Photo of Stormy Skies

This is a view I see on one of my routes to work. The company I work for recently moved to a building attached to the copper-colored building in distance. It looks like a long way from where the photo was taken, but it's probably only a couple miles. Perspective is everything.

If I ride directly to work, it's a five miler. But this route is 10 and much better because it involves some nature. Last week, I fixed a woman's flat tire on this route.

BrewFarm 2012

I rode my first Dave's BrewFarm Event this past weekend. It was more mileage than I've ridden in several years: 64 miles each day. We left Hiawatha Cyclery in Minneapolis on Saturday morning and passed through St. Paul, Afton, and Hudson. From there it was straight east through some small Wisconsin towns. The roads were good cycling routes without too much traffic and had shoulders where the traffic was heavier.

I think I've learned to love the sound of loud motorcycles too. Who would have guessed that was possible?

Some of us drank beer(s) and Rumchada(s) at the stops along the route. Rum Chata: horchata with rum. Like my wife says when the dog eats her own vomit, "Don't knock it until you've tried it."

The Brew Farm is what it sounds like -- a farm where beer is brewed and served. I'm not a beer connoisseur. Funny that until I wrote the last sentence, I'd never written the word "connoisseur" before. 

We ate a pot-luck dinner and sat around enjoying the peace and quite. Some riders' families joined them at the campsite. I enjoyed seeing the kids have fun in the dirt and in the fields.

We camped in the fields. My tent was one of those under the wind generator. The generator provides power for the brewing operation.

It was a really nice ride and I enjoyed the whole weekend. I rode to work today and I'm not even sore. That doesn't make any sense to me.

2012 Brewfarm Event

I'm signed up to ride to the 2012 Brewfarm event. This is a great opportunity to go bike camping. I've always wanted to try it and this will be a painless way to try it. I'll carry my own camping on my bike and rely on the Brewfarm event for food.

If I like bike camping, I'll try it on my own, without the other riders and rely on myself for food.

It seems funny to me that when I started riding as a teen, I wanted to be a bike tourist, but never got around to it. Now, I'm 49 and planning a one-night tour.

I'll do my best to take photos and brag.