Local Help A Brother Out Ride News You don't want to forget about this. Zito has many friends, collected from just about everywhere he has ever been (with the exception of drivers who piss him off). Why? Because he is a kickass individual. If you know him and ever needed help moving or doing just about anything, there's a pretty good chance Zito helped you out. Now it's your turn. This event gets you a group ride, music, food, and a raffle for stuff you'll like, and all to help Zito stuff his rib back under his shoulder and pay…

I don't really like the word 'blog.' Sounds like what a cat does with a hairball. I am also not fond of 'blogosphere.' For that matter, I don't really like text message abbreviations when used in normal speech or writing (OMG! LOL!). All this means nothing, of course, except that I am old and crusty. Interesting then that I should be writing today about O.L.D., which doesn't directly refer to me but certainly could (along with C.R.A.B.B.Y. & H.O.S.T.I.L.E.). In this case, O.L.D. stands for outer locknut dimension and is the name for the measurement of hub and frame or…

Any of you planning to be at Single Speed European Championships this weekend? I will be there representing from Surly. We drew straws and I think I lost. No one ever explained to me how you win that game. Huh. Anyway, if you are going to be there be sure to say hello when you see a really tall American speaking mostly English, carrying a bottle of cheap red wine and generally hugging everyone. -----

A month ago, the Waconia Rotary Club asked me to give a short speech about my experiences riding the Arrowhead 135 Winter Ultramarathon race and working for Surly. I'm a graduate of Waconia High School, and the Waconia Patriot was kind enough to write an article about the race. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to give a little back to the town that shaped me in a lot of ways...for better or worse. My speaking engagement was scheduled for 7:30am Wednesday morning. I didn't want to drive from Minneapolis to Waconia, about 55km by car, through…

Wheel of Death Lunchtime Shootout: Kraft Easy Mac vs. Maruchan Instant Lunch I'll spare you the long write-up. They both kind of sucked like you think they would. Only the Easy Mac sucked a little less. Maruchan Instant Lunch (chicken flavor): Plus: Pretty decent amount of "food." Vegetables included actually look like they were once real vegetables. I can make it with the hot water from our coffee maker. Bang, done. Minus: Tastes like ramen should - wet cardboard with MSG. Kraft Easy Mac (industrial cheese flavor): Plus: More colorful container. Tastes like mac & cheese, sort of. Minus: Weird…