Every year our extended clan unites in a suitable bike-friendly location to hang out for a long weekend and tool around on two-wheelers. That provides fun for the kids, parents and grandparents alike. It's pretty cool that I dig my in-laws, so this trip is something I generally look forward to. This year we downscaled a bit and eschewed meeting in a “bike destination town,” usually meaning somewhere in SE Minnesota or across the river in Wisconsin. Instead, everyone elected to come north from Iowa to the SixOneTwo. Maybe we brag on our trails and easily accessible bike trips too…

I arrived home on Saturday evening to my beloved family, suddenly realizing that I had been on some magical journey, roused by my son asking me what the heck I'd been doing in Iowa. I suppose everyone who travels to Iowa gets asked this question upon their return, but my guess is that most of them spent their time sampling Amish churned butter and frolicking in fields of corn as tall as giants. Let's just say this was not my experience. I attended Dirk Diggler, the first ever bike event of any kind held in the state of Iowa. I…

The Dirt Burger is officially underway here in Decorah - sort of. Last night the first installment of yay-hoo behavior commenced with the early arrival of the pre-planning committee, T-Rock, B-Pauer, Pre-Nate-al, and R Dead-to-my-Hart (who wore his best Iowa camoflage - wife beater and no shoes). They showed up to put a scare into some local trout streams before the bike things happen. Although, after seeing the lights come on at the Corner Bar last night, I can't imagine that the local fish are in any great peril - at least not before noon. Things got off to a…

Please don't remember to not attend this event: -skip -----

Friday's weather was perfect for a bike ride and an overnight stay by the river. I packed up the Long Haul Trucker with full panniers and the woodstove and attached Noah's Burley Piccolo to its Piccolo-compatible rear rack. On the way to our campsite, we happened upon two spots where mama snapping turtles were laying their eggs along the trail. They seemed too busy tending to their motherthy duties to really care about us. I told Noah that we should put on our fuzzy duckling sock puppets and wave them in front of the turtles' faces to entertain them while…