Travels with Pops

ARE YOU TIRED OF FREEZING 

YOUR BUTT CHEEKS OFF?

I know - that was a stupid question. So I'm thinking lately of something different to bust out of the old March mania. I'm thinking gravel road ride. With some hills. Forty to fifty miles - long enough to make it an adventure, but not so far that I feel like throwing my bike in a dumpster after I finish.

MAY I SUGGEST:

A little spin in Ohio's Amish country? The Amish Roubaix route looks like a damn good time. I've ridden the Gravel Road Grinder from Athens to Lake Hope a couple of times, but why drive all the way to southern Ohio if there's a cool route within a 45 minute drive? One of the things I don't like about Medina County is that there's no gravel roads. Michigan on the other hand probably has more gravel roads than paved roads - another reason why the cycling there is so good. I wouldn't mind the Barry Roubaix but it's too far from my second home in Brighton, Michigan (I make so much money from this blog that I can afford a second home). I'm kidding. I actually make all of my millions from teaching high school.

UNIVERSAL MOUNTAIN BIKING PRINCIPLE #2:

The bottom line is this: why pay somebody for the opportunity to go ride a bike somewhere? Sure, I could sign up to race in the official Amish Roubaix (except that I'm gonna be here that week!!!) 'Cept I'm not a racer; I never want to be the first one back. I like spending as much time in the woods as possible. Racing is just not in my DNA. I don't even know the language.Hell, I just learned how to correctly pronounce "Roubaix" a couple of days ago! I kept calling it "Ra-bow" cause it reminded me of LeBeau from Hogan's Heroes or the other french word I know, battaeu, which ought to have an "x" at the end, like "faux." Nevermind. I don't know what I was thinking, just sounded right. Unlike "rowbay" which sounds a little....uh.....spandexy?
Anyway....
The Amish Roubaix route follows a lot of Amish buggy routes which probably means a lot of road apples, but also hopefully means peace and quiet.And the best thing is it's free and I (hopefully we) could do it on a Saturday afternoon, and be home by dinner time. Just throwing it out there, if case anybody reads this blog and wants to go with me.

WHICH BRINGS ME TO HORSES:

Old Tres got a back scratching this weekend, and apparently was totally digging it. That horse is just a big old dog, and I mean that in a good way.

Cash tried to nooch some of my brew:

Then somebody held out a Short's "Good Humans" and the horses were clearly interested. Short's is slowly becoming a force in Michigan's many independent brewers and sponsors a number of mountain biking events, and is right up there with North Peak's Majestic.

I realize that it's probably sacrilege to write about horses on a "mountain biking" blog, but the fact of the matter is that my lovely Artemis and I have had some damn good times out on the trail with these two beasts. I realize that horses need different trails that those that can be ridden on a mountain bike. And I know there's a real conflict between equestrians and mountain bikers in Ohio. But Michigan seems to have it figured out pretty well. For example, Highland Rec near Milford allows both biking and horse back riding, and neither group of trail users seem to encroach upon the other.

Having said that, we got to witness a spectacular display of bucking and kicking when we let them out to stretch their legs. Awesome to see a 1500 pound animal with all four legs off the ground. Incredible. Guess that's where the mythical creature Pegasus came from.

I guess I'm not the only one ready for spring.

WHEN IN DOUBT, EXPLORE YOUR MEMORY:

So I'm on the turnpike and it suddenly occurs to me that I hadn't heard New Order's Power Corruption and Lies in a few decades (or Joy Division). Which led me to an old favorite: Ultravox! (not the Midge Ure version of the band, which sucks). Which led me to Gang of Four. The Gang of Four rules.
If you happen to see me on the turnpike in one of my New Wave mini-concerts for myself, and I'm totally digging it like a horse's first back scratch of the spring, just ignore me and politely pass me on the left or right. Please don't alert the highway patrol. I'm just having a good time.

THE FINAL WORD:

Sorry to report that I just can't make it through The Outpost. Good stuff if you are interested in the war in Afghanistan. Artemis and I were in a cool used bookstore in Ferndale, Michigan, and I picked up a John McPhee book I'd never seen before called Rising from the Plains. I'm giving it a whirl. Also picked up a hardcover copy of Of Mice and Men, required reading for all Good Humans, in my humble opinion..