Anyone here joined the National Bike Challenge?

[KenM.]

Merry Christmas team EBR! And everybody that tunes in.
Keep safe, and have fun! Strange weather out there, it is either warm, or storming. Don't slip on the ice. Still in the eighties down here.
Remember the reason for the season! Praise be to God, for whom all blessings flow! Keep looking up ! Ken.

 

[Ann M.]

No kidding @KenM. ! we were at almost 80 this afternoon and have potential tornado and flash flood warnings here for tonight with 18" snow/ice/etc. in the Panhandle this eve, so I don't know what we'll see tomorrow. Anyhow, it is still December, so a bit of cold weather would be par for the norm Family in Tenn. were ok but this weather has my head spinning. You folks stay safe too! Cool though we've all gotten to ride or run a bit more with the strange weather.

 

[KenM.]

Yes this has been some year. I think it has been the worst year for everything . Weather, shootings. Planes going down, lying leaders,persecution, whatever else you can think of. I has been a bad year. Just wait for next year.
I wonder how many miles are instore for us to ride in 2016!
Pedal, pedal, Pedal! Giddy up Go!! Keep looking up! Ken.

 

[J.R.]

Yes this has been some year. I think it has been the worst year for everything . Weather, shootings. Planes going down, lying leaders,persecution, whatever else you can think of. I has been a bad year. Just wait for next year.
I wonder how many miles are instore for us to ride in 2016!
Pedal, pedal, Pedal! Giddy up Go!! Keep looking up! Ken.

That's why I ride bikes! My form of meditation or escapism. I'm a political animal, so I come to EBR or ride the rail trail to escape the real world.

"Hence it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. And he who by nature and not by mere accident is without a state, is either above humanity, or below it; he is the ‘Tribeless, lawless, hearthless one,’ whom Homera denounces—the outcast who is a lover of war; he may be compared to a bird which flies alone." - Aristotle

 

[Reddy Kilowatt]

This was probably my best Christmas ever. I got to spend some really nice days with my Children and Grandchildren. And some not-so-bad ones with my former wife.
Allen

 

[KenM.]

Well good for you Allen.
They look like a lot of fun to be around , a couple of sweeties !
It is good to have fun at Christmas , other then praising The Lord , that is what it is all about!

I was going to post that I see that the national bike challenges web site is up, at least good enought to log in miles again.

Keep warm up there, do not slip on the ice.
I hope AnnM and everybody else out west are doing OK.
We have some nice weather, but other people are not! Praying for all in harms way! Keep looking up! Ken.

 

[Ann M.]

Thanks, Ken! Got lucky being a bit further south and east of the Dallas mayhem...11 tornadoes, at least one clocked at over 200mph there- That's dangerous level hurricane type winds. Weird hail, tons of wind, rain, potted plants knocked all over. Me, fine but a busted rib about a week + so I'm sulking over that.

All ya'll have a safe and Happy New Year! More miles and smiles for 2016! If you have pics of snowy (or not so snowy) winter riding, Please Share!

 

[KenM.]

Busted Rib You better watch that stuff! Us old Dudes and Dudets do not heal like we did in our younger days.
Keep safe way out yonder!

I added up the miles on the SchWINn and GenZe! And I have 10,000 miles for the year That has to be the most I ever did . And I did not count the miles on the gas bike, because no pedaling on that one I did have to pedal it home today for just over one mile, when the engine quit running. So I guess I can say I will have 10,001 miles this year!!
My wife and I only put on less than 8,000 miles on the car
I will not put that many miles on the bikes next year , that is for sure.
Keep safe out there, and Keep Looking Up!
Pedal, pedal, Pedal! Giddy up Go! Ken.

 

[Ann M.]

Yeah, this Dudet was told in very finger shaking terms to lay off the wrenches for a while
Congrats on the mileage count, KenM; that's great--keep that going for 2016!

 

[KenM.]

OK, Mr. Kilowatt !! You can close your door now!
It was 53* down here this moring!
I think that is cold enough! Thank you very much sir!
Keep looking up ! Ken.

 

[Reddy Kilowatt]

Dear KenM:
Dude, your such a weenie! That sound like a heatwave to me. It's 3º F outside my cottage right now, and I rode the Grey Ghost to work and back today. That commute was in the low-teens with a very annoying wind right from the North Pole. (There was light snow on the way home and I had to stop twice to warm up the bridge of my nose.) I so wish I'd gone ahead and put the Bar Mits on the bike last night as I was planning to. Even my Winter lobster claw biking gloves are no match for this sh**. And the stupid studded snow tires for the Grey Ghost are still sitting by the front door.
I'm not as dumb as I look though; I already asked my boss for a ride in to work tomorrow (if the battery in his truck is good enough to get things started).
Winter eBiking in New England is a young man's sport, and—as everybody here knows—I'm not a young man.
One bright spot yesterday. After church, my priest asked me to join the vestry at Trinity Lime Rock; woot! Seems like a great way to serve The Big Guy. I think I get a coupon for 1,000 days off purgatory too (only kidding; I've heard even the Catholics don't have purgatory anymore). If that rumor isn't true and I go directly to he**, I'll save you a seat by the Coke™ machine; please advise.
Happy New Year and regards to all from the quiet (and now very cold) corner of Connecticut/Allen

 

[KenM.]

FAIR weather rider!!! Gets a little cool and you ask for a ride to work!!!
When I was your age I used to ride my scoot to work , even in the -* weather that New Jersey could throw at me!
So biker up and let'er ride captain ride.
I guess that is a good thing for you at your church. I do not know anything about what that is you are doing. Baptist do not do anything like that. Keep up the good stuff!
Keep looking up ! Ken.

 

[KenM.]

Hey!! How is everybody doing , up there in that frozen north land!
Mr. Kilowatt must of left his door open again . It was 46* last night and only 61* for a high. And even lower tonight and tomorrow !
How cold is. It is so cold= I saw a earthworm mugging a caterpillar for its fur coat.
Keep warm and safe out yonder! Keep looking up! Ken.

 

[J.R.]

Hey!! How is everybody doing , up there in that frozen north land!
Mr. Kilowatt must of left his door open again . It was 46* last night and only 61* for a high. And even lower tonight and tomorrow !
How cold is. It is so cold= I saw a earthworm mugging a caterpillar for its fur coat.
Keep warm and safe out yonder! Keep looking up! Ken.

That's in the nearby town, in the countryside we'll get below zero. Last night and today was colder than tonight and tomorrow will be. Just means I work harder on the bike to create more heat! I follow your instructions about looking up, but snow gets in my eyes

 

[KenM.]

Good to hear from you again Mr. JR. I always liked weather like that when I was young . Always went skiing, sled riding,ice-skating . But NOT anymore !
Keep warm and safe up there! Ken.

 

[Ann M.]

You could do like the folks who are training for skiing and have little wheels on the skis; that's about all we could do here. And, we'd be using the poles a lot since it's pretty level in FL and my part of TX

 

[Reddy Kilowatt]

Dear KenM:
There's no way in he** I'd leave my door open this time of year; I'd have ice in my toilet.
I've weenied out the last two days and taken rides in to work from my boss. Tomorrow I'm Gray Ghosting it though. Speaking of that mighty whip, she just turned over 3,000 miles. This is all the more remarkable since she hasn't been more than ten miles from my cottage.
Speaking of the cottage, have a look at what they put at the end of my road:



Yes, indeed, at long last, we have the bridge. It's the talk of the town (village actually). It was even mentioned in church last Sunday.
It doesn't officially open until mid-May; the town has assumed responsibility and the Selectmen can close it whenever they want. Even though it's a two-way bridge, it's one way (at a time) for now, they are only going to plow one lane down the middle, they can't use (much) salt, blah, blah, blah. But it means my ten mile round trip to the village is back to two miles.
It closes again on April 1st when the construction season starts up, and—once it's blacktopped, gets lane markings, lights, etc., it'll be open for real, in all it's two lane glory (the old bridge was one lane). The grand opening is slated for mid-May. (Of course, every silver lining has a cloud: there are seven or eight cars passing by my cottage every hour, instead of two or three, but that's the price one has to pay to live with all the modern conveniences.)
Allen

 

[KenM.]

Ann M, Now that is some idea!
I can see the people now!( look at that OLD fool ) what is he doing?
It is bad enough on the gas bike. You should see all the people smile at me when I ride by. I wonder what they are thinking ?
They don't do that when I am on the GenZe or the SchWINn. Keep looking up! Ken.

 

[KenM.]

Ok, Mr. Kilowatt ! You have it made now.
This time of year you will like the two mile ride a lot better then ten.
But come time for The Challenge to start up, you better go back to riding ten miles again!
Good to hear from you again! Keep warm and safe up there! Ken!

 

[KenM.]

Hey up there!! How is everybody doing?? Are you having fun in the show yet?
Hope all are warm and safe.
I see Mr. Kilowatt is going to plow everybody out that Mr. JR can not get to.
Mr. Kilowatts ride=

Mr. JRs ride=