Time, as life is flying by way to fast and I'm really behind in posting on here, but that is relative. We had a great time in Laguna Beach riding with most of the Peckerheads and called it training for the Peckerhead Invitational which is this coming weekend.

Laguna had a little of everything with several 24% grades (mountains!)I just have to teach Coondog what a proper warmup is, but then I probably would have said no quicker. Will cover the negative aspects first. The sun was hiding until the last riding day, but that kept us cooler just restricting the views slightly. A lot of cars, but they were courteous! The riding was a little of everything that is near and dear to a Peckerhead. The roads and highways had bike lanes and there were a lot of bike trails. Food, the food was great and I even ate a little sushi, which was good, but I'll only eat so much raw fish and that was pretty much my life quota as far as I'm concerned. So I'm very appreciative of Scott's generosity. Thank you again Scott.

Tom Wolf is out on a ten day bike trip and spent Sunday night here. I went out looking for him Sunday and was going to ride here with him, but after riding in the rain for a long time we didn't meet up and I came on home. I even rather enjoyed the rain ride as it wasn't cold and a little rain never hurt anyone. Of course I had just finished totally cleaning the Merlin and I don't think it was too happy about getting dirty again, but enjoyed the miles. Tom showed up Sunday night and he had missed all the rain. He then talked me in to riding to Xenia with him on Monday and riding home Tuesday. We had a nice 80 mile ride over trail and back roads to Xenia and then after a good breakfast I headed south and he headed north. He'll end up back in Athens Sunday and I'll be riding in Ashland Sunday if the Peckerhead Invitational hasn't destroyed me.

I would assume everyone is ready for the Peckerhead Invitational.....at least most of us. Wait, am I? I have the miles and hopefully the hills as well. It's the age thing that will catch me if anything. The full Holmes will probably be hard, but then isn't any good ride hard? Have to really throw a compliment here to Jaybone and his family as putting on a ride like this takes a lot of time and thought. I mean just look at the invitations as a beginning. I always look forward to see what he comes up with. I think this years may have been a picture of Todd going for beer after discovering that his car was out of gas and his road bike had a flat tire! But I could be wrong.

I had a 266 mile week this week so am ready albeit slower than past Peckerheads. This could be wrong as I'll be on the Merlin instead of the recumbent, but time will tell. Looking forward to riding with all the Peckerheads this Saturday....even if it's raining, which is a real possibility. But hey, we're the Peckerheads! See you all Saturday hopefully!

A nice ride

Howdy, I had a nice ride today and started in Orgonia and rode some old roads and some new ones. I had found this one road the other day that was really pretty, but it didn't start until riding forty some miles from home, which is the reason I drove to the start. I'll have to admit that I got lost, or should I say I was just misplaced as I knew where I was in relation to the bike trail. I ended up riding the route I had planned on riding only rode it in reverse. What I thought was New Burlington Road was not really New Burlington Road. Now I know and it was a nice ride through rolling and flat farm land.

I've been getting some good miles and good climbing in and getting about 160 miles a week with significant climbing so I should be ready for Laguna Beach. The foam was working the other day, but not today that I noticed. It takes more than 54 miles to get foaming though. Today was a really nice day and I fought headwinds the first 20 or so miles, but hey, that builds character! It would have been a little easier on the bent so maybe next ride. Later. Paul

Feeling good, but still need to lose some weight

Howdy, I've been hitting the hills and feel pretty good. I'm heading out tomorrow for at least an 80 miler, but am hoping for a century. I'll be on the Merlin since that is what I'll be riding in California. Not the Merlin, but a regular bike. I still need to lose some more weight, but the best way to lose that weight is a XC bike trip! However, I think that long of a trip is done and gone. That was a long time to be gone from home according to Ann and I have a tendency to agree with her. The California trip is fast approaching and I have to admit that I'm looking forward to it. More just to ride with my friends, but also just to test myself since it will be long and hard miles every day for five days. The Peckerheads ride again! It would be nice if all the Peckerheads were there, but a couple of them just aren't riding like they used to.

I took Ann to the bike shop today and I think I'll end up buying her a comfort bike as I think she'll be more comfortable on that than converting her Salsa to a comfort bike. I've found a really nice bike shop close to here, Cycle Sport, since they changed ownership and are now customer friendly. Plus they have top notch mechanics who are also bike geeks. So that's it for now as it's time to hit the sack as I'm planning on being up and on the road by 6:30. Later. Peace to all. Paul

Sore butt and tired

Hi, I just got back from a 78 miler with some decent climbs and I'm tired. Yesterday I rode the recumbent climbing one hill in Indian Hill and then on to Walmart to get something. On the way back I decided to ride to the end of the bike trail. After getting to the end of the trail I thought about the ice cream stand and rode there and got a cone. Possum happy! Then on home getting 32 miles in.

Today was a beautiful day and was supposed to get in the low 80's which I think it did. I took off around ten o'clock and rode the trail to Stubbs Mill and then hit the roads and hills I went to Caesar Creek, but the wind was so bad up there that I returned shortly to the trail to try and escape the wind. The wind was brutal! As hard as any I saw on my XC trip......I think.

I wanted to check out the trillium as I knew it would be blooming as Athens was last week and I wasn't disappointed as the hill side was covered and then I rode up Hall's Creek and those were out too. Trillium ride in Southwest Ohio and loving it. There was also these yellow flowers that had a drooping flower and was very pretty.

The ride went well except for the fact that I was really tired and my butt is tired and a little sore. I bought new shorts and they have a thicker chamois and were very comfortable the first time I wore them. I guess I just have to toughen it up a little. So that's all from here and hope for more riding in the next couple days, but I also have a lot to do around here. Later.

Peace Paul

TTT April 19, 2009

Hello,I just got back from Athens to a greeting of rain. Yesterday was a beautiful day just about everywhere around this state so our ride was a lot of fun. Tom and I rode 72 miles and climbed 4400 feet so it was a fairly hard ride, but when you ride in Athens you ride hills because there are a lot of them all around. It is Little Appalachia in a lot of aspects and is pretty country. A lot of poverty and a lot of dogs.

The ride was the Athens Spring Ride (aka Tom's Trillium Tour) and there are a lot of wildflowers and the hills along a portion of the bike trail are blanketed in trillium. And then the bluebells took over for a scenic ride. They had fifty one riders and everyone seemed to really like the route.

We were riding along and this pit bull came charging out and I yelled, but seemed to have little affect so I got off the bike and the dog ran in to the yard, where the owner was yelling for the dog. I started to go and he came back out so I stopped and just waited until the woman came out and got it. By now the trailer emptied it's bowels of the other dogs! So now I have 'jaws' in the yard being watched by the angry woman and two more on the road, but the one was friendly and was cute, but it was time to move on. That was the first time I dismounted because I thought I would be bitten and wanted the bike between me and the biter. I've dismounted to chase dogs, but I was the winner in those.

So after 70 miles we decided that we had enough miles to feed the body and mind and we called it a day. The main reason I went to ride was that I wanted to test myself to see where I was on the hill climbing fitness level and what I had to work on and I found out, so life is good. I think all I really need is just more miles in the hills as my climbing is pretty good. I now know I can do the ride in California as I have over a month more to train and I feel good. It's raining today so I'll go work inside. Peace Paul

Another ride on the Merlin

Hi, well I rode the Merlin again today and covered 55 miles with 1000 feet of climbing and felt fine and the arm was not sore. I had to ride on the top of the bars though. Was tired but felt fine. Paul

Peckerheads in California

April 3, 2009 Howdy, I'm back with news from the wet Ohio River area. It seems as I'm headed to California in May to ride with several other Peckerheads in the canyons around Laguna Beach. Why do I go out there you ask? I have to admit I wasn't all that excited about the trip last year when Scott and I discussed it, but since he has been riding out there so much and building it up I have to go out and see for myself. Mark, Kent, Jay, and I are going out to be led around the area by Scott. I have to admit that I'm getting pretty psyched up the more I think about it.

Scott says he's doing this in appreciation for the times we tried to kill him on some our Glenmont death rides, but I think it's revenge and he's going to get us out there and drill us seriously in to the ground. I don't think that will happen, but I'm ramping up my training to make sure that doesn't happen, so wish me luck.

So the Merlin comes out of intermittent retirement to reintroduce my butt to the saddle. And the bent sits frowning in the garage from less time on the road.