tube stock.

5. Need a Kombucha Transfer before that ride starts, it has been a month and I can feel that I want the inner body boost.

6. The closest place in line with my ride to Mathews to get one is the Rue de Grit near the corner of Cool and Cool less than ten blocks from where I stood.

7. Walk into the C & C and immediately get confused by the woman in brown whose eyes were looking for mine. Strange closeness to someone that saw and recognized me as Bill Fehr, then I her as Meg.

8. Meet her son who was finishing ice cream. We talked both inside and outside of the Market and it was quite interesting to have this life force be put right in front of mine again after such a long space and time gap. She looked as young as I feel.

9. Part away from the store, they walking, me rolling. Good byes said but a half block away I remembered that I wanted a Kombucha. Turn around, pass them again with a smile given and received.

10. Talk to Jimmy about bikes in front of the Rue and slowly consume what tastes and feels real that is not water going inside of me. As I pedal away from the Plaza for Mathews with a bag full of wears I feel the transfer inside start raising to a Crack Out. One was on me within about a mile.

CMA Approved-Charlotte Bike Commuter of the Month

Meet Pam and her Townie. No traffic delays for this local bike lover, she is about to thread the needle.

Seems like for around about a year now I have noticed this bicycle regularly locked in front of the Bank of(in literal sense) America Corporate Center. Every once in awhile I would catch a glimpse of this decked out Townie's owner disappearing into the building but never coming back out. Just the other day she was leaving work a bit early and stepped forward out of anonymity to the CMA bench extending Charlotte's latest Bike Suitability Map as if it were an Olive Branch. I learned that Pam has been riding her bike around Charlotte now for about 3 years and that she commutes in from 3 miles out roughly 3 days a week. That sounds like a bike related hat trick and/or triple crown to me. I was rolling out for an ASAP'er at the same time and asked if I could ride with her for a few blocks. Pam told me that she loves riding her bicycle because it means being outside in the air and staying physical. She also mentioned that she encourages her kids to ride to school by setting the example and riding along side of them. I took a few pictures on the roll for prosperity and then had to split off left while she stayed straight. The last thing I remember seeing was a very confident, healthy and happy human headed home after a day at the office. Ride on Pam!

Sponsorship Nuez & Product Review

The night before last I was in the way out back splitting wood over hand with the maul when I saw and heard the UPS truck speed in and out of the driveway in less than a minute. As the driver in Brown mashed the accelerator and raced out of Dooleyville in a roar I yelled, "Hey wait Brown, did you know that UPS started as a Bicycle Messenger Service a long, long time ago?" On the front step I found a small card board box indicating that Hawley cares. Inside I found a wrist wrap reflective band that would make any advocate's heart skip a beat, a bottle of Muscle Milk Refuel which I think will help me if I ever get constipated, a Thomson Elite Seat Post at 29.0 x 330mm and a chicken scratched note in pencil from GJR himself explaining the contents of the box.

What do I do with the 29.0 Thomson? It no fits in my work bikey and even if it did I already run a Thomson in it.

No go in the Road Lemond either. Hey wait, I already have a Thomson that fits in this bike too.

Maybe the old Schwinn I found being thrown away, nope. CLTBlog, this is your new ride.

The post would look good on the cruiser if it would only fit in the seat tube.

Almost 2mm bigger than the mountain bike's post, damn almost all of my bikes require a 27.2mm post. What am I ever going to do with this high quality product?

The rigid responsive stiff light oval construction of the Thomson post makes an excellent 'Green' coffee stirrer as long as you are willing to carry it around all day in your messenger bag. Seeing that the muscle milk contains 1,000% of my daily requirement of both B6 and B12 vitamins I decided to add it to my morning 2 shot Red Eye. My friend Jay seems undisturbed by our little escapades.

Ms. Arcen finds that the hollow tech ergonomics of this Thomson Elite makes a perfect back scratcher and should be marketed to 5th graders around the world.

Mary is not sure what to do with the post but she loves the wrist wrap reflector that appears to not be adverting any Corporate Plan of Aggression with any words or logos.

The classic grooved texture of the machined surface of the Thomson feels good on the roof of a dog's mouth.

Run out of skewers for your veggies on the barbie and the in laws are over? In a pinch the Thomson Elite's metallurgy, memory and complexity takes the edge off of cooking on the grill.

Lost one of your Croquet Pegs and you are hosting the 'Big' neighborhood Tournament in an hour? Have no worry as long as your Thomson is close by. The official height of a standard Croquet Peg is 18" or 457.2mm and the diameter is 1.5" or 25.4mm. The Thomson 29.0 x 330mm is close enough for Government Work, so it is close enough for me.

Step one: Use the Croquet Mallet to hammer the Post into the ground. Notice how rigid the Post feels in its resistance to actually go into the ground.

Step 2: Set up the hoops in front of the Post/Peg.

Step 3: Aim in on the Post/Peg and hit the ball through the hoops.

Step 4: Score big with the Thomson Elite 29.0 x 330mm when you do not even have a bike that it will fit in! Adapt, overcome.

A big thanks to the President of Hawley USA for authorizing the shipment of this care package to such an amateur rider like me. More big thank yous go out to Swazey for taking the picture of me in the coffee house, Saint Lissa for shooting the one of me holding the barely legible note from GJR and finally Ms. Arcen for modeling the back scratcher, wrist wrap and scary smelling beverage.

More from Paris Mtn & Pro Road Race

George indeed and I bet Andy goes to Furman University! Over on the Paris Mountain Park entrance road toward the top of the hill we rolled by this marker in the road. Hincapie: 3min 3sec, 1km up hill.

Over the top of Altamont in style.

I watched this little kid climb the last 150 meters or so of the final climb over Altamont about 5 times before taking her picture. She obviously had nothing better to do except ride.

Dicky flipped the switch

and the Moots went invisible up and over to a sweet rocky line.

Switch back in the rock laden stream over on Paris Mountain. Sorry I am not in the image with my bike but I was taking the picture.

I learned a thing or 2 about taking pictures at a road race. Usually in public situations I have no trepidations about diving in there with the camera slung and pulled up to me mind's eye. I guess being a fan of something like the individual sport of Pro Cycling messed me up in a way that I was not expecting. The first confusing mental obstacle to get over was witnessing all of the gas burning thermo dynamic entropy that was supporting a hundred or so pro racers riding 110miles. Then there were the select few of the larger official motor-bikes that were ripping through along the sides of the road entirely on something of an ego. Yes, they were motoring at unreasonable speed very close to the crowd. It is no wonder that a 61 year old woman was killed at this years Tour de France by a police moto 'clearing' the way on Stage 14. So, forget the cars and gas now all of a sudden here comes the leader on Lap 1. It is hard to describe but I was sort of frozen or better yet it felt like I slipped into slow motion. Just the presence of this one rider coming up alone slowed down my chakras. I could not look through the glass and hold still enough to see the shot but I took it anyway. Crap, there he goes. Then 2mins later, mentally re-prepared. Here comes the main field and once again I went into a bad dream where everything in real time was at normal speed except my actions. Strange the effect that these individual athletes as a collective group had on me. It was like I wanted to get closer, lower and lean in some more but intuitively my warning lights stopped me from perhaps getting in the way of their forward progress. Maybe I thought about what it would be like for them to be riding by me and how I would look to myself if I accidentally got in my own way.

Okay, it is too early to start this ramble so I will leave you with the little 1min clip below. It starts with Diego and his friends having fun then you will see DZ go over the top and then the field following. It is not that great because as I just discussed something in my creative mind's eye failed while being surrounded by such energy.

2009 US Nationals Pro Cycling Race Greenville SC from Billy Fehr on Vimeo.