I'm here for the good times

I'm just here for coffee and donuts.

it may be winter...

I love this mainly for the idea of riding in the snow, manpower. true.

fresh powder

took the 29er out made my own trails.
beware the lobster claws... they make the digits warm in the cold and the rides longer the anticipated.

my papa is awesome just so you know

things to get me motivated to ride after kidney stones...

Pic of me not DNF ( thats my butt)

Simple gears

 Not taking it so serious 

An Unused Harem Of Bikes will Find new owners if neglected

if i don't ride soon...

race pic

was strong on my climbs.  also have been strong with my barriers, i make my move on the climbs and barriers.... oh no i sound like a roadie..... quick had me a donut and a bacon sandwhich!

my race from yesterday....one word....sand

yesterday was a hard race.... strong winds and cold cold weather and me having let my training slide just a little before this race.

It showed on my face this was not as jovial of a race. this was a test of my love for just riding. there were less people doing it for fun and more of the super elite race machines. this was my hard race last year ( also my first race) the sand got me last year and it did again this year ( thanks to the addition of a mound) here are some pics. these are the links to the two sites that take pics for the races:

Tenmilemedia.com

tuckerbikes.com

so i survived this race. i have my last race sunday and i am still looking forward to it.  maybe i am going crazy...but i might be getting better... i haven't DNF this year!

Cross Race and mud

Cross Crusade Race #4 PIR from Burk Webb on Vimeo.

NEW WEBSITE IN CONJUNCTION WIITH MY AWEOSME BIKE SITE

trustbillbaker.com
email me a trust reason get free sticker. that is all

race was a week ago.. and i'm just that lazy

The race was awesome went i picked my targets and stayed on their wheels to the end, when i passed them...( see exhibit A) me passing on the hurdles...

next we have me awesome pit crew.

and some pics of the action.... check out this site for some cool over all action shots of the race..

Tuckerbikes.com

I placed 37th out of 65 some DNF. such a fun race.

 i got two more to go this year, such fun was had can't wait for the next.

A new tradition was started post race BBQ after the race we went to Lockharts BBQ in downtown royal oak.... so good. 

preview of the course

 all this and i get a t-shirt!

Art? Bill Like Art?

In London, theres an exhibition happening. Sanitov Studios is putting on their "Go Bicycle Before It's Too Late" exhibition featuring artwork from artists and designers who made posters based on a single theme. I like some of them.

My next race

The Race is Oct. 23. it will be awesome. here is the link to the site:
Mad Anthony

Do this race... that is all

cross videos to get me pumped for a new season!

getting this made!

Beat the Heat with a cold lead pipe

Its summer and its Hot. Make sure your drinking water. lots of water. i have been doing 5 20 oz water bottles a day just for normal intake more on days i am outside. Its been so hot i have neglected my bikes, they are dirty and mildly out of tune. But the thought of being in the sweat box ( the shed ) does not appeal.  i guess  i could get up early. but doubt that will be happening.
Enjoy this video... it suits that moment when you run out of water on the road or trail.

new mount for video means no more shots of my left arm....
enjoy

Metal and family bike rides

Went to Iron Maiden Had a lot of fun.


Next day woke up and rode with the boy to 7-11 for iced coffee ad slurpees. not sure if a cherry slurpee should be had by a three year old at 9:30 in the morning. oh well ......

Been Having to share my parking spot at work more. Its great to see so many people riding. Some might get miffed at the idea of having to change a routine of where and what they do. but its fun to be creative to find the best parking spot.

kinda fun.

LOL... 21 gels and a fried turkey

freaked me out

im all about pushing limits but when he sinks into the black. yeah instant panic attack for me.

Surly got fixed

Thanks to D&D  Berkley for the hook up. they retapped the crank and got me going again.
word

It might be time to panic........

Yeah my big stinkin mule legs broke another set of cranks today. Somehow I pulled my right pedal free and stripped the threads. No more wheaties or EPOs for me thanks I bending forged aluminum. So the cross check will have a drive train overhaul and the 29r will have to pull early morning training ride duty. I wonder if there are cranks made out of cast iron?

Stoney

MTB for the Win

So like most days when i ride this it what it looks like. The good ol' SE Draft with my topeak clipin rack mounting system. the ipad rides in the old military map case and an apple case in the fold out panniers that come out of the side of the bag. its been a amazing week weather wise. Its been in the mid 50's at night and during the day its been peaking about 78. so nice.
Spent a lot of time in the saddle this week had a chance to go on an amazing ride with some real good guys. I love riding with people. Not in the competitive way where some one wins and another loses. i Ride to have fun to spur the other person on. to try and push my limits but not to the point where it becomes anything but a good time free for all.  it was good just bikes in the woods. had some awesome climbs some great technical single track that i got video of (mainly of my left arm due to camera shifting) But we had a good time and everyone left feeling like we had an adventure. After 12 miles to begin the day i got to do the crazy idea that i would ride home from the trails....about 20 miles home. i did said thanks to my ride and began my journey on back country roads and bikes paths that lead into the heart of the city. it took about 2 hours on a single speed 29er with my iphone clipped to my chest pumping out from its little speaker the Great Bob Marley ( i don't wear headphones when i ride to blocks out traffic my phone has a speaker). About 4 miles from home with legs afire i switched to some black sabbath just to give me that extra push to get home. its been a good week. and as always a bike has made it better.

Using my bikes for more then just getting to work.

Now then. I have been riding to work every day. I find myself losing sight with how much riding a bike changes everything. Fact of the matter is that the the awesome because a little more common. For instance I have witnessed a week of sundowns and enjoyed the crisp cool that comes with the end of the day from a stress free vantage point, but yet I do not appreciate it nearly as much as I should.
With work and life always going I have the luxury of at times 40 mins a day to just ride in the quiet of the day. Sometimes it's less quiet but it still better then fighting the rush hour traffic and the angry drivers that patrol the roads between where I work and where I live.
Also my little bike rides add so much more to the stories I tell. I got the privilege of taking my wife on a date. We went to our favorite breakfast place and had a wonderful time. We rode our bikes there. It adds a level of fun and overall light heartedness to it. We lock up our bikes and just enjoyed adult conversation with out having to cut up a liitle ones food.

Also by bike small outings with the kiddos gets a lot more exciting. Me and the boy went for a ride to Tim Hortons and got some dynamic cheap treats then rode to a park. Later that week we rode again to the park with swords for a battle royal. The bike just makes things better. Hence the reason I have not posted lately. Any chance I get I jump on my two wheeled steed and just pedal. I suggest if you get a chance you do the same.

MTB MI....

Been riding a lot mostly to work but i got a chance in between the spring rains to go on  some trails with a good buddy of mine. We rode stony creek. which is a well designed trail with many levels to it. i remember so many years ago while trying to impress my girlfriend (now wife) i took her on one of the most technical loops ( her first tie o a Mountain Bike) it ended with her almost throwing her bike at me.... log piles and bridges and to many climbs. riding it ow with the lenses of time and maturity i was a butt head for doing that. but i still tricked her into marrying me anyway.  this is the bike i rode its my 29er single speed. now i was riding with platform pedals and i usually ride clipless but wanted to try it... never again. i almost lost twice on some technical downhill. and i definitely payed for it on the climbs.

i will be changing out the pedals this week, never again.
now i rode with a rear fender and i'm glad i did. it better for the person behind me. also next time i ride i will keep my front fender on. and wear some kinda eye protection i got a couple of small drops of mud and other organic compounds.
will be going back to the trails soon and thinking of riding the cross bike. might make for a fun day.

Also the format change. its been hard to post due to the previous format that i was using. i built a site from scratch and was limited by its design and my own limited knowledge. so i'm back to a normal blogger format. and will be posting at least twice a week. so be ready for an onslaught of poor grammar and useless facts.

word
B.

a little Lance from a time with less drama.

Switching formats yet again

So I have been try a new format for my blog the last couple of months and I did not like it. It was cumbersome and restrictive and I could not add to it from a mobile device ( my iPhone or iPad. ) so now it's back to the way I began. Simple and sweet. 

Been hitting the pavement every day trying to get the miles under my tires and been without a car for myself since February.  It's amazing how much more time I have with e family when Its one car.  My wife and I have to plan our days out. We get to interact with  each other. 

Anyway pics up soon of my updated rides and hopefully if the weather holds out a mountain bike ride with my buddy nick. 

epic catch up... begin

Friday, January 15, 2010

A run outside   

I am no Prefontaine nor am i Forest Gump. But today when i woke up it was 32˚ out and i ran out side. just three miles but it was fast and fun and got my heart and thoughts set on spring.... which is still months away. But it gave me that hope. Might go to the Zoo tomorrow if it warms up.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

i miss riding in the sun. i miss riding home to a golden glow. I know my bikes miss it too. only a few months left of winter.......

My goal for the rest of the winter is to 

begin the restore of Stacy’s (my Wifes) 

bike. Its an late 70’s AMF commuter. 

its seven levels of awesome and green.

its good to have a winter goal.. : )

Saturday, February 6, 2010

After months of riding. After days of maintenance I finally put together a repair stand.  I got my tune up done on my three bikes  in the time it usually takes to do one. I wish i had done this months ago. it would have saved me hours of trying to work on bikes upside down. crazy. Sometimes the most relaxing part of my day is my ride to and from work. 

but the best times of my day are always with my family.  also this comic pretty much sums up the feelings people have as i ride by them when the temps drop below freezing

Monday, February 8, 2010

   Its been a couple weeks now with me not having a car. And we can’t tell a difference.  It makes us plan. it gives me more time with my wife and kids and has helped me find new and interesting ways to get places. i guess after two years of me riding we were at a place to say goodbye to the car.

Also i had driven by this weird chopper things for years and never stopped to look at it... it pretty cool. its old chopper parts turned into an epic wheelie of doom... forever cruising. 

    I’ve also begun the work restoring my wife's bike to its former glory. While she has a Kona Blast Mountain Bike there be no mountains in  Michigan. So her green machine saved from the junkyard/garage sale wasteland. yeah i could get her a new bike with bells and fancy paint. but this machine has class. it has a history and its her favorite color.  I begun by a simple tear down to frame. And will be getting rid of rust with a chrome polish and sandpaper. i have a rust guard metallic spray paint that i will use on the wheel and chrome bits. Check back later for more tear down pics.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Shaved the beard. Had to.  5 months of growth.... i forgot what my chin looked like, here is one of the last known pics of my beard and all its glory.  And my little girls favorite thing to do was yank  chubby little fistful of hairs out at a time. but its okay...i’ll get her back... when she try’s to date... humiliation galore. 

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

So we had another snow storm and work was calling... what did i get So we had another snow storm and work was calling... what did i get on... my new snow plow.

This bike goes where no other would its crazy the difference in a ride from a 26 inch wheel to a 29 inch wheel. i suggest everyone  who reads this ( so four people) go to a shop ad just give one a spin. 

I would compare it to driving a bulldozer with the interior of a Cadillac.  Its also my first venture into the world of disc brakes. that was a good call. i can actually stop in the snow.  Truly a fun bike. example story riding to work get to cross walk after a sow plow... most times on my other bikes its  this..1) stop dismount bike.. 2) lift over three foot pile of snow. 3) mount and continue on. With jolene its.. 1) plow thru three foot drift with a mild speed and keep riding thru. its nice. will have some fun times with this.

done.

b.

foods to make it thru another winter

eat lots of good food makes the winter go by faster so says my little baby....

2009 was awesome

So much happened to change the world of 2009

1. i found a place to get giant Doughnuts

2. received a head injury

3. Started racing

4. drank way too much coffee from domo cups...

5. cruised woodward on bikes with my pops

6. got a bike trailer!

7. gave up my car

8. riding all year every day whatever the weather.

some other stuff happened too. we had another kid. life changed for the better. i became an uncle again! i grew a beard. 2009 was awesome 2010 will be insane.